# It's FOSS > Help people use Linux since 2012. Discover new open source software, local AI tools with us. Stay updated with relavant news from the Linux world. Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. This file includes a bounded export of public pages first, then recent public posts. Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`). ## Pages ### About It's FOSS URL: https://itsfoss.com/about/ Last updated: 2023-02-21T11:57:23.000Z **It’s FOSS** is an award-winning web-portal that focuses on Open Source in general and Linux in particular. While there are several other Linux websites on the internet, **It’s FOSS specifically focuses on beginners to the Linux** world. Its motto is to **make your desktop Linux experience better**. The goal of It’s FOSS is to increase the number of Linux desktop users, which is achieved by helping them solve various issues one might encounter. Tutorials are written keeping beginners in mind with screenshots and proper steps. If you wonder how come It’s FOSS is different from several other blogs in the same arena, let me tell you one thing. All the tips, tricks and tutorials are tried and tested first by us. We won’t suggest you try anything which we haven’t tried ourselves. Apart from how-to tutorials, It’s FOSS also provides information on various applications to improve the Linux desktop experience. News related to Open Source is also covered to keep the readers updated. ## Awards and accolades for It’s FOSS Apart from the regular appreciation by thousands of readers, It’s FOSS has been awarded: - Won the best Software Blog by IndiBlogger in 2013 - Top 5 software blogs by Blog Adda in 2015 - [Top 10 Linux websites to follow by Make Use Of](https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/websites-linux-users/?ref=itsfoss.com) 2017 - Top 20 most popular Linux websites by [Feedly](https://feedly.com/i/top/linux-blogs?ref=itsfoss.com) - Top 5 best Ubuntu websites to follow by [Linux Hint](https://linuxhint.com/best%5Fubuntu%5Fnews%5Fwebsites%5Fblogs/?ref=itsfoss.com) - Top 3 best Linux websites to follow by [Feedspot](https://blog.feedspot.com/linux%5Fblogs/?ref=itsfoss.com) - Top 50 Raspberry Pi Blogs by [Dusun](https://www.dusuniot.com/blog/top-raspberry-pi-blogs/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## What will you learn at It’s FOSS? - Learn more about desktop Linux. Be a Linux guru in your friend circle - Solving common occurring issues in Linux - Get to know more about desktop Linux and its usage - Know and discover new Linux applications and programs to use - Know about desktop customization and beautifying your Linux desktop - Learn about the latest happening in Linux and Open Source world - Become a better Linux user ## How to get more out of It’s FOSS? - Visit the website regularly - Use the search option on the right-hand side to look for older articles on your topic of interest - Add [our feed](https://itsfoss.com/feed/) to your favorite feed-reader - Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get all the latest articles in your inbox - [Like us on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/itsfoss) to stay updated on latest happenings - Join our [Telegram channel](https://t.me/joinchat/AAAAAEPRGUJrEE1itjpH6A?ref=itsfoss.com) - Do join our [friendly community forum](https://itsfoss.community/?ref=itsfoss.com) and seek help and advice from us and fellow Linux users [It’s FOSS CommunityA place for desktop Linux users and It’s FOSS readers![](https://itsfoss.community/uploads/default/optimized/1X/f274f9749e3fd8b4d6fbae1cf90c5c186d2f699c_2_180x180.png)It's FOSS Community![](https://itsfoss.community/uploads/default/original/1X/f274f9749e3fd8b4d6fbae1cf90c5c186d2f699c.png)](https://itsfoss.community/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## **Media Partnership* It’s FOSS has been the official media partner for several international Linux and Open Source events. Some of the main ones are: - Open Source Summit organized by The Linux Foundation, Europe - FOSSBackstage, Germany - OSCAL, Albania - Univention Summit, Germany - SUSEConf - ApacheCon - Southern California Linux Expo (“SCALE”) - Nest with Fedora If you want to partner with us for your open source event, don’t hesitate to contact us. ### Contact Us URL: https://itsfoss.com/contact-us/ Last updated: 2024-11-07T14:04:37.000Z Hi there! Do you have something to say to us? Is it: - An open source product that you think should reach more people - Do you simply want to thank us? - A news that It's FOSS should cover to make an impact - An obscure Linux tip or tool you discovered and more people should know about it - Something else? If you are looking for support to troubleshoot your Linux system, please ask your question in [our community forum](https://itsfoss.community/?ref=itsfoss.com) or [join our private Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/LinuxUsersGroupOfficial/). 💡 We get way too many emails. If you ask for support via email, chances are that you’ll get a reply after a few days. This is why I recommend seeking help in our community forum where other volunteer members can provide you rapid help. [Ask for help in Community Forum only](https://itsfoss.community/?ref=itsfoss.com) Feel free to contact us by filling out the form below: ### Request Your Tutorial URL: https://itsfoss.com/request-tutorial/ Last updated: 2023-01-11T09:56:09.000Z [![request your tutorial](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2012/06/Request-Your-Tutorial-Its-FOSS.jpg)](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2012/06/Request-Your-Tutorial-Its-FOSS.jpg) As you know, the main reason I started It’s FOSS is to help beginners for a better desktop Linux experience. This is why it is important that you notify me of the tutorials you would like to see here. As a reader, you might face some issues in your desktop Linux life. And if you Google and find no tutorial or very complex tutorial for your problem, feel free to request a tutorial to me. Before you rush to submit your question/issue, please read the guidelines below: - Please make sure that a similar tutorial doesn’t exist on It’s FOSS already. If it is outdated, feel free to send me a reminder to update it. - I use Ubuntu as my main desktop. If you have distribution specific problem, please confine it to Ubuntu and Ubuntu based distributions. - If you have hardware specific issue, I suggest checking on forums like [Ask Ubuntu](http://askubuntu.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), [Unix Stack Exchange](http://unix.stackexchange.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) etc. Not that I don’t want to help you. It’s just that you will get quicker respond in the forums than me. - I may not be able to respond immediately so prefer not to use this ‘feature’ for emergency help. Rather, use it for some pending annoyance you want to get rid of. - Please give me time to come up with the tutorial. Tutorial may take some time depending upon my work schedule, resource availability. So once you have read the guidelines, feel free to fill up the form. You can also provide references to already existing solutions (if any): \[wpforms id=”12969″\] ### Privacy Policy URL: https://itsfoss.com/privacy-policy/ Last updated: 2023-07-02T13:16:32.000Z [It’s FOSS](https://itsfoss.com/) has created this privacy statement in order to demonstrate our firm commitment to privacy. The following discloses the information gathering and dissemination practices for [itsfoss.com](https://itsfoss.com/). ## Comment section We use [Hyvor Talk](https://talk.hyvor.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) service as the commenting platform. The comments and other data exchanged are stored securely within the Hyvor Talk system. Your personal data will be processed and transmitted in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). For more information, please refer to [their privacy policy](https://talk.hyvor.com/docs/privacy?ref=itsfoss.com). ## Newsletter popup and banner Cookies We often use display banners at the bottom screen. We use cookies to avoid showing them to you each time you visit our website. ## Ad services We use ad services provided by Google and other parties. Please [read how Google uses the information from our site](https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites?ref=itsfoss.com). They may serve personalized ads so please check the page for how you can control that. Please also check the [privacy policy of Freestar](https://freestar.com/privacy-policy/?ref=itsfoss.com), our ad service partner. ## Third Party Cookies Our third-party advertiser may place or recognize a unique “cookie” on your browser when serving advertisements to this site. To “Opt-out” of the benefits of cookies, you may manually delete your cookies by following the instructions in the Help section of your browser. ## Quiz units Quiz unit at the bottom is served using Apester. Please [read their privacy policy](https://apester.com/privacy-policy/?ref=itsfoss.com). ## External Links It’s FOSS contains links to other sites on the internet. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or the contents of web sites we link to. We do make an effort to avoid linking to known “adult” sites. It’s FOSS is safe for all ages. **If you have any questions about this privacy statement, the practices of this site, or your dealings with this website, you can contact us from* [**here*](https://itsfoss.com/contact-us/)**.* ### Thank You For Subscribing URL: https://itsfoss.com/subscribed/ Last updated: 2023-12-16T11:07:24.000Z Great decision of subscribing to the FOSS Weekly Newsletter 👏 You'll be getting one email each week packed with Linux tips, tutorials and news. The newsletter also shares free books, cheat sheets, interesting deals and funny memes. It's a complete package and quite fun. I know you’ll enjoy reading it and will wait for the next one every week. The newsletters are archived on the website as well. You can read the [previous editions](https://news.itsfoss.com/tag/newsletter/?ref=itsfoss.com) here if you want to. I am Abhishek Prakash, founder of It's FOSS and I'll be sending you I am pretty sure that if you regularly read our articles, it will make you a better Linux user, doesn't matter if you are a beginner or an expert. I'll also appreciate if YOU tell me your expectations from It's FOSS. Why did you join us and what kind of articles you would like us to write? Thank you for subscribing to It’s FOSS email newsletter. You’ll start receiving your email newsletter from next week. It’s FOSS email newsletters are quite fun. I know that you’ll enjoy reading it and will wait for the next one every week. While you wait to read the first email newsletter, I would like you to point you out to some useful resources. If you are using Ubuntu or any other Linux distribution based on Ubuntu such as Linux Mint or elementary OS, make sure to check out Ubuntu 14.04 troubleshooting guide. Basically, it is a collection of various how-to tutorials, neatly placed in various categories. If you are just starting with Ubuntu or Linux Mint, you should bookmark this page. [Ubuntu Troubleshooting Guide](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-1404-troubleshooting-guide/) I plan to make such guides for other Linux distributions in future. Stay tuned for that. Here are some recommended reads from It’s FOSS: - [Why should you switch to Linux](https://itsfoss.com/reasons-switch-linux-windows-xp/)? - [How to reduce overheating in Linux laptops](https://itsfoss.com/reduce-overheating-laptops-linux/) - [Things to do after installing elementary OS Freya](https://itsfoss.com/things-todo-elementary-os-freya/) - [Things to do after installing Ubuntu 15.04](https://itsfoss.com/things-to-do-after-installing-ubuntu-1504/) - [4 best Linux OS to replace Windows XP](https://itsfoss.com/linux-replace-windows-xp/) - [Most beautiful Linux OS in 2015](https://itsfoss.com/new-beautiful-linux-2015/) - 7 Popcorn Time features that will enhance your experience 10 times You’ll find many more such useful articles in the newsletter. ### Donations By It's FOSS URL: https://itsfoss.com/donations-foss/ Last updated: 2023-01-11T09:56:16.000Z [![donation](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2016/01/donate.jpg)](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2016/01/donate.jpg) At It’s FOSS, we are committed to help Open Source and Linux community by writing about various projects and thus help the projects grow. But it’s not the only way we help the [open source](https://itsfoss.com/what-is-foss/) projects. We also donate some part of our income to various open source projects. To keep things transparent, I have created this page so that you can follow (if interested) all the donations made by It’s FOSS (i.e. you and me): - **Akshaya Trust:** $100 - **You Caring West Bengal Winter Project:** $100 - **Nepal Earthquake:** $100 - [Anoise music player](https://itsfoss.com/ambient-noise-music-player-ubuntu/): $25 - Antergos Linux: $25 - Unix Men blog: $25 - [GalliumOS](https://itsfoss.com/galliumos-linux-chromebooks/) Linux: $25 - Tor Project: $25 - Free Software Foundation: $25 - Video Lan (VLC): $25 - [Ubuntu Phone app developer Michal Predotka](https://uappexplorer.com/apps?q=author%3AMichal+Predotka&ref=itsfoss.com): $35 - Krita: $23.5 - [Korora Project](https://kororaproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com): $50 - GIMP: $25 - [Redshift](http://jonls.dk/redshift/?ref=itsfoss.com): $23.5 - LibreOffice: $51.5 (June 2016) - [Open Labs, Albania](https://openlabs.cc/?ref=itsfoss.com): $72 (July 2016) - Free Software Foundation: $120 (August-September 2016) - Open Source Initiative: $40 (October 2016) - Shutter Screenshot Tool: $28 (Feb 2017) - GNOME Member ($5 per month since April 2017) - Devuan Linux $50 (May 2017) - Peppermint OS $20 (May 2017) - Linux Lite ($20 per month since April 2018) - [Flameshot](https://flameshot.js.org/?ref=itsfoss.com#/) screenshot tool: $50 (November 2019) - [Joplin](https://itsfoss.com/joplin/) note taking app: 25 Euro (January 2020) - Pixelorama pixel art tool: $25 (March 2020) - PeerTube: 25 Euro So, in total we have made $1013.5 plus the recurring ones that makes a total of $1373.5 in donation till April’19. I’ll try to update this page as much as possible. Donation is actually one of the many ways to [help Linux grow](https://itsfoss.com/help-linux-grow/). This is my way to contribute to the Open Source community, in addition to running It’s FOSS. ### Get Featured On It's FOSS URL: https://itsfoss.com/get-featured-on-its-foss/ Last updated: 2023-01-11T09:56:19.000Z [![Get featured on It's FOSS](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2012/06/GET-FEATURED-ON-ITS-FOSS-.jpg)](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2012/06/GET-FEATURED-ON-ITS-FOSS-.jpg) It is one thing to create something beautiful, something useful but it is totally a different thing to bring it to a wider audience. I totally understand it. This is why I would like to offer you a helping hand. At It’s FOSS, we are always in the search for new things to share with our readers. It is of mutual benefit that we cover your ‘creation’ on It’s FOSS. ### What do we cover? Basically, anything that interests our readers who are Linux and Open Source lovers. So if you have any of the following, feel free to contact us: - Open Source projects - Applications for Linux (both FOSS and non-free) - Linux related services or projects - Linux related gadgets - Linux or Open Source related books - Linux desktop customization stuff like beautiful conky, set of beautiful wallpapers (why not, they too are loved by our It’s FOSS readers) - Something else? Please note that our opinion is not for ‘sale’. If you want us to review it, we’ll review it if it is useful for our readers and write our opinion about it. You cannot influence our opinion with money. If you have something that you would like us to share with us, please contact us by filling the form below. \[wpforms id=”12970″\] ### Affiliate Policy URL: https://itsfoss.com/affiliate-policy/ Last updated: 2023-04-22T04:58:50.000Z Keeping It’s FOSS up and running is an expensive affair. Premium hosting, services and author payments are some of the major parts of our expenses. Ads are the necessary evil that covers only part of the cost. This is why we have an affiliate system in place to support us financially. Not always but at times, when you buy some products linked by us, we get a tiny part of the sale in commission. **You are not charged extra for the product** or anything like that. You pay the same whether you use our recommended link or not. Links to books and games on Humble Bundle, products on Amazon, and courses on some websites might be affiliate links, which means we receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. All the reviews and recommendations are 100% honest on It’s FOSS. We will never deceive you into buying an inferior product or service. We have built a name on this trust and we will never break that trust. ### Community Submission Guideline URL: https://itsfoss.com/community-submission/ Last updated: 2025-02-11T10:33:23.000Z Do you want to write something on Linux and Open Source that reaches a wider readership? I have good news for you. It’s FOSS now accepts community submitted articles. But before you get too excited, you should know a few things before you contact us with your article. [](https://vdo.ai/contact?utm%5Fmedium=video&utm%5Fterm=itsfoss.com&utm%5Fsource=vdoai%5Flogo) ## What kind of articles you can write? - You are vocal about something, let’s say using init over systemd, you can voice your opinion. - You know a cool Linux trick, share it with the rest of the community. - You came across a new Linux applications that is not covered on It’s FOSS, you are welcome to share it. - You are loving a new obscure Linux distribution. Share your experience with it, what you like, what you find different. - Expert on a certain topic? Share the best practices. For example, if you have been managing Linux servers for years, why not share the best security or management tips to help others learn from you? - Work in a specific niche/product of open source or Linux? Share some knowledge about it and you may get a chance to highlight your product/service (conditions apply). ## Do’s - **Before you start writing anything, you should contact us first with the topic you have in mind. Once your idea is approved, you’ll be given a guideline to follow for writing the article.** - Please keep in mind that not all topics will be accepted just because it’s been not covered on It’s FOSS. Popularity of the topic plays an important role. - Article must be written in English with acceptable level of grammar. We are not grammar experts, but we do expect that the article will not have obvious grammatical mistakes. - Just because your idea was approved, it’s not a guarantee that your article must be published. You must follow the guidelines. - We will only publish at most one community article each week. If there are way too many articles in the pipeline, your article might get delayed. - Your article might be edited. **You’ll be given the finally edited version of the article before publishing**. Your article will only be published when you give consent to the final version. ## Don’ts - This is not a guest posting opportunity. Don’t consider it to be a link building opportunity. If you don't understand what it means, you don't need to worry about it. - Don’t send articles already published elsewhere. - Don’t publish the articles elsewhere after we publish it. - Don’t copy the article from someplace else. Write on your own. As a token of appreciation, you'll get US $2 per 100 words, excluding command outputs. I know it's not a lot, but it's a way for us to thank you for your contribution. You have the option to either receive the payment via PayPal or allow us to donate it to your preferred open source project (to avoid multiple transaction fees). Now that you know some guidelines and agree to them, you can contact us by filling the form below. ### Raspberry Pi URL: https://itsfoss.com/raspberrypi/ Last updated: 2023-01-11T09:56:34.000Z # Raspberry Pi ## Things You Can do With Raspberry Pi Here we list some of the cool Raspberry Pi projects and ideas. The projects have been divided into easy, intermediate and advanced categories. [Raspberry Pi Project Ideas](https://itsfoss.com/raspberry-pi-projects/) ![Raspberry Pi Projects](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2019/11/raspberry_pi_projects.png) ![Install Steam on Ubuntu & Other Linux](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2019/08/Share-Keyboard-and-Mouse-800x450.jpg) You can use your mouse and keyboard on multiple devices at the same time. Here’s how. [Share Mouse and Keyboard with RPi](https://itsfoss.com/keyboard-mouse-sharing-between-computers/) ![Play Windows-only Games on Linux](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2019/11/control-led-voice-raspberry-pi-800x450.jpg) Before you could put your Raspberry Pi to some good use, you need these accessories. [Essential Raspberry Pi Accessories](https://itsfoss.com/things-you-need-to-get-your-raspberry-pi-working/) ## New to Raspberry Pi? These tutorials will help ## Latest Raspberry Pi Articles ### Archive of Raspberry Pi Articles You can find all the Raspberry Pi articles published on It’s FOSS on this page in reverse chronological order. [All Raspberry Pi Articles](https://itsfoss.com/tag/raspberry-pi/) ### Copyright URL: https://itsfoss.com/copyright/ Last updated: 2024-01-19T07:11:26.000Z The aim of It’s FOSS is to educate people on Linux and raise an awareness about open source software. The contents we provide are educational in nature and we would like that it reaches more and more people. The content and the images on It’s FOSS are under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/?ref=itsfoss.com). This simply means that you can use our articles and images in your projects but you must mention us as the source. It also means that the work you did using our articles can also be freely used by others. ## Feel free to translate but do link us as source If you want to translate It’s FOSS articles in your own language and publish it on your own website, you are free to do so. But you must mention us as the original source by providing a [do-follow backlink](https://mangools.com/blog/seopedia/dofollow-nofollow-backlinks/?ref=itsfoss.com) to the original It’s FOSS article. ## You can use images too, but do credit us as source with a link The same goes with the images on It’s FOSS. If you want to use a screenshots or other images on your website, you are free to do that. But you must link back to the original It’s FOSS article from where you took the image. ## We don’t encourage copying entire articles in English language (to avoid duplicate content penalty) To avoid duplicate content penalty from Google and other search engines, we discourage copying our articles and publishing it on other websites. Referring to it and using part of it is okay (with proper mention and links). If you must copy the entire article, please use [canonical tag](https://yoast.com/what-is-a-canonical-url/?ref=itsfoss.com) to mention the It’s FOSS article as the source. ## What about videos? We have a very lenient policy on copyrights because we want the educational content to reach more people specially where It’s FOSS is not available. This is why we encourage translating our content into other languages because this way, non-English speakers can also get benefit from our quality content. It gets tricky. We are already on YouTube. If you copy our videos and upload it on YouTube, it makes no sense. We don’t encourage that. If you have any remaining questions, please free to [contact us](https://itsfoss.com/contact-us/). ### Search URL: https://itsfoss.com/search/ Last updated: 2023-01-11T09:56:35.000Z _No content available._ ### Why Use Linux URL: https://itsfoss.com/why-use-linux/ Last updated: 2024-01-19T06:23:28.000Z # Why Use Linux? ![Absolutely Free](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/freedom.png) ### Absolutely Free Linux is a free operating system both in terms of pricing and licensing. You can download and install it for free and you can even modify Linux OS, make copies of it to distribute it to your friends, family and colleagues. ![Revive Old Computer](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/computer.png) ### Revive Old Computer Don’t throw your old computer just yet. Linux has got your back when it comes to low end configuration system. Some Linux OS can run on a system with just 128 MB RAM. ![Safe & Secure](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/shield.png) ### Safe & Secure Linux is renowned for its security. You don’t even need an antivirus in Linux, just keep your system updated. Oh! and there are no hidden trackers to invade your privacy and steal your data. ![Thousands of Applications](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/software.png) ### Thousands of Applications Linux has thousands of open source applications available to use for free. You can browse the software in software center and select the ones best on ratings and reviews. You also have a number of proprietary software available for Linux. ![Customization](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/customization.png) ### Customization If you like tweaking the looks of your operating system, you’ll love Linux. With icons, themes, Conky, panel, dock launchers, you can customize the looks of Linux desktop in every possible way you can imagine. ![Community](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/speech-bubble.png) ### Community Linux project itself has been built around a vibrant community. When you are in need of help, you can get a variety of support in the form of documentation, forums and live chat. ## Switching to Linux is easier than you think [Linux has all the applications that you expect in any regular operating system](https://itsfoss.com/essential-linux-applications/) such as Windows. And these days, you don’t need to be a computer genius to use Linux. ### With LibreOffice, you won’t need Microsoft Office Most Linux operating systems come with LibreOffice suite installed by default. This free productivity suite is the [best alternative to Microsoft Office](https://itsfoss.com/best-free-open-source-alternatives-microsoft-office/) and you don’t have to pay a single penny for it. With LibreOffice, you can create documents, spreadsheets and presentations, the same as you do with Microsoft Office. You can also open and edit any existing Word, Excel and Powerpoint slides you’ve already got. ![LibreOffice Icon](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/libreoffice_icon-e1578977726482.png) ![Web Browsers in Linux](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/browser.png) ### Web Browsers in Linux Browsing the web is the same in Linux. You’ll have your favorite web browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera etc in Linux, all the same, except Internet Explorer. But hey, who uses Internet Explorer anyway? ![Graphic design tools in Linux](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/video_editor.png) ### Graphic design tools in Linux In Linux, you get open source alternative applications for all your creative needs. You got Gimp, Inkscape and Krita for graphics editing, Ardour for audio editing and OpenShot and Blender for your video editing requirements. Best of all, you don’t need to pay for any of these tools. ![For all your multimedia needs](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/video_player.png) ### For all your multimedia needs You have plenty of free and open source music players to manage your music library. In addition to that, some of these players are also capable of playing online radio and integrating your favorite streaming service. Not to mention, you can install plenty of plugins to further enhance the capabilities and looks of these music players. Rhythmbox, Clementine and Spotify players are just a few examples. For your video needs, VLC and MPV players are capable of playing any video format you’ve got. ![Let the game begin!](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/joystick.png) ### Let the game begin! [Gaming](https://itsfoss.com/gaming/) on Linux has never been this strong. There are thousands of Linux games available. You can search and find mainstream Linux games on portals like Steam and GOG. Steam’s experimental new feature also allows you to play many Windows-only games on Linux. You can also download and play indie games from itch.io. Not to forget that you can get plenty of indie games in the default software center itself. ## Which Linux should you use as a beginner? There are plenty of Linux-based operating systems (called Linux distributions) available. In fact, you can say there is a Linux distribution for everyone’s needs, be it gaming, hacking or designing. Considering that you are just starting with Linux, here are two of the most popular and [beginner-friendly Linux distributions](https://itsfoss.com/best-linux-beginners/) you can use right now to ditch Windows. ![Ubuntu](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/ubunt_logo.png) Ubuntu is one of the most popular Linux distributions for desktop computers. Easy to use, plenty of resources on the web to help you out. [Ubuntu](https://ubuntu.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) ![Linux Mint](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/linux_mint_logo.png) Linux Mint is popular among beginners for its Windows-like appearance. It is similar to Ubuntu and most Ubuntu tutorials are valid for Mint also. [Linux Mint](https://linuxmint.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Linux Distribution Reviews URL: https://itsfoss.com/linux-reviews/ Last updated: 2023-01-11T09:56:39.000Z On It’s FOSS, we regularly test various Linux distributions and share our experience with them. If you like to know about different distros, do read the reviews. ## Latest Linux distribution reviews Here are the latest reviews of various Linux distributions. [All Linux Distro Reviews](https://itsfoss.com/tag/linux-distro-review/) ## Got an old computer? Revive it with these distributions One of the several reasons why people use Linux is its ability to run on old computers. Here we reviewed some [Linux distros for old laptops](https://itsfoss.com/lightweight-linux-beginners/) and desktops. Read the reviews and see which Linux distribution is more suited for your needs. ## Ubuntu 20.04 Flavors There are [various Ubuntu flavors available](https://itsfoss.com/which-ubuntu-install/) and here we review most of them (if not all) in the 20.04 LTS series. ## Distros for a purpose These Linux distributions have been specially crafted for a specific purpose be it hacking, schooling or gaming. ## Not so popular but worth a look Here are some unusual Linux distributions that might not be popular but worth checking out because they are different than your regular Linux distributions. ## For nostalgia: Reviews of discontinued Linux distributions Distributions of yesteryear. These distributions once had a good fan base but they don’t exist anymore. 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The comments and other data ex…![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/12/android-chrome-192x192.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2023/01/homepage-featured-image.png)](https://itsfoss.com/privacy-policy/) ## Affiliate Policy Keeping It’s FOSS up and running is an expensive affair. Premium hosting, services and author payments are some of the major parts of our expenses. Ads are the necessary evil that covers only part of the cost. This is why we have an affiliate system in place to support us financially. Not always but at times, when you buy some products linked by us, we get a tiny part of the sale in commission. **You are not charged extra for the product** or anything like that. You pay the same whether you use our recommended link or not. Links to books and games on Humble Bundle, products on Amazon, and courses on some websites might be affiliate links, which means we receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. 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This is why we have an affiliate system in place to support![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/12/android-chrome-192x192.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2023/01/homepage-featured-image.png)](https://itsfoss.com/affiliate-policy/) ### Partnership URL: https://itsfoss.com/partnership/ Last updated: 2024-05-26T05:10:19.000Z _No content available._ ### Pro Member Resources URL: https://itsfoss.com/pro-resources/ Last updated: 2023-06-15T04:10:01.000Z It's FOSS Pro members have more benefits now 🤩 Here are two premium ebooks that are available for purchase by everyone. [Learn Linux Quickly - Linux Commands for BeginnersLearn Linux Quickly doesn’t assume any prior Linux knowledge, which makes it a perfect fit for beginners. Nevertheless, intermediate and advanced Linux users will still find this book very useful as it goes through a wide range of topics. Learn Linux Quickly will teach you the following topics:Insta…![](https://public-files.gumroad.com/akcz661m3xkpsztskivjmh2agj22)Gumroad![](https://public-files.gumroad.com/ecjyjb71cmsww7i7srgezk6cq7tg)](https://linuxhandbook.gumroad.com/l/mEsrwA?ref=itsfoss.com) [Learn Bash Quickly - Bash Beginner Book for Linux UsersThis book is available for FREE to Linux Handbook members.Learn Bash Quickly will teach you everything you need to get started with bash scripting. Each bash concept is explained with easy to understand examples. You’ll learn to:Create and run a bash scriptUse variables and pass arguments to scriptU…![](https://public-files.gumroad.com/akcz661m3xkpsztskivjmh2agj22)Gumroad![](https://public-files.gumroad.com/ad4vpgtd6tv4v9voyngu9l4087qt)](https://linuxhandbook.gumroad.com/l/ejfGu?ref=itsfoss.com) But Pro members get them without charge. ## Download the books for free As a Pro member, you can download both of these ebooks free of charge from the links below. _This page is for paying subscribers only._ ## Posts ### AlmaLinux Puts Software Certification in the Hands of Users URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/almalinux-software-certification-launched/ Last updated: 2026-09-27T05:01:19.000Z For the first time, there's a way to carry out software certification on [AlmaLinux](https://almalinux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), and the hardware suite has been rewritten alongside it, with test results from either certification path landing in the same public catalog. Don't worry about the cost to validate or the uptime of the machine itself. Certifications are free, and the hardware checks no longer require you to install the distro on your setup. ## Validating, how? In this particular situation, software certification is basically a listing plus the confirmations that follow it. A publisher adds the product and picks which major versions of AlmaLinux it runs on. The confirmations come from the people running software on their own hardware across various AlmaLinux releases, though they will **need to sign up for an account** if they want to post their findings. Hardware certification is the other half that got some attention. The [alma-certify](https://github.com/AlmaLinux/alma-certify?ref=itsfoss.com) tool has been rewritten, with the developers claiming it can now achieve **sub-10 minute certification runs** on most hardware. Another improvement is that `alma-certify` **doesn't require an AlmaLinux installation anymore** because it can work off live media or from an installation already on the machine. There's also a new machine registration flow that makes use of QR codes. If you didn't know, this tool records what's in the machine, all the way down to drivers and firmware, then starts up a bunch of short checks that decide whether it passes. Those checks cover a lot of ground, starting from computation and memory errors, storage health, networking drivers, to kernel state, virtualization, GPU, and peripherals. ## Tracking results ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/almalinux-certification-catalog-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/almalinux-software-certification-catalog.png) **The catalog landing page (left) and the software certification page (right).* Everything ends up in [the catalog](https://catalog.almalinux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), and each entry is a result anyone can analyze. It holds the systems, components, and software that have been validated, alongside [the benchmark figures](https://catalog.almalinux.org/benchmarks/?ref=itsfoss.com) from the published test runs. Every major AlmaLinux release is tracked on its own, so provenance can be proved, and everything in the catalog is easily searchable. You can even **make use of the free, read-only API** to collect data in bulk. [Jonathan Wright](https://jonathanspw.com/about/?ref=itsfoss.com), the Infrastructure Lead for AlmaLinux, directed his attention toward potential testers, [saying that](https://almalinux.org/blog/2026-09-24-certification-in-minutes/?ref=itsfoss.com): > Two things would make all of this worth it. A lot of people and organizations want proof that AlmaLinux runs on the hardware they already own before they’ll give it a try, and now they can get that proof themselves. > > Every result that gets submitted makes the case to hardware and software vendors that supporting AlmaLinux officially is a low-effort thing to do. > So if you have hardware sitting in front of you, or software you rely on every day, go tell us that it works. Validations stack, so adding yours to something already listed helps just as much as being the first. In the end, this will only work if vendors and individual users take the effort to run tests and manually post them on the portal. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** *Ubuntu is* [*tightening its kernel SRU cycle*](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-kernel-sru-cycle-update/) *to two weeks.* ### The Netherlands Built a Nix-Based Linux Desktop Because Microsoft Cut Off the ICC URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/netherlands-dawo-initiative/ Last updated: 2026-09-26T03:13:45.000Z When the U.S. government [imposed sanctions](https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/imposing-sanctions-on-the-international-criminal-court/?ref=itsfoss.com) on the [International Criminal Court](https://www.icc-cpi.int/?ref=itsfoss.com) (ICC) in early 2025, the consequences were far-reaching yet quickly enforced. The restrictions cut off the ICC chief prosecutor's access to Microsoft services, including email, followed by a freezing of his personal and institutional bank accounts [in affected jurisdictions](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/trumps-sanctions-on-iccs-chief-prosecutor-have-halted-tribunals-work-officials-and-lawyers-say?ref=itsfoss.com). While this was happening, the Dutch government was watching, coming to the bitter realization that access to essential services depended on decisions made in the U.S. Hence, their response to this is [DAWO](https://dawo.overheid-a.nl/?ref=itsfoss.com), short for *Digitaal Autonome Werkomgeving Overheid*, or *Digital Autonomous Work Environment for Government* in English. It is a framework that looks to tackle the government's digital stack, covering the OS, an office suite, collaboration apps, cloud services, IT management tools, and AI, with all of it being built around a [NixOS](https://nixos.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) foundation. ## How it came to be The DAWO initiative became an official government mandate in July, when the *Interdepartmental Commission for Government Business Operations* (ICBR) issued a directive for a standardized, sovereign digital work environment. The three major IT service providers of the Dutch central government, *SSC-ICT*, *DICTU*, and *DUO-ICT*, are tasked with executing this major undertaking. Development is handed by a team that is associated with the *Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations* (BZK), with some notable people like Victor Gevers, Rutger Putter, and Bram Buijs being named. ## Why go with NixOS? ![the dawo-core repo on dawo's codeberg instance](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/netherlands-dawo-core-repo.png) Nix, the package manager NixOS is built around, handles configuration through its own functional programming language. Each package installs into an isolated directory with immutable, signed contents. That makes a working setup reproducible across machines. For a rollout spanning dozens of agencies, that [reproducibility](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reproducible%5Fbuilds?ref=itsfoss.com) adds up, resulting in substantially less repeated configuration work that would cost time and money. Rutger estimates around 80 to 90 percent of a configuration carries over between deployments. **NixOS also runs on hardware Windows 11 cannot**, which is why the current pilots (*more details below*) are being run on decommissioned laptops that would otherwise be out of service. **For handling the code**, this initiative is following a similar approach to the country's earlier [Forgejo migration](https://itsfoss.com/news/netherlands-forgejo-migration/), where they moved their code hosting away from GitHub and GitLab. All of DAWO's code is hosted on [a Forgejo instance](https://code.overheid.nl/MinBZK?ref=itsfoss.com), with a separate [Codeberg instance](https://codeberg.org/DAWO?ref=itsfoss.com) acting as the entry point for contributors. And, to answer the question asked earlier, **NixOS was chosen because it is a Dutch project**, with no company owning or controlling its development. Before settling on it, the DAWO folks were considering openSUSE and Fedora. Both were disqualified due to their commercial ties, openSUSE to SUSE and Fedora to Red Hat, which in turn is owned by the US-based IBM. **Suggested Read 📖:** *Garuda Linux* [*has begun pushing*](https://itsfoss.com/news/garuda-linux-nixification/) *towards NixOS.* ## Things are looking up Eight municipalities are running trial programs via the Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG). The ICC incident is what makes this different from other government-level open source pushes, as Dutch officials were given a first-hand reminder of what vendor dependency could cost them. Of course they are not alone in doing so. Germany's [Schleswig-Holstein](https://itsfoss.com/news/german-state-ditch-microsoft/) went through something similar after leaving Microsoft. Part of what it used to spend on licenses now goes towards supporting open source projects. [Denmark](https://itsfoss.com/news/denmark-road-traffic-authority-ditches-microsoft/) and [France](https://itsfoss.com/news/france-government-linux-switch/) have made similar moves of their own, where one is ditching MS services for their road traffic authority and the other is pushing a Linux switch across ministries, with 80,000 health insurance employees already moving to domestic tools. As for where DAWO goes from here, they intend to release the first stable version sometime next year, taking in feedback from all the concerned parties (*e.g., the municipalities*). *Via:* [*Tweakers*](https://tweakers.net/reviews/15334/nederland-maakt-soeverein-alternatief-voor-windows-en-office-op-basis-van-linux.html?ref=itsfoss.com) ### This Tiny SBC Lets You Swap Interface Modules for Voice, Vision or Sensing URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/vicharak-axon-lite/ Last updated: 2026-09-25T07:32:45.000Z You get an SBC and start building projects on that. You start with a vision project. Then the next project idea needs audio. Perhaps the next one requires a bunch of sensors. Usually that means a stack of HATs on the GPIO header or getting a new SBC. [Vicharak](https://vicharak.in/?ref=itsfoss.com) is trying a different route with the Axon-Lite. It's a tiny ARM SBC whose interface modules are swappable, so you change the module to match the job instead of changing the board. ![Axion Lite](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/axion-lite-3.webp) This "reconfigurable computing" pitch is what makes this ARM board slightly different from the rest. Vicharak already offers a FPGA-based [Vaaman](https://vicharak.in/vaaman?ref=itsfoss.com) and an RAM-based Axion line. The Axon-Lite is the smallest member of its Axon line. So they may be relatively new in this field, but they are not total novices. ## Axion Lite Specifications Let's see what you get on this SBC: - **SoC:** Rockchip RK3576 (4× Cortex-A72 + 4× Cortex-A53) - **AI/graphics:** 6 TOPS NPU, Mali-G52 MC3 GPU, 16MP ISP - **Memory & storage:** LPDDR5 (2GB-8GB), eMMC 5.1 (32GB-128GB), UFS 3.1, SD card - **Modularity:** swappable interface modules + board-to-board expansion - **Connectivity:** Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, Gigabit Ethernet - **GPIO:** Raspberry Pi-compatible 40-pin header As you can already see, the highlight here is the modularity. The board uses what Vicharak calls its modular connector interface, and the idea is that you snap on a different interface module as needed. The company shows four so far: Voice Processing, Smart Sensing, AI Data Hub and AI Vision. On top of that, there's **board-to-board expansion**, so you can stack a daughter board rather than swap. ![Axion Lite board to board expansion](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/axion-lite-5.webp) board to board expansion There's a *but* worth keeping in mind. A modular connector is only as useful as the module lineup that actually ships for it. And if this is a proprietary interface, not a standard one, so you will be dependent on whatever expansion board Vicharak is offering. Under the modules sits a **Rockchip RK3576**. It's an octa-core chip that slots in above the entry-level RK3566 and below the flagship RK3588, which makes it a sensible middle ground for edge work. Vicharak lists a 6 TOPS NPU alongside it, the same NPU figure you get on much pricier RK3588 boards, which is plenty for running vision and other on-device AI models locally. The company also claims the SoC is built on a TSMC 5nm process. Memory is **LPDDR5**, and storage is flexible with **eMMC 5.1**, **UFS 3.1** and a microSD slot all supported. The inclusion of faster UFS on a board this size is a nice touch. ![Axion Lite](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/axio-lite-1.webp) Swappable Interface For vision builds, the I/O is generous. You get a 4-lane CSI plus additional 2-lane CSI paths for cameras, a 4-lane DSI for displays, a 16MP ISP, micro HDMI 2.1 and USB-C with display output. Networking covers Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2 and Gigabit Ethernet, and there's a Raspberry Pi-compatible 40-pin GPIO header so existing add-ons and pinouts carry over. Vicharak also mentions on-board battery charging circuitry, which hints at portable, untethered builds. ## Software and userbase Vicharak is pitching the Axon-Lite as a Linux-first board, with a familiar Debian-style environment and the usual apt-driven workflow. Nothing exotic to learn here, in other words. On the tooling side, the company lists the tools you'd expect for this kind of board: VS Code, Git, Python, Docker and Node.js for general development, and ROS 2, OpenCV, GStreamer, FFmpeg, Jupyter, TensorFlow Lite and ONNX Runtime for the AI, robotics and vision crowd. Between that and the swappable modules, the target audience is quite spread as it is useful students, hobbyists and product teams prototyping edge AI and vision projects. ## Pricing and Availability ![Vicharak Axion Lite](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/axion-lite-4.webp) Vicharak is pitching the Axon-Lite as a Linux-first board, with a familiar Debian-style environment and the usual apt-driven workflow. Nothing exotic to learn here, in other words. From students tinkering with AI and embedded systems to hobbyists to product teams prototyping edge AI and vision projects, the target userbase for the board is quite spread. Axon Lite is available for pre-order for the 4 GB and 8 GB RAM variants with a price tag of Indian rupees 15,930 (around US $165) and 18,299 (around US $200). The board should ship in January 2027\. Please check for shipping and custom duty charges. [Pre-order Axion Lite](https://store.vicharak.in/?product=axon-lite-rk3576-ai-single-board-computer&v=13b5bfe96f3e&ref=itsfoss.com) *It is always interesting to see* [*alternative single board computers*](https://itsfoss.com/raspberry-pi-alternatives/)*, specially if they have something different to offer.* ### How openEuler Is Reinventing the OS Foundation for the AI Era with SuperPoD and UnifiedBus URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/openeuler-unifiedbus/ Last updated: 2026-09-25T04:08:59.000Z The AI doesn't necessarily run on supercomputers (yet), it runs on clusters of hardware pieced together. This is where SuperPoD comes into picture. A SuperPoD is a tightly coupled scale-up system that connects many compute nodes so software can use resources across them more like one system. So far, the operating system that ties them in a single machine has largely been proprietary. openEuler wants this to be open source, and its latest release shows the push for that. ## Need for cluster OS Linux provides the base for an excellent operating system. But mostly, the OS is confined to one machine. It schedules the memory, the CPU, and the devices inside a single box, and if you want more, you add another box and wire them together over the network. This has worked so far, but the AI ecosystem demands more than that. Models now run across racks of machines that have to behave like one giant computer (SuperPOD, again), and the network in between becomes the bottleneck for performance. ![SuperPOD from Huawei](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/huawei-superpod.webp) openEuler is an open-source Linux distribution ecosystem, and its newest release ships focuses on running the whole cluster of AI machines as a single, unified system. The code is open and the community is showing interest in adopting it. 📋 A SuperPoD (also called supernode) is a large cluster of machines wired together closely in such a manner that software can treat the whole thing as one giant computer, rather than as dozens of separate servers. ## A Linux distro built for SuperPOD openEuler 24.03 LTS SP3, released in December 2025, was the first openEuler version built for SuperPoD. openEuler calls it the world's first OS to support this architecture. openEuler supports SuperPoD through UnifiedBus and its OS software stack. UnifiedBus provides the high-speed interconnect, while the UB OS Component and [UB Service Core](https://www.openeuler.org/en/projects/ub-service-core/?ref=itsfoss.com) provide OS and cluster-level services on top of it. A normal Linux system schedules memory and devices inside one node. UB lets applications reach memory and accelerators sitting in *other* nodes almost as if they were local. So this openEuler release breaks the single-machine boundary and schedules these distributed resources as one single set. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/image-2.png) And as you can see, it matters most for the AI hardware. openEuler also did some of its own tests and claims that the peer-to-peer UB design boosts application performance in large-scale AI compute up to 30 to 50 percent. ## Where SuperPoD OS comes from ![openeuler AI era](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/openeuler.jpg) Let me give you some context to why it's called "world's first SuperPoD OS". openEuler grew out of Huawei's in-house EulerOS and is now an open-source distribution stewarded by the OpenAtom Foundation. It runs across Arm (including Huawei's Kunpeng), x86, and RISC-V, and the project has passed 16 million installations by the end of 2025. SuperPoD and UnifiedBus are Huawei technologies used across multiple computing systems, including Atlas AI systems and the TaiShan 950 SuperPoD for general-purpose computing. The UB OS Component is open sourced in the openEuler community and forms part of openEuler's software support for UnifiedBus. ## Intelligence BooM, the full-stack AI layer Another interesting thing that openEuler is pushing for is [Intelligence BooM](https://www.openeuler.org/en/projects/intelligence-boom/?ref=itsfoss.com), its open-source, full-stack AI solution. Full-stack here means that instead of running as a tool, it covers the whole software layer an AI workload needs from the OS up. Basically, it gives you an out-of-the-box setup for training and running large models, so users don't need to do all the "[AI plumbing](https://www.eejournal.com/article/do-you-want-to-be-an-ai-plumber/?ref=itsfoss.com)" from scratch. ![Intelligence Boom architecture](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/intelligence-boom.webp) Underneath, openEuler keeps working on the low-level plumbing that makes clusters efficient: combining different chip types into one usable pool (heterogeneous compute fusion), letting CPUs and NPUs work on the same job together (co-computing), and sharing memory across chips and machines (memory pooling). It also splits a single accelerator so several jobs can share it and packs more than one workload onto the same hardware, both aimed at keeping expensive NPUs and XPUs busy. For regular Joes like you and me, the most interesting part is the DevStation, openEuler's desktop build, which ships with an AI assistant that should handle things like installing software or setting up an environment from natural language commands. We plan to test DevStation and its openEuler Intelligence assistant on an openEuler 24.03 test machine for day-to-day development and general-purpose use. ## Moving towards a community ecosystem It is interesting to see that most of the open source and open-weight AI models are coming from China. From the enterprise focused UB Service core to user-focused Intelligence Boom, openEuler is keeping things open and that's a step in the right direction. It is certainly a project to keep an eye on. If you want to get involved, check out the community page or their [GitHub repo](https://github.com/openeuler-mirror?ref=itsfoss.com) for more details. [openEuler Community](https://www.openeuler.org/en/sig/role-description/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Ubuntu is Tightening its Kernel SRU Cycle to Two Weeks, and Clankers Are to Blame URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-kernel-sru-cycle-update/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T16:10:45.000Z So far, Canonical has followed a split kernel SRU cycle for Ubuntu, where regular fixes and security patches lived on separate tracks, with a full update every four weeks and a security-focused release at the two-week midpoint for urgent [CVE](https://www.cve.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) fixes. If that concept is new to you, a [Stable Release Update](https://ubuntu.com/project/docs/SRU/stable-release-updates/?ref=itsfoss.com), or SRU, is how Canonical ships bug fixes and security patches to Ubuntu after a release is out. The kernel gets its own dedicated track for this. Canonical is [replacing both tracks](https://canonical.com/blog/accelerating-delivery-of-cve-fixes-with-a-new-kernel-release-strategy?ref=itsfoss.com) with a single 2-week cycle, and since each new cycle kicks off a week into the current one, this results in a kernel release landing every week. ## The new 2-week cycle ![canonical-2-week-sru-cycle-graph](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/canonical-2-week-sru-cycle-graph-2.jpg) **Source: Canonical* Each cycle starts with a week of patch integration and prep work. The kernel team selects which fixes land on each kernel, builds the packages, and runs basic smoke tests to catch anything obviously wrong before the build moves on. Those builds get pushed into Ubuntu's `-proposed` [pocket](https://ubuntu.com/project/docs/how-ubuntu-is-made/concepts/package-archive/?ref=itsfoss.com#proposed) once the first week wraps up. That is where kernel release candidates live before they have been certified, accessible to those who know where to look but not yet out to general users. Week two is where Canonical runs the builds through its [Ubuntu Certified](https://ubuntu.com/certified?ref=itsfoss.com) hardware testing program, putting them through different machine types to make sure nothing breaks in the real world before the kernel ships. A fresh cycle starts every week regardless of where the current one stands, so there is always a kernel finishing its test run and rolling out. That is how a 2-week cycle ends up delivering a release every week. And, when something is not safe to ship, Canonical says that they will be clear about that and direct users toward general system hardening advice. **For teams that cannot wait the full two weeks**, Canonical is explicitly pointing to `-proposed` as a fast path. The idea is that you run your own acceptance tests on the build sitting there rather than waiting for certification to wrap up. ## Clankers made this inevitable This change did not come from nowhere; they had to take such a sweeping decision due to clankers. Only last month, we saw how they were [bleeding compute resources](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-repo-ai-overrun/) from git.kernel.org just by scraping it for training data. For Canonical, their decision was driven by LLMs and AI agents **turning vulnerability hunting into something automated and relentless**, finding kernel bugs at a scale and speed no individual human researcher could replicate. The goal is to have a workaround published within 24 to 48 hours of a CVE going public. Not the patch, but something that gets affected systems into a safer state while one is being built. What the Ubuntu maker is doing here is responding to a rapidly-evolving situation by shortening the window between a CVE going public and a patch landing. ### FOSS Weekly #26.39: Snapdragon X2, Ubuntu 26.10, Konsole, systemd Tricks and a New Project URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-39/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T12:56:36.000Z First thing first. Yesterday, I mistakenly sent the [Local AI Weekly](https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/local-ai-weekly-3/) newsletter to everyone. That was not supposed to happen. I'll be more careful in the future. Let's go with our regular dose of Linux and open source. [Snapdragon X2 processor support](https://itsfoss.com/news/snapdragon-x2-linux-developer-preview/) should be coming to Linux soon. Qualcomm has put out an early developer preview with Debian 13 as the reference environment. PeppermintOS is [switching from Xorg to XLibre](https://itsfoss.com/news/peppermintos-xlibre/) for its upcoming Debian and Devuan ISO refreshes, with no plans to move to Wayland for the foreseeable future. Mozilla and Mistral announced a partnership that adds [Mistral Small 4](https://itsfoss.com/news/firefox-smart-window-mistral/) to Firefox Smart Window, swapping out the OpenAI model that was there before. Both of them believe that an independent browser and a European AI lab act as counterweights in the Big Tech-dominated browser ecosystem. Valve has [quietly open-sourced Lepton](https://itsfoss.com/news/valve-lepton/), the Android compatibility layer it built for Steam Frame. The tool runs Android games inside a container using Waydroid and LineageOS. [Garuda Linux has graduated its NixOS](https://itsfoss.com/news/garuda-linux-nixification/) side project into a proper standalone distro. Garuda Nix now ships bootable ISOs for the Dr460nized and Mokka flavors. After a decade of the open source Community Edition, [Portainer is now changing things](https://itsfoss.com/news/portainer-community-edition-freeze/). CE stays frozen on 2.x with security patches and some backports, while Portainer 3.0, a Kubernetes-first rebuild, goes closed source. GrapheneOS [is publicly calling out Google](https://itsfoss.com/news/grapheneos-android-17-qpr1-fiasco/) for holding Android 17 QPR1 security patches back from non-Pixel OEMs until December. After years of requiring a phone number even after adding username support, Signal is finally testing [numberless registrations](https://itsfoss.com/news/signal-numberless-registration/). Then there are the two Ubuntu-related news items this week: - [Ubuntu 26.10](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-10-features/) is changing [how the desktop handles low memory](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-10-oom-policy/), giving session-critical services like GNOME Shell a lower OOM score so your browser gets killed before your desktop does. - Separately, the Ubuntu Wiki got its first [comprehensive overhaul](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/09/ubuntu-wiki-redesign?ref=itsfoss.com) since 2010, now running on MediaWiki with niceties like dark mode, mobile support, and a WYSIWYG editor. **This edition of FOSS Weekly is supported by** [**ANY.RUN**](https://anyrun.webinargeek.com/turn-ti-into-soc-action-with-any-run-and-elastic-security?cst=its-foss&utm%5Fsource=itsfoss&utm%5Fmedium=newsletter&utm%5Fcampaign=elastic+webinar&utm%5Fcontent=webinar+page&utm%5Fterm=241026&ref=itsfoss.com) **that is organizing a webinar.** ****Free Webinar | Turn Threat Intelligence into SOC Action** Your SOC has threat intelligence. But is it helping analysts make faster decisions? Join ****ANY.RUN and Elastic Security** to see how to make threat intelligence part of faster SOC decision-making — without adding more manual work. \- Prioritize alerts with relevant threat context \- Reduce manual enrichment and IOC lookups \- Bring fresh IOCs into Elastic Security workflows [Tune in to the LIVE webinar on September 30 at 17:00 CEST ](https://anyrun.webinargeek.com/turn-ti-into-soc-action-with-any-run-and-elastic-security?cst=its-foss&utm%5Fsource=itsfoss&utm%5Fmedium=newsletter&utm%5Fcampaign=elastic+webinar&utm%5Fcontent=webinar+page&utm%5Fterm=241026) ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About Andy Nguyen, lead of the PS5 Linux project, [is stepping away](https://itsfoss.com/news/ps5-linux-lead-quits/) after a hypervisor exploit he'd been sitting on got reported to Sony's bug bounty program by someone else before he was ready. [The Famed PS5 Linux Project Lead Quits Over a Premature Exploit Report to SonyAndy Nguyen blames AI-assisted bug reporters who ignored his request.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-289e07b1-1f05-4d0e-9602-044a2c14202e.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/ps5-linux-hackerone-banner-203c3689-1f89-4fe2-9f14-424da3670fb5.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/ps5-linux-lead-quits/) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings Most KDE users open Konsole, type commands, and never bother tweaking it. We have [some useful tips](https://itsfoss.com/konsole-terminal-tweaks/) for you that will change how you use it. Linux has had NTFS support for years, and it's never been great. NTFS-3G works but is slow and CPU-hungry. The ntfs3 driver is in the kernel but barely maintained. [NTFSPlus](https://itsfoss.com/ntfsplus/) is the attempt to finally do it properly. Something broke on your Linux system, and you don't know where to start? Turns out systemd has been keeping detailed records the whole time. You just [need to learn how](https://itsfoss.com/systemd-troubleshoot-tools/) to make good use of the tools that can help you read them. [New to Linux? These 4 systemd Tools Help You Fix Common IssuesStop guessing, start investigating. Here are 4 systemd tools that make Linux troubleshooting easy.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-d245da41-9653-4467-b465-ae3a3c265b84.png)It's FOSSNeville Ondara![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/systemd-troubleshoot-35529ed6-b896-4978-856e-4883000a60b9.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/systemd-troubleshoot-tools/) ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner ![elecrow crowpanel hmi display](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/elecrow-display-3.jpg) I got my hands on Elecrow's [new HMI display](https://itsfoss.com/crowpanel-advanced-hmi-display-review/), a 10.1-inch ESP32-P4 touchscreen built for homelab and maker projects, not for people who want something that works out of the box. The recently [released openKylin 3.0](https://itsfoss.com/news/openkylin-3-0-released/) comes with built-in skills that allow you to control and change system settings via AI agents. [openKylin 3.0 Release Makes it a “AI first” Linux DesktopThe built-in skills allow you to control and change system settings via AI agent. Is this the beginning of AI assistant for desktop computers?![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-416e2729-9023-4c12-bd3c-d8d9a707d701.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/openkylin-3-17a9f9fc-0f99-47af-a4bd-2ecf6a0b3b5b.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/news/openkylin-3-0-released/) ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights I did a fun project last weekend. I made a Wordle-like puzzle game with Linux terms. It's called [Tuxdle](https://tuxdle.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). Every day, you get a new word, and you have to guess the Linux term within 6 attempts. The term could be a distro, a command or popular terms like grub. Rules are [explained here](https://tuxdle.com/help?ref=itsfoss.com). Give it a try and let me know of your feedback, please. [Tuxdle — the daily Linux word puzzleA daily Wordle-like puzzle with Linux words: commands, distros, apps and terms.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Tuxdle![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/og-image-51943259-51e2-442a-b900-4cd40cb0bd2b.png)](https://tuxdle.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) [Tasks.org is an open source Android to-do and reminders app](https://itsfoss.com/news/tasks-org/) that doesn't bombard you with ads nor does it trick you into a data collection scheme. ## 📽️ Videos for You Make music listening more enjoyable [with this GNOME extension](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKVpOe1xzVw&ref=itsfoss.com)? 👇 [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/kde-plasma-color-scheme-1.jpg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/kde-plasma-color-scheme-2.jpg) Most of the time, you really don't need to install a fully-fledged theme to customize KDE Plasma. You can make do by [installing a color scheme](https://store.kde.org/browse?cat=112&ord=latest&ref=itsfoss.com) of your liking. First, you need to download the `.colors` file for the theme of your liking. Then, inside the settings menu, go to `Colors & Themes -> Colors`. Here, click on "*Install from file...*" and select the theme file you want to install. Ensure that the dropdown menu near the accent color palettes says "*Accent color from color scheme*," then click on the newly added theme, then on "*Apply*" to get it done. Desktop Linux is mostly neglected by the industry but loved by the community. For the past 14 years, It's FOSS has been helping people use Linux on their personal computers. And we are now facing the existential threat from AI models stealing our content. If you like what we do and would love to support our work, please become It's FOSS Plus member. It costs $49 a year (less than the cost of a McDonald's burger a month), and you get an ad-free reading experience with the satisfaction of helping the desktop Linux community. And there are also free Linux ebooks. [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse How well-versed are you with the jargon of today's AI age? We are getting back to posting puzzles regularly, so give [this new one](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/local-ai-jargon-test/) a try! [Local AI Jargon Quiz: Do You Know All These Buzzwords?Token, harness, quantization, open weight, you’ve seen these words everywhere in local AI discussions. Take this quiz and see if you really know these “buzzwords”.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-15764df3-dfbc-42d0-84b1-9689d926923e.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/ai-quiz-a2205c08-93db-41a6-b8e9-62c63f209056.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/local-ai-jargon-test/) [Linux Mint](https://linuxmint.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is one of the OG Linux projects that deserves more funding, you know. 🫠 ![omarchy donation meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/omarchy-meme.png) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: The first successful [FORTRAN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortran?ref=itsfoss.com) program ran at IBM on September 20, 1954, pioneering a way for programmers to express computations using algebra-like notation rather than machine code. The programming language was formally released in 1957 and remains in use today, particularly in science and engineering. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: Daniel was facing an issue with YouTube playing back videos with a delay. He found [an open source tool](https://itsfoss.community/t/having-delayed-issues-with-youtube/16268?ref=itsfoss.com) that did the job without much fuss. ### Qualcomm Announces Snapdragon X2 Linux Developer Preview URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/snapdragon-x2-linux-developer-preview/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T09:13:16.000Z Qualcomm has put out [an early developer preview](https://www.qualcomm.com/developer/blog/2026/09/announcing-linux-on-snapdragon-x2-series-early-developer-preview?ref=itsfoss.com) of Linux for [Snapdragon X2 Series](https://www.qualcomm.com/snapdragon/laptops-and-tablets/laptop-device-finder?pimProductIds=70671809197475638,63746125550838921&ref=itsfoss.com) laptops, asking kernel developers, distro maintainers, and hardware enablement engineers to get on this hardware and start testing. They have been laying the groundwork for this since Snapdragon Summit 2025, and the push today is toward getting drivers into mainline rather than shipping out-of-tree patches that only a handful of people can maintain. This is **not aimed at end users**. ## The progress so far ![qualcomm-linux-debian-images-repo](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/qualcomm-linux-debian-images-repo-1.png) **I don't have a* [**Fastfetch*](https://itsfoss.com/fine-control-fastfetch/) *output for this one.* 😅 The current preview pairs a [Debian 13 "Trixie"](https://itsfoss.com/news/debian-13-release/) userspace with a custom kernel, and the initial focus is on readying up the core pieces developers need before they can do any serious work on the hardware. System boots are handled via systemd-boot acting as the UEFI manager, while *Core I/O* covers USB, PCIe, and the *Qualcomm Universal Peripheral* serial engine for UART, I2C, and SPI connections. Whereas Mesa's open source Qualcomm drivers **handle graphics duties**, with [Freedreno](https://docs.mesa3d.org/drivers/freedreno.html?ref=itsfoss.com) covering OpenGL, Turnip taking care of Vulkan 1.3, and [Rusticl](https://docs.mesa3d.org/rusticl.html?ref=itsfoss.com) handling OpenCL compute. Work on all three is ongoing, but display output, browser acceleration, and GPU compute workloads are already possible. The [FastRPC](https://github.com/qualcomm/fastrpc?ref=itsfoss.com) driver, Qualcomm's mechanism for routing compute tasks from the CPU to the DSP, is being pushed upstream to open up the [Hexagon NPU](https://www.qualcomm.com/processors/hexagon?ref=itsfoss.com) for local AI inference workloads. Power management and thermal support are part of this series of developments too. ## Two build paths ![qualcomm-snapdragon-x2-linux-docs](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/qualcomm-snapdragon-x2-linux-docs.png) The [official documentation](https://docs.qualcomm.com/doc/SP80-A0399-4/topic/snapdragon-x2-linux-software-guide-home-page.html?ref=itsfoss.com) for Snapdragon X2 Linux software outlines two paths that developers can follow. The first is the unregistered path, where you build [the Debian OS layer](https://github.com/qualcomm-linux/qcom-deb-images?ref=itsfoss.com) using prebuilt firmware binaries, getting started without a Qualcomm [developer account](https://www.qualcomm.com/developer?ref=itsfoss.com). The second requires an account, giving you full firmware source access to build everything from scratch. Prebuilt flashable images are also available if you want to skip the build entirely and go straight to flashing. **Host requirements also differ** by what you are building. The Debian layer needs an *ARM64* machine running Ubuntu 24.04 LTS or later, or Debian Trixie. The firmware build requires an *x86\_64* host on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or later. If you want to see a hands-on demo of Linux unning on Snapdragon X2 hardware, then this year's [Snapdragon Summit](https://www.qualcomm.com/company/events/snapdragon-summit?ref=itsfoss.com) (*ends today*) in Maui, Hawaii, is the place to be! ## More of this, please A staged roadmap, a documentation portal, dedicated build scripts in a public repo, and turning to developers for feedback is something other silicon vendors looking to upstream their work should take note of. In the end, **Linux wins**. Every driver that lands in mainline is one fewer patch that distributions have to carry, and that is what eventually makes these machines usable beyond early adopters. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** *A Linux distro that* [*doesn't plan to stay around long*](https://itsfoss.com/news/gravity-linux-launch/)*.* ### openKylin 3.0 Release Makes it a "AI first" Linux Desktop URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/openkylin-3-0-released/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T02:51:40.000Z [openKylin](https://www.openkylin.top/index-en.html?ref=itsfoss.com) is China's homegrown, open source operating system which is developed by a consortium of companies, research institutes, and individual contributors. We have [covered openKylin in the pas](https://itsfoss.com/news/openkylin-linux-os/)t but that was more than two years ago. There is a new major release in the form of openKylin 3.0 that brings Linux kernel 7.0, UKUI (desktop environment) 4.24 and deeply integrated AI at the core. Let's see the highlight of the new release. ## AI is at the center of openKylin 3.0 Among the most highlighted changes in the new release is the built-in, all-new KylinBot AI agent framework, along with Xiao K, the AI assistant built on top of it. ![Xiao AI bot in Kylin](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/it-s-foss-revised-version-1-_html_ba6d6abe.webp) Xiao K is basically the graphical interface similar to Hermes Desktop and most other AI tools of this sort. The underlying KylineBot AI agent framework integrates it with the system. And then it comes with several pre-built system skills like: - **Input Devices:** Full coverage for keyboard, mouse, and touchpad. - **Display Control:** Screen brightness and OSD display adjustments. - **Network Management:** Deep integration with the NetworkManager command-line tool to manage Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and VPNs with a single command. - **Peripheral Management:** Bluetooth toggle, device discovery, and automatic audio device pairing. - **System Controls:** Power management, taskbar operations, shortcut navigation, and system app controls ![AI skills in Kylin](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/it-s-foss-revised-version-1-_html_85598aca.webp) **Custom skills to interact with your desktop* This way, you can ask the agent in Xiao K to switch off the bluetooth or switch to a different network, change the input keyboard layout and more. You don't need to go through the command line or click through the system settings. The agent does the job for you. Seems like overkill, right? But it makes more sense if you use the voice input. People these days use Siri hands-off for calling to specific contacts. So, if you could just talk to your computer and ask it to connect to your bluetooth headphone, why not? Remember that Ubuntu 26.10 is also working on AI integration. Omarch 4.0 got a sudden surge in popularity for AI (and its looks). So, even if you dislike AI, there is a demand for it. And sooner or later, most desktop operating systems will have built-in AI assistants like this. openKylin is just a few steps ahead of its peers. There are more skills that can be found on [openKylin's repo here](https://gitee.com/openkylin/openkylin-skills?ref=itsfoss.com). It is in Chinese language and I do hope they start offering these features in English as well to cater a larger global audience. Like Hermes, OpenClaw and other AI tools, Xiao K doesn't stay to your desktop only. You can communicate with it from messaging tools like WeChat, Feishu, DingTalk etc. Telegram and Discord support is planned. ![Chat gateway for the built-in AI agent](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/it-s-foss-revised-version-1-_html_99cdc5c8.webp) ## UKUI version 4.24 The UKUI (Ultimate Kylin User Interface) desktop environment is upgraded to version 4.24\. The new version brings the following updates: Standardized API encapsulation across UKUI modules and integration with KACP (Kylin Agent Control Protocol), enabling KylinBot to invoke underlying desktop capabilities via unified APIs. The new version also brings accessibility support in the form of a screen reader. It also has air gesture controls, which means you can control some desktop functionality with the movement of the hands instead of touching the screen or using a mouse or keyboard. ![openKylin](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/openkylin-ukui.jpg) This works on Android devices thanks to the proximity sensor in the smartphone. Here, Kylin uses the webcam to capture the hand gestures. The feature to enable dynamic wallpaper is also added for enhanced eye candy. In other visual changes, "Three-Island" taskbar layout mode is added as an option. Touchpad gets enhanced multi-finger gesture interactions, supporting multitask view, volume control, and other actions using 3-finger and 4-finger gestures. ## Rustification ![Rustification in openKylin](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/openkylin-rust-focus.webp) Since both AI and Rust are in trend these days, openKylin 3 has new Rust-based utilities that replace the older, classic utilities. kylin-time replaces the legacy time utility, kylin-wget replaces the classic wget and kylin-ki18n replaces the [ki18n](https://github.com/KDE/ki18n?ref=itsfoss.com). ## Getting openKylin If you want to give it a try, you can download openKylin from the official website. The ISO is a little over 7 GB. The size is primarily because the OS comes with pre-installed AI models. [Download openKylin 3.0](https://www.openkylin.top/downloads/os-en.html?ref=itsfoss.com) I plan to test openKylin 3.0 on my spare system. It is okay in VM, but since there is a lot of AI integration and I would like to use them to see how effectively they work on a baremetal system. I will share my findings in a review video. Stay tuned for that. ### Distro With an Expiry Date? Gravity Linux is a New Distro for Apple Silicon URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/gravity-linux-launch/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T06:33:33.000Z Contrary to what you might expect of a newly launched Linux distribution, [Gravity Linux](https://gravitylinux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) has a long-term goal of not existing as a distro. The project is a [Fedora Remix](https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Remix?ref=itsfoss.com) for Apple Silicon Macs that ships with **KDE Plasma on Wayland** as the default desktop. Everything in it is built through [clean-room](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clean-room%5Fdesign?ref=itsfoss.com) reverse engineering, ensuring that no Apple source code, disassembly, or leaked technical information makes its way into the code for this project. Two developers, [Cody Ho](https://github.com/ADevWithAnIdea?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Niklas Sheth](https://github.com/niklassheth?ref=itsfoss.com), are the main driving forces behind this, forking it from [Asahi Linux](https://asahilinux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) with a shared goal of bringing Linux to Apple Silicon. They went down this path due to a difference in contribution policy around LLM use. Gravity Linux's position is clear from its commit history, where the project's kernel branch carries commits with `Assisted-By` tags [openly crediting AI coding tools](https://github.com/GravityLinux/linux/commit/9cec671477e6916dbcfaca1b6dc9046e62b65cdb?ref=itsfoss.com) alongside the human author. ## What its first release delivers ![the devices supported by gravity linux as of 23 september 2026](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/gravity-linux-device-support-230926.png) **An overview of what's working and what's not.* The first alpha runs on the M4 [Mac mini](https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-mac/mac-mini?ref=itsfoss.com), and both the display controller (*DCP*) and GPU are working, with OpenGL ES 3.0 and OpenGL 3.3 compliance incorporated, meaning **hardware-accelerated graphics is available** from the first boot. Keep in mind that **this is a developer-focused alpha release** with a few shortcomings that make it unfit for daily use. Suspend does not work, Thunderbolt and USB4 support is nonexistent, and USB-C display output is not supported, though output via HDMI works. Shutdowns and reboots are described as inconsistent, with the power button recommended as the workaround for getting a predictable experience. Speaker volume is also capped for hardware safety. Users should also understand that **a full reinstall will be needed** when the beta arrives sometime later, as the Gravity Linux team does not guarantee an upgrade path from the alpha release. You can **get it for your machine** by running this: ``` curl -fsSL https://install.gravitylinux.org | sh ``` ## Distro with an expiry date? Even though the M4 Mac mini is the first target, it's not the only one. Current plans cover the [MacBook Neo](https://www.apple.com/macbook-neo/?ref=itsfoss.com) and the remaining M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max lineup, with some new contributors already making progress on several of those devices. **M5 is a different story**. On M5 Pro and M5 Max hardware, macOS 27.0 Beta 5 leaves the devices misconfigured at boot, preventing secondary CPU cores from starting. Apple supposedly knows of this issue, but there's no news on when a fix will be delivered. Gravity Linux also plans to keep the entire M5 lineup on the same firmware version before shipping support, so M5 stays on hold until Apple addresses that issue. The **final goal is to upstream all of its driver work** to the Linux kernel and relevant userspace projects while documenting its reverse engineering methods publicly at every step. The [GitHub organization](https://github.com/GravityLinux?ref=itsfoss.com) already reflects that direction. Beyond distro-layer scripts, the project maintains forks of the Linux kernel, Mesa, and U-Boot. These are the same upstream projects where this work ultimately needs to land. Once that upstream work lands, any mainstream Linux distribution would run on supported Apple Silicon hardware without needing a separate remix like this. At that point, Gravity Linux the distro stops being necessary, and that is when the team plans to sunset it. ### Local AI Weekly #3: The Token Rug Pull URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/local-ai-weekly-3/ Last updated: 2026-09-23T14:56:13.000Z 📋 I mistakenly sent the Local AI Weekly to the subscribers of FOSS Weekly. My bad. A long, tiring day led to this mishap. Won't happen again (hopefully). Welcome to issue #3\. I said weekly last time and here we are, one week later. Small victories. This issue has a theme, and it's money. I guess I am not the only one who thinks that the generous Claude and Codex subscriptions people are enjoying right now are just to get you addicted to using AI. And it's quite evident, isn't it? A big credit giveaway comes first. Then the models quietly get dumber. Then your credits start burning faster than they used to. Then the price goes up or the offer just ends. If you've rebuilt your workflow, or worse, your company, on top of this "generosity", you may find yourself in a tough spot when the token price starts going up. The $20/$200,$2000 a month pricing you're planning today, won't give you the same thing in long run. Which is exactly why the local AI is going to go big. Not every task needs a frontier model. A lot of them need a small model, running on hardware you already own, wrapped in a harness tuned to your work. Before we get into it, thanks to [Monid](https://github.com/monid-ai/monid?ref=itsfoss.com) for supporting this edition. Think of Monid as OpenRouter, but for agent tools. One base URL, one key, and an agent can reach 2,000+ tools across 72+ providers. The connector layer went open source under MIT, and because connectors are declarative, adding your own API is a pull request a coding agent can write for you. [Explore Monid ](https://atomic.chat/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🧪 On my bench: Buzz I promised you an Unsloth verdict last issue and I owe you that. But I got distracted by [Buzz](https://buzz.xyz/?ref=itsfoss.com), an open source communication tool built for agents and humans to work together. I actually liked Buzz. There is smartphone app too and thus staying connected in not an issue. It could replace Discord for team It's FOSS. ## 📥 Agents are getting an inbox Two biggies independently landed on the same idea at alsmot the same time, and it's a good one. Chat is a bad interface for an agent that works while you're asleep. Cloudflare open sourced [agentic-inbox](https://github.com/cloudflare/agentic-inbox?ref=itsfoss.com), a self-hosted email client with an AI agent built in, running entirely on Workers (so it is cloud, not your GPU). Incoming mail arrives through Email Routing, each mailbox lives in its own Durable Object with a SQLite database, and attachments go to R2\. The agent reads your inbox, searches conversations, and drafts replies that you approve before they send. AWS did something similar with [Pizza Bot](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/opensource/introducing-pizza-bot-an-open-source-inbox-for-ai-agents-that-work-in-the-background/?ref=itsfoss.com). It's an Apache 2.0, local-first inbox for long-running agents, built on DeepAgents and LangGraph. Finished work shows up as unread threads and anything needing your approval gets flagged. Unlike agentic-inbox, this one runs on your machine with no telemetry, storing threads, checkpoints, memories and logs as SQLite files in a local folder. You pick the model provider, and Ollama is on that list. So you can run the whole thing locally, even offline. ## 🔍 Discover AI tools Two finds this week, and they sit at opposite ends of the "what is AI for" question. First, [OpenPencil](https://github.com/open-pencil/open-pencil?ref=itsfoss.com), an MIT-licensed, AI-native design editor that opens and writes native Figma `.fig` files. You can copy nodes between it and Figma. It ships a headless CLI, an MCP server so coding agents can read and edit your designs, and a roughly 7 MB Tauri desktop app that needs no account. Built on Vue 3, Skia for rendering and Yoga for layout. Local model support is on the roadmap. [GitHub - open-pencil/open-pencil at itsfoss.comAI-native design editor. Open-source Figma alternative. - open-pencil/open-pencil![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/favicon-191b2269-0c95-4d41-8be8-9ae5fa320fef.png)GitHubopen-pencil![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/open-pencil-2da00ebb-3175-4ceb-988c-9ef7e4d48d2c.png)](https://github.com/open-pencil/open-pencil?ref=itsfoss.com) The second AI tool is kind of anti-AI tool. Sounds weird, I know but hear me out. AI-based auto transcribers are part of almost all meeting tools. Not everyone wants to be heard by AI, specially that sends data to server for further training, probably. [Kalypta](https://www.deveillance.com/kalypta?ref=itsfoss.com) runs a small model locally on your device and reshapes your audio in real time so that AI transcribers can't make sense of what you said. The goal is to be inaudible to the note-taking bot in your meeting while staying perfectly clear to the humans. Interesting project to watch out for. ## 📡 Open Model News The big one is [Qwen-Image-2.1](https://qwen.ai/blog?id=qwen-image-2.1&ref=itsfoss.com). It's a small text-to-image model and some people are already calling it the Nano Banana alternative. Not available on Ollama yet probably because weights ship under the Qwen Research License, which is non-commercial and requires you to email Qwen for a commercial licence. Another reminder that open weights and open source are not the same thing. The other release worth your time is small in a different way. You've probably seen [Jev](https://typesafe.ai/blog/introducing-system-one-models-and-jev?ref=itsfoss.com) everywhere for the past week, TypeSafe AI's "System One" model that doesn't generate text at all. The open source alternative to Jev is [laya-mlx](https://github.com/mizorewww/laya-mlx?ref=itsfoss.com), an Apache 2.0 native MLX port of Laya, the typed decision model from Convai Innovations. Available only for Apple Silicon model for now. ## 👀 Big Tech Watch Microsoft rewrote the GitHub Copilot agent runtime from TypeScript into more than 800,000 lines of production Rust, and one engineer drove most of it with [a fleet of AI agents](https://github.blog/ai-and-ml/generative-ai/migrating-the-github-copilot-runtime-to-rust-using-copilot/?ref=itsfoss.com). It took 128 pull requests over about fourteen and a half weeks, shipped incrementally. The whole migration cost around $120,000 in tokens. That's 136.3 billion tokens, of which 130.6 billion were cached input reads. Think about what that means for the rest of us. That project only worked because 96% of the tokens were cache hits billed at roughly a tenth of the normal rate. Remove the caching and the whole thing will be far from a profitable migration. This is the token economics I was talking about earlier. ## 🗂 AI Jargon: Prompt caching Since caching reduced the migration bill for Microsoft, let's learn more on it. Here's the thing. Every time you send a request to a model, it has to read your entire prompt and build an internal representation of it before generating a single token. In a long agent session, that prompt is mostly the same every turn: the system prompt, the tool definitions, then the conversation so far, with a bit of new text on the end. Prompt caching means the provider saves the intermediate computation for a prefix it has already processed. Send the same prefix again and it reuses that work instead of redoing it. Providers typically bill a cache hit at around a 90% discount, so a million input tokens might cost $2.00 fresh and $0.20 cached. This is why agent harnesses are built to save on tokens. They keep a long, stable prefix and only ever append to it, because anything that changes the beginning of your prompt invalidates the cache and multiplies your bill by ten. How does it impact local inference? Well, on your own hardware there's no per-token bill, so the equivalent optimisation is KV cache reuse. So you win on latency instead of money. ## ⚡ Quick Tip: Check whether Ollama is actually using your GPU Last issue I told you how to keep models warm. Here's a similar check. Run `ollama ps` while a model is loaded. Alongside the model name and size you'll see a PROCESSOR column telling you whether it's on GPU, CPU, or split between the two with a percentage. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/image-3.png) If a model doesn't fit in VRAM, Ollama will quietly offload some layers to system RAM and keep working rather than failing. It runs; you get answers, but it will sluggish. If you see anything other than 100% GPU and you expected it to fit, drop to a smaller quantisation or shorten your context window. A Q4 model fully on the GPU will usually beat a Q8 model that's splitting between CPU and GPU. ## In the end... I am not doomsaying, but I would like you to plan for the future beyond the cheap phase of frontier AI. Build your harness and use local models in your workflow wherever it makes sense. I understand that hardware is not cheap these days but there are smaller models that can fit niche scenarios. I welcome your feedback and I'll see you next week (because it's a weekly newsletter).. ### Local AI Jargon Quiz: Do You Know All These Buzzwords? URL: https://itsfoss.com/quiz/local-ai-jargon-test/ Last updated: 2026-09-23T06:38:33.000Z AI is moving fast. Its jargon is moving even faster. Half of it doesn't mean what you'd guess from the name. After all, [tokens](https://itsfoss.com/llm-token/) are not coins. Terms like harness and quantization are everywhere in local AI conversation, and often people don't even know what these terms mean. I put together this quiz to test how well you actually know the words you're using. It is a little quiz with just ten questions, one correct (and hopefully funny) description per term. Guess the term, then check your reasoning against the explanation, in case your answer was a pure guess. You don't need to be an AI researcher to do well here. If you've spent any time running models locally, on [Ollama](https://itsfoss.com/ollama/), llama.cpp, or anything similar, you've probably bumped into most of these already. 🚧 Some browsers block the JavaScript-based quiz units. ****Disable your ad blocker to enjoy the quizzes and puzzles**. How many did you get right? Drop your score in the comments. Interested in local AI? Subscribe to our brand new newsletter, [Local AI Weekly](https://itsfoss.com/local-ai-weekly/). The name is self-explanatory, I believe. [Local AI WeeklyLearn to Run AI on Your Own Terms![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-7f554e9c-e6f0-4776-91ac-696cc072dc63.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/local-ai-weekly-101db065-b6b9-4971-83ff-19786cf010e2.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/local-ai-weekly/) ### PeppermintOS Is Moving From Xorg to XLibre to Avoid Wayland URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/peppermintos-xlibre/ Last updated: 2026-09-22T17:58:08.000Z If you run a lightweight distro and you do not like the fact that Wayland will probably become the default, PeppermintOS has some news you should know about. It's switching its display server from the soon-to-be-retired Xorg to XLibre for its next round of ISO refreshes. It may look like a sensible call as it keeps X11 alive and skips Wayland (for now). However, [XLibre](https://xlibre.net/?ref=itsfoss.com) is one of the divisive projects in the Linux world right now. Choosing XLibre won't sit well with some people, at least. ## Moving away from Wayland and Xorg In a [recent blog](https://peppermintos.com/2026/09/testing-updated-pepdebian-build-and-shift-to-xlibre/?ref=itsfoss.com), PeppermintOS announced it's shifting the [display server](https://itsfoss.com/display-server/) from xorg-server to XLibre across its upcoming builds. Reason is simple. Development on the original Xorg has stalled and most distributions have switched to Wayland. XLibre exists with the aim to keep maintaining, modernizing, and cleaning up the codebase for people who still prefer X11\. XLibre is built as a drop-in replacement for xorg, and it aims not to break standard desktop environments, window managers, or older drivers, and PeppermintOS says its testing so far has gone as expected. PeppermintOS says it has no immediate plans to move to Wayland, pointing to XFCE's roadmap of supporting both Xorg and Wayland natively. Xfce is the default offering from PeppermintOS. By the way, this is the project's first Debian-based ISO built without Debian's traditional live-build tools, moving instead to `mmdebstrap`, mirroring what PeppermintOS already did for its Devuan edition. That Devuan build has also been updated to use XLibre and is close to community testing. A [64-bit Debian flagship nightly is already up for testing](https://nightly.peppermintos.org/deb64/flagship/?ref=itsfoss.com), and PeppermintOS expects a few rough edges in the build process itself. 📋 The important point for existing PeppermintOS users is that the interface and overall experience stay identical to the current stable release. The change is under the hood. ## Choosing Xlibre will get some eyerolls Why? Because critics argue [XLibre is more of a political fork](https://fossforce.com/2026/04/when-your-xorg-fork-is-more-about-dei-than-display-servers/?ref=itsfoss.com) than a technical one. Also, Xlibre has been in the news for some not-so-positive reasons. XLibre is a fork of the X.Org server started in mid-2025 by Enrico Weigelt, who was the top commit contributor to Xorg in 2024\. Weigelt was banned from freedesktop.org's GitLab around the time the fork went public. [Arch Linux removed XLibre's page from its official wiki](https://ostechnix.com/xlibre-arch-wiki-removal-explained/?ref=itsfoss.com) earlier this year, citing a Code of Conduct rule against maligning other FOSS projects. The package itself stayed available in the AUR. Artix Linux made XLibre its default X server in April 2026, then reversed course. With its August 2026 release it switched back to Xorg as the default, a decision it says it took after an unusually high volume of XLibre-related bug reports. Artix then went further and [announced it would stop packaging XLibre](https://artixlinux.org/news.php?ref=itsfoss.com#XLibre%5Fsupport%5Fdiscontinued) entirely. They shared that the switchback drew backlash from XLibre, and a veteran Artix developer known as "Artist" was targeted and harassed to the point of resigning. Existing XLibre users on Artix are being moved back to the corresponding Xorg packages. ## What next? XLibre being controversial doesn't make it technically broken. The controversy is about the project's conduct and politics, not whether it draws windows. PerppermintOS is testing it and found to be working well. Let's hope it stays that way and we keep on getting choices on the display server scene. ### Organizations Are Now Reaching for OpenSearch for AI, Not Just Search URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/opensearch-open-data-report-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-22T16:41:33.000Z That's very interesting to see considering OpenSearch began as a fork. When Elastic relicensed Elasticsearch and Kibana in 2021, AWS built an open alternative, keeping it under the *Apache 2.0 license*. Three years later, the project moved to neutral governance after the [Linux Foundation](https://www.linuxfoundation.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) launched the [OpenSearch Software Foundation](https://opensearch.org/foundation/?ref=itsfoss.com) in September 2024 as its vendor-neutral steward. Now, reflecting on the journey so far, [Linux Foundation Research](https://www.linuxfoundation.org/research?ref=itsfoss.com) and the OpenSearch Software Foundation have jointly published **The 2026 Open Data Infrastructure Report**, examining how organizations are building out data infrastructure and what role OpenSearch plays in that picture. The survey, conducted in May 2026, covered **294 respondents** across diverse categories like IT vendors, end-user organizations, and independent consultants. ## The report, briefly Generative AI and LLM-powered applications lead all AI use cases **at 82% of organizations surveyed**. At least 83% of respondents across every region are already running AI workloads or have plans to. Among current [OpenSearch](https://opensearch.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) users, 62% are already using it in AI workloads, and 44% consider it core AI infrastructure rather than a supporting component. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/opensearch-open-data-report-2.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/opensearch-open-data-report-3.png) By 2026, **89% of organizations had heard of OpenSearch**, up from 68% two years prior. Production deployments went from 19% to 36% over the same period, with another 36% running tests or assessing adoption. **Cost and vendor independence** are what organizations weigh most when picking a data infrastructure platform. Total cost of ownership tops the selection criteria for **80% of organizations**, security and compliance for **79%**, and vendor independence for **69%**. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/opensearch-open-data-report-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/opensearch-open-data-report-4.png) 71% also say **running infrastructure outside any single cloud provider's control is a strategic priority** for their organization, while average annual data infrastructure spend across the sample sits at around $2.4 million. **Among active users**, search and retrieval leads at **91%**, followed by log analytics and observability at **83%**, real-time analytics at **70%**, and AI-related workloads at **62%**. Whereas hybrid search is the go-to approach for **68% of organizations**. ## What now? Most current deployments are not yet deeply embedded. Six in ten users say their OpenSearch setup is either experimental or something they could swap out; **only 36% call it deeply embedded or mission-critical**. **Among non-users**, 81% say they are open to evaluating OpenSearch, though only 14% are actively planning to do so. Alongside the report, the OpenSearch Software Foundation has announced **three new members**; one of them being Intel, and the other two being the new long-term support vendors. We asked [Bianca Lewis](https://itsfoss.com/open-search-bianca-lewis/), Executive Director of the OpenSearch Foundation, what she thought about where agentic AI's headed next and how OpenSearch would fit into it: > The technology stack powering agentic AI is shifting rapidly, and with growing uncertainty around AI costs, long-term commitments to proprietary platforms present both a financial and architectural risk. Now, leaders are turning to an open, vendor-neutral platform to strategically mitigate risk. > An open data layer provides cost data and full visibility into which services are being called, giving teams the clarity needed to accurately cost and manage their infrastructure. > > This delivers the flexibility to innovate without vendor lock-in, ensuring organizations maintain sovereignty over both their data and their spend as the future of AI takes shape. ### Raspberry Pi Disallows RAM Upgrades to Fight Fraud, Does it Make Sense? URL: https://itsfoss.com/opinion/raspberry-pi-blocks-ram-upgrades/ Last updated: 2026-09-22T12:18:09.000Z Something that flew under the radar a while back is getting attention again. A post on [the r/selfhosted subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/selfhosted/comments/1wkxjwg/raspberry%5Fpi%5F5%5Feeprom%5Fupdate%5Fnow%5Fblocks%5Fmanual/?ref=itsfoss.com) reminds us that the Raspberry Pi 5 will refuse to boot if it detects RAM that doesn't match the memory configuration recorded at the factory. The behavior traces to a firmware update that many in the community have identified as the [2024-09-23 build](https://github.com/raspberrypi/rpi-eeprom/releases/tag/v2024.09.23-2712?ref=itsfoss.com), which went out with a very dry release note that said: > Interesting changes since the last release:- > > Minor updates for to align with manufacture test. You can see the lack of a point about locking out unapproved memory here. ## What it does, and why ``` 2.41 Expected configuration 8 Gbit (0x07) 2.44 Actual configuration 32 Gbit (0x05) 2.48 USB-OTG disconnect 2.51 BOOT ERROR: code 9 - 'SDRAM mismatch' ``` **The error faced by* [**Glad-Independence893*](https://www.reddit.com/r/selfhosted/comments/1wkxjwg/raspberry%5Fpi%5F5%5Feeprom%5Fupdate%5Fnow%5Fblocks%5Fmanual/?ref=itsfoss.com)**.* When a Pi 5 boots with the firmware at or beyond the threshold (*basically 2024-09-23 or later*), it checks the installed RAM against a configuration stored in the SoC's [OTP memory](https://docs.zephyrproject.org/latest/hardware/peripherals/otp/index.html?ref=itsfoss.com). A mismatch throws "*code 9*," listed as an "***SDRAM mismatch***," and the board refuses to go further. It isn't just a capacity check either. Even RAM of the same size from another Pi 5 board can trigger the error if it doesn't match other device attributes recorded in OTP. A few months ago in June, another tinkerer had done something similar, trying to upgrade the RAM on their CM5 from 2GB to 4GB, posting the issues he faced on [the official Raspberry Pi forum](https://forums.raspberrypi.com/viewtopic.php?p=2380887&ref=itsfoss.com). After some back and forth that included the issue poster and two engineers from the Raspberry Pi team, the company's stand was that **swaps between different RAM capacities are intentionally blocked**. Same-size swaps from another board aren't guaranteed to work either, since the firmware records additional device attributes beyond just the capacity figure. One of the engineers, [Tim Grovers](https://github.com/timg236?ref=itsfoss.com) (*timg236*), noted that swapping an identical part-code chip for repair is still possible for someone sufficiently skilled, but the growing number of RAM SKUs the Raspberry Pi [now supports](https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/a-new-3gb-raspberry-pi-4-for-83-75-and-more-memory-driven-price-increases/?ref=itsfoss.com) means timing and configuration parameters will vary per device. ## Who it's meant to catch Simply speaking, this is meant to tackle hardware-associated fraud scenarios where a low-capacity board gets cheap, untested RAM from a third-party source soldered in, then **gets resold as a higher-capacity model**. This has been a long-standing problem; you can see for yourself in [an issue from last year](https://github.com/raspberrypi/rpi-eeprom/issues/761?ref=itsfoss.com) when a user purchased what was sold as a legitimate 8GB Pi 5\. It worked fine initially but stopped booting after a routine firmware update. Running memtest on the older firmware showed no errors, which led to the suspicion that the board had been modified before sale. Back then, Tim had reviewed the OTP dump shared by the reporter and confirmed that the board was modified by the seller. ## Does it make sense? The fraud problem is real, and Raspberry Pi's frustration is understandable. Boards with unvalidated RAM making their way to customers and then leading to support requests is a serious problem. But the mechanism chosen to tackle this **affects more than the fraudsters**. [Raspberry Pi](https://www.raspberrypi.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) has long occupied an unusual position in the hardware world. It isn't an open hardware project in the strictest sense, but it built much of its community goodwill on the idea that the board belonged to whoever was holding it. People ran custom operating systems, stripped it down, [pushed it past its limits](https://itsfoss.com/pironman-5-pro-max-review/), and occasionally pulled it apart down to the silicon. That culture of ownership was part of what made the platform what it is today. A bootloader that cross-references OTP at every boot to enforce factory-set RAM configuration is **a software mechanism being used to close the hardware**. I understand that Raspberry Pi is well within its rights to make this call. But defending those rights while still being open enough for tinkerers to experiment is something they could have stood behind. People looking to buy a new Pi should also shoulder some responsibility here; you should always verify the seller and storefront before buying. **If you're affected by this**, the workaround is to stay on a firmware version older than the 2024-09-23 build, then disable the automatic [EEPROM update service](https://github.com/raspberrypi/rpi-eeprom/blob/master/rpi-eeprom-update?ref=itsfoss.com) so the board doesn't pull a newer version on its own. ### Signal Will Let You Sign Up Without a Phone Number — For $3 URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/signal-numberless-registration/ Last updated: 2026-09-22T11:49:07.000Z Signal is an end-to-end encrypted messenger that doesn't really need an introduction in this age of authoritarian overreach. Since the beginning, it has required a phone number at signup, even after it gained [username support](https://signal.org/blog/phone-number-privacy-usernames/?ref=itsfoss.com). It's been quite weird to see, given that other privacy-focused messengers like Session and Matrix have never required a phone number to get started. The beta release of [Signal 8.28](https://community.signalusers.org/t/beta-feedback-for-the-upcoming-android-8-28-release/76457?ref=itsfoss.com) for Android changes that with **Signal Login**, an optional registration path that skips the phone number requirement entirely. The existing flow remains in place for anyone who wants to stick with the standard registration method. ## How numberless logins work ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/signal-numberless-registration-1.jpg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/signal-numberless-registration-2.jpg) **The pricing shown changes according to your device's region.* Instead of asking for your mobile number, **Signal will ask you to pay a one-time $2.99 fee via Google Pay**, and the exact pricing depends on your device's region. I say that because even with an active VPN connection that was pointing to the United States, Signal still showed me pricing in INR instead of USD. And if you are **worried about Google's involvement** in this, [Greyson Parrelli](https://community.signalusers.org/u/greyson-signal/summary?ref=itsfoss.com) of the Signal team points out that the payment runs through the same zero-knowledge proof setup it uses for [donations](https://signal.org/donate/?ref=itsfoss.com). *This way, no link is created between the purchase and the new account.* Once payment completes, Signal generates two keys. A 32-character *Account ID* and a 64-character *Recovery Key* replace the phone number as the account's identity. Keep in mind that Signal doesn't have a recovery mechanism for these if either is lost. Two-factor authentication via TOTP can be added after registration as extra protection, and passkey support, including hardware keys, has been confirmed. If you were looking for **the details on iOS support**, then know that Signal Login won't be arriving on that platform anytime soon. ## The Play Services caveat The feature currently requires [Google Play Services](https://developers.google.com/android/guides/overview?ref=itsfoss.com), as payments run through the Play Store, making it such that **devices without Play Services cannot access it**. If you are running [a de-Googled smartphone](https://itsfoss.com/news/murena-fairphone-6-plus/), then you will have to wait as more payment methods are planned. While the [support documentation](https://support.signal.org/hc/en-us/articles/11197884108826-Phone-Numberless-Registration-for-Android?ref=itsfoss.com) for this feature lists Apple Pay alongside Google Pay as a payment option, this contradicts what I saw in the beta app, as well as what Greyson has written in the Signal forum. ## You can test it now The latest packages in the 8.28.x beta series can be downloaded from Signal's [GitHub releases page](https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-Android/releases?ref=itsfoss.com). To sideload it on your Android device, follow these instructions: 1. Find the latest version in the 8.28.x series and download the `universal-release` APK file from the "*Assets*" dropdown. 2. Install it on your Android device; you might need to *allow installs from unknown sources* to get this done. 3. Open Signal, tap "*Continue*", then select "*Register Without Phone Number*." 4. Complete the $2.99 purchase via Google Pay. 5. Save your *Account ID* and *Recovery Key* on a notepad or [a password manager](https://itsfoss.com/open-source-password-managers/) before proceeding. ### 18 Programming eBooks, 1 Bundle, and Your Purchase Also Fights Surveillance URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/think-like-programmer-humble/ Last updated: 2026-09-22T09:33:57.000Z [No Starch Press](https://nostarch.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is one of my favorite indie tech publishers. I am a fan of their Linux titles like How Linux Works and System Programming in Linux. This is why I get excited when I see a new book from them. I am telling you all this because Humble Bundle is offering the [Think Like a Programmer 2026 bundle by No Starch Press](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/1GMXeB?ref=itsfoss.com) (partner link) that includes 18 books across 3 price tiers. You can start with 4 books for $11.80 or get all 18 for $47.20\. The full tier includes **Think Like a Programmer**, **The Rust Programming Language, 3rd Edition**, and **How Computers Really Work**, along with books on C, ARM assembly, algorithms, and computer architecture. ![Think like a programmer](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/think-like-programmer-ebook-bundle-1.webp) Part of your purchase automatically goes to the [Electronic Frontier Foundation](https://www.eff.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). The books are DRM-free downloads in PDF, EPUB, and MOBI formats. ⏲️ *The deal ends on September 28, 2026, at 11:30 PM IST (6:00 PM UTC).* 📋 The article contains affiliate links. Please read our [affiliate policy](https://itsfoss.com/affiliate-policy/). ## Tier 1: Pay $11.80 or More for 4 eBooks The first tier is a compact introduction to programs, software, and the machine underneath. The title "Think Like a Programmer" starts to make sense here as this tier focuses on problem-solving instead of a single programming language. **How Software Works** explains common software ideas in plain terms, while **The Secret Life of Programs** and How Computers Really Work walk through what your code is actually doing on real hardware. If you want a foundation before picking up a language like C, Rust, or even assembly, this is the small but useful starting point. ![Think Like a Programmer eBook bundle](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/think-like-a-programmer-tier-1.webp) ## Tier 2: Pay $23.60 or More for 10 eBooks The second tier includes the first 4 books and adds 6 more on top of that. **Effective C, 2nd Edition** and **Write Great Code, Volume 2, 2nd Edition** move you into C and lower-level implementation. **Data Structures and Algorithms in JavaScript** covers the usual structures and algorithm patterns in a language many people already know. The math side includes **Math for Programming** and **The Art of Randomness**. **Computer Graphics from Scratch** still fits in this trier if you like seeing algorithms draw something on screen. ![Think Like a Programmer eBook bundle](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/think-like-a-programmer-tier-2.webp) ## Tier 3: Pay $47.20 or More for 18 eBooks The top tier adds 8 more books and brings the total to 18\. This is where Rust, compilers, ARM, and heavier CS material show up. For languages and compilers, you get the Rust book, **Total TypeScript**, and **Writing a C Compiler**. **Algorithmic Thinking, 2nd Edition** is the extra algorithms title if you want more practice than the JavaScript data structures book. The hardware group includes **Computer Architecture**, **Introduction to Computer Organization: ARM Edition**, and **The Art of ARM Assembly, Volume 1**. **Quantum Computing** is the most specialized add-on in this tier. Paying above $47.20 can increase your contribution, but it doesn't add more books. ![Think Like a Programmer eBook bundle](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/think-like-a-programmer-tier-3.webp) ## Your purchase supports EFF [EFF](https://www.eff.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) (Electronic Frontier Foundation) is a nonprofit defending digital rights, i.e., free speech, privacy, security, and innovation online. Founded in 1990, it fights surveillance and censorship in court, lobbies for encryption rights and net neutrality, builds free privacy tools like Privacy Badger, and defends coders and researchers facing legal threats. Your bundle purchase funds this work directly. The lawyers, policy experts, and technologists keeping the internet open, which lines up closely with FOSS community values. So you are not just purchasing DRM-free ebooks. You are also contributing to a better digital world. ## 🛒 Get the Bundle This bundle gives you DRM-free ebooks in PDF, EPUB, and MOBI files, so you can keep the books and read them on Linux or an e-reader or use the MOBI files on Amazon Kindle device. As mentioned above, part of the purchase goes to EFF. [Get the ebook bundle](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/1GMXeB?ref=itsfoss.com) You can [get the Think Like a Programmer 2026 bundle from Humble Bundle](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/1GMXeB?ref=itsfoss.com) before September 28 ends. Enjoy the ebooks. ### Portainer Cuts the Cord Between Its Free and Paid Editions URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/portainer-community-edition-freeze/ Last updated: 2026-09-21T14:26:58.000Z Portainer's [Community Edition](https://github.com/portainer/portainer?ref=itsfoss.com) has been open source for a decade now, and that run has now hit a wall. [Portainer 3.0](https://www.portainer.io/blog/portainer-3-0-is-coming?ref=itsfoss.com), the upcoming ground-up rebuild of the platform around [Kubernetes](https://kubernetes.io/?ref=itsfoss.com), will not be the base for CE. This was announced by the company's CEO, [Neil Cresswell](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ncresswell?ref=itsfoss.com), who says that CE will continue being based on Portainer 2.45 LTS, the last release in the 2.x line. While everything after it, like the new consoles, the new architecture, etc., won't be ported to CE. Instead, CE will get security fixes, bug fixes, and backports of 3.x features, but only where a matching Docker API exists to interface with. Feature parity isn't guaranteed since some of what's landing in 3.x depends on Kubernetes [primitives](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kubernetes?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=Concepts) Docker doesn't have. ## Why the change? ![portainer website is shown](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/portainer-website.png) Neil feels that **this is a maintenance problem** rather than a strategy pivot. Every time the team wanted to add a policy or API capability, it had to build that feature three separate times, once each for Kubernetes, Swarm, and the Docker and Podman side. Portainer 3.0 abandons that model entirely. Five separate consoles take its place now, each one built around a specific job rather than one interface handling everything. He goes on to say that **CE simply doesn't fit into this new approach** and that Portainer 3.x's policy model, operations API, and enterprise-focused consoles assume an enterprise user from the get-go, and "*releasing that as CE would misrepresent what it is and who it is for*." ## What this means for you If you're already running Docker, nothing changes today. 2.x keeps working as it has and keeps getting security patches; staying put is a fully supported choice. Move to 3.x though, and Docker, Swarm, and Podman environments still work as native connections. For anyone who'd rather keep using Docker-style tooling while running on Kubernetes underneath, [Portainer-D2K](https://github.com/portainer/d2k?ref=itsfoss.com) is the provided compatibility layer that lets Docker Compose and similar tooling deploy and manage applications on a Kubernetes cluster. Whatever Portainer builds next for observability, GitOps, or its policy tooling goes to Kubernetes environments first, and native Docker setups sit lower in the interface without getting any of it. If you want the new capabilities without moving to Kubernetes, **there isn't really a way to get them for free and stay open source**. The only no-cost route onto 3.x runs through [3 Nodes Free](https://www.portainer.io/take-3?ref=itsfoss.com), Portainer's existing node-capped license for the closed-source Business Edition, not a CE build. ## Alternatives if you want to switch If staying stuck on 2.x forever isn't appealing, here's what's actually in development right now that you could consider: - [Komodo](https://komo.do/?ref=itsfoss.com), a Rust-based build-and-deploy platform designed to manage workloads across multiple servers. It has no artificial server-count limit and is particularly interesting if you're comfortable with a more deployment/automation-oriented approach. - [Arcane](https://getarcane.app/?ref=itsfoss.com), a Go/SvelteKit Docker management platform with a modern UI. It's BSD-3-Clause licensed and provides container, Compose, image, volume, network, remote-host and Swarm management, among other features. **Neither is a drop-in replacement** for every Portainer workflow, particularly if you rely heavily on Portainer's broader Kubernetes functionality. But for a homelab or small Docker/Swarm environment where you primarily want a capable self-hosted UI without a paid feature tier, both are credible alternatives to investigate. ### Garuda Linux Begins Nixification By Promoting Its Subsystem URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/garuda-linux-nixification/ Last updated: 2026-09-22T02:30:45.000Z Garuda Linux has started nudging its userbase toward [Nix](https://nixos.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). The distro's maintainers have just renamed the [Garuda Nix Subsystem](https://nix.garudalinux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) to ***Garuda Nix***, and you will find that the move is more nuanced than something purely cosmetic. What used to be a side project for dual-booting NixOS is now also its own bootable installer. The [flake](https://wiki.nixos.org/wiki/Flakes?ref=itsfoss.com) ships a dedicated ISO with a Calamares GUI, alongside a command-line `install-garuda-nix` tool for scripted setups. This isn't something new. As a subsystem, it has offered a way to run NixOS alongside Garuda on the same drive, keeping both separate through a BTRFS subvolume rather than a dedicated partition. ## So what does it offer? ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/garuda-nix-mokka-demo.jpeg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/garuda-nix-dr460nized-demo.jpeg) **Garuda Nix 'Mokka' and 'Dr460nized' flavors (Source:* [**dr460nf1r3*](https://forum.garudalinux.org/u/dr460nf1r3/summary?ref=itsfoss.com)**).* **Suggested Read 📖:** *Get started* [*using NixOS*](https://itsfoss.com/tag/nix-os/) *with us.* If you set out [to install this](https://nix.garudalinux.org/iso/install?ref=itsfoss.com), you will find that Calamares handles most of it, asking you to select an edition, *Dr460nized* or *Mokka*, and letting you opt for extras to gain better gaming and printing support along the way. The CLI tool is where it gets interesting; it covers the basics of installing a Linux distro such as this one, while also providing presets for desktop, laptop, server, and handheld setups, plus eight partition layouts spanning ext4 and BTRFS, encrypted and unencrypted alike. **Impermanence, though, is the real draw**. Switch it on, and the root filesystem gets wiped clean each time the machine restarts, either through a BTRFS rollback to a saved snapshot or by running root out of tmpfs on ext4 systems. Don't worry, those wipes don't touch login credentials. Both the *user* and *root* passwords go through [yescrypt](https://www.openwall.com/yescrypt/?ref=itsfoss.com) hashing before landing in the generated config, which is what lets them persist across a rollback. Garuda Nix also keeps a handful of essentials persistent by default, so things like your Wi-Fi credentials and per-user config folders stay safe. Anything outside that short list needs to be declared manually, or [Impermanence](https://wiki.nixos.org/wiki/Impermanence?ref=itsfoss.com) deletes it along with everything else on the next restart. ## It's already live Both editions are available now [as daily ISO builds](https://iso.builds.garudalinux.org/iso/garuda/?ref=itsfoss.com). Anyone already running NixOS can skip the download entirely and pull the installer straight from the published flake with a single `nix run` command. That flake reference points at the same stable branch by default, irrespective of the installation method you used to set things up. Keeping a system current from there is nothing exotic, just the usual `nixos-rebuild switch` command NixOS users already know. [Download Now!](https://iso.builds.garudalinux.org/iso/garuda/?ref=itsfoss.com) On the other hand, **if you are new to NixOS**, then you will have to take some time out to learn your way around, since nearly everything here gets configured through text files rather than a settings panel. Also, this isn't the first time the Garuda Linux team has done something of this magnitude. Their [FireDragon](https://itsfoss.com/news/firedragon-v13-release/) offering is a web browser that was rewritten from scratch to deliver an improved browsing experience. ### Ubuntu Would Rather Kill Your Apps Before It Takes Down The Session URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-10-oom-policy/ Last updated: 2026-09-21T10:04:56.000Z Ubuntu 26.10 is changing what your machine kills when memory runs out. Applications [are meant to go first](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/improving-ubuntu-desktop-stability-under-memory-pressure/87945?ref=itsfoss.com), and the services that hold the session together now sit behind them. Thirty-nine of those services move to an OOM score of `-500`, with GNOME Shell and two D-Bus services among them. That makes them a far less likely pick for the [kernel's OOM killer](https://linuxhandbook.com/oom-killer/?ref=itsfoss.com). Instead, something like a web browser holding the majority of the memory on your machine becomes the likelier candidate to be pruned. Canonical has also switched off the *systemd-oomd check* that could take out your whole session on memory pressure alone. Though that change comes with a caveat where apps can still be terminated when memory runs out. The policy has been implemented with [ubuntu-settings 26.10.1](https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubuntu-settings/26.10.1?ref=itsfoss.com) and is already published to the [26.10](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-10-features/) archive. ## What does the kernel see? Under pressure, the kernel draws up a list of every process. It scores each one on the memory it can account for, then adds a *user-space* number on top. That second number is the one Ubuntu gets to set for you. It runs **from -1000 up to 1000**, and staying at the bottom of that range means a process is kicked out of the running order. An [earlier report](https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/dbus/+bug/2089800?ref=itsfoss.com) cited by Canonical shows what that list looked like on an Ubuntu 24.10 desktop in 2024\. GNOME Shell sat at 100, so did Firefox, and so did every content process it spawned. The system daemons already sat far lower. *dbus-daemon* and *systemd-oomd* were at -900, and *systemd-journald* at -250\. What caused the squeeze was a logic error in the reporter's own code, which set off a run of virtual machines and left the machine starved of memory. It resulted in the killer picking one small app, [gnome-characters](https://apps.gnome.org/Characters/?ref=itsfoss.com), and killing it, leaving the virtual machines untouched. ## Scores were only half of it The kernel is not the only thing on a desktop that kills. [systemd-oomd](https://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/jammy/man8/systemd-oomd.service.8.html?ref=itsfoss.com) watches memory pressure instead, and it acts earlier than the kernel does without ever looking at those scores. Ubuntu ships it set to act on the user session at 50% pressure, so the -500 values could not have saved anything on their own. The [same ubuntu-settings patch](https://launchpadlibrarian.net/876111226/ubuntu-settings%5F26.04.6%5F26.10.1.diff.gz?ref=itsfoss.com) handles the oomd side as well. ManagedOOMMemoryPressure is now set to `auto` on *user@.service*, over systemd-oomd's "*kill*" setting it had before. In Canonical's own testing, seven out of ten sessions died without the fix, and none died with it. ## Want to try it? If you want to see the new behavior now, the change is already in the [development release](https://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-base/stonking/daily/current/?ref=itsfoss.com). Canonical is asking people to put it to the test under workloads that eat memory on a machine short of RAM or swap. If you face any unexpected behavior, like abrupt terminations or session crashes, then you can report those via [Launchpad](https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubuntu-settings/+filebug?ref=itsfoss.com). ### Elecrow CrowPanel Advanced HMI Display Review: A Tinkerer's Touchscreen URL: https://itsfoss.com/crowpanel-advanced-hmi-display-review/ Last updated: 2026-09-19T14:25:32.000Z I have been (mostly) happily running Home Assistant in my homelab for a while now. There is a tiny issue, though. While my wife and I can manage most devices through the companion app, kids or guests cannot. Reaching out for a phone is not always convenient, and of course, I cannot handover my phone to guests. [Home Assistant's own Voice Preview device](https://www.home-assistant.io/voice-pe/?ref=itsfoss.com) is not a capable device if you are not connected to the cloud. So when I got my hands on the [Elecrow CrowPanel Advanced 10.1", a big ESP32-P4 touchscreen](https://www.elecrow.com/crowpanel-advanced-10-1inch-esp32-p4-hmi-ai-display-1024x600-ips-touch-screen-wifi-6.html?idd=6&ref=itsfoss.com), I got some ideas. I could configure this device to allow access to some connected devices and put it in a common area where anyone in the household could use it. It's an ESP32 device, and I already tinkered a little with [ESPHome](https://esphome.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) on my [ZimaBoard](https://itsfoss.com/news/zimaboard-2-review-2/) so it was kind of a natural fit. Note that this is a developer board with a screen. It's not an out-of-the-box smart home panel you just take out of the box and mount on your wall. If you enjoy tinkering, building things, you will like the device. If you want something that just works, it's not for you. 📋 Elecrow sent me this device for review. The views expressed are my own. ## Hardware specification Here is a quick look at what this device is packing inside it: | Component | Detail | | ------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | | **Main SoC** | ESP32-P4 (dual-core RISC-V) | | **Wireless** | ESP32-C6 co-processor (WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5) | | **Display** | 10.1" IPS, 1024x600, MIPI-DSI | | **Touch** | Capacitive (GT911 controller) | | **Memory** | 16MB flash, 32MB PSRAM | | **Audio** | Onboard speaker output (dedicated connector) and microphone | | **Camera** | Camera connector (add-on) | | **Expansion** | Exposed I2C, UART, and GPIO headers | | **Power** | USB-C, plus a battery connector | | **Model** | DHE04310D (hardware revision V1.1) | | **Price** | Around $60 | It has interesting hardware, especially since it also offers a camera connector. My package came with a camera as well, not sure if it is included in all the boxes. ![Elecrow CrowPanel display in the box](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/elecrow-display-2.webp) And then you also get the options to connect speakers on their own port. Which means that if you connect a LLM to your Home Assistant, and get a reply in audio format. There is a battery connector in case you want to use the device without direct power connection. The I2C, UART, and GPIO pins are accessible, too. 📋 I am using Home Assistant everywhere because this is what I am using this device for. However, this Elcrow display can be configured and used in a number of projects. You just have to put your tinkerer hat on. ## Setting up the display with Home Assistant This is where I spent most of my time, and where you should set your expectations. Out of the box the board runs Elecrow's demo firmware, which shows off the screen but does nothing useful really. But it is still good enough to test the touchscreen and its connectivity. You would at least know that the device is working. ![demo firmware on CrowPanel](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/elecrow-crow-panel-demo-screen.webp) The demo gives you enough to test its functionality before you build on it To make it as control panel for the Home Assistant, I flashed it with my own firmware. I went the ESPHome route, since ESPHome talks to Home Assistant over its native API and does not need the Supervisor add-on setup, which matters because I run Home Assistant in a container on Zima OS. I will be honest, the first flash was not smooth. Getting WiFi up on this board took real work, because the ESP32-P4 has no radio of its own and leans on the ESP32-C6 over an internal SDIO link. On my V1.1 unit, the data line order was reversed [compared to the reference configs I was following](https://github.com/Elecrow-RD/CrowPanel-Advanced-10.1inch-ESP32-P4-HMI-AI-Display-1024x600-IPS-Touch-Screen?ref=itsfoss.com). Until I sorted that out, the board just kept rebooting. But that's really my fault. One thing worth mentioning is that the stock demo firmware did not remember my WiFi after a reboot. I had to enter the credentials again. Once I moved to my own ESPHome firmware, it remained connected after reboots. So, if you only ever run the demo, do not expect it to hold settings. Perhaps that's the intentional behavior? My first test project was really simple. I coded a single button on the screen to work as a switch in Home Assistant for my geyser plug. Tapping it toggled the real device. Also, when I flipped the geyser from the Home Assistant app instead, the button on the screen updated to match. So, things worked as expected. ![Elecrow CrowPanel](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/elecrow-display-1.webp) I am new to LVGL, and thus I tried with a very basic project Elecrow recommends [SquareLine Vision](https://vision.squareline.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) for building the UI visually, which should be easier (more intuitive) than coding in LVGL in Arduino IDE. 📋 The quick test shows that the core promise of the Elecrow CrowPanel works. With ESPHome you can build a touch dashboard that controls real Home Assistant devices and reflects their live state, all running on the board itself with no extra server. ## The display in everyday use ![Elecrow CrowPanel display](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/elecrow-display-3.webp) The screen itself is fine. It's not top-notch like an iPad. The best way I can describe it is that it feels like an entry-level tablet. The 1024x600 IPS panel is bright enough and the viewing angles are okay, but it is not going to impress anyone who has looked at a modern premium phone recently. For a control panel stuck on a wall showing buttons, that is completely acceptable. Touch response was good in my testing. Taps registered reliably and I did not have to poke twice. ## Ports, audio, and the room to grow The CrowPanel display is meant to be more than just a display. The two small speakers, when paired with the onboard microphone, can work as a voice satellite for Home Assistant Assist. So you get both a screen and a voice endpoint in one device. Of course, I am limiting it to Home Assistant but you can have more usage in godowns, factories, and even in homelab setups. Your imagination and creativity can be better than me. Then there is the battery connector. A battery option gives it more flexibility and portability. It may be a good fit where you need the device to survive during a power cut. I did not test battery life as I did not have a spare battery to connect. The exposed I2C, UART, and GPIO means you can plug in extra sensors, another microcontroller, or your own hardware off this board. For a DIY audience, that flexibility is worth more than a prettier screen. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/crowpanel-usage.webp) Elecrow suggests various scenarios where it could be used ## The camera and the AI question Elecrow also mentions "integrated AI vision capabilities" because it has the scope for an add-on camera. The 2 MP camera is optional but it came in the package. I plugged the camera in and it worked. ![CrowPanel AI feature](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/crowpanel-ai-feature.webp) I have not properly tested the on-device AI feature. The ESP32-C6 is supposed to give edge AI capability to embedded devices. Now this could work with simpler cases like facial recognition for unlocking access, my thinking is that instead of running AI on the display board itself, use it as an interface and let a vision model run on a more capable device. ## Is it worth getting? 🚦 ****Who is it for**: Homelab owners and makers who see the setup work as part of the fun. ****Who is it NOT for**: Anyone who wants to mount a panel on the wall in ten minutes and thinks of using Android style apps to control their set up. This is a decent offering for DIY makers. From homelab to actual industry usage, this device has potential that can be utilized by your requirements and imagination. If you already tinker with ESPHome or ESP32 projects and you want a large touchscreen to build a project, this board gives you a lot to work with. Play with [LVGL](https://lvgl.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) and you can configure the device as per your need. And you don't even need to know coding. LLMs these days can easily help you generate code you want for your project. I am repeating myself. This is not a plug-and-play smart home panel. You have to build on it. I started with a working control panel, and I plan on expanding that dashboard well beyond one button. But if you are not comfortable flashing firmware, writing/generating code, it's not for you. [Explore CrowPanel Advanced HMI Display](https://www.elecrow.com/crowpanel-advanced-10-1inch-esp32-p4-hmi-ai-display-1024x600-ips-touch-screen-wifi-6.html?idd=6&ref=itsfoss.com) ### GrapheneOS Isn't Happy With Google Over Pixel's Widening Head Start URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/grapheneos-android-17-qpr1-fiasco/ Last updated: 2026-09-18T14:17:00.000Z Google's [September 2026](https://source.android.com/docs/security/bulletin/pixel/2026/2026-09-01?ref=itsfoss.com) Pixel Update Bulletin contains patches beyond what's in that month's regular [Android Security Bulletin](https://source.android.com/docs/security/bulletin/2026/2026-09-01?ref=itsfoss.com). According to [GrapheneOS](https://grapheneos.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), some of those extra patches touch standard Android platform code, the kind that runs on non-Pixel devices, not just Pixel-branded hardware. None of that platform-level code has reached the regular monthly bulletin or the private preview patches other manufacturers typically draw from to get their own patches ready. And at this rate, these won't reach non-Pixel OEMs at all until Android 17 QPR2 ships later this year in December. The project [is characterizing this](https://grapheneos.social/@GrapheneOS/117282080803799576?ref=itsfoss.com) as Google "*gatekeeping security patches to the standard Android platform code from Android OEMs*." ## The complaints GrapheneOS says [Android 17 QPR1](https://developer.android.com/about/versions/17/qpr1/release-notes?ref=itsfoss.com) shipped new developer APIs that never made it into AOSP. This is something they claim hasn't happened since Android's Honeycomb days. Google's [API diff report](https://developer.android.com/sdk/api%5Fdiff/37.1/changes/changes-summary?ref=itsfoss.com) backs this up. Comparing Android 17 to QPR1 shows one new package, `android.hardware.hid`, plus changes across sixteen others, including `android.media`, `android.os`, `android.provider`, `android.telecom`, and `android.view`. GrapheneOS has ported its code to QPR1 before Google even released it, but still doesn't have permission to ship that work. For now, the project is backporting Pixel firmware, kernel drivers, userspace drivers, and HALs from QPR1 onto Android 17 instead. On top of all that, there's **a compliance issue that seems to be recurring**. Google was slow to comply with a GPL source request. GrapheneOS requested sources for a build (*CD1A.260905.001.A1*) on September 1, and access only came through more than two weeks later. ## Why this is worrying None of these three issues is catastrophic by itself. A three-month patch delay, a paused API rollout, a two-week wait on source code—each is the kind of thing that could pass as a one-off. Taken together, however, they point to a recurring theme. Google is holding security fixes back from the wider Android ecosystem, withholding new APIs from AOSP for the first time in over a decade, and slow-walking [GPL](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU%5FGeneral%5FPublic%5FLicense?ref=itsfoss.com) compliance it's required to meet. Don't even get me started on **what they are doing to the Android app ecosystem**. Google is on track to require every Android app developer, whether on the Play Store, F-Droid, or anywhere else, [to register with them](https://itsfoss.com/news/new-android-sideloading-rules/). Come 2027, that means handing over legal identification and signing key evidence before an app can run on any certified device. Sideloading an unverified app following this would mean enabling developer settings, waiting through a mandatory 24-hour cooldown, and clicking past several warning screens (*classic* [*scare tactics*](https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/scare-tactics?ref=itsfoss.com)*, btw*). GrapheneOS is one of dozens of organizations that signed onto the [Keep Android Open](https://keepandroidopen.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) campaign opposing this, alongside F-Droid, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and the Free Software Foundation. If you ask me, this Big Tech company is doing what's regrettably natural for it, clamping down open access to things so that its competition cannot benefit. *Via:* [*Android Authority*](https://www.androidauthority.com/grapheneos-android-17-qpr1-security-patches-comments-3712218/?ref=itsfoss.com)*.* ### Valve Quietly Open-Sources Its Android Compatibility Layer URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/valve-lepton/ Last updated: 2026-09-18T10:47:55.000Z Yeah, Valve has not bothered putting out a proper announcement for this. I got to know about this thanks to [Liam Squires-Hand](https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/09/lepton-from-valve-to-run-android-games-on-linux-is-now-open-source/?ref=itsfoss.com), who covered it briefly yesterday. The gaming giant has open-sourced the Android compatibility layer it built for the recently launched [Steam Frame](https://store.steampowered.com/hardware/steamframe?ref=itsfoss.com). Lepton lets users play games exclusive to Android on Linux by launching them inside a [container](https://linuxhandbook.com/courses/podman/?ref=itsfoss.com). Valve says most users will not interact with Lepton directly since the Steam client itself handles that job. The project is aimed at game developers who want to bring VR-focused Android titles over to Steam Frame, though the repository does note other use cases are possible. ## Two licenses, one codebase ![just a cropped screenshot of lepton's gitlab repo](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/lepton-gitlab-repository.png) The compatibility layer is not released under a single license, as the repository's [LICENSE.md](https://gitlab.steamos.cloud/frame-public/lepton/-/blob/main/LICENSE.md?ref=itsfoss.com) file splits the project into two pieces, each governed separately. The compat tool itself, the part Steam invokes to actually launch a game inside the container, is released under [the MIT license](https://gitlab.steamos.cloud/frame-public/lepton/-/blob/main/LICENSES/compat%5Ftool.md?ref=itsfoss.com). The Android root filesystem that gets built and run inside that container is a different matter. Because it incorporates code from several outside projects, it carries [a GPL-3.0 license](https://gitlab.steamos.cloud/frame-public/lepton/-/blob/main/LICENSES/image.md?ref=itsfoss.com) instead. ## What's included? Lepton's Android image is not built from scratch. It leans on a handful of existing open source projects, each covering a different piece of the puzzle. [Waydroid](https://waydro.id/?ref=itsfoss.com) is the one doing most of the heavy lifting. It already runs a full Android system inside a Linux container using namespaces, and Lepton borrows patches and components from it directly during the build. [LineageOS](https://lineageos.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) supplies the actual Android system image that Waydroid, and by extension Lepton, customizes. Waydroid's runtime ships a minimal image based on LineageOS. [AOSP](https://source.android.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), the Android Open Source Project, sits underneath all of it. It's the base source tree that LineageOS, Waydroid, and, in turn, Lepton all build on top of, and its license terms carry throughout the whole stack. [Boringdroid](https://github.com/boringdroid/boringdroid?ref=itsfoss.com) gets a smaller credit in the same license file, alongside the others, though Valve does not go into detail on what it specifically contributes. You can go through its repo to make an educated guess. ## Don't click away yet This project is not trying to be a general-purpose way to run Android on Linux. It has been trimmed down on purpose. Every app inside Lepton runs as the same user, with no walls built between them. Each game is instead meant to get its own separate container, and when launching them, Lepton switches off the Android services it does not need. There's more to it than what I have discussed, so go through the repo if you would like to learn more. **It's good to see** that while the Steam Frame has not started shipping yet, parts of its software stack are already being open-sourced. Lepton joins [FEX](https://fex-emu.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), the x86-to-ARM translation layer Valve relies on for the same headset, as pieces of a stack that developers can now read, inspect, and build against. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** *The* [*various compatibility layers*](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2026/09/not-just-proton-getting-to-know-valves-new-steamos-compatibility-layers/?ref=itsfoss.com) *in SteamOS.* ### Bonjour! Firefox Smart Window Users Now Get to Use a French AI URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/firefox-smart-window-mistral/ Last updated: 2026-09-18T03:32:04.000Z Mozilla and Mistral have announced [a partnership](https://blog.mozilla.org/en/firefox/mozilla-mistral-partnership/?ref=itsfoss.com) that brings the Mistral Small 4 model to Firefox Smart Window, the browser's AI-powered window that lets users chat their way through a web browsing session. Both companies portray this as pushback against a browser ecosystem increasingly dominated by a few large companies. The concern is that one company could end up running the browser, the search results, and the AI answering your questions. This is followed by the expansion of beta access to the feature in eligible regions as well as improved French language support. ## Why go with Mistral? ![firefox smart window mistral small 4 model](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/firefox-smart-window-mistral-option.png) [Firefox 155](https://www.firefox.com/en-US/firefox/155.0/releasenotes/?ref=itsfoss.com) was the release that opened up *Smart Window* to users based in France, though the beta originally ran with three AI models: Google's Gemini, Alibaba's Qwen, and OpenAI's gpt-oss-120B. None of those came from a European lab. Mozilla says it evaluated the 119-billion-parameter [Mistral Small 4](https://huggingface.co/mistralai/Mistral-Small-4-119B-2603?ref=itsfoss.com), specifically for its multilingual performance, before adding it to the "*Personalized*" category, replacing OpenAI's offering. The other models are still available, of course. The company is just pushing Mistral as an additional pick that gives users more choice rather than settling for a few limited options. And that language support I talked about earlier **isn't some half-baked job** where a translated interface was bolted on top of an English-first model. Mistral has tuned the model directly on regional languages and dialects, treating multilingual handling as a core feature. The company says support for more European countries is coming later this year, without naming any specific ones, while Mistral has already confirmed that **the UK and Germany are next**. ## Should you bother? When I tried [Smart Window](https://itsfoss.com/firefox-smart-window/), it was a beta release limited to people in the US and Canada that I got into through an early-access portal. I found it useful for summarizing a page, discussing certain choices, and asking it follow-up questions about my queries. What has changed now is that it has reached France and that one of its models comes from a local AI lab. You can see it in how both of these companies are describing the move. [Mistral](https://mistral.ai/?ref=itsfoss.com) is pitching this as sovereign AI reaching consumers, while [Mozilla](https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/?ref=itsfoss.com) calls it an independent browser working with a frontier European AI company. Coming back to the question, **you should care about this** if you are someone who wants an AI-powered sidekick for your research sessions without the headache of setting one up manually. So what are you waiting for? Get started right now by downloading [the latest Firefox release](https://www.firefox.com/en-US/?ref=itsfoss.com)! --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Firefox 155 has introduced two new changes for faster web browsing.*](https://itsfoss.com/news/firefox-155-faster-page-loads/) [Firefox 155 Adds Two New Changes for Faster Web BrowsingApart from being faster, Firefox 155 is also the only non-Chromium browser that supports uBlock Origin, as Google removed it yesterday.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-da7b0774-65d0-4085-aff7-c6adf997c3f3.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/firefox-155-is-faster-66bce04f-f8a6-45e1-bbd8-850f1190036c.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/news/firefox-155-faster-page-loads/) ### FOSS Weekly #26.38: GNOME 51 Release, LibreOffice Image Trick, VMWare Drama, Fingerprint Reader for Linux and More URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-38/ Last updated: 2026-09-17T13:03:44.000Z It's FOSS reader [Mišo Oroz shares how he migrated](https://itsfoss.com/linux-stories/italian-logistics-company-migration/) a small transport and logistics company in, Bergamo, Italy to Linux and open source to reduce cost and ordinary technical problems. This is the kind of positive stories we need to hear more. Another positive news is that Rune, a Go-based IDE for Linux and macOS, [went GPLv3 this week](https://itsfoss.com/news/rune-open-source-ide/) with no CLA requirements, with contributors keeping copyright over their work. The more interesting part is the revenue-sharing plan. Accepted contributions earn credits, and a slice of eligible service revenue gets split among contributors based on those credits. Check out the features in [newly released GNOME 51](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-51-features/). Arch-based distro users should get it in the next few weeks, hopefully. Upcoming major releases like Ubuntu 26.10 and Fedora 45 will also offer it. [Ubuntu has completed its coreutils migration to Rust](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-rustification-coreutils-migration/), with `cp`, `mv`, and `rm` finally making the jump. Earlier, an audit commissioned by Canonical found 113 problems across two rounds, 44 of which got assigned CVEs, and the vast majority are now resolved. Mirko Brombin, the creator of Bottles, [recently got Microsoft 365 installing](https://itsfoss.com/news/bottles-microsoft-365-early-look/), signing in, and launching Word on Linux using unreleased software that he is currently working on. Don't get your hopes too high, though. It's all experimental. The Linux kernel [is finally moving ahead on some of the 32-bit ARM platform removals](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-old-arm-code-removal/) that have been on the table for years. Initially, thirteen patches target Linux 7.4, covering old hardware like the Acorn RiscPC, SA1100 boards, OMAP24xx, and various STM32 microcontrollers. Leaving VMware just got harder thanks to Broadcom [quietly revoking public access](https://itsfoss.com/news/broadcom-removes-vmware-vddk-downloads/) to VDDK, the SDK that backup and migration tools use to read VMware virtual disks. **This edition of FOSS Weekly is supported by** [**Uruky**](https://uruky.com/?ref=itsfoss.com)**.** Search without ads or tracking. Uruky is a paid and private search engine focused on personal search customization, not an ecosystem. EU-based. No surveillance capitalism. [Join the resistance against Big Tech. ](https://uruky.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About Bruce Schneier and EFF's Cindy Cohn [have written a strong piece](https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2026/09/25-years-of-mass-surveillance-is-enough.html?ref=itsfoss.com) on how mass surveillance has outlived its terrorism justification. Instead, it's being used to breach constitutional rights and carry out systemic abuse. [25 Years of Mass Surveillance Is Enough - Schneier on SecurityThis essay was written with Cindy Cohn, and originally appeared in Lawfare. One of the many legacies of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 is the government-wide shift from targeted surveillance—such as individual wiretaps or pen register/trap and trace orders—to mass surveillance techniques—such as tapping into the internet backbone or mass collection of telephone or internet metadata. The legal and technical architecture of modern mass surveillance, initially framed as a necessary defense against terrorist threats, has grown far beyond that justification and national security in general. Mass surveillance is now a routine tool used by law enforcement. ICE uses it in…![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/cropped-favicon-1-270x270-3830228c-39cc-4aec-bff7-b6477aa85138.png)Schneier on SecurityBruce Schneier![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/b7488467f36e799c0cd7555aebc18f9dc2880bf24d8694c56d31a7d697364d2d-6cc72e16-8a09-452e-b195-5f9f8e3fc2ce.jpg)](https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2026/09/25-years-of-mass-surveillance-is-enough.html?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings This time I have another LibreOffice hack to share with you. If you are bothered by having to manually right-click document pages to extract images, [you can extract all the images](https://itsfoss.com/extract-all-images-office/) by saving your documents as HTML. Ubuntu's default sudo timeout is 15 minutes, but one line in `visudo` [is all it takes to change it](https://itsfoss.com/change-sudo-password-timeout-ubuntu/). Done with Trello? We have tested and compared [seven open source alternatives](https://itsfoss.com/open-source-trello-alternatives/), with a pick for each use case. Kan if you're migrating an existing Trello board; Fizzy if you want something deliberately minimal; Vikunja if you need the full self-hosted package. Sooner or later, you will see a keyring popup in most Linux distributions. Perhaps it's a good time to learn [what this actually is](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-keyring/). [Explained! The Concept of Keyring in Ubuntu LinuxRepeatedly seeing “Enter password to unlock your login keyring” popup message in Ubuntu? It’s not an error but a security feature. Learn more keyring in Ubuntu.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-8ba8d164-23e1-414c-8ccb-8e290cb69f94.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/keyring-concept-ubuntu-5dd5518e-3d2d-4fb4-b585-d37dfe2b5172.png)](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-keyring/) Desktop Linux is mostly neglected by the industry but loved by the community. For the past 14 years, It's FOSS has been helping people use Linux on their personal computers. And we are now facing the existential threat from AI models stealing our content. If you like what we do and would love to support our work, please become It's FOSS Plus member. It costs $49 a year (less than the cost of a McDonald's burger a month), and you get an ad-free reading experience with the satisfaction of helping the desktop Linux community. And there are also free Linux ebooks. [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner [MAKERphone 2.0](https://itsfoss.com/news/makerphone-2-annoucement/) is a DIY bar phone kit you assemble without needing to solder anything. It is ESP32-S3 powered, supports 4G LTE, and has swappable modules for IR, camera, speaker, and sensors, as well as a headphone jack. [MAKERphone 2.0 Lets You Build a 4G Phone and Vibe-Code Its AppsIt runs on an ESP32-S3, takes a real SIM for 4G calls and texts, snaps together without soldering. Code your own app, away from social media.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-1a79b460-a780-4984-b768-d586f3996512.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/makerphone-6e12c13d-0f83-413d-831c-3e319470e204.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/news/makerphone-2-annoucement/) ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights [Paperweight](https://itsfoss.com/paperweight/) scans your inbox locally to build a picture of every mailing list, forgotten account, and known data breach tied to your email address. [Paperweight: An Open Source App to Clean Up Your Inbox and Digital FootprintPaperweight scans your inbox locally to find mailing lists, forgotten accounts and breach risks, with bulk unsubscribe and GDPR request tools.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-ccde7106-7c28-42d1-a8cd-88c70ff1a1e5.png)It's FOSSPulkit Chandak![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/paperweight-1-025f81c0-9466-4770-acd6-3f6da564987e.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/paperweight/) ## 📽️ Videos for You I also did [a video review of the Immurok fingerprint reader](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owT-7Rlhs%5FE&ref=itsfoss.com) on our YouTube channel. It is more than just a regular fingerprint reader, as it lets you use sudo, SSH and even TOTP authentication. See it in action in the video or [read the review](https://itsfoss.com/immurok-review/). [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip 0:00 /0:17 1× In KDE Plasma, without losing focus of the current window, you can: - Move a background window: `Meta + Left-click ` - Resize background window: `Meta + Right-click` - Move a window to and fro from the background: `Meta + Middle click` ![kde plasma window actions](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/inner-window-settings.png) There are other actions you can assign to it as well. The settings are available under `Window Management -> Window Behavior -> Window Actions`. You can see the available options above. ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse Did you know that Z shell (Zsh) is older than Linux? Perhaps you can [test more of your Zsh knowledge in the latest quiz](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/zsh-shell-fun/). [Zsh Quiz: How Well Do You Know Your Shell?Think you’ve mastered zsh? Test your knowledge with this quiz.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-fbb95fbc-f4bd-4572-871a-62080b08ccb9.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/zsh-quiz-1fc31e09-2cba-43bd-a919-4a766406fe53.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/zsh-shell-fun/) Seems like the action of a Windows user ;) ![linux bible horror](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/meme4732.jpg) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On September 14, 1959, Bank of America officially adopted [ERMA](https://www.sri.com/hoi/banking-automation-erma/?ref=itsfoss.com), letting computers read checks via magnetic-ink account numbers. Developed at Stanford Research Institute (SRI), this innovation automated banking and launched the magnetic ink character recognition tech still used on checks today. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: Laura, one of our regular FOSSers is celebrating [Software Freedom Day](https://itsfoss.community/t/happy-software-freedom-day-2026/16247?ref=itsfoss.com) along with other FOSSers; why don't you join them? ### Zsh Quiz: How Well Do You Know Your Shell? URL: https://itsfoss.com/quiz/zsh-shell-fun/ Last updated: 2026-09-17T12:10:22.000Z Zsh has become the default shell for a lot of Linux and macOS users, and for good reason. Between Oh My Zsh, autosuggestions, and smarter tab completion, there's a lot going on under the hood. But how much do you actually know about it? Take this quiz and find out. 🚧 Some browsers block the JavaScript-based quiz units. ****Disable your ad blocker to enjoy the quizzes and puzzles**. Few people know that Zsh's roots go back to 1990, when Paul Falstad created it as a student project. That means, Zsh is older than Linux. I've spent a good amount of time customizing my own zsh setup, and honestly, there's more to it than most users realize. Tab completion itself works very differently (or should I say better) from bash. Then there's spelling correction, smarter globbing, and configuration through .zshrc that can get as simple or as complex as you want. If you want to [learn Zsh](https://linuxhandbook.com/learn-zsh/?ref=itsfoss.com), try this resource section on Linux Handbook. [Master Zsh: From Beginner to Power UserStart learning Zsh, one tutorial at a time.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/Linux-Handbook-New-Logo-5e87f479-9c15-4784-957e-e99ff9e3164d.webp)Linux HandbookAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/letter-z-2fc97dab-66df-4651-9f2e-21251f92facc.png)](https://linuxhandbook.com/learn-zsh/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### The Famed PS5 Linux Project Lead Quits Over a Premature Exploit Report to Sony URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/ps5-linux-lead-quits/ Last updated: 2026-09-17T09:11:44.000Z In April this year, we saw Andy Nguyen turning the PS5 [into a Linux-powered gaming PC](https://itsfoss.com/news/run-linux-on-ps5/) that ran Steam games and emulators, making good use of the hardware on-board. Sadly, he has [now announced](https://x.com/theflow0/status/2099987019954831744?ref=itsfoss.com) that he is walking away from the PS5 hacking scene altogether and is stopping work on porting the project to the PS5 Pro, which would've shipped sometime in 2027. ## All due to a single exploit > I am stepping away from the ps5 scene and stopping all my work on ps5 linux. > After pouring my heart and months of my life into it, including plans to finish ps5 pro support and release in 2027, it's all down the sink. > > — Andy Nguyen (@theflow0) [September 15, 2026](https://x.com/theflow0/status/2099987019954831744?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=itsfoss.com) You see, running Linux on [a PlayStation console](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/ps5/?ref=itsfoss.com) is possible because the [PS5 Linux](https://github.com/ps5-linux?ref=itsfoss.com) project was able to find a way past the hypervisor using exploits Sony had already patched, covering firmware 3.00 through 7.61. The issue starts with Andy gatekeeping a hypervisor bug that was still open on current firmware, one he says he had found a while earlier. It was prematurely divulged to Sony less than a day after the researchers who found it agreed to wait. He clarified his position, saying that: > I asked them to at least wait for GTA 6 to come out so that people would have the opportunity to legally purchase the game and also enjoy linux. Once Sony knows about a bug such as this, it's only a matter of time before it's patched, and that is where PlayStation's bug bounty program on [HackerOne](https://hackerone.com/playstation?ref=itsfoss.com) comes in. ## The ones who found it ![the hackerone page for playstation with many details](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/playstation-hackerone-page.png) **To give you an idea of PlayStation's HackerOne program.* While Andy has not named anybody in his post, you will find the reporter after a quick web search. Jordy has put out [his side of things](https://x.com/couldbeautism/status/2097521329746620761?ref=itsfoss.com), laying out how he handled the bug. By Jordy's account, the bug was his own discovery, found with what [he calls](https://www.reddit.com/r/PS5%5FJailbreak/comments/1whknk0/jordys%5Freasoning%5Ffor%5Freleasing%5Fit%5Fkeep%5Fin%5Fmind/?ref=itsfoss.com) his "*trusty ai clanker machine*" and no help from anyone else. He had even agreed to Andy's request to not disclose the findings. Unexpectedly, a third person, still unnamed, [found the same bug](https://x.com/couldbeautism/status/2100041560356421716?ref=itsfoss.com) using AI a few hours later. Anticipating that there would be more people finding the same bug, Jordy decided to post the flaw on HackerOne. ## The code is still there The project's GitHub page and all the related repositories are still there. Nothing has been archived as of today, and if you wanted to, you could start contributing to the PS5 Linux project by taking over any pending work or cooking up new improvements. You should know that [the loader](https://github.com/ps5-linux/ps5-linux-loader?ref=itsfoss.com) currently supports the original model and the Slim on firmware 3.00 through 7.61, so your test device would need to be on one of those. The PS5 Pro support Andy was building never reached the repository, so you would have to start from scratch. **That's the beauty of open source software**. Even if the lead developer and key core maintainers decide to abandon a project, new people can easily take over the work or fork it, and steer it in a direction of their choosing. While Andy's departure is a blow to the plan for supporting newer PS5 firmware and the PS5 Pro, other contributors [have shown](https://github.com/ps5-linux/ps5-linux-loader/graphs/contributors?all=1&ref=itsfoss.com) that they can deliver work on the loader without him, and I am hopeful more will follow. ### How an Italian Logistics Company Moved From Windows to Linux: A Real Migration Story URL: https://itsfoss.com/linux-stories/italian-logistics-company-migration/ Last updated: 2026-09-17T07:52:28.000Z In the past, I have shared stories of how real people using Linux in the real world. My favorite is the interview with [Stu Keroff](https://itsfoss.com/news/interview-stu-keroff/), who educates students to make the best use of Linux in school. When Mišo reached out to me and shared how he helped a local small business move from Windows to Linux, I though of reviving that old series where real people share real stories of how they migrated to Linux and open source. Mišo Oroz is the founder of [Zerolock](https://zerolock.it/?ref=itsfoss.com), an Italian IT company based in Spirano, Bergamo, specialised in migrating small and medium businesses from proprietary systems to Linux and open source. Here's his story. ![Mišo Oroz is the founder of Zerolock](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/miso.webp) --- I got the call in early 2026\. The owner of a small transport and logistics company in Mapello, Bergamo, had five office workstations and a team of drivers who needed to stay in contact throughout the day. He was not looking for a philosophy lesson about open source. He was tired of paying for software that kept causing problems, tired of calling an external technician, and tired of his team losing time to things that had nothing to do with moving goods from one place to another. ## What they had before The office ran on a standard setup that most small Italian businesses would recognise. Five workstations running a proprietary operating system (you know which one), a commercial office suite licensed per user, third-party antivirus renewed annually. ![IT desk of the logistic company in Italy](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/miso-story-client-it-desk.webp) The drivers communicated with the office using WhatsApp on their personal phones, which meant company conversations were happening on a consumer messaging app with no archiving, no administration, and no separation between personal and work messages. Their data lived partly on local machines and partly on a shared folder. When I asked to see where the most important company documents were stored, it took a few minutes to find the most recent version of a file that should have been immediately accessible. The owner had paid for eight to ten external IT interventions over two years. Update failures, slowdowns, the occasional scare that turned out to be less serious than it looked but still cost half a day of anxiety and cleanup time. ## The assessment Before touching anything, I spent time understanding what each person actually did on their computers every day. This matters more than any list of installed software, because the real question is not what tools exist but which ones are genuinely in use and how. The office staff used a word processor, a spreadsheet, email, and a shared filing system. The owner needed occasional remote access when he was out on the road. The drivers needed a reliable way to communicate with the office without using personal phones. No sector-specific proprietary software that would be difficult to replace, which made the project significantly more straightforward than many migrations I have worked on. ## The stack The replacement infrastructure was built entirely on open source components. Kubuntu 26.04 LTS on all five office workstations. LibreOffice replacing the commercial office suite. Thunderbird for email. Nextcloud deployed on a server hosted in Italy, replacing both the local shared folder and eliminating any dependency on foreign cloud providers. [Mattermost](https://mattermost.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) for internal communication, installed on the same Italian infrastructure, accessible from both the office workstations and the drivers' phones via the mobile app. ![Kubuntu running on the computers](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/logistic-company-computer-after-linux-migration.webp) The office used an Epson WorkForce WF-C579R, a networked A4 colour multifunction connected via ethernet. This was the most technically interesting part of the hardware setup. Kubuntu 26.04 automatically installed a driverless IPP driver, which caused two concrete problems: duplex printing reversed the back page regardless of whether long-side or short-side binding was selected, and print speed was noticeably slower than it had been on the previous system. The driverless path, which works well for many modern printers, does not handle all Epson business devices correctly on 26.04 because the Epson PPA does not yet support the current release. The solution was to install printer-driver-escpr via apt and force the correct driver using lpadmin. After that, duplex worked correctly and speed returned to normal. For scanning to a network folder, I set up Samba on each administration workstation, created a Scanner folder in each user's home directory, and configured the scan destination on the Epson web admin panel via IP address using SMB with dedicated credentials set through smbpasswd. This is worth documenting for anyone running Epson business printers on Kubuntu 26.04, because the driverless default will cause the same duplex problem and the fix is not obvious. [pfSense](https://www.pfsense.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) as the network firewall. Encrypted automated backups running nightly. For remote access I deployed RustDesk through my own VPS, which solved a specific challenge with Kubuntu 26: the system runs on Wayland by default, and many remote desktop tools that work reliably on older Linux systems have compatibility issues with Wayland. RustDesk via a self-hosted relay server worked consistently once that configuration was in place, and it has been the standard approach for all my Kubuntu 26 deployments since. > Total recurring licence cost after migration: zero. ## The migration Everything was built and tested on a separate machine before touching any production workstation. I validated every workflow, confirmed that existing documents opened correctly in LibreOffice, tested the Nextcloud connection, and set up Mattermost including the mobile configuration for the drivers. The actual migration happened over a weekend. Each workstation was rebuilt from scratch with a clean Kubuntu installation. Data was migrated from the existing shared folder to Nextcloud over the local network before the weekend, so that by Monday morning the files were already in the right place on the new system. The drivers received the Mattermost app on their phones with the configuration already set up. From day one they had a dedicated work channel separate from their personal messaging. ## Training and the first days on site The weekend migration was only the beginning. The following Monday I was on site for the first three days of the working week and available by phone for the rest. Each employee received individual training on the tools they actually used, not a generic overview of the new system. I sat next to each person and worked through their specific daily tasks: how to open and save documents in LibreOffice, how to access files on Nextcloud, how to use Mattermost for internal messages. ![Employees happily use Linux now](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/company-runs-on-linux-now.webp) This part of the project is not glamorous but it is where migrations succeed or fail. The software can be perfect and the migration still falls apart if the people using it feel abandoned on Monday morning. Being on site those first days meant I could answer questions immediately rather than leaving people stuck waiting for an email reply. ## What was actually difficult Two things created friction, as I mentioned earlier. Since this is sort of a case study, I will highlight those two hurdles again. The first was the printer. The Epson driverless issue was not something I had encountered before on 26.04 and it took a few hours to diagnose and resolve. The duplex problem was intermittent enough that it would have been easy to miss during testing and only surface in daily use. I now test duplex printing explicitly on every Kubuntu 26.04 deployment with a networked Epson. The second was the Wayland remote access setup. Kubuntu 26 required a different approach to remote desktop than older Linux systems. Testing different configurations took additional time before I arrived at the RustDesk and self-hosted VPS solution that now works reliably. It is a known challenge with Wayland that the ecosystem is actively improving, but at the time it required real problem-solving. > The adjustment period for the office staff was easier than I had anticipated, largely because of the time spent on site. The drivers adapted fastest. For them the change was a new app on their phone that replaced a WhatsApp group, and within a day or two it felt normal. ## Six months later The company has not called me for a single ordinary technical issue since the migration. The productivity difference showed up in ways that were immediately visible. Before the migration, the workday started with machines that took several minutes to become usable after login, with antivirus scans running in the background competing for resources. Unscheduled updates had a habit of appearing at the worst possible moments, sometimes forcing restarts mid-morning. When something broke, work stopped until the external technician arrived. After the migration, bootup is fast, background processes do not fight for CPU during working hours, and updates run overnight without touching the working day. The time that had been quietly disappearing into slowdowns, restarts, and waiting is simply not disappearing anymore. Licence costs for the operating system, office suite, and antivirus are gone. The Nextcloud server costs less per month than their previous storage arrangement. The external technician has not been called. The drivers now have a proper work communication channel that is administered, archived, and completely separate from their personal phones. The end result is one hour per day recovered per employee, zero ordinary technical issues after migration, zero recurring licence costs. We have a happy client. ### On Time! GNOME 51 Arrives With a Set of Improvements You Shouldn't Miss URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-51-features/ Last updated: 2026-09-17T03:55:34.000Z [GNOME](https://www.gnome.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is still the initial desktop environment for most people who step into the world of Linux, trying their first distribution. I say that because the mainstream picks like Ubuntu and Fedora Workstation both ship it by default, bringing new users directly into the GNOME ecosystem. While we are seeing a rise in adoption for dynamic tiling window managers like [Hyprland](https://itsfoss.com/hyprland/), conventional desktop environments like this one are still a daily driver pick for many. Now, a fresh release, **GNOME 51**, has arrived, bringing with it many upgrades, such as a better-behaving shell, a new wallpaper that looks chic, and a host of updated pre-installed apps. Continue reading to get the full details. ## A Refined Shell ![gnome overview](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/gnome-51-overview.png) This is the part of GNOME that you directly interact with without realizing that it even exists. GNOME Shell represents the top bar, the overview, the app grid, notifications, the lock screen, and the way windows move between workspaces. This release **cleans up many of its rough edges**, giving you perks like monitor brightness being saved and restored across sessions, and more refined screenshot framing that lets you drag a selection all the way to the edges of your monitor. Screen reader navigation in the app grid was reworked as well, and two smaller annoyances, a bug with minimized windows on another workspace and broken German date formats, are fixed. Similarly, the autorun prompt that shows up for connected USB drives was improved. ## GDM & Mutter Tweaks These two are also an important part of the GNOME stack. GDM is the display manager behind your login screen, and it starts a session once you authenticate. Mutter is the compositor that draws the windows, decides where they sit, and handles the input. **GDM** picks up a setting for the fallback session. That is the session used when a user has no preferred one or when their preferred one will not start. Administrators can point accounts that have never logged in at a session of their choosing. **The autologin bypass is closed as well**. Earlier, a compromised greeter could request autologin for any local account; fortunately, this no longer works. In **Mutter**, support for legacy NVIDIA drivers is gone, and on HDR displays, SDR content doesn't look desaturated (*discolored*) anymore. Window handling gets a few repairs of its own. Edge tiled windows fullscreen properly now, and a maximized window can be moved to another monitor from the keyboard without issues. It has also stopped reporting several monitors as primary at once, and the mouse cursor hides itself while an input capture session is running—the kind a remote desktop tool opens. ## The App Upgrades ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/gnome-51-settings.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/gnome-51-software.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/gnome-51-nautilus.png) **GNOME 51 Settings, Software, Files.* The bundled apps see their share of major upgrades. We first start with the **Settings** app, which has added DNS domain search options to the *Network* page, gets various translation updates, and handles Wi-Fi sharing through the GNOME QR code widget. The *About* page was cleaned up, with the "*Windowing System*" field removed and the software and hardware info groups expanded to give users quick access to important system details. Thanks to that, the dedicated "*System Details*" button is a thing of the past. **Software** now warns you before installing an app that has reached end-of-life status, its Flatpak permission list has been expanded, and app ratings use a different measurement approach for showing you the average rating. **Files** (*Nautilus*), the file manager, shows a count badge while you drag several items, and copied files stay selected once a copy operation finishes. Locations opened from another app are displayed in a new tab, while the previewer now supports rename and trash operations. 📋 ****Quick tip:** You can access the previewer function by selecting a file or folder and pressing the "**Space*" key. It shows you a preview of the selected item, as well as some key details. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/gnome-51-calendar.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/gnome-51-maps.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/gnome-51-epiphany.png) **GNOME 51 Calendar, Maps, and Web.* The **Calendar** app's internals were heavily reworked, and it is now based on *GListModel*. The week, month, and agenda views run on that same model, and so do the objects behind its event timelines. Locations now open in *Maps* through the *maps URI*, and the "*About*" dialog shows a status indicator when the app is not running sandboxed inside Flatpak. Similarly, users of **Maps** can now download maps for offline use by using the new download tool. To use it, first go to a specific region, then open the hamburger menu on the top-right and go into "*Preferences*." In the "*Downloads*" section, click on "*Add*" to get started. Then there's **Web** (*Epiphany*), the default web browser, which comes with fixes for cases where deleting your default search engine or opening the preferences menu would cause a crash. ## Other Changes I skipped out on mentioning a few changes earlier, but these are still worth knowing: - Roundhex is the new default wallpaper, with three more; *Curvaturingster*, *Glass Stripes*, and *Tubes* being the other additions. - The gnome-desktop component ships with an API for generating QR codes; the Wi-Fi sharing widget we talked about earlier uses it. - GNOME Bluetooth 47.2 adds [mnemonics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mnemonics%5F%28keyboard%29?ref=itsfoss.com) to a few buttons and fixes a couple of memory leaks. - The pre-installed image viewer, Loupe, now shows the creator, copyright, camera lens, and software data stored in a photo's metadata. - Settings gains a new fingerprint manager in the "*Users*" panel. For more details, you can give the [release notes](https://release.gnome.org/51/?ref=itsfoss.com) a read. ## Getting Started with GNOME 51 People who are on a [rolling release](https://itsfoss.com/best-rolling-release-distros/) distro like **Arch Linux**, **CachyOS**, or **EndeavourOS** will be the first ones to get this GNOME release as soon as the maintainers push it to the repositories. If you are on a mainstream distro like **Ubuntu** or **Fedora**, then you will also get GNOME 51 via the [Ubuntu 26.10](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-10-features/) and [Fedora 45](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-45-features/) (*error 404 for now*) releases. Of course there's also [GNOME OS](https://os.gnome.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), which is the project's testbed for new software. You can install it on a spare machine or virtual machine to see what GNOME 51 has to offer. [GNOME OS](https://os.gnome.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Local AI Weekly #2: Agents Everywhere URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/local-ai-weekly-2/ Last updated: 2026-09-16T15:01:03.000Z Welcome back to Local AI Weekly. I promised a weekly, and then took a month to send the second one. So let's call the first one the pilot episode. From here, the show will run weekly 🤘 This issue leans heavily toward agents, because that's where most of the interesting local AI tooling is landing right now. Before we see all that, let me thank [Atomic Chat](https://atomic.chat/?ref=itsfoss.com), who is supporting this edition of Local AI Weekly. SPONSORED [![CTA Image](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/atomic.webp)](https://atomic.chat/?ref=itsfoss.com) Atomic Chat lets you run open-source LLMs privately on your own device, fully offline. It has Turboquant built-in providing faster local inference with longer context windows. Which means you can run bigger models smoothly, right on your device. [Explore Atomic Chat ](https://atomic.chat/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🧪 On my bench: Unsloth I downloaded [Unsloth](https://unsloth.ai/?ref=itsfoss.com) this week. It's an open source framework for fine-tuning and running open models faster and on far less VRAM than the usual setup. It's probably best known for its Dynamic GGUF quants, the ones that let people run 27B-class models in around 17GB of RAM, with 1-bit builds that squeeze onto 8GB. Yeah...that's the kind of claim I don't want to repeat until I've tested it myself. So consider this a heads-up, not a review or recommendation. I'll try it on my [ZimaCube](https://itsfoss.com/zimacube-2-review/) (with Nvidia RTX Ada 2000) and give you the full verdict in a coming issue. ## 🔍 Discover AI tools Three of this week's finds are about making your local agents "behave". tehy are smart, but they have to be accountable, too. All of these tools are open source. The first is [agent-inspect](https://github.com/rajudandigam/agent-inspect?ref=itsfoss.com), a local-first debugger for TypeScript AI agents. It turns an agent run into a readable execution tree, so you can see every tool call, model call, and the exact point where things went wrong. It can also fail a CI check when the agent takes the wrong path, and bundle up a redacted trace to share with someone else. Next is [AutoMem](https://automem.ai/?ref=itsfoss.com), a persistent memory layer that plugs into agents over MCP. Most agents start every session from zero. AutoMem stores what matters in a graph for relationships and a vector index for meaning, so recall gives you the answer and the thread it belongs to. You can run the whole thing locally in Docker, offline, with your data staying on your machine. The third is [BrowserSkill](https://github.com/Tencent/BrowserSkill?ref=itsfoss.com) from Tencent. It lets an AI agent use your real, already logged-in broswer instead of a fresh sandbox with throwaway accounts. The interesting part is that it runs tasks in a separate, visible Agent Window and only borrows a tab you have open when it explicitly asks, so you can keep working while it does. When it hits a captcha or a login, it hands control back to you and picks up after. Agents can still not tick all the traffic lights, it seems 😉 ## 🖥 Which model can your hardware actually run? This is the question I get asked the most. You see a model you want to try, but you have no idea if it can run on your system. Downloading and trying all of them is a waste of time and bandwidth. [llmfit](https://github.com/AlexsJones/llmfit?ref=itsfoss.com) helps you there. It's a terminal tool that detects your CPU, RAM, and GPU, then ranks open models by how well they'll actually run on your box, scoring them on size, speed, quality, and context. If you have Ollama running, you can even pull a model straight from its interface. It is open source and written in Rust (if that matters to you). [GitHub - AlexsJones/llmfit: Hundreds of models & providers. One command to find what runs on your hardware.Hundreds of models & providers. One command to find what runs on your hardware. - AlexsJones/llmfit![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/favicon-f54e8f54-a9a8-46f8-805d-9da03aed5d0f.png)GitHubAlexsJones![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/llmfit-6bb4edc2-87f6-4fb0-8bdb-7f7f00ad6717.png)](https://github.com/AlexsJones/llmfit?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🧩 Open WebUI goes mainstream A quick sign of the times. [Open WebUI](https://openwebui.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) has become so popular that managed hosting providers are now offering it as a one-click service. [PikaPods, for instance, now runs it for you](https://www.pikapods.com/pods?run=open-webui&ref=itsfoss.com). Just so you know, I work with PikaPods as its growth consultant, so take the mention for what it is. But the point is that self-hosted AI front-ends have moved from hobbyists' Raspberry Pi to something people want running full time without managing a server. ## 🎙 Voice transcription lands on Linux Back in issue #1 I said voice AI is shaping up to be the next big thing. [LM Studio's Bionic release, v1.1.3](https://lmstudio.ai/changelog/bionic-v1.1.3?ref=itsfoss.com) proves my point, as it now brings voice transcription to Linux, including on machines with NVIDIA GPUs. LM Studio is free but closed source, so keep that in mind. If you are on Linux, you will find that the Bionic AppImage is about 1 GB. That's the biggest AppImage I ever downloaded. ## 📡 Open Model News The open model space has kept up the pace since last time. Three releases stand out, and all three are MoE models, which is now clearly the direction the open world is heading. [Qwen3.8-Flash-Next](https://ollama.com/library/qwen3.8-flash-next?ref=itsfoss.com) from Alibaba's Qwen team. It's a 125B mixture-of-experts model that only activates 6B parameters per token, and it's an early preview of the architecture behind the upcoming Qwen4 family. Needs serious hardware power, though. [DeepSeek V4.1 Flash](https://huggingface.co/deepseek-ai/DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash?ref=itsfoss.com) is here, too. On paper it's a huge 552B MoE, but it activates only 8B parameters on input and 16B on output, with a new architecture built around an aggressively compressed KV cache, roughly 890 bytes per token. Waiting for community quantization on this one. Those two are heavyweight so the next one is "relatively affordable" by homelabbers. [Ornith-1.5](https://github.com/deepreinforce-ai/Ornith-1?ref=itsfoss.com) from DeepReinforce comes in three sizes: a 397B MoE flagship, a 35B MoE that activates just 3B per token and runs on a single 24GB card, and a 9B dense model with a quantized build small enough for a phone. It's trained with a self-improvement loop, where the model writes its own tasks and grades its own attempts. ## 👀 Big Tech Watch Two things worth your attention. First, [OpenRouter is being acquired by Stripe](https://openrouter.ai/blog/announcements/openrouter-is-joining-stripe/?ref=itsfoss.com). OpenRouter is the big model-routing gateway, moving over 10 trillion tokens a day across 400 or so models. It says the product, name, and neutral routing won't change. Worth watching, because a lot of the local and open tooling world leans on that gateway staying neutral. Second, the industry had a rare moment of agreement. Anthropic's Dario Amodei published an essay called "[We Must Pace the Frontier](https://darioamodei.com/post/we-must-pace-the-frontier?ref=itsfoss.com)," arguing that AI labs should deliberately slow down how fast they push model capabilities. Within a couple of days, Sam Altman, Elon Musk, and Google DeepMind's Demis Hassabis all said they agreed with the core idea. The notable holdouts weren't the labs at all. The US President Trump rejected the idea flatly, saying "whoever wins AI wins." If the frontier slows and open weights keep improving, that's a good thing for us Local AI enthusiasts. ## 🗂 AI Jargon: Harness You'll have noticed the word "harness" turning up everywhere lately. Here's what it means. Think of the LLM as the brain and the harness as the actual body. A model on its own is just a brain sitting in a jar. It reads text and predicts text. A harness is what turns it into an agent that can do things. The harness runs the loop i.e. it sends your request to the model, reads back the tool calls the model wants to make, actually runs those tools, feeds the results back in, and repeats until the job is done. It also manages memory, context, and what the model is and isn't allowed to touch. The reason everyone is building their own harness is that the model has become the easy part. The value now sits in the harness you wrap around it: your data, your tools, your workflows, your guardrails. Using an LLM as a glorified chat tool won't help much. Plugging the LLM into a harness tuned to your work or your company's work will let you achieve the actual AI automation. ## ⚡ Quick Tip: Keep your Ollama models warm If you run Ollama and notice the first answer after a break is slow, here's why. By default, Ollama unloads a model from GPU memory after 5 minutes of no requests. I noticed this on my Zima setup. The next request then has to reload the whole model from disk into VRAM, which will delay the next response. You can change that. Set the `OLLAMA_KEEP_ALIVE` environment variable on the Ollama service to a longer duration like `30m`, or to `-1` to keep the model pinned in memory until you restart. My point is that free GPU memory is only useful if you're going to use it. On a single-user machine where you're the only one using the model, there is little point in freeing up the GPU every five minutes and getting slow responses as a result. However, if you use several large models on one card, the default timeout actually helps. ## 🎫 Events worth attending If agents are your thing, there are two conferences coming up, and It's FOSS readers get a discount on both. [AGNTCon + MCPCon Europe](https://events.linuxfoundation.org/agntcon-mcpcon-europe/?ref=itsfoss.com) is happening on September 17 and 18 in Amsterdam. Use the code `ITSFOSS_50` at checkout, which brings registration to $375\. It's valid right up to the event date, which is tomorrow. [AGNTCon + MCPCon North America](https://events.linuxfoundation.org/agntcon-mcpcon-north-america/?ref=itsfoss.com) on October 22 to 23 in San Jose, California. Use the code `ITSFOSS` for 20% or more off current pricing; it should be around $375 again. This offer expires on October 7. ## In the end... I hope it was not too long. Not that I was trying to compensate for the long gap between the two editions...or perhaps I was ;) As always, some of this will be useful to you and some won't, depending on what you're building or what your interests are. Reply and tell me what you're running locally these days. I read every response. See you next week (for real this time). ### I Spent Time With GeForce NOW to See If It's Gameable on Linux URL: https://itsfoss.com/geforce-now-linux-review/ Last updated: 2026-09-16T09:00:26.000Z Linux gamers are used to being treated as second-class citizens, and Ubisoft recently gave everyone [a fresh reminder](https://itsfoss.com/news/for-honor-drops-linux-support/) when they pulled Linux and Steam Deck support from For Honor. They blamed anti-cheat limitations, even though the game's anti-cheat software had supported Linux for years. Meanwhile, [cloud gaming](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud%5Fgaming?ref=itsfoss.com) has been slowly building up as an alternative, even for people who can't afford to build a gaming rig thanks to inflated RAM and storage prices. While growth hasn't been anything remarkable, people who can afford a subscription have been signing up for such services. [Geforce NOW](https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce-now/?ref=itsfoss.com) is one such name that has managed to carve out its slice of the market, recently moving its native Linux app [out of beta](https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-linux-native-app/?ref=itsfoss.com) and into general availability, officially supporting Ubuntu at launch. 🚧 This app is not FOSS; we covered it because, you guessed it, it's available for a Linux distro; Ubuntu in this case. ## Geforce NOW on Linux ![geforce now linux build showing many game listings inside its interface](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/geforce-now-linux.png) Instead of storing games locally, like when using a game launcher like [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) or [Heroic](https://heroicgameslauncher.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), GeForce NOW streams them from NVIDIA's RTX GPUs in the cloud. This way, a laptop or desktop gets GeForce RTX-level rendering without needing to have any of that hardware itself. Games come from your existing library, **not NVIDIA's own store**. Link Steam, Epic, GOG, or PC Game Pass, and you can launch anything you already own. All updates and installs are handled on the cloud gaming rig you get access to via the service. ### Setting it up Contrary to what the [official system requirements](https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce-now/system-reqs/?ref=itsfoss.com#linux-os) say about using the Xorg session on NVIDIA GPUs, I managed to get the GeForce NOW client running on the Wayland session of [Ubuntu 26.04 LTS](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-04-lts/). My laptop has a GeForce RTX 3050 with 6GB of VRAM, and the system was running with NVIDIA's proprietary drivers rather than the open source Nouveau. Don't worry if you have a less powerful GPU on board, as the app only needs a local GPU to decode the incoming video stream, not render the game itself. While I kept my testing limited to Ubuntu, I have a feeling this app can run on other Linux distros too. *💬 Why not test it and let us know in the comments below?* Before I could start playing, I ran a network test via the settings menu to see if everything was good to go. The app reported that I could face stuttering or high latency as I was connected to a wireless network, suggesting I connect an Ethernet wire instead. *You will see me facing those issues very soon.* 😅 ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/geforce-now-linux-network-test-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/geforce-now-linux-network-test-2.png) Initially, I tried using the "*Free*" tier to see what the native app could do on my Ubuntu setup. **It was a big fail**, as I was stuck in a 300+ waiting queue for access to a machine, and when I eventually did come to the front, I was kicked out because I had left my laptop idle. ![the waiting screen on geforce now for getting access to a free tier gaming rig, the game shown here is ghostrunner 2](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/geforce-now-linux-free-tier-wait.png) I then decided to get in touch with NVIDIA, and thanks to some helpful folks, I was set with a 14-day promotional key for GeForce NOW Ultimate. Next, I had to test some games that could take advantage of a GeForce RTX cloud rig. The titles I went for were [Fortnite](https://www.fortnite.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), as the multiplayer pick, and [Ghostrunner 2](https://omlgames.com/en/game/ghostrunner-2-3/?ref=itsfoss.com), as the singleplayer pick. ### Two games in the spotlight --- #### Fortnite ![fortnite main menu is shown with many colorful elements everywhere, in the middle a dog and a woman are seen standing](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/geforce-now-linux-fortnite-1.png) The first game I want to show you is **Fortnite**, the infamous battle royale game that doesn't seem to be going out of trend anytime soon. Seeing that GeForce NOW supports directly linking one's Epic Games account to the service, I was able to quickly get into the game. I left the graphical settings untouched, noting that the display name was "*NVIDIA VGX*," the FPS limit set to "*Unlimited*," and the rendering mode was "*DirectX 12*." ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/geforce-now-linux-fortnite-2.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/geforce-now-linux-fortnite-3.png) Even the matchmaking region was correctly set, and I was getting pings in the 100-120ms range. In the first battle royale match, I noticed that the **image quality was not that sharp**, and **the game stuttered**, with GeForce NOW warning of a spotty connection. That was a given since I was connected to my [ISP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet%5Fservice%5Fprovider?ref=itsfoss.com)'s weak wireless router. 🫠 **Watch until the end to see some top-tier potato aim.* Across sessions, things did improve, and I even managed to win a match. That is when I realized that I could use "*Ctrl+G*" to launch **the GeForce NOW overlay**, which gave me access to many options, such as the remaining session time, the ability to enable real-time statistics, and a few others. Equipped with the expanded metrics, I got to know that I was on **a GeForce RTX 4080-powered rig** that was pushing the in-game FPS up to 160, as advertised for the Ultimate plan, while the stream was running at \~55 FPS and the server latency was at \~45ms. I was also losing **considerable amounts of frames and packets due to my network setup**, which had been quite inconsistent at providing the required bandwidth to drive such a demanding multiplayer game mode that hosts up to 100 players in a single match. #### Ghostrunner 2 ![adding ghostrunners 2 to geforce now by authenticating with epic games](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/geforce-now-linux-ghostrunner-2-a-1.png) Next up is the singleplayer pick for this review, **Ghostrunner 2**, which continues the story of [Jack](https://ghostrunner.fandom.com/wiki/The%5FGhostrunner?ref=itsfoss.com), a *clank...*, erm, *cyborg*, rebuilt by a group of human rebels after they found him in a near-destroyed state. Before I could start playing this, I had to again link my Epic Games account to validate access to the game. **This is something NVIDIA needs to work on**. If they could give gamers a one-click way of validating all their owned games that are available on GeForce NOW via a specific platform, that would go a long way in ensuring a friction-less experience. Coming back to the game, the last time I played it was when I tested the demo version in the third-party [GeForce Infinity](https://itsfoss.com/news/geforce-infinity-app/) app, where it performed awfully. While there were a bunch of factors that caused those problems, this time around, it was a much better experience. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/geforce-now-linux-ghostrunner-2-b.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/geforce-now-linux-ghostrunner-2-c.png) Like Fortnite earlier, I didn't change the pre-set graphical settings, keeping them at a relatively high preset without enabling any kind of upscaling via AMD FSR or NVIDIA DLSS. Again, I faced some microstutters, **but the game itself looked really good** and was very responsive throughout my playthrough. Without the lag, the game felt as good as running on a similarly equipped gaming rig locally. **I fell off the platform right at the end btw.* I can now confidently say that using Geforce NOW on a wired setup or with a very capable wireless router is the way to go. As doing so ensures a consistent flow of bandwidth that is required to stream such amounts of data quickly. *Being located closer to your nearest GeForce NOW server also helps.* 😉 During play, I also noticed that my laptop going into *Sleep* mode would automatically disconnect me from GeForce NOW, with the app notifying me of the occurrence. All the while, the gaming rig itself remains active, and I can quickly jump back in by hitting *Play* again. --- ## Some closing thoughts At the end of my testing, I was left thinking that **NVIDIA could easily bring the native client to platforms like Arch Linux and Fedora**. This would help them cover a large chunk of the Linux gamer base, seeing that there are many [derivatives](https://itsfoss.com/arch-based-linux-distros/) of these distros that are quite popular among gamers. Coming back to the question I asked in the title of this review: *Is GeForce NOW gameable on Linux?* On Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, yes, even without the Xorg session NVIDIA recommends. Wayland handled things fine. While **its closed-source nature and paid tiers will be dealbreakers** for many of you out there, the thing it offers is convenience. You get easy access to a gaming rig without having to invest in one, and the latter's a far cry (*gaming pun hehe*) right now thanks to [inflated prices](https://itsfoss.com/news/ai-causes-ram-prices-skyrocket/). ## Game on! If you are looking for **instructions to install GeForce NOW on your Ubuntu PC**, then continue reading. First, go to the official website to fetch the `.bin` file; look for it under the "*Linux*" category. [GeForce Now](https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce-now/download/?ref=itsfoss.com) Once the file is downloaded, go to it in [Files](https://apps.gnome.org/Nautilus/?ref=itsfoss.com) and right-click on it. Now click on "*Properties*," and enable "*Executable as Program*." ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/geforce-now-linux-setup-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/geforce-now-linux-setup-2.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/geforce-now-linux-setup-3.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/geforce-now-linux-setup-4.png) Launch the executable by either double-clicking on it or clicking "Run" from the right-click context menu. Wait for it to complete the download and installation. Next, you will have to agree to NVIDIA's [Privacy Policy](https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/about-nvidia/privacy-policy/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [GeForce NOW's Terms of Use](https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce-now/terms-of-use/?ref=itsfoss.com). Be sure to go through them, as they contain many clauses. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/geforce-now-linux-setup-5.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/geforce-now-linux-setup-6.png) The app will then ask you to sign in with your NVIDIA account, for which the authentication will be carried out via the default browser on your system. And that's about it; just select a plan and start playing. ### The Simplest Method to Extract All Images from a Document in LibreOffice URL: https://itsfoss.com/extract-all-images-office/ Last updated: 2026-09-16T02:56:15.000Z Ever found yourself in a situation where you have a document with plenty of images and you need to save images from it? Maybe a selected few or all of them? Now, manually going to each image and then right click might be the no-brainer but an extremely tedious way to achieve this. Let me tell you the quickest way to extract all the images from a work document. Access the menu and go to the Save As option. **What you have to do here is to save it as HTML**. It will create several web files inside the same folder where your document is, but it will also extract all the images. That's what you want, right? ![All image files extracted at once in LibreOffice](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/libre-office-image-save-trick-6.webp) All image files extracted at once from the document I'll show the details steps for LibreOffice in this quick tutorial. ## Extracting all images from a document in LibreOffice 🚧 Create a new folder and move the document you want to extract images from in that folder. By default, the HTML files and images are extracted in the same folder as the document. You would not want tens or hundreds of images to clutter your main document folder. First thing first, create a new folder and move your desired document file in there. Now open the document in LibreOffice. Click on the top file menu and then click on the Save As option. The same can be achieved with Ctrl+Shift+S keyboard shortcut. ![Save file as HTML in LibreOffice](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/libre-office-image-save-trick-2-1.webp) When it gives you the option to save, make sure to change the file type to HTML like this: ![Saving doc file as HTML in LibreOffice](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/libre-office-image-save-trick-4-1.webp) There are actually a number of file format options when you click that. You will have to look for HTML here. ![Saving doc as different file type](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/libre-office-image-save-trick-3-1.webp) Now that you have ensured that it is saved as HTML, click the Save button. ![Saving doc file as HTML in LibreOffice](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/libre-office-image-save-trick-4-1-1.webp) And then you should see all the images and media files from the document along with a single HTML file in the folder where you saved it. The default location is the same as your original document. ![All image files extracted at once in LibreOffice](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/libre-office-image-save-trick-6.webp) All image files extracted at once from the document As you can see in the screenshot above, it also saved GIF along with PNG images. There is HTML file and the original doc, too. This is much better than individually right clicking images and saving them. And what if you wanted to select only a few images, not all? Well, in that case, you could either manually save the ones you want or extract them all and then only keep the ones you want and remove the rest. It is really up to you. Another tip, since we are here, if your doc has way too many images and you want to extract a few from the selected chapters only, you can create a new doc and copy paste the chapter in it and save it as an HTML. Basically, you can utilize this "save as HTML" option in a variety of situations. ## Works with other platforms, too This little trick actually works with most office suites, from MS Office to ONLYOFFICE. It works in Google Docs, too. Consider it a "universal trick" for extracting all images from a document. I hope you liked this quick little LibreOffice trick. A quick thanks, if you liked it, is always welcome 😄 ### Ubuntu's Rustification Has a New Milestone! Coreutils Migration is Complete URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-rustification-coreutils-migration/ Last updated: 2026-09-15T16:21:36.000Z Ubuntu has managed to do away with [GNU Core Utilities](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU%5FCore%5FUtilities?ref=itsfoss.com) in its default stack. The last three holdouts, `cp`, `mv` and `rm`, have moved to uutils' [coreutils](https://github.com/uutils/coreutils?ref=itsfoss.com); the Rust reimplementation Canonical has been feeding into the distro since 2025. They had been held back from 26.04 LTS over flaws in the uutils versions. Everything else, from `ls` and `cat` to `chmod` and `du`, made that jump in earlier releases. This change, while big, sits hidden away in an obscure mention in Canonical's work-in-progress [release notes](https://documentation.ubuntu.com/release-notes/26.10/?ref=itsfoss.com#rust-coreutils) for [Ubuntu 26.10](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-10-features/). ## It's been a long road Canonical [started oxidising Ubuntu last year](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/carefully-but-purposefully-oxidising-ubuntu/56995?ref=itsfoss.com), and Ubuntu 25.10 became the first release to ship *coreutils* as the default. That release also made [sudo-rs](https://itsfoss.com/sudo-vs-sudo-rs/) the default privilege tool, replacing a command that had been in place for decades. 26.04 was the release where the plan did slow down quite a bit, as Canonical kept *cp*, *mv*, and *rm* on their GNU versions due to a bunch of [TOCTOU](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time-of-check%5Fto%5Ftime-of-use?ref=itsfoss.com) issues that were blocking the full implementation. These were caught during an audit, when Canonical commissioned Zellic [for two rounds](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/an-update-on-rust-coreutils/80773?ref=itsfoss.com) between December 2025 and March 2026, focusing on the most security-sensitive utilities first. Across both rounds, Zellic raised **113 issues**, and **44 of them were assigned CVEs**. Canonical says the vast majority have been resolved. Getting here has had its ups and downs, and **the last stretch was not clean**. In July, uutils `cp` went [back into the archive](https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/coreutils-from/+bug/2158691?ref=itsfoss.com) and came straight out again after it broke live image builds. The fix was quick; as the developers marked it "*Critical,*" the fix went upstream, and the migration landed in time for 26.10. ## What changes for you? When typing commands, nothing changes for you on the surface. uutils coreutils is designed to be a drop-in replacement for essential GNU tools, and the project treats any divergence from GNU as a bug, further pointing out that some options may still be missing or behave differently. **So if you prefer staying on the GNU version**, you have the option to install the `coreutils-from-gnu` [package](https://packages.ubuntu.com/stonking/coreutils-from-gnu?ref=itsfoss.com) that houses all the required components. ## The next stage Coreutils is one piece of a broader campaign. Earlier this year, Canonical [became a Gold Sponsor](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-ntpd-rs-push/) of the Trifecta Tech Foundation, pitching in €40,000 a year to fund memory-safe system software. Under this, their current target is **ntpd-rs**, a Rust rewrite of the tools Ubuntu uses to keep its clock in sync. While work is still ongoing, it has [already arrived](https://packages.ubuntu.com/source/stonking/rust-ntpd?ref=itsfoss.com) for testing. Its transition to being default is targeted for Ubuntu 27.04. What Canonical is gradually building up towards is the completion of their oxidation vision for Ubuntu, and **it's not about blindly including new components**. Rather, it looks like a measured approach that's being worked out a few steps at a time. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** *Linux* [*is getting ready to purge*](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-old-arm-code-removal/) *old 32-bit Arm platform code.* [Linux Kernel is Getting Ready to Purge Old 32-bit Arm Platform CodeThese thirteen patches would delete the deprecated platform code, and the driver cleanup will follow later.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-6112bbd6-59d8-42a5-89d1-7438bbff0aed.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-arm-purge-banner-32aa615e-0819-4281-bf36-01d1e0e97096.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-old-arm-code-removal/) ### Rune Goes Open Source, Looks to Share Revenue With Contributors URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/rune-open-source-ide/ Last updated: 2026-09-15T13:11:07.000Z Rune has [left behind](https://rune.build/blog/rune-is-now-open-source?ref=itsfoss.com) its proprietary old self for a new open source identity under the **GPLv3**, letting you clone, read, or build off it from [GitHub](https://github.com/unstablebuild/rune?ref=itsfoss.com). The relicensing came via a string of moves, one of which was [the commit](https://github.com/unstablebuild/rune/commit/1a0a184a0f7eb4db5caf8ef952e1b300d975fc3c?ref=itsfoss.com) that marked the project's license transition. The developers have also decided to keep commit history mostly intact, which [runs back to 2017](https://github.com/unstablebuild/rune/commits/main?since=2017-01-01&until=2017-12-31&ref=itsfoss.com), with some gaps here and there. I point that out because projects that go open often squash the history first, so old secrets and sensitive commits never land in the public repo. To give you some context, [Rune](https://rune.build/?ref=itsfoss.com) is an IDE for Linux and macOS that can be used for writing and debugging code, running your terminals and CLI tools in the same window, and letting a coding agent take on parts of your tasks. It is based on **Go**, and the team defends its use by showcasing [vtebench](https://github.com/alacritty/vtebench?ref=itsfoss.com) runs that show the Go terminal keeping pace with *Alacritty*, *Ghostty*, and *Kitty* on a set of terminal workloads. Do keep in mind that these were not language benchmarks; these only show how far the IDE has come. The Rune team is further looking to expand language support beyond Go and Python, with Rust and Zig already in beta on main and an open call for developers to steward their own language. While the IDE itself is free to use, people can opt for [paid plans](https://rune.build/pricing?ref=itsfoss.com) to get access to the P2P Rune Network, premium support, and a separate tailored plan for enterprises with extra bells and whistles. ## Going the open source route ![cropped screenshot that partially shows the readme file for rune ide on its github repo](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/rune-github-readme-1.jpg) The license, [GPLV3](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html?ref=itsfoss.com), allows contributors to keep the copyright in what they submit, and the company (*Unstable Build LLC*) takes no special right to relicense their work. Earlier, the project asked contributors to sign a CLA; that's not the case anymore. Rune's creator, [Ernest Romero Climent](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ernestrc?ref=itsfoss.com), is not happy with what has happened elsewhere in open source, where companies build in the open, lean on the community for years, then change the license once the project is worth something. Instead, **they are looking to pay contributors** via an opt-in credits program, where accepted work earns credits and a slice of eligible service revenue funds a pool, which is then split by the credits each contributor holds. All awarded credits will be tracked in a public ledger, showing the revenue behind the pool, any deductions, the [credits awarded](https://github.com/unstablebuild/blue/blob/main/contributor/award.go?ref=itsfoss.com), and how each payout is [worked out](https://github.com/unstablebuild/blue/blob/main/contributor/verify.go?ref=itsfoss.com). As I said, **all of that is optional**. You can still send patches without joining the program. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** *openEuler and* [*the race to build*](https://itsfoss.com/news/openeuler-ai-race-leap-fest/) *Asia's AI infrastructure.* [openEuler and the Race to Build Asia’s AI InfrastructureopenEuler is an open-source project incubated and operated by the OpenAtom Foundation. The community is expanding international collaboration through local user groups, industry partnerships, and participation in global open-source events.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-6fc335ef-e7d7-4690-8c0c-7520b39d652b.png)It's FOSSEdmar Pereira![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/ai-race-c7ffcc1b-18d0-4f39-a114-65cc3d48e0a7.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/news/openeuler-ai-race-leap-fest/) ### openEuler and the Race to Build Asia's AI Infrastructure URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/openeuler-ai-race-leap-fest/ Last updated: 2026-09-14T11:48:37.000Z When it comes to open source and AI, we almost always look West. While a lot happens in the United States and some in Europe, the East is not lagging either. In the recently concluded [LEAP East](https://leapeast.com/?utm%5Fsource=google&utm%5Fmedium=organic%5Fsearch&utm%5Fcampaign=Unspecified) conference, several startups and enterprises came together to showcase their innovations and share what they were building. Out of them, openEuler caught our attention for its focus on Open Source AI. ## The SuperPoD At LEAP East 2026, [openEuler](https://www.openeuler.org/en/?ref=itsfoss.com) showcased its SuperPoD OS, which extends operating-system support for UnifiedBus-based SuperPoD computing systems. Think of a SuperPoD as a cluster of several powerful computers that need to act like one giant machine. Running AI workloads takes computing power and doing it across hundreds of such machines is messy as they need to share memory, pass data around quickly, and not conflict with each other. ![SuperPoD architecture](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/image.png) [UB Service Core](https://www.openeuler.org/en/projects/ub-service-core/?ref=itsfoss.com) is the open-source software layer, part of the openEuler ecosystem, that makes coordination across those machines actually work. It provides five cluster-level system services for UnifiedBus-based SuperPoDs: Engine, Memory, Communication, I/O, and Virtualization. The Engine pools memory and DPU resources across the cluster and schedules them dynamically. It also handles automatic failover so the system keeps running if a node goes down. The Memory component lets machines within a UnifiedBus-based SuperPoD share and pool memory using unified-memory programming, meaning software can treat distributed memory as a single addressable space. The Communication piece provides high-performance networking over UnifiedBus while staying compatible with standard Socket and Verbs interfaces, so existing applications don't need to be rewritten to benefit from it. The I/O service handles global data read/write caching at a high level, which matters for workloads like AI inference that repeatedly access large shared datasets. The Virt component covers virtualization pooling, decides live-migration policy (when and how to move a running VM to another machine), supports disaster recovery, and improves communication efficiency between VMs and containers. Together, these five services give a SuperPoD cluster the coordination it needs to perform like a single well-organized system, with a claimed 30-50% performance gain over conventional architectures. According to openEuler, UB Service Core can improve application performance by 30–50% by taking advantage of the peer-to-peer UnifiedBus interconnect architecture. This SuperPod or UB Service Core is fully open source under the openEuler umbrella. ## Agentic AI in the OS openEuler is evolving toward an AgentOS model. In openEuler 24.03 LTS SP4, DevStation (desktop variant of openEuler) includes openEuler Intelligence, a desktop AI assistant that uses an agent runtime and MCP-based tools to support development and system operations. Pre-built agent harnessing in the operating system is not uncommon these days. openEuler 24.03's built-in AI agent can be used to control the Linux system. So, instead of doing things manually, by mouse clicks, you could just ask the agent to dim the brightness, lower the volume, or change the wallpaper. The built-in AI agent has custom skills to control the system settings in openEuler's UKUI desktop environment. This is a work in progress. But the direction is clear. AI agent should soon be able to let you control the system instead of doing things manually. ## Expanding into a community-based ecosystem openEuler has launched openEuler Hong Kong User Group to bring together developers, researchers, and organizations in Hong Kong to connect, share experiences, and explore open-source innovation together. openEuler is an open-source project incubated and operated by the OpenAtom Foundation. The community is expanding international collaboration through local user groups, industry partnerships, and participation in global open-source events. The Hong Kong User Group represents another step in openEuler’s efforts to encourage local participation and international collaboration. [Explore openEuler Community](https://www.openeuler.org/en/community/contribution/detail.html?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Paperweight: An Open Source App to Clean Up Your Inbox and Digital Footprint URL: https://itsfoss.com/paperweight/ Last updated: 2026-09-14T07:00:52.000Z E-mail is one of those things that get really unruly before you realize they have. You sign up everywhere with your e-mail, get lots of spam from services that you almost forget you have even heard of, and all the important things, consequently, get lost in the noise. This is the problem [Paperweight](https://www.paperweight.email/?ref=itsfoss.com) aims to solve. It is an open source application that helps you see what accounts or newsletters you subscribed to so that you can take a decision on them. ## Paperweight helps you reduce your digital footprint locally You probably already know that a digital footprint is the trail of information you leave behind when you use the internet. While it is not easy (nearly impossible) to erase the entire digital footprint, we sure can reduce it. There are premium services like [Incogni from Surfshark](https://get.incogni.io/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=1017&aff%5Fid=13591&ref=itsfoss.com) that does this job for a fee. They look into all the data broker databases and also send the data deletion requests on behalf of you. Paperwight aims to help you do some of those tasks. The idea is this. You plugin your email into Paperweight. It scans all the emails and gives you: - Accounts you signed up for or made a purchase - Email lists (newsletters) you are on - Personal data (like phone number, payment details) in the messages While you can bulk unsubscribe, rest of the action needs manual action. You will have to approach the respective websites by sending them emails individually. And here's the thing. All this processing happens locally on your system. The inbox is scanned on the system, there is no server in between, so no data collection. The [source code is available](https://github.com/wslyvh/paperweight?ref=itsfoss.com) so you can verify these claims. Let's see paperweight features in detail. ### Bulk Unsubscribe All the services that send you e-mails are listed under "Mailing lists" right on the main window, and you can go in and check what e-mails you've been sent, how many, and the dates of the recent ones. Here's the exciting part: you can select multiple services at once and unsubscribe from their e-mails without having to individually open every single service's e-mail and going through the unsubscription process, which usually takes you through a few browser hoops. After selecting the services you wish to unsubscribe from, it becomes a simple matter of clicking the dumpster icon and confirming: ![Batch unsubscribe](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/paperweight_batch-unsubscribe.png) 📋 Sometimes, some services require more intervention, so even if you select all the ones you wish to unsubscribe from, you might have to do a few individually. Also, some services simply cannot be unsubscribed from, such as YouTube's on Gmail. The selection box itself is grayed out for them. Note that many email services, including the privacy-focused [ProtonMail has this feature built-in](https://itsfoss.com/news/protonmail-gmail-better-newsletter/). ### Account Inventory An entire "Accounts" section shows you exactly all the places where your e-mail is being used to log into other services. All the services where you did "login with Google" will also show up here if you're using a Gmail account. There, you can see the kind of access it has to your data, including financial, identity or health information, and gives you an unsubscribe as well as a "delete all e-mails" button. ![Service data information](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/paperweight_account.png) Again, the automated unsubscribe request may not always be respected by the service at the other end. ### Breach Alerts Under the banner of the same accounts inventory, Paperweight also makes an exclusive list of services on that roster that have been known to be at risk or breached. It gets the security risk data from publicly available [Have I Been Pwned](https://haveibeenpwned.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), and gives you the options to delete/request your data, and to delete their e-mails on your account. ![Risk profile](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/paperweight_risk-profile.png) ### GDPR Deletion Template [GDPR](https://gdpr-info.eu/?ref=itsfoss.com) (General Data Protection Regulation) gives users the "right to be forgotten". As such, mostly companies have to comply with the rule and relinquish any and all data they might have regarding an individual if the individual requests so. How does Paperweight come in? Well, they give you a template to request your data from any service you are subscribed to. Just click on the "Data requests" option down below in actions, and you'll see an almost fully written e-mail to get the company rid of your data. ![GDPR deletion template](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/paperweight_gdpr.png) It is still not fully automatic but it is still better than doing it all from scratch. ## Interface The user interface is pretty sleek and pretty simple. On the dashboard, three big blocks show the number of e-mails analyzed, mailing list subscriptions, and accounts where your e-mail is used. On the left, there are small buttons to access pretty much the same things. There are a few "at a glance" type lines showing recent activity and highlights of the analysis of the account. Finally, a frequency graph shows the number of e-mails you've received in the past few months. ![Paperweight dashboard](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/paperweight_dashboard.png) The interface for further options are shown in the screenshots above and pretty much show you all available options right on the face. You don't have to look too far for anything at all. ### Data Traffic Just out of curiosity, I tracked the network traffic going through Paperweight and to my relief, it only seems to be talking to the e-mail service providers' servers or the servers of the services that you're trying to modify. For example, there will be traffic to and from Canva's servers if you're trying to unsubscribe from their mailing list. ## Free vs Lifetime **Paperweight might be open source, but it is a freemium sort of application.** There's a free version that lets you use Paperweight with one email account and 90 days of email history. And then there is a lifetime license that costs a one-time payment of $69 and gives you the option to add multiple accounts and scans through your entire past e-mail history. Here's the thing. The source code is [available on GitHub](https://github.com/wslyvh/paperweight?tab=MIT-1-ov-file&ref=itsfoss.com), under the MIT license and if you want, you can fork the repo, modify the code to remove the restrictions, and use all the features. There is no constant validation for the license. However, that would be a breach of honor. Although I feel that $69 is a bit too much, probably because I am a student. Price parity and pay-what-you-want model would have been better. But that's just my opinion. ## Getting Paperweight Paperweight is available for all of the big three operating systems Linux, MacOS and Windows. On Linux, they provide an AppImage and a .deb package. [Get Paperweight](https://www.paperweight.email/?ref=itsfoss.com#download) ## Conclusion For a lot of users, Paperweight probably provides a service that you had no idea you needed. But now that you are, you can use it periodically to maintain a clean and healthy inbox. Once a month, on a weekend should be good enough. The free version does feel limited, though, especially the 90-day history cap. I would have preferred a [Melia](https://itsfoss.com/melia/) like solution that allows full access for a single email account and lifetime license for multiple accounts. If you give Paperweight a try, do share your experience in the comments. ### ### MAKERphone 2.0 Lets You Build a 4G Phone and Vibe-Code Its Apps URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/makerphone-2-annoucement/ Last updated: 2026-09-13T13:56:17.000Z Most of us carry a phone every day, but very few of us could say what's actually going on inside one. That gap is exactly what CircuitMess is trying to fill or should I say, has been trying to fill. The Croatian company [CircuitMess](https://circuitmess.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), founded by Albert Gajšak, ran its first [MAKERphone campaign back in 2018](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/albertgajsak/makerphone-an-educational-diy-mobile-phone?ref=itsfoss.com), a build-it-yourself phone kit that raised over $324,000 and eventually shipped to more than 6,000 people as "[Ringo](https://circuitmess.com/blogs/resources/ringo-build-guide-ch-1-introduction-pg-1?srsltid=AfmBOopeyMPwFE7S-RM-RRiOKy8VYTx81%5FnTrWfj1hnmP45bt%5Fs9YB3-&ref=itsfoss.com)." Now there's a sequel. [MAKERphone 2.0 is live on Kickstarter](https://circuitmess.kckb.me/a45b77e8?ref=itsfoss.com) (partner link) and it has already sailed past its goal with weeks left to go. ![MAKERBuild Phone](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/makerphone-2.webp) The pitch is the same as before: you assemble a working mobile phone yourself, then learn to code on it. The major difference this time is that you don't need a soldering iron to do it. That's a big relief, for me at least, as I am terrible at soldering. 📋 The article contains partner affiliate links. Please read our [affiliate policy](https://itsfoss.com/affiliate-policy/). ## 📝 Key Specifications of MAKERphone 2.0 As you can see, the MAKERphone looks like the normal keypad cellphones. Here are the main details: - **Processor:** ESP32-S3, dual-core, 4 MB flash, 4 MB PSRAM - **Cellular:** 4G LTE Cat-1 with 2G fallback, Nano SIM - **Display:** 1.77-inch color, 160×128 - **Input:** 12-key numpad, nav joystick, 4 function keys, volume keys - **Audio:** DAC, speaker, I²S mic, 3.5 mm headphone jack - **Battery:** 1000 mAh, USB-C charging - **Storage:** microSD slot - **Connectivity:** Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB - **Expansion:** UMAX modular connector - **Assembly:** no soldering required this time - **Coding:** MicroPython, Arduino C++, VibeBoy (AI-assisted) - **Price:** starts at $119 for early backers, $169 otherwise **The kit starts at $119 for super early backers and climbs from there and goes for a retail price of $169.** This is a DIY gadget, the phone that arrives as a box of parts and a build guide, and you put it together into something that makes real calls and sends real texts over 4G LTE. Pop in a SIM and it behaves like an actual phone. ![MAKERPhone assembly](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/makerphone-assembly.webp) Now 4G seems like a step down from the usual 5G but the device is not supposed to replace your smartphone. If you are not going to use all those internet connected social media and apps, you don't really need 5G. I explain the concept later. At the core, there is **ESP32-S3**, the same family of low-power microcontroller you'll find in countless hobbyist boards. So no, this is not going to compare or compete with Snapdragon or Apple Bionic chip and they don't even pretend to do so. The original MAKERphone asked you to solder the whole board together. Version 2.0 drops that requirement, which lowers the barrier a lot if you've never touched an soldering iron. CircuitMess says it's built to be assembled by kids from around 11 up, so a functional adult should manage fine. From the official assembly video, it seems like just putting the pieces together. There's a 1.77-inch color display, a headphone jack (yes, in 2026), and a modular design that lets you bolt on extra hardware. More on that below. ## Modules, coding, and a smart band The part that makes this more than a nostalgia kit is the module system. MAKERphone 2.0 takes add-on modules that change what the phone can do. Several of these modules come in the box. There's an infrared module for controlling an old TV, a camera module, a 2W speaker, an LED module, and a temperature and humidity sensor. There's also a perfboard so you can wire in your own sensors. Once it's built, you code it. You can write for it in MicroPython or Arduino C++. CircuitMess is also pushing an AI-assisted coding tool it calls **VibeBoy**, so the "vibe coding" fad has officially reached the DIY phone aisle. And that's not a bad thing entirely. Not everyone can code or make a custom app in MicroPython. But LLMs have removed that barrier. You have the hardware; you use a LLM and let it generate the kind of software you want. That's the reason that Seeed Studio and many other hobbyist hardware makers are promoting their own AI-assisted platforms. It makes hardware more enjoyable for bigger group of people. CircuitMess is selling a companion too: a programmable smart band that pairs with the phone over Bluetooth. Think of it as a semi-smartwatch as it can show you time, let you play games and use timer and stopwatch functionality. There are no sensors here to track your health and activities, as far as I can see. It's a separate accessory rather than part of the base kit, so treat it as an add-on if the idea appeals. ## The idea behind this DIY phone A 4G phone seems like an outdated device in 2026\. After all, 5G is everywhere and even the most basic smartphones support 5G these days. But the premise of MAKERphone is entirely different. It's not a smartphone by choice. We have seen such devices in the 'maker space' in the past. There is Flipper Zero that has an entire different purpose, then there are handheld retro gaming devices, pocket computers, etc. This is a similar idea where kids in STEM or hobbyist adults can build the device as per the liking, by adding the desired modules. To give it more functionality, there is the scope of a 4G sim card. This gives you the ability to make calls and text messages. With that, it becomes a bar phone that you assemble and design new games and apps for your own self. And the device is still useful as a phone. If you want kids to stay connected with you, not the social media, it works. The same goes for adults who deliberately want to stay away from the internet (except when using a proper computer). 📋 Think of it as the basic keypad phone but one you can customize on your own with new apps and additional hardware modules. If you have teenage kids interested in STEM in your family, add it to your Christmas shopping list for 2027. ## 🛒 Pricing and Availability ![MAKERPhone availbility](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/makerphone-2-display.webp) MAKERphone 2.0 is live on Kickstarter now and has already hit roughly **790% of its funding goal**, with about 27 days left on the campaign as of writing. [Back MAKERphone 2.0 on Kickstarter](https://circuitmess.kckb.me/a45b77e8?ref=itsfoss.com) Pricing starts at **$199 for the early bird tier**, with higher tiers as the discounts sell out. There are way too many tiers to fit in all here. US, EU, UK and Canada residents do not need to pay any import fee. VAT is likely to be extera depending upon your location. Shipping cost are not clear to me but the device should start shipping in July-August 2027\. 🚧 As with any crowdfunding campaign, treat the timeline as an estimate. Back it because you want to support the project, not because you're counting on the ship date. If you just want an inexpensive (smart)phone, this isn't the device for you. If you want to understand phones, or hand a kid something that turns screen time into build time, and the budget and wait time is okay for you, you can make a purchase. ### This Tiny Fingerprint Key Unlocks Linux, Approves SSH and AI Agents URL: https://itsfoss.com/immurok-review/ Last updated: 2026-09-12T11:30:15.000Z A laptop fingerprint sensor unlocks the laptop and usually stops there. [Immurok](https://immurok.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) wants to do quite a bit more than that. It is a tiny wireless box that can unlock your desktop session, approve a `sudo` command, authenticate via polkit, log you into a server over SSH, generate TOTP codes for 2FA, and put a physical touch in front of an AI coding agent. And it does all of that with the same finger, over Bluetooth. The good news is that the core features work. The less good news is that on Linux, getting there was not as simple as touching a sensor. During my testing I ran into bugs, missing prompts, confusing behaviour, and one timing issue that made the initial setup a little challenging. But once things were setup, the device worked smooth and that's what matters, right? Let's take a detailed look at what Immurok gets right, what still needs work, and whether this little box could earn a place on your desk. 📋 Immurok supplied this unit for review. They had no control over my conclusions. Also note that this is a pre-release unit and the software is changing quickly, so the version that ships to backers is likely to behave differently. Another thing is that this is a usage review, not an independent audit of the hardware, firmware, or cryptography. I also have a video review of Immurok, if you prefer watching over reading. [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## What Immurok actually does At its simplest, Immurok is a wireless fingerprint reader for a desktop or a laptop that does not already have one. But the feature list goes well beyond unlocking a screen. You can use it to unlock an existing desktop session. Through Linux [PAM](https://www.redhat.com/en/blog/pluggable-authentication-modules-pam?ref=itsfoss.com) integration, it can approve `sudo` and other supported authentication prompts such as polkit. It can generate and store SSH private keys on the device itself, and it can release a TOTP code only after it recognises your fingerprint. ![Immurok features](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/immurok-touch.png) Then there is the more unusual usage: AI-agent approval. The idea is that a coding agent can prepare a privileged command, an SSH operation, or a request for a secret, but it cannot complete the protected action until you physically touch the sensor. According to Immurok, fingerprint templates and private keys stay on the device. There is no cloud account and no telemetry. Pairing uses P-256 ECDH with HMAC-SHA256, and authentication responses are cryptographically signed. Those are the company's security claims, and as I said above, this review tests how the device behaves in use rather than auditing that cryptography. ## The hardware The hardware makes a good first impression. Here is what you are getting. | Spec | Detail | | ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- | | Processor | RISC-V, up to 60 MHz | | Connectivity | Bluetooth Low Energy | | Sensor | Capacitive fingerprint, under 500 ms claimed recognition | | Dimensions | 44 x 44 mm, 14.2 mm thick | | Weight | \~40 g | | Body | CNC aluminium | | Battery | 110 mAh, USB-C charging | | Standby draw | \~50 µA claimed | | Fingerprint slots | Up to 5 authentication fingerprints | There are controls at the back for power and for actions such as pairing or confirmation. The silver finish, rounded corners, and proportions make it look like a tiny Mac mini. That is not a complaint and even works well for people in the Apple ecosystem. It is neat enough to sit on a desk without looking like a random security dongle. ![Immurok from back](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/immurok-3.webp) My review box contained only the device. There was not even a USB cable and I am not complaining. The battery life is pretty good, so charge is needed like once a month and type C cable is in every household, I presume. ![Immurok unbox](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/immurok-box.webp) Immurok claims more than a month of normal use per charge. When I started testing, the Linux TUI showed 84% battery on the first run. After roughly a week, it was at 78%, so about 6 percentage points in that period. That looks promising for the month-long claim, but one week is not enough to confirm it, especially since battery-percentage readings are not always perfectly linear. ## Installing on Linux means building it yourself Windows and macOS get graphical applications. On Linux, the [version I tested](https://github.com/immurok/app-linux-rs?ref=itsfoss.com) used a Rust daemon, a command-line client, and a terminal user interface. There was no equivalent graphical management app and no easy-to-install binary as well. On my Ubuntu 26.04, I first installed the required development and runtime packages, then Rust through Rustup. The `make check-deps` command was helpful here, because it listed the missing components instead of making me discover them one build error at a time. ![Immurok linux install instructions](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/immurok-linux-app-instruction.webp) Immurok Linux app needs to be built from source code Then came the first Rust build, with around 200 crates to download and compile. It kept the CPU busy and produced plenty of warnings, though these were warnings and not compilation failures. After that, `make install` was fairly quick. It installed the daemon, the command-line tools, the PAM module, the authentication helper, and the system integration, and the user-level daemon was already running when the install finished. ![Immurok Linux app installed](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/immurok-linux-app-installed.webp) For an experienced Linux user, this is all doable. But for a device that presents itself as a simple replacement for typing passwords, it is too much friction. Before this ships to general users, Linux needs straightforward packages for the supported distributions and a much clearer first-run flow. ## Pairing: connected is not the same as paired The first pairing attempt immediately showed how early the software was. I powered on the device and tried pairing from the TUI. It said the device was not connected. The CLI told me to press the device button within 30 seconds, but then failed immediately. It did not wait for 30 seconds at all. ![Immurok failed initially](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/immurok-linux-pairing-failed.png) What eventually worked was connecting Immurok manually through Ubuntu's Bluetooth settings first. Once the operating system showed it as connected, I went back to the Immurok TUI, pressed `p`, and then pressed the button on the device. It exchanged keys and reported that pairing had succeeded. ![Immurok connection succeeded](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/immurok-linux-succeeded.webp) So there are two separate states here: connected over Bluetooth, and paired inside Immurok. That distinction may be technically reasonable, but the application never explained the required sequence when I actually needed it. The product should walk you through this step by step, including the LED state, the operating-system connection, the Immurok pairing action, and the button press. ## Enrolling fingerprints Once the device was connected and paired, enrolling the first fingerprint went more smoothly. In the TUI, I pressed `e`, placed my finger on the sensor, lifted it, and repeated. My test firmware asked for 12 captures before it enrolled the finger in slot zero. ![Immurok fingerprint enrol](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/immurock-fingerprint-enrol.webp) The device supports up to 5 normal authentication fingerprints, and when you add more after the first one, an existing authorised finger has to approve the new enrolment. That is a sensible security requirement, but again, it needs to be stated clearly on screen. The command line interface is finiky at times. At one point, trying to enrol again failed because the fingerprint was already present, and a deletion attempt simply failed without explaining why. 📋 This is a recurring pattern in the CLI tool. The device often knows exactly what it needs from you, but the software does not always tell you. ## The bug that stopped sudo from working With a fingerprint enrolled, I tested `sudo apt update`. Nothing happened. Touching the sensor did not authenticate me, even though the fingerprint was clearly there. The problem turned out to be a race in the Linux daemon. When the Bluetooth session began, the daemon immediately asked the device for its status. But a Python notification helper was still starting up its D-Bus connection. On my machine, that helper took about 5.2 seconds to become ready, while the status request timed out after 5 seconds. That tiny difference left the daemon with no device status for the rest of the session, which showed up as `NO_STATUS`. Since I had installed Claude for testing the agent specific features of Immurok, I let it handle the issue and it fixed that by increasing the limit to 15 seconds. After rebuilding and installing the patched version, `sudo` authentication worked. I ran the command, touched the sensor, and it continued without asking me to type the account password. ![Immurok sudo fingerprint](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/verify-fingerprint-immurok.webp) It is a good thing that the code is open enough to inspect and fix. But this was also a basic authentication path failing because one helper started a fraction of a second slower than expected. These things should be fixed before the mass release. 📋 Update: This bug has been fixed by Immurok in a recent update. ![Immurok Polkit Authentication](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/immurok-fingerprint-polkit.webp) ## Unlocking Ubuntu, and why fallback matters With the patched client, Immurok could unlock an Ubuntu session that I had already logged into and then locked. I touched the sensor and the desktop opened. It did not work at the very first login screen after powering on the computer, though. That is intentional behavior applicable to macOS and Windows too. The user-level service is available for unlocking an existing session, but the initial login still needs the normal account password. This distinction matters, because "screen unlock" can easily sound like "replace your password at every login," and they are not the same thing. The fallback behaviour was good. When I disabled Bluetooth or disconnected Immurok, `sudo` and login did not leave me waiting for a fingerprint device that was no longer there. They went straight to the usual password field. That is essential. A convenience device should never turn a temporary Bluetooth glitch or a flat battery into a lockout. ## SSH keys are the highlight SSH is where Immurok starts to become more interesting than an ordinary fingerprint reader. ![ssh access via Immurok](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/Screenshot-From-2026-09-12-15-19-19.png) It can generate an ECDSA P-256 SSH key on the device. The private key stays there, and you export only the public key to place in the remote server's `authorized_keys` file. ECDSA is a practical choice here because it can deliver security comparable to RSA using much smaller keys. That means less storage, less data to transfer, and lower processing overhead, making it suitable for a small battery-powered device. The first time I generated a key through the CLI (not the TUI), it appeared to just stop. The missing piece of information was that Immurok was waiting for my fingerprint authorization. There was no prompt telling me to touch the sensor, and no useful feedback when I did. I only knew what to try because I had already been digging into the behaviour. Once I touched the sensor, the key was generated. If an action requires physical authentication, the interface has to say so. The TUI was better here. When I generated another key there, it explicitly told me to touch the sensor to authorise the action, and the key then appeared in the next slot. I exported the public key, added it to my Raspberry Pi [Pironman Max](https://itsfoss.com/pironman-5-max-review/), and enabled Immurok's SSH takeover. This adds the Immurok agent socket as the SSH `IdentityAgent`, which gives the device-backed keys priority. When I connected to the Pi, Immurok asked for my fingerprint, I touched the sensor, and the SSH login succeeded. Importantly, my normal SSH setup was not destroyed. Existing keys on the computer stayed available as a fallback, so when I connected to a server that did not have the Immurok public key, SSH just continued using my existing key. ![SSH key fallback with Immurok](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/image-1.png) That is the right approach. You can introduce Immurok gradually instead of forcing every server to change on day one. You can delete keys through the TUI after fingerprint approval, or through the CLI, though the CLI again failed to show the required fingerprint instruction during deletion. You can also import an existing private key onto the device, but with two limitations. Import was only available through the CLI in my tested version, and it accepted only ECDSA P-256 keys. If your existing key is Ed25519, RSA, or another format, you cannot simply move it over to Immurok. 📋 After a firmware update, I can now see a dual-host option in the Linux TUI, which is an important change because earlier notes described this workflow as unfinished. But seeing the option is not the same as testing it. I have not yet confirmed that a second computer can pair successfully, or that the keys already stored on Immurok can then be used from that second host. For now, dual-host support is visible but the full cross-host SSH workflow is unverified. ## TOTP just works Immurok can also hold TOTP secrets, and this was one of the smoother experiences. I added a GitHub TOTP entry, went into Immurok TUI, and then requested a code. Fetching the code required another fingerprint touch. I entered that code into GitHub, and it worked. ![GitHub TOTP with Immurok](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/immurok-totp-github.webp) This is a simple feature, but a useful one. The TOTP seed is not sitting in a general desktop authenticator, and someone using your unlocked computer still needs your fingerprint before Immurok will release a code. As always, recovery codes still matter. If the device is lost, damaged, discharged, or reset, you need another way into the account. ## Putting a fingerprint in front of an AI agent The most distinctive pitch is using Immurok as a human-in-the-loop control for AI coding agents. I installed the Immurok plugin for Claude and activated it for the project. Immurok also provides an `imk` wrapper that can launch a command in agent mode. In one test, the agent tried to connect to my Raspberry Pi over SSH, Immurok requested fingerprint verification, and after I touched the sensor, the agent connected to the Pi. ![Immurok-Ai-plugin](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/immurok-ai-agent.webp) The idea is that even if the computer is unlocked, the agent cannot complete a protected wrapped action while you are away from the desk. But there is an important limitation: this is only a gate if the action actually goes through the gate. Project instructions may tell an agent to use `imk`, and a plugin may make that tool available, but an ordinary command can still take the normal route if the wrapper is bypassed. My earlier Git push did exactly that, because it was not wrapped. So this is not automatic enforcement just because a file tells the agent what to do. A serious setup has to arrange for sensitive operations to always run through `imk run --agent`, or to enforce the protected path at a lower level. Immurok can provide a valuable physical approval mechanism. It cannot secure a workflow that still leaves an unprotected path open right beside it. 📋 My recordings do not include a complete, successful API-secret test. The intended design is to inject a secret only into the approved child process, without placing it in the agent's conversation. That is a good idea, but I am not claiming that part as fully tested here. ## Things that could be better Even with the core features working smoothly after the setup, a few rough edges are worth calling out clearly. None of these are dealbreakers on their own, but together they are the difference between "promising" and "ready." ### The TUI and CLI need serious polish The Linux TUI brings together the dashboard, keys, PAM integration, logs, firmware updates, and settings. It shows connection state and battery percentage, and for most tasks it communicates better than the CLI does. The CLI version lacks tab completion, which made nested commands harder to discover. Pairing claimed it would wait and then failed. Failed enrolment and deletion did not give useful explanations, and SSH import lived only in the CLI while other actions were easier to follow in the TUI. Documentation is not optional for a tool like this. Immurok touches PAM, Bluetooth, SSH configuration, private keys, TOTP, etc. The GitHub README has details, but buyers need a stable setup guide, clear in-app prompts. ### The log file that never stops growing There is one smaller issue that gets bigger with time. The daemon continuously writes to `~/.immurok/logs.txt`. After about a week, mine had reached roughly 4 MB. After 2 weeks, it is 15 MB. ![Immurok log file size issue](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/immurok-log.webp) At a steady rate, that is closer to 200 MB a year than multiple gigabytes. But the real problem is that the file looks unbounded, and a persistent reconnect loop or a recurring failure could make it grow much faster. The application needs log rotation with a sensible size and retention limit. On Linux, sending routine logs to the journal would make far more sense than quietly maintaining an ever-growing private text file. ## Is Immurok worth it? After more than a week, I am more than happy to use Immurok as a daily driver. The trouble was mostly at the initial setup stage, and I am way past that now. I liked the fingerprint reader on my Dell XPS in the past. My present laptop, Asus Zenbook, doesn't have one, so the Immurok fingerprint reader complements it very well. ![Immurok fingerprint](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/immurok-fingerprint-key.webp) The hardware is attractive, compact, and useful, and the core features work well. I used a fingerprint to approve `sudo`, unlock an existing Ubuntu session, authenticate an SSH connection to a Raspberry Pi, retrieve a working GitHub TOTP code, and approve an agent-run SSH action. I also like the fallback design. A disconnected device did not block password login, and servers that were not configured for the Immurok key kept working with my existing SSH keys. The hardware works great and the software on Linux needs upgrade. [Source code](https://itsfoss.com/install-software-from-source-code/) build should not be forced onto users in 2026\. The CLI needs to be better at showing the appropriate feedback message. I have already seen two firmware updates and there is a [software update already on their repo](https://github.com/immurok/app-linux-rs?ref=itsfoss.com). So, it's just a matter for software updates and the device would become suitable for even the beginners. So, if you think that the device suits your workflow and it doesn't dent your budget, you can opt for Immurok. ✅ Real, working fingerprint approval for sudo, polkit, SSH, TOTP, and screen unlock ✅ Private keys and fingerprint data stay on the device, with sensible password and key fallback ✅ Compact, well-built aluminium hardware with promising battery life ❎ Linux install means building from source; there is no packaged app yet ❎ The CLI is buggy, TUI is okay. Docs need to be included. Software update should fix the issue. ## Getting Immurok fingerprint key At the time of writing this article, [Immurok](https://immurok.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is still in crowdfunding. It is available through Kickstarter for $59 US, with a stated retail price of $69 and estimated delivery in November 2026. [Back Immurok on Kickstarter (and save $10)](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/immurok/immurokwireless-fingerprint-auth-key-for-mac-and-linux?ref=itsfoss.com) Please readhe their terms and conditions on shipping, custom fee and return policy. I tested the pre-release review unit and the software is already changing quickly. The version shipping to backers is still a few months away, so there is time for the Linux experience to improve before customers receive the device. I do hope the installation, pairing, prompts, documentation, and reliability are all much better by November. For now, I am happy to have Immurok on my desk. ### Bottles' Founder Has Managed to Run Microsoft 365 on Linux URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/bottles-microsoft-365-early-look/ Last updated: 2026-09-11T11:59:46.000Z Mirko Brombin, the creator of Bottles, has got [Microsoft 365](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365?ref=itsfoss.com) running on Linux. His posts on X showcase an installation that completes on a Windows 10 or 11 [Wine](https://www.winehq.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) prefix, signs in with his existing license, and launches at least one editor. He achieved this using two things, an unreleased version of Soda and [Bottles 67.4](https://github.com/bottlesdevs/Bottles/releases/tag/67.4?ref=itsfoss.com). If you remember, Soda is a Wine-based runner that facilitates easy running of Windows games and applications. On first glance, what he posted might look like a developer-focused log, but these changes are the foundation of what full Microsoft 365 support via Bottles will one day hopefully look like. ## The results of his work ![microsoft word running on a linux system via bottles](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/bottles-microsoft-365-early-look.jpeg) **Source:* [**Mirko Brombin*](https://x.com/brombinmirko/status/2097577168528142741?ref=itsfoss.com) Mirko was able to login into the MS 365 app using his credentials and **was able to launch MS Word and use it**. Of course that's not the only thing he got working; since two-factor authentication passed, the suite detected his license, and OneDrive integration was functional. The memory footprint of the office suite was less than 500MB, so this should be light on your Linux system. The build he is currently testing is [2608 (20326.20144)](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=found%20here.-,Version%202608%3A%20September%2008,-Version%202608%20%28Build), which he says is the last build the installer will offer for Windows 10 and 11\. And before you get all hyped up, wanting to try this out on your computer, **know that you will have to wait**. [Soda 11.0-11](https://github.com/bottlesdevs/wine/releases/tag/soda-11.0-11?ref=itsfoss.com) (*error 404 for now*) has no release yet, and the component catalog that ships with Bottles 67.4 stops at Soda 11.0-10\. Even [the long-standing community request](https://github.com/bottlesdevs/programs/issues/31?ref=itsfoss.com) for a Microsoft Office installer in Bottles is still open. **Suggested Read 📖:** *Bottles offers hope* [*for running Windows-only software*](https://itsfoss.com/news/bottles-arm64-support/) *on ARM devices.* ## Do we need Microsoft 365 on Linux? Till date, there's not been an official Linux desktop build of Microsoft 365, and seeing how Microsoft currently operates, I don't expect one to appear anytime soon. What's been achieved here is remarkable. Once fully implemented, **this will help draw in people into Linux**, as many shudder at the thought of switching to the platform because their preferred office suite doesn't work here. For context, CodeWeavers sells a paid Wine product, CrossOver, and [its database](https://www.codeweavers.com/compatibility/crossover/microsoft-office-365?ref=itsfoss.com) still lists Microsoft Office 365 on Linux as "*Installs, Will Not Run*," last tested against CrossOver 26.3.0. Which is why I hope the fix travels further than Bottles. Wine sits beneath every one of these projects, including Soda. So a patch that lands upstream reaches all of them at once, and you would not need a particular runner to get Office working. --- *💬 If Mirko gets it all working, do you think other projects will start integrating his work?* ### Linux Kernel is Getting Ready to Purge Old 32-bit Arm Platform Code URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-old-arm-code-removal/ Last updated: 2026-09-11T04:20:00.000Z A few days ago, [thirteen patches](https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/20260908152808.3928630-1-arnd@kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) were sent to the kernel mailing lists that are looking to delete some of the 32-bit Arm platform code that the upcoming Linux 7.3 release cycle has marked as [deprecated](https://itsfoss.com/deprecated-linux-commands/). While none of them have been merged yet, Arnd Bergmann, who has been trying to retire this code for years now, has finally made some good progress. His suggestion is to do these removals in Linux 7.4, which is supposed to land sometime between December 2026 and January 2027, with the CPU support getting dropped a release after that. **The plan has been around for some time**; the earlier proposition was removal in 2025 or 2026, after the matching LTS kernel shipped. Arnd opened [his July thread](https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260701212353.2196041-1-arnd@kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) by apologizing for letting the earlier attempt remain idle for almost two years. What he calls cleaning out the deprecated platform code now runs to about 300 patches. This first series removes just the `arch/arm/mach-*` code and the Kconfig bits that depend on it. ## What's going away These will sound like a collection of 1990s and 2000s hardware that used to be relevant but aren't anymore. The platforms losing support are the SA1100 boards, the Acorn RiscPC, Footbridge, the legacy PXA board files, and the Orion, Dove, and MV78xx0 boards. The same series also takes out the OMAP24xx, i.MX31, and no-[MMU](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memory%5Fmanagement%5Funit?ref=itsfoss.com) i.MX chips, LPC18xx and Axxia, along with the STM32F4, F7 and H7 microcontrollers, Versatile MPS2, and AT91 SAMV7. Of course, **this doesn't mean that these boards will suddenly stop working** (*stating the obvious, I know*). Any one of the devices listed above just won't be able to run a mainline kernel from 7.4 or 7.5 onwards since the code that lets them boot is slated for deletion. Another thing worth knowing is that in the same 7.3 cycle, Linux has gained support for other Arm-powered chips like Apple's M3 Pro, Max, and Ultra, Samsung's Exynos 1580, and Qualcomm's Shikra. This shows the continuously shifting nature of the kernel, which has to regularly adapt to new hardware while also ditching old support that isn't used by many. ## Linus has been here before If you think about it, Linus Torvalds has been a strong proponent of removing such old code. Back in 2022, he asked whether it was time for [the i486 series of CPUs](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-i486/) to be dropped from Linux, seeing that [i386](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I386?ref=itsfoss.com) was already gone in 2012\. By 2025, Linus was saying that [there was no real reason](https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/20250425084216.3913608-1-mingo@kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) for anybody to waste their time developing for the platform. So I anticipate that he will accept these removals, unless there are any shortcomings that have gone by unchecked. Even so, old hardware has its advocates. People and enterprises do keep these machines running, and Arnd has left the window open for anyone who wants to argue against their removal before the drivers go. ### FOSS Weekly #26.37: Swiss Linux Move, Flyline, PPA Guide, Fedora Win Over Windows and More URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-37/ Last updated: 2026-09-10T12:57:06.000Z Let's start with the good news. Switzerland is [on track to kick out Microsoft](https://itsfoss.com/news/switzerland-replace-microssoft-pilot/) across 3,000 workstations in its Federal Chancellery. [Switzerland’s Federal Government is Replacing Microsoft on 3,000 ComputersThis is the pilot phase, with 3,000 workstations moving away from Microsoft 365\. The federal administration has over 54,000 computers.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-d129fdfc-d867-4cd0-ad46-4a5c866c71fa.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/swiss-federal-migration-80e7e930-14fc-4451-9450-a1075039f511.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/news/switzerland-replace-microssoft-pilot/) The Firefox Nova redesign [lands for everyone](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/09/firefox-nova-redesign-coming-september?ref=itsfoss.com) in Firefox 157 on September 29, [six months after it leaked](https://itsfoss.com/news/firefox-nova-leak/). The version shipping is noticeably less aggressive than the March mockups. And we have [a robot pitting Fedora against Windows 11 on identical hardware](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-beats-windows-11/). PhoneBuff ran the same real-world tasks on two Dell XPS 13s, and Fedora won six of eleven tests while Windows took one. Bottles, the tool that makes running Windows software on Linux easier now has [an experimental ARM64 build](https://itsfoss.com/news/bottles-arm64-support/), delivered through cpak rather than Flatpak for now. KDE is considering replacing the Gwenview image viewer with Photos, [a proposed replacement](https://pointieststick.com/2026/09/06/photos-a-proposed-replacement-for-gwenview/?ref=itsfoss.com) that would perform better, be mobile-friendly, and offer a bunch of really cool features. Elon Musk's X Corp sent out a cease-and-desist letter to Nitter, ordering them to shut down. Two weeks later, after legal advice, [the project and at least one popular instance are back](https://itsfoss.com/news/nitter-returns-after-legal-troubles/), with a proper announcement following soon. **This edition of FOSS Weekly is supported by,** [**Bitwarden**](https://bitwarden.com/open-source-security-summit/?ref=itsfoss.com)**.** 📣 ****Event alert** Join Bitwarden for the [7th annual Open Source Security Summit](https://bitwarden.com/open-source-security-summit/?ref=itsfoss.com), a free, virtual event bringing together cybersecurity leaders, journalists, and the open source community for conversations on geopolitics, security culture, and protecting critical industries. Featured speakers include: \- David Sanger, New York Times White House correspondent and author of **New Cold Wars* and *The Perfect Weapon* \- Joseph Menn, cybersecurity journalist and author of **Cult of the Dead Cow* September 17, 2026 | 8-10 a.m. PDT • 11-1 p.m. EDT • 5-7 p.m. CEST [Register for FREE Here ](https://bitwarden.com/open-source-security-summit/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About Ikey Doherty, creator of Solus and AerynOS, has come out of retirement triggered by Omarchy's $13+ million funding and DHH's comments about nomadic people. His response is [Barney](https://itsfoss.com/news/ikey-doherty-barney/), a Rust-based tool for building Linux distros from source, named after his son. Despite the resistance and criticism, Omarchy keeps on growing. its userbase Only yesterday, cloud server provider [Digital Ocean joined the Omacom foundation with $3 million donation](https://omarchy.org/news/2026/09/digitalocean-joins-as-founding-corporate-patron/?ref=itsfoss.com). The rise of Omarchy can be attributed to two things: built-in AI features and DHH's determination to make it work. Some people may not like either or both, but for now Omarchy is an unstoppable force. ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings There was a time when PPA were the backbone of Ubuntu's app ecosystem. They are not as popular after Snaps, but you will still find software distributed through PPAs. I have written a [detailed guide that has all the necessary information on using PPA](https://itsfoss.com/ppa-guide/). [PPA in Ubuntu Linux \[Definitive Guide\]An in-depth article that covers almost all the questions around using PPA in Ubuntu and other Linux distributions.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-5fda13f6-0712-454a-ad3a-8e0e7e44076d.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/Understanding-ppa-in-ubuntu-a2ca06f8-df56-45e1-ae69-c2bc8637e434.png)](https://itsfoss.com/ppa-guide/) Quick tip: if you often create similar types of documents, you should [utilize the template feature in LibreOffice](https://itsfoss.com/create-templates-libreoffice/). You might have never heard of [GNU Readline](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU%5FReadline?ref=itsfoss.com), but it's a library included with your Linux installation that implements Bash's interactive command-line editing and various other features. And seeing as we are on an open platform like Linux, this too can be customized! [Flyline is a Rust-powered Readline replacement](https://itsfoss.com/flyline/) that brings intelligent suggestions, fuzzy search, syntax highlighting, and modern completion to Bash. If that doesn't scratch your itch of trying something new, why not [get started with NixOS](https://itsfoss.com/nixos-tutorials/)? It's immutable nature, and package management ought to keep you occupied for a while. Desktop Linux is mostly neglected by the industry but loved by the community. For the past 14 years, It's FOSS has been helping people use Linux on their personal computers. And we are now facing the existential threat from AI models stealing our content. If you like what we do and would love to support our work, please become It's FOSS Plus member. It costs $49 a year (less than the cost of a McDonald's burger a month), and you get an ad-free reading experience with the satisfaction of helping the desktop Linux community. And there are also free Linux ebooks. [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner [FreeCORE](https://itsfoss.com/freecore-truenas-core-fork/) is for NAS setups that are still stuck on TrueNAS CORE. While AI is clearly involved in development, you can still check it out. [FreeCORE is What Your TrueNAS CORE Box Should HaveThis independent fork carries FreeBSD, OpenZFS, and jails forward for users who never wanted Linux.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-ad81562a-b9a7-4a45-839f-9da4b15e58c0.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/freecore-banner-d6c46a67-754c-407e-9838-d24c660f5751.png)](https://itsfoss.com/freecore-truenas-core-fork/) Jellyfin [has done away with its older version naming scheme](https://jellyfin.org/posts/jellyfin-release-12.0/?ref=itsfoss.com), jumping straight from 10.11 to 12\. The release also brings proper books and comics metadata without needing the Bookshelf plugin, and music recommendations can now pull from ListenBrainz listening data instead of relying on tags alone. ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights I tested out an app after ages, and [Privacy Notes](https://itsfoss.com/privacy-notes/) was the one I went with. It's a markdown editor that does many things and even comes with an encrypted vault. [Privacy Notes: Markdown Editor With Built-in Encrypted VaultPrivacy Notes offers different kinds of templates, secret vault, burn after reading and an optional zero-knowledge encrypted sync.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-3d9b4899-2d07-4a89-a92e-b8c0387e92a3.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/privacy-notes-app-b28e22c3-3608-4d2f-b244-0e25bc7a8a21.png)](https://itsfoss.com/privacy-notes/) ## 📽️ Videos for You [Angry IP Scanner](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOgNT5WxBhA&ref=itsfoss.com) is an open source tool that I have been using for the past 20+ years. [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/grouped-window-actions-kde.png) In KDE Plasma, the panel uses "*Icons-Only Task Manager*" to show favorite windows and open windows. Right-click on it and select *Configure*. In the behavior tab, set the "*Clicking grouped task*" option to "*Shows large window previews*" and apply the settings. 0:00 /0:09 1× Now, when you click on items with more than one window opened, you can get an overview-style screen that shows the opened windows of only those apps. ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse Since Omarchy is everywhere, how about [testing your Omarchy knowledge in this quiz](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/omarchy-qa/)? [Omarchy Linux QuizOmarchy fan? Test how much you know about the hottest distro of the year 2026.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-d31b9241-d32e-4e47-af47-4d2ab56eb61f.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/omarchy-quiz-1eebd765-1a71-423b-9deb-084f258510e3.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/omarchy-qa/) Yeah, Linux can sometimes be tricky. 🤭 ![ironic linux friendly meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/meme6761.jpg) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On September 9, 1947, engineers working on Harvard’s [Mark II](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard%5FMark%5FII?ref=itsfoss.com) computer discovered a real moth trapped in *Relay #70*, causing a malfunction. They taped the moth [into the logbook](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard%5FMark%5FII?ref=itsfoss.com#/media/File:First%5FComputer%5FBug,%5F1947.jpg), calling it the “first actual case of bug being found.” **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: FOSSers are discussing [the recent CERN move](https://itsfoss.community/t/cern-moves-thousands-of-accelerator-control-computers-to-debian/16229?ref=itsfoss.com) to opt for Debian instead of a Red Hat for their particle accelerator computers. ### Omarchy Linux Quiz URL: https://itsfoss.com/quiz/omarchy-qa/ Last updated: 2026-09-10T06:56:48.000Z Omarchy has gained so much popularity, and if you are one of the fans, how about you answer a few questions and we see if you really are a true Omarchy lover. 🚧 Some browsers block the JavaScript-based quiz units. ****Disable your ad blocker to enjoy the quizzes and puzzles**. ### Broadcom Kills Public VDDK Access to Tighten its Grip on VMware URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/broadcom-removes-vmware-vddk-downloads/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T17:42:00.000Z Broadcom has taken down the public download pages for the VMware Virtual Disk Development Kit (VDDK). The pages for VDDK 8 and 9, along with [the landing page](https://developer.broadcom.com/sdks/vmware-virtual-disk-development-kit-vddk?ref=itsfoss.com), now return a generic error message. So far, there has been no formal announcement from Broadcom. The removal was carried out sometime last month, as people on [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/1vmhxxk/broadcom%5Fvddk%5Flinks/?ref=itsfoss.com) and vendor forums started reporting dead links in mid-August. ShapeBlue, an Apache CloudStack services firm, [documented the change](https://www.shapeblue.com/broadcom-vddk-download-vmware-to-kvm/?ref=itsfoss.com) on August 25\. Red Hat followed days later with a support note for its [Migration Toolkit for Virtualization](https://access.redhat.com/solutions/7146995?ref=itsfoss.com). While existing copies will still be functional, meaning implementations that currently use VDDK will continue working as usual, those who want fresh copies are out of luck. ## What's the fuss about? ![a page not found error for the vddk landing page on broadcom's developer portal](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/error-404-notice-broadcom.png) The [VDDK](https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/vmware-cis/vsphere/vsphere-sdks-tools/8-0/an-introduction-getting-started-with-vsphere-apis-and-sdks-8-0/example-use-cases-for-vsphere-apis/virtual-disk-api-use-cases.html?ref=itsfoss.com) is a library that lets backup and migration tools read VMware virtual disks from outside the hypervisor. VMware [launched it in 2008](https://blogs.vmware.com/vmtn/2008/04/announcing-the.html?ref=itsfoss.com) as an easily accessible SDK for customers building disk utilities, and it soon became the backbone of image-level backups and agentless migrations. Unfortunately, **its license makes things complicated**. The library cannot be redistributed, so no Linux distribution provides it, and no open source project can bundle it for users. Everyone has to point to Broadcom's download page, and that page is now gone. Convenient, not for users but for VMware's owner, [Broadcom](https://www.broadcom.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), who has managed to cut off public access to a tool many relied on to move away from the platform. ## The ones who are stuck Microsoft's Azure Migrate [documentation](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/migrate/how-to-set-up-appliance-vmware?view=migrate-classic&ref=itsfoss.com) is one example of the disarray caused by the silence. It tells admins to download VDDK 8.0 or 9.0 from the Broadcom portal for agentless migration, and the links embedded there point to a page that isn't accessible. The docs suggest falling back to agent-based migration if VDDK is unreachable. **Red Hat is in the same boat**. Its support note reports customers hitting "*not found*" or "*access denied*" errors while trying to access the public download links for VDDK, further noting that it cannot host or redistribute the kit. They are directing their customers to contact Broadcom support while the Red Hat Engineering team hunts for an alternative, long-term path out of this dilemma. On Reddit, a user, bobdrakken, [already did that](https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/1vmhxxk/comment/p4epxrh/?ref=itsfoss.com), and what they received as a response ought to show you where Broadcom stands on this. 👇 > Hi \*\*\*\*, > > Greetings from Broadcom Customer Care. > > To ensure the highest standard of security, reliability, and product features, the Virtual Disk Development Kit (VDDK) is no longer available for use or download. > > Broadcom continues to actively maintain a variety of APIs and SDKs to enable authorized technology alliance partners to build backup and recovery software solutions that are validated and authorized to integrate, interoperate, or be compatible with Broadcom products. > > For all backup and recovery requirements, customers should rely on such solutions from Broadcom authorized technology alliance partners." > > I hope this helps you. > > Please get in touch with your Partner for better assistance, since there is no pending action from our end hence this case will be archived now. > > I would be glad to assist you if you have additional support requests. ## A pattern unfolds This takedown fits a pattern running since Broadcom closed its $69 billion acquisition of VMware in November 2023\. The [subscription-only overhaul](https://itsfoss.com/news/vmware-broadcom-subscription/) followed within weeks, ending perpetual licenses and folding standalone products into bundles. European customers later reported renewal prices climbing massively, enough [to draw formal complaints](https://www.cispe.cloud/cispe-files-competition-complaint-against-broadcom?ref=itsfoss.com) from industry bodies. It's not entirely been about extracting the maximum out of VMware; Broadcom has thrown in some goodwill along the way too. [Workstation Pro and Fusion Pro went free](https://itsfoss.com/news/vmware-workstation-free/) for everyone in November 2024, and [a free ESXi build](https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article/399823/vmware-esxi-80-update-3e-now-available-a.html?ref=itsfoss.com) returned in limited form in 2025. Each move can be defended on its own; licensing overhauls and price changes are normal business; so is tightening download access. But taken together, these paint a picture that while VMware itself is running just fine, the ones trying to move off VMware need to jump a few more hoops before they can achieve that. *Via:* [*Virtualization Howto*](https://www.virtualizationhowto.com/2026/09/leaving-vmware-just-got-harder-after-broadcom-pulled-vddk-downloads/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### 5 Linux Distros Bringing AI to Your Desktop URL: https://itsfoss.com/ai-focused-linux-distros/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T15:31:14.000Z Seeing all the hype surrounding AI in the Linux ecosystem, you might've asked yourself, What makes a Linux distro "*AI-focused*"? If you go looking for an answer, you will get all kinds of results depending on which project you look at. One wires an AI agent into first boot, right next to picking a desktop environment. Another keeps every model running air-gapped with no network access. There's no established approach here; **every project is going at it differently**. The distros listed below are each building toward their own idea of what an AI-native desktop should look like. 📋 The ordering of this list doesn't mean one is better than the other. That decision lies on you, the reader. ## 1\. Omarchy ![omarchy](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/omarchy.png) While [Omarchy](https://omarchy.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) started off as a simple script to get [Hyprland](https://itsfoss.com/hyprland/) running on a stock Arch install, it has since grown into a full-blown, AI-agent-first Linux distribution with its own foundation and [eight-figure funding](https://omarchy.org/news/2026/09/omacom-foundation-raises-another-half-a-million-dollars/?ref=itsfoss.com) behind it. The project markets itself as "*the malleable OS for the age of agents*," and that framing shows up the moment you boot it for the first time. Setup asks you to pick a default AI agent from a list that spans Claude Code, Codex, Copilot CLI, and several others, then signs you in so it can start working on the system right away. Once configured, the agent can then help you troubleshoot crashed programs, build out plugins and themes, and put together apps from nothing more than a description of what you want. And underneath all of that is [Arch Linux](https://archlinux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), so you know you are working on a proven base. [Omarchy](https://omarchy.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 2\. Shadowfetch Linux ![shadowfetch linux](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/shadowfetch-linux.png) [Shadowfetch Linux](https://www.shadowfetchlinux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is built around something it calls "*Mission Control*," a system for giving an AI agent a task and then actually checking its work. Nothing from an agent locks in without your sign-off. Once a task is completed, Shadowfetch lays out everything that happened, what changed, which tests ran, what the output looked like, and waits for you to approve it. It comes with two modes, "***Fire***," which keeps the system connected to the internet, handing over tasks to cloud agents. While "***Ice***" works offline, relying on local files and standard media export tools like FFmpeg instead, though it doesn't run local AI models yet. This distro also limits what an agent can actually touch with a feature called "*Firebreak*" which keeps the agent inside a defined boundary where it only ever sees the project it's working on and whatever system files that task calls for. [Shadowfetch Linux](https://www.shadowfetchlinux.org/download?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 3\. Gnoppix AI Linux ![gnoppix ai linux](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/gnoppix-ai-linux.jpg) **Source:* [**DistroWatch*](https://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=Gnoppix&ref=itsfoss.com) [Gnoppix AI Linux](https://gnoppix.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), or Gnoppix Linux as it used to be known, traces back to 2002, when its founder Andreas Müller built it on Debian 3.0 "*Woody*." That work got him hired by Canonical as one of Ubuntu's earliest developers. Anyhow, Gnoppix keeps AI local and off the network by default. Its homepage showcases [a Mistral 7B model](https://mistral.ai/news/announcing-mistral-7b/?ref=itsfoss.com) running locally, with it being "*AIR-GAPPED*," meaning that the model has no network access. That same privacy-focused approach carries through the rest of the OS, with no telemetry, a built-in encrypted messenger, a VPN, and a search tool that strips identifying details before a query goes anywhere. There's also a space for testing and fine-tuning models like Mistral, Llama, and Qwen on Gnoppix's [own servers](https://wiki.gnoppix.org/features/copilot/?ref=itsfoss.com) without needing the hardware to run them yourself, and the project itself is Debian-based. Official material describes the project being run out of Panama with an AI lab in Japan, and there are many pricing tiers for this one, so choose the one that suits your use case. [Gnoppix AI Linux](https://gnoppix.org/downloads/index.html?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 4\. MakuluLinux ![makululinux ai os](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/makululinux-ai-os.jpg) [MakuluLinux](https://www.makululinux.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) comes with [Electra](https://makululinux.us/electra.html?ref=itsfoss.com), an AI assistant you control from a floating bar at the top of the screen. Type what you want in plain English, and it figures out whether that means chatting, writing code, drafting an article, or running a system command. Electra isn't locked to MakuluLinux either. It installs on Ubuntu, Debian, Arch, Fedora, and a few other distros too; MakuluLinux just ships it by default. The developers say that they built and operate the AI backend instead of wrapping someone else's API, and there's no key needed to use it. If you lose your internet connection, it switches to a local model automatically and can even remember past conversations. Though the company's pages don't agree on how many models are actually available. The number ranges from [the low seventies to over ninety](https://www.patreon.com/makululinux/posts/makululinux-ai-159017436?ref=itsfoss.com), depending on which page you check. [MakuluLinux (SourceForge)](https://sourceforge.net/projects/makulu/files/downloads/AIOS/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 5\. Deepin ![deepin](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/deepin.jpg) This distro can be regarded as [one of the early adopters of AI](https://itsfoss.com/news/deepin-linux-distro-ai/) in a Linux distro, while most of this list only started moving in this direction over the past year. [deepin](https://www.deepin.org/index/en?ref=itsfoss.com) weaves its AI layer, called *UOS AI*, directly into the browser, mail client, and system-wide search instead of keeping it in a separate app. That search piece, branded "*Grand Search*", is the most visible desktop-focused part of it, and deepin's most recent stable release, [25.2.1](https://www.deepin.org/en/deepin-25-2-1-update-announcement/?ref=itsfoss.com), pushed it further with something called *Intelligent Search*. Instead of remembering an exact filename, you can type a phrase like "*financial spreadsheets modified yesterday*" or "*videos larger than 1 GB*," and the system parses that into filters for time, file type, location, and size on its own. [Deepin](https://www.deepin.org/en/download/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## Honarable Mention ![ubuntu 26.10 dev branch](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/ubuntu-26-10-dev-branch.jpg) **Ubuntu** isn't trying to be an AI-native distro yet, but it's taking the first step toward being one. [Ubuntu 26.10](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-10-features/), which is scheduled for an October release, is going to feature its first AI-powered feature. [Myna](https://itsfoss.com/news/myna-ai-speech-to-text-tool/) is a dictation tool that runs entirely on the machine itself, triggered via a keyboard shortcut, dropping transcribed text into whatever you were typing into without needing an internet connection. This comes after Canonical's VP of Engineering, Jon Seager, [revealed their plan](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-is-getting-ai/) for splitting AI work across Ubuntu into two categories earlier this year. Thanks to Joey Sneddon of [OMG! Ubuntu](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/08/testing-ubuntu-ai-voice-dictation?ref=itsfoss.com), we now know that local speech models for Myna will ship as separate, removable snaps matched to your hardware, some built for NVIDIA GPUs specifically, others CPU-only, with broader language support planned for later. **If you aren't a big fan of AI in your Linux distro**, then I recommend going through [ZDNet's roundup](https://www.zdnet.com/article/top-6-ai-free-linux-distros/?ref=itsfoss.com) of the distros that plan to stay that way. There are six of them: AerynOS, MX Linux, Debian, Arch Linux, Slackware, and Void Linux. ### Privacy Notes: Markdown Editor With Built-in Encrypted Vault URL: https://itsfoss.com/privacy-notes/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T16:33:28.000Z There is no dearth of [note taking apps for Linux](https://itsfoss.com/note-taking-apps-linux/). There are tools like Obsidian that are local first, tools like [Joplin](https://itsfoss.com/joplin/) that are both local and cloud. There are also collaborative tools like Etherpad that put encrypted notes on a remote server. And then I come across a new tool this week called [Privacy Notes](https://privacynotes.app/?ref=itsfoss.com). It mixes several things at once and tries to be the "one note app to rule them all". It is Markdown-first with WYSIWYG editor, vault for storing passwords, ssh keys etc, journal and more. ## Privacy Notes ![Privacy Notes](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/privacy-notes-interface.webp) The idea of Privacy Notes is to give you an application that is primarily aimed at keeping your most important documents safe on their server by providing client side encryption. This means that the notes and files are encrypted on your device first and then they get uploaded to Privacy Notes's servers. Privacy Notes website mentions that their servers are hosted in Switzerland. This is zero knowledge encryption which means you have to save your key or phrase somewhere safe because if you lose that, not even Privacy Notes can give the data back as everything is encrypted. Privacy Notes is developed by [Lifetime Labs](https://lifetimelabs.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com) and they have the motto to provide software but NOT as a service. In that regard, Lifetime Labs offers a lifetime price for Privacy Notes. You get 500 MB of encrypted storage for $48 (early adapter price, and it rises to $89 later). If you want more storage, extra storage is self-serve from $4.80/GB per year. Note that server storage is a recurring cost, unlike desktop software. That's why extra storage has a recurring subscription fee. Privacy Notes apps are open source and the source code is [available on their GitHub repository](https://github.com/LifetimeLabsDev/PrivacyNotes.app?ref=itsfoss.com). This includes the web, desktop and mobile clients and even their encryption and threat model. ## More than just plain note taking While the name suggests it is another Markdown based editor focused on privacy, it does offer a few things different than most other editors in this category. Let me share them with you. ### Store your passwords and keys in vault Privacy Notes has the option to add sensitive information in a predefined template and in its own dedicated section in the sidebar. ![Vault feature in Privacy Notes](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/privacy-notes-2-1.webp) This is a feature password managers like Bitwarden and Proton Pass offer. Merging it in the notes is a good move, especially when the idea is to have secret, encrypted notes. Login passwords, credit card information, SSH/GPG keys are the common secrets people store. ![Save your cards in Privacy Notes](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/privacy-notes-1.webp) You can also generate and save new Ed25519 SSH keys and passwords in the app. I think it can also store TOTO 2FA keys. You can also import your passwords from your browser or other password managers: ![Import passwords in Privacy Notes](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/privacy-notes-import-password.webp) Import passwords in Privacy Notes 📋 Privacy Notes encourages users to [verify that the data is actually encrypted before it leaves your device](https://github.com/LifetimeLabsDev/PrivacyNotes.app/blob/main/VERIFY.md?ref=itsfoss.com). This puts trust in your zero-knowledge encryption claim. ### Tasks ![Privacy Notes also has tasks](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/privacy-notes-tasks.png) Since the idea is to provide a full-featured note apps, there are also tasks here. Now, there is no Kanban-styled task board here. Tasks are just regular notes but if you click to create a new task, it starts with a checklist. You can still add text and other markdown formatting in the tasks. You can add checklists in regular notes as well but when you go into the Tasks view, it shows all the notes that have any kind of checklist in it. I think the idea to give a separate view for all to-dos in one place. Which is a good thing as to-do list may get buried in the pile of notes. ### More note types ![Privacy Notes note types](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/privacy-notes-drop-down-templates-1.webp) There are two more note types. Bookmarks and Journals. Both are evident from their names. Bookmarks type of notes are for saving bookmarks. It's okay to have such a feature, but to me, the place of a bookmark is in a browser or in a dedicated bookmark manager. It would have been better to have a quick note field in the bookmarks to quickly know or search what the bookmark is about. ![PrivacyNotes also has bookmarks](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/privacy-notes-bookmarks.webp) And there are journals. Logseq and some other personal knowledge base tools have the concept of journal entries. Which is like having a personal diary. Each new note in the journal automatically gets the day and date as its name. You can create a new journal note the same day only when you rename the existing entry of the day. ![Privacy Notes Journal feature](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/privacy-notes-journal.webp) You can also upload images, audio and any other file type via the Files option. This is good. Important documents can also be in image format. Like, I could save my passport and other official IDs in image format. ![Privacy Notes file uploads](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/privacy-notes-file-upload.webp) Since all the files are client side encrypted, this is better than keeping them in Google or One Drive where the images may be used to train AI (we don't know that for sure). 💡 Wiki style links are supported in Privacy Notes. This means if you move from a tool like Obsidian, your links will be preserved. ### Burn after reading Privacy Notes allows you to share links to your encrypted files. Anyone with the link can view the file but here is the twist. It can be viewed only once. The link self-destructs after is opened once. ![Share and burn after reading](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/privacy-notes-burn-after-reading-1.webp) This burn after reading reminds me of both Victorian era love letters and Ethan Hunt in Mission Impossible. ## Local markdown files Privacy Notes desktop application allows you to view and edit local markdown files. If you have personal knowledge base built on Markdown (like Obsidian) or have GitHub repo, you can use it inside Privacy Notes. It edits the files in place, keeps subfolders, and converts nothing. Keep in mind that these files stay on your systems locally and they are not encrypted. You can choose to add them to the encrypted , though. This way, the notes will be encrypted first and then saved on to your Privacy Notes account in the cloud. ![Local markdown files can be added to remote encrypted storage](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/privacy-notes-6-1.webp) I like this idea. If you have only 50 MB of the free encrypted cloud storage or 500 MB of lifetime Pro version, you cannot dump all your notes in it. You can be selective and only upload the notes and documents that need to be in the (encrypted) cloud. But do note that the standard features you saw above—like bookmarks, journals, vaults, etc.—are not stored locally. So you cannot create new passwords or ssh keys using the vault template and store it locally, it gets encrypted and gets stored on the server and gets counted in your storage quota. Local markdown notes remain local. They don't get the fancy templates. But you can use the editor that works great for markdown files. You can also mix and match. Store only the most important, sensitive data in the encrypted cloud, while regular files can be synced to a Git repo. Also, you can export your notes any time. 📋 The free version of the app doesn't allow creating folders in the encrypted section of the app. You will see the pop up to upgrade to Pro if you click on the folder option. ## Should you use Privacy Notes? Privacy Notes is a mix of local plus (encrypted) cloud storage. Now, [Linux servers are suggested to follow the classic 3-2-1 backup strategy](https://linuxhandbook.com/3-2-1-backup-strategy/?ref=itsfoss.com). We are not dealing with servers here but personally, I keep multiple backups of my data. Some are in my homelab and some stay in the cloud. My scanned IDs, warranty papers, insurance documents, and other such important data live in the cloud. They used to be in email 15 years ago. Privacy Notes can be part of the multiple backup strategy. Since it is especially for notes you cannot use it for dumping GBs of images but you can try using it for storing important documents, notes, passwords, SSH key, 2FA recovery codes etc. The client-side encryption adds a layer of trust. 🚧 Zero knowledge encryption is a double-edged sword. If you forget the recovery phrase, you will lose access to the docs stored in the cloud. That's why I suggest keeping more than one backups. The free account gives you 50 MB of encrypted storage. Which should be enough for you to try it and also keep on using it if you have limited needs. The Pro version will give you 500 MB of storage for a single payment of $48\. It's a lifetime subscription, something I prefer over a recurring subscription. The Pro version allows you to use the synced notes on multiple devices (free plan syncs only 2 devices) and keeps upto 20 revisions of a file. You do benefits for the amount you are paying. 📋 Privacy Notes allows importing from Obsidian, Standard Notes, Evernote, Apple Notes, Bitwarden and a number of other note taking apps and password managers. Mostly, you have to export the files from their respective tools and then you import them in Privacy Notes. ## Getting Privacy Notes If you want to take the feel of Privacy Notes, there is a [web-based demo here](https://try.privacynotes.app/?ref=itsfoss.com). That gives you an idea of what the tool is like. And then, when you decide to use it, you have apps available for Linux, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android. For Linux users, Privacy Notes is available in AppImage and .deb format for for x86\_64 and ARM64 platforms so even SBCs like Raspberry Pi are covered here. Every release is signed and carries a SHA-256 checksum on GitHub. If you are using Android, you can get the app in [APK format from Zapstore](https://zapstore.dev/apps/app.privacynotes?ref=itsfoss.com) or [Obtanium](https://apps.obtainium.imranr.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com), platforms that verifies developer signature. Pure [APK can be downloaded](https://releases.privacynotes.app/latest/PrivacyNotes.apk?ref=itsfoss.com) from the website, too. Google Play store integration is in works. You can download the apps from the download section of their website: [Get Privacy Notes](https://privacynotes.app/?ref=itsfoss.com#downloads) Or, check out the [source code from their GitHub repo](https://github.com/LifetimeLabsDev/PrivacyNotes.app?ref=itsfoss.com). ### FreeCORE is What Your TrueNAS CORE Box Should Have URL: https://itsfoss.com/freecore-truenas-core-fork/ Last updated: 2026-09-08T17:11:04.000Z iXsystems put TrueNAS CORE into what it called [a sustaining engineering phase](https://www.truenas.com/blog/truenas-core-13-3-plans/?ref=itsfoss.com) back in 2024\. Under this, the open source NAS operating system would only receive security and stability fixes, with new features going to the Linux-based SCALE branch instead. Even its maintenance releases got axed when [iXsystems](https://www.ixsystems.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) marked [13.3-U1.2](https://www.truenas.com/docs/core/13.3/gettingstarted/corereleasenotes/?ref=itsfoss.com) as the final release for the 13.3 series (*or train as they call them*). SCALE has since been renamed [TrueNAS Community Edition](https://www.truenas.com/truenas-community-edition/?ref=itsfoss.com), and users who didn't want to move to a Linux-based OS were stuck with CORE and no actively developed FreeBSD-based path forward. [FreeCORE](https://freecore.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) looks to be that path. ## What is FreeCORE? ![a dashboard-style freecore web user interface that shows a sidebar menu and four big sections that cover system, cpu, memory, and network metrics](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/freecore-web-ui.png) **FreeCORE's web user interface.* It traces directly back through TrueNAS CORE to FreeNAS, and it's built on the same foundation CORE always used: **FreeBSD** and **OpenZFS**. The current stable release is 15.0-U1.3, and it is aimed at TrueNAS CORE holdouts. Basically for people who rely on features like [FreeBSD jails](https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/handbook/jails/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [bhyve](https://wiki.freebsd.org/bhyve?ref=itsfoss.com) virtual machines who have no interest in moving to TrueNAS Community Edition's Debian Linux base. It's also worth knowing that [FreeCORE is a one-person project](https://github.com/zvaultio/Community/issues/38?ref=itsfoss.com#issuecomment-5394559647). Their motivation for creating this was that they needed a FreeBSD way off their own TrueNAS CORE box instead of migrating to Linux. So they built one, **leaning heavily on AI coding agents** for [the implementation](https://www.reddit.com/r/freebsd/comments/1vy8ani/comment/p6f4htn/?ref=itsfoss.com) while directing and validating the work themselves. FreeCORE's **FreeBSD 15 base** carries along many practical component upgrades with it too! OpenZFS climbs from 2.1.14 to 2.4.2, Python from 3.9 to 3.11, and the web interface runs on a much newer build of Angular. [WebAuthn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebAuthn?ref=itsfoss.com) security keys now work as a second login factor, and one-time passwords cover console logins. Jails can share the host GPU through a new DRM driver, and [rar2fs](https://github.com/hasse69/rar2fs?ref=itsfoss.com) mounts RAR archives read-only. FreeCORE also **gets rid of vendor telemetry** and offers a web interface that lets you manage everything from jails and virtual machines to storage, sharing, and user accounts. Jails networking runs through VNET, NAT, or DHCP depending on what the setup needs, and an advanced jail creation form exposes every option for admins who want a greater level of control. ## Get started ![the terminal interface of freecore is shown here with a list of options to configure and control the system](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/freecore.png) Most of you arriving at FreeCORE are likely running TrueNAS CORE 13.3, and moving is only a matter of taking a backup and running this script: ``` fetch https://freecore.org/freecore-enroll.sh && sh freecore-enroll.sh ``` Running it switches the system's update train and certificate away from iXsystems' servers and points it at FreeCORE's. From there, the upgrade runs through `System › Update` like any other update. The configuration database migrates on first boot, though not everything makes it across. OpenVPN gets replaced by WireGuard, and enterprise-licensed features don't carry over. Of course you could always go [the fresh install route](https://freecore.org/install?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=docs.freecore.org-,FRESH%20INSTALL,-Instead%20of%20upgrading), where you write the image to removable media, verify it, and then boot from it to install it on a drive. [FreeCORE](https://freecore.org/install?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=docs.freecore.org-,FRESH%20INSTALL,-Instead%20of%20upgrading) The [official documentation](https://docs.freecore.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a handy resource that covers a range of topics related to FreeCORE installation and usage, while the source code lives on [Codeberg](https://codeberg.org/freecore?ref=itsfoss.com). --- **Suggested Read 📖:** *Here are your choices for* [*an open source NAS operating system*](https://itsfoss.com/open-source-nas-os/) *if you don't prefer FreeCORE.* [Here are Your Choices for an Open Source NAS Operating SystemBuilding a NAS in your homelab? Here are the choices of operating systems you can use.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-38caefd5-a72c-4ccb-8244-28551953bb35.png)It's FOSSPulkit Chandak![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/nas-operating-system-ed164006-eb0b-4370-a92a-473880765d7e.png)](https://itsfoss.com/open-source-nas-os/) ### Bottles Brings Hope for Windows-only Software on ARM Devices URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/bottles-arm64-support/ Last updated: 2026-09-08T13:59:18.000Z It's been a while since I last wrote about [Bottles](https://usebottles.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). For anyone new to it, Bottles runs Windows software on Linux by hiding most of Wine's configuration work behind a straightforward interface. Its feature list has been growing consistently too. You can pull common Windows components like *.NET* and *Visual C++ runtimes* with a single click, or juggle multiple Wine and Proton runners per bottle. Additionally, [UMU](https://usebottles.com/umu?ref=itsfoss.com) support lets you run Proton games outside Steam, and snapshots give every experiment of yours a rollback point. With its newest offering, [Bottles pushes past x86\_64 hardware](https://usebottles.com/blog/2026-09-07-bottles-arm64-soda-11-0-10.md?ref=itsfoss.com). Bottles 67.4 is a test release aimed at ARM64 on Linux, which is delivered through an experimental cpak package. And know that the ARM64 rollout actually spanned two releases. [67.3](https://github.com/bottlesdevs/Bottles/releases/tag/67.3?ref=itsfoss.com) added the first ARM64 build of the cpak package, and [67.4](https://github.com/bottlesdevs/Bottles/releases/tag/67.4?ref=itsfoss.com) followed hours later with a few misc fixes and Soda 11.0-10. ## Must-know bits ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/bottles-67-3-a.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/bottles-67-3-b.png) **Placeholder images of Bottles 67.3 running on an x86\_64 system.* On [ARM64](https://itsfoss.com/arm-aarch64-x86%5F64/) systems, cpak now fetches the right build for the platform, while Soda, Bottles' Wine-based runner, carries **native ARM64 and ARM64EC support**. [FEX](https://fex-emu.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) also comes bundled for running x86 and x86\_64 Windows software. All of that makes Bottles genuinely useful on ARM64 Linux hardware, be it single-board computers or Arm-powered laptops. **What surprised me most** was the speed at which this was delivered. The request to add ARM64 (*or AArch64*) builds [was opened a week ago](https://github.com/bottlesdevs/Bottles/issues/4772?ref=itsfoss.com). Within three days, there was a test candidate, the request poster (*TCB13*) confirmed Bottles launched on their own ARM64 hardware, and the issue was closed and marked as completed soon after. The tagged releases followed on September 7. If you were wondering **why they chose cpak for the test run**, Mirko Brombin from the Bottles team says that: > Cpak is being used for this test because it is the first packaging path where the application, Wine base and native ARM CI are available together. The other part of the release is the inclusion of [Soda 11.0-10](https://github.com/bottlesdevs/wine/releases/tag/soda-11.0-10?ref=itsfoss.com), which comes with a range of updates. Battle.net crashing on startup is the issue that some of you will notice first. It has been fixed, and the underlying problem was XInput starting up without a Steam game ID. For VR workloads, 64-bit Windows [OpenXR](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/mixed-reality/develop/native/openxr?ref=itsfoss.com) apps can now connect to a host runtime such as Monado or WiVRn directly without needing to keep Steam or SteamVR running. You can go through the changelog (*linked above*) to learn more about this Soda release. ## Installing it Currently, the test ARM64 build ships only as a [cpak](https://cpak.it/?ref=itsfoss.com), the OCI-based package format from the [Containerpak](https://github.com/Containerpak?ref=itsfoss.com) project. Work is underway on getting [the Flatpak release](https://flathub.org/en/apps/com.usebottles.bottles?ref=itsfoss.com) ready for this platform. That said, you can quickly install [the cpak test release](https://cpak.it/store/apps/bottles?ref=itsfoss.com) on your ARM64 devices by running the following command: ``` cpak install github.com/bottlesdevs/bottles ``` If you didn't know, cpak is a packaging format that treats apps as [OCI container images](https://github.com/opencontainers/image-spec?ref=itsfoss.com), each paired with a small manifest that lists its permissions and dependencies. **How cpak differs from Flatpak** is that it does not lean on runtimes and portals the way Flatpak does. The cpak runtime mounts the OCI image directly, the manifest decides what the app can touch, and packages install from a Git origin instead of a central store. ### A Clanker Pitted Fedora Against Windows 11. Fedora Won, Mostly URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-beats-windows-11/ Last updated: 2026-09-07T16:33:37.000Z [PhoneBuff](https://www.phonebuff.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a company that built its name by offering lab-tested, standardized reviews for smartphones run by robotic hands. Their [YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@PhoneBuff/?ref=itsfoss.com) showcases a range of assessments that cover speed tests, drop tests, and battery tests. When viewers started poking them about trying Linux after a recent performance comparison they did between a Dell XPS 13 and MacBook Neo, they responded. Taking two identical Dell XPS 13s with an Intel Core 5 320 and 8GB of RAM, one on Windows 11 and one on [Fedora](https://fedoraproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), the PhoneBuff crew ran the same real-world apps and workflows on each, timed by their robot mouse and keyboard (*aka the* [*clanker*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clanker?ref=itsfoss.com) *in question*). By the time testing concluded, Fedora won six of eleven timed tests while four tied, and Windows 11 took home a single win. ## Fedora vs. Windows 11 on same hardware Same settings too! The screens sat at 200 nits, both laptops stood an equal distance from the WiFi point, and the room stayed temperature controlled. Each test was run three to five times, with the [median](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Median?ref=itsfoss.com) value noted. Boot from a full shutdown tied at 23 seconds for Windows and 24 seconds for Fedora, too close to call. Restarting did not. Fedora came back in 27 seconds, median; Windows took 61 seconds. Windows' five runs swung 46 to 68 seconds, Fedora's 23 to 34 seconds. **The widest gap was files**. Unzipping the same 6GB archive took Fedora's built-in tool 12 seconds. On Windows, using Windows Explorer, it was 57 seconds, and installing [7-Zip](https://www.7-zip.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) only got it down to 17.4 seconds. **Next comes the result that ought to sting Microsoft**. Running VS Code, the robot loaded an open source whiteboard project, scanned it for errors, compiled it, and ran close to 1,900 tests. Fedora was done in 2:20.5\. Windows 11 needed 3:41.99. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/phonebuff-fedora-windows-restart.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/phonebuff-fedora-windows-native-file-extraction.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/phonebuff-fedora-windows-idle-ram-usage.png) **Source: PhoneBuff* **The creative apps went the same way**. DaVinci Resolve imported two clips, graded one, stabilized the other, and exported in 2:10.9 (Fedora) against 2:49.9 (Windows). A GIMP session on a 4K image, using tools like smudge, heal, and object removal, finished 53.3 seconds against 60.7 seconds. **The everyday apps were mostly a tie**. Chrome on a locally hosted page with video, 3D models, maps, and chart math finished in 19.3 seconds on Fedora against 19.8 on Windows. The same 500-page document opened in ONLYOFFICE in 8.7 seconds against 9.3, while the OCR pass also went to Fedora, 36.6 seconds against 39.8. Even the Blender render of the same 1080p scene ended even, 44.2 seconds against 43.5. **Idle memory usage was another big gap**. Left idle for a minute, Fedora used 32.9% of the 8GB while Windows sat at 85.2%. The video showed 2.27GB being used on Fedora against Windows' 6.47GB. The lone Windows win was launching Cyberpunk 2077, 54.3 seconds against Fedora's 57.0-second launch. Though remember, that is a launch time number, not a frame rate, and PhoneBuff didn't run any gaming benchmarks. ## What do the numbers mean? ![the final results of the tests phonebuff ran to compare fedora and windows on same hardware](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/phonebuff-fedora-windows-test.png) **Source: PhoneBuff* Do not read too much into it yet. There are no AI workloads here, and as I just said, no gaming benchmarks either. The presenter for PhoneBuff says at the beginning of the video that Fedora is one of the many Linux distros out there and that "*this won't necessarily represent every possible Linux experience*." A different distro running a different [desktop environment](https://itsfoss.com/what-is-desktop-environment/) will definitely move some of the gaps we see here. The RAM gap comes with an asterisk too. Windows sat at 85.2% with a few Dell utilities, Defender (MsMpEng), and Edge WebView2 running by default, so Windows is not the only thing behind that 6.47GB number. **Fedora simply started off with less baggage**. To summarize, the heavy tasks went to Fedora, sometimes by minutes, the everyday ones tied, and idle RAM sat at around a third on Linux against 85% on Windows. That is all eleven tests can claim, so take them as data points, not a verdict. ### Ikey Doherty vs Omarchy: Why He’s Building Barney Instead of Another Distro URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/ikey-doherty-barney/ Last updated: 2026-09-07T14:23:05.000Z [Ikey Doherty](https://github.com/TravellingEngineer?ref=itsfoss.com) is out of retirement, and Omarchy's funding is why. In a video posted on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwvZxlLCGk4&ref=itsfoss.com), the creator of [Solus](https://getsol.us/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [AerynOS](https://aerynos.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) called the money behind DHH's distro absurd and **promised to do it better with nothing**. His answer is **Barney**, a Rust-based tool for building Linux distros from source. Omarchy's [Omacom Foundation](https://itsfoss.com/news/omarchy-launches-omacom-foundation/) has already crossed $13 million in pledges since its August launch, when eight tech executives, including Michael Dell, put in a million each. The run has drawn its share of pushback, most recently when [1Password pledged $300,000](https://itsfoss.com/news/1password-omarchy-pledge/) and its own employees objected. Ikey's video arrived a day after the foundation [announced $1.95 million in AI tokens](https://omarchy.org/news/2026/09/omacom-foundation-secures-tokens-from-leading-labs/?ref=itsfoss.com) from Meta, Anthropic, OpenAI, and Fireworks. ## Not a distro, but a stance ![this is part of the description for barney as shown in its github repository as of sep 7, 2026](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/barney-github-description.png) [Barney](https://github.com/TravellingEngineer/barney?ref=itsfoss.com) is a tool meant to help you build Linux distros; the repo describes it as "*yet another feckin' tool to build a Linux distro*" and notes that delivering a distro is not the intended goal. Ikey plans to show how distros get built instead of shipping what he calls a "*wallpaper respin*" via [a series](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSYoICkBlTuA&ref=itsfoss.com) on his YouTube channel. **Everything gets built from source**, and the outputs are cached against what produced them. Change a dependency, and anything built on top of it gets rebuilt. Layouts stay stateless, a concept Doherty says he helped pioneer on Intel's Clear Linux team and later pushed in Solus and AerynOS (*formerly Serpent OS*). Builds run in containers, and the results are stored by content, so identical files across packages only get stored once. The plan even includes rebuilding the toolchain from scratch. Everything is written in **Rust** and released under the **MPL-2.0 license**. The project's name itself is personal to him, as Barney is his son's name. Work on it has started already. The first episode of the series is live, titled "*Episode 0: Getting Ready*." For access to the behind-the-scenes content, Ikey has set up [a Ko-fi page](https://ko-fi.com/TravellingEngineer?ref=itsfoss.com) where people can directly support him. ## An Irish Traveller's reply Don't assume that this is something Ikey has no business talking about. Omarchy's creator, David Heinemeier Hansson, better known as DHH, had written a post comparing Denmark's wolf population with Romani people camping in Copenhagen parks. Naturally, Ikey, being an [Irish Traveller](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Irish-Travellers?ref=itsfoss.com), a group that has faced discrimination for generations, was bound to react. On [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ikeydoherty%5Ftriggered-out-of-retirement-by-the-absurdity-share-7501573439502147584-Cq40/?ref=itsfoss.com), sharing his video (*the one linked at the very beginning*), he called DHH's comments "*horrific*" and said the funding and the views together had dragged him back into the game. His laptop buying plans [have changed too](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ikeydoherty%5Fgonna-be-honest-i-wont-buy-another-dell-share-7501292162186211328-U87h/?ref=itsfoss.com). Michael Dell was among the launch backers, and Ikey has put the company on his avoid list, while also calling out Omarchy: > Gonna be honest I won’t buy another Dell laptop after Michael Dell showing support for DHH. Skipping the point of it being yet another wallpaper-respin distro.. I cannot possibly tolerate the comments made by DHH (on a number of topics) > > As an Irish traveller, I strongly condemn his rhetoric surrounding nomadic people. > > As a former Linux distro developer, I wouldn’t touch his shit if you paid me. ## Will it do well? Only time will tell. Right now, my read is that the question misses the point. Barney is not here to become the distro everyone installs. Success, by Doherty's own framing, is showing how a real distro gets built while the industry watches. You already know that he has walked away from big projects before. Solus and AerynOS both carried on without him. Barney could be next, sure. What stands out to me is the timing of it all. Another Clear Linux member, Auke Kok, is building [The Ur Project](https://itsfoss.com/news/the-ur-project-appears/) from scratch, and neither of them is waiting for a foundation to get going. The optimist inside me says that if the two of them ever collaborated, they could deliver something that shows the Linux ecosystem that pouring absurd amounts of money into a project isn't the only way to build well. ### Elon Musk's X Tried to Kill Nitter. The Project Just Said It’s Coming Back URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/nitter-returns-after-legal-troubles/ Last updated: 2026-09-08T04:35:02.000Z [Nitter](https://nitter.net/?ref=itsfoss.com), the open source front-end for reading [X](https://x.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) posts without signing up for an account, is not going anywhere yet. Weeks after X Corp's lawyers showed up demanding a permanent shutdown, the project's GitHub repository has come out of read-only mode with [an updated README](https://github.com/zedeus/nitter/commit/1428b4c2b4246f92a7e5b2673438e5fb39fcc4a3?ref=itsfoss.com) that says: > **UPDATE:** Following legal advice, the Nitter project will continue. More details will be announced soon. Now, the repository and the homepage carry the same message, with the latter further stating that the flagship instance of Nitter and [third-party-hosted](https://github.com/zedeus/nitter/wiki/Instances?ref=itsfoss.com) ones will be back up soon. A proper announcement is expected sometime within the next few days. ## What X's letter did ![a cutout from the official nitter website that shows an updated notice regarding the cease-and-desist letter sent by x corp](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/nitter-sep-7-update.png) On August 24, [X Corp](https://about.x.com/en?ref=itsfoss.com) sent out [cease and desist](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cease%5Fand%5Fdesist?ref=itsfoss.com) letters demanding a permanent takedown of Nitter instances and the project's repository. The deadline was 5 PM EST on August 25. Nitter complied, and **the repo was archived and marked as read-only**. nitter.net's content was replaced by a short notice (*which has since been updated*), and a popular instance, [XCancel](https://xcancel.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), halted its operations. TechCrunch, which obtained the letter, reports that X accuses Nitter of an "*unlawful use and circumvention of X's Application Programming Interface (API) and associated data*." X alleges that it has evidence that Nitter scraped X data and accessed X accounts and session tokens in violation of X's [rules](https://docs.x.com/developer-guidelines?ref=itsfoss.com), citing the [Texas Harmful Access by Computer Act](https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/docs/CP/htm/CP.143.htm?ref=itsfoss.com) and the [Lanham Act](https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/lanham%5Fact?ref=itsfoss.com). So far, X has not publicly commented on the shutdown or the reversal. ## Not the first time This is not the first time Nitter has been declared dead. In early 2024, [X removed the guest account feature](https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/02/twitter-front-end-nitter-dies-as-musk-wins-war-against-third-party-services/?ref=itsfoss.com) the project relied on, resulting in the project's lead, Zedeus, [announcing the end](https://github.com/zedeus/nitter/issues/1155?ref=itsfoss.com#issuecomment-1913361757). The project found a workaround and returned sometime in 2025. Nitter's inspiration, [Invidious](https://github.com/iv-org/invidious?ref=itsfoss.com), a privacy-friendly YouTube front-end that has had its own run-in with big tech lawyers, faced [a seven-day shutdown demand](https://github.com/iv-org/invidious/issues/3872?ref=itsfoss.com) from YouTube in June 2023. **Fast forward to now**. The project has kept going, and nothing came of the demand. Makes you think such moves exist to strong-arm open source projects into submission rather than enforce rules. To these companies, any project is worth a lawsuit if there is even a shred of justification. What remains is that Nitter says legal advice cleared it to continue, but not what that advice was or how instances will operate going forward. The announcement is where those answers come to us. ## This could escalate As far as I can see, X tried to choke such projects by closing the access they relied on back in 2024\. It didn't work. Now, in 2026, they tried [throwing the book](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/throw%20the%20book%20at?ref=itsfoss.com) by sending lawyers after them. Seeing that X leadership has been quite disruptive, I have a feeling that they won't back down this easily, and things will escalate. When they do, I hope the open source community stands behind projects like Nitter. ### Switzerland's Federal Government is Replacing Microsoft on 3,000 Computers URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/switzerland-replace-microssoft-pilot/ Last updated: 2026-09-06T15:23:30.000Z Switzerland's federal government has launched a pilot program to replace Microsoft 365 with open source alternatives across 3,000 workstations. That's about 7% of the federal workforce. The target is to complete the migration by end of 2027\. This move follows a successful proof-of-concept and a new digital sovereignty law. A separate fast-track military migration is also already underway. ## The great migration goes into the pilot phase The Federal Chancellery is investing CHF 9 million in an open-source workplace rollout for 3,000 federal employees. On September 3, 2026, the Federal Council published results of "PoC BOSS", a feasibility proof-of-concept involving 172 federal employees who tested the [openDesk](https://www.opendesk.eu/en?ref=itsfoss.com) suite, a German open-source collaboration platform. During the proof-of-concept phase, core office tasks like document processing and email received positive assessments, while large-scale video conferencing still showed technical limitations. Based on the 'success' of the PoC phase with 172 employees, the pilot is now launched for 3,000 employees. Do note that during the pilot phase, the new system runs in parallel with Microsoft 365 rather than replacing it outright. That's okay, I think. Migration of such kind should be gradual rather than sudden. If the pilot is successful, we might expect the migration to continue on all the 54,000 workstations owned by the federal administrations. That's my guess. ## Why? According to Matthias Stürmer, professor at the Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH), Microsoft’s supremacy in public institutions poses three problems that are driving this migration. First is the risk of foreign access. US cloud legislation could expose Swiss government data to foreign authorities. Second is the risk to service continuity, as dependency on a single foreign vendor creates operational risk. The third risk is the escalating costs as proprietary licensing fees are rising with no Swiss leverage. ## Swiss Army is already moving faster Switzerland's military cybersecurity unit, Cyber Command, is not waiting for the civilian pilot. It is [already poised](https://cybernews.com/tech/swiss-army-microsoft/?ref=itsfoss.com) to replace Microsoft 365 entirely with openDesk by October 2026. It is pretty much the same reason. Military doesn't want foreign governments accessing sensitive Swiss data. ## Part of a bigger plan Back in 2024, the [EMBAG Law](https://interoperable-europe.ec.europa.eu/collection/open-source-observatory-osor/news/new-open-source-law-switzerland?ref=itsfoss.com) came into effect. It requires all Swiss federal agencies to publish government-developed software as open source by default. The law also aims to promote digital sovereignty and encourage innovation and collaboration within the public sector. Then in [December 2025](https://www.admin.ch/en/newnsb/2VPWG78YrVs4eAVeiklQx?ref=itsfoss.com), the Federal Council designated digital sovereignty as a primary focus theme. It defines digital sovereignty as "the federal government being able to fulfil its essential mission without depending on an external supplier or country." Which is essentially moving away from big tech companies from the USA. Neighboring France and [Germany](https://itsfoss.com/news/german-state-ditch-microsoft/) have also been trying similar moves. Let's hope that the great Swiss migration succeeds and sets an example for other countries who may speed up their own plan of moving away from Microsoft. By the way, Microsoft has deep pockets, so they are also [investing over CHF 325 million to expand AI](https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss-ai/can-switzerland-work-without-microsoft/91745812?ref=itsfoss.com) and cloud infrastructure in Switzerland, partly to reduce the sovereignty argument. Let's see how things move from here, but so far, it is looking positive for us open source supporters. Source: [RTS](https://www.rts.ch/info/suisse/2026/article/microsoft-l-administration-federale-teste-des-alternatives-29346805.html?ref=itsfoss.com) ### I Tried This Rust Tool, and It Immediately Made Bash Modern URL: https://itsfoss.com/flyline/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T08:51:45.000Z Most Linux users benefit from GNU Readline without realizing it. It is the library responsible for Bash's interactive command-line editing, providing familiar features like cursor movement, command history, and basic tab completion. While [Readline is highly configurable](https://tiswww.cwru.edu/php/chet/readline/readline.html?ref=itsfoss.com), Readline's completion remains relatively simple out of the box. I came across a new tool called Flyline that takes Bash command completion to an entirely different level. No special configuration is required. 0:00 /0:56 1× For anyone who has control over their shell environment, Flyline could become a must-have terminal tool. [Flyline](https://github.com/HalFrgrd/flyline?ref=itsfoss.com) takes a different approach entirely. Instead of layering on top of Readline, it replaces it outright. It is built in Rust and [ratatui](https://ratatui.rs/?ref=itsfoss.com) to render richer, more interactive terminal interfaces than Readline. ## Exploring Flyline features When I installed Flyline for the first time and started using it, the difference was immediately noticeable. Command suggestions appeared as I typed, making it quicker to complete commands and move through my workflow. It makes working in the terminal noticeably faster. ### IntelliSense style autosuggestion As soon as you start typing, Flyline displays a completion popup right next to the cursor with matching suggestions. This keeps the suggestions close to where you're working, making it easy to complete commands without breaking your typing flow. 0:00 /0:29 1× Flyline IntelliSense Suggestion You can cycle through the available suggestions by pressing the Tab key, with the selected entry being updated on the command line in real time. If you prefer, the Up and Down arrow keys work just as well, and the completion list can also be navigated using the mouse. For longer lists, Flyline includes a functional scrollbar that lets you quickly jump through the available suggestions. Personally, I found it faster to keep typing and narrow down the results rather than reaching for the mouse, but it's nice to have the option. Once you've found the suggestion you want, press Enter to insert it into the command line and close the completion popup. ### Fuzzy search and path completion Traditional command completion usually expects you to type characters in the correct order. For example, typing `pamc` won't normally suggest `pacman`, since the entered characters don't match the expected sequence. 0:00 /0:29 1× Fuzzy Search Flyline addresses this with fuzzy search support. Instead of requiring an exact character order, it tolerates minor typos and partial matches, making it much easier to find the command you're looking for. This means you can type a bit more naturally without worrying about getting every character in the right place. The same fuzzy matching also works for file and directory paths. As you type, Flyline presents matching paths based on your input, allowing you to navigate deep directory structures with fewer keystrokes. I found this particularly useful when working with long or nested paths, where a small typo would normally require me to backtrack and start over. ### Automatic completion synthesis (a lifesaver) Not every command line tool ships with a completion script. Install a new CLI tool and you keep on pressing tab, and nothing happens. No suggestions appear. When that's the case, Flyline can generate one automatically by parsing the command's `--help` output and available man pages. I noticed this while trying `ffmpeg`, which didn't have a completion script on my system. When I typed: ``` ffmpeg -- ``` Flyline prompted me to generate a completion script for the command. After confirming, it analyzed the available documentation and created a completion definition on the fly. From that point onward, option completion for `ffmpeg` worked as expected. 0:00 /0:28 1× Synthesize Suggestions This is also useful for commands with dozens, or even hundreds, of available options. Instead of repeatedly opening the man page or running `--help` to look up an argument, I could simply rely on the generated completions and discover the available options as I typed. It makes working with feature-rich command-line tools much more convenient. ### Customize the cursor (for vanity) This isn't exactly a productivity feature, but it does make the terminal feel a bit more lively. If you've used the [Kitty terminal emulator](https://itsfoss.com/kitty-customization/), you might be familiar with its cursor animations. Flyline brings similar effects to virtually any terminal emulator, letting you customize how the cursor looks and behaves. To explore the available cursor options, run: ``` flyline set-cursor --help ``` This displays the various settings you can tweak, including cursor style and animation effects. For example, the following command adds a cursor trail that closely resembles Kitty's animated cursor, even if your terminal emulator doesn't support it natively. ``` flyline set-cursor \ --backend flyline \ --style "#33ccff" \ --interpolate 1.5 \ --interpolate-easing out-elastic \ --effect fade \ --effect-easing in-out-sine \ --effect-speed 2.0 ``` 0:00 /0:30 1× Cursor Trail Emulation ### A refined shell history Flyline also gives Bash's reverse history search a much nicer interface. Instead of the traditional incremental search prompt, it presents your command history in a dedicated view where you can see each command in full, search through previous entries, and even check when a command was executed. Refined History Just like command completion, history search also supports fuzzy matching. This makes it easier to find an older typed command, even if you don't remember the exact sequence of characters. What impressed me the most, though, was the **Canceled Commands** feature. The first time I pressed Alt+R, the list was empty. However, every command I subsequently interrupted with Ctrl+C, was automatically added there. Cancelled Commands Remember, it is the commands that are interrupted without executing are added to the cancelled list, and not those commands that are executed and then pressed CTRL+C. This list is kept separate from your regular shell history, so searching your normal command history with Ctrl+R remains unaffected, while cancelled commands are available through Alt+R. The only limitation is that the list is maintained per terminal session, so it is cleared once you close or reset the terminal. ### Working with AI agents Flyline can also work with your favorite AI assistant to turn plain English into executable Bash commands. Once you've configured an AI agent, you can simply describe what you want to do in natural language, and Flyline will ask the agent to generate the corresponding command. For example, you could type something like: ``` ai: list files older than three days ``` Pressing Alt+Enter, or simply Enter if you've configured a trigger prefix such as ai:, sends the prompt to the configured AI agent. Flyline then displays the generated command with syntax highlighting before you decide whether to run it. If the agent returns additional information in Markdown, Flyline renders that as well. I didn't test this feature personally. I will let you try and comment your experience with it. ### Prompt customization Flyline doesn't just enhance command editing, it also offers extensive prompt customization. You can build rich prompts with dynamic widgets, animations, left and right prompts, transient prompts, live time displays, and even your own custom widgets that run shell commands in the background. The project's documentation goes into great detail, complete with examples and screenshots for the various customization options. Rather than covering each one here, I've put together a sample configuration that combines several of these features, including a subtle animation. Simply append the following to your `~/.bashrc` to give it a try. ```bash # 1. Create the animation widgets flyline create-prompt-widget animation \ --name "SPINNER" \ --fps 12 \ '\e[38;2;137;180;250m⠋\e[0m' \ '\e[38;2;137;180;250m⠙\e[0m' \ '\e[38;2;137;180;250m⠹\e[0m' \ '\e[38;2;137;180;250m⠸\e[0m' \ '\e[38;2;137;180;250m⠼\e[0m' \ '\e[38;2;137;180;250m⠴\e[0m' \ '\e[38;2;137;180;250m⠦\e[0m' \ '\e[38;2;137;180;250m⠧\e[0m' \ '\e[38;2;137;180;250m⠇\e[0m' \ '\e[38;2;137;180;250m⠏\e[0m' flyline create-prompt-widget animation \ --name "PULSE" \ --fps 6 \ --ping-pong \ '\e[38;2;166;227;161m●\e[0m' \ '\e[38;2;116;199;236m●\e[0m' \ '\e[38;2;203;166;247m●\e[0m' # 2. Set prompt variables PS1='\e[1;32m\u@\h\e[0m:\e[1;34m\w\e[0m\nSPINNER PULSE \e[1;35m❯\e[0m ' PS1_FILL='─' RPS1='\e[38;2;249;226;175m\t\e[0m' PS2='\e[2mFLYLINE_PROMPT_LINE_NUMBER ›\e[0m ' # 3. Set transient history cleanup PS1_FINAL='\e[38;2;166;227;161m✔\e[0m \e[1;34m\w\e[0m \e[1;30m❯\e[0m ' RPS1_FINAL='' PS1_FILL_FINAL='' # 4. Enable cursor trail & motion flyline set-cursor \ --backend flyline \ --style "#cba6f7" \ --interpolate 1.5 \ --interpolate-easing out-elastic \ --effect fade \ --effect-easing in-out-sine \ --effect-speed 2.0 ``` Restart your terminal and enjoy the effects. 0:00 /0:11 1× Custom animated Prompt ## Install Flyline The easiest way to install Flyline is by using the official installation script. Open a terminal and run: ``` curl -sSfL https://github.com/HalFrgrd/flyline/releases/latest/download/install.sh | sh ``` The installer downloads the latest release and automatically updates your `~/.bashrc` to load Flyline, so there's no need to perform any additional setup manually. Once the installation is complete, launch the interactive tutorial with: ``` flyline run-tutorial ``` I recommend going through the tutorial before you start using Flyline. It walks you through onboarding, making it much easier to get comfortable with the enhanced editing experience. ## Uninstall Flyline If you decide Flyline is not for you, uninstalling it is straightforward. The installation script does not currently provide a dedicated uninstall option, so you need to remove the Flyline library and the line added to your `~/.bashrc` manually. Here is how the installation script installed Flyline. ![Installing Flyline using the official installer script.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/installation-step-flyline.png) Installing Flyline So, to uninstall, first, disable Flyline in the current Bash session: ```bash enable -d flyline ``` Now, remove the installed library: ```bash rm -f ~/.local/lib/libflyline.so* ``` Finally, open your `~/.bashrc` and remove the line that loads Flyline. It should look similar to this: ```bash enable flyline 2>/dev/null || enable -f "~/.local/lib/libflyline.so" flyline ``` ![Delete the Flyline command loading from Bash RC file.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/delete-the-flyline-from-bashrc.png) Delete Flyline from `~/.bashrc` file Save the file and start a new terminal session. Flyline should now be completely removed. ## Is there anything similar for ZSH? When I started using Flyline, apart from its intellisense style completion, I can't say it felt like a first in a lifetime moment, because I kind of used a similar functionality in [ZSH](https://linuxhandbook.com/learn-zsh/?ref=itsfoss.com) for some time. Flyline is designed exclusively for Bash, so you can't use it with Zsh. But, the combination of zsh-syntax-highlighting, zsh-autosuggestions, and zsh-autocomplete covers many of the features you'd expect from an IntelliSense-like command-line interface. Together, they offer inline suggestions, [syntax highlighting](https://linuxhandbook.com/zsh-syntax-highlighting/?ref=itsfoss.com), and interactive command completion that make working in the terminal much more comfortable. ZSH Autosuggestion, Syntax Highlighting and Auto Complete If you pair these plugins with a prompt framework like Starship or a Powerline-style prompt, you can build a polished and highly productive terminal environment. ## Wrapping Up Flyline is one of the new breed of terminal tools that are built in rust to be faster and provide features that either require too much config effort or not possible in classic GNU tools at all. From intelligent command completion and fuzzy search to AI-assisted command writing and prompt customization, [Flyline](https://github.com/HalFrgrd/flyline?ref=itsfoss.com) adds plenty of quality-of-life improvements without changing the shell you've grown accustomed to. Give Flyline a try. It's already a capable tool, and with active development, it'll be interesting to see how it evolves in the future. ### FOSS Weekly #26.36: Debian CERN Win, Faster Firefox, Free Bash Course, Grub Customization and More Linux Stuff URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-36/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T13:34:01.000Z Firefox 155 [has arrived quietly](https://itsfoss.com/news/firefox-155-faster-page-loads/), speeding up page loads with Happy Eyeballs v3 and QUIC v2\. And the timing is perfect for you to switch. Google just removed uBlock Origin from the Chrome Web Store, leaving Firefox one of the last non-Chromium browsers still supporting it. EndeavourOS 'Triton' is running late, so instead of that, the developers have introduced '[Titan Nova](https://endeavouros.com/news/titan-nova-is-available/?ref=itsfoss.com)' as a release mostly packed with hardware support enablement, misc fixes, Linux 7.1.8, and more. Vanilla OS 3 'Reunion' is out [with first-class ARM64 support](https://itsfoss.com/news/vanilla-os-3-release/), reproducible images, and GNOME 50\. New default apps include Ptyxis, Papers, and Resources, while snapshot backups come via the new Vanilla Continuity tool. Virtual machines add a layer; containers share one kernel, but Multikernel's approach avoids both. It gives each workload its own full kernel on real hardware. The [first public release](https://itsfoss.com/news/multikernel-public-release/) targets servers and SRE teams. Do you own an Apple iPhone? Well, then you might be missing the Continuity feature on Linux. Luckily, a developer [has managed to bring a comparable experience](https://itsfoss.com/news/tether-apple-continuity-on-linux/) with Tether, an open source app that carries iMessage, SMS, and OTP codes to Linux over Bluetooth. Debian 11 "Bullseye" [has reached end-of-life](https://www.debian.org/News/2026/20260831?ref=itsfoss.com), which means you have to either upgrade to a newer supported release, or stay on it, manually managing the security of your system. Speaking of Debian, the [CERN lab is migrating 2200 of its control systems to Debian 13](https://itsfoss.com/news/cern-debian-push/). That's a massive win for all of us Linux users. [LibreOffice 26.8](https://itsfoss.com/news/libreoffice-26-8-release/) contains no AI features, on purpose. TDF proudly markets its stance, promising that its office suite doesn't need to contact a server. Germany's Sovereign Tech Agency [is putting €508,640 into Flatpak](https://modal.cx/blog/announcing-flatpak-sta/?ref=itsfoss.com) over two years, involving a few other stakeholders. Seems like Flatpak is going to get stronger and more widespread. **This edition of FOSS Weekly is supported by privacy service provider,** [**AdGuard**](https://adguard.com/?aid=135612&ref=itsfoss.com)**.** SPONSORED [![CTA Image](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/Screenshot-From-2026-09-03-08-13-17.png)](https://adguard.com/?aid=135612&ref=itsfoss.com) If you do not want to set up and maintain Pi-hole, AdGuard is a better choice than browser-based ad blockers. ****It blocks ads on your device, not just your browser**. Imagine using Android ad-free. They are running a 'Back to School' promo and you g****et 40% off a 1-year license** or ****30% off a lifetime one**. One subscription ****protects up to 9 devices** and you enjoy a clean, distraction-free Web. There is also a ****60-day money-back guarantee** (in case you do not like it). Offer ends on 3rd Sep. That is today. So hurry up ⌛ [Get AdGuard ](https://adguard.com/?aid=135612&ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About AI crawlers are scraping the Linux kernel repo [in a way that results in unnecessary compute usage](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-repo-ai-overrun/), burning \~4.6 million times more compute for a worse copy of data that was always free to grab. A community leader in open source, Debian, [has voted to allow AI-assisted contributions](https://itsfoss.com/news/debian-allows-ai-contribution/), and the community response has been predictably split. One long-time Debian developer even quit over it. [Debian AI Vote has Divided the CommunityDebian is a big name, a leader in the community, so the decision Debian made is going to set a precedent. It may lead to more projects embracing AI as Debian leads the way.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-ca1933f6-f761-4269-a345-d98a416a7635.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/debian-ai-vote-ea489c9a-016d-4315-be05-a96e7d06a841.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/debian-allows-ai-contribution/) That's not the only divide. Omarchy is now a foundation backed by several tech leaders, 1Password CEO being one of them. And that has created a divide in both its employees and users. [This article provides context](https://itsfoss.com/news/1password-omarchy-pledge/). ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings How often do you think about which filesystem to install your OS on? Or swapping your kernel for a real-time build when you need it? Or moving your whole install to a different machine without a license headache? We list [ten things Linux does casually](https://itsfoss.com/things-linux-can-window-not/) that Windows either can't do or actively prevents. Ubuntu's built-in tiling is more capable than most people realize. We explore the various keyboard shortcuts, window gaps, and active window hints in [the default Ubuntu Tiling Assistant](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-tiling-windows/), then go further into the Tiling Shell extension for proper layout management. If you are absolutely new to bash shell scripting, we have a [10-part, hands-on bash learning series for you](https://itsfoss.com/bash-scripting-tutorial/). Good starting point for Linux users. [Bash Scripting Tutorial for BeginnersGet acquainted with bash scripting in this course for beginners.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-15154292-07ee-4e16-b91f-f7d4f78bd13f.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/bash-beginner-tutorial-0f3ddbfb-7482-4099-8e7d-ba26015d5b98.png)](https://itsfoss.com/bash-scripting-tutorial/) [Grub Customizer is a handy tool](https://itsfoss.com/customize-grub-linux/) that lets you change boot order in a multi-boot system. Desktop Linux is mostly neglected by the industry but loved by the community. For the past 14 years, It's FOSS has been helping people use Linux on their personal computers. And we are now facing the existential threat from AI models stealing our content. If you like what we do and would love to support our work, please become It's FOSS Plus member. It costs $49 a year (less than the cost of a McDonald's burger a month), and you get an ad-free reading experience with the satisfaction of helping the desktop Linux community. And there are also free Linux ebooks. [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner Switched routers, and now your headless Raspberry Pi can't go online? Pull the SD card, mount it on your Linux machine, then [follow these steps](https://itsfoss.com/change-raspberry-pi-wi-fi-from-sd-card/). 👇 [How to Change Raspberry Pi Wi-Fi Details From the SD CardNo need to connect the Raspberry Pi to a display and keyboard. Take out the SD card and modify the WiFi credentials directly.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-fa0f2c7d-7127-4ac0-9e38-4e1d35877f8f.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/change-wifi-details-raspberrypi-sd-card-d7d5e822-df7e-4345-98ab-6e34111325fd.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/change-raspberry-pi-wi-fi-from-sd-card/) Canonical has joined NVIDIA's [Open Secure AI Alliance](https://ubuntu.com/blog/open-secure-ai-alliance?ref=itsfoss.com), a coalition focused on building open tools for securing AI agents and the software stacks they run on. ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights [Image Toolbox](https://itsfoss.com/image-toolbox/) is the app for you if your life revolves around creating and posting content on social media. It is fully open source, doesn't sell you ads, and also has AI powers. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/image-toolbox.jpg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/image-toolbox-ai-tools-demo.jpg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/image-toolbox-presets-3.jpg) ## 📽️ Videos for You KDE's default terminal Konsole is an underrated but capable terminal emulator. [Check out this video and learn a few new tips](https://youtu.be/WeOjWPYh4cU?ref=itsfoss.com). [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip ![gnome files grid view captions tip](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/show-captions.png) If you are using the [Nautilus](https://itsfoss.com/nautilus-tips-tweaks/) file manager (*aka GNOME Files*), in the "*Icon*" options menu (*downwards arrow button*), go into "*Captions...*" and select "*Size*" and "*Detailed File Type*" captions for the "*First*" and "*Second*" options. This way, you will be shown essential folder/file information without needing to go into the property view or the terminal. ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse Seeing that Linux [recently turned 35](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7498225957804081152/?ref=itsfoss.com), why not try your hand at [a history trivia quiz](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/linux-history-trivia/)? [Linux History Trivia QuizAn enjoyable trivia quiz about Linux history.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-8647f72f-b55c-47de-902e-5ad8aede7a7e.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-history-trivia-quiz-e5b26805-6afa-4ae5-ab26-c704d3482ecc.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/linux-history-trivia/) Firefox is still a strong force againsta everything Chrome. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/firefox-meme.jpeg) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: Happy 34th birthday to SUSE! 🎂💚 Founded on September 2, 1992, SUSE made history as the world’s first provider of an Enterprise Linux distribution. 💡 Fun fact: The original name, S.u.S.E. GmbH, stood for "Software- und System-Entwicklung" (Software and Systems Development). **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: An old thread on the topic of [Linux distros that still support 32-bit](https://itsfoss.community/t/summary-linux-distributions-for-32-bits/15398?ref=itsfoss.com) has gone active again. Got any missing ones to add to the list? ### 1Password Just Pledged $300,000 to DHH's Omarchy, and its Own Employees Aren't Happy URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/1password-omarchy-pledge/ Last updated: 2026-09-06T14:10:27.000Z Omarchy has been on something of a roll now. Funding for its foundation has been climbing fast, from [an $8 million launch](https://itsfoss.com/news/omarchy-launches-omacom-foundation/) to $10 million a few weeks later, and now crossing $13 million with [the most recent pledge](https://omarchy.org/news/2026/09/omacom-foundation-reaches-13-million/?ref=itsfoss.com). What's drawn my attention are the first two [Corporate Patrons](https://omarchy.org/news/2026/08/1password-and-37signals-become-distinguished-corporate-patrons/?ref=itsfoss.com), 1Password and 37signals, both of whom have decided to pitch **$100,000 a year for the next three years**. Now, [37signals](https://37signals.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) I get; DHH is heavily involved there, but [1Password](https://1password.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) was a surprise entry. Naturally, not everyone's onboard with their pledge. ## Signs of disagreement This has not gone well with employees working at 1Password, with company leadership having to take certain damage control measures to assure their staff. An internal Slack message has surfaced (*courtesy of* [*The Verge*](https://www.theverge.com/tech/988536/1password-dhh-linux-controversy?ref=itsfoss.com)), which shows cofounder [Roustem Karimov](https://1password.com/company/meet-the-team/roustem-karimov?ref=itsfoss.com) downplaying the criticism, telling team members that: > people have different personal opinions. You believe in your heart that DHH is evil, that you have the moral high ground, and that nothing will change your mind. > > However, not everyone believes that. It is not fair to claim a monopoly and ostracize team members who might disagree with you. There are people who are afraid to speak up simply because they will be personally attacked. CEO [David Faugno](https://1password.com/company/meet-the-team/david-faugno?ref=itsfoss.com) responded on a different note, telling employees the company doesn't endorse DHH's views, while also claiming that **Omarchy is the second most used Linux distribution among 1Password's own users**. ## Why the backlash? [DHH](https://dhh.dk/?ref=itsfoss.com) is known to be someone who firmly falls on the "*right*" side of [the political spectrum](https://www.britannica.com/topic/political-spectrum?ref=itsfoss.com), someone who doesn't shy away from putting his opinions in public view. He regularly posts blogs that show where he stands on certain societal issues, and some of his recent writeups are what's fueling this particular backlash. His recent [July post](https://world.hey.com/dhh/wolves-sheep-and-gypsies-ba44af6a?ref=itsfoss.com), titled "*Wolves, sheep, and gypsies*," compares Denmark's wolf population with the Romani people camping in Copenhagen parks, where he argues: "*When gypsies take over public spaces, you deport them*." Then there's "*As I remember London*" from [September 2025](https://world.hey.com/dhh/as-i-remember-london-e7d38e64?ref=itsfoss.com), where he laments about London losing its native Brit majority and a nod of approval for a Tommy Robinson march. Of course, these aren't the only factors behind his disapproval, but you get the gist of it, right? ## Users could jump ship ![the pricing page for 1password that shows discounted pricing for the individual and families subscription options](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/1password-discounted-pricing.png) **How 1Password currently pitches its personal plans to new sign-ups.* If you search for the terms "*1Password*" and "*Omarchy*" right now, you are bound to run into the many comments made by disgruntled 1Password users on [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/1Password/comments/1w3xcix/dhh%5F1password%5Fand%5F37signals%5Fbecome%5Fdistinguished/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Hacker News](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49509876&ref=itsfoss.com). They are calling the choice tone-deaf, given how many smaller open source projects could've benefited from the money. Some are already jumping to [alternatives](https://itsfoss.com/open-source-password-managers/) like Bitwarden, while others suggest self-hosting Vaultwarden or going with KeePass and its forks instead. **I see the issue compounding too**. Back in February, [1Password raised subscription prices](https://www.zdnet.com/article/1password-price-increase-cheap-free-password-managers/?ref=itsfoss.com), taking effect at renewals from March 27\. Individual plans went up 33 percent from $35.88 to $47.88 a year, and family plans went up 20 percent from $59.88 to $71.88. Its community forum already has [a long thread](https://www.1password.community/1password-at-home-31/what-justifies-the-huge-subscription-price-increase-24103?ref=itsfoss.com) full of longtime users saying they were leaving over it. If 1Password continues playing with its users' trust like this, who knows what kind of exodus it will see next? ### Good News! CERN is Migrating Over 2,200 Control Systems to Debian 13 URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/cern-debian-push/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T09:51:52.000Z [Debian](https://www.debian.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) has gotten some good press thanks to Federico Vaga and Nikos Tsipinakis, who presented a talk at [MiniDebConf Winterthur](https://ch2026.mini.debconf.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) this past weekend. The two CERN engineers [laid out](https://ch2026.mini.debconf.org/talks/6-controlling-cerns-accelerators-with-debian/?ref=itsfoss.com) why the organization is moving its particle accelerator control computers onto [Debian 13](https://itsfoss.com/news/debian-13-release/), with more than 2,200 industrial computers and embedded systems set to run it by the end of 2026. Though this doesn't mean that the whole CERN IT infrastructure is being moved. The migration is specific to [the accelerator control](https://beams.cern/?ref=itsfoss.com) layer—the front-end computers that talk directly to the equipment running the beam. ## Why move? ![a flow-diagram style image that shows the multi-tiered infrastructure cern is going for with debian](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/current-infrasturcture-almalinux.png) **The multi-tiered infrastructure they are aiming for.* CERN ran a risk analysis in the second quarter of 2023, putting a number on what staying in the [Red Hat](https://www.redhat.com/en?ref=itsfoss.com) ecosystem would cost them. The estimate came out to roughly **CHF 5.4 million**, with around 11 hardware boards needing a full redesign, plus hiring two electronic engineers, two software engineers, and two technicians just to handle it. Racks would need reorganizing and rewiring, and **most systems would be affected during commissioning**. Even assuming bug-free replacements, CERN's own estimate put the odds of success at an optimistic *20 percent*. The reason for all that was a [compiler flag](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/computer-science/compiler-flag?ref=itsfoss.com). When Red Hat builds RHEL, it picks a minimum CPU generation the software will run on. RHEL 9's cutoff already excludes CERN's oldest boards, the kind running chips like Intel's old [Core 2 Duo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel%5FCore%5F2?ref=itsfoss.com), which comprises about 47 percent of their fleet. RHEL 10 raises that cutoff again, and this time even newer [Ivy Bridge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivy%5FBridge%5F%28microarchitecture%29?ref=itsfoss.com)\-generation boards, another 17 percent, fall on the wrong side of it. ## The release strategy ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/lts-release-chart.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/freexian-elts-release-chart.png) **The Debian LTS and Freexian ELTS release strategy paths.* CERN weighed two paths for keeping Debian aligned with its accelerator schedule. Plan A develops on [Bookworm](https://www.debian.org/releases/bookworm/?ref=itsfoss.com) through 2026, deploys [Trixie](https://www.debian.org/releases/trixie/?ref=itsfoss.com) as the long-term support release from 2026 to 2030, then moves to Debian 15 "Duke." Plan B skips that last jump, staying on Trixie under *extended long-term support* (ELTS) out to 2033 instead. A third option, running Bookworm itself under extended support the whole way, got ruled out. Either path depends on Debian's LTS and ELTS programs staying healthy, which is part of why **CERN has started sponsoring Freexian**, the Debian-focused services company behind those [support programs](https://www.freexian.com/lts/?ref=itsfoss.com). ## How it will be built The old setup ran on [NFS](https://wiki.debian.org/NFS?ref=itsfoss.com) and [tftpd](https://linux.die.net/man/8/tftpd?ref=itsfoss.com), a bootserver model that traces back to around 2005. The new one decouples the bootloader, kernel, init RAM disk, and userspace into separate pieces, then rebuilds delivery around [Kubernetes](https://linuxhandbook.com/courses/kubernetes/?ref=itsfoss.com). A controller compares the configuration CERN wants against what's actually deployed and redeploys automatically when the two fall out of sync, instead of relying on someone pushing files over NFS by hand. None of this touches CERN's data centers; this is specifically about the machines that keep the accelerator itself running. By the time the last quarter of 2026 closes out, CERN expects to have completed the migration. ### An Honorless Move! Ubisoft Decides Linux isn't Worth the Effort URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/for-honor-drops-linux-support/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T10:50:32.000Z [Gaming on Linux](https://itsfoss.com/linux-gaming-guide/) keeps getting better, Wine and the Proton compatibility layer keep opening up more of the Windows catalog, and community projects continue filling the gaps that big publishers leave behind. Take [Xodus](https://itsfoss.com/news/xodus-xbox-gamepass-linux/), for instance. The open source effort is looking to bring Xbox and Game Pass titles to Linux. Even though there are no playable builds yet, its direction says a lot about where Linux gaming is headed. The money aspect of the equation is catching up too. While not strictly a gaming-focused move, the recently launched [Omacom Foundation](https://itsfoss.com/news/omarchy-launches-omacom-foundation/), which backs Omarchy and the open source projects it relies on, already has [$12 million in funding](https://omarchy.org/news/2026/08/omacom-foundation-welcomes-brian-armstrong-and-yunjie-dai/?ref=itsfoss.com). Then you have Ubisoft, fresh off the success of [Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced](https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/game/assassins-creed/black-flag-resynced?ref=itsfoss.com) (*a mouthful, I know*), who are going the other way, breaking something that worked just fine before their meddling. ## They kicked out Linux **A placeholder video embed to show you what For Honor recently introduced.* Ubisoft [has announced](https://www.ubisoft.com/en-gb/game/for-honor/news-updates/4WKJhG6v6C9sbCOZkFZ6wG/ranked-faq?ref=itsfoss.com) that [For Honor](https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/game/for-honor?ref=itsfoss.com) is leaving the Linux platform. Starting **September 10**, the game will no longer be playable on Linux desktops or the Steam Deck. The removal of support lands the same day its *Ranked Dominion* and *Ranked Duel* modes go live. They are calling it **a move intended to safeguard players** by introducing additional measures for ranked play to ensure a fair competitive environment, adding that they "*cannot meaningfully deploy protection on this platform*." Ubisoft goes on to say that they: > will continue to investigate different ways to improve our anti-cheat with the possibility of reopening the platform in the future. Which is PR speak for. ***This has been put on the back burner*** and is not a priority for us. That makes me think that they would rather push out new pricey skins than support a minority portion of their player base. ## The same old shenanigans If you have been following Linux gaming-focused news, you might already know the script such big game publishers follow. [Roblox](https://itsfoss.com/news/roblox-linux-end/) blocked Wine users in 2023, while [GTA V Online](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-players-gta-v-support-dropped/) barred Linux players in 2024, and [Apex Legends](https://itsfoss.com/news/apex-legends-drops-steam-deck/) kicked out Steam Deck owners the same year. For Honor is the newest name [on a list](https://itsfoss.com/news/anti-cheat-problem-linux-gamers/) that keeps growing, and the provided rationale never really changes. What makes this one different is that **Ubisoft once opened the same door it is closing**. The company enabled Easy Anti-Cheat support for the Steam Deck [back in July 2023](https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/game/for-honor/news-updates/6jz99oXbJUVyK5h17fp6B8/patch-notes-2451-for-honor?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=for%20more%20details.-,EASY%20ANTI-CHEAT%C2%A0,-Updated%20Easy%20Anti), and the game has been playable there since. Now it is closing that door, saying protection *cannot be meaningfully deployed* on Linux, even though [Easy Anti-Cheat](https://dev.epicgames.com/docs/epic-online-services/trust-and-safety/anti-cheat-interfaces/anti-cheat-interfaces?ref=itsfoss.com#linux) has supported the platform for years. Heck, even Electronic Arts seemed to be coming around earlier this year when [a job listing](https://itsfoss.com/news/ea-anti-cheat-expansion-plans/) outlining a path for its Javelin anti-cheat to support Linux and Proton appeared. Though it is unclear how the new owners and leadership will steer the company, that plan may not survive in the end. Meanwhile, the handheld market keeps getting stronger, with SteamOS spreading to more devices than just the Deck. And you know what's the more troubling thing here? *Cheaters always find a way in, on Windows or anywhere else.* ### How to Change Raspberry Pi Wi-Fi Details From the SD Card URL: https://itsfoss.com/change-raspberry-pi-wi-fi-from-sd-card/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T09:38:30.000Z If your Raspberry Pi can no longer connect to Wi-Fi because the SSID or password changed, you can update the Wi-Fi configuration directly from its SD card. This helps when you cannot connect the device to a monitor and keyboard. That's what I did. I had switched to a different internet provider, and that changed the router, its SSID and the password. I was using a Raspberry Pi Pico W in [my Pi Dog](https://itsfoss.com/raspberry-pi-dog-review/). Connecting it to a screen and keyboard would have been a pain. The easier option was to just take out the SD card and edit the WiFi details directly there. The entire process is composed of the following step: - Insert the SD card with Raspberry Pi OS on it on your (Linux) computer - Go to the mounted rootfs partition and go to /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/ location - Here, either create or edit `.nmconnection` file and enter the wifi name (SSID) and password Let me show that in detail for you. 🚧 Older Raspberry Pi OS releases may use `wpa_supplicant.conf` instead of NetworkManager. In that case, this method may not entirely be applicable. I have tested it on Raspberry Pi 5 running Raspberry Pi OS based on Debian Trixie. ## Step 1: Connect the SD card to your computer Shut down the Raspberry Pi, remove the microSD card, and insert it into your Linux laptop or desktop using an SD card reader. Raspberry Pi OS usually has two partitions: ```text bootfs rootfs ``` The Wi-Fi configuration is stored inside the `rootfs` partition. ![Mounted rootf and bootfs partitions](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/raspberry-pi-wifi-change-sd-1-1.png) ## Step 2\. Find the SD card mount points Open a terminal and run: ```bash lsblk -f ``` You should see something similar to: ```text sda ├─sda1 vfat FAT32 bootfs B2F0-82D2 438.1M 13% /run/media/abhishek/bootfs └─sda2 ext4 1.0 rootfs 15f4c6be-1102-4331-9904-f78e78afd1fd 21.9G 18% /run/media/abhishek/rootfs ``` If you only see bootfs, mounted, you can mount rootfs from the file explorer. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/raspberry-pi-wifi-change-sd-3-1.png) As you can see, for me, the Raspberry Pi root filesystem is available at: ```bash /run/media/abhishek/rootfs ``` You can also confirm it with: ```bash mount | grep rootfs /dev/sda2 on /run/media/abhishek/rootfs type ext4 (rw,nosuid,nodev,relatime,errors=remount-ro,uhelper=udisks2 ``` ## Step 3\. Check the existing Wi-Fi configuration Recent Raspberry Pi OS releases store NetworkManager connection profiles here: ```text /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/ ``` 🚧 Make sure to use your own username and the correct path of rootfs and files by replacing them in the command examples. You can also keep on using $USER as this environment variable automatically uses your username. Since we are accessing Raspberry Pi OS through its SD card, run: ```bash sudo ls -la /run/media/$USER/rootfs/etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/ ``` If you already see a `.nmconnection` file, you can edit that file. ![Network manager connection file in rootfs of Raspberry PI SD card](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/raspberry-pi-wifi-change-sd-4-1.png) ### No nmconnection file? Create one If the directory is empty, create a new Wi-Fi profile. ``` touch /run/media/$USER/rootfs/etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/home-wifi.nmconnection ``` And then use a [terminal-based text editor like Nano](https://itsfoss.com/nano-like-editors/) or even Micro and add the following details: 🚧 In the text below, change the value of `ssid` and `psk` with your wifi access point name and its password. ``` [connection] id=home-wifi type=wifi interface-name=wlan0 autoconnect=true [wifi] mode=infrastructure ssid=YOUR-WIFI-SSID [wifi-security] key-mgmt=wpa-psk psk=YOUR-WIFI-PASSWORD [ipv4] method=auto [ipv6] method=auto EOF ``` ## Step 4\. Set the correct file permissions Your work is almost done. You just need to set the correct file permissions. That's because NetworkManager expects connection files to be readable only by root. To give it the [correct file permissions](https://linuxhandbook.com/linux-file-permissions/?ref=itsfoss.com), use the following command: ```bash sudo chmod 600 /run/media/$USER/rootfs/etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/home-wifi.nmconnection ``` Verify the permissions: ```bash sudo ls -l /run/media/$USER/rootfs/etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/ ``` The file should look something like: ```text -rw------- 1 root root ... home-wifi.nmconnection ``` ![Verify that the system connections file has correct file permission](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/raspberry-pi-wifi-change-sd-5.png) 📋 Before going further, double ensure that you have used the correct WiFi SSID and the password. Any typo and you will have to repeat the process. You won't want that to happen. ## Step 5\. Flush the changes to the SD card before removing This is an important step. After making all the changes, run this command: ```bash sync ``` The `sync` command makes sure any pending writes cached in memory are actually written to the SD card. And then you can either unmount from the file explorer or [use the umount command](https://linuxhandbook.com/umount-command/?ref=itsfoss.com) for both partitions: ```bash sudo umount /run/media/$USER/rootfs sudo umount /run/media/$USER/bootfs ``` You can now safely remove the SD card. ## Step 6\. Verifying the connection Insert the card back into the Raspberry Pi and power it on. After it boots, [check the devices connected on your network](https://itsfoss.com/how-to-find-what-devices-are-connected-to-network-in-ubuntu/) to find the Raspberry Pi's IP address. The simplest way would be to log in to your router and see the connected devices. Otherwise, [Angry IP Scanner](https://angryip.org/download/?ref=itsfoss.com#linux) is a good graphical tool for scanning your network. Command line tool nmap also does the job: ```bash sudo nmap -sn 192.168.0.0/24 ``` Normally, it should show your Raspberry Pi's hostname. You can also try to run scan before turning on Pi and a few minutes after turning it on. This should show the new devices that turn up between the two scans. Finally, check the connectivity with: ```bash ping RASPBERRY_PI_IP ``` Or, if [SSH is enabled on your Raspberry Pi](https://itsfoss.com/ssh-into-raspberry/), connect to it: ```bash ssh username@RASPBERRY_PI_IP ``` By the way, if you have [forgotten the user password of your Raspberry Pi](https://itsfoss.com/reset-raspberry-pi-password/), that can be easily reset too. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/06/pironman-5.webp) #### Pironman 5 Case With Tower Cooler and Fan This dope Raspberry Pi 5 case has a tower cooler and dual RGB fans to keep the device cool. It also extends your Pi 5 with M.2 SSD slot and 2 standard HDMI ports. [Explore Pironman 5](https://www.sunfounder.com/products/pironman-5-nvme-m-2-ssd-pcie-mini-pc-case-for-raspberry-pi-5?ref=itsfoss) Enjoy your Raspberry Pi 😄 ### Vanilla OS 3 Comes in Hot, Packing ARM64 Support After a Long Wait URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/vanilla-os-3-release/ Last updated: 2026-09-01T17:12:49.000Z My history with Vanilla OS goes back to 2022, when I covered [its debut stable release](https://itsfoss.com/news/vanilla-os-release/), just a month after I landed this gig at It's FOSS (*yapping about open source and Linux*). Since then, my focus has moved to other distros and governance-focused developments, though I did watch it [swap its Ubuntu base](https://itsfoss.com/news/vanilla-os-debian-ubuntu/) for a Debian Sid one and, from a distance, then go through an [Orchid-themed](https://itsfoss.com/news/vanilla-os-2-orchid/) overhaul in 2024. I never got around to actually running it later on (*or even reviewing it*), but that's how things go, I guess. If you haven't come across it before, [Vanilla OS](https://vanillaos.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is an immutable, atomic distro built around [ABRoot](https://abroot.vanillaos.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), with [Apx](https://apx.vanillaos.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) facilitating package installation inside containers instead of touching the base system directly. ## What's new in Reunion? ![fastfetch output of vanilla os 3 is shown inside a terminal window on the bottom-left, and the rest of the picture shows a gnome desktop with a yellow flower-themed wallpaper (a new addition to vanilla os)](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/vanilla-os-3-fastfetch-output.png) Well, if you are someone who is running **an ARM64-based setup**, be it a single-board computer, laptop, or a fully-fledged workstation that boots UEFI, then you will be glad to know that Vanilla OS now has proper support for the [ARM64](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AArch64?ref=itsfoss.com) platform. Every package now builds for both ARM64 and x86\_64, and the team isn't treating ARM64 as the lesser platform; functionality-wise, it's supposed to match the other one for one. And, with the exception of NVIDIA builds, **most images of Vanilla OS are now bit-for-bit reproducible**. That means you can rebuild an image yourself and check it matches what the project ships instead of just blindly trusting what their build infrastructure pumped out. ## The desktop-facing upgrades ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/vanilla-os-3-gnome-50.png) Powering the release is **Linux kernel 7.1.3**, which is accompanied by [GNOME 50](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-50-release/). While we have already talked a fair bit about this desktop environment release across other distro releases, here's a refresher for you. GDM now runs **Wayland only**, following through on the X11 removal GNOME backed away earlier. Fractional scaling also graduates out of its experimental flag this time around. You get a bunch of new default apps too. [Ptyxis](https://itsfoss.com/ptyxis-terminal-features/) takes over from Black Box, and its container support is the reason why you should keep an eye out for it. [Papers](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-papers-hands-on/) steps in for Evince with a noticeably more modern PDF reading experience, and [Resources](https://itsfoss.com/comparison/mission-center-vs-resources/) replaces GNOME System Monitor, giving you a clean look at what your apps and hardware are actually doing. Underneath, Apx and [VSO](https://docs.vanillaos.org/docs/en/vso-manpage?ref=itsfoss.com) now share [the same SDK](https://github.com/Vanilla-OS/sdk?ref=itsfoss.com), so config handling, permissions, and logging finally work the same way across both tools instead of each doing its own thing. ![a terminal window that shows vanilla os' continuity backup cli tool](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/vanilla-os-3-continuity-backup.png) Another new addition is [Vanilla Continuity](https://github.com/Vanilla-OS/continuity?ref=itsfoss.com), a snapshot-based backup and restore tool that works alongside ABRoot. If configured properly, it can save your home directory, whatever Flatpaks you have installed, and ABRoot's own metadata. Where those snapshots land is up to you. A local directory works by default, but you can also point Continuity at an external drive it encrypts with LUKS2, or send backups to a remote server over SFTP, FTP, or NFS. There's also the push for **community-built images** through a [Vanilla-Flavors](https://github.com/Vanilla-Flavors?ref=itsfoss.com) org on GitHub, which currently hosts the [china-image](https://github.com/Vanilla-Flavors/china-image?ref=itsfoss.com) flavor, which caters to people living in mainland China. If you want to build and maintain your own flavor, the Vanilla OS devs [are open to hearing from you](https://vanillaos.org/community?ref=itsfoss.com). ## Download Vanilla OS 3 Images for Vanilla OS 3 'Reunion' are live on the [official website](https://vanillaos.org/download?ref=itsfoss.com) right now. Though keep in mind that the download page will make you pick an architecture, then a donation amount. You can enter "0" as the amount to get the free download link, or you could enter a donation amount greater than zero to directly support the project and then download the ISO. [Vanilla OS 3](https://vanillaos.org/download?ref=itsfoss.com) At the time of writing, donations were not working via the PayPal integration the project has implemented. If you're already on Vanilla OS 2 Orchid (v1.4.0), this release will arrive as a normal system upgrade. If it's taking too much time, you can run this to get the release: ``` abroot upgrade ``` ### This Dev Spent 8 Years on Intel's Clear Linux, Now He's Undoing Its Biggest Mistake URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/the-ur-project-appears/ Last updated: 2026-09-01T14:02:23.000Z Auke Kok spent eight years working on [Clear Linux OS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clear%5FLinux%5FOS?ref=itsfoss.com) at Intel. Now he thinks he knows exactly what broke it, and he's trying to fix that by himself. In [a LinkedIn post](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7499950666367459328/?ref=itsfoss.com) this week, Auke, now a Linux Distribution Architect at Verge.io, introduced [The Ur Project](https://ur.foo-projects.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). It's a from-scratch Linux distribution build system he's been putting together in whatever spare time he has. "*This project is not a corporate effort*," he writes, and as far as I can see, no company, or even foundation for that matter, is backing it. Besides, as you might remember, [Intel discontinued Clear Linux OS](https://itsfoss.com/news/clear-linux-os-discontinued/) last year. ## Where Clear Linux fell short Auke has been [writing regularly](https://ur.foo-projects.org/posts/if-you-found-this/?ref=itsfoss.com) on The Ur Project website about what he thinks went wrong the first time. The biggest one, in his own words, was that they "*made it way too hard for the community to contribute*." Simple things, like testing his own code change or carrying out regular incremental development, were needlessly painful, he says. **The release process didn't help either**. Mismatched dashboards and a combination of old and new tooling were bolted together just to track daily updates. Keeping pace with an assortment of daily updates meant stitching together a growing pile of disconnected tools and interfaces, all running on CDN and hardware resources a solo project at this stage will never have access to. ## A build system, not a distro The Ur Project isn't meant to be some [shiny new atomic distro](https://itsfoss.com/stillos-review/), at least not yet. The priority right now is to work on the machinery behind it, not offer a polished product. **Everything runs on Rust**, on both the part that builds packages and the part that installs them, sharing the same underlying code. Packages are defined through what Auke calls **recipes**, declarative TOML files that describe what a package needs without prescribing exactly how to build it, an idea he compares to "*your grandmother's collection of cooking recipes*." Build steps aren't scripted by hand. Instead, a set of probes inspects the source and decides how to compile it. Repositories run on [TUF](https://theupdateframework.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) to keep updates signed and verifiable, with content-addressed storage handling deduplication so identical files across packages only get stored once. Every package carries provenance data documenting how it was built, and Auke says the system is designed so **builds can be reproduced bit for bit**. The same underlying system can output an **OCI container**, a **live USB image**, a **cloud image**, or a **plain installed system**. ## AI is involved LLMs are only tasked with writing test suites and build definitions for specific package types. The build system itself stays deterministic. It **runs without any AI agent present**, and MCP integrations were deliberately kept out of routine packaging work. For now, what's available is the website, Auke's regular blog posts on The Ur Project, and the [Forgejo instance](https://code.foo-projects.org/explore/repos?ref=itsfoss.com) that hosts the code. He is currently in the process of figuring out the hosting, letting people actually pull images and repositories. That will take a few more days before it's ready. Once that's sorted, he plans to publish bootable images for both cloud deployments and live USB use. ### Firefox 155 Adds Two New Changes for Faster Web Browsing URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/firefox-155-faster-page-loads/ Last updated: 2026-09-01T11:03:42.000Z In a very low-key manner, [Firefox 155](https://www.firefox.com/en-US/firefox/155.0/releasenotes/?ref=itsfoss.com) has arrived as the latest stable release for the popular privacy-focused web browser. While there are a range of refinements with this release, we will be focusing on two technical ones that change how Firefox handles webpage loading. *Happy Eyeballs v3* and *QUIC v2 support for HTTP/3*. ## Happy Eyeballs v3 Instead of testing one path and hoping it works, **Firefox now tries a handful of ways to reach a website side by side** and goes with whichever one answers first. There's nothing to turn on and nothing to configure. You'll just notice fewer pages that sit there loading while Firefox figures out how to actually get through to the site. You see, every time Firefox loads a page, it first has to decide how to reach the server behind it. And there's often more than one option. An IPv4 address, an IPv6 address, sometimes both, and depending on the site, a choice between HTTP/2 and the newer HTTP/3\. Older Firefox versions picked one option and waited to see if it worked before trying the next, so a slow or broken first guess meant the page just sat there without loading. [Happy Eyeballs v3](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-ietf-happy-happyeyeballs-v3/?ref=itsfoss.com) is what changes that. Firefox fires off connection attempts down several of these paths at once and runs with whichever one lands first, instead of committing to a single guess at the beginning. Officially, Happy Eyeballs v3 is **still an IETF draft** rather than a finished RFC, authored by engineers at Apple and Google. Mozilla's own developer notes for this release describe the feature as **currently supported on some platforms only**, without naming which ones. ## QUIC v2 for HTTP/3 [QUIC](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Glossary/QUIC?ref=itsfoss.com) is one of the pieces of tech behind how fast a website loads today, and Firefox 155 adds support for [a slightly newer version](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9369.html?ref=itsfoss.com) of it. What actually matters isn't the new version itself. It's that Firefox [can switch to it instantly](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9368.html?ref=itsfoss.com), skipping the back and forth that normally happens when two computers don't immediately agree on which version to use. That back-and-forth used to cost an extra trip across the internet and back. Now it doesn't. [HTTP/3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP/3?ref=itsfoss.com) is the newest version of the protocol that moves data between your browser and a website, and runs on QUIC rather than the older [TCP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmission%5FControl%5FProtocol?ref=itsfoss.com). Setting up a secure connection over QUIC takes one round trip instead of several, which is a big part of why HTTP/3 feels quicker on shaky connections. ## This is the right time to switch ![the about dialog of firefox 155 (deb package) is shown here, with ublock origin extension also shown as being installed (top-right)](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/firefox-155-about-dialog.png) **Firefox with uBlock Origin installed.* Might I add, **this is the best time to switch to Firefox**. uBlock Origin's full version has been broken on Chrome since [Google disabled Manifest V2](https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/develop/migrate/mv2-deprecation-timeline?ref=itsfoss.com) back in July 2025, and yesterday Google [kicked it out](https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/releases/tag/1.74.0?ref=itsfoss.com) from the Chrome Web Store entirely. Now, only [uBlock Origin Lite](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/ublock-origin-lite/ddkjiahejlhfcafbddmgiahcphecmpfh?ref=itsfoss.com) remains. Of course Firefox was never really affected by what Google did, consistently supporting the full uBlock Origin experience without any nerfs in its ad-blocking abilities. You can get its latest release via the [Firefox Add-ons](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ublock-origin/?ref=itsfoss.com) portal. That is not all; **the 155 release also has many other new additions**, like the [Smart Window](https://www.firefox.com/en-US/smart-window/?ref=itsfoss.com) rollout (*limited to users residing in the US, Canada, or France*), blocked tracker counts in the address bar, and the ability to reorder containers. Any of which could cajole you further into [switching away](https://itsfoss.com/firefox-based-browsers/) from Chrome or any other Chromium-based browser. ## Get Firefox 155 Binaries for Firefox 155 are available already, though [the official download page](https://www.firefox.com/download/?ref=itsfoss.com) hasn't caught up with the new build yet; it should get there shortly. If you can't wait and would rather get this release now, although I would advise waiting. 🚧 Your Linux distribution should offer you the new version pretty soon. It is better to get updates via the official distro method. Mozilla's [FTP mirror](https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/155.0/?ref=itsfoss.com) already has the 155.0 builds for **Linux**, **Windows**, and **macOS**. Remember to select the correct platform and language options to get the package relevant for your computer's specs. On my Ubuntu setup, I went with: `linux-x86_64 > en-US > firefox-155.0.deb` [Firefox 155 (FTP)](https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/155.0/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Tether Brings the Apple Continuity Experience to Linux URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/tether-apple-continuity-on-linux/ Last updated: 2026-08-31T12:32:04.000Z [Zack Bartel](https://zackbartel.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a developer who switched to Linux full time and hasn't really looked back at his earlier daily driver, macOS, as something he would return to. There is, however, an exception. Continuity. That is Apple's [catch-all term](https://www.apple.com/macos/continuity/?ref=itsfoss.com) for how iPhone, iPad, and Mac talk to each other. It covers a wide range of small conveniences. Copy something on the iPhone and paste it on the Mac. Start an email on one device and finish it on another. Take a call from the Mac even when the phone is across the room. But, to no one's surprise, **there's a gap in its support**. It doesn't officially work on Linux. So Zack built **Tether**, [an open source project](https://zackbartel.com/blog/2026/08/tether/?ref=itsfoss.com) that replicates pieces of that experience on Linux without requiring a Mac device. ## What does it handle? ![two app windows are shown here, on the left is a terminal window showing two command runs related to tether, and on the right is the gui app for tether with no iphone connected](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/tether-gui-cli-demo.png) Considering an app whose [first release](https://github.com/zackb/tether/releases/tag/v0.1.0?ref=itsfoss.com) was just a few months ago in May, Tether covers a lot of ground already. **Clipboard sync**, **file transfer**, **OTP autofill**, **iMessage**, **SMS**, **notifications**, and **contact sync** are all live right now, with some of them being in the beta stage of availability. A background [daemon](https://github.com/zackb/tether/tree/main/src/daemon?ref=itsfoss.com) called [tetherd](https://github.com/zackb/tether/blob/main/docs/man/man8/tetherd.8.in?ref=itsfoss.com) handles inter-device communication on Linux, talking to a CLI and a native GTK4 app for pairing. A SwiftUI iPhone app finds the daemon automatically over [Bonjour](https://developer.apple.com/bonjour/?ref=itsfoss.com). **Linux has no supported way into iMessage or SMS**, and Zack ruled out the common workaround of proxying everything through an actual Mac. [ancs4linux](https://github.com/pzmarzly/ancs4linux?ref=itsfoss.com) and [BlueFerry](https://github.com/erikwb/blueferry?ref=itsfoss.com) supplied enough Bluetooth groundwork for him to build his own path, though both are GPL-licensed, so a [clean room](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clean-room%5Fdesign?ref=itsfoss.com) C++ rewrite kept Tether licensed under **MIT**. **To secure it all**, he built the pairing process on [mTLS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutual%5Fauthentication?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=%5B5%5D-,mTLS,edit,-By%20default%20the), so the iPhone and the Linux daemon each have to prove who they are before anything connects. Security sweeps run regularly on the codebase too via Anthropic's Opus and Fable AI models. Before you say that [KDE Connect](https://kdeconnect.kde.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) already does a lot of what Tether does, know that Zack is aware of its existence and calls it great, but points out that the app doesn't cater to the use cases he had in mind. ## Get it running ![an illustration showing off the architecture diagram of the tether linux companion app for ios](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/tether-marketing-banner.png) For **Arch Linux** users, Tether is available via the [AUR](https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/tether-bin?ref=itsfoss.com); you can get it by running the following command: ``` yay -S tether ``` If you don't know what [Yay](https://itsfoss.com/install-yay-arch-linux/) is, it is an AUR helper that makes the process of getting packages from the Arch User Repository easy. Though you do have to take note of [the risks](https://itsfoss.com/news/arch-linux-aur-malware-flood/) associated with using the community-run platform. For **other distros**, the project's [GitHub](https://github.com/zackb/tether/releases?ref=itsfoss.com) repo carries `.deb` and `.rpm` packages built for recent releases. **On your Apple iPhone**, you will have to download the [Tether - Linux Companion](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tether-linux-companion/id6762097135?ref=itsfoss.com) app from the App Store, which needs your device to be running at least **iOS 26.1 or later**. [Tether](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tether-linux-companion/id6762097135?ref=itsfoss.com) There's also **two extensions that you will need** if you want OTP autofill to work properly. The [Firefox extension](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/tether-browser-extension/?ref=itsfoss.com) drops codes into login forms the moment they arrive, and the [Thunderbird extension](https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/addon/tether-mail-extension/?ref=itsfoss.com) watches your inbox for anything that looks like a verification code and hands it off to the Tether app running on your Linux machine. ### AI Crawlers Are Bleeding The Linux Kernel Repo's Compute Power URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-repo-ai-overrun/ Last updated: 2026-08-31T10:11:41.000Z If the past few weeks are any indication, more and more open source projects are drawing lines around how much AI they will let into their workflow and codebases before it's too much. Debian just voted to [allow generative AI](https://itsfoss.com/news/debian-allows-ai-contribution/) in project contributions, while Rust adopted [a tiered policy](https://itsfoss.com/news/rust-code-repo-ai-policy/) that keeps AI mostly out of the actual code. Both of these projects tackled the same underlying question. And now, Linux, one of the biggest open source projects around, is getting hammered by [scrapers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web%5Fscraping?ref=itsfoss.com), mostly AI-powered ones, sending the same repetitive requests over and over and burning through compute capacity. Most of it has nothing to do with anyone actually writing code, btw. 🙃 ## This is absurd Konstantin Ryabitsev of the Linux Foundation has [put out numbers](https://people.kernel.org/monsieuricon/creepy-crawlies?ref=itsfoss.com) behind a complaint he has been voicing for a while now. Fourteen of [git.kernel.org](https://git.kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com)'s 90 CPU cores, spread across five nodes, spend every second of every day turning commits into HTML pages. On the outside, you might think, ***What's the problem with this?*** Every commit in Linux's history sits out in the open, is free to clone, and predates the wave of AI tools now scraping it. You see, all of those characteristics are precisely what makes the repository a "*goldmine of learning data*." It houses the mainline kernel tree, every stable release branch going back years, dozens of subsystem maintainer trees, and even pre-git history from the [BitKeeper](https://www.bitkeeper.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) era. **What's actually absurd** is the way these [clankers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clanker?ref=itsfoss.com) are going about the scraping business. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/git-kernel-org-cpu-crawl-vs-clone.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/git-kernel-org-funnel.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/git-kernel-org-hits-vs-bytes.png) **Sourced from Konstantin Ryabitsev.* Konstantin ran the numbers on it and found out that a regular clone of [linux.git](https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/?ref=itsfoss.com), going through its whole commit history locally, takes about 200 CPU-seconds of server time. Scraping the same 1.48 million commits through cgit's individual pages instead eats up 280 CPU-hours. 📋 Read [this](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CPU%5Ftime?ref=itsfoss.com) if you want to understand how those two CPU time units work. Do that same scrape across every one of the 922 forks hosted on the server, and the total balloons to **258,160 CPU-hours**, something like 4.6 million times more expensive than a single clone. *All that for a worse copy of data that was already free to grab in the first place.* 🤭 And that's before counting the separate URLs [cgit](https://git.zx2c4.com/cgit/about/?ref=itsfoss.com) hands out for every patch, diff, and plain-text view of each commit too, which is what pushes the number of pages a single fork exposes into the quadrillions. **Blocking them turned into an arms race**. [Fail2Ban](https://github.com/fail2ban/fail2ban?ref=itsfoss.com) and IP bans worked until bots spread across whole subnets. [ASN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous%5Fsystem%5F%28Internet%29?ref=itsfoss.com) blocks worked too, until millions of residential and mobile IPs took over instead. [Anubis](https://anubis.techaro.lol/?ref=itsfoss.com) came next, being erected as a *proof-of-work* wall bots had to solve before getting through. It worked for a while until the clankers started solving increasing levels of challenge difficulty. Wrapping up the writeup, Konstantin notes that: > However, you should know that out of the total of the 90 cores across 5 geo distributed nodes, there are 14-16 cores that are constantly doing nothing but rendering commits for scrapers. > > On average, that's 20% of our entire capacity — except the swarms descend in waves and the actual graph is a lot more spiky than a 20% flatline. Further speculating that **when the AI bubble bursts**, the project will quickly see a substantial decrease in the amount of "*entities*" (*his labeling of the scrapers*), trying to feed *git.kernel.org* to their models. Though he also hopes they "*smarten up*" and stop scraping their data in the "*dumbest way possible*." If you did not know who [Konstantin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mricon/?ref=itsfoss.com) is, he is the director of IT infrastructure security for the Linux Foundation and one of the sysadmins who keeps [kernel.org](https://www.kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) up and running. ## AI is inherently greedy None of this compute waste is unique to *git.kernel.org*. It is just **the clearest example we have got so far**. Feeding a model means burning through cycles on tasks that could be done in a fraction of the time, and right now nobody building these systems seems particularly bothered by that math. The only approach these systems seem to know is the one your average billionaire runs on, say a fictional one like [Carter Pewterschmidt](https://familyguy.fandom.com/wiki/Carter%5FPewterschmidt?ref=itsfoss.com). Already has more than enough. Still wants more. Does not particularly care how it gets there. Stay on that path long enough, and the greed stops paying for itself. Plenty of companies are already finding out the hard way, and [the numbers back it up too](https://www.profgmedia.com/p/is-ai-more-expensive-than-the-employees?ref=itsfoss.com). ### Debian AI Vote has Divided the Community URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/debian-allows-ai-contribution/ Last updated: 2026-08-30T05:23:46.000Z Debian has now officially voted to allow the use of generative AI in project contributions. And as you can expect, such a decision doesn't go well with everyone. There are people who are indifferent to the decision, and then there are people who cannot tolerate anything AI in their favorite open-source projects. Let's see what Debian has decided. ## Debian says yes to "Responsible Use Of Generative AI" After weeks of discussion and voting, Debian has said yes to AI. While you can [read the entire proposal here](https://www.debian.org/vote/2026/vote%5F002?ref=itsfoss.com#texte), it basically comes down to this: AI tools are permitted for development, maintenance, and documentation work. They can improve contributor productivity when used responsibly. Every AI-assisted contribution must meet the same quality, correctness, and legal standards as any other. No exemptions. Contributors must understand, review, test, and where needed, modify AI-generated output before submitting it. The responsibility stays entirely with the human. Disclosure of AI use is encouraged but not mandatory. Sharing confidential or security-sensitive information with third-party AI services is explicitly not allowed. Large-scale automated changes need prior community discussion and human oversight before going through. ## A divided community...no surprises The community is divided yet again. There are people who are dead against anything AI and they have expressed their strong displeasure. When I shared the news on It's FOSS X account, the comment section was livid. Some were fine, but some called it names like "Linslop", "debAIn", "Slopian" but some even mentioned switching to BSD. A major outrage came from [Debian developer Antoine Le Gonidec who decided to quit the project](https://lists.debian.org/debian-project/2026/08/msg00041.html?ref=itsfoss.com). > I can not support the current decision of Debian about LLM use, and am no longer willing to be seen as a part of Debian under these new rules. Pretending to have a "neutral stance" when faced with fascism is not neutrality, it’s active collaboration. ![Antoine Debian contributor resigns](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/antoine-debian.jpeg) Image courtesy [Brian Lunduke on X](https://x.com/LundukeJournal/status/2093694967793229881/photo/1?ref=itsfoss.com) ## Say yes to AI...or not? From GCC to Fedora, almost every open source project out there is creating new guidelines around AI-generated code and contributions. Some have completely closed the doors on AI. For example, Oracle won't allow AI-generated contributions to OpenJDK. GCC did the same and disallowed any AI-generated code from the compiler code. But some took a more mild approach towards it. [Linux kernel project itself now allows AI-assisted code](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-ai-coding-assistants-policy/) but with some ifs and buts. Patches that used AI, has to be tagged accordingly. The AI generated code still has to follow GPL 2.0\. There are more such rules. Debian is a big name, a leader in the community, so the decision Debian made is going to set a precedent. It may lead to more projects embracing AI as Debian leads the way. In my opinion, AI-assisted coding will be (or already is) the new norm, whether we like it or not. The young developers will grow up with them and rely heavily on them. And at some points, projects would have to "compromise" otherwise the number of contributors will drastically reduce as it will start getting difficult to find contributors who could code without any assistance from AI. This is the same logic applied to increasing use of Rust over C in the Linux kernel. Memory safety aside, the young developers are more comfortable with Rust. Inclusion of Rust means more young contributors, which is good for the long-term future of projects. The important thing here is that programmers should not handover the reign to AI blindly. They should be able to steer the AI in the right direction and not churn out inefficient, poor quality slop code. *💬 Your turn now. Did Debian do the right thing or not? Share your thoughts in the comments.* ### Content Creators Will Love This FOSS Android App URL: https://itsfoss.com/image-toolbox/ Last updated: 2026-08-28T14:21:46.000Z If you are a content creator in 2026, then I am sure you end up juggling through a stack of apps and browser-based tools for the same handful of jobs. One resizes an image, another handles format conversion, a third takes care of watermarks, and a website somewhere tells you the exact pixel dimensions Instagram, X, or YouTube expects. None of those steps take long on their own, but doing them one after another for every single post does add up. **Image Toolbox** is built to make all that easier. It's an Android app that offers resizing, format conversion, watermarking, and platform-accurate exports under one roof. ## What can it do for you? ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/image-toolbox-ai-tools-demo.jpg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/image-toolbox-1.jpg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/image-toolbox-updates-check-dialog.jpg) Working under the name "*T8RIN*," [Malik Mukhametzyanov](https://github.com/T8RIN?ref=itsfoss.com) has come up with Image Toolbox, offering it for free **without any advertisements inside the app**. For you, as a content creator, the tools that matter the most are batch processing, format conversion, the 61 built-in export presets sized for platforms like Instagram, X, and YouTube, background removal, and watermarking. The latter, background removal, comes in both automatic and manual modes, with a choice of models including *MlKit*, *U2Net*, *RMBG*, and *BiRefNet*. It's built in **Kotlin**, uses [Image Toolbox Libs](https://github.com/T8RIN/ImageToolboxLibs?ref=itsfoss.com) for shared components, and [Coil](https://github.com/coil-kt/coil?ref=itsfoss.com) for image loading. The whole project is released under the **Apache License 2.0**. ## I used it for a while ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/image-toolbox-sidebar-menu-1.jpg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/image-toolbox-sidebar-menu-2.jpg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/image-toolbox-sidebar-menu-3.jpg) When you first launch it, Image Toolbox asks you for the usual set of notification and file access-related permissions, along with a dialog that lets you opt out of update checks. Before I started editing images, I first tweaked the app to my liking. In the sidebar menu, I noticed that the app had pulled the purple straight off my phone's [Dynamic color](https://source.android.com/docs/core/display/dynamic-color?ref=itsfoss.com) setting which was nice, and I then turned on "Amoled mode" for getting a deep black-themed interface. That was followed by a prompt switching of the app to "*Dark*" mode instead of "*System*." Of course there's a lot more buried in there, like separate categories for *Layout*, *Confetti*, *Vibration*, *Screen*, *Text*, and *Behavior*. I left most of it untouched, as the default configuration was good enough for me. I kept the focus of my testing limited to a few tool entries (*among 100+ tools*), as many of the smaller tools kept appearing in the same editor. First up was **Single Edit**, which I used to play around with an image's quality, dropping the quality slider to 7 percent, and watching it turn into an oil painting with no realism whatsoever. During that, the file size for the 3.8 MB photo went down to \~128 kb. I used the three buttons right below the preview to fully rotate and mirror the image horizontally too. [Exif](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exif?ref=itsfoss.com) editing also lives in the same area, with parameters like capture date, compression, camera make, and camera model all being editable without me needing to leave the app. I changed the camera make and model values, and the changes were reflected successfully when I saved the image. Though I did go a bit overboard with tone curves, where I pushed the RGB curve too far, and a simple picture of a cloudy day turned into a fever dream. 😅 🖼️ You can check the output [here](https://imgur.com/a/ss4aZCW?ref=itsfoss.com). ## It has AI powers **AI Tools** was next. I added an image of a clock tower and went with the default/already downloaded [U2NetP model](https://huggingface.co/BritishWerewolf/U-2-Netp?ref=itsfoss.com) that specializes in background removals. I set the output format to be `WEBP` and clicked on the save button. It took some time to process the image, but the end result was an image with its background removed. 👇 ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/image-toolbox-ai-tools-1.jpg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/image-toolbox-ai-tools-2.jpg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/image-toolbox-ai-tools-3.jpg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/image-toolbox-ai-tools-4.jpg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/image-toolbox-ai-tools-5.jpg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/image-toolbox-ai-tools-6.jpg) As you can see above, Image Toolbox gave me a clean output in the requested file format, without any particularly bad artifacting or overcuts. Zoom in, though, and the edges do lack sharpness. I think that's acceptable for a deep learning model that size. You also have the freedom to opt for heavier, more powerful models if required. 🖼️ You can check the converted (**WEBP>PNG*) output [here](https://imgur.com/a/YdqMK9l?ref=itsfoss.com). Finally, I checked out "*Presets*" under the **Resize and Convert** tool, which basically showed me the same interface as *Single Edit*. The horizontally scrollable list had a variety of aspect ratios to fit the various social media platforms. I picked an image from the gallery and then proceeded to look for the right aspect ratio preset. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/image-toolbox-presets-1.jpg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/image-toolbox-presets-2.jpg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/image-toolbox-presets-3.jpg) I ended up using the 4:5 aspect ratio preset for getting an Instagram-ready image. Though I admit it came out a bit squeezed, the image itself didn't really lose its quality or colors. 🖼️ You can check the output [here](https://imgur.com/a/mAP4Fxw?ref=itsfoss.com). ## Track usage Image Toolbox ships with a "**Usage Statistics**" page, accessible via the chart-looking button at the top. Its job is to quietly track things like app opens, which tools you reach for most, and how much data you've saved along the way. Don't worry, **nothing gets sent to some data mining server**; everything stays on the device. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/image-toolbox-usage-statistics-1.jpg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/image-toolbox-usage-statistics-2.jpg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/image-toolbox-notifications.png) My statistics showed me a total of 3 app opens, 19 tool opens, around 14 MB in data savings, and WEBP as my most-used format. And if you prefer multitasking, then you can queue up a batch of images and just check the notification panel for updates instead of keeping the app window open. ## Install it on Android The sheer number of tools and settings in here might overwhelm you, though that does come down to personal preference. For me, **there's plenty in this app I'll probably never touch**. It makes me want a stripped-down version, something lighter on storage and memory; that would help it run better on older devices too. There are two main app store listings for Image Toolbox. On [F-Droid](https://f-droid.org/packages/ru.tech.imageresizershrinker/?ref=itsfoss.com), it is under Malik's own name, and on the [Play Store](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ru.tech.imageresizershrinker&ref=itsfoss.com), it is under the "*ProgiX*" publisher name. Both are the same app, but the F-Droid version is a "***FOSS***" build that ditches Google-related trackers and dependencies, while the Play Store version is a "***Market***" build that keeps them, including analytics and crash reporting. [Image Toolbox](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ru.tech.imageresizershrinker&ref=itsfoss.com) There's **no separate paid plan** available here either; the lead dev only asks for [donations](https://boosty.to/t8rin?ref=itsfoss.com) via the sidebar menu. You can also download APK files for all the variants of Image Toolbox from [the Releases page](https://github.com/T8RIN/ImageToolbox/releases?ref=itsfoss.com) in the project's [GitHub](https://github.com/T8RIN/ImageToolbox?ref=itsfoss.com) repo. ### You Can Now Run Multiple Linux Kernels on One Machine at Once URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/multikernel-public-release/ Last updated: 2026-08-27T18:07:01.000Z [Multikernel Technologies](https://multikernel.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) has put out **mklinux v7.0-mk2**, the first public release of the multikernel Linux tree it's been building since last year. The basic premise of the project is that one physical server can run several independent Linux kernels side by side, each with its own dedicated CPUs and memory. So, the same box could run a database on one kernel and a GPU training job on another without either kernel touching the other's resources. Don't worry, it isn't some obscure copy but rather a direct fork of the [Linux kernel](https://www.kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) with a bunch of patches added that give it such a high level of parallel play. ## How it works ![a comparision-style illustration that compares multikernel architecture with virtual machines and containers](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/multikernel-architecture-comparision.png) One kernel runs as the host, controlling the machine's CPUs, memory, and PCI devices. When it spins up a new kernel instance, that instance gets its own dedicated slice of hardware and boots straight onto it using Linux's [kexec](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man8/kexec.8.html?ref=itsfoss.com) mechanism, running natively rather than under a [hypervisor](https://linuxhandbook.com/what-is-hypervisor/?ref=itsfoss.com). The host tracks all of this through device tree overlays under `/sys/fs/multikernel/`, and it can shift hardware between running instances while everything stays up. That's a different setup from both [VMs](https://itsfoss.com/virtual-machine/) and [containers](https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/containers?ref=itsfoss.com). A VM still puts a hypervisor and a host kernel between the app and the hardware. A container skips the hypervisor, but every tenant on the machine shares one kernel. **Multikernel avoids both problems**. Each instance is a full, independent kernel running on its own dedicated cores. Modern NICs and SSDs can hand out separate hardware queues too, so an instance gets exclusive access to a slice of the device, not just a slice of the CPU. This app-kernel and device-kernel split is the pattern the company [documents for the architecture](https://multikernel.io/technology.html?ref=itsfoss.com) generally, dedicating one instance purely to drivers and I/O so the app-facing kernels never see a device interrupt at all. This release **only supports x86\_64 hardware**, though Multikernel Technologies says the architecture-specific code is already modular enough for other ports to follow later. ## Who's this for? Multikernel Technologies already sells three products based on this kernel tree, and what they're pitched as says plenty about who this is actually for. [Private Cloud](https://multikernel.io/products/cloud.html?ref=itsfoss.com) is sold as a way to **consolidate workloads on bare metal** without a hypervisor. [Sandbox](https://multikernel.io/products/sandbox.html?ref=itsfoss.com) is marketed for **running AI agents in their own kernel** with direct GPU access, and [LiveUpdate](https://multikernel.io/products/liveupdate.html?ref=itsfoss.com) promises to **patch a running kernel** without taking the system down. Every one of those pitches targets infrastructure and [SRE](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Site%5Freliability%5Fengineering?ref=itsfoss.com) teams running their own hardware, **not desktop users**. The company's own site names even more targeted use-cases beyond those three, ranging from high core count [ARM](https://multikernel.io/platforms/arm.html?ref=itsfoss.com) servers to [RISC-V](https://multikernel.io/platforms/riscv.html?ref=itsfoss.com) systems built for one kernel per cluster on heterogeneous SoCs. [OEMs](https://multikernel.io/solutions/oem.html?ref=itsfoss.com) looking to bake Multikernel into an embedded device are also welcome. If you remember, [Cong Wang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cong-wang-b96762b/?ref=itsfoss.com), Multikernel's founder and CEO, first pitched this architecture in an RFC posted to the Linux kernel mailing list back in [September 2025](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-multikernel-proposal/). It's great to see how far this project has come. There's more to it than what I have covered so far. You can read the [release announcement](https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/ao34RJ7aZ2BLd67S@pop-os.localdomain/?ref=itsfoss.com) to dive into the comprehensive benchmark numbers shared by Cong. *And here's the source code for your perusal.* 👇 ### LibreOffice 26.8 Doubles Down on No AI, Right After Collabora Welcomed It URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/libreoffice-26-8-release/ Last updated: 2026-09-08T04:08:40.000Z TDF and Collabora have been at odds since April, when TDF's Membership Committee [kicked out](https://itsfoss.com/news/document-foundation-collabora-feud/) every Collabora staffer and partner in one move, with more than 30 people dropped. That didn't stop Collabora from shipping a range of new releases, with [Collabora Office 26.04](https://itsfoss.com/news/collabora-office-26-04/) being the most recent one, where AI was introduced as an opt-in feature that **is off by default**, letting users pick a model and bring their own credentials. Now, LibreOffice, and by extension, The Document Foundation, has put its rejection of AI at the very forefront with the [LibreOffice 26.8 release](https://blog.documentfoundation.org/blog/2026/08/26/libreoffice-26-8/?ref=itsfoss.com), going as far as calling it out in the release announcement title itself. ## 🆕 LibreOffice 26.8: What's New? ![about dialog for the libreoffice 26.8 release is shown here, with the rest of the interface visible in the background](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/libreoffice-26-8-about-dialog.png) There's no AI in LibreOffice 26.8\. Nothing about the suite talks to a remote server, and none of it needs an internet connection to work. This isn't an oversight. TDF says that if your work can't leave the building for legal or privacy reasons, the only way to prove that later (*during an audit, for example*) is if the software never gave it anywhere to go. Anyhow, coming back to the editors. 👇 **Writer** now detects paragraph direction automatically when you open or paste a document, end-of-line spacing follows the paragraph's direction instead of the reading direction, and object resize controls play well with RTL and vertical CJK documents. It also gets a way to see the baseline grid during editing, and the grid itself now aligns correctly inside text frames. A new *Draft View* for stripping out the headers, footers, and page margins for distraction-free writing is available too. **Calc** picks up the same RTL detection we saw earlier. Typing right-to-left text into an empty cell sets its direction automatically instead of requiring a manual toggle. With additional improvements like **Calculated Fields** for pivot tables and a "*Shuffle*" command for scrambling cell order within a selected range. Similarly, **Math** gets new named functions and operators built for two west African writing systems, [N'Ko](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%27Ko%5Fscript?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Adlam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adlam%5Fscript?ref=itsfoss.com), which cover the Manding languages and Fulani, plus left-pointing vector arrows for formulas written right to left. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/libreoffice-26-8-writer-baseline-grid.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/libreoffice-26-8-impress-page-resize.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/libreoffice-26-8-notebookbar-colors.png) **From left to right: Writer, Impress, and Colored Notebookbars.* **Chart** has basic support for reading and writing back the newer chart formats (*chartex*) that show up in Microsoft's OOXML files, covering the *box-and-whisker*, *funnel*, *Pareto*, *sunburst*, *treemap*, and *waterfall* types. **Impress** and **Draw** can mix page sizes within one file instead of forcing every slide or page to match, and Impress also picks up presentation sections, letting you group slides under a name instead of scrolling through one long list. And generally speaking, Calc, Writer, Impress, and Draw now **each carry their own background tint** in the Notebookbar (*the ribbon-style interface on top*), so you can tell which app you're in without reading the title bar. There's also a new **Paragraph Composer** that balances word spacing across a whole paragraph instead of judging each line by itself, fixing the uneven look that comes from justifying one line at a time. Many of the changes, like calculated fields, the shuffle command, multi-page-size support in Impress and Draw, and presentation sections, **were contributed by Collabora engineers** Balazs Varga, Tomaž Vajngerl, Mohit Marathe, and Pranam Lashkari. ### ⚙️ How to Install/Upgrade? You will usually find LibreOffice already installed on popular Linux distributions, and it is only a matter of time before this release shows up as part of a routine system upgrade. If you can't wait, then downloading the [DEB](https://download.documentfoundation.org/libreoffice/stable/26.8.0/deb/x86%5F64/LibreOffice%5F26.8.0%5FLinux%5Fx86-64%5Fdeb.tar.gz?ref=itsfoss.com) or [RPM](https://download.documentfoundation.org/libreoffice/stable/26.8.0/rpm/x86%5F64/LibreOffice%5F26.8.0%5FLinux%5Fx86-64%5Frpm.tar.gz?ref=itsfoss.com) package is the quickest way to get this release installed. Alternatively, you could also opt for the [Flatpak](https://flathub.org/en/apps/org.libreoffice.LibreOffice?ref=itsfoss.com), but know that it receives updates a bit late. [LibreOffice 26.8](https://www.libreoffice.org/download/?ref=itsfoss.com) Refer to the [release notes](https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/ReleaseNotes/26.8?ref=itsfoss.com) if you want to see the new changes in action. ### FOSS Weekly #26.35: Performance Boost in Kernel 7.3, Omarchy Rising, Kernel, Root Demystifed, and More URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-35/ Last updated: 2026-08-27T12:59:14.000Z Linux 7.3's merge window is still open, but what's already confirmed looks like the foundation for [one of the more performance-heavy releases in a while](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-7-3-preview/). Btrfs direct I/O is pushing close to 95% of theoretical throughput, EXT4 is hitting 2.19 million IOPS on fast NVMe, and a KSM memory bug that caused 700ms freezes is fixed down to under 2ms. Canonical is [co-funding a three-year PhD](https://itsfoss.com/news/canonical-c-to-rust-automation/) at the University of Bristol to build a system that can translate large C codebases into Rust automatically. The test cases are AppArmor and snap-confine, both already running in production on Ubuntu, picked specifically because they're complex. While not FOSS, TeamSpeak has been consistent in supporting Linux as a platform. It is now getting [the ability to make direct calls](https://itsfoss.com/news/teamspeak-direct-calls-teased/) between users without requiring a server. Proton Mail's [new Categories feature](https://itsfoss.com/news/proton-mail-categories/) is live and works similar to how Gmail tabs do, sorting incoming mail into *Primary*, *Social*, *Promotions*, *Newsletters*, and two optional categories. The difference is that Proton sorts by metadata only since it can't read your email contents. A one-line kernel bug in the Intel Xe driver was causing GDM to restart endlessly on Battlemage G21 cards. Tracking it down [took Linus Torvalds 18 kernel boots and 24 debug patches](https://itsfoss.com/news/torvalds-used-ai-fix-kernel-bug/). There seems to be an [official Flatpak package in early development for the Chromium browser](https://itsfoss.com/news/experimental-chromium-flatpak-packaging/). **This edition of FOSS Weekly is supported by Linux systems vendor,** [**Star Labs**](https://starlabs.systems/itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com)**.** [Star Labs computers are designed for Linux](https://starlabs.systems/itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) from the ground up, so things just work - without hunting for drivers or relying on vendor-specific software. With open-source coreboot firmware and more control over the hardware you own, Linux gets the preferred treatment over Windows here. It’s FOSS readers get 5% off with code ITSFOSS. Reserve yours today. [Explore More ](https://starlabs.systems/itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About You might have already heard about [Omarchy's recent cash infusion](https://itsfoss.com/news/omarchy-launches-omacom-foundation/); here's a quick run-down: Ten tech founders have each written a million-dollar check for the Omacom Foundation, a nonprofit that DHH is in the middle of setting up to fund Omarchy and the open-source ecosystem around it.m The first beneficiary is Vaxry from [Hyprland](https://itsfoss.com/hyprland/), who will receive funding under an exclusive 3-year sponsorship. The entire episode has (once again) divided the Linux community, as some people dislike DHH for his (right-leaning) political views, while the supporters don't agree with the usual (left-leaning) political views of most Linux-related organizations. Guess politics spoils a lot of things. [Omarchy Linux Just Got $8 Million From Tech’s Biggest NamesA new nonprofit is being setup that would house all that money, and Hyprland is the first external project to benefit.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-8f319c3e-707a-4ec2-93c9-bc9c15422412.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/omarchy-omacom-foundation-banner-08ba775f-904b-420e-8af8-38916f247e3d.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/omarchy-launches-omacom-foundation/) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings You might have come across the term "Linux is just a kernel". Here's [what it means](https://itsfoss.com/linux-kernel-os/). Another basic but essential concept you [should know about the root user](https://itsfoss.com/root-user-ubuntu/), as a desktop Linux user. Serious about perfect document formatting? [Why not try your hand at AsciiDoc](https://itsfoss.com/asciidoc-guide/)? It's a plain text format that converts cleanly to HTML or PDF, and this guide covers everything from installation and basic syntax to customizing your output with CSS and XSLT. GNOME's default look is clean, but it doesn't have to stay that way. Our list covers [17 extensions](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-extensions-customization/) for changing how the desktop actually looks, from blur effects and animated window close transitions to wallpaper slideshows and a proper desktop clock widget. Desktop Linux is mostly neglected by the industry but loved by the community. For the past 14 years, It's FOSS has been helping people use Linux on their personal computers. And we are now facing the existential threat from AI models stealing our content. If you like what we do and would love to support our work, please become It's FOSS Plus member. It costs $49 a year (less than the cost of a McDonald's burger a month), and you get an ad-free reading experience with the satisfaction of helping the desktop Linux community. And there are also free Linux ebooks. [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner Would you be interested in a newly announced [$42 USB dongle](https://itsfoss.com/news/openterface-keymod-crowdfunding-campaign/) that can turn your phone into a keyboard, mouse, and SSH terminal? [This Tiny USB Device Turns Your Phone Into a Keyboard, Mouse, and SSH TerminalThe $42 open source dongle gives you BIOS-level keyboard and mouse control plus SSH access. No software installation is needed on the target machine.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-18996588-306e-4896-9c0e-13daf6521532.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/keycmd-08b3ea1c-6fca-4883-ad60-57814b57d88f.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/news/openterface-keymod-crowdfunding-campaign/) If that's not your thing, why not check out MNT Research's [mini PC case](https://liliputing.com/mnt-station-lets-you-repurpose-a-mnt-reform-mainboard-as-a-mini-pc/?ref=itsfoss.com) designed to take the same mainboard as the MNT Reform laptop? ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights [weathr](https://itsfoss.com/weathr/) is a Rust CLI tool that shows your current weather as animated ASCII art, complete with a house, clouds, birds during the day, stars and fireflies at night, and weather-appropriate animations for rain, snow, fog, and thunderstorms. ![Weathr app](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/image-8.png) ## 📽️ Videos for You Learn to [tweak the KDE file manager in this video on our YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uChBVi5Mftk&ref=itsfoss.com). [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip In GNOME, [File Roller](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/file-roller/?ref=itsfoss.com) lets you open up compressed archives to check out what is inside before actually unzipping anything. If you only need a single item, you can just grab and extract that specific file or folder instead of unpacking the whole thing. Here's [the unofficial Flathub listing](https://flathub.org/en/apps/org.gnome.FileRoller?ref=itsfoss.com) if you want to get it installed quickly. ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse Confident that your container knowledge [is enough to beat this crossword](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/container-crossword/)? [Crossword: What’s in the Container?Containers are fun… until they’re in a crossword. 🧩Test your Docker IQ and see if you can solve this without running docker --help in panic mode.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-b8b152f7-1fec-42bd-8a5d-9a204ae95759.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/container-crossword-a03ded56-062f-40a3-8383-99c4f0ee7b59.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/container-crossword/) I laughed harder than I should have on "Microslop". ![Microslop](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/microslop.png) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On August 29, 1990, the UK's [Computer Misuse Act](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1990/18/introduction?ref=itsfoss.com) took effect, one of the world's first laws targeting computer fraud. It followed [the 1984 Prestel hack](https://www.theregister.com/security/2015/03/26/how-a-hack-on-prince-philips-prestel-account-led-to-uk-computer-law/434881?ref=itsfoss.com), where two men accessed Prince Philip's mailbox but couldn't be prosecuted under existing forgery law. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: Pro FOSSer Neville is asking fellow FOSSers whether they do anything [to customize their desktop environment](https://itsfoss.community/t/do-you-customize-your-desktop-environment/16150?ref=itsfoss.com). Go on, share your riced-up setups in that thread! ### You Should Keep an Eye Out on Chromium's Flatpak Experiment URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/experimental-chromium-flatpak-packaging/ Last updated: 2026-08-27T02:28:26.000Z Chromium's source tree has gained experimental support for packaging the browser as a [Flatpak](https://flatpak.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), and the change [has already been merged](https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/src/+/70c9e8f351f353dfbef882c784668f4176e3d9ae?ref=itsfoss.com) yesterday. It's a small addition, basically a commit sitting behind a disabled build flag, but it's the kind of change worth keeping an eye on if you've been wanting an official way to run [Chromium](https://www.chromium.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) or even [Chrome](https://www.google.com/chrome/?ref=itsfoss.com) through Flatpak on Linux. Currently, the other instances of Flatpak packaging for Chromium are the unofficial community builds, one that's live on [Flathub](https://flathub.org/en/apps/org.chromium.Chromium?ref=itsfoss.com), and the other that's [a de-Googled fork](https://github.com/ungoogled-software/ungoogled-chromium?ref=itsfoss.com). ## What's in the patch? ![a wall of text that shows a merged patch for chromium facilitating experimental flatpak packaging](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/chromium-experimental-flatpak-packaging.png) The new code lives [in its own folder](https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/src/+/70c9e8f351f353dfbef882c784668f4176e3d9ae/chrome/installer/linux/flatpak/?ref=itsfoss.com) inside Chromium's Linux installer scripts, and it stays switched off by default behind a build flag: `enable_flatpak`. Turning it on lets the build system put together a Flatpak version of the browser instead of the usual [DEB](https://itsfoss.com/install-deb-files-ubuntu/) or [RPM](https://itsfoss.com/install-rpm-files-fedora/) package, leaving out desktop-specific components and system files that a Flatpak file does not need. The goal, according to the patch author, [Tom Anderson](https://chromium-review.googlesource.com/q/owner:thomasanderson@chromium.org?ref=itsfoss.com), is to test tighter [sandboxing](https://docs.flatpak.org/en/latest/sandbox-permissions.html?ref=itsfoss.com) and improve how Chromium talks to the desktop through Flatpak's permission system. Though he also points out that **this is not a commitment from Chromium to ship an official Flatpak package**. ## An official Flatpak would be great As mentioned earlier, if you want to install Chromium as a Flatpak, then the community-maintained build on Flathub and ungoogled-chromium are the most easily accessible ways to do so. **Both of those are quite popular among Linux users**, and even if you don't consider the de-Googled offering's popularity, the community-maintained one is already **averaging over 27,000 downloads a month**. An official package would mean people get the same Chromium experience on Linux, just served as a [Flatpak](https://itsfoss.com/flatpak-guide/), with Chromium's own developers handling sandbox permissions, updates, and desktop integration directly instead of leaving that work to open source contributors. **It doesn't stop at Chromium either**; the patch already maps app IDs for both Chromium (*org.chromium.Chromium*) and Google Chrome (*com.google.Chrome*), so a Chrome Flatpak could realistically follow the same path if this ever ships. It would also give Linux users one more straightforward way to install Chromium or Chrome, alongside the existing [Snap](https://snapcraft.io/install/chromium/ubuntu?ref=itsfoss.com) (*unofficial*), DEB, and RPM options. ## Where this leaves things That said, **Flatpak has its downsides**. Flatpak apps tend to take up more disk space than traditional packages since they often ship their own libraries instead of sharing what's already on the system. Flatpak's sandbox also restricts an application's access to files, devices, network resources, and other parts of the host system by default. Applications can request additional permissions when they need access to resources outside the sandbox, which adds another layer of configuration for users and developers. None of that makes Flatpak a bad choice, but it does mean an official Chromium package would not automatically be everyone's preferred way to install the browser. For now, this patch has **a build flag turned off by default**, nothing more. It does not confirm an official Flatpak is coming. But it's worth watching if this experiment ultimately holds up. *Via:* [*Phoronix*](https://www.phoronix.com/news/Chrome-Chromium-Flatpak?ref=itsfoss.com) ### This Tiny USB Device Turns Your Phone Into a Keyboard, Mouse, and SSH Terminal URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/openterface-keymod-crowdfunding-campaign/ Last updated: 2026-08-25T09:44:54.000Z Got a headless Raspberry Pi and want to connect to it? You don't need to use your computer for that. You can do that with your smartphone itself. TechxArtisan's latest gadget turns your smartphone into a keyboard, mouse, gamepad and even a SSH terminal. These folks gave us KVM-over-USB gadgets like [Openterface Mini-KVM](https://openterface.com/minikvm/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Openterface KVM-GO](https://docs.openterface.com/products/kvmgo/?ref=itsfoss.com) in the past. Now they are working on [Openterface KeyMod](https://openterface.com/keymod/?ref=itsfoss.com), a tiny USB-bridge that can do a number of things by interacting with a computer from your phone. ![Keymod product with headless setup](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/keycmd-welcome-headless.webp) ## Key Specifications - **Microcontroller**: WCH CH32V208 RISC-V MCU - **USB functions:** HID keyboard and mouse, plus a USB network bridge (SSH, VNC, file transfer), both active at the same time - **Wireless:** BLE 5.3 on both models; KeyMod Plus adds a wired USB option for more bandwidth - **Phone app:** KeyCmd, for Android (APK available) and iOS (coming soon) - **Two variants:** Mini uses USB-C, Plus uses USB-A Both variants have the same price tag of $24\. The project is being crowdfunded on CrowdSupply. [OpenInterface KeyMod](https://www.crowdsupply.com/techxartisan/openterface-keymod?ref=itsfoss.com) The interesting thing here is not that the keyboard and mouse part. It's that KeyMod does two USB jobs at the same time. Let me explain. You plug it into the target machine, and it shows up as a USB composite device: a standard HID keyboard and mouse, and a USB network bridge using the CDC-ECM standard, basically working as a private USB Ethernet link. The target gets a fixed IP at 192.168.11.2, your phone lands on 192.168.11.1\. No DHCP, no Wi-Fi hunting, no driver to install on most systems. Because HID input works without an OS loaded, KeyMod reaches BIOS screens, boot menus, and recovery environments too. It is similar to what Openterface Mini-KVM covers, just without the video feed. ![KeyMod usage](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/9bf6db8a-4923-405d-8225-ebd04ee07624_md-xl.jpg) **On the phone side**, the [KeyCmd](https://openterface.com/keycmd/?ref=itsfoss.com) app decides what KeyMod does next. Their description mentions that **KM Basic** gives you a wireless keyboard, touchpad, and numpad. **KM Pro** adds a Shortcut Hub and Compose & Send, which lets you draft a long command, API key, or license key on your phone, review it, then fire it off as real keystrokes. There's also Macros for scripted key sequences, a Presentation mode for Keynote and Google Slides, a Gamepad mode for emulators, and ShortcutHub profiles for Blender, VS Code, etc. Do note that KeyCmd is available only in APK format. It is not in Google Play Store. The iOS version has a 'coming soon' tag. I hope this thing is handled before the device gets shipped because Google plans to restrict sideloading of apps and Apple is notorious for raising fence to protect their walled garden. Now, the network bridge is what makes **Terminal (SSH) over BLE or USB** possible, without needing a network setup. It works with macOS and Linux targets today. Windows support needs RNDIS instead of CDC-ECM, and that's still in development. Ah! That's so satisfactory as a Linux user ;) ### Mini vs Plus ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/keycmd-vs-plus.webp) KeyMod Mini vs Plus Mini and Plus run the same software, just connected differently. **KeyMod Mini** is USB-C, BLE-only, and tiny enough for a keychain or phone lanyard at 25 x 15 x 5 mm and about 2.4 g. **KeyMod Plus** is USB-A, adds a wired USB link to the phone for up to 10 Mbps (versus BLE's 2 Mbps), and is built more for staying plugged into servers, legacy PCs, or rack gear. At $42, it lands close to [InputStick](https://www.inputstick.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) ($34) and [DexoPad](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/palmblock/dexopad-cross-device-keyboard-mouse-and-macros-anywhere?ref=itsfoss.com) ($39), but neither of those does SSH over BLE the way KeyMod does. ## AI Agent Mode Not only software, it seems like every hardware got to have AI these days. ![KeyMod AI agent](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/keymod-ai-agent.jpg) So, there's also an experimental AI Agent Mode. You add your own LLM API key (OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Ollama whatever you use), describe a goal in plain language like "check logs" or "restart service," and the model plans a sequence of terminal commands, presenting each one for your approval before it runs. On newer iPhones (14 Pro and up), KeyCmd can also run a small local model instead, TechxArtisan says it has tested a 0.6B Qwen model under 1GB of RAM. It's clearly early, and TechxArtisan itself frames it as likely to stay experimental for a while. ## Watch out for... A couple of things you should know. **BLE encryption isn't turned on yet.** The security design is finalized (Bluetooth LE Secure Connections, AES-128, ECDH P-256), but current beta and engineering kits ship without it enabled, with the actual switch-on coming through a firmware update before shipping. If wireless exposure is a concern for your use case, KeyMod Plus's wired USB link bypasses BLE entirely during operation. CE and UKCA certification are also still in progress, though the company says both are committed before shipping. On the open source side, KeyCmd for Android and iOS is in development for now and is slated to go fully open source on GitHub once the campaign wraps. Hardware schematics and PCB files will be published as the project evolves, and [OSHWA](https://oshwa.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) certification is planned, following Mini-KVM ([CN000015](https://certification.oshwa.org/cn000015.html?ref=itsfoss.com)) and KVM-GO ([CN000022](https://certification.oshwa.org/cn000022.html?ref=itsfoss.com)). One more thing to set expectations on: this campaign's units will most likely ship in the current 3D-printed enclosure rather than an injection-molded one, since tooling would add at least two months to the timeline. Which, I think, means that the product may not look as smooth. If you have ever used 3D printed product, you will understand that. ## Getting Openterface KeyMod Openterface KeyMod is live on Crowd Supply. As of this writing it has raised $9,618 of its $15,000 goal (64%) from 149 backers, with funding closing on Oct 1, 2026. Both the Mini and Plus are priced at $42, plus $8 shipping in the US or $18 worldwide. Orders placed now are estimated to ship Feb 14, 2027. 🚧 As with any crowdfunding campaign, treat the timeline as an estimate. Back it because you want to support the project, not because you're counting on the ship date. [Back it on CrowdSupply](https://www.crowdsupply.com/techxartisan/openterface-keymod?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Linux 7.3 is Shaping Up to Be One of The Most Performance-Focused Kernel Releases in Years URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-7-3-preview/ Last updated: 2026-08-24T17:48:26.000Z We posted on X a few days back, calling Linux 7.3 [one of the most performance-focused releases](https://x.com/Itsfoss/status/2090494130002727175?ref=itsfoss.com) in years. And now, going through what has actually landed in the merge window since then, that claim does seem to hold up. The merge window for this release opened right after [Linux 7.2](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-7-2-release/) arrived, staying open until the end of this month barring any last-minute happenings that move the closure. So, here's what is confirmed to go into the 7.3 release so far. ### Storage gets a serious speed boost **Btrfs** picks up several changes at once. Direct I/O now runs through an IOmap bounce buffer instead of falling back to buffered I/O, taking a workflow that topped out around half of the theoretical maximum throughput up to [close to 95 percent of it](https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/cover.1787152457.git.dsterba@suse.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). Two separate fixes in the logging and fsync paths **add roughly 5x gains each**, one from removing an unnecessary delay when multiple logging tasks run at once, the other from skipping unneeded hole detection during full [fsync](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man2/fsync.2.html?ref=itsfoss.com) on files with lots of extents but no holes. The default `free-space` cache also moves from v1 to v2, the safer and faster option that had not yet become the default. **EXT4** gets [its own round of work too](https://www.phoronix.com/news/EXT4-Linux-7.3?ref=itsfoss.com). Parallel direct I/O writes are now allowed where the filesystem used to be too restrictive, and the multi-block allocator skips unnecessary work through `fallocate()`. Underneath both filesystems sits a reworked [IOmap](https://docs.kernel.org/filesystems/iomap/design.html?ref=itsfoss.com) layer built around a single iterator callback the compiler can inline instead of dispatching indirectly. You don't need to do anything for any of this. It just works once you're on 7.3, and the IOmap change pays off the most on fast NVMe, pushing EXT4 from 1.92 million IOPS to 2.19 million [in testing](https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/20260814-vfs-7.3-rc1.iomap-78c92ce13812@brauner/?ref=itsfoss.com). ### Important scheduler work Peter Zijlstra's *flatten-the-pick* patches rework [cgroup](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man7/cgroups.7.html?ref=itsfoss.com) scheduling around a single [runqueue](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Run%5Fqueue?ref=itsfoss.com) instead of the old, hitch-prone design. Peter tested it on an aging Sandy Bridge box paired with an AMD Radeon RX 580, and both frame rate and frame-time consistency [improved](https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-7.3-Flattens-The-Pick?ref=itsfoss.com). If you're gaming on hardware that's seen better days, this is the one improvement that should make it feel less choppy. **Intel hybrid CPUs get fixed too**. Cluster-aware scheduling has not handled the [P-core and E-core](https://www.supermicro.com/en/glossary/e-cores-p-cores?ref=itsfoss.com) mix well, and [Ricardo Neri's work](https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260720-rneri-fix-cas-clusters-v6-0-bb500bf4afd4@linux.intel.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) closes that gap on Alder Lake, Lunar Lake, and Panther Lake. Practically, that means less stutter when your laptop is juggling something heavy like a source build, a game, or a video export, while background tasks compete for the small cores. ### Memory management fixes ZTE engineers found a bug in [KSM](https://docs.kernel.org/admin-guide/mm/ksm.html?ref=itsfoss.com)'s reverse-mapping, the step where the kernel checks which memory areas point to a merged page before touching it. Under heavy load, one internal lock could stay stuck for hundreds of milliseconds, freezing other things trying to use it. The fix [drops the worst-case](https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260703162253688u8Str9eFLR8TGCmo7nIOF@zte.com.cn/?ref=itsfoss.com) from around 700ms to under 2ms. Simply speaking, it means fewer random freezes on servers and containers under memory pressure. Xiaomi engineer Wenchao Hao [fixed](https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260626015003.2965881-1-haowenchao22@gmail.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) a similar slowdown in [zsmalloc](https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/v5.5/vm/zsmalloc.html?ref=itsfoss.com), which zRAM and Zswap use to store compressed memory. A Raspberry Pi 4B **saw gains up to 1.83x in testing**, a 20-core Intel system **up to 1.4x**. In plain terms, you get snappier performance on budget boards like the Pi and a smaller but real gain on beefier hardware. ### Lower latency for real-time workloads Every time one CPU core uses the kernel's [SMP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symmetric%5Fmultiprocessing?ref=itsfoss.com) code to ask the others to run something right away, like flushing memory caches, the kernel used to freeze everything else on that CPU until all the other cores responded. ByteDance engineers [traced the slowdown](https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/178696575726.1270771.8497925642008902806.tglx@fw13/?ref=itsfoss.com) to that wait and [reworked it](https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-7.3-SMP?ref=itsfoss.com) so other tasks can keep running instead of sitting frozen. On busy systems, that frozen wait could stretch out and stall high-priority tasks. In fleet testing with [DPDK](https://www.dpdk.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), a framework built for fast networking, the worst-case delay for the slowest requests dropped from \~17ms to \~1.5ms. Most desktop users will not notice this one, but for networking and real-time software, it is an important fix. ### Some smaller changes - RISC-V adds support for eleven newer ISA extensions. - EFI runtime calls now time out instead of stalling indefinitely. - RAID 5/6 gets a better benchmark-based algorithm selection at boot. - New AES library APIs clean up how the kernel handles common encryption modes. Wrapping up. As you might have read recently, Linus Torvalds [spent 18 kernel boots and 24 debug patches](https://itsfoss.com/news/torvalds-used-ai-fix-kernel-bug/) chasing a one-line Intel Xe driver bug. AI helped him along the way, and the fix is already merged, of course. The merge window for Linux 7.3 will stay open for a few more days before the release candidates start rolling out, so there's still room for more to land, and the stable release is expected sometime in October. ### Omarchy Linux Just Got $8 Million From Tech's Biggest Names URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/omarchy-launches-omacom-foundation/ Last updated: 2026-08-25T05:15:10.000Z David Heinemeier Hansson, aka DHH, has put a number on how serious he is about desktop Linux. That number is [eight million dollars](https://omarchy.org/news/2026/08/omacom-foundation-launches-with-8-million/?ref=itsfoss.com), and it's going into a brand new nonprofit called the [Omacom Foundation](https://omacom.io/?ref=itsfoss.com). DHH is incorporating the foundation now, set to cover the Omarchy trademark, its infrastructure and hosting, promotion for the project, and funding for the open source developers whose work it depends on. He calls it a "*moral obligation*," not just to get [Omarchy](https://omarchy.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) into more people's hands but to change how they use a computer in the first place. *Michael Dell* of **Dell Technologies**, *Patrick Collison* of **Stripe**, *Tobi Lütke* of **Shopify**, *Jack Dorsey* of **Block**, *Matthew Prince* of **Cloudflare**, Jason Fried of **37signals**, *Brendan Iribe* of **Sesame**, and *DHH* himself each put in a million dollars to make it happen. People already like using Omarchy, DHH says, and he wants this money to last as long as possible instead of getting spent all at once while also making the most out of it. 📋 There are two major updates to this. Omacom funding [has hit $10 million](https://omarchy.org/news/2026/08/omacom-foundation-funding-hits-10m/?ref=itsfoss.com), and it has become [a premier sponsor](https://omarchy.org/news/2026/08/omacom-foundation-to-be-premier-quickshell-sponsor/?ref=itsfoss.com) for [Quickshell](https://quickshell.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). ## Hyprland first to gain ![on a omarchy sytem, the osaka jade theme is used on hyprland, showcasing two app windows, one is the hyprland wiki, the other is a terminal window showing fastfetch output](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/omarchy-hyprland-osaka-jade.png) Hyprland is [the first project outside Omarchy](https://omarchy.org/news/2026/08/omacom-foundation-to-be-exclusive-hyprland-sponsor/?ref=itsfoss.com) to see any of this money. Omacom is extending an exclusive sponsorship to support [Vaxry](https://x.com/vaxryy?ref=itsfoss.com), the developer behind the Wayland compositor Omarchy runs on. Under this, he is locked into an agreement for three years, with the possibility of extending for two more years. This way Vaxry gets to work on Hyprland full time without needing to think about the money. As part of this arrangement, the €5/month [Hyprperks](https://account.hypr.land/pricing?ref=itsfoss.com) subscription service will be discontinued, and everything offered under it will be provided for free. DHH also joked about finding Vaxry a [pookie](https://www.merriam-webster.com/slang/pookie?ref=itsfoss.com), noting that: > Many thanks to 37signals (hello self! 😂), Butterfly, and Framework for helping Hyprland get to this point. Thrilled that the Omacom Foundation can take over from October 10, and give one of the best developers in this new Linux moment the chance to go all-in. > > (\* This deal does not include any direct assistance in getting Vaxry a girlfriend, but I’ll personally be available as a reference for any inquiries on the matter.) ## Do you remember this? > We're happy to keep sponsoring and enabling more of the Linux ecosystem! We've also just recently joined [@linuxfoundation](https://x.com/linuxfoundation?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=itsfoss.com) and become (maybe the first?) corporate sponsor of LVFS (Linux Vendor Firmware Service). We've got a few other sponsorships we'll be announcing soon! [https://t.co/OnzKyx1W8e](https://t.co/OnzKyx1W8e?ref=itsfoss.com) > > — Framework (@FrameworkPuter) [October 8, 2025](https://x.com/FrameworkPuter/status/1975925109647987101?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=itsfoss.com) This isn't the first time we are talking about money and Hyprland. Back in 2025, Framework [became a Gold tier sponsor](https://itsfoss.com/news/framework-hyprland-sponsorship/) of the project. But that didn't sit too well with many people, as soon after, [a thread](https://community.frame.work/t/framework-supporting-far-right-racists/75986?ref=itsfoss.com) titled "*Framework supporting far-right racists?*" came up on the official forum. The original poster called out Vaxry's old freedesktop.org ban and pushed Framework to explain why it was funding the project. Framework's own account made things worse that same day. It posted [a tweet](https://x.com/FrameworkPuter/status/1975721241345728683?ref=itsfoss.com) comparing Omarchy to the old Windows XP product key meme, and people read that as an endorsement of DHH. While Framework did send hardware to people at Omarchy, the project itself never got any direct funding. Later, Framework had to start publishing [a running list](https://frame.work/blog/framework-sponsorships?ref=itsfoss.com) of its sponsorships after people kept asking exactly who the company was funding and why. ## Where Omarchy's headed ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/omarchy-quattro-gemini-ai-agent-2.png) Quattro, Omarchy's newest release, [shipped recently](https://github.com/basecamp/omarchy/releases/tag/v4.0.0?ref=itsfoss.com), building AI agents into the desktop by default instead of treating them as an extra. While none of the eight patrons have said publicly that Omarchy's AI bet factored into their decision to back the foundation. My read is that it's hard to ignore, especially with [Michael Dell](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdell/?ref=itsfoss.com)'s company betting heavily on AI infrastructure elsewhere. A distro built around AI agents is exactly the kind of bet a company selling AI hardware would want to back. And it all ties into what DHH said about *truly democratizing Linux*. Whether that $8 million and a nonprofit structure are what bring about the "*year of the Linux desktop*" is a question for another time. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** Speaking of funding, [Canonical has pitched in for a 3-year PhD project](https://itsfoss.com/news/canonical-c-to-rust-automation/) that looks to automate C to Rust translation for important Ubuntu components. [Canonical is Funding a PhD to Automate C to Rust Translation for UbuntuThe three-year project aims to translate hundreds of thousands of lines of C into Rust.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-c8f30075-2dcd-428d-abd5-50ca986d9c02.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/canonical-c-to-rust-translation-banner-a0b6937d-d6c3-46dd-bc9b-8826c200d041.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/canonical-c-to-rust-automation/) ### TeamSpeak Will Let You Call Your Friends Directly URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/teamspeak-direct-calls-teased/ Last updated: 2026-08-24T07:05:08.000Z Built around servers people can host, [TeamSpeak](https://teamspeak.com/en/?ref=itsfoss.com) has been around since 2001, serving as a reliable communication tool that has gained a reputation for running light and reliably over inconsistent networks. It has gone through many iterations that have seen it grow from a simple client-server voice tool into something that has a modern interface, built-in screen sharing, and the option to buy hosted servers. **TeamSpeak 6**, currently in beta, is the most significant overhaul the platform has ever pushed, having entered testing in [January 2025](https://community.teamspeak.com/t/teamspeak-6-0-0-beta1-screen-camera-sharing-communities-design-overhaul/54925?ref=itsfoss.com) and progressed through several builds to today's [6.0.0-beta4.1](https://community.teamspeak.com/t/teamspeak-6-0-0-beta4-1-hotfix/64672?ref=itsfoss.com). If you assume that the platform only focuses on mainstream OSes, then you would be wrong. The client and server software have supported Linux alongside Windows and macOS since the early versions. Now the developers have announced that [direct calls are coming](https://x.com/teamspeak/status/2090476669031055707?ref=itsfoss.com). ✋ ****Non-FOSS Warning!** TeamSpeak is not open source software. But it has been available on Linux for years, and many Linux users use it, just the way Discord is used. ## Direct calls will be possible > 1-1 Direct Calls are coming to TeamSpeak > > Your friends will be one call away. No Server required. > > Currently in Alpha Testing - coming soon. [pic.twitter.com/kjeOLje0Uj](https://t.co/kjeOLje0Uj?ref=itsfoss.com) > > — TeamSpeak (@teamspeak) [August 20, 2026](https://x.com/teamspeak/status/2090476669031055707?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=itsfoss.com) TeamSpeak is adding the ability to make 1-1 direct calls, **letting two people call each other without setting up or joining a server first**. It's not live yet since the devs are still testing it, but they say it's coming soon. That's not the only thing direct calls are coming with. **Screensharing is built right in**, letting you share your screen, a game, or your camera straight from the call at up to 4K or full source quality. Presets facilitate a quick setup, or you can select the resolution, bitrate, FPS, and audio if you'd rather configure it yourself. There's also a privacy setting so you can choose whether the stream is public, limited to contacts, or private, plus a toggle for capturing system audio alongside it. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/teamspeak-direct-call.jpeg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/teamspeak-direct-call-screensharing.jpeg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/teamspeak-direct-call-pip.jpeg) **Sourced from the X thread linked above.* **Picture-in-picture comes with it too**. Using the `Shift` key, you can drag up to four screenshares or cameras into a corner of another feed while sharing, arranging them according to your preference. When asked about **the possibility of making group calls**, [SYOX](https://community.teamspeak.com/u/syox/summary?ref=itsfoss.com), the Community Manager at TeamSpeak, [said that](https://community.teamspeak.com/t/first-look-at-1-1-direct-calls-for-teamspeak-6/65124/6?ref=itsfoss.com): > This feature focuses on 1-1 direct calls between two users in a private chat. It remains to be seen whether and to what extent we will introduce Group Calls. We are definitely keeping an eye on group calls as a feature addition, but the scope has not yet been discussed, as it was not the focus of this release/implementation. ## Can I finally move away from Discord? This change has me wanting to try TeamSpeak again. Direct calls without needing a server is precisely the thing that made my last test of it so brief, since spinning up a server just to talk to a person never felt worth the effort. If the feature works as well as it looks in these previews, I might end up ditching Discord sooner than later. And if they can figure out group calls in the coming months, then I won't even need to host a server to talk to my friends, so that's a win too! ### 17 GNOME Extensions To Help You Customization Desktop Looks URL: https://itsfoss.com/gnome-extensions-customization/ Last updated: 2026-08-23T05:01:29.000Z The GNOME Extensions ecosystem is packed with tools that let you customize almost every part of the desktop. Whether it's changing the appearance of the top panel, replacing the app launcher, adding visual effects, or making the interface behave exactly the way you want. We have covered extensions in the past: - We created a generic [list of best GNOME extensions](https://itsfoss.com/best-gnome-extensions/) to show extensions of all kinds - And then we also [have a list of GNOME extensions for productivity](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-extensions-for-productivity/) Since there are so many of them, I create this new list that focuses on extensions for desktop clooks customization. ✋ If you are not familiar already, learn [how to use GNOME extension](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-shell-extensions/) first. The installation steps are the same for all and I am not covering them here. [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 1\. Just Perfection If there is one customization extension that deserves to be installed first on a fresh GNOME setup, it's [Just Perfection](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/3843/just-perfection/?ref=itsfoss.com). As the name suggests, the extension lets you tweak countless parts of the GNOME Shell. From small visual adjustments to larger interface changes, it gives you an impressive amount of control without requiring you to edit configuration files. In fact, the number of available tweaks is so extensive that it deserves an article of its own, which we already have and you can [read it here](https://itsfoss.com/just-perfection-gnome-extension/). The screenshot below contains effects of another GNOME Extension called User Accent Color which we will see in a later section. ![Using Just Perfection in GNOME](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/just-perfection.png) Just Perfection Some of the highlights include: - Change the position of the panel, clock, and notification indicators. - Adjust the size and corner radius of the Activities Overview. - Show or hide individual panel items. And that's just a glimpse. I recommend checking the project's [official README](https://gitlab.gnome.org/jrahmatzadeh/just-perfection?ref=itsfoss.com#features) to explore its exhaustive list of features. ## 2\. User Themes [Installing a GTK theme](https://itsfoss.com/install-switch-themes-gnome-shell/) changes the appearance of your applications, but it doesn't affect the GNOME Shell itself. That's because the Shell uses its own theme, separate from GTK. If you want to customize the top panel, Activities Overview, Quick Settings, and other Shell components, you'll need the [User Themes extension](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/19/user-themes/?ref=itsfoss.com). Once installed, you can apply any compatible `gnome-shell` theme stored in your `~/.themes` directory [using the GNOME Tweaks](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-tweak-tool/) application. 0:00 /0:22 1× Shell Theme applied to Tokyo Night It's a small extension, but an essential one if you're interested in desktop theming. ## 3\. Wallpaper Slideshow If you like refreshing your desktop without manually changing wallpapers every few days, [Wallpaper Slideshow](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/6281/wallpaper-slideshow/?ref=itsfoss.com) is an excellent extension to have. It automatically cycles through images from a folder of your choice at configurable intervals, turning your wallpaper collection into a dynamic slideshow. The extension also supports downloading Bing's Wallpaper of the Day if you prefer fresh backgrounds without maintaining your own collection. Wallpaper Slideshow Better yet, it automatically detects changes to your wallpaper folder, so newly added images become part of the rotation without any extra setup. You can control the slideshow from the Quick Settings menu or the desktop context menu, and the extension even remembers its queue across reboots, allowing the slideshow to resume where it left off. It's a simple way to keep your GNOME desktop feeling fresh with minimal effort. ## 4\. User Accent Colors One of the nicest visual touches in modern desktop environments is having the system's accent color automatically match your wallpaper. If you've wanted the same experience on GNOME, [User Accent Colors](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/10070/user-accent-colors/?ref=itsfoss.com) is worth a look. The extension extracts the dominant accent color from your current wallpaper and applies it across the desktop, including GNOME Shell, Adwaita applications, and adw-gtk3 themed GTK3 applications. It can also generate matching tinted themes and even recolor supported icon packs, giving the entire desktop a much more cohesive appearance. The result is a desktop that automatically adapts whenever you change your wallpaper, without manually tweaking themes or accent colors. If you're building a visually consistent GNOME setup, this extension is an excellent finishing touch. ## 5\. Dash to Dock By default, GNOME only displays the Dash while you're in the Activities Overview. Many users, however, prefer having a dock that's always visible and keeps their favorite applications within easy reach. [Dash to Dock](https://itsfoss.com/dash-to-dock-tips/) transforms the built-in GNOME Dash into a fully customizable dock that can be positioned on any edge of your screen. You can tweak its size, behavior, transparency, auto-hide options, and much more. ![Dash to Dock displaying a dock in GNOME Desktop, that has several application pinned.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/dash-to-dock.png) Dash to Dock in GNOME In fact, [Ubuntu's default dock](https://itsfoss.com/customize-ubuntu-dock/) is based on a customized version of [Dash to Dock](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/307/dash-to-dock/?ref=itsfoss.com). The only thing I personally miss is a ripple-style hover animation. Fortunately, the next extension offers a different take on desktop navigation. ## 6\. Dash to Panel While Dash to Dock focuses on creating a dock, [Dash to Panel](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/1160/dash-to-panel/?ref=itsfoss.com) takes things a step further. It merges the GNOME top bar and Dash into a single panel, giving the desktop a layout that feels much closer to Windows. 0:00 /0:10 1× Dash to Panel in GNOME If you're switching from Windows 10 or Windows 11, this extension makes GNOME feel instantly familiar. Beyond changing the layout, Dash to Panel offers a surprising amount of customization. You can: - Change the panel's color, opacity, and appearance. - Show or hide individual panel items. - Keep the original GNOME top panel while using only the dock functionality. - Customize various behaviors to suit your workflow. 0:00 /0:07 1× Dash to Panel as a dock It's one of the most feature-rich panel extensions available for GNOME. ## 7\. Dhruva Dock [Dhruva Dock](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/9495/dhruva/?ref=itsfoss.com) is the newer addition to the GNOME extensions ecosystem, and it has quickly gained attention thanks to its polished appearance and smooth animations. The dock supports true magnification effects, includes an integrated clock, and offers several preset themes alongside color customization options. 0:00 /0:10 1× Dhruva Dock Unlike many dock extensions, Dhruva Dock isn't limited to the screen edges. You can position it almost anywhere on your desktop, giving you much more flexibility when designing your workspace. Its fluid animations are easily one of its strongest selling points. ## 8\. Blur My Shell Few visual tweaks change the look of GNOME as much as adding blur effects, and [Blur My Shell](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/3193/blur-my-shell/?ref=itsfoss.com) has become the go-to extension for that purpose. What started as a simple blur utility has gradually evolved into a comprehensive customization tool. Besides adding blur to the Activities Overview and various Shell components, recent versions even allow blur effects to be applied to application windows. ![Blur My Shell in action. Blur is applied to the panel, dash and applications like GNOME Console and Nautilus file manager.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/blur-my-shell.png) Blur My Shell The extension also lets you configure different blur pipelines, giving you fine-grained control over which parts of the desktop should be blurred and by how much. While it doesn't offer the level of control found in Wayland compositors like [Hyprland](https://itsfoss.com/hyprland/), and older hardware may struggle with the added effects, it's still one of the best visual customization extensions available for GNOME. ## 9\. Dynamic Music Pill If you frequently listen to music while working, [Dynamic Music Pill](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/9334/dynamic-music-pill/?ref=itsfoss.com) is an extension worth checking out. Instead of displaying a simple scrolling track title in the panel, it presents your currently playing music inside an elegant pill-shaped widget with playback controls. 0:00 /0:29 1× Dynamic Music Pill You can place it either on the top panel or alongside the Dash, depending on your preferred layout. Beyond its attractive design, the extension also includes several useful features: - Adaptive colors based on the album artwork. - Multiple visualizer modes. - Playback controls with configurable click actions. - Synchronized lyrics. - Transparency and appearance settings. It's a great combination of functionality and visual polish. ## 10\. Top Bar Organizer If you've ever wished you could rearrange the items on GNOME's top panel, [Top Bar Organizer](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/4356/top-bar-organizer/?ref=itsfoss.com) makes that incredibly easy. Unlike many customization extensions, it doesn't overwhelm you with dozens of configuration options. The interface is refreshingly simple. 0:00 /0:45 1× Top Bar Organizer You simply drag and drop panel items between the three available sections: - Left Top Bar Box - Center Top Bar Box - Right Top Bar Box That's all there is to it. Whether you want the clock on the left, system indicators in the center, or a completely custom layout, this extension makes it possible in just a few clicks. ## 11\. Arc Menu [GNOME's built-in search](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-search/) is one of its strongest features. It lets you quickly launch applications, find files, perform calculations, and much more, all from a single interface. That said, many users still prefer having a traditional application launcher that's always available. [Arc Menu](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/3628/arcmenu/?ref=itsfoss.com) is much more than a simple Start Menu replacement. It offers an impressive collection of menu layouts inspired by different desktop environments and operating systems. Arc Menu Layputs Want a Windows 11-style Start Menu? That's available. Prefer a macOS-inspired launcher? You can switch to that with just a few clicks. Beyond the layouts, Arc Menu provides extensive customization options. You can change icons, tweak the appearance, reposition the menu, customize categories, and fine-tune almost every aspect of the launcher. If you enjoy experimenting with different desktop layouts, Arc Menu is one of the most versatile extensions you can install. ## 12\. Burn My Windows Even the developers describe [Burn My Windows](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/4679/burn-my-windows/?ref=itsfoss.com) as a "useless" extension. I couldn't disagree more. If you enjoy desktop animations, this extension is pure fun. Instead of the standard open, close, and minimize animations, it lets you replace them with dozens of eye-catching effects. Burn My Windows Some of my favorites include Apparition, Broken Glass, Incinerate, and Matrix, though there are plenty more to experiment with. It won't make you more productive, but it definitely adds some personality to your desktop. ## 13\. Customize Clock on Lock Screen The GNOME lock screen doesn't offer much room for customization out of the box. [This extension](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/4663/customize-clock-on-lock-screen/?ref=itsfoss.com) changes that by letting you customize the appearance of the lock screen clock. ![A customized lockscreen in GNOME created using the Customize Clock on Lockscreen Extension.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/customize-clock-lockscreen.png) Customized Clock on Lockscreen One particularly interesting feature is the ability to display the output of shell commands. That opens up several possibilities, such as showing inspirational quotes, system information, weather updates, or any other text generated by a script. For example, I used the command below to print the system details as shown in the screenshot above: ``` printf "🧠 CPU: %s | 💾 RAM: %s | 💿 Disk: %s" "$(top -bn1 | grep 'Cpu(s)' | awk '{print $2 + $4 "%"}')" "$(free -h | awk '/Mem:/ {print $3 "/" $2}')" "$(df -h / | awk 'NR==2 {print $3 "/" $2 " (" $5 ")"}')" ``` If you enjoy personalizing every part of your desktop, this extension gives the lock screen a lot more flexibility. ## 14\. Compiz Windows Effect If you used Linux during the Compiz era, chances are you still remember the famous wobbly windows. [This extension brings](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/3210/compiz-windows-effect/?ref=itsfoss.com) that classic effect to modern GNOME. 0:00 /0:14 1× Compiz Window Effects Whenever you move or resize a window, it behaves like a flexible sheet rather than a rigid rectangle, recreating one of the most iconic desktop effects from the early days of Linux desktop customization. It certainly makes interacting with windows a lot more enjoyable. ## 15\. Compiz Magic Lamp Effect Continuing the nostalgia, [Compiz Magic Lamp Effect](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/3740/compiz-alike-magic-lamp-effect/?ref=itsfoss.com) recreates another classic animation from the Compiz days. Instead of windows simply disappearing when minimized, they smoothly stretch and collapse into the dock using the familiar Magic Lamp animation. 0:00 /0:08 1× Magic Lamp Effect The effect looks particularly good when paired with dock extensions like Dash to Dock, making window animations feel much more polished than the default GNOME behavior. If you're already using one of those docks, this extension is a perfect companion. ## 16\. Background Logo Sometimes the smallest tweaks can make your desktop feel a little more personal. [Background Logo](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/7364/background-logo/?ref=itsfoss.com) lets you place a logo or image directly on top of your desktop wallpaper without modifying the wallpaper itself. Whether you want to display your favorite Linux distribution's logo, your organization's branding, or a custom SVG, the extension makes it easy. ![Background Logo settings](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/background-logo.png) Background Logo settings It may not be an essential customization, but it's a nice option for users who enjoy putting their own stamp on every part of their desktop. ## 17\. Modern Clock If you like the clean desktop widgets found in KDE Plasma, [Modern Clock](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/9882/modern-clock/?ref=itsfoss.com) brings a similar experience to GNOME. Instead of placing the time in the top panel, this extension adds a modern-looking desktop clock widget inspired by KDE's Modern Clock. It sits directly on your desktop and blends nicely with minimalist wallpapers, making it a subtle yet attractive addition to your workspace. ![Modern Clock Extension in GNOME Desktop](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/modern-clock.jpeg) Modern Clock Unlike the standard GNOME clock, this one is meant to be part of your desktop rather than the shell interface. If you're building a customized desktop with widgets and visual enhancements, Modern Clock fits right in. ## Wrapping Up One of GNOME's greatest strengths is the flexibility offered by its extension ecosystem. While the desktop intentionally keeps its default experience clean and minimal, these extensions allow you to shape it into almost anything you want. Whether you're looking for a Windows-like taskbar, a macOS-inspired launcher, beautiful blur effects, playful window animations, or simply more control over the interface, there's an extension here that can help. Of course, you don't have to install all of them. In fact, I'd recommend starting with a few that solve problems in your daily workflow and then gradually adding more as needed. Did I miss one of your favorite customization extensions? Let me know in the comments. I'd love to check it out. ### Linux Creator Linus Torvalds Just Used AI to Fix a Kernel Bug URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/torvalds-used-ai-fix-kernel-bug/ Last updated: 2026-08-22T07:20:08.000Z Linus Torvalds just [used AI to help fix a Linux kernel bug](https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=818bebeb63dd6bf5f4e07e145f6cdbace520a34c&ref=itsfoss.com). Let me tell you that this is a rare event. Not because Torvalds is using AI. Last Christmas holidays, [Torvalds used AI for the first time](https://itsfoss.com/news/linus-torvalds-vibe-coding/) for a personal, hobby project. He was averted to AI at first but [made his peace with it](https://itsfoss.com/news/linus-torvalds-on-ai/), even for AI-assisted code contributions in the kernel project. The event we are talking about is rare because Torvalds doesn't code on Linux kernel anymore. He is in the maintainer mode. He just reviews code and merges pull requests from various contributors to the kernel code. So this is a rare occasion in recent time when he made a kernel patch himself. And he did that with the assistance of AI. ## Fixing a one-liner bug with AI Don't scoff at "one-line" code change. Speak to any software developer and they will telly you that often the bugs are easy, few line code changes. It's the process of finding the root cause that takes time, effort, and skills. The bug Torvalds dealt with was in the Intel Xe graphics driver for Battlemage G21 cards. It caused GDM, the [display manager](https://itsfoss.com/display-manager/), to restart endlessly. Tracking it down with AI required 24 debug patches (did he just use "printfs?) and 18 kernel boots. Ultimately, the culprit turned out to be a single line where `round_up()` should have been `round_down()`. > And this was a debug session from hell, enormously helped by an AI doing much of the grunt-work. The AI "did the grunt work" for Torvalds by adding debug instrumentation, running analysis, and even writing the final commit message. I can feel the commit message part, it's a boring but necessary task. But this debugging session was not all smooth sailing. Torvalds didn't just add "don't make mistakes" to his prompts. On the contrary, the AI told Linus multiple times that the problem was "impossible and unsolvable." Torvalds refused. > I suspect those things have been trained by people who may not be quite as stubborn as I am. ## AI is a tool, use it effectively ![Torvalds on AI](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/torvalds-ai.jpeg) Torvalds shared his views a few months back. Lot has changed since then This is what many people in the software industry understand. AI is just a tool and it is essentially useful when there is a capable human driving the process. Look at the example here with Torvalds. A vibe coder with no knowledge of what's going on with the code, would have left it to AI to make decisions, and AI would have called the bug unfixable and walked away. But Linus Torvalds has experience. He could understand what the AI was doing right or wrong. He persisted and fixed the bug. The patch will be in Linux 7.3 and has been marked to be backported to stable kernel branches. The creator of Linux needed 18 boots to find a one-line fix. The AI helped him get there. Although, I think he would have gotten there all by himself as well, even if it would have taken a bit longer. There is no information available on what model or tool he used. In his personal project, where he used AI for the first time, he had used Gemini from Google. I guess he is not into local AI for now. I hope he finds enough interest and gives us a new gift after Linux kernel and Git. Wishful thinking, I know. Source: [Phoronix](https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linus-Torvalds-Debug-AI?ref=itsfoss.com). ### Proton Mail Wants to Organize Your Emails Automatically URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/proton-mail-categories/ Last updated: 2026-08-22T04:41:00.000Z [Proton Mail](https://go.getproton.me/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=37&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=itsfoss.com) (partner link), the service people turn to for escaping Big Tech, has rolled out "*Categories*" as [a new inbox view](https://proton.me/blog/proton-mail-categories?ref=itsfoss.com) that automatically sorts incoming email into six groups: *Primary*, *Social*, *Promotions*, *Newsletters*, *Transactions*, and *Updates*. When you receive a new mail, it gets sorted automatically into one of six categories based on metadata, without Proton reading the contents of the message. This is what Gmail already introduced years ago and it does work for most parts. ## How does it work? By default, ***Primary*** houses personal and work-related messages along with any important updates; ***Social*** covers social media updates and activity notifications; ***Promotions*** covers discounts and sales offers; and ***Newsletters*** carries news content you signed up for. ![a proton mail inbox with the new categories highlighted using a green rectangular box and blue-colored arrows](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/proton-mail-categories.png) The other two categories can be enabled via the Settings if you require them. Of course, **we are not claiming that this is something revolutionary**. Gmail and Outlook have offered inbox tabs for years, but they achieved that by scanning the contents of emails that are hosted on their servers. Proton's approach here is different, sorting mail by [metadata](https://ssd.eff.org/module/why-metadata-matters?ref=itsfoss.com) instead of reading what's inside each message, since its zero-access encryption keeps that content unreadable even to itself. [Anant Vijay Singh](https://www.linkedin.com/in/anant-vijay-singh/?ref=itsfoss.com), the Product Lead for Proton Mail, goes even further to note that: > Proton’s business model aligns our incentives with yours because we’re 100% funded by our community, not by advertisers. Enabling Categories doesn’t change any of this. > > Your inbox remains protected by zero-access encryption, and emails you send with other Proton users (or using password protection) are end-to-end encrypted. ## It's already live ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/proton-mail-categories-onboarding-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/proton-mail-categories-onboarding-2.png) If you haven't logged into your [Proton Mail](https://go.getproton.me/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=37&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=itsfoss.com) (*partner link*) account recently, then keep an eye out for a dialog titled "*Your inbox, automatically organized*." It will show you two options; go with "Y*es, organize it*" if you want to upgrade to the new category-focused inbox experience. If you'd rather stay on the legacy, unified inbox system, then choose "*Keep inbox as before*." Once enabled, you will see the categories all lined up at the top of your emails, with a useful blue dot appearing on the ones with unread messages. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/proton-mail-categories-quick-switch.png) **Moving an email to a different category** takes a right-click followed by "*Move to category...*" or a drag and drop. Going forward, Proton Mail sorts similar emails into that category automatically. If the default category selection or the feature itself doesn't suit your preferences, then you can manage it from the *Settings* menu (*gear button*), where you could either disable it by clicking on the button near "*Email categories*." ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/proton-mail-categories-settings-button.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/proton-mail-categories-settings-menu.png) Or, you could go into the "*Email categories*" settings page to enable or disable individual categories and toggle notifications for each one. I was content with the default selections, so I didn't bother changing anything. You can see how Proton Mail categorized my mail. 👇 ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/proton-mail-categories-social-tab.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/proton-mail-categories-promotions-tab.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/proton-mail-categories-newsletters-tab.png) **From left to right: Social, Promotions, and Newsletters.* Keep in mind that you cannot disable the "*Primary*" category as that one always stays on, catching anything that needs your attention along with emails from any category you've turned off. And that's not all. Proton is also **bringing full-content search to Proton Mail on mobile** in the coming weeks. It'll let users search the actual contents of their emails, not just subjects and senders. Proton says that the search will run entirely on the user's device rather than touch its own servers. [Switch to ProtonMail](https://go.getproton.me/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=37&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=itsfoss.com) ### Canonical is Funding a PhD to Automate C to Rust Translation for Ubuntu URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/canonical-c-to-rust-automation/ Last updated: 2026-08-21T08:28:11.000Z Canonical has committed funding [to a three-year PhD project](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/investing-in-automated-c-to-rust-translation/86369?ref=itsfoss.com) focused on building a system that can automatically translate large **C** codebases into **Rust**. And they are not alone; [UK Research and Innovation](https://www.ukri.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is matching their funding for the project, which is set to run through the University of Bristol's [Programming Languages Research Group](https://plrg-bristol.github.io/?ref=itsfoss.com). The PhD is **aiming to build an all-encompassing platform** that can take a [C](https://www.c-language.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) repository running into hundreds of thousands of lines and translate it into [Rust](https://www.rust-lang.org/en-US?ref=itsfoss.com) that's "*safe, behaviourally correct and maintainable Rust*." The work will be carried out by a student, [Alex Wood](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwood2403/?ref=itsfoss.com), who will be supported by [Professor Meng Wang](https://www.bristol.ac.uk/people/person/Meng-Wang-c7e34d58-549c-4456-ad41-8392dab75a91/?ref=itsfoss.com) leading the work, with [Dr. Cristina David](https://www.bristol.ac.uk/people/person/Cristina-David-d78c4612-1820-443c-b2cb-9db853867d90/?ref=itsfoss.com) and Canonical's [Jon Seager](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jnsgruk/?ref=itsfoss.com) serving as co-supervisors. ## How would this work? ![a discourse post by someone named "jnsgruk" (jon seager) on the ubuntu forum, announcing canonical's funding of a 3-year old phd project](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/canonical-phd-funding-announcement.png) Getting from C to Rust automatically means solving a few separate problems, and **the system tackles them in sequence**. First, it has to break a massive codebase into pieces small enough to work with without losing track of how those pieces depend on each other elsewhere in the code. Only then does the actual translation happen, handled by [language models](https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/large-language-models?ref=itsfoss.com) that have already been trained on real C-to-Rust conversions, with the goal of writing code that looks like something a Rust developer chose to write rather than C dressed up in Rust syntax. That's the easier half. The harder task is proving the translated code actually behaves like the original, which is where [fuzzing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuzzing?ref=itsfoss.com) and [formal equivalence checks](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/computer-science/equivalence-checking?ref=itsfoss.com) come in. When something doesn't line up, a separate repair step tries to track down exactly where the translation went wrong and patch it using *symbolic program-repair* techniques instead of starting the whole chunk over. Jon points out that **the language model handles only one part of the job**. Whatever it generates still has to clear validation before anyone can trust that it kept the original behavior intact. ## The targeted test case Both [AppArmor](https://wiki.ubuntu.com/AppArmor?ref=itsfoss.com) and [snap-confine](https://documentation.ubuntu.com/security/security-features/privilege-restriction/snap-confinement/?ref=itsfoss.com#capabilities-and-credentials) already run in production on real Ubuntu systems, handling access control and sandboxing that most users never see but rely on constantly. That's why they were picked, not because they are simple, but because **Canonical wants industrial-grade test cases** that offer a much better look at how the approach holds up under real production conditions. Testing a live component carries with it everything that's built up around it through years of real use, which makes it a far harder thing to translate without breaking something, and that's the point. Jon also flagged an important caveat, noting that **nothing generated by this project is going into either tool anytime soon**. The point, he said, is that Canonical has "*a vested interest in the software and are keen to see the results*," not that a rewrite is coming. ## Why should you care? If the approach survives this test, [Canonical](https://canonical.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) will have a real answer to whether automated translation can be trusted with code that protects the system, not just the code that was easy to test on. As a result, Ubuntu users, from regular desktop installs to enterprise deployments, could eventually see security-critical components with fewer bugs without Canonical having to gamble on a time-consuming manual rewrite of sensitive code. ### FOSS Weekly #26.34: StillOS Review, Kernel 7.2 Released, PINE Trouble, Beautifying GNOME, Terminal Multiplexers and More URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-34/ Last updated: 2026-08-20T12:54:54.000Z [LightDM 1.33.0](https://itsfoss.com/news/lightdm-is-back/) is out after a four-year gap, now under community maintainership rather than Canonical's. Two new maintainers, one behind Ubuntu Cinnamon Remix and the other a long-time Fedora and openSUSE contributor, have stepped up. Nitrux has given a name to what it's been building since dropping Plasma for Hyprland last year. The [Workspace Environment](https://itsfoss.com/news/nitrux-workspace-environment/) brings four in-house QML components together, a workspace bar, a dock, a settings app, and a lock screen. A [busy point release for Linux](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-7-2-release/) has just landed. AMD Radeon picks up HDMI 2.1 support, Apple M3 MacBooks can boot Linux for the first time, and Btrfs large folio support is on by default. Canonical's VP of Engineering has said that [Ubuntu's growth rate inside WSL is outpacing its growth rate on native desktops](https://itsfoss.com/news/canonical-wsl-growth/), which got picked up everywhere (*including here* 🤐) as "*Ubuntu is growing faster on Windows than Linux*." He's since clarified that the comparison was about growth rate only. The Xen Project recently launched [a Safety Committee](https://itsfoss.com/news/xen-project-safety-committee/) to build the shared documentation, test evidence, and certification artifacts that companies deploying Xen in automotive, avionics, and industrial automation keep having to produce independently. Privacy company [Murena now offers Fairphone Gen 6 with its /e/OS](https://itsfoss.com/news/murena-fairphone-6-plus/), a private alternative to Android. [PINE64 is halting the production of its Linux-based tablets](https://itsfoss.com/news/pine64-kills-off-linux-hardware/). Reason? The soaring RAM prices have made it impossible to keep the pricing reasonable for such hobbyist devices. And the RAM prices are increasing due to AI boom. Big Tech has already put their hands on the supply with bulk orders for their data centers and now the consumers are struggling as prices for disks and RAMs have gone up multiple folds. ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About Don't remember if I shared it in the newsletter or not. A few days ago, it was found that some AI companies are buying rare books to train their LLMs. And in the process, they were also cutting (read destroying) the books because it is easier to scan the books page by page that way. [404 Media](https://www.404media.co/we-tracked-a-shipment-of-rare-books-it-ended-at-an-amazon-ai-training-facility/?ref=itsfoss.com) (paywalled content) has tracked one such shipment to the Amazon AI training facility. So at least we have one culprit identified. [We Tracked a Shipment of Rare Books. It Ended at an Amazon AI Training FacilityWe placed a tracking device in a shipment of rare books to see which AI company was buying it, and found an Amazon facility where Amazon scans and destroys books.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/favicon-3-31141626-5d28-4730-81bc-b0e027293935.png)404 MediaEmanuel Maiberg![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/image3-2-1-2fa49745-9add-4a36-8599-482dce3538d4.png)](https://www.404media.co/we-tracked-a-shipment-of-rare-books-it-ended-at-an-amazon-ai-training-facility/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings Most people look no further than Tmux and Screen. But what if I told you [there were terminal multiplexers](https://itsfoss.com/terminal-multiplexers/) that shared sessions over SSH, restored your workspace exactly as you left it, or brought tiling WM concepts straight into your terminal? A [detailed guide on apt](https://itsfoss.com/apt-command-guide/) that covers updating the package database, installing and removing packages, searching, showing package info, listing upgradable software, and cleaning up leftover dependencies. Want your GNOME desktop to look like those Catppuccin or Nord riced screenshots without spending an afternoon in config files? [Rewaita](https://itsfoss.com/rewaita/) is a Flatpak app that applies color palettes to GTK and Libadwaita apps through CSS overrides. Desktop Linux is mostly neglected by the industry but loved by the community. For the past 14 years, It's FOSS has been helping people use Linux on their personal computers. And we are now facing the existential threat from AI models stealing our content. If you like what we do and would love to support our work, please become It's FOSS Plus member. It costs $49 a year (less than the cost of a McDonald's burger a month), and you get an ad-free reading experience with the satisfaction of helping the desktop Linux community. And there are also free Linux ebooks. [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner Proton has come up with a tool that tells you [how many secrets you have spilled over](https://itsfoss.com/news/proton-ai-paper-trail/) to an AI chatbot. [Overshared to an AI? Proton’s Tool Will Give You a Reality CheckPowered by Lumo, the tool turns your exported AI chat history into a personalized report of your privacy exposure.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-42f0f43d-5649-472e-82c4-15ee96d3e6ad.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/proton-ai-paper-trail-banner-c39af393-1a25-403e-b70d-74d3020c8cc8.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/proton-ai-paper-trail/) ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights [stillOS](https://itsfoss.com/stillos-review/) is a new distro that's built on an AlmaLinux base with atomicity as its main selling point. [This Solo Dev Already Built a Popular Distro. Now He’s Trying It AgainBuilt on AlmaLinux with bootc, it promises atomic updates and zero manual upkeep.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-1ed53261-c940-4912-a425-78b466599133.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/stillos-banner-d7e25b44-6846-4aec-9db8-e1d9b42b8412.png)](https://itsfoss.com/stillos-review/) ## 📽️ Videos for You I show you a wonderful dock for GNOME users. [See it in action in this week's video](https://youtu.be/EOmLGyFPSmU?ref=itsfoss.com). [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip On GNOME inside the [Nautilus](https://itsfoss.com/nautilus-tips-tweaks/) file manager (*aka Files*), press `CTRL+F` to start a search in the current directory and `CTRL+SHIFT+F` to search everywhere. You can also select the result and use `CTRL+ALT+O` to open that location in file manager. 0:00 /0:14 1× ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse If you went through the apt guide earlier, why not test your knowledge with [a quick quiz](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/apt-command-quiz/)? [Apt Command QuizDebian or Ubuntu user? This is the apt quiz for you. Pun intended, of course :)![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-e9ab609e-5bad-412a-b223-7977386f12d3.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/apt-command-quiz-188264ec-70f3-4e4b-a3f6-92941aeb3a62.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/apt-command-quiz/) The beginning is always simple. 😆 ![using linux makes you lose your mind meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/meme911.png) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On August 22, 1955, representatives from seventeen companies that had bought IBM's new [704 mainframe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM%5F704?ref=itsfoss.com) met at RAND Corp in Santa Monica and formed [SHARE](https://www.share.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), the first computer user group, so members could trade code and documentation instead of duplicating each other's work. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: A long-time FOSSer has returned, kicking off a thread on [how Windows enabled bitlocker without asking him](https://itsfoss.community/t/encryption-or-getting-locked-out-of-your-own-house-without-the-key/16133?ref=itsfoss.com), resulting in considerable wear on the attached storage disks. ### PINE64 is Halting its Linux Hardware Line, and The AI Bubble is to Blame URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/pine64-kills-off-linux-hardware/ Last updated: 2026-08-20T10:44:05.000Z The open hardware manufacturer recently [posted an update](https://social.treehouse.systems/@pine64/117111063654864544?ref=itsfoss.com) on its Mastodon account, and it's not great news if you were hoping to grab new Linux-powered [PINE64](https://pine64.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) hardware. The disruptions in [DRAM](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic%5Frandom-access%5Fmemory?ref=itsfoss.com) and [eMMC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MultiMediaCard?ref=itsfoss.com) supply are to blame, as PINE64 says its Linux hardware production pipeline is empty for now, with nothing new planned while component costs stay high. **Whether that changes** depends on component pricing after mid-2027, and they aren't promising anything before then. They expect stocks for the [PineNote](https://pine64.org/devices/pinenote/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [PineTab2](https://pine64.org/devices/pinetab2/?ref=itsfoss.com) to run out in three months. *Once that happens, there's no more new launches or restocks to cover the outgoing stock.* **Not everything is affected though**. PINE64's microcontroller lineup, the [PineTime](https://pine64.org/devices/pinetime/?ref=itsfoss.com), [PineVoice](https://itsfoss.com/news/pinevoice-smart-speaker/), and [Pinecil](https://pine64.com/product/pinecil-smart-mini-portable-soldering-iron/?ref=itsfoss.com), will keep shipping as usual since they don't rely on the same memory chips. Concluding their announcement, they gave everyone a status update on the upcoming [PineTime Pro](https://itsfoss.com/news/pinetime-pro-early-look/): > As for the PineTime Pro, currently the demo firmware has basic drivers for the display, touch, motion, GPS, buttons, heat rate sensor (chip id only), battery charger, motor, microphone and the speaker. Though some issues do need to be ironed out first before a pilot batch begins production. > That's it for this post, all in all it's a bit bleak for the Linux devices, but in the meantime PineStore still have a great lineup of MCU powered devices which will continue to expand with more exciting devices. ## The unnamed culprit PINE64 never actually says the word "*AI*" in their post, choosing to keep the announcement focused on the DRAM/eMMC shortage. But you have to look further to see where that shortage is actually originating from. Memory prices have been [climbing for months](https://itsfoss.com/news/ai-causes-ram-prices-skyrocket/), and [DDR5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDR5%5FSDRAM?ref=itsfoss.com) has taken the hardest hit of all. Companies running AI data centers have been locking up global memory supply well into next year, leaving everyone else fighting over what's left. Executives across the memory industry aren't optimistic either. SK Hynix's CEO recently said that [the worst is still ahead](https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/sk-hynix-ceo-sees-worst-ever-memory-supply-shortage-2027-says-demand-outstrip-2026-07-10/?ref=itsfoss.com), with supply expected to lag behind demand for years to come. ## Not the only ones PINE64 isn't the only Linux-focused hardware provider caught in this price surge. The [Orange Pi Neo](https://neo.manjaro.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), a Linux-first handheld built with Manjaro, [has been sitting on ice](https://itsfoss.com/news/orange-pi-neo-delayed/) since earlier this year for the same reason. The project has been in development for two years and still has no launch date, all because DDR5 and SSD prices refuse to come back down. I am sure these aren't the only projects affected; smaller ones still in the crowdfunding or conceptualization phase must be facing the same problem. What worries me is that [the AI bubble](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AI%5Fbubble?ref=itsfoss.com) will eventually burst, but small Linux-focused projects are the ones getting choked out right now. If these component prices stay this absurd, we are going to lose the few independent hardware choices we actually have left. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Omarchy Bets Its Future on AI Agents While the Linux World Stays Cautious*](https://itsfoss.com/news/omarchy-ai-agent-focus/) [Omarchy Bets Its Future on AI Agents While the Linux World Stays CautiousWhile some open source projects are locking AI out of their codebases, Omarchy’s upcoming v4 release treats AI as part of the system.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-2f9a5f2a-4d8c-45a7-9650-4941d0ecbef3.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/omarchy-ai-agent-banner-1-2921e003-dbca-458d-8d2f-81cee20f2ae8.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/omarchy-ai-agent-focus/) ### Warp Launches Factories to Let Engineering Teams Build Their Own Cloud Software Factories URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/warp-factories-launched/ Last updated: 2026-08-20T08:53:58.000Z ▶️ Warp has introduced Factories, infrastructure for running your own cloud software factory with fleets of agents. ▶️ Agents handle triage, specs, implementation, and review; humans step in only when needed. ▶️ Works with any model or harness, and all runs are tracked via built-in metrics. ▶️ Closed beta only; apply for early access. How software gets built at an organization has evolved a lot over the years. Long before [AI agents](https://github.com/resources/articles/what-are-ai-agents?ref=itsfoss.com) entered the scene, engineering teams were already turning development into a series of repeatable actions that brought together shared components and defined processes while minimizing reinvention. That approach has made teams faster and more consistent. In the age of AI, it needs to transform yet again. [Warp](https://www.warp.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com) is convinced it has figured out what's next. The company has introduced [Warp Factories](https://www.warp.dev/factories?ref=itsfoss.com) as an open infrastructure offering meant to help engineering teams build and run their own cloud software factories. Here, fleets of coding agents do the work instead of an agent limited to a developer's laptop. The short explanation is that it's Warp's attempt to turn "*run an agent in the cloud*" into an actual assembly line, with clear steps, real numbers to track, and humans stepping in only when it matters. 📋 If you use an ad blocker like [uBlock](https://github.com/gorhill/ublock?ref=itsfoss.com), the text with Warp links won't show up for you. ## An assembly line for development Warp Factories acts as an [infrastructure](https://linuxhandbook.com/courses/terraform/infrastructure-as-code/?ref=itsfoss.com) layer for running fleets of coding agents across the entire software development lifecycle. In Warp's own framing, that makes it a cloud software factory, an automated loop where agents handle the work from intake through to a shipped result. Agents handle triage, write specs, implement changes, review the work, verify it, and monitor the result, while humans only step in at decision points that actually need a person to verify what's been done. Think of it like a car assembly line. One station welds, another paints, another does final inspection, and the vehicle doesn't move forward until the station before it signs off. Warp's version applies that same logic to code. One agent triages an incoming ticket, another drafts a spec if the change is complex enough to need one, another implements the fix, and another reviews it before a human approves the merge. Warp is leaning hard on the idea of [AI sovereignty](https://hai.stanford.edu/news/ai-sovereigntys-definitional-dilemma?ref=itsfoss.com) to explain why this needs to exist as infrastructure. **Teams can bring their own hosting**, and every agent conversation, evaluation, and memory record can be kept on infrastructure the company controls instead of Warp's. *Data can also be kept out of any training pipeline entirely through zero-data-retention options.* The founder and CEO of Warp, [Zach Lloyd](https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachlloyd/?ref=itsfoss.com), further points out that: > Our vision is providing you all with the core components to get to this point as quickly as possible. In an age where time to ship is arguably your most important competitive advantage, you should be standing up and operating a factory today, not six months from now. ## More of its capabilities ![the warp factories "factory app" is shown here being used to manage a warp factory, this image was sourced from warp](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/warp-factories-factory-app.png) Factories also ships with a dashboard the company calls the "*factory app*," basically a control room where you can watch live and past agent runs, check what's pending, and review every automation in one place. **You're not locked into Warp's own models or its own agent either**. Factories works with any model, open-weight ones too, and any [harness](https://www.redhat.com/en/blog/what-even-harness-ai?ref=itsfoss.com), so Claude Code or Codex can sit in the implementation seat instead of Warp's [native agent](https://www.warp.dev/agents/warp-agent?ref=itsfoss.com). All of that activity gets measured automatically, with cost, throughput, and code quality metrics feeding into evaluation and benchmark tools that track how a factory's performance shifts over time. ## Get started Warp Factories **isn't available for everyone right now**. If you or your organization wants to try it out, then you will need to request access through Warp Factories' [early access portal](https://www.warp.dev/factories/request-access?ref=itsfoss.com). *Qualifying organizations can get up to *$10,000* in factory usage credits.* [Request Early Access — Warp Factories | WarpRequest early access to Warp Factories. Qualifying orgs get up to $10,000 in factory usage during closed early access.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/favicon-196x196-796c6347-3a4e-4fbf-9630-588c26ddea54.png)Warp![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/default-ffdd0494-c13e-41af-a9b4-258b5a9d73ac.png)](https://www.warp.dev/factories/request-access?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Book Review: The Ultimate AI Guide for Linux Engineers URL: https://itsfoss.com/ultimate-ai-guide-for-linux-engineers-review/ Last updated: 2026-08-19T13:44:18.000Z Even Linus Torvalds is fine with AI being used in Linux kernel development these days, and it's everywhere else in the Linux and tech world too. The time has come to stop ignoring AI and start using it as a tool and to use it well, especially if you are a professional sysadmin or DevOps. That's why seasoned Linux professionals, Ezequiel Lanza and Eduardo Spotti wrote the book [The Ultimate AI Guide for Linux Engineers](https://www.packtpub.com/en-us/product/the-ultimate-ai-guide-for-linux-engineers-9781806664221?ref=itsfoss.com) that I am reviewing here. The book is published by Packt and you can find it on Packt, O'Reilly and [Amazon](https://amzn.to/4xdSyoo?ref=itsfoss.com). Note that the book is written for people who already know and use Linux professionally. That means sysadmins, devops, SREs, system engineers, network engineers. The book collectively calls them "Linux engineers" and I like that term. Basically, it is for the people who are more used to doing things the old way and unsure where and how to fit AI into their regular workflow. ## A book for seasoned Linux professionals The book opens with "Linux engineers have always been expected to do more with less," and that's the core idea of the book: using AI effectively to improve efficienncy. The examples are good, and if you've managed servers and infrastructure before, you'll relate to them. That's what makes the book interesting: it's written from a sysadmin/DevOps perspective. To reduce the risk of letting AI agents loose on your systems, the authors suggest best practices like role-based access, limiting operations to read-only wherever possible, and logging all AI actions for auditing. There are also examples and sample code you can adapt for your own workflow with some modification, like an anomaly detector you could plug into your Linux observability stack. Although the book has 12 chapters and runs over 300 pages, I find that the book is divided into four core sectors: ## 1\. Foundational knowledge The book starts by explaining AI, machine learning (ML), and large language models (LLMs) specifically in Linux contexts, covering the practical differences between training, fine-tuning, and inference. This sets up the technical foundation for building an AI-ready Linux environment, with an emphasis on Python as the primary language and virtual environments and containerization for safe, reproducible workflows. ## 2\. Intelligent automation and LinuxOps agents A major focus of the book is the shift from static automation to intelligent automation. AI-assisted automation shows how to combine AI with traditional tools like Ansible, Bash, and systemd to generate safe, validated commands from natural language intent. The book also teaches how to build autonomous agents that can perceive system problems, reason through multi-step plans, and execute tasks while following least-privilege principles and safeguards. ## 3\. Intelligent observability and RAG The authors push for moving from passive monitoring to a "dialogue model" of observability, through log dialogue pipelines. So, instead of manually grepping through logs, you build pipelines that compress and correlate multi-source logs into actionable knowledge. The book also covers building RAG systems that index system logs, internal runbooks, documentation, and past incident reports to give you context-aware answers instead of hallucinated ones. This is where AI actually shines. When it has context, its analysis is far more accurate. ## 4\. Production deployment and security To move these concepts into real-world use, the book covers scaling and securing AI workloads on Kubernetes: managing GPU resources, implementing autoscaling based on inference-specific metrics, and optimizing performance through techniques like quantization. It also lays out a full security stack, including threat modeling for AI, PII (personally identifiable information) redaction, prompt injection defenses, and using Open Policy Agent (OPA) to enforce strict guardrails on agent actions. This part matters more than people think; it's usually the part companies skip, right up until they end up trending on social media over a security incident. The book ends by looking at the future of AI-driven Linux workflows, and the need to balance autonomy with human oversight. 💡 Each chapter comes with practice exercises and additional external resources. There is an [accompanied GitHub repo](https://github.com/PacktPublishing/The-Ultimate-AI-Guide-for-Linux-Engineers?ref=itsfoss.com) that has the codes and pipelines discussed in the book. ## Verdict Overall, The Ultimate AI Guide for Linux Engineers is a practical, Linux-first handbook designed to help system administrators, SREs, and DevOps professionals fold AI into their daily workflows. Instead of focusing on theory, it lays out a roadmap for evolving from traditional shell scripts to intelligent, autonomous systems. This book isn't for you if you're completely new to Linux or just a casual desktop user. You may still learn something, but unless you're managing servers, containers, and infrastructure, you probably won't find it as engaging or useful. I think every Linux professional should start looking for ways to use AI in their workflow. The book gives you ideas, it gives you scenarios and guides you through them. If you ever wanted to start using AI but was unsure because of all the noise around it and didn't know where to begin, the book is definitely worth a read. > The best engineers will not be replaced by AI but will be the ones who know how to use it effectively. Still unsure? To determine whether the book is for you, I advise [checking it on the O'Reilly website](https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/the-ultimate-ai/9781806664238/Chapter%5F5.xhtml?ref=itsfoss.com). It has chapters of the books and you can expand those chapters to see the sections of those chapters. ![Chapter 5 sample of AI Linux book](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/image-6.png) This will give a clearer picture if you are still indecisive if you should get the book. [Get it from Amazon](https://amzn.to/4xdSyoo?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Murena Just Made The Fairphone (Gen. 6) Better! URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/murena-fairphone-6-plus/ Last updated: 2026-08-19T11:53:09.000Z We are used to seeing [Murena](https://murena.com/?sld=5&ref=itsfoss.com) roll out new devices every now and then. Their whole sales pitch revolves around a de-Googled, privacy-focused Android experience. Not everyone is sold on that approach, sure, but the company has managed to stick around for quite a few years now, which says something. The latest addition to their lineup is the [Fairphone (Gen. 6+)](https://murena.com/everything-you-love-about-the-fairphone-plus-more/?ref=itsfoss.com) with [/e/OS](https://e.foundation/e-os/?ref=itsfoss.com). It sits right next to the standard [Gen. 6 model](https://itsfoss.com/news/murena-fairphone-6/), which is still on sale. The new variant packs better hardware and carries a higher price tag to match. ## The new device ![the three colorways for the murena fairphone (gen. 6+) are shown here; horizon black, cobalt blue, and forest green](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/murena-fairphone-gen-6-plus-colors.png) **The three colorways: Horizon Black, Cobalt Blue, and Forest Green.* The most significant change is the **Snapdragon 7s Gen 4** processor, paired with **12GB of RAM**. The base model makes do with the older Gen 3 chip and 8GB of RAM. Though **storage stays at 256GB** across both, expandable via microSD up to 2TB. Everything else on the hardware carries over from the base model, including the 6.31-inch 120Hz LTPO OLED display, the 50MP main camera with a 13MP secondary and 32MP selfie shooter, the 4,415mAh removable battery with 30W charging, IP55 water resistance, and Gorilla Glass 7i to protect the display. There's also a new Cobalt Blue colorway that ties into [Fairphone](https://www.fairphone.com/?ref=itsfoss.com)'s fair-mined cobalt supply chain efforts. It joins the existing *Forest Green* and *Horizon Black* options. **The modular design is unchanged**, so you can still swap out 12 key components with a regular screwdriver. **The software itself has not changed for this launch**. It is still the same privacy-first build Murena has been refining for a while now. That means no Google tracking baked into the OS, an *Advanced Privacy* widget that lets you control what data individual apps can see, and a running *Wall of Shame* that calls out installed apps leaking the most personal information. The founder and CEO of Murena, [Gaël Duval](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaelduvalprofile/?ref=itsfoss.com), spoke about the device, saying that: > With devices like Fairphone (Gen. 6+) with /e/OS, users can have a truly ethical device both in terms of hardware and software. > > When I developed Mandriva Linux back in the 90s, it was my mission to make the operating system usable for the everyday, non-techie user. This is my goal with Murena – to give the average user access to smartphones that do not hold their privacy to ransom. ## Get yours Pricing depends on which region you order a Murena Fairphone (Gen. 6+) from. **For EU**, it costs **€699**, more than the €649 Murena charges for the standard Gen. 6\. **In the US**, the Fairphone (Gen. 6+) is priced at **$699**, which is more than the standard Gen. 6's $649 price tag. **People who order during the limited-time launch window** of 18 August-1 September 2026 get a few extras. In the EU, that's two free accessories of your choice, where you get to pick from a case, screen protector, finger loop, card holder, or lanyard. US buyers get a case and screen protector bundle. Everyone gets a year of 1TB [Murena Workspace](https://murena.com/workspace/?ref=itsfoss.com) and a year of [Murena MDM](https://murena.com/what-is-mdm/?ref=itsfoss.com). **Availability differs by region too**. The device is shipping now in Europe, with the US listed as a backorder. [Buy Now](https://murena.com/shop/smartphones/brand-new/fairphone-gen-6-plus/?sld=5&ref=itsfoss.com) ## Closing thoughts The ethical smartphone market is still tiny, and it mostly survives on partnerships like this one. Fairphone builds the hardware, Murena handles the software, and together they keep proving that a privacy-first phone does not have to mean a phone stuck in the dark ages. Whether that is enough to pull people away from Google remains the same open question it was the last time Murena updated their lineup. ### This Solo Dev Already Built a Popular Distro. Now He's Trying It Again URL: https://itsfoss.com/stillos-review/ Last updated: 2026-08-18T13:07:51.000Z Atomic distros work differently from the Fedora or Ubuntu install you're probably used to. Instead of layering individual packages on top of each other, the entire base system ships as one image, and updates land as a whole swap rather than a slow stream of package changes. As a result, you get a system that's hard to break, where updates apply cleanly or not at all, rolling back a bad patch is easy, and there's no dependency hell to wade through since every install starts from the same known-good state. The trade-off is flexibility. You lose the ability to tinker with individual system packages the way you can on a traditional distro, and anything outside the base image needs a workaround instead of a quick `apt install` or `dnf install`. **stillOS** wants you to consider the upside of that trade-off. It calls itself a "*maintenance-free*" Linux desktop, built on an [AlmaLinux 10](https://almalinux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) base with [bootc](https://bootc.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com) handling the atomic updates. Behind it is [Cameron Knauff](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-knauff/?ref=itsfoss.com), who goes by the name "*PizzaLovingNerd*" in the Linux community, and this isn't his first distro. His earlier project, [risiOS](https://itsfoss.com/news/risi-os/), a Fedora-based distro aimed at smoothing out the rough edges for new users, picked up a solid following before it was absorbed into [Nobara Linux](https://nobaraproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), freeing him up to start [stillHQ](https://stillhq.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) and, down the line, stillOS. ## It has potential ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/stillos-quick-settings-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/stillos-installation.png) I tested stillOS 10.2 on a virtual machine in [GNOME Boxes](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-boxes-glow-up/), running on my Fedora Workstation setup. Installation felt familiar right away. stillOS uses the same Anaconda installer AlmaLinux ships with. If you've installed Fedora, RHEL, or any of their downstream distros before, you already know the steps involved here. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/stillos-onboarding-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/stillos-onboarding-2.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/stillos-onboarding-3.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/stillos-onboarding-4.png) **Onboarding is quick and doesn't waste your time**. A short welcome screen kicks off *Quick Setup*, which walks you through installing apps, picking a browser, and grabbing essentials before dropping you onto the desktop. Once you boot into stillOS, you will see that while the desktop is [GNOME](https://www.gnome.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) underneath, the distro ditches the usual top-panel layout for a taskbar-first interface, closer to Windows 11 than anything GNOME ships by default. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/stillos-workspace-switcher.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/stillos-update-notifier.png) The taskbar carries the usual options like the app drawer, pill-shaped workspace switcher, an update notifier, pinned apps, the calendar, the clock, and quick settings. Unlike vanilla GNOME, stillOS' version lets you drop icons straight onto the desktop. Right-clicking gives you quick access to creating new folders and documents, undoing an action, selecting everything, arranging icons, opening the terminal, and some important settings. The file manager keeps most of that same right-click menu, folders, documents, select all, opening a terminal, alongside the usual "*Properties*" entry found on [Nautilus](https://apps.gnome.org/Nautilus/?ref=itsfoss.com) (*Files*). The document creation option is the one that **I find very useful**, as that’s something I miss on the vanilla GNOME experience. The catch is that it only hands you three formats through ONLYOFFICE: `docx`, `pptx`, and `xlsx`. Considering what [The Document Foundation](https://itsfoss.com/news/tdf-calls-out-euro-office/#:~:text=Euro%2DOffice%27s%20silence.-,TDF%20isn%27t%20happy,-Toward%20the%20end) has been pushing for lately, a locked-down proprietary-only shortcut feels like an odd choice. Installing [LibreOffice](https://itsfoss.com/libreoffice-tips/) and removing ONLYOFFICE didn't fix it either. The shortcut still generates files in those same formats; it just opens them in LibreOffice instead. **The file manager looks different too,** even though it's the same GNOME Files under the hood. When you launch it, the app opens a "*Computer*" page that lays out your folders, disks, and removable media in one clean view. ![the file manager for stillos that is showing the "computer" page with many folders, storage, and removable media items](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/stillos-file-manager.png) The default app selection is generous. You get **ONLYOFFICE**, **Gear Lever**, **Warp**, **Mousam**, and a good spread of the usual GNOME-focused apps alongside them. **stillOS also ships its own lineup of "*still*" branded tools**. [stillTerminal](https://gitlab.com/stillhq/stillTerminal?ref=itsfoss.com) is the default terminal app, built around a customized [ZSH](https://itsfoss.com/zsh-ubuntu/) setup with container and SSH support. [stillCenter](https://gitlab.com/stillhq/stillOS/stillcenter?ref=itsfoss.com) is the curated app store, pulling from Flatpak and other sources with its own *stillRating* system grading how well an app runs with stillOS. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/stillos-stillterminal.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/stillos-stillcenter.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/stillos-stillcontrol.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/stillos-forum-webapp.png) [stillControl](https://gitlab.com/stillhq/stillOS/stillcontrol?ref=itsfoss.com) handles GNOME layout customization, letting you switch between 12+ preset layouts and manage extensions without digging through [GNOME Tweaks](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-tweak-tool/). Then there's stillOS Forums, which isn't a native app at all. It's the community forum wrapped as a [SWAI](https://gitlab.com/stillhq/stillOS/swai?ref=itsfoss.com) web app, so it behaves like part of the desktop instead of a browser tab. Running other software worked without any surprises. I selected Zen Browser during onboarding specifically to see how it handled a non-default browser, and it ran cleanly, without any visual bugs, lags, or crashes to speak of. The pill-shaped workspace switcher held up well through all of this too, letting me flip between workspaces and open apps without any lag or fumbling. Though this was a given seeing that it is a well-tested component from GNOME. And before you assume that this is some obscure Linux distro that will fade into irrelevance very soon, know that development is still quite active. The recent [stillOS 10.2 release](https://stillhq.io/stillos-gets-gnome-49-a-better-first-boot-and-major-swai-improvements/?ref=itsfoss.com) introduced most of what's covered above. Cameron says that: > stillOS has now reached the point where it fits that initial vision. There is obviously more work to do, and there always will be, but the foundation is here. Now I want to focus on building the community around it. > The goal is to keep stillOS innovative while also building a Linux system that literally anyone can use. Those ideas do not have to conflict. Linux can try new things without becoming confusing, and it can be approachable without becoming boring. ## Download it now You can grab the latest stillOS ISO from [SourceForge](https://sourceforge.net/projects/stillos/files/?ref=itsfoss.com), which lists all the images released by the project so far. [stillOS (SourceForge)](https://sourceforge.net/projects/stillos/files/?ref=itsfoss.com) Once you're up and running, know that updates aren't handled through AlmaLinux's usual dnf-based flow. **Instead, you can rely on the distro to handle it for you**, as it checks for updates automatically 15 minutes after boot, then every 24 hours after that for as long as your machine stays on. ![terminal window that shows the successful running of this command: sudo bootrc upgrade](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/stillos-upgrade-command.png) If you can't wait, then you can run the following command in the terminal to force an update check: ``` sudo bootc upgrade ``` ### The Xen Project is Serious About Safety, So It Formed a Committee URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/xen-project-safety-committee/ Last updated: 2026-08-18T10:25:21.000Z [Xen](https://xenproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a hypervisor that runs on various kinds of hardware, where a crash can have massive consequences. It is deployed in fields like automotive, industrial automation, robotics, and avionics. These are all safety-critical fields where certification matters. So far, it has been on a good trajectory with increasing adoption and enhancements that keep it relevant for enterprise use. What it hasn't had is a structured, collaborative way to help the companies building on it actually get certified for that kind of work. It [has launched](https://www.linuxfoundation.org/press/xen-project-launches-shared-functional-initiative-for-safety-critical-systems?ref=itsfoss.com) the **Xen Safety Committee**, a group tasked with building the safety documentation and test evidence that member companies can lean on instead of starting from scratch. The committee's job covers software safety requirements, architecture specifications, [MISRA](https://misra.org.uk/?ref=itsfoss.com)\-related engineering, DFMEA analysis, testing frameworks, tooling, code coverage, and process documentation. Founding contributors AMD, EPAM, and Renesas **are credited with doing most of the legwork for the above**, forming the initiative's early foundation. The point is to stop every company from solving the same problem on their own. Sharing this foundation should cut costs, avoid duplicated effort, and get products through certification faster for anyone building on Xen. Nothing changes about how Xen itself gets built. Source code, licensing, and the existing open contribution and review process stay exactly as they are. The *Safety Committee* runs as a parallel governance layer, not a replacement for how maintainers already work. Though joining the committee isn't all that open. Organizations will need to sign up for the right kind of membership. More on that below. 👇 ## A call for new members ![the xen project webpage is shown here, specifically the members page with lots of informational text](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/xen-project-members-page.png) Membership at Xen Project works like most Linux Foundation projects. It funds shared infrastructure, test environments, events, and coordination, while day-to-day technical decisions stay with maintainers through open contribution. *Paying to join doesn't buy influence over the codebase.* 🤓 AMD, ARM, AWS, Boeing, EPAM, Ford, Honda, Renesas, Vates, and XenServer are all listed as [current members](https://xenproject.org/about/project-members/?ref=itsfoss.com). These represent chipmakers, cloud providers, automotive, aerospace, and a few other sectors. A new membership tier, "**Premier Plus**" sits above the existing tiers, granting voting representatives on both the Xen *Advisory Board* and the *Safety Committee*, a say in setting priorities and roadmap, and access to the committee-managed safety artifacts. This way, instead of producing every requirement and test in house, members can hand the committee's existing artifacts to their own safety assessors for audits and assessments. Speaking on the topic, [Kate Stewart](https://www.linkedin.com/in/katestewartaustin?ref=itsfoss.com), Vice President, Dependable Embedded Systems, The Linux Foundation, stated that: > Systems with safety considerations need a trusted hypervisor to provide the foundation for other open source components, such as Zephyr and Linux, to support mixed criticality embedded applications. > The Zephyr and Xen projects have been exchanging best practices over the last few years as a pathway to achieve safety certification of open source components. We welcome the Xen Safety Initiative to accelerate the journey of Xen achieving formal certification. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Proxmox Virtual Environment Officially Runs on ARM64*](https://itsfoss.com/news/proxmox-virtual-environment-arm64-support/) [Proxmox Virtual Environment Officially Runs on ARM64, But Your Raspberry Pi Isn’t Supported YetThe release is powered by Debian 13.5 and Linux 7.0, with NVIDIA Grace and Vera systems fully supported.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-5de58d05-4257-49c7-9e74-158d23e1efcd.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/proxmox-ve-arm64-banner-46a786d5-e642-497a-bfa5-87700ca5b878.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/proxmox-virtual-environment-arm64-support/) ### I Found an Easy Way to Make GNOME More Colorful URL: https://itsfoss.com/rewaita/ Last updated: 2026-08-18T07:29:42.000Z One thing that always comes up in the [GNOME vs KDE debate](https://itsfoss.com/comparison/kde-vs-gnome/) is how easy it is to [customize KDE](https://itsfoss.com/kde-customization/). You can [surely customize GNOME](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-tricks-ubuntu/) but not to the extent of KDE. But that doesn't deter us GNOME users from trying new looks and visuals, does it? In that regard, I recently came across a super cool GUI tool that lets give an altogether different look to your GNOME desktop. Take a look at the screenshot below. Looks like Archcraft or Omarchy, right? ![GNOME customized with Rewaita](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/customized-desktop.webp) That is the magic of Rewaita, a GUI app worth adding in your customization toolbox. ## Rewaita: Add custom color tint to GNOME Adwaita [Rewaita](https://github.com/swordpuffin/Rewaita?ref=itsfoss.com) is not a standalone theme or icon. It keeps GNOME’s familiar Adwaita design but replaces its colours and adds optional visual effects like changing the transparency to windows. ![Rewaita](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/rewaita_interface.png) As you open Rewaita, it very helpfully gives you a user guide to help you through the process of changing the theme on GNOME. Once you're through that process (that I'll describe later), it gives you a good range of choices that include 14 light themes and 24 dark ones (all hail dark mode), followed by 6 Window Control themes. Many of these themes are well-known standard themes around Linux, like [Breeze](https://github.com/KDE/breeze?ref=itsfoss.com), [Nord](https://github.com/nordtheme/nord?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Catppuccin](https://catppuccin.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), etc. Which is great because they're all tried and tested to suit the popular tastes of Linux users. After all, most Linux ricing screenshots you see on various communities use those color themes. The Window Control themes are more of the same that include Breeze, Mint and MacOS-styled button themes. All you need to do is choose the theme, and the change is immediate in all newly opened windows. 0:00 /0:16 1× Under the hood, it generates CSS overrides and related assets inside directories such as ``` ~/.config/gtk-3.0/ ~/.config/gtk-4.0/ ~/.local/share/themes/ ``` Note that it will only affect GTK applications. Qt (from KDE) and Electron apps may not adhere to the changed color theme. ## Using Rewaita To activate Rewaita, you have to ensure a few things first. Make sure you have the *gnome-shell-extensions* package installed, which allows you to extend the capabilities of GNOME. And then the [User Themes extension](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/19/user-themes/?ref=itsfoss.com) (I would also recommend installing the [Extension Manager](https://github.com/mjakeman/extension-manager?ref=itsfoss.com), that makes it easier and more fun to explore various extensions that GNOME has to offer), as well as the [GNOME Tweaks](https://github.com/GNOME/gnome-tweaks?ref=itsfoss.com) application (where you actually choose the theme). ![GNOME User Theme Extension](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/rewaita_gnome-user-theme-extension.png) [Get Rewaita](https://github.com/swordpuffin/Rewaita?ref=itsfoss.com) When you're done with all that, finally install [Rewaita](https://github.com/swordpuffin/Rewaita?ref=itsfoss.com), which is [available on Flathub](https://flathub.org/en/apps/io.github.swordpuffin.rewaita?ref=itsfoss.com). If you prefer terminal, here is the command: ``` flatpak install io.github.swordpuffin.rewaita ``` Other ways of installation on distributions such as Arch, OpenSUSE, and NixOS are listed [here](https://github.com/swordpuffin/Rewaita?ref=itsfoss.com#%EF%B8%8F-installation). After that, go into Rewaita and choose a theme. Once you do that, reboot your system, go into [GNOME Tweaks](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-tweak-tool/) and choose Rewaita as the Shell theme. ![GNOME Shell theme change](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/rewaita_gnome-tweaks.png) ### Flatpak Override Since Flatpak applications are treated separately sandboxed, these settings are not applied to them by default. You can, however, make them apply by overriding the settings: ``` sudo flatpak override --filesystem=xdg-config/gtk-3.0:rw sudo flatpak override --filesystem=xdg-config/gtk-4.0:rw ``` The first command takes care of GTK-3.0 applications, the second does that for GTK-4.0. ## More customization options If you desire a more manual and methodical approach, you can even choose the exact colors that you want there to be on the interface on the Custom tab. Accent colors, interface colors, button colors, successful, dangerous or warning action colors, etc. can all be manually chosen, alongwith manual color naming and extra CSS code. You can even save these settings as themes on your system for future use. ![Custom coloring options](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/rewaita_custom.png) ## Fine Tuning The Fine Tune section is another wonderful aspect where you can put in use some extra settings apart from the colors on your system. These include things like transparency, window borders, sharpening corners, etc. There's an option to toggle Rewaita running in the background in case you swap between light and dark modes throughout the day. ![Fine tuning](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/rewaita_fine-tune.png) ### Firefox You can choose to apply the theme to your Firefox window as well (great edge for the full open source application pack) by enabling 'Generate Firefox CSS Theme' in the Fine Tune tab. After that, Firefox only needs to be fully quit and restarted for the settings to apply. ## Wrapping Up Rewaita is really, really, really convenient. It makes it extremely easy not to only apply pre-made themes, but also create custom themes of your own with colors and CSS code. More options are just a toggle switch away, and the user guide that is present right as you open the application is extremely helpful, telling you all that you need. Thoughtfully constructed and beautifully applied, Rewaita is a must use for anyone wanting to make GNOME look aesthetically pleasing. ### Ubuntu is Growing Faster on Windows Than on Linux URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/canonical-wsl-growth/ Last updated: 2026-08-19T06:51:44.000Z Back in April, [Jon Seager](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jnsgruk/?ref=itsfoss.com), Canonical's VP of Engineering, spoke with [The Pragmatic Engineer](https://newsletter.pragmaticengineer.com/p/ubuntu-and-ai?ref=itsfoss.com) (*paywalled*), telling them that Ubuntu inside Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is growing faster than native Ubuntu desktop installs. Jon was speaking on the topic of how AI is reshaping Ubuntu when the topic of WSL came up, where he pointed out that: > In a year, the growth in our WSL numbers is significantly higher than the growth in Desktop usage numbers. WSL enables Windows users to “install” Ubuntu for use within their Windows environment. > > Once installed, users interact with Ubuntu through the Terminal app, and what you’re running literally is Ubuntu. Your home directory is mounted with Ubuntu and you can pull windows out of this terminal to your desktop; as in actual windows as on-screen windows. > **I expect to see more Ubuntu WSL users than “native” Ubuntu users over the coming months**. This is especially true for anyone doing ML or AI work. We’re already hearing from lots of devs who have no choice but to get a Windows machine from their employer, but then find themselves needing to do AI or ML work. With WSL, this is a lot simpler. Since then, **Jon has clarified those comments**. Speaking to [Steven Vaughan-Nichols](https://www.zdnet.com/article/ubuntu-on-windows-outgrowing-native-installs-not-according-to-canonicals-jon-seager/?ref=itsfoss.com) at ZDNET, he said **the growth comparison was only ever about rate, not absolute numbers**. He meant Ubuntu Desktop's growth rate on [WSL](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install?ref=itsfoss.com) against Ubuntu Desktop's growth rate on bare metal, specifically, not WSL against Ubuntu as a whole, which also runs on servers, cloud instances, and containers. ## Canonical shouldn't be bothered [Ubuntu Pro](https://ubuntu.com/pro?ref=itsfoss.com), Canonical's paid security and support subscription, [already covers WSL instances](https://canonical.com/blog/canonical-announces-ubuntu-pro-for-wsl?ref=itsfoss.com) the same way it covers native installs. Subscribers get to take advantage of up to 15 years of CVE patching, toolchain coverage for Python, Go, and Rust, and fleet management. Simply speaking, a WSL user on Ubuntu Pro and a data center running Ubuntu Server are the same kind of customer to [Canonical](https://canonical.com/?ref=itsfoss.com); the company gets paid either way. And, as you saw earlier, **Jon also points to why demand keeps climbing**. Plenty of developers don't get a say in their work laptop, and once AI or ML work lands on their plate, WSL becomes the easiest way to get a working Linux environment without a fight over IT policy. [Craig Loewen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-loewen/?ref=itsfoss.com), WSL's product manager at Microsoft, called the Ubuntu Pro arrangement a "*fantastic partnership*" when it launched, further stating that: > This work will benefit enterprise developers who use WSL to build production Linux solutions. ## What does it mean for native Linux? This is where it gets tricky if you are rooting for the Linux desktop specifically. If WSL satisfies the demand that would otherwise push developers toward dual-booting or switching entirely, does that take pressure off IT departments and hardware vendors to ever approve native Linux at all? Of course, running Ubuntu on bare metal will still be better than WSL for anyone who wants full hardware control, maximum performance, and a Linux-first setup. *Via:* [*Windows Latest*](https://www.windowslatest.com/2026/08/16/ubuntu-is-growing-faster-on-windows-11-than-on-native-linux-pcs-says-canonical/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Looking Beyond Tmux and Screen: 8 Terminal Multiplexers Worth Trying URL: https://itsfoss.com/terminal-multiplexers/ Last updated: 2026-08-17T11:10:23.000Z Whether you're a developer, system administrator, or simply someone who spends a lot of time in the terminal, juggling multiple terminal sessions can be messy and frustrating. A terminal multiplexer helps you keep everything organized, letting you manage several sessions from a single interface while making your workflow much more efficient. While [tmux](https://linuxhandbook.com/tmux/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [GNU Screen](https://linuxhandbook.com/screen-command/?ref=itsfoss.com) are the names most Linux users are familiar with, there are many more similar terminal multiplexer tools available. As someone who like to explore new tools, I spent some time and came up with this list for you. 📋 Many terminal emulators let you split your screen into panes, but splitting a screen isn't the same as multiplexing it. For this list, I am focusing on tools that offer real session value beyond arranging windows. ## Zellij [Zellij](https://zellij.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com) describes itself as a terminal workspace rather than just a multiplexer, with an emphasis on delivering a polished experience from the moment you launch it. It aims to provide sensible defaults while still leaving plenty of room for customization. Zellij One of the things that sets Zellij apart is its focus on usability. Built-in layouts, a plugin system, and collaborative sessions are all part of the experience, but the project's philosophy is that you shouldn't have to trade simplicity for advanced functionality. This makes it approachable for newcomers while still offering enough flexibility for users who want to tailor their workspace. While this is not a ranking list, Zellij is the first one on this list because I have used it on a daily basis for the past several months. ## TUIOS While most terminal multiplexers focus on helping you manage terminal sessions, [TUIOS](https://github.com/Gaurav-Gosain/tuios?ref=itsfoss.com) takes that idea a step further by presenting itself as a terminal window manager. TUIOS tries to bring concepts you'd expect from a tiling window manager, such as workspaces, automatic tiling, and window management, into your existing terminal. TUIOS The workflow is centered around a modal interface inspired by Vim, letting you switch between managing windows and interacting with terminal applications. Alongside features like a command palette and workspace organization, TUIOS also supports automation through tape files, making it suitable for users who want to build repeatable terminal workflows instead of just juggling multiple shells. ## Wezterm You probably know [WezTerm](https://wezterm.org/index.html?ref=itsfoss.com) as a feature-rich terminal emulator. But there's more to it than meets the eye. WezTerm includes a built-in multiplexer, allowing you to create and manage persistent sessions without relying on a separate tool. Wezterm as a Terminal Multiplexer It integrates multiplexing directly into the terminal and supports local domains. While it lets you connect to remote domains over SSH and other tmux like features, this requires you to spend some time configuring. ## Kitty + Abduco If you're already [using Kitty as your terminal emulator](https://itsfoss.com/kitty-customization/), you don't necessarily have to switch to a traditional multiplexer. Pairing it with [abduco](https://github.com/martanne/abduco?ref=itsfoss.com) gives you a lightweight way to keep terminal sessions running in the background while letting Kitty handle everything on the frontend. 0:00 /0:30 1× Kitty with Abduco It's a simple combination that sticks to the Unix philosophy of using small tools that do one job well. The primary job of abduco is to detach and reattach terminal sessions, leaving the rest to your terminal emulator. Kitty complements this nicely with features like tabs, splits, and a polished interface, giving you a workflow that feels familiar while still providing session persistence. ## tmate Rather than reinventing the multiplexer experience, [tmate](https://github.com/tmate-io/tmate?ref=itsfoss.com) builds on tmux and adds secure session sharing, making it easy to collaborate, troubleshoot problems, or provide remote assistance without asking someone to install extra software. 0:00 /0:46 1× Tmate The biggest addition is the ability to generate a connection string that others can use to join your session. By default, these shared sessions are relayed through tmate's public servers, although you can host your own relay if you prefer to keep everything under your control. If you never need to share your terminal, however, plain tmux is likely the better fit. ## Boo At first glance, [boo](https://github.com/coder/boo?ref=itsfoss.com) might look like just another GNU Screen alternative. In reality, it's a fairly different take on terminal multiplexing. Built on [Ghostty](https://itsfoss.com/ghostty-terminal-features/)'s terminal emulation library, boo keeps track of the actual terminal state, allowing it to recreate a session exactly as you left it, even after you've detached and reattached. 0:00 /0:46 1× Boo The project also leans into automation. Besides keeping sessions alive, it includes commands that let scripts and AI agents inspect or interact with detached sessions without needing a live terminal connection. ## Okena [Okena](https://github.com/contember/okena?ref=itsfoss.com) combines terminals, tabs, panes, and projects into a single interface, with a strong focus on helping you pick up exactly where you left off. Close the application, reopen it later, and your workspace is restored much like you never left. Okena That persistence model is what makes Okena different. Unlike tmux or GNU Screen, it doesn't keep sessions running in the background after the application closes, nor is it designed for detached SSH workflows or remote session management. Instead, the emphasis is on restoring your local workspace, making it feel more like a modern development environment than a server-backed multiplexer. ## Seance [Seance](https://github.com/no1msd/seance?ref=itsfoss.com), built with GTK4 and libadwaita, takes a desktop-first approach to terminal session management. It feel more like a modern Linux application than a traditional keyboard-driven multiplexer. Seance. **Video Credit:* [**Seance*](https://github.com/no1msd/seance?ref=itsfoss.com) It offers a clean interface with configurable key bindings, workspace management, and session persistence across restarts, so you can reopen the application and continue where you left off. However, it isn't designed around detached server sessions or remote SSH workflows. Instead, it focuses on providing a polished experience for managing terminal workspaces on your local Linux desktop. ## Wrapping Up As you can see, there's no shortage of ways to organize your terminal workflow. Some of these tools have been around for decades, while others are reimagining what a terminal workspace can look like. The thing is that there's no single "right" choice. It all comes down to how you work. Whichever you choose, learning to use a terminal multiplexer is one of those skills that pays off over time. Once it becomes part of your workflow, your muscle memory, there is no going back to normal terminal sessions. By the way, you might be interested in exploring [various terminal emulators](https://itsfoss.com/linux-terminal-emulators/) as well. [Top 14 Terminal Emulators for Linux (With Extra Features or Amazing Looks)Want a terminal that looks cool or has extra features? Here are the best Linux terminal emulators you can get.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-49d56657-e40b-4f26-aadf-61a9bd8b461e.png)It's FOSSAnkush Das![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/best-terminal-emulators-f1f5bb52-21ca-4778-919d-27c88613a771.png)](https://itsfoss.com/linux-terminal-emulators/) ### Linux 7.2 Arrives With Cache Aware Scheduling After More Than a Year of Work URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-7-2-release/ Last updated: 2026-08-17T05:08:16.000Z The newest point release for Linux is here a few months after [the last one](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-7-1-release/), and the time in-between was not spent idly. Scheduler work that took over a year finally came together, several pieces of hardware got proper support, and a series of 2023 MacBooks can finally boot Linux. During all this, Linus Torvalds' transition from treating AI as noise for years to slowly warming up to it has been something of [a wildcard entry](https://itsfoss.com/news/linus-torvalds-on-ai/). Anyhow, let's see what this point release has to offer. ## What's new in this release? ![fastfetch output shown inside a terminal window, the kernel version info is highlighted using a green rectangular box and blue arrows](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/linux-kernel-7-2-ubuntu-fastfetch-output.png) AMD's platform driver changes lean heavily on [Zen 6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen%5F6?ref=itsfoss.com) prep. The Hardware Feedback Interface ([HFI](https://docs.kernel.org/arch/x86/amd-hfi.html?ref=itsfoss.com)) driver adds v3 ranking table support for dynamic core rankings, and the power management controller driver adds support for Family 1Ah Model 80H SoCs (*a Zen 6-focused change, basically*). What Ubuntu's OEM kernel had been carrying out of tree is now in. The long-awaited [AMD ISP4 driver](https://docs.kernel.org/admin-guide/media/amdisp4-1.html?ref=itsfoss.com) completes webcam support for the HP ZBook Ultra G1a and other upcoming Ryzen laptops. Similarly, AMDGPU has gained initial [HDMI 2.1 Fixed Rate Link](https://lore.kernel.org/dri-devel/20260604013527.2373534-1-alexander.deucher@amd.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) support (FRL), [years after](https://www.phoronix.com/news/HDMI-2.1-OSS-Rejected?ref=itsfoss.com) the [HDMI Forum](https://hdmiforum.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) blocked the feature from the open source driver. For Intel, most of this round's [EDAC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Error%5Fdetection%5Fand%5Fcorrection?ref=itsfoss.com) work targets next-gen Xeon Diamond Rapids chips, adding sub-memory channel awareness and Rank Retry Logic to preserve data integrity during memory errors. Nova Lake H and Panther Lake H gain in-band ECC error reporting through the [IGEN6](https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/master/drivers/edac/igen6%5Fedac.c?ref=itsfoss.com) driver. Linux 7.2 also continues clearing out old i486 chunks that [started disappearing in 7.1](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-i486-cpu-support-removal/) and makes TSC and CX8 support unconditional on x86\. TDX modules can now update at runtime, similar to CPU microcode, so security fixes no longer force a full reboot on [TDX](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/developer/tools/trust-domain-extensions/overview.html?ref=itsfoss.com)\-enabled systems. Another highlight of this kernel release has been **Cache Aware Scheduling**, which [was merged](https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-7.2-Scheduler?ref=itsfoss.com) after more than a year of work, landing behind the `CONFIG_SCHED_CACHE` option. Without cache awareness, the scheduler can end up scattering related tasks across zones on chips with multiple [last-level caches](https://cvw.cac.cornell.edu/clusterarch/memory-cache-interconnects/last-level-cache?ref=itsfoss.com) (LLCs). This feature groups those tasks onto cores within the same LLC instead. Laptop support also sees some improvements that include new ASUS ROG Strix G16 2025, Zephyrus G14 2023/2025, and TUF Gaming F16 support. Lenovo laptops gain more configurable attributes along with WMI battery charge limiting, and Microsoft's Surface Pro 12-inch gets platform driver support. A few **smaller changes** round things out: - Nouveau adds support for the NVIDIA GA100 compute accelerator [via GSP](https://lore.kernel.org/dri-devel/ef65f43c-becf-473c-a5cc-203fdfecd491@linux.intel.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). - Btrfs large folio support [left experimental status](https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-7.2-Btrfs?ref=itsfoss.com) and is now on by default, and huge folios up to 2M arrive as a new experimental option. - RISC-V builds now enable the [ESWIN SoC](https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/riscv/linux.git/commit/?h=for-next&id=dea5db8c5775704f24519d130482d9ceaf66c441&ref=itsfoss.com) by default, letting them boot on SiFive's [HiFive Premier P550](https://www.sifive.com/boards/hifive-premier-p550?ref=itsfoss.com). - Networking brings more [Wi-Fi Aware](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/WiFiAware?ref=itsfoss.com) and WiFi 8/UHR groundwork, plus 10Gbit and [EEE](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy-Efficient%5FEthernet?ref=itsfoss.com) support in the Realtek R8152 driver. - [Apple M3](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/10/apple-unveils-m3-m3-pro-and-m3-max-the-most-advanced-chips-for-a-personal-computer/?ref=itsfoss.com) MacBooks can boot the mainline kernel for the first time, though only to a serial console so far. The [Asahi Linux](https://asahilinux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) devs worked hard to deliver this. - A new [USB4STREAM protocol](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-usb4stream-protocol/) that lets two machines move data directly over a USB4 or Thunderbolt cable. Announcing [the release](https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/CAHk-=wjk5StpAmUKHacj=GPKwA88y%5FYRHK=i%5FYAJFgmxn1=k4w@mail.gmail.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), Linus Torvalds said that: > Well, this last week of the release was - once again - bigger than I would have wished for, but hey, with the whole "new normal" thing, if I delayed releases for that reason we'd probably never have a release at all. > There are a number of fairly late reverts - the drm scheduling reverts stand out, but there's a few other ones in here too. It may not be pretty, but it's the correct way to deal with "oh, that code wasn't ready and caused problems". People will be trying that again later. ## Is it for you? It's good to get excited about a new kernel release, but [compiling the kernel](https://itsfoss.com/compile-linux-kernel/) or installing a new one is usually considered for intermediate to expert levels of skill. If this release fills some gap you faced with earlier kernels, then you should definitely go for it. But not without knowing the risks. Our guide for [installing the latest Linux kernel on Ubuntu](https://itsfoss.com/upgrade-linux-kernel-ubuntu/) clearly spells out the pitfalls. [Linux Kernel 7.2](https://www.kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Overshared to an AI? Proton's Tool Will Give You a Reality Check URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/proton-ai-paper-trail/ Last updated: 2026-08-17T06:20:32.000Z Proton has launched [AI Paper Trail](https://proton.me/lumo/ai/ai-paper-trail?ref=itsfoss.com), a free tool that shows people what their AI chatbot conversations reveal about them. It runs on [**Lumo**](https://go.getproton.me/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=68&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=itsfoss.com) (partner link), the company's privacy-focused AI assistant, and works by digging through exported [ChatGPT](https://chatgpt.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) or [Claude](https://claude.ai/?ref=itsfoss.com) conversation history. Once you upload your content, the tool starts building **a personal report around four categories**. There's a "*Privacy Type*," a personality label based on how someone approaches their own data. Then comes an "*AI Exposure Score*," a number built from how many personal data points got pulled out of the conversations and how revealing they are. The report also breaks down what the AI actually knows about you, covering identity, habits, relationships, and interests. On top of that, it puts a monetary figure on what this information could be worth to an AI provider. **And none of the uploaded data sticks around on Proton's server**; the company says that it gets deleted right after analysis, and the resulting report stays visible only to the person who generated it. The reasoning behind AI Paper Trail comes down to how casually people treat individual AI prompts. A single question about travel plans or a work email draft might seem harmless on its own. But stack up months or years of conversations covering someone's job, relationships, health concerns, and finances, and a surprisingly complete picture starts to form. [Eamonn Maguire](https://proton.me/blog/author/eamonn-maguire?ref=itsfoss.com), Director of Engineering at Proton, notes that: > People understand that AI collects data, but most don't realize how revealing their conversation history becomes over time. AI Paper Trail makes that invisible profile visible. > > We want people to understand what they're sharing with AI systems so they can make informed decisions about the tools they use. What they have done here is **hit two targets with one shot**, offering people a privacy-focused tool that pushes them toward more conscious decisions when interacting with AI chatbots, while steering them straight into Lumo in the process. *This is a superb way to market a chatbot that focuses on privacy instead of mining every inch of your soul, erm, personal data.* [About Lumo, the privacy-first AI assistant | ProtonLumo helps you stay productive and private. As a privacy-first AI assistant, Lumo protects you with Proton’s no-logs policy and zero-access encryption.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Proton![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/lumo-og-0a5bf62f-4fd3-462c-b0fc-9eb9757f79d1.png)](https://go.getproton.me/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=68&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=itsfoss.com) ## It works well I wanted to see for myself how the tool worked, so I first ChatGPT some information about how I approach certain subjects, saved it into [memory](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/8590148-memory-faq?ref=itsfoss.com), and then got back into Proton's AI Paper Trail to see what it could make of it. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/proton-ai-paper-trail-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/proton-ai-paper-trail-2.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/proton-ai-paper-trail-3.png) The tool first told me to export my data from ChatGPT via the "*Data controls*" section in the Settings menu. I had to re-verify my ChatGPT session by giving it a one-time password and got the export started, but the files never showed up on time for me to use. *Instead, I asked it to generate me a dummy one taking in data from memory.* 😆 📋 ****Update:** The export eventually did show up, and I got [a very low score](https://imgur.com/a/k6nZToD?ref=itsfoss.com). When that was done, I uploaded the dummy export, and Lumo got to work behind the scenes all while promising not to store any of it on its servers. **A minute or so later, my report was ready**. It gave me a personality-style rundown, labeling me a "*Technical tester exploring AI profiling and ethics*," complete with a fake handle and a summary pegging me as someone running structured experiments on AI behavior, focused on data extraction limits and ethics. My AI Exposure Score came out to 21 out of 100, along with a "*Hard to read*" privacy type. *Interests* ended up being my biggest giveaway on the breakdown, while everything else landed at *medium* to *minimal*. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/proton-ai-paper-trail-4.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/proton-ai-paper-trail-5.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/proton-ai-paper-trail-6.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/proton-ai-paper-trail-7-1.png) The part that actually got me was the "*Most revealing*" note (*first picture above, right-hand side*). It noticed I'd asked for a structured personality profile, tried to get it to infer my identity from barely anything, and even caught me trying to force it to remember something via a direct command. Since I'd gotten ChatGPT to build that dummy file straight from its own memory of me rather than pulling random filler, the report had real clues to chew on, and it still managed to call out the testing motif buried in there. Scrolling further down, there's a "*What we identified*" section that splits everything into categories like technical proficiency, ethical and philosophical inquiry, and privacy awareness, each with its own reasoning attached. At the end, it dropped a few privacy tips and nudged me toward [trying Lumo](https://go.getproton.me/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=68&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=itsfoss.com) (*partner link, hehe*). There's also a shareable card option if you want to showcase your exposure score for some validation or gloating. [Generate Your Report](https://lumo.proton.me/aitrail?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Nitrux Shows Off a New Desktop Approach Other Distros Might Want to Take Note of URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/nitrux-workspace-environment/ Last updated: 2026-08-15T01:02:27.000Z Don't think that this move came out of the blue. [Nitrux](https://nxos.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) has been busy building this up since last year, when it [swapped out KDE Plasma for Hyprland](https://itsfoss.com/news/nitrux-plasma-nx-desktop-discontinued/) and told everyone that they were headed towards '*a new beginning*' [that was not for everyone](https://itsfoss.com/news/nitrux-5-release/). The project now has a name [for what it has been creating](https://nxos.org/news/a-modern-desktop-the-workspace-envrionment/?ref=itsfoss.com), the "***Workspace Environment***." It ties together four new in-house developed components as pieces of a five-layer architecture, presenting a very different desktop experience for Nitrux than we are used to. [Uri Herrera](https://itsfoss.com/nitrux-linux/), Nitrux's founder, describes it as filling a gap, where a window manager gives you almost nothing beyond window placement and a full desktop environment like GNOME or Plasma bundles everything into one tightly coupled process tree. The Workspace Environment sits in between as a cohesive shell built from independent, single-purpose components that don't share a process lifecycle with the compositor or with each other. ## The four components ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/nitrux-we-valenz.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/nitrux-we-marina-1.png) **Valenz and Marina.* [Valenz](https://github.com/Nitrux/valenz?ref=itsfoss.com) is the new workspace bar, handling media controls, tray, notifications, and indicators for network, Bluetooth, battery, and power profile, plus weather, a calendar view, and system resource widgets. Whereas [Marina](https://github.com/Nitrux/marina?ref=itsfoss.com) is the new dock that tracks and groups open windows across workspaces on Hyprland while handling pinning, auto-hide, and horizontal scrolling. It also adds unread message badges for pinned apps that expose a launcher count. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/nitrux-we-workspace-settings.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/nitrux-we-desklock.png) **Workspace Settings and Desklock.* [Workspace Settings](https://github.com/Nitrux/maui-settings?ref=itsfoss.com) replaces KDE System Settings entirely, covering user accounts, locale, networking, and MauiKit configuration without any Plasma dependency. [Desklock](https://github.com/Nitrux/desklock?ref=itsfoss.com) completes the set as a native [QML](https://doc.qt.io/qt-6/qmlreference.html?ref=itsfoss.com) lock screen built on the QMLGreet codebase, with PAM authentication, per-output lock surfaces, and CPU, memory, and network monitors alongside MPRIS playback controls. All four are **QML-based** and built with MauiKit, though only Valenz and Marina share LayerShell-Qt, so the stack still ends up with one visual language instead of stitched together toolkits. ## Does it make sense? The switches aren't just cosmetic, and alternatives were considered. Uri writes that **Waybar** and **SwayNC** leaned on GTK and CSS styling, which clashed with the QML-first approach he had already committed to with [QMLGreet](https://github.com/Nitrux/qmlgreet?ref=itsfoss.com). **Crystal Dock** had a similar limitation, built on legacy Qt Widgets instead of QML, and its broad feature set worked against Nitrux's preference for narrowly focused tools. **Hyprlock** got replaced too, over a visual mismatch with [MauiKit](https://mauikit.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and a bug that left it in a bad state after suspend or hibernation. The pattern across all three swaps is consistency. Uri picked first-party QML tools over external options like **Quickshell** specifically to avoid depending on a construction framework he doesn't control. There's a maintenance aspect associated with the lock screen choice too. In Uri's words: > Because Desklock derives directly from the QMLGreet codebase, the two components share the same secure lifecycle and visual identity. This shared foundation minimizes maintenance overhead while strictly enforcing our unified architectural philosophy. > > It provides a native QML session locker that executes its single responsibility perfectly, completing the visual and functional ecosystem of the Workspace Environment. ## You'll have to wait Nitrux Workspace Environment **marks the end of Maui Shell**, the project's old convergent shell concept. Nitrux has already archived its [GitHub](https://github.com/Nitrux/maui-shell?ref=itsfoss.com) repository and is looking forward to their next developmental milestone. One catch worth knowing before you go looking for these tools is that Valenz and Marina both list **Nitrux 7.0.0 as a requirement**, and the current stable release is still 6.1.0\. So you will have to wait. Whether the wait is worth it will depend on how these components hold up once regular users actually get their hands on them. ### LightDM is Back From The Dead, But Canonical isn't in Charge Anymore URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/lightdm-is-back/ Last updated: 2026-08-14T04:06:26.000Z There's something satisfying about watching a Linux project everyone assumed had quietly died come back with a fresh commit. It happens more often than people expect, and it's usually worth celebrating when it does. One of those revivals has been [the return of LightDM](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/08/lightdm-new-release-new-maintainers?ref=itsfoss.com), the display manager Canonical built more than a decade ago. ## LightDM is alive ![the github repo for lightdm with the releases page open for the 1.33.0 release, a bunch of text is visible inside a box below](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/lightdm-1-33-release-announcement.png) Released last week is [LightDM 1.33.0](https://github.com/ubuntu/lightdm/releases/tag/1.33.0?ref=itsfoss.com), which rolls out a bunch of improvements as well as introduces the two new maintainers who are taking over. The last release, [1.32.0](https://github.com/ubuntu/lightdm/releases/tag/1.32.0?ref=itsfoss.com), came out way back in July 2022, marking a four-year gap in which the project barely went anywhere. You see, LightDM's original maintainer, [Robert Ancell](https://github.com/robert-ancell?ref=itsfoss.com), had already called the project "*essentially unmaintained*," and questions about its future eventually popped up on various forums over the years. Luckily, two people willing to keep the project going stepped up, making it a community-maintained affair rather than a [Canonical](https://canonical.com/?ref=itsfoss.com)\-maintained one. [Joshua Peisach](https://github.com/JPeisach?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Neal Gompa](https://github.com/Conan-Kudo?ref=itsfoss.com) are both known for their work across a string of open source projects. Joshua leads Ubuntu Cinnamon Remix, and Neal doesn't really need an introduction; he has spent years contributing to Fedora, openSUSE, and CentOS. **As for what 1.33.0 actually delivers**, the maintainers say its purpose is mainly to tag the fixes that piled up since 1.32.0 and clear out pull requests that had been sitting for years. There are no breaking changes and no dependency changes, so existing LightDM setups should upgrade without any surprises. The biggest addition worth flagging is **Qt6 support for the client library**, though that doesn't mean Qt5 is going anywhere. Greeters built on the older toolkit will keep working just fine. There's a long list of smaller fixes too. VNC server handling has been patched, the flood of log errors from missing PAM modules is gone, and a batch of multiseat and FreeBSD-specific bugs got cleared out. ## Help is needed If you didn't know, LightDM is a lightweight, cross-desktop [display manager](https://itsfoss.com/display-manager/). It's the software behind your login screen, the one that authenticates you and hands things off to your desktop session once you're in. Canonical built LightDM to replace GDM, and it debuted back in Ubuntu 11.10 as the login screen behind Unity. Ubuntu itself moved [back to GDM](https://itsfoss.com/switch-gdm-and-lightdm-in-ubuntu-14-04/) in 2017 when it dropped Unity for GNOME Shell, but LightDM never really went away. Linux Mint adopted it that same year and pairs it with its own slick-greeter, and elementary OS runs it through *Pantheon Greeter*. Several Ubuntu flavors and Fedora spins still depend on it as well. **If you think you can help LightDM evolve into something more**, then know that Joshua and Neal are looking for new contributors to join in. You can reach them directly over [Matrix](https://matrix.to/?ref=itsfoss.com#/#lightdm:matrix.org). *They also point out that signing the* [*Canonical CLA*](https://canonical.com/legal/contributors?ref=itsfoss.com) *is no longer required.* **Though I have something more to add here**. Don't unleash your army of clankers (*I believe the formal term is 'AI agents'*) on this project; it's already happening to many open source projects lately, and this one has just been revived. It doesn't need to be inundated with hallucinations and pointless fixes. The maintainers also request that anyone opening a pull request for a bug fix show a way to reproduce the problem first. ### FOSS Weekly #26.33: Mint Kernel, PDF Editing, VLC Drama, Omarchy Quattro and More Linux Stuff URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-33/ Last updated: 2026-08-13T13:34:14.000Z Linux Mint is getting [automatic old kernel cleanup](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-mint-kernel-removal-feature/) in the next release, a feature Fedora has handled through DNF's `installonly_limit` for years. And I did not even know that Mint doesn't do it. The Document Foundation has put up a write-up (*part 1 for now*) of [how the Austrian Military migrated 16,000 PCs](https://blog.documentfoundation.org/blog/2026/08/07/why-and-how-the-austrian-military-moved-to-libreoffice-part-1/?ref=itsfoss.com) from Microsoft Office to LibreOffice. The part worth noting is that \~8,000 users installed it on their own before it was mandated. Now that's a pleasant surprise. CachyOS [released their August update](https://itsfoss.com/news/cachyos-august-2026-release/), and the two things that stand out are Shelly v3 and the Server Edition groundwork. Running a cutting edge distro on a server? Old school sysadmins will shiver at that thought. Apparently, [VLC takes around 30 seconds to play an MP3 on Windows](https://itsfoss.com/news/vlc-microsoft-defenders-drama/). But don't blame VLC when it is Microsoft's fault. Proxmox VE [now officially runs on ARM64](https://itsfoss.com/news/proxmox-virtual-environment-arm64-support/), with the same codebase, release cycle, and support window as the x86-64 build. NVIDIA Grace and Vera systems are fully validated, and other UEFI-based ARMv9-A hardware gets best-effort support. An open source project called [Xodus](https://itsfoss.com/news/xodus-xbox-gamepass-linux/) is working through the hardest parts of bringing Xbox Game Pass to Linux. They have already figured out Xbox authentication and game downloads. KGamma is getting [a Wayland replacement](https://blog.davidedmundson.co.uk/blog/wayland-and-kgamma/?ref=itsfoss.com) that works with Night Color, supports independent per-monitor values, and applies settings on the first frame. Illinois signed the [Children's Online Social Media Safety Act](https://itsfoss.com/news/illinois-age-verification-bill/), which requires device makers and OS providers to collect a child's age bracket at setup and expose it via an API for apps to query. [Omarchy Linux is going all in one with AI](https://itsfoss.com/news/omarchy-ai-agent-focus/) with its version 4.0 releasing this week. There are a few more AI-related stories that we covered this week. But I am not going to include all of them here. They get covered in the [Local AI Weekly newsletter](https://itsfoss.com/local-ai-weekly/), and you can also read them if you follow the feed. I'll try to keep the AI buzz to the necessary minimum in FOSS Weekly. 🤝 This edition of FOSS Weekly is [supported by TuxCare](https://tuxcare.com/enterprise-live-patching-services/kernelcare-enterprise/?ref=itsfoss.com). Rebooting after a kernel update is frustrating and results in downtime. Critical infrastructure should not suffer from reboots. [TuxCare](https://tuxcare.com/enterprise-live-patching-services/kernelcare-enterprise/?ref=itsfoss.com) allows you to patch Linux kernels live. Works with more than 60 distros. [Explore TuxCare ](https://tuxcare.com/enterprise-live-patching-services/kernelcare-enterprise/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About I had [a good chat with Bianca Lewis](https://itsfoss.com/open-search-bianca-lewis/), OpenSearch's executive director, talking about how OpenSearch has spent the past few years trying to shed the "*Elasticsearch fork*" label. [OpenSearch Is Done Being Called “the Elasticsearch Fork”An interview with Bianca Lewis of OpenSearch, conducted at Open Source Summit India.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-b0363e71-866e-407d-ba06-cdf73ae0b235.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/open-search-interview-2513fa8d-c2ad-46be-ab0c-9fc87bb45c98.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/open-search-bianca-lewis/) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings A beginner's guide [to installing software from source on Linux](https://itsfoss.com/install-software-from-source-code/). It covers clone, configure, make, where to install things so cleanup isn't painful, and how to fix the missing compiler errors you'll almost definitely hit the first time. A decade of hopping through Mint, Ubuntu, Kali, Arch, AntiX, and EndeavourOS, and the conclusion is that [it was never really about the distro](https://itsfoss.com/opinion/distrohopping-lesson/). [Six backup tools](https://itsfoss.com/linux-backup-tools/) for different kinds of Linux users. The highlights include Déjà Dup for GNOME desktop with zero setup, Kopia if you want an open source GUI, Restic and BorgBackup for terminal-native control. If you regularly deal with PDF, try a [tool like PDF Arranger](https://itsfoss.com/pdfarranger-app/) that allows you to split, merge, rearrange PDF docs. In the same regards, in the situation where you have to [convert multiple images into a PDF, use LibreOffice or gscan2pdf](https://itsfoss.com/convert-multiple-images-pdf-ubuntu-1304/). I do this when I have to upload IDs and documents to a government portal. ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner This corner may still have some local AI stuff for now. A practical setup guide for [running Hermes agent on a Raspberry Pi](https://itsfoss.com/hermes-desktop-remote-gateway/) as an always-on backend while controlling it from a laptop using Hermes Desktop's remote gateway feature. [Run Hermes on Raspberry Pi, Control It from Your LaptopThe idea is to use Raspberry Pi as an always-on Hermes backend while using it from the computer(s).![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-80416147-98d8-4f8d-a2e3-57df2fe62cdf.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/hermes-desktop-remote-gateway-3d6ed00c-961b-44ab-86d2-0ce6fce235e3.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/hermes-desktop-remote-gateway/) ## 🎓 Linux Foundation certification offer [![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/lf-courses-1.webp)](https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=85919&awinaffid=429005&ued=https%3A%2F%2Ftraining.linuxfoundation.org%2Faugust-2026-promo%2F&ref=itsfoss.com) Linux is turning 35 this month. The Linux Foundation, the official organization behind the Linux kernel project, has a catalog of industry-oriented training and certifications. And they are offering 35% off on all of it, including the instructor-led classes that contain very technical topics like performance tuning. Popular certifications like LFCS and CKDA [Explore Linux Foundation Offer](https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=85919&awinaffid=429005&ued=https%3A%2F%2Ftraining.linuxfoundation.org%2Faugust-2026-promo%2F&ref=itsfoss.com) ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights [Censor](https://flathub.org/en/apps/page.codeberg.censor.Censor?ref=itsfoss.com) is a PDF document redaction tool. When you want to hide part of information from a PDF, you can use this tool. [Install Censor on Linux | FlathubRedact PDF documents![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/favicon-bc35755c-2270-47ed-9743-9e4c8c19f1fa.png)FlathubRobert Wolff![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/page.codeberg.censor-1534d425-b5af-49e8-a9c0-391e4f0874ac.Censor)](https://flathub.org/en/apps/page.codeberg.censor.Censor?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 📽️ Videos for You Enjoy customizing GNOME desktops with extensions. Take a [look at some of the good ones in action in this video](https://youtu.be/ZBkG6fiZRfA?ref=itsfoss.com). [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) Desktop Linux is mostly neglected by the industry but loved by the community. For the past 14 years, It's FOSS has been helping people use Linux on their personal computers. And we are now facing the existential threat from AI models stealing our content. If you like what we do and would love to support our work, please become It's FOSS Plus member. It costs $49 a year (less than the cost of a McDonald's burger a month), and you get an ad-free reading experience with the satisfaction of helping the desktop Linux community. And there are also free Linux ebooks. [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip Ubuntu's Tiling Assistant has an experimental layout editor, which allows you to create tiles and assign windows to those tiles. First open the [Extensions](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-shell-extensions/) app and go into the settings for "*Tiling Assistant*." Here, click on the "*i*" button and go into "*Advanced...*" and enable "*Advanced/Experimental Settings*." Now, inside the new "Layouts" page, you will find multiple layout entries without keybinds assigned. Click on the "*Disabled*" box and enter a keybind, and use the downward arrow nearby to fine-tune the layout. Once these are set, whenever you press any one of those shortcuts, any open windows can be opened in that layout for you. You can read how it works in the [official documentation](https://github.com/ubuntu/Tiling-Assistant/wiki/Layouts?ref=itsfoss.com). Local AI Weekly will start from first week of August. If you are interested in learning about open source AI, please [subscribe to our upcoming Local AI Weekly newsletter](https://itsfoss.com/local-ai-weekly/). [Subscribe to Local AI Weekly ](https://itsfoss.com/local-ai-weekly/) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse Our [Scrambled Linux Editors](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/scrambled-editors-crossword/) crossword will test your grasp of Linux editors. [The Scrambled Linux Editors CrosswordThink you know your Linux text editors? From Vim to Nano, these jumbled names will challenge even seasoned coders. Try to unscramble them and see how many you can get right!![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-66f9540b-ad47-459d-826c-88b2d206f3ae.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/scrambled-editors-crossword-b7563fa3-2c19-4909-8fde-90991133058a.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/scrambled-editors-crossword/) Those pesky clankers sure do know how to trick us. 🤖 ![linux desktop market share surge caused by bots meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/meme22.png) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On August 5, 1858, [Cyrus West Field](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrus%5FW.%5FField?ref=itsfoss.com) succeeded on his fifth try at laying [a telegraph cable across the Atlantic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transatlantic%5Ftelegraph%5Fcable?ref=itsfoss.com). Queen Victoria and President Buchanan traded congratulatory messages soon after. Though the celebration was short-lived, as the cable died within a month. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: Pro FOSSer Xander is asking other FOSSers [what they like about Linux](https://itsfoss.community/t/what-we-like-about-linux/16122?ref=itsfoss.com); do you have anything to add? ### Omarchy Bets Its Future on AI Agents While the Linux World Stays Cautious URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/omarchy-ai-agent-focus/ Last updated: 2026-08-13T11:40:20.000Z The world of open source is split when it comes to AI, while a big project like Linux is seeing its leader warming up to it, telling those who object on the mailing list that Linux "*is not one of those anti-AI projects*." Projects like [Rust](https://itsfoss.com/news/rust-code-repo-ai-policy/), [GCC](https://itsfoss.com/news/gcc-bans-ai-code/), and [Codeberg](https://itsfoss.com/news/codeberg-bans-ai-contributions/) are going the other way, banning AI from writing meaningful chunks of their code, though none of them draw that line in quite the same place. [Omarchy](https://omarchy.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) doesn't care about any of that. Its upcoming release, [Quattro](https://github.com/basecamp/omarchy/tree/quattro?ref=itsfoss.com) (4.0), is skipping the debate over whether AI should write code and is building [AI agents](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AI%5Fagent?ref=itsfoss.com) into the desktop itself. As a refresher, the project calls itself a "*Beautiful, Modern & Opinionated Linux*," and the opinionated part shows up in how the distro configures itself with minimal input from the user during installation. Its creator, David Heinemeier Hansson (DHH), has now decided that AI agents belong in the defaults too, [saying that](https://x.com/dhh/status/2087538364580835804?ref=itsfoss.com) this is how they will "*truly democratize Linux*," and [predicting that](https://x.com/dhh/status/2087586011224084808?ref=itsfoss.com) Linux adoption among developers is going to explode. ## Enter, Quattro ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/omarchy-quattro-window-tiling.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/omarchy-quattro-ai-agent-config.png) While Omarchy 4.0 is still [in the beta stage](https://github.com/basecamp/omarchy/pull/6231?ref=itsfoss.com), DHH is calling it their biggest release yet. He is teasing all kinds of new agent-facing features, such as a crash watcher that briefs your AI agent the moment something breaks, a dedicated agents usage widget, and nine different agents to pick from. **The crash watcher** is the one DHH [teased on X first](https://x.com/dhh/status/2087513928808976438?ref=itsfoss.com). Let's say a process crashes. Omarchy catches it off the `systemd-coredump` journal and pops up a toast. Click it, and your default agent gets briefed on the whole thing through a `diagnose-crash` skill built to make sense of the backtrace. *Don't worry, it still asks you for confirmation before reporting anything upstream, and it checks for duplicates too.* Quattro also **lets you pick a default coding** agent under `Setup > Defaults > Agent`, giving you nine options that include the likes of Claude, Codex, Gemini, Grok, and Copilot. None of them come pre-selected either. During first boot, a notification nudges you to pick your default agent, and if you skip it, the agentic features stay disabled. ![gemini cli is shown running on omarchy 4.0 rc2, being asked a question: what can you do?](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/omarchy-quattro-gemini-ai-agent-1-1.png) **I briefly took a Gemini-powered AI agent for a run.* When I configured [Gemini](https://gemini.google.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) using an API key, I asked the agent what it could do for me, and it said that it could help with Linux configuration and window manager setup through Omarchy. It also brought up crash diagnosis using the same `diagnose-crash` skill from earlier, on top of the usual code reading, writing, and command execution any coding agent handles. There's even a model-usage widget that tracks usage against weekly limits, though it is only available for Claude Code, Codex, Pi, Oh My Pi, and OpenCode sessions. And, if you go looking through [the contributors list](https://github.com/basecamp/omarchy/graphs/contributors?from=5%2F9%2F2026&ref=itsfoss.com) for the project, you will see that **Claude has contributed a fair bit**, further cementing where Omarchy as a project is headed. ## Not everyone will be happy > It's been really cool to see the development of Omarchy, but unfortunately, I will not be updating to v4 > > Omarchy allowed me to take the leap of faith from MacOS to Linux and point me in the right direction > > But now I've come to the point where I just need a terminal, a browser,… [https://t.co/IZRYE5uifP](https://t.co/IZRYE5uifP?ref=itsfoss.com) > > — IroncladDev (@IroncladDev) [August 12, 2026](https://x.com/IroncladDev/status/2087610691087724962?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=itsfoss.com) Depending on where you stand on AI, this is where people start picking sides. One of them, a developer who goes by the name [IroncladDev](https://ironclad.sh/?ref=itsfoss.com), [has decided](https://x.com/IroncladDev/status/2087610691087724962?ref=itsfoss.com) they won't be updating to 4.0. He says that Omarchy is what got him off macOS and onto Linux in the first place, but that's **not enough to keep him around for Quattro**. His issue is that he isn't interested in any of the "*AI/Agentic additions*." He just wants a terminal, a browser, and working USB ports, nothing more. That kind of pushback was inevitable. Move a distro this hard, this fast, and you lose the people who signed up for something simpler. Baking agents into the OS is a bigger ask than a new theme, and DHH made that call for everyone whether they wanted it or not. ## Closing thoughts I believe that DHH is making a well-timed call before the rest of the ecosystem catches up. Omarchy went with [Hyprland](https://itsfoss.com/hyprland/) back when tiling window managers were a niche pick. Betting Quattro on AI agents looks like the same instinct that's paid off before. While many open source projects are left arguing whether using AI and providing AI-focused features is a good call, Omarchy looks to be on track to become something we can call an "*AI Linux distro*." ### VLC is Wrongly Blamed for Microsoft Defender's Clumsiness URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/vlc-microsoft-defenders-drama/ Last updated: 2026-08-13T04:21:33.000Z It all started [with a tweet](https://x.com/Jonathan%5FBlow/status/2087564889154089120?ref=itsfoss.com) by video game designer [Jonathan Blow](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan%5FBlow?ref=itsfoss.com). Blow is the developer behind games like Braid and The Witness. He mentioned that he had stopped using VLC on Windows because it took about 33 seconds to start playing a simple MP3, and he had switched to Microsoft Media Player instead. > Finally switched \*away\* from VLC \*to\* Microsoft Media Player, because VLC now takes 33 seconds to start playing an mp3 after clicking on it. > > A large sector of open source software is in a truly embarrassing place now... [pic.twitter.com/237aLdx2fG](https://t.co/237aLdx2fG?ref=itsfoss.com) > > — Jonathan Blow (@Jonathan\_Blow) [August 12, 2026](https://x.com/Jonathan%5FBlow/status/2087564889154089120?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=itsfoss.com) And he also shamed open source software, framing it as a sign that large part of open-source software is in bad shape. > A large sector of open source software is in a truly embarrassing place now... This quickly turned into a heated discussion, with people joining from both sides. VLC's official Twitter account [clarified that this delay](https://x.com/videolan/status/2087590352350064835?ref=itsfoss.com) was not a core VLC regression but a side effect of a Windows 11 / Microsoft Defender update that quarantined VLC’s plugin cache. Their suggested solution is reinstalling VLC or regenerating that cache. ![VLC blames the delay on Microsoft Defender](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/image-4.png) Jonathan argued that it is the developer's responsibility to fix. He cited his own experience of fixing an issue caused by AMD in his game Braid. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/image-3.png) ## Linux user jumps in with solid evidence A Linux user who goes by the X account [@VoxelPrismatic](https://x.com/VoxelPrismatic?ref=itsfoss.com) jumped in with concrete evidence that it is not a core VLC issue but a Windows issue. [In this tweet](https://x.com/VoxelPrismatic/status/2087573220203356630?ref=itsfoss.com), the user shared a recording of what seems like a Linux distro running KDE. Recording clearly showed VLC started playing an MP3 file in 1-2 seconds. > sounds like a windows issue ngl [pic.twitter.com/9Icp2Sf58M](https://t.co/9Icp2Sf58M?ref=itsfoss.com) > > — PRIZ ;\] (@VoxelPrismatic) [August 12, 2026](https://x.com/VoxelPrismatic/status/2087573220203356630?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=itsfoss.com) But some people were still not satisfied because VLC being slow to open MP3 files on Windows is a real issue but they kept on blaming it on VLC. ![People still blamed VLC](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/image-1.png) ## The solution to the problem VLC suggests the following fixes - Regenerate the plugin cache (e.g. launch with `vlc --reset-plugins-cache`, or clear VLC’s cache under the user profile and relaunch) - Reinstall VLC from the official build However, a [better suggestion came](https://x.com/FiveChook/status/2087572200912269394?ref=itsfoss.com) from a few users who noted that excluding vlc.exe in Microsoft Defender solves this problem. And I like this one better because it seems to address the problem where it originates, Microsoft Defender. And if the cache builds up, VLC may be slowed down again (I think). ![User suggests adding VLC in Defender exclsuion list](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/image-5.png) The [same was vouched](https://x.com/liverisnick/status/2087635125462778273?ref=itsfoss.com) by several people. So this sure looks like the workaround worth trying. ## Asking the right question Among all this, someone asked the real question; how come VLC not working for a single person becomes "a large sector of open source software" being an embarrassing place? ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/image-2.png) ## Blame Defender, not VLC I understand the frustration. Waiting half a minute to play an MP3 should not be acceptable on a modern system, even if it is on Windows. It is also okay to blame it on VLC when you don't know the real backstory and are unaware of the root cause. But giving it a “open source is broken” narrative is highly far fetched. I haven't tested it myself. Not going to jump into Windows just for this, but from what I see, the onus of fixing it lies on the Microsoft side. And from what I know about Microsoft, they won't do a thing. ***What's your take on this episode? Share it in the comments.*** ### SimpleX Chat Wants Its 400K+ Users to Become Investors Too URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/simplex-chat-investment-drive/ Last updated: 2026-08-14T08:50:37.000Z The world is in a messed-up state where surveillance and eroding people's rights are rewarded, and those who oppose are labeled unpatriotic, anti-national, radicals, criminal sympathizers, and what not. Yet, that doesn't stop people from investing time and money in securing their data by opting for open source mobile operating systems like [GrapheneOS](https://itsfoss.com/news/grapheneos-duress-password-indictment/) and taking steps to [improve their privacy](https://itsfoss.com/improve-privacy/) in the online world. One of those steps is to go for a private messaging app that doesn't give out your data to feed some AI or a governmental agency that asks for your data nicely. [SimpleX Chat](https://simplex.chat/?ref=itsfoss.com) is one such option, a messaging network that doesn't ask for phone numbers, emails, or user accounts. I tried it out myself [back in 2024](https://itsfoss.com/news/simplex-chat/), and it left a strong impression. The team behind it has kept building since, and now it wants its users to also have a stake in where the project goes next. 🚧 SimpleX Chat reached out to us requesting some corrections to bring this in line with the SEC's [Regulation Crowdfunding](https://www.sec.gov/resources-small-businesses/exempt-offerings/regulation-crowdfunding?ref=itsfoss.com) promotion rules, and a few things that didn't sit quite right. ## Looking for investors ![a banner cropped from a wefunder listing for simplex chat](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/simplex-chat-wefunder-banner-1.png) The founder of SimpleX Chat, [Evgeny Poberezkin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/epoberezkin/?ref=itsfoss.com), reached out to us recently, saying that they were looking to give users "*the opportunity to get a stake in SimpleX Chat and benefit from its growth*." This investment is possible under regulation crowdfunding via [Wefunder](https://wefunder.com/simplexchat?ref=itsfoss.com), and all the terms are available on the SimpleX Chat page. People who invest $500 or more would receive public SimpleX names that SimpleX Chat is currently testing. Until August 15, these names would be for 10 years, and for 5 years for early bird investors after that. **The company behind the app isn't quite what it used to be either**. [SimpleX Chat Ltd](https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/13691484?ref=itsfoss.com), the UK entity that built the app, is now a wholly owned subsidiary of a new US company, [SimpleX Chat, Inc](https://opencorporates.com/companies/us%5Fde/10494325?ref=itsfoss.com). *Keep that in mind if you consider where a firm is based out of before investing in it.* SimpleX Chat also recently pivoted to public channels and infrastructure payments for large channels as their core commercial strategy, publishing a whitepaper about [Community Credits](https://simplex.chat/credits/whitepaper.pdf?ref=itsfoss.com) that would allow private payments for infrastructure via prepaid credits. Other planned sources of revenue include public names in the network for channels and businesses and business messaging via browser. To further explain, [public names](https://simplex.chat/blog/20260722-simplex-public-names.html?ref=itsfoss.com) use blockchain contract on the [Ethereum](https://ethereum.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) mainnet and are fully controlled by the users’ keys. You can test the temporary names in the mobile apps for SimpleX Chat. **Before you go ahead and invest**, do understand that this comes with the usual risks of backing a company this early. There's no guarantee of a return, and what you invest isn't something you can sell easily if you change your mind. The company's filing says that **they have enough cash for the next 12 months**. ## A similar occurence We already had an instance of a messaging app asking its community for help earlier this year, where [Session](https://itsfoss.com/news/session-call-for-donations/) nearly shut down after it ran out of funding, needing $1 million to keep going. By June, the [foundation confirmed](https://getsession.org/the-future-of-session?ref=itsfoss.com) development had resumed, backed by two to three developers instead of the dozen-plus it once employed. SimpleX Chat raising money through equity now, rather than an emergency donation drive, gives it a strong start. ### These Open Source Devs Are Reverse-Engineering Xbox Game Pass for Linux URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/xodus-xbox-gamepass-linux/ Last updated: 2026-08-11T17:28:55.000Z Xbox Game Pass has never really worked on Linux beyond [laggy cloud streaming](https://www.xbox.com/play?ref=itsfoss.com), but an open source project called **Xodus** is trying to change that. Earlier this week, [replying](https://www.reddit.com/r/linux%5Fgaming/comments/1vj6mam/comment/p2jbw9h/?ref=itsfoss.com) to a thread on Reddit, [Paweł Lidwin](https://github.com/imLinguin?ref=itsfoss.com) (*imLinguin*), project lead of Xodus, confirmed that the hardest parts of running those games on Linux, Xbox authentication, and game downloads are already working. The project is attempting to reverse engineer Xbox's entire authentication, licensing, and delivery pipeline well enough to run [Xbox on PC](https://www.xbox.com/xbox-on-pc?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Game Pass](https://www.xbox.com/xbox-game-pass?ref=itsfoss.com) titles on Linux. ## What's Xodus? ![a github page that shows some details related to the open source project called xodus](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/xodus-github-page.png) Xodus describes itself as "*the great gaming migration to Linux*," while cautioning people that it is not endorsed by Microsoft and using it comes with risks. You see, modern Xbox PC games run on Microsoft's [Game Development Kit](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/gaming/gdk/?view=gdk-2604&ref=itsfoss.com), or GDK, and ship as encrypted⁣ `MSIXVC` packages. Getting a game running on Linux means handling both. The project's [GitHub](https://github.com/xodus-gaming?ref=itsfoss.com) page currently houses a handful of repositories that include the main [xodus](https://github.com/xodus-gaming/xodus?ref=itsfoss.com) client written in Rust, a forked [ntfs](https://github.com/xodus-gaming/ntfs?ref=itsfoss.com) library for reading MSIXVC, and [xgameruntime](https://github.com/xodus-gaming/xgameruntime?ref=itsfoss.com), an open source implementation of `xgameruntime.dll` built for use in Wine. A companion repo, [xgameruntime-docs](https://github.com/xodus-gaming/xgameruntime-docs?ref=itsfoss.com), documents how that same DLL works internally. There's also forked copies of [Wine](https://github.com/xodus-gaming/wine?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Proton](https://github.com/xodus-gaming/Proton?ref=itsfoss.com), maintained by the Xodus team, featuring custom tweaks, and [xal-rs](https://github.com/xodus-gaming/xal-rs?ref=itsfoss.com), an Xbox authentication library forked from OpenXbox. **Keep in mind** that there are no binaries available for you to play around with just yet; there's still a lot of work to be done. *So yeah, a* [*First Look*](https://itsfoss.com/tag/first-look/) *at Xodus is still months away.* 😆 ## The devs are surprised ![a cropped screenshot of a discord message from someone called "linguin"](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/linguin-discord-message-xodus-coverage.png) Thanks to that Reddit reply, the project has gotten a wave of press coverage, and it has caught the developers off guard. "*Quite unexpected*," wrote Paweł on the project's Discord server after Digital Foundry picked it up. Though the original coverage seems to have been from VideoCardz.com, many of the outlets out there have got a detail wrong. **Describing Xodus as a project from the Heroic Games Launcher team is not right**, as Paweł is the only Xodus contributor who has also worked on [Heroic](https://heroicgameslauncher.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), not the whole team. Another contributor, [BellezaEmporium](https://github.com/BellezaEmporium?ref=itsfoss.com), who has been busy tracking this surprise wave of coverage, points out that one of the articles has been quite salty in talking about Xodus, while [Olivia](https://github.com/olivi-r?ref=itsfoss.com) (olivi-r) shared some important developmental updates. She says that: > Progress has been fairly rapid the last few days on the xgameruntime side, XTaskQueue is nearly implemented with a few modes and quirks to sort out. > > Currently fixing XUser as it seems the signature generation is a bit messed up 😬 > > Still need to actually load tickets from xodus into XUser as well, I've been hardcoding mine for the testing, not sure if we're going with the stdio proxy or ipc implemented directly in wine yet. ## What now? If Xodus pulls this off, it closes one of the last major gaps between Linux and Windows gaming. Game libraries on Steam, GOG, and Epic Games already run well through Proton and Heroic, but Xbox PC and Game Pass titles have been locked to Windows or laggy cloud streaming until now. And, if you ask me, this is the right time for [Xbox](https://www.xbox.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) to make Xodus' job easier **by lending a hand**, similar to say how Valve has handled the development of [Proton](https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Proton?ref=itsfoss.com) while supporting [Wine](https://www.winehq.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [DXVK](https://github.com/doitsujin/DXVK?ref=itsfoss.com) upstream. This way, the whole ecosystem benefits, not just Steam. If Xbox decides to help the project, then they do have many avenues to pursue… ### Local AI Weekly #1: It's Happening URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/local-ai-weekly-1/ Last updated: 2026-08-11T14:18:32.000Z Welcome to the first issue of Local AI Weekly. A lot of It's FOSS readers have been curious about local AI but didn't want it mixed into FOSS Weekly. So here we are. A separate space for people who want to explore AI but the open source ones. I'll be sharing experiments from my own hardware, open model news, tools worth your attention, and will keep an eye on the AI related news worth knowing. Let's get into it. ## 🧪 Experiment: Hermes on a Raspberry Pi Hermes is the buzz of the AI town so I decided to give it a try. But I chose a rather unusual setup. I have the [Hermes backend running on a Raspberry Pi and connecting to it via Hermes Desktop on my main machine](https://itsfoss.com/hermes-desktop-remote-gateway/). So the agent actually runs Pi, and I interact from my computer. Hermes Desktop also has a voice conversation feature, most AI tools have it these days. Voice AI is shaping up to be the next big thing. [Ubuntu 26.10 is already preparing native voice AI support](https://itsfoss.com/news/myna-ai-speech-to-text-tool/) and local tools like [Vocalinux are already in development](https://itsfoss.com/news/vocalinux-beta-release/). Seems like we're not far from AI-based desktop companions you can actually talk to. Think email briefings, task reporting, agent control. [Those things are already here, even if in early stages](https://itsfoss.com/news/autonomous-intern-2/). ## 🔍 Discover AI tools Here is [a new open source markdown-based knowledge base](https://openknowledge.ai/?ref=itsfoss.com) built for you and your AI agents. It is local-first, git-backed, and ships with a native MCP server, so commercial or local AI agents can read and write your notes directly. Worth a look if you're building a personal wiki or a shared second brain your coding agents can use across sessions. Still in early stages of development, so expect bugs here and there. I am currently using Tolaria for my personal KB, and this one is my on my weekend activity list. [OpenKnowledge — Beautiful, AI-native markdown editorBeautiful, AI-native markdown editor for humans and agents. Build knowledge bases, LLM wikis, and agent 2nd brains.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/ok-logo-057cbe1c-d3e8-403e-9802-ebe59bb0095b.png)OpenKnowledgeInkeep![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/og-9c624048-817d-40ee-9127-65ec275fc92a)](https://openknowledge.ai/?ref=itsfoss.com) Another interesting open source AI tool I came across recently is [Cleat](https://cleat.sh/?ref=itsfoss.com). It basically runs Claude Code inside a Docker sandbox with one command, so an autonomous agent session can't touch your host system. It shares your Claude auth, edits project files, installs packages, and runs any command inside the container, but stays blocked from your SSH keys, other projects, and the rest of your machine unless you opt in. [Cleat - Give the agent a cage, not your keys.Run Claude Code with full autonomous power, safely sandboxed in Docker. One command. Per-project isolation. Your host stays untouched.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/cleat-favicon-26527073-129d-4fa9-954a-5ee19d6f692d.png)Cleat![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/og-1f692317-5b24-480a-954d-38bbd6e1c68e.png)](https://cleat.sh/?ref=itsfoss.com) The project is fairly new, and I don't see [activities on its GitHub repo](https://github.com/cleatdev/cleat?ref=itsfoss.com) in the last three weeks. Hope it is not on the road to become an abandonware. ## 📡 Open Model News The open model space has had a busy few weeks. Kimi K3 landed on July 16 from Moonshot AI. It's a 2.8-trillion-parameter Mixture-of-Experts model with a 1M token context window, released under a "Modified MIT license". It's the largest open-weight model ever released, and early benchmarks are putting it within reach of frontier closed models. Running it locally requires serious hardware, but smaller distillations should be here soon. Around the same time, [Inkling was released by Thinking Machines Lab](https://thinkingmachines.ai/news/introducing-inkling/?ref=itsfoss.com), the startup founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati. It's a 975-billion-parameter multimodal model released under Apache 2.0\. The Apache 2.0 choice is significant because it means free commercial use without the usage restrictions that come with some other open licenses, like the modified MIT. Both are too large to run on most home hardware right now. But these releases matter because quantized versions and smaller distillations typically follow within weeks. Worth keeping an eye on Ollama's model library, even though Ollama is likely offering them on their cloud plan. ## 🗂 AI Jargon: Quantization You might have come across the word quantization. It is the process of reducing the 'numerical precision' of a model's weights to make it smaller (and faster). A full-precision model stores each value as a 32-bit or 16-bit float. A quantized model stores them at 8-bit, 4-bit, or even lowre. The model gets smaller so it uses less RAM, and runs faster but that comes at the cost of quality. Take a look at the tags of any model at Ollama... [llama3.1 for example](https://ollama.com/library/llama3.1/tags?ref=itsfoss.com). You'll see names like instruct-q2\_K, text-q3\_K\_S, fp16 etc. Those are quantized. The file size is smaller, an indication that it will need less RAM. ## ⚡ Quick Tip When downloading models via Ollama, you can specify the quantization level directly. Instead of `ollama pull llama3`, try `ollama pull llama3:8b-instruct-q4_K_M` to get a specific quantized variant. Check the available tags on [ollama.com/library](https://ollama.com/library?ref=itsfoss.com) for whichever model you're pulling. Just add /tags/ at the end of it. ## And we continue... I'll be honest. The local AI scene is more fragmented than the Linux distro landscape. And not all of us have the same needs. If you're a DevOps person, you might have no interest in AI image restoration tools. If you're a developer, graphics workflows probably don't apply to you. So I'm going to share my own experiments and exploration. Some of it will be useful to you, some won't. That's fine. You'll likely learn new things and that's the goal. See you in two week. ### Run Hermes on Raspberry Pi, Control It from Your Laptop URL: https://itsfoss.com/hermes-desktop-remote-gateway/ Last updated: 2026-08-11T11:38:23.000Z My [agent harnessing journey started with Nanoclaw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27baD2XZPiM&ref=itsfoss.com). Which is super simple to setup and use. It works for a few simpler tasks through Telegram. But I wanted something to work on my main computer. Out of all [claw like agents](https://itsfoss.com/openclaw-alternatives/), I find [Hermes](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) the most suited. So I installed Hermes on a Raspberry Pi running on [Pironman 5 Pro Max](https://itsfoss.com/pironman-5-pro-max-review/). And I installed Hermes desktop on my Asus Zenbook laptop, my primary system. The advantage is that the Raspberry Pi remains the always-on Hermes machine. I can close Hermes Desktop or shut down the laptop without needing Hermes itself to run on the laptop (for scheduled tasks). Also, Hermes agents won't have unrestricted access to my system. A safer approach, in my opinion. At least, that's the idea I am going with. The basic architecture is: ```text Laptop └── Hermes Desktop │ │ Remote Gateway ▼ Raspberry Pi └── hermes serve ├── Agents ├── Jobs ├── Memory └── Tools ``` Let me show you how you can use the Hermes agent via the remote gateway feature. ## Step 1: Start the Hermes Gateway on the Raspberry Pi 🚧 I presume that you have already have Hermes agent installed on Raspberry Pi or any other remote system you can reach from your other system. Open a terminal on the [Raspberry Pi or SSH into it](https://itsfoss.com/ssh-into-raspberry/). You need to add the following in the `~/.hermes/.env` file of hermes: ``` HERMES_DASHBOARD_BASIC_AUTH_USERNAME=admin HERMES_DASHBOARD_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=YOUR_STRONG_PASSWORD HERMES_DASHBOARD_BASIC_AUTH_SECRET=YOUR_RANDOM_SECRET ``` The 'random secret' can be generated with. ``` openssl rand -base64 32 ``` These credentials will be used from the Hermes desktop. Now start Hermes's backend with: ```bash hermes serve --host 0.0.0.0 --port 9119 ``` You may see a message like this: ```text Headless backend (hermes serve): web UI disabled — use `hermes dashboard` for the browser UI. ``` This is normal. `hermes serve` does not provide a browser interface. It starts the backend that Hermes Desktop connects to. Keep this process running while testing the connection. ## Step 2: Verify that Hermes is listening Open another terminal tab to access the Raspberry Pi, and run: ```bash ss -ltnp | grep 9119 ``` You should see something containing: ```text 0.0.0.0:9119 ``` This means Hermes is listening for connections on port `9119`. ## Step 3: Install Hermes Desktop on the pc Hermes provides an official script for installing the Hermes Desktop: ``` curl -fsSL https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh | bash ``` During installation, Hermes may ask to choose a terminal backend: ```text Select terminal backend: Local Docker Modal SSH Daytona ... Keep current (local) ``` For this setup, you can leave this as: ```text Keep current (local) ``` The Terminal Backend setting is separate from the Remote Gateway setting. The gateway is what connects Hermes Desktop to Hermes running on your Raspberry Pi. I also left out the model selection. Whatever the remote Hermes server uses will be used here, too. ## Step 4: Use remote gateway on Hermes Start Hermes Desktop from the terminal: ``` hermes desktop ``` That's the way it runs for the moment. Ironical to run a desktop GUI app from the terminal. Anyways, inside Hermes Desktop, click on the settings and go to gateway and find the remote gateway option: ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/hermes-remote-gateway.webp) In the Remote URL field, enter the address of the device running the Hermes backend with the port 9119: ```text http://:9119 ``` Then save/apply the setting and reconnect. Hermes Desktop should now connect to the Hermes backend running on your Raspberry Pi. Hermes Desktop becomes the interface for interacting with the Hermes instance on the Raspberry Pi. ## Step 5: Make the gateway permanent If things are working fine so far, it is time to make things permanent. Because keeping this running on the remote Hermes server is not a wise move. ```bash hermes serve --host 0.0.0.0 --port 9119 ``` Because if I close that terminal or reboot the Raspberry Pi, the gateway will stop. For an always-on Raspberry Pi setup, running `hermes serve` as a systemd service works better. No need to SSH into the Pi and manually launch Hermes every time. It will be automatically start thanks to the systemd service. Get the Hermes executable path with: ``` which hermes ``` And then create the systemd service: ``` sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/hermes-server.service ``` Here's the file I used. **You should replace the EnnvironmentFile and ExecStart values as per your setup**. ``` [Unit] Description=Hermes Agent Backend After=network-online.target Wants=network-online.target [Service] Type=simple User=pi EnvironmentFile=/home/pi/.hermes/.env ExecStart=/home/pi/.local/bin/hermes serve --host 0.0.0.0 --port 9119 Restart=always RestartSec=5 [Install] WantedBy=multi-user.target ``` Once you have saved the service file, run it in this fashion: ``` sudo systemctl daemon-reload sudo systemctl enable --now hermes-server ``` Check the status of the newly created systemd service: ``` systemctl status hermes-server ``` ## Conclusion I am yet to fully utilize Hermes on desktop with the remote gateway method. Portability could be an issue if I move out of my home network, but even in that case, there are ways to [SSH into Raspberry Pi from outside network](https://itsfoss.com/tailscale-raspberry-pi-ssh/). I'll be sharing more of my local AI exploration and experiences. Do [subscribe to Local AI Weekly newsletter](https://itsfoss.com/local-ai-weekly/) for that. ### Linux Mint Teases A Kernel Cleanup Trick That Fedora Figured Out Years Ago URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-mint-kernel-removal-feature/ Last updated: 2026-08-11T10:41:46.000Z The Linux Mint project regularly puts out monthly news that gives us a look at what the developers are working on and where the overall project is headed towards. Their July update has shown us how the distribution intends to handle kernels going forward, moving the entire job out of the [Update Manager](https://github.com/linuxmint/mintupdate?ref=itsfoss.com) and into a different tool altogether. ## A new feature? ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/linux-mint-kernel-removal-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/linux-mint-kernel-removal-2.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/linux-mint-kernel-removal-3.png) **Source: The Linux Mint Blog* Yes, and no. Kernel management isn't new, as in the past, Update Manager has let users view and remove individual kernels, but that functionality was removed. The new implementation sits inside the [System Administration](https://github.com/linuxmint/mintsysadm?ref=itsfoss.com) tool instead, and it's built to behave the same way whether you're on Linux Mint or LMDE. Instead of tracking individual versions one at a time, the new "*Kernels*" page inside System Administration groups multiple kernel versions according to series. **Setting up the tool is a one-time choice** of you telling it which kernel series matter to you and how deep a backlog to hold onto for each one. Everything downstream runs on its own after that. The series you're following keeps updating through Update Manager the same way they always have, while anything past your set limit gets thrown out during a scheduled pass once a week. **Manual cleanups are possible too** for times when you want to quickly free up some space to accommodate other content. Individual kernels can also be marked "*Protected*," which keeps them off the chopping block regardless of whether their series is tracked or how old they are. Before you go looking for this on your own system, **know that it isn't live yet**. Linux Mint project lead Clement Lefebvre has said that this is a preview of what's coming to the next Mint release. ## Fedora has this already ![terminal window on a fedora workstation system that shows how linux kernel-related packages are handled during a sudo dnf update command run](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/fedora-workstation-linux-kernel-removal.png) I understand that Linux Mint has had to reimplement their solution, but [Fedora](https://fedoraproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) has had this problem solved for years. Its [DNF](https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/quick-docs/dnf/?ref=itsfoss.com) package manager has done this by default the whole time. The setting behind it is called `installonly_limit`, and [it defaults to 3](https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/kernels-are-accumulating-in-boot/179352/5?ref=itsfoss.com). Only the three most recent kernel builds stay installed at any given time. Whenever a new kernel comes in through a regular update, DNF removes whatever falls outside that limit as part of the same transaction. There's no separate scheduled job behind it, unlike Mint's new weekly cleanup. It only runs when you actually update, so a kernel installed outside DNF's normal flow would just sit there untouched. The two approaches end up solving a similar problem in different ways. Fedora's is a flat, always-on limit tied directly to the update transaction. Mint's new implementation, once it ships, would hand you more direct control instead. Kernel management wasn't the only thing in Mint's July post. The team also shipped new [HWE ISOs](https://www.linuxmint.com/hwe.php?ref=itsfoss.com) for Linux Mint 22.3, this time built on [Linux 7.0](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-7-0-release/), and [Fcitx5](https://github.com/fcitx/fcitx5?ref=itsfoss.com) support lands in Cinnamon, running the same way across Wayland and X11. For the full rundown, including the new environment variables page and the panel fixes, [the original blog](https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=5050&ref=itsfoss.com) is a must-read. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** *In related news,* [*Linux Mint now considers Wayland stable*](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-mint-wayland-stable/) *enough for inclusion in its next release, due Christmas.* [Linux Mint Now Considers Wayland StableCinnamon will fully support both X11 and Wayland sessions starting with Mint’s next release, due Christmas.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-65c8d43f-94f1-4491-97db-b96381f7d79d.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-mint-cinnamon-wayland-banner-517aa9ea-5417-45ac-bc1d-e0eed249b693.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-mint-wayland-stable/) ### CachyOS is Laying Groundwork for The Server Edition URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/cachyos-august-2026-release/ Last updated: 2026-08-10T15:09:59.000Z Love them or hate them, [rolling release distros](https://itsfoss.com/rolling-release/) have managed to take a slice out of the Linux desktop market share. They provide a bleeding-edge experience that stays quite stable if cared for and bites a user's a\*\* if handled poorly. [CachyOS](https://cachyos.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is one of those options that has been only getting more popular as the days go by. Offering a rebuilt Arch package stack with CPU-specific optimizations and a custom kernel tuned for responsiveness, it is a distro that delivers some good performance. You might remember late last year, the developers had teased plans for a dedicated [Server Edition](https://itsfoss.com/news/cachyos-server-edition-plans/) aimed at NAS setups and hosting providers. Their newest release shows us where some of the work is happening, along with the typical distro-focused improvements. ## What's fresh? ![cachyos 2608 release fastfetch output and app launcher window](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/cachyos-2608-fastfetch-output.png) The [graphical installer](https://github.com/CachyOS/cachyos-calamares?ref=itsfoss.com) sees many new additions, such as Hyprland's *Noctalia* option swapping SDDM for `noctalia-greeter`, Cinnamon moving to `lightdm-slick-greeter`, GNOME gaining `gvfs-dnssd`, and COSMIC picking up `cosmic-monitor`. For the [CLI installer](https://github.com/CachyOS/New-Cli-Installer?ref=itsfoss.com), other than the usual housekeeping work of addressing bugs and refactoring the code, there's **experimental support for Server Edition installation profiles**, marking a key milestone in the new variant's development. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/cachyos-2608-installer-hyprland-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/cachyos-2608-installer-hyprland-2.png) **Shelly** became CachyOS's default GUI package manager back in April, replacing Octopi, and [we found it a promising switch](https://itsfoss.com/news/shelly-package-manager/) once we spent time with it. With this CachyOS release, Shelly has got its most significant change yet with its v3 iteration. It has gone from being written in **C#** to **Zig**, replacing the managed runtime with native binaries that start faster and use less memory. Coupled with that is the new onboarding screen that shows up at first run, along with list and grid views for browsing packages, and AUR PKGBUILD previews with build output. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/cachyos-2608-shelly-v3-a.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/cachyos-2608-shelly-v3-b.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/cachyos-2608-shelly-v3-c.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/cachyos-2608-shelly-v3-d.png) You also get a new *Utilities* page for syncing the database, cleaning up the cache, and orphaned package removal. Similarly, its CLI version can now search repositories and the AUR from one place, running update checks across the repos, AUR, AppImage, and Flatpak. [Cachy-Update](https://github.com/CachyOS/cachy-update?ref=itsfoss.com) now runs on top of *Arch-Update v4.x*, with the systray applet ported to Rust. The new `--check --enable` flag combines two previously separate steps, turning on automated update checks and launching the tray icon together. Then there's the handheld detection with [chwd](https://wiki.cachyos.org/features/chwd/chwd/?ref=itsfoss.com), which currently works off board name pattern matching, picking up Bulgarian localization, and no longer tripping up when the `board_name` DMI file is missing. ![the welcome app for cachyos that is showing a bunch of buttons for quick access to important resources](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/cachyos-2608-welcome-app.png) And finally, we have the [Welcome](https://github.com/CachyOS/CachyOS-Welcome?ref=itsfoss.com) app that had its DNS handling reworked, resolving an issue that kept the speed-test based ranking from actually picking the fastest server. You can refer to the [release announcement blog](https://cachyos.org/blog/2608-august-release/?ref=itsfoss.com) to know about the smaller changes that we have skipped here. ## Get this now Fresh ISOs for both editions [are live now](https://cachyos.org/download/?ref=itsfoss.com). Grab the "***Desktop Edition***" for the full CPU-optimized desktop experience, or the "***Handheld Edition***" if you're running a Steam Deck, ROG Ally, Legion Go, or Legion Go S. [CachyOS](https://cachyos.org/download/?ref=itsfoss.com) **Existing users** don't need to reinstall anything to get this release. Just open [Shelly](https://github.com/Seafoam-Labs/Shelly-ALPM?ref=itsfoss.com) from the app launcher and go into the "*Update*" page. Here, wait a bit for the sync to complete, or click on "*Check Again*" to pull in updates from the official repositories, AUR, and Flatpak in one go. If you prefer the terminal, Shelly's CLI can handle the same job with a single command: ``` shelly ``` ### openJiuwen’s Agent Swarm: When AI Agents Finally Work as a Team URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/openjiuwens-agent-swarm/ Last updated: 2026-08-10T12:51:35.000Z Over the past two years, the AI agent space has gone through wave after wave of "engineering paradigm shifts". From Prompt Engineering to Context Engineering, and on to Harness Engineering, each iteration has focused on making individual agents smarter and more reliable. However, complex tasks in the real world are never completed by a single person. For example, multi-disciplinary medical consultations require experts from various fields working in tandem. Similarly, large-scale software engineering projects demand product managers, frontend engineers, backend developers, and QA testers pushing forward together. And yet, AI industry is still trying to build an "all-powerful" single agent rather than a well-coordinated team of agents. This is precisely the problem openJiuwen aims to address. ## What is openJiuwen? [openJiuwen](https://github.com/openJiuwen-ai?ref=itsfoss.com) is an open-source AI agent platform jointly built by Huawei Laboratories, Huawei Cloud, and the Terminal Xiaoyi team, released under the Apache 2.0 license. Its goal is to help developers build production-grade AI agents and enable large-scale multi-agent collaboration. In May 2026, the openJiuwen community released a major component: [JiuwenSwarm](https://github.com/openJiuwen-ai/jiuwenswarm?ref=itsfoss.com). It marks the first engineering implementation of "Coordination Engineering", moving the focus from "making a single agent smarter" to "making multiple agents collaborate efficiently." In collaboration with Huawei's Terminal Tablet & PC Product Line, Software Department, and other teams, openJiuwen launched the HarmonyOS PC version of JiuwenSwarm. This means JiuwenSwarm shares the exact same technical DNA with the HarmonyOS ecosystem right from the architectural foundation. ## What makes JiuwenSwarm different? At the core of JiuwenSwarm is the Agent Swarm mechanism, which enables multiple AI agents to autonomously divide labor, dynamically negotiate, and collaborate efficiently. Below are its key features. ### Heterogeneous model routing for different tasks JiuwenSwarm supports routing members to different models, providing appropriate model capabilities for different roles, thus allocating heavy-reasoning models to complex logic and lightweight models to simple tasks. This reduces system load and improves overall execution quality. Developers simply declare the role-to-model mapping in a configuration file, and the system automatically manages scheduling. JiuwenSwarm has already achieved seamless integration with platforms like HarmonyOS Xiaoyi and Lark (Feishu). Developers can build JiuwenSwarm-mode agents that are invokable directly via HarmonyOS devices. ### Layered memory architecture Paired with a layered persistent memory system, JiuwenSwarm retains full-dimensional records across sessions, including operation history, enterprise profiles, and policy guidelines. Through a cross-Swarm experience inheritance mechanism, the experience accumulated by one Swarm can be directly inherited by another. ### Distributed deployment JiuwenSwarm supports distributed Agent Swarms. The Leader Agent and swarm members can run across different processes, different nodes, or even entirely different servers. This capability is especially critical for tasks requiring access to isolated environments, such as intranet databases. This architecture naturally adapts to the multi-device distributed scenarios of HarmonyOS PC. In the HarmonyOS PC "Agent PC" environment, the PC acts as the home base for the Leader Agent, while HarmonyOS devices like phones and tablets act as Teammate Agent nodes, working together without needing extra adaptation. With the Channels mechanism supporting platform integrations like Xiaoyi out of the box, developers can build multi-agent applications for the HarmonyOS PC ecosystem straight away. ### Observability and self-evolution JiuwenSwarm provides an intuitive interactive interface, helping users track Swarm running states, task progress, and member workloads in real time. Simultaneously, its experience closed-loop mechanism captures task breakdown paths, role allocation strategies, tool invocation sequences, and result evaluations, converting them into reusable "task templates." The next time a similar task arises, the Swarm can skip the planning phase and jump straight into execution. In enterprise office scenarios, [OfficeClaw](https://officeclaw.ai/?ref=itsfoss.com) has already leveraged JiuwenSwarm to achieve automated collaboration across content generation, document processing, and knowledge search. Meanwhile, the Swarm Skills Hub has attracted contributions from numerous developers, fostering a virtuous ecosystem loop. ## Where it's headed In openJiuwen's commercialization roadmap, the native HarmonyOS agent system represents one of the largest and strategically most significant deployment cases. With JiuwenSwarm now open source, developers can directly build multi-agent applications for the HarmonyOS PC ecosystem using this framework. The project is [officially open for the community on GitHub](https://github.com/openJiuwen-ai/jiuwenswarm?ref=itsfoss.com) under the Apache 2.0 license. ### AI Can No Longer Rampage Through Rust's Code Repo URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/rust-code-repo-ai-policy/ Last updated: 2026-08-10T10:35:34.000Z The Rust project has implemented [a formal LLM policy](https://forge.rust-lang.org/policies/llm-usage.html?ref=itsfoss.com), which pushes people to use LLMs to analyze/think through code, not write it. With how it is written right now, the policy only covers [the core code repo](https://github.com/rust-lang/rust?ref=itsfoss.com) for Rust. It lays out many rules around what's restricted, what's allowed, and a circuit breaker that pauses AI-authored merges once they cross half of all merges in a six-week window. Just so you know, the core repo hosts the compiler and standard library for the entire language. Every Rust program depends on code that lives here, which makes it a very important repo to moderate. ![a wall of text that discusses some aspects of rust's new llm usage policy](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/rust-llm-usage-policy.png) ***It's no surprise they banned LLM use the way they did.*** An LLM can't write your comments, issues, or PR descriptions under your name. Documentation, safety comments, and compiler diagnostics are all off-limits too. And an LLM review can never substitute for a human one or for reviewing your own code before you post it. **What's allowed is private use**. Asking an LLM questions about the codebase needs no disclosure, and neither does privately reviewing your own code, summarizing a PR for yourself, or building personal dev tools with one. Apart from that, there are a few things that reside in a gray area. Machine translation, trivial fixes made with an LLM, and self-verified bug hunting all sit here, and each one needs to be disclosed. AI-written code gets the strictest treatment of all. It has to be pre-arranged with a reviewer, unlikely to introduce a bug that breaks Rust's safety guarantees, fully tested, and understood on both sides before it earns the new `ai-assisted` label. [Jynn Nelson](https://rust-lang.org/governance/people/jyn514/?ref=itsfoss.com), who wrote up the original policy that the project has now adopted, concluded [the announcement](https://blog.rust-lang.org/inside-rust/2026/08/05/rust-langrust-is-adopting-an-llm-policy/?ref=itsfoss.com) by stating that: > This is not the end of the story. One of the goals of the policy is to help us gather data: Are people doing interesting and useful things with LLMs? Are they learning? Are they making repeat contributions? The answers to those questions will help us determine how the policy changes in the future. ## A similar move elsewhere [NetworkManager](https://networkmanager.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com), the default network daemon on most mainstream Linux distributions, has picked up an AI coding assistants policy of its own, recently merging [a new section](https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/NetworkManager/NetworkManager/-/merge%5Frequests/2504?ref=itsfoss.com) to its [CONTRIBUTING.md](https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/NetworkManager/NetworkManager/-/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md?ref%5Ftype=heads&ref=itsfoss.com#ai-coding-assistants) file. It reads as follows: > Authors are responsible for 100% of the code they submit. Do not send a patch you cannot explain, and do not send one you have not built and tested yourself. Write your own commit messages and Merge Request descriptions. > > Those explain why you are making the change, which is the part a tool cannot know. Respond to review comments yourself. If you cannot discuss your own patch with a reviewer, it will not be merged. > Everything in the Legal section applies unchanged. You are the one certifying that the contribution can be released under LGPL-2.1-or-later. A tool cannot certify that for you. > > Large machine-generated Merge Requests that no human has reviewed line by line will be closed. [Josephine Pfeiffer](https://josie.lol/?ref=itsfoss.com) of Red Hat wrote the change and [merged it herself](https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/NetworkManager/NetworkManager/-/commit/0cca9ff637bf4524207fb37031229859652ff275?ref=itsfoss.com) on August 7, after maintainer approval. If you read the above, then you can see NetworkManager's version is quite simpler than Rust's tiered system. Right now, it is closer to the *human-in-the-loop* approach that we have already seen in [LLVM's policy](https://itsfoss.com/news/llvm-ai-policy/). We are constantly seeing such moves. For instance, Codeberg's members [recently voted](https://itsfoss.com/news/codeberg-bans-ai-contributions/) to ban projects built mostly from AI-generated code, citing server strain and climbing hardware costs. Time and again, we're getting more evidence that AI use can quickly degrade maintenance-focused work and infrastructure if left unchecked. As usual, the open source ecosystem will continue evolving according to what the use of AI dictates. ### OpenSearch Is Done Being Called "the Elasticsearch Fork" URL: https://itsfoss.com/interview/open-search-bianca-lewis/ Last updated: 2026-08-08T04:04:51.000Z I sat down with Bianca Lewis of OpenSearch at Open Source Summit India, right after the project's second OpenSearch Con in the country. Bianca Lewis is the executive director of the OpenSearch Software Foundation. OpenSearch started life in 2021 as a fork of Elasticsearch, born out of Elastic's move away from an open source license. Five years on, I wanted to know how much of that origin story still holds, and how the project sees itself now that it's an AI data infrastructure layer with its own roadmap and its own community. We covered a lot of ground: whether OpenSearch is still tethered to Elasticsearch in any way, why ELK Stack remains the more recognizable brand among young developers, how agentic AI fits into the platform, and an uncomfortable but necessary question about what happens when vendor-backed open source projects go proprietary. 📋 It was a face-to-face conversation and it is lightly edited for clarity. And since it was not a straight forward text interview, the answers are more conversational in nature. **Five years in, is OpenSearch still a fork of Elasticsearch, or has it become a product of its own? Does it still pull in any downstream changes from Elastic?** **Bianca:** That is a great question, and the answer, very simply, is yes, it's an independent project. It's a completely independent project now that began as a fork, as you correctly said, and in the early days the two were very, very similar. Today the focuses and the strengths have become very different, and today they are completely independent projects. I think the only commonality is that users can still use both platforms for similar kinds of use cases. ## Explaining OpenSearch to the average Linux user **OpenSearch is enterprise-focused, but how would you explain it to a home labber or self-hoster who's never heard of it?** **Bianca:** Well, firstly, of course OpenSearch is an AI infrastructure layer for enterprises, but because it's on an open source platform, free and easy to use and adopt, people making new startups, entrepreneurs, developers, and everyone else find it very easy to get started. Download it, it's free to use, all the features are open and available, and they can join very easily a community of thousands and thousands of people to get up and running. So it's not just enterprise-focused anymore, it's for anyone and everyone. Whoever's requirements fit it, OpenSearch is for them. I don't think it was ever built to just be for the enterprise. The startups of today are the enterprises of tomorrow. > "The startups of today are the enterprises of tomorrow." ## The ELK Stack brand problem **ELK Stack is still the more recognizable brand in observability and search. How does OpenSearch compete with that brand recognition among young developers?** **Bianca:** There is no doubt that Elastic, Elasticsearch, and Logstash and Kibana, which make up ELK, have been around a long time, and that's obviously where the fork came from originally. I hope that after five years of OpenSearch developing as an independent and powerful project — 1.7 billion downloads later, 400 individual companies contributing, more than 3,000 contributors, and 15,000 OpenSearch stack users — the differentiation in young developers' minds is becoming clearer just from the sheer weight of numbers. I think there are two distinguishing factors. The first is philosophy — how developers want to build their technology stacks conceptually and into the future. Elastic, who owns ELK, even though the license is now back to open source after they closed it, is still owned by Elastic and is open core. That means if a young developer wants to build on Elasticsearch and use the ELK stack, they can use the core version for free, but for any more advanced features or support they're going to have to pay and be tied into Elastic. Developers who want to build on a platform that's fully open, where you get the whole thing for free and can choose whether you want support or hosting when you're ready, have that choice with OpenSearch. It's a different philosophy. The second layer is that the two platforms have grown along different technological paths. Every platform in this space will say "we're a millisecond faster at this," or "we support this use case better," and that's all true — no platform can honestly say it's the best at everything. But OpenSearch is really good at a lot of different use cases that unify the data layer, and because it's the only alternative that isn't just open core, it's making young developers distinguish OpenSearch, hopefully much faster than ELK or any other platform. ## Observability, complexity, and cost **Observability stacks are getting heavier, more expensive, and more complicated. What is OpenSearch doing about ease of setup and cost?** **Bianca:** Those are two very valid questions, so let me answer them one by one. On complexity: the advantage of proprietary vendors has always been that on day one it's easy — you buy it, it's off the shelf, it works, and you get support. With an open platform, you build it on day one, and you get the benefit on day two, three, and four because it's customized to your needs and you're not dependent on a vendor. But getting started on day one is a very valid point. Because of that, we've recently launched something called [Launchpad](https://opensearch.org/blog/introducing-opensearch-launchpad-from-requirements-to-a-running-search-application-in-minutes/?ref=itsfoss.com), which lets you eailylaunch an observability stack, a search application, or any other OpenSearch application, because OpenSearch isn't just observability, there's also search, AI applications, and security monitoring. All this takes a few minutes, and we encourage developers to ask the community if they get lost, even though the documentation is all there. I believe the ease of setting up OpenSearch has been addressed incredibly well and quickly. On cost, it's a more complicated question. I can tell you OpenSearch is free, but in real life nothing is ever truly free because you still have to run it on infrastructure and manage it. What OpenSearch does do is make everything cost-effective. Take observability: in the old days, we had to have it because if something in our infrastructure broke, we had to solve it — we couldn't afford downtime — but nobody wanted to pay for it because it was seen as a cost center. Today the whole language has changed, because OpenSearch gives you a unified view of the context of your data, which is much more cost-effective than doing log analytics, traces, and metrics separately with tools like Grafana and Prometheus, where everyone looked at the data differently and root-cause analysis took five weeks to put the pieces together. Today it's all in a single pipeline into OpenSearch — you see it all together, through different lenses in the same view, and you can automate resolutions. You can use models and AI to interrogate that data, automate resolutions, and use your observability stack for more than troubleshooting — for company-wide SLOs, understanding acceptable error rates, and understanding cost. We're in the token economy now, so we can add cost information into traces and logs and understand accurately how much each service is really costing us. Observability isn't just "pay for troubleshooting" anymore — it's become easier to use and a driver of business imperatives. ## AI-agent readiness **How AI-agent-ready is OpenSearch, for someone building a project that leans heavily on agentic AI?** **Bianca:** In the 3.5 release — we've just released 3.7, so we're two minor versions past that — agentic AI became generally available in OpenSearch, and since then it's become a central theme of how people run their search and observability stacks. I think we're ahead of almost any other platform in the world on fully integrated agentic AI. As you spin up AI agents, OpenSearch is model-agnostic, so you can use any AI model you want. If it's for a search use case, you can monitor those AI agents with the same platform — monitor the trace of the agent, see which services it's calling, what the costs are, and make sure it's doing the right thing. At scale, when you're running 100,000 queries a minute, we can almost let AI monitor AI for security, safety, and compliance. AI brings scale and the ability to do things quickly. We don't have to work sequentially anymore. But data without context is just data, it's noise. You need a platform that can recall it and spin up AI agents, you need the data underneath it, and you need the agents to talk to each other to perform tasks but without context, all of that is garbage at scale. OpenSearch has built in some features to address this: short-term agentic memory, so an agent remembers the context of what it was asked over the last week or two, and in 3.7, long-term agentic memory as well, which gives us the context we need to take accurate actions on the data. It's already generally available. ## AI data layer vs. traditional search **Is OpenSearch now an AI data layer sitting on top of a traditional search stack, or have the two fully merged?** **Bianca:** I think ultimately OpenSearch will be looked at in a couple of layers. OpenSearch is the application level, and the application level sits on top of an infrastructure that supports the architecture of the application. What OpenSearch gives you is that it doesn't tie you into any one vendor's choices. You can have that AI infrastructure layer but choose your own infrastructure. You can self-host, or go to one of the hosted services, like our OpenSearch service on NetApp, Oracle, and AWS and choose whatever fits your model. In terms of features and how things run with agentic AI, we don't really say this works better or worse than that. We say everything works and works really well, and with OpenSearch you retain control over how you want to build it, without being tied into any one approach. ## On business-source licensing and the Linux Foundation model **This is a bit of an uncomfortable question, more about the Linux Foundation model in general than OpenSearch specifically. MariaDB, Redis, and Elasticsearch all moved from open source to business-source or server-side licenses at some point, largely to protect their business from hyperscalers who weren't contributing enough but were taking their enterprise customers. Then the Linux Foundation and companies like Amazon fork the original project, as happened with Terraform and OpenTofu, and grow it as the "true" open source version while the original gets left behind. Is there an injustice in that, toward the original projects?** **Bianca:** I think it's a really great question. I don't ever judge a vendor for deciding to close-source or open-source a project. But without intruding into the particulars of how Elastic or AWS felt at the time, which I can't speak to, I can share a personal viewpoint. If a vendor is the owner of an open source project, to me that open-core label is simply a go-to-market strategy to get users in and then sell services, support, and enterprise capability. It's not what we'd call vendor-neutral. Building a wide community on a vendor-owned open source project is always tricky, and that's why Mongo, Elastic, Redis, and a few others reached a point where the situation became a threat — the go-to-market had been really successful, they'd built a community, but the biggest customers weren't converting. I find it interesting that Elastic changed back to an open source license after closing it — because they were losing the community, but they'd closed it because they were losing enterprise customers. They were fine with small players using the free product but wanted the big-money customers. The challenge is that often you want your cake and to eat it too. Once you build your brand on community involvement and then tell the community you're closing it, even if you reopen it later, a lot of the community will just say "thanks, but no thanks." That's the beauty of the Linux Foundation model. It's a nonprofit that nobody owns, and profit isn't the motive. Yes, there will be cases where hyperscalers fork a project. I think it's important to understand that once they fork it and give it to a nonprofit like the Linux Foundation, they give up ownership. They don't own OpenSearch anymore. They could fork it again and keep something in-house, anyone can always do that, but OpenSearch itself can never be closed now, because the Linux Foundation owns it. > OpenSearch itself can never be closed now, because the people that own it is the Linux Foundation. It also helps to look at where each company actually makes its money. Take Elastic. They make money selling Elasticsearch licenses, whether self-hosted or on the cloud, so it makes sense for them to gate advanced features behind a license, because they have to survive as a business and answer to shareholders. Hyperscalers like AWS, Microsoft, Google, IBM, and Oracle make their money from selling compute and infrastructure, not directly from the application. Carrying the burden of growing and innovating an application takes away from their core focus of selling infrastructure, so it makes business sense for them to let the community develop the application while they focus on providing a great service to run it, and put their money where they actually make money. That's the subtle reason hyperscalers are so eager to support Linux Foundation projects. It lets them focus on where they make money, and it guarantees these projects stay open, available, and well-maintained rather than becoming orphaned. Ultimately it takes time for a project's original founder to say "now we can let the community manage it." What that actually means is that over the years, instead of maintaining the application with a full-time in-house engineering team, the founder becomes one of the companies contributing to a shared engineering effort. You get all the benefit, but the innovation and cost become shared, and the community retains the choices, which is always good for business. ## Certifications **Does OpenSearch have plans for a certification track, like Kubernetes has with the CKA?** **Bianca:** Yes, we've actually recently announced that. The way we're doing it is quite unique and exciting for the open source world. We've already released the first form of learning content, and in a couple of months we're going to release an OpenSearch competency course that carries a badge of competency you can put on LinkedIn. On top of that, we're going to do the OpenSearch competency certification proper, and based on that certification, we're doing accreditations for different vendors and companies. The follow-up to that is specialist certifications. Since OpenSearch is used across quite a few use cases, we'll have competencies in observability, search, AI applications, and security monitoring. And to renew your certification, instead of retaking the same test every couple of years, as long as you're advancing to more advanced certifications you keep your original qualifications. We want people to grow and advance within OpenSearch. ## The biggest misconception about OpenSearch **What's the one thing that most people get wrong about OpenSearch?** **Bianca:** There are so many things people get wrong about OpenSearch, but I think the biggest one is not recognizing that, as an AI data infrastructure layer, OpenSearch is the only cloud-native, AI-native platform in the world that's truly open source and vendor-neutral. I don't know if people really understand that. > OpenSearch is the only cloud-native, AI-native platform in the world that's truly open source and vendor-neutral. **Maybe if it were named something like "OpenSearch AI" or "OpenAI Search," it would be more recognizable.** **Bianca:** Yeah because people often equate it to "how does it compare to Elasticsearch?" But conceptually, you can't really compare the two. They'll say "it's like the AWS service," but that's just a vendor who's a member and provides a service on top of it. The platform runs completely independently, within a community that's truly open source. It's not just an AWS project anymore; it's a truly independent, community-owned observability stack. --- OpenSearch's 3.7 release, with long-term agentic memory, is already out, and the project's competency certification track is expected to roll out over the coming months. You can find the project's documentation, downloads, and community channels at [opensearch.org](https://opensearch.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). ### Illinois Just Told Every Operating System to Start Reporting Your Kid's Age URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/illinois-age-verification-bill/ Last updated: 2026-08-07T09:57:09.000Z Illinois has become the latest U.S. state to pull operating systems into the age verification pool. Governor [JB Pritzker](https://gov-pritzker-newsroom.prezly.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) has signed [HB5511](https://ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus?GAID=18&DocNum=5511&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=167486&SessionID=114&ref=itsfoss.com), the **Children's Online Social Media Safety Act**, putting forward a new age verification framework for every device sold or used in the state. The bill imposes age check on "*covered manufacturers*," a category that lumps device makers, operating system providers, and app stores together. ## Protect the children! By **January 1, 2028**, these manufacturers have to build an interface at account setup asking a parent or account holder for the child's birth date. That date is then converted into one of four age brackets: *under 13*, *13 to 15*, *16 to 17*, or *18 and up*. *The law also stipulates that all transmitted digital signals have to be encrypted.* Applications can then pull that bracket through an API once a user downloads or launches them. Once they get a signal marking a user as a minor, they're legally treated as having "*actual knowledge*" of that. Once flagged, apps have to turn on a set of safety settings. Feeds get restricted, profiles get hidden from adult strangers, messages from adults get blocked, precise location gets masked, and notifications go dark between 10 PM and 7 AM. *Parents can override these defaults for their kids, and minors over 16 can do it themselves too.* **Apps have until July 1, 2028** to start requesting these signals, and **violations can cost up to $50,000 each**, enforced by the state [Attorney General](https://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/?ref=itsfoss.com). Device manufacturers and apps acting in good faith aren't liable if a signal turns out wrong. Rep. *Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz* led the bill through the House, with Reps. *Margaret Croke* and *Janet Yang Rohr* as chief co-sponsors, and more than a dozen others signed on. Sen. *Willie Preston* carried it in the Senate alongside Sens. *Robert F. Martwick*, *Mary Edly-Allen*, and *Adriane Johnson*. It passed 82-27 in the *House* and 57-0 in the *Senate* before clearing final concurrence unanimously. ## Open source exemption where? [Illinois](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois?ref=itsfoss.com) isn't the first state to try this model. Colorado's [SB26-051](https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/SB26-051?ref=itsfoss.com) and California's [AB-1043](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill%5Fid=202520260AB1043&ref=itsfoss.com) both rely on the same OS-level age signal setup; apps request it, and the device answers. Both of these started off without any concessions for open source platforms (*e.g., Linux*). Colorado's SB26-051 originally applied to every operating system and developer without exception. System76 founder Carl Richell [worked directly with state lawmakers](https://itsfoss.com/news/colorado-age-attestation-bill-open-source-exemption/) to change that. The bill picked up language exempting operating systems and developers distributing software under terms that let anyone copy, redistribute, and modify it freely. It also added a clause blocking platforms from locking down modified versions. California's AB-1043 had the same gap. Assembly Member Buffy Wicks, the same lawmaker who wrote AB-1043, introduced [AB-1856](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill%5Fid=202520260AB1856&ref=itsfoss.com) to fix it. After several rounds of edits, the amended bill redefines "*operating system provider*" to exclude anyone distributing software under those same open license terms. **Illinois has none of this**. HB5511's definitions for "*covered manufacturer*" and "*application store*" stay just as broad as these bills were before their amendments. ## My two cents Well, folks, we sure are getting close to someone's wet dream of having [a dystopian hellscape](https://marcuwekling.de/en/publications/?ref=itsfoss.com) where people don't have control over their [computers](https://itsfoss.com/news/age-verification-pandemic/), [food](https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/sustainable-agriculture/issues/corporate-control/?ref=itsfoss.com), or [water](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/08/datacenter-ai-drought-water?ref=itsfoss.com). On the one side, you have these so-called "*bipartisan*" bills passing through without much hindrance under the guise of protecting children, and then you have the island-class cretins who still haven't been prosecuted. ### Proxmox Virtual Environment Officially Runs on ARM64, But Your Raspberry Pi Isn't Supported Yet URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/proxmox-virtual-environment-arm64-support/ Last updated: 2026-08-07T06:22:08.000Z Virtualization is basically load-bearing infrastructure for any serious data center in 2026\. Enterprises lean on it to run more workloads on less hardware, isolate services cleanly, and keep uptime high without buying a rack of extra servers. [Proxmox](https://www.proxmox.com/en/?ref=itsfoss.com) has built a name for itself in this space over the years with its range of products. [Proxmox Virtual Environment](https://www.proxmox.com/en/products/proxmox-virtual-environment/overview?ref=itsfoss.com) (VE) handles virtualization, [Proxmox Backup Server](https://www.proxmox.com/en/products/proxmox-backup-server/overview?ref=itsfoss.com) covers data protection, and [Proxmox Datacenter Manager](https://www.proxmox.com/en/products/proxmox-datacenter-manager/overview?ref=itsfoss.com) ties it all together as a solution for managing distributed infrastructure. *All of it ships as open source software too!* 🤌 Now, they have announced [a major development](https://www.proxmox.com/en/about/company-details/press-releases/proxmox-virtual-environment-launches-official-arm64-support?ref=itsfoss.com) for Proxmox VE, their flagship virtualization platform. ## Proxmox VE on ARM64 ![A Proxmox VE 9.2 interface is shown here with many options throughout.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/proxmox-ve-9-2.png) **A stand-in image of Proxmox VE 9.2.* Yep, that's the highlight move. Sitting alongside its existing x86-64 builds are the new ARM64 images that have brought official support for the [Arm](https://www.arm.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) platform. Proxmox says the new images follow the same codebase, release lifecycle, and support window as x86-64, while running on **Debian 13.5 "Trixie"** with **Linux kernel 7.0** and additional components like QEMU 11.0, LXC 7.0, and ZFS 2.4. Likewise, **storage gets similar improvements** with ZFS 2.4 and Ceph, two of Proxmox VE's core storage options, carrying full feature parity with the x86-64 build. Though you should know that **officially supported hardware** is currently limited to the NVIDIA [Grace](https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/data-center/grace-cpu/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Vera](https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/data-center/vera-cpu/?ref=itsfoss.com) platforms. Proxmox has also validated the Arm64 build jointly with NVIDIA and Supermicro, testing specifically on [Grace Hopper Superchip](https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/data-center/grace-hopper-superchip/?ref=itsfoss.com) servers. Other UEFI-based ARMv9-A hardware gets best-effort support, and Proxmox says ARMv8-A "*generally works too*." **What's not supported** is that Raspberry Pi lying on your desk, or really any other [devicetree](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devicetree?ref=itsfoss.com)\-only single-board computer, like an Orange Pi or a Radxa ROCK board. **Don't think that ARM64 support is stopping at Proxmox VE**; the developers are already running internal test builds for their other offerings, with Proxmox Backup Server being one of the examples given. However, which one gets prioritized depends on their enterprise customers' needs. ## Get started Seeing that ARM64 as a platform has matured so well along the years, and more and more workloads have shifted to this over x86-64, this move doesn't really come as a big surprise to me. **Proxmox didn't ship this as an experiment either**. It launched this with full support from day one. This, to me, is a company that saw where the market was headed and adapted accordingly. Anyhow, Proxmox VE for ARM64 is **available now as a free download**, either as a bare-metal ISO image or through package repositories alongside the existing x86-64 builds. Enterprise users get access to the `pve-enterprise` repository too, same as on x86-64, with Proxmox recommending it for production deployments. You can grab the [Arm64 ISO installer](https://www.proxmox.com/en/downloads/proxmox-virtual-environment/iso?ref=itsfoss.com) directly, dig into the [documentation](https://www.proxmox.com/en/downloads/proxmox-virtual-environment/documentation?ref=itsfoss.com) for setup details, or browse the [source code repositories](https://git.proxmox.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) if you want to see what's under the hood. [Proxmox VE](https://www.proxmox.com/en/downloads/proxmox-virtual-environment/iso?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** *Our* [*informative mini-course*](https://linuxhandbook.com/courses/proxmox/?ref=itsfoss.com) *that covers everything from installing and upgrading Proxmox to using it.* [Use Proxmox for Virtual MachinesA mini-course that covers everything from installing and upgrading Proxmox to using it for creating and managing VMs.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/Linux-Handbook-New-Logo-d18158de-00a7-4253-8eb1-06694bea8a4f.png)Linux HandbookDoron Beit-Halahmi![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/proxmox-course-5cc79126-9eb2-4b31-95fb-54b6597d410a.webp)](https://linuxhandbook.com/courses/proxmox/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Nobody Touched This Linux Driver for Years, Until AI Started Poking Around and It Got Removed URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-old-moxa-driver-removal/ Last updated: 2026-08-07T04:11:13.000Z Greg Kroah-Hartman just deleted a Linux driver that hasn't mattered to anyone in years. The reason for removal wasn't a bug report or a user complaint. It was AI agents poking around dead code and turning up findings nobody asked for. That sounds like another "*AI is reshaping open source*" piece. It mostly isn't. This driver was already on its way out, [Moxa](https://www.moxa.com/en?ref=itsfoss.com) said so years ago. What changed is the removal finally happening at a time when AI is scraping away at the kernel codebase. ## What's happened? On August 3, GKH sent a patch to the [linux-serial mailing list](https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/2026080345-unmapped-sliced-49f2@gregkh/?ref=itsfoss.com) removing [drivers/tty/moxa.c](https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/master/drivers/tty/moxa.c?ref=itsfoss.com) entirely. That's the Moxa Intellio family multiport serial driver, code that's been part of the kernel since 1999. The patch strips out 2,137 lines of driver code, plus the *Kconfig* and *Makefile* entries that reference it. In total, 2,148 lines of unused code are gone. GKH says that: > This is a very old driver, and no known hardware is still around for it, and the company says they do not need it anymore, so let's remove it as the LLMs are starting to poke at it and find "interesting" things which will just waste everyone's time given it's not actually used. While **keeping the door open for anyone who actually still needs it**, noting that the driver could return down the line, just built "*in a more 'modern' way*." ## Some context Moxa isn't some obscure or defunct outfit that used to be cool back in the 90s. It's a Taiwanese company that makes industrial networking gear and serial cards for factories and railway systems. The Intellio series was an older PCI serial card lineup from their catalog, not a piece of consumer hardware you'd find lying around in people's attics. While software support was promised through 2023, the hardware itself was discontinued way back in 2017\. According [to an email](https://lore.kernel.org/all/ed6dce34-2207-4403-bbcf-080db2614241@kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) Moxa's Ray Chen sent Jiri Slaby back in 2021, the company had no plans to keep the Intellio line alive any longer. Jiri, who has maintained parts of the kernel's serial driver code for years, floated marking `moxa.c` as broken or dropping it outright. **Nothing happened until May 2026**, when a separate patchset [reorganizing the tty subsystem's directory structure](https://lore.kernel.org/all/042d993686c87fdfd4130f11b57c3b559944603d.1777943090.git.enelsonmoore@gmail.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) brought the topic back up. Crescent Hsieh from Moxa confirmed both the hardware and its software support were fully phased out and even offered to help write the removal patch himself. That gap isn't unusual on its own; kernel patches sit in queues all the time. What's notable is what finally moved it (*AI poking holes*). ## Where AI comes in So saying that "*AI is deleting kernel code*" would be overstating what's actually happened. The Moxa folks had already signed off on removal in May. GKH didn't act until August, three months later. **What the AI did was start poking at 27-year-old code** that everyone already agreed was dead, bringing up findings on hardware nobody has left to test against. If you are used to working with AI agents, then you know that scanning old, unused code doesn't always produce genuinely new work. Sometimes it just produces enough annoyance that maintainers have to act to nip it in the bud. This change landed minutes before [GKH drew a different kind of line](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-drivers-staging-ai-rejection/), rejecting LLM-generated patches for the kernel's staging tree entirely. **So take note of this**, while AI isn't writing much of the Linux kernel yet, it's already influencing which parts of it get tossed out. ### FOSS Weekly #26.32: Kittens, Feed Readers, Free Bash Course, No AI in Kernel Staging and More URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-32/ Last updated: 2026-08-06T12:30:03.000Z The entire debate in the Linux and open source world these days is if AI generated code should be used or not. As Linus told AI critics to fork the project or walk away, [GKH took a more surgical approach](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-drivers-staging-ai-rejection/). AI patches are fine elsewhere in the kernel, but drivers/staging is off limits. The GNOME extensions review queue is still flooded with AI slop months after the no-AI rule went in. The latest attempt to slow it down is [a guide](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-shell-extension-instructions-for-bots/) written directly for the bots doing the generating, covering the bad patterns that keep showing up. Keychron's doing for mice what QMK did for keyboards. [ZGM](https://itsfoss.com/news/keychron-zgm-mouse-firmware/) is a GPL-3.0 open source firmware built on Zephyr RTOS, coming first to the G6 HE in Q1 2027\. If it takes off, Linux users are the ones who gain most since practically no gaming mice ship with official Linux configuration support. Another Ubuntu deb is becoming a Snap. `hwctl`, the CLI tool behind Ubuntu Pro and hardware certification checks, [is going Snap-only](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/08/ubuntu-hwctl-deb-to-snap-transition?ref=itsfoss.com) for better sandboxing and tighter GNOME Control Center integration. Nine months since the last release and nearly a decade in the 3.4 series, [Rhythmbox 3.5.0](https://itsfoss.com/news/rhythmbox-3-5-release/) has finally arrived. Podcasts have seen the most work, where played episodes are now marked, notifications are better, and there's a new gPodder.net plugin for syncing feeds. Following up on [the LVFS sponsorship story from earlier](https://itsfoss.com/news/hp-supports-lvfs/). NVIDIA [has now joined as a premier sponsor](https://blogs.gnome.org/hughsie/2026/08/04/nvidia-is-now-supporting-the-lvfs/?ref=itsfoss.com), bringing the total to four OEM sponsors and hitting the funding target the project set for itself. ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About GNOME Boxes hasn't looked modern in a long time. The rewrite, [in beta now on GNOME Nightly](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-boxes-glow-up/), fixes that, moving to GTK4 and Libadwaita while opting for a Flatpak-only approach. [GNOME Boxes Won’t Look Ancient Anymore Thanks to a Glow-UpA full rewrite moves it to GTK4 and Libadwaita, with Windows 11 support being tidied up.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-763f5463-3afe-4171-b4c8-c78708fe1624.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/gnome-boxes-revamp-beta-banner-acb51fd1-7030-468f-aaf2-c90b7b148123.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-boxes-glow-up/) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings If you use Kitty and [haven't touched its Kittens yet](https://itsfoss.com/kittens-kitty/), then you are missing out! These are small built-in programs that extend the terminal without needing external tools, covering everything from an interactive theme switcher and font picker to a drop-down terminal, a fuzzy file chooser If your Linux Mint desktop feels a bit plain, Cinnamon's extension manager [provides a set of visual effects](https://itsfoss.com/linux-mint-window-effects/) worth trying. Effects like burn my windows, wobbly windows, magic lamp, and a desktop cube for workspace switching are available. A free nine-chapter [bash scripting course](https://itsfoss.com/bash-scripting-tutorial/) for beginners, covering variables, arguments, user input, arithmetic, arrays, strings, conditionals, loops, and functions. ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner Want to take back control of what you read without an algorithm deciding for you? We have covered [ten self-hosted RSS readers](https://itsfoss.com/self-hosted-rss-feed-readers/), with notes on which ones are actually built for self-hosting and which ones technically work but their own developers don't recommend it. [Escape the Algorithm: 10 RSS Feed Readers You Can Self Host in Your HomelabCreate your own feed. Read from the websites you follow. Cut the noise. Ditch the big tech algorithms. Self-host your own feed reader. Here are the best choices.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-9e663f3b-4344-4b85-9bda-34910a7a31b1.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/rss-reader-self-host-dd967977-7b98-48d8-9c08-bd0d89b57b99.png)](https://itsfoss.com/self-hosted-rss-feed-readers/) The list is for self-hosting. For normal desktop usage, we have a separate [list of RSS feed readers for Linux](https://itsfoss.com/feed-reader-apps-linux/). It's a bit old, but most of the apps are still in active development. Desktop Linux is mostly neglected by the industry but loved by the community. For the past 14 years, It's FOSS has been helping people use Linux on their personal computers. And we are now facing the existential threat from AI models stealing our content. If you like what we do and would love to support our work, please become It's FOSS Plus member. It costs $49 a year (less than the cost of a McDonald's burger a month), and you get an ad-free reading experience with the satisfaction of helping the desktop Linux community. And there are also free Linux ebooks. [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights While it is yet to arrive on Linux, the [terminal-browser](https://terminal-browser.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is worth a look. It is a real browser that runs inside a terminal. [terminal-browserA real browser that runs directly inside your terminal.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/icon-4b3c9052-afc8-4ace-aa4f-8ed80d16c336.png)![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/opengraph-image-66a919d9-4a46-47a3-899e-9d6a76240dce)](https://terminal-browser.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 📽️ Videos for You You can master AppImage installation [by following a few simple steps](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHdMhFnnVOI&ref=itsfoss.com). [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip Transform Dash to Panel into a dynamic, Plank-style dock with ripple hover animations by tweaking a few key extension settings. First, navigate to the "*Position*" tab in the Dash to Panel settings. Disable every item on the panel except for the "*Taskbar*", and change the panel size or length mode to "*Dynamic*" so it shrinks to fit your active app icons. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/dash-to-panel-taskbar.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/dash-to-panel-gnome-panel.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/animate-on-hover.png) Next, open the "*Fine-Tune*" tab and enable "*Keep original gnome-shell top panel*." This restores the standard GNOME top bar for your clock, system status icons, and menus while leaving your new dock at the bottom or side. Finally, switch to the "*Style*" tab and enable "*Animate hovering app icons*." Click the settings gear next to this option to choose and adjust your preferred hover effect. Local AI Weekly will start from first week of August. If you are interested in learning about open source AI, please [subscribe to our upcoming Local AI Weekly newsletter](https://itsfoss.com/local-ai-weekly/). [Subscribe to Local AI Weekly ](https://itsfoss.com/local-ai-weekly/) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse Do you know [what kind of Linux user you are](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/linux-user-type-personality/)? [What Type of Linux User Are You? \[Fun Quiz\]Discover your Linux personality with this fun quiz.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-e0ad122d-9357-41b6-a811-59d938239e3e.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-user-personality-quiz-be545ea9-9d0a-4fa0-8dc4-94bb28cf9156.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/linux-user-type-personality/) Well, it's obvious which one is the winner here. 😉 ![linux, macos, windows cost and ads meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/meme3341.jpg) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: IBM launched the [System/23 Datamaster on July 28, 1981](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM%5FSystem/23%5FDatamaster?ref=itsfoss.com), just two weeks before the [IBM PC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM%5FPersonal%5FComputer?ref=itsfoss.com). The same engineers built both, and what they learned on the Datamaster helped shape the desktop computer as we know it. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: Pro FOSSer Neville has shared [his experiment running Lumina desktop on antiX-26](https://itsfoss.community/t/antix26-with-lumina-desktop-environment-the-iso/16095?ref=itsfoss.com). ### After Nearly a Decade of Distro Hopping, I Realized It Was Never About the Distro URL: https://itsfoss.com/opinion/distrohopping-lesson/ Last updated: 2026-08-06T11:59:49.000Z For years I thought I had strong opinions on Linux distros. Ubuntu was too heavy or it felt. Arch was too fiddly. Kali was surprisingly practical (don't judge me). Looking back at nearly a decade of [distro hopping](https://itsfoss.com/distrohopping-issues/), I realize I had the whole thing wrong. It was never really about the distro. It was about what [desktop environment](https://itsfoss.com/what-is-desktop-environment/) sat on top of it. ## My Linux story starts with Mint The first Linux distribution I ever installed was [Linux Mint](https://itsfoss.com/tiny-features-linux-mint-cinnamon/) Cinnamon, around 2017\. Linux Mint is what made me think Linux was actually livable. The desktop made sense. Things were where I expected them to be. It was Ubuntu underneath, sure, but that's almost beside the point; what mattered was that the experience felt considered. I didn't move to Ubuntu until 2019\. I ran it for about six months. Then I left. The reason I told myself at the time was that Ubuntu felt slow on my hardware. I had an i3 first-gen Intel machine. Ubuntu felt sluggish in ways that bothered me. I blamed Ubuntu. Here's what I discovered later: the culprit wasn't Ubuntu. It was GNOME. [GNOME](https://itsfoss.com/install-gnome-linux-mint/) is a beautiful desktop. I'll give it that. But on modest hardware, it feels less responsive, and even at times, it completely freezes. It shows up in the half-second delays, the slightly-too-late window redraws, and the sense that the machine is working harder than it should be. ## XFCE saved my Linux life The thing that actually kept me on Linux, the desktop environment I kept coming back to, is [XFCE](https://www.xfce.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). ![XFCE is my favorite desktop environmet](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/XFCE-as-my-favorite-desktop.webp) [XFCE](https://itsfoss.com/customize-xfce/) doesn't win "most beautiful desktop" polls. But I ran it on that i3 first-gen machine, and it ran smoothly out of the box. I ran it on a Core 2 Duo at some point. Internet browsing, YouTube, writing articles, Django, and Python development, all of it, without considerable delay. XFCE in that sweet spot between functional and fast is something I haven't found matched elsewhere for low-resource machines. I did try [KDE](https://kde.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). More than once, actually, I wanted to like it. I kept going back, hoping something had changed. What I found, every single time, was that a single click could take three to four seconds to get a response. It felt like the desktop was thinking about whether it wanted to comply with my input. Even recently, a few weeks ago, I tried both CachyOS and EndeavourOS as live USB sessions in a VM, and both now default to KDE. I still felt it. That sluggishness hasn't gone away for me, and I've stopped trying to convince myself otherwise. XFCE remains my benchmark for a desktop that gets out of your way. ## My Kali Linux Journey After six months on Ubuntu, I switched to [Kali Linux](https://itsfoss.com/kali-linux-review/). And not for the reason you might think. I had not suddenly become a penetration tester. I didn't have a burning interest in cybersecurity. I switched because Kali ran better on my hardware than Ubuntu did and because I was already [comfortable with APT commands](https://itsfoss.com/apt-command-guide/) from my Mint and Ubuntu days, so the transition cost was essentially zero. I had access to the same package manager, familiar commands, and a lighter desktop. I chose a [distribution built for security professionals](https://itsfoss.com/linux-hacking-penetration-testing/) over the supposed beginner-friendly option. I chose not because of anything Kali offered that I needed, but because Ubuntu had made itself too heavy for the machine I owned. ## The Arch Linux rabbit hole ![Arch Linux rabbit hole](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/arch-linux-rabbit-hole.jpeg) By mid-2021, I'd been reading about Arch Linux mainly through all the BTW memes. The idea of an "expert's distro" appealed to me. So I stayed up one night and tried to install plain Arch. I did not finish the installation. What struck me was running commands to create partition tables and [configure Wi-Fi](https://itsfoss.com/connect-wifi-terminal-ubuntu/). It was baffling. Not "this is hard, but I'll figure it out." More like: *why has someone decided that an operating system installer should work like this?* I tried Fedora after. Then I tried Debian. In both cases, on my ageing hardware, boot times were bad enough that I found myself questioning whether the whole exercise was worth it. With Debian, I faced an internet connectivity issue as well. The thing that drew me to Arch was [Pacman](https://itsfoss.com/pacman-command/) and leanness. I kept asking myself: why can't the installation be as simple as Ubuntu's, but give me the system I actually want? That's when I found EndeavourOS. It required no manual commands to connect to Wi-Fi. No writing partition tables by hand. Just select a disk, set your timezone, keyboard layout, and hostname, and you're done. And when I booted in for the first time, I found the default looks fascinating. The default terminal: black background, blue accents, immediately distinctive. The default wallpaper was something I actually liked enough not to replace it, which almost never happens. I used [EndeavourOS](https://endeavouros.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) for four-five years, I think. ## What those "Arch" years looked like I want to be honest about this stretch, because people who [recommend Arch-based systems](https://itsfoss.com/arch-based-linux-distros/) sometimes skip over the rough parts. I hit the initramfs wall three or four times. That's the experience of booting your machine and being dropped into a minimal emergency shell with no desktop, no obvious path forward, just a blinking cursor. The first time it happened, I didn't know recovery was possible. I reinstalled the entire system. Only later did I learn to boot from a live EndeavourOS USB, use arch-chroot to get inside the broken system, and rebuild the kernel from there. The culprit was usually a problematic package upgrade. I also ran into [keyring mismatches](https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/help-with-keyring-issue/54623/4?ref=itsfoss.com) more than once, that particular class of Arch-ecosystem errors where package signatures don't line up, and installations fail with cryptic messages. The fix I settled on: ``` sudo pacman -Syu archlinux-keyring endeavouros-keyring ``` I'm sharing them because this is the actual texture of running an Arch-based system. It's manageable. I managed it. But a beginner who hits the initramfs wall on their third week of Linux use is probably not going to calmly research arch-chroot. They're going to conclude that Linux is unstable, and they were right not to trust it. ## AntiX chapter and the limits of anti-systemd Around mid-2024, I discovered [AntiX Linux](https://antixlinux.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) and ran it alongside EndeavourOS for roughly two years. It taught me a lot about IceWM as a window manager. For someone with a potato-tier hardware, old machines that most distributions have quietly given up on, AntiX is remarkable. But I hit the systemd wall eventually. AntiX deliberately avoids systemd, which is philosophically interesting but practically limiting. A growing range of applications that assume systemd exists simply don't work cleanly. And I'll be honest: the AntiX GUI is not appealing. It's functional, and it works. But there's a visual coarseness to it. After two years, I started thinking about moving on. ## Returning to Kali for real this time ![Kali Linux thunder strike](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/kali-linux-sign.webp) When you ask God which distro you should use Now I'm back on Kali, but the circumstances are completely different. I really have an interest in cybersecurity, particularly bug bounty work. I'm running a Dell laptop with an i5 8th gen and 12GB of RAM now. Two months in, I've had one issue worth documenting. Kali ships Firefox ESR, and if you want to remove it, the system objects, because [Firefox ESR](https://itsfoss.com/firefox-esr-ubuntu/) is part of the kali-xfce4 metapackage, and removing it wants to take other things with it. The workaround I found: install the `equivs` package, use it to create a dummy Debian package with the same name as the dependency you want to satisfy, install that dummy, and the system believes the dependency is met. It's inelegant, but functional. ## Where I am now: leaving XFCE for window managers ![Mango WM](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/image.png) A lot is happening in the Linux desktop world around Wayland, [Hyprland](https://itsfoss.com/configuring-hyprland/), and tiling window managers. The thing that excites me about this space, and I've come to believe this more firmly the longer I've used Linux, is the plain-text configuration model. Your entire environment lives in text files you can read, version-control, back up, and restore. That's a kind of ownership over your system that no GUI settings panel can replicate. I spent this past couple of months trying several options: Niri, Sway, and Scroll WM. I eventually settled on [Mango WM](https://itsfoss.com/mangowm-explore/) as my main environment. I know, calling it a desktop environment feels technically wrong, but it's what I live in. The configuration philosophy suits how I think about my system. That means I'm saying goodbye to XFCE after years of loyalty. Not because XFCE failed me, but because I've moved somewhere new. ## Desktop environment, not distro Looking back at all of it, I did not like Mint just because it's Mint. I felt comfortable with Cinnamon. I did not dislike Ubuntu because it's Ubuntu. It's because GNOME demanded more of my old hardware than the hardware could give. Every distro-hop I've listed here, from Kali to Arch to AntiX to Mango WM, was really a hop between desktop environments and window managers wearing a different distro's name. The package manager changed. The installation experience changed. What actually decided whether I stayed or left was always what sat on top: how fast it responded, how much RAM it wanted, whether I could read its configuration in a text file, how it felt to use. The desktop environment mattered more than the distro. If you're picking your first Linux setup, this is the question worth asking before you pick a distro: what desktop environment does it ship, and does that match your hardware and your preference? ### This New Open Source Project Wants to Be the AI-First Alternative to Microsoft Office URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/genoffice-overview/ Last updated: 2026-08-05T13:29:59.000Z Office suites have changed a lot since the first ones landed on desktops decades ago. What began as basic tools for typing letters and totaling numbers has turned into sprawling software loaded with templates, cloud sync, and now, AI. It's 2026, and that last part has split the office suite market into two camps. Microsoft has leaned into pushing AI everywhere, with Copilot showing up across Word, Excel, and PowerPoint whether you want it there or not. Others have gone the calmer route, building AI in [as something you can turn on](https://itsfoss.com/news/collabora-office-26-04/), not something forced. GenOffice is a new offering from [MainFunc.ai](https://mainfunc.ai/?ref=itsfoss.com) that strongly focuses on AI, putting it in the first camp, featuring a range of editors that one might expect from a modern office suite. ## GenOffice: A quick look Built by a single developer equipped with **$10,000 worth of tokens** (*for AI*), GenOffice bundles four editors, *Docs*, *Sheets*, *Slides*, and *PDF*, into one **Electron-based desktop app**. For `.docx` work, **Docs** lets you draft a section, restyle a paragraph, or rewrite it for a different reader from a simple prompt, with the AI working directly inside the document rather than a side panel. **Sheets**, for `.xlsx` files, runs on [Univer](https://github.com/dream-num/univer?ref=itsfoss.com), an open source spreadsheet engine, paired with an in-house Rust sidecar for reading and writing files. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/genoffice-docs.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/genoffice-sheets.png) Presentations run through **Slides**, which builds `.pptx` decks from a single prompt, picking a layout, writing the copy, and dropping in data cards as needed. Rounding out the office suite is **PDF**, built on the open source [pdf.js](https://mozilla.github.io/pdf.js/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [pdf-lib](https://pdf-lib.js.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) libraries, letting you read long documents and ask questions about specific passages without you needing to switch between apps. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/genoffice-pdf.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/genoffice-slides.png) It's quite obvious that AI runs through every one of these editors. All of that is made possible via Genspark's [Super Agent](https://www.genspark.ai/helpcenter/super-agent?ref=itsfoss.com), which is treated as a core part of the app rather than a chat window tacked on the side. Opening, editing, and saving files costs nothing, **but AI features draw from Genspark's credit system**, tying them to an account rather than a local model. That matters, because GenOffice doesn't appear to have its own privacy policy. AI features run through Genspark's service, so anything you send them falls under Genspark's [terms](https://www.genspark.ai/terms?ref=itsfoss.com) and [privacy policy](https://www.genspark.ai/privacy?ref=itsfoss.com) instead. That policy states **text fed to the AI features gets passed to third-party providers**, including *OpenAI*, *Anthropic*, *Google*, *xAI*, and *ElevenLabs*, and that no API key is stored on your device. Currently, GenOffice is available only for **Windows** (x64) and **macOS** on Apple Silicon. Intel Macs are not supported, and as you've probably guessed, neither is Linux. ## Where's the Linux build? I did find [an open issue](https://github.com/genspark-ai/genoffice/issues/29?ref=itsfoss.com) (*very likely AI-generated*) that mentions a native Linux build, filed by a community member. It explains how shipping GenOffice for Linux isn't as simple as it sounds. As of writing, there was no reply from [the lead developer](https://github.com/merrick-2002?ref=itsfoss.com) of GenOffice, so I wouldn't hold my breath for a Linux build anytime soon. **If you still want to try GenOffice**, you can grab installers for Windows and macOS from the [official website](https://genoffice.ai/?ref=itsfoss.com) or go through the source code on [GitHub](https://github.com/genspark-ai/genoffice?ref=itsfoss.com) to see if you can get a Linux build running yourself. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*6 Best Open Source Alternatives to Microsoft Office for Linux*](https://itsfoss.com/best-free-open-source-alternatives-microsoft-office/) [6 Best Open Source Alternatives to Microsoft Office for LinuxLooking for Microsoft Office on Linux? Here are the best free and open-source alternatives to Microsoft Office for Linux.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-7d807ae6-5b74-4692-8ca8-a1c8b82cf6fc.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/best-open-source-alternatives-ms-office-02c5f29c-c603-4b10-8239-b0ccabb9423a.jpg)](https://itsfoss.com/best-free-open-source-alternatives-microsoft-office/) ### While Torvalds Makes Peace With AI in Linux, Greg Kroah-Hartman Draws a Line (Sort of) URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-drivers-staging-ai-rejection/ Last updated: 2026-08-05T10:44:06.000Z Greg Kroah-Hartman's "*clanker*" branch started [as his own experiment](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-ai-fuzzing/), where an AI-assisted fuzzing tool turned up real bugs in the ksmbd and SMB code. These days, he isn't the only one using it, as other contributors have started sending in patches of their own, tagged the same way. So when he posted a new AI policy a few days ago, restricting use of AI, it wasn't him turning against a tool he's comfortable with. It was a restriction that applied to one part of the kernel, the one place he doesn't want AI anywhere near the code. ## A new rule In a post to the [linux-staging mailing list](https://lore.kernel.org/all/2026080354-skater-urgent-31b2@gregkh/?ref=itsfoss.com), GKH said he's now proactively rejecting LLM-generated patches for [drivers/staging](https://github.com/torvalds/linux/tree/master/drivers/staging?ref=itsfoss.com), pointing to an "*onslaught*" of them showing up lately. His reasoning comes down to what staging is actually for. The subsystem **exists primarily as a training ground**, full of relatively simple cleanups and API changes that let newcomers learn the submission process. The project already skips "*fix all the coding style issues*" patches generated by automated tools because clearing out that mess would eliminate the reason staging exists. GKH argues an LLM doing the same cleanup work defeats its purpose while calling out wannabe tricksters by saying that: > And yes, it is VERY obvious when people submit LLM-generated patches, so don't think that just not disclosing the use of them will allow you to "get away" with anything here. The goal is for people to be able to learn, not to try to "trick" a maintainer. If anyone is determined to have deliberately "tricked" us, well, consider this your warning ahead of time... **There's an exception**, a strict one that too. A genuine security fix found by an LLM can still be submitted, but only if the submitter has tested it on the actual hardware the driver targets and can convincingly explain how testing was carried out. ## A line drawn while Linus makes peace This move lands right as Linus Torvalds is coming around on AI. He's spent years shifting his stance, and in a recent mailing list post he made it clear to critics that Linux "*is not one of those anti-AI projects*," telling them to [fork the project or walk away](https://itsfoss.com/news/linus-torvalds-on-ai/) if they disagreed. GKH's approach to drivers/staging fits inside the [AI Coding Assistants](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-ai-coding-assistants-policy/) policy, where he isn't undoing what Linus signed off on but rather focusing on a narrower scope. He is treating this subsystem as a gym, one where developers are supposed to show up and lift the weights themselves, not have an AI do the reps and hand them the result. That's the line GKH has drawn. AI can be used to carry out work elsewhere in the kernel, but in a subsystem built for people still learning, he'd rather they build it the hard way first. *💬 What do you think of GKH's decision? Will it help newcomers?* ### Linux's Favorite Music Player Rhythmbox 3.5 Lands After Nearly a Decade in the 3.4 Series URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/rhythmbox-3-5-release/ Last updated: 2026-08-04T16:08:04.000Z [Rhythmbox](https://gnome.pages.gitlab.gnome.org/rhythmbox/?ref=itsfoss.com) is one of those applications that you will find lurking on a GNOME-equipped desktop. If you are someone who has fully moved on to streaming music/podcasts online, then it doesn't have much purpose for you. Even with the rise of streaming, many people do prefer [hosting media locally](https://itsfoss.com/jellyfin-raspberry-pi/), and that is partly why the [GStreamer](https://gstreamer.freedesktop.org/?ref=itsfoss.com)\-powered music player refuses to die. The GNOME project just pushed out **Rhythmbox 3.5.0**, the newest release in about nine months. The last one, [3.4.9](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/rhythmbox/-/releases/3.4.9?ref=itsfoss.com), mostly patched up plugin loading and swapped in a new playback backend. This time around, the changes are more visible. ## The new bits ![the unofficial flatpak build of rhythmbox 3.5.0 playing a song](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/rhythmbox-3-5-0-music-demo.png) Buried in the changelog is [a fix](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/rhythmbox/-/merge%5Frequests/206?ref=itsfoss.com) for [the year 2038 problem](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year%5F2038%5Fproblem?ref=itsfoss.com), the one where systems counting time as a 32-bit number run out of room and start thinking it's 1901 again. Rhythmbox has swapped the deprecated [GTime](https://docs.gtk.org/glib/alias.Time.html?ref=itsfoss.com) type for [time\_t](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man3/time%5Ft.3type.html?ref=itsfoss.com) to stay ahead of it. Then there's the podcasts page, which has gotten the most visible upgrade in this release. Episode lists now mark which ones you have already played; notifications for updates and downloads have been reworked; and a new plugin allows you to sync your feeds and episodes through the [gPodder.net](https://gpodder.net/?ref=itsfoss.com) API. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/rhythmbox-3-5-0-podcast-demo.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/rhythmbox-3-5-0-notifications-demo.png) **The podcast shown here is* [**Late Night Linux*](https://latenightlinux.com/?ref=itsfoss.com)**.* **Lyrics support has also been expanded**, where Rhythmbox can now pull lyrics from [lrclib.net](https://lrclib.net/?ref=itsfoss.com), read them from sidecar `.lrc` files sitting next to your audio, and grab lyrics embedded directly inside Ogg Vorbis, Opus, and FLAC files, using a tag that GStreamer recently added. We round out this release with **a couple of smaller fixes** that are worth knowing. The new playback backend, introduced back in 3.4.9 to replace the old crossfading system, **is now switched on by default**, and a bug that broke playback entirely whenever the crossfade duration was set to zero has been fixed. The music player also dropped its old `appdata.xml` file in favor of `metainfo.xml`, bringing it in line with other GNOME projects. ## Download this release While it doesn't look like much on paper, [Rhythmbox 3.5.0](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/rhythmbox/-/releases/3.5.0?ref=itsfoss.com) manages to introduce some important quality-of-life upgrades that will go a long way in keeping the experience clean and the music player relevant. Seeing that it just landed, most distributions haven't caught up yet. If you want to install it quickly, there's an unofficial Flatpak on [Flathub](https://flathub.org/en/apps/org.gnome.Rhythmbox3?ref=itsfoss.com). But [building it from source](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/rhythmbox?ref=itsfoss.com) is the recommended way. The repo has all the required instructions and files for you to get it installed on your computer. If that's too much of an ask, then you could just wait for your distro's repositories to catch up with the new release. [Rhythmbox (unofficial)](https://flathub.org/en/apps/org.gnome.Rhythmbox3?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*AI Slop Keeps Flooding GNOME Extensions*](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-shell-extension-instructions-for-bots/) [AI Slop Keeps Flooding GNOME Extensions, So They Wrote a Manual for Bots InsteadThe same low-quality AI patterns kept showing up in submissions even after GNOME updated its review guidelines in December.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-5d858079-5f8e-41bc-a6dd-d48abe77e25b.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/gnome-manual-for-bots-b01ad0f1-3218-4872-b114-fdaab9a39f2c.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-shell-extension-instructions-for-bots/) ### 10 RSS Feed Readers You Can Self-Host in Your Homelab URL: https://itsfoss.com/self-hosted-rss-feed-readers/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T04:58:55.000Z I have argued this in the past as well. [RSS feeds are the simplest way to get out of the algorithm's web](https://itsfoss.com/news/why-use-rss-feeds/). Every platform wants to decide what they think you should read. RSS feed is the resistance. You have a list of your own favorite websites that you trust (like It's FOSS), you add these sources in the feed reader and you get to see all the newly published articles from the sources you want. There are several feed readers for Linux desktop. Even email clients allow you to read from RSS feeds. But they are confined with a single machine. Since [self-hosting is increasingly (and rightly) being popular](https://itsfoss.com/opinion/self-hosting-rising/) these days, you can try self-hosting feed readers in your homelab. This should allow you to access your feeds on all the compatible devices on the home network. And if you want to go the self hosting way, I have a bunch of suggestions for you to explore. For this list, I looked at how easy each tool is to actually self-host with Docker, whether it can be used with mobile apps (through the [Fever](https://miniflux.app/docs/fever.html?ref=itsfoss.com) or Google Reader API), whether it can generate a feed for a site that doesn't provide an RSS feed on its own, and whether there's a real hosted option if you'd rather not run the server yourself and yet pay for an open source software service. ## 1\. Yarr [Yarr](https://github.com/nkanaev/yarr?ref=itsfoss.com) (short for "yet another rss reader") is a single Go binary with an embedded SQLite database. No separate database server, no multi-container setup, just one file you run. ![Yarr self hostable RSS reader](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/yarr.webp) You can run it as a desktop app with a system tray icon on Linux (and Windows and macOS), or point the same binary at a server and use it headlessly over the browser. It picked up Fever API support a while back, so it now works with Fever-compatible mobile clients like Reeder and Unread, something it didn't have for most of its life. It's built for single person use. There's no multi-user support and OPML handling is basic compared to FreshRSS or Miniflux, so double check your import works before you commit to it. Yarr is open source under the MIT license and self-hosted only. There's no official paid hosting. 💡 Use it if you want a dead-simple, single-user reader with nothing to maintain but one binary. ## 2\. Fusion [Fusion](https://github.com/0x2E/fusion?ref=itsfoss.com) is a newer, lightweight reader built with Go and TypeScript. It's pretty much like Yarr. ![Fusion RSS reader](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/fusion-rss-reader.webp) It ships as a single binary with SQLite, has a proper PWA you can add to your phone's home screen, and supports the Fever API for third-party clients like Reeder, Unread, and FeedMe. The official Docker image is [here](https://github.com/0x2e/fusion/pkgs/container/fusion?ref=itsfoss.com), and there's a docker-compose example in the README if you want to get it running fast. It deliberately skips AI features, which the project states outright as a design choice rather than an oversight. There's no official first-party hosted version yet, though the community has put together one-click templates for Fly.io and Railway if you don't want to manage a server yourself. It is also available on [PikaPods](https://www.pikapods.com/pods?run=fusion&ref=itsfoss.com). 💡 Use it if you want something built on a modern stack with zero AI clutter bolted on. ## 3\. CommaFeed [CommaFeed](https://www.commafeed.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a Java and React reader built to feel like the old Google Reader. I am not sure if that's a positive thing or not. ![CommaFeed feed reader](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/comma-feed.png) It supports the Fever API and push notifications for new articles, plus a browser extension for quick access. The [official Docker image is on Docker Hub](https://hub.docker.com/r/athou/commafeed?ref=itsfoss.com), and native binaries are also published if you'd rather skip containers. OPML import and export both work as expected. If you don't want to host it yourself, there's a free public instance at commafeed.com funded by donations, or you can use PikaPods for one-click hosting starting around $1 a month with a $5 welcome credit. PikaPods shares 20% of that revenue back to the CommaFeed project. 💡 Use it if you want the feel of old Google Reader without FreshRSS's plugin and theme sprawl. ## 4\. Stringer [Stringer](https://github.com/stringer-rss/stringer?ref=itsfoss.com) bills itself as a self-hosted, "anti-social" RSS reader, meaning no sharing features, no social layer, just a clean list of articles. ![Stringer RSS reader](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/stringer-rss-readers.webp) It implements a Fever API clone, so it does work with Fever-compatible mobile apps, even though its client ecosystem is smaller and less talked about than Miniflux's or FreshRSS's. Docker is the common way to deploy it, going back to the original `mdswanson/stringer` image and continuing under the current `stringer-rss` organization on GitHub. Feed import has historically been a little clunky, closer to adding one URL at a time than a smooth bulk OPML migration, so test that step before you commit your existing subscriptions. Stringer is open source under the MIT license and self-hosted only, with no official paid hosting. 💡 Use it if you want a minimal reader with zero social features baked in. ## 5\. Miniflux [Miniflux](https://miniflux.app/?ref=itsfoss.com) is the reader for people who just want to read their feeds and nothing else. It's deliberately opinionated about staying small, and plain looking. You can understand why there is a 'mini' in its name. ![Miniflux reader](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/miniflux.png) It's a single Go binary that only works with PostgreSQL, no MySQL or SQLite option here. It supports both the Fever and Google Reader APIs, so it plugs into most mobile RSS clients without a dedicated app of its own. Docker images are published to Docker Hub, GHCR, and Quay with ARM and RISC-V support, alongside Debian and RPM packages if you'd rather skip containers entirely. OPML import and export both work, including URL-based imports. For saving articles, Miniflux integrates with more than 25 third-party services including Wallabag, Pinboard, Instapaper, and Linkding, and it can auto-send bookmarked entries to whichever one you use. If you don't want to run it yourself, the official hosted version costs $15 a year with a 15-day free trial, and it runs the exact same open-source code as the self-hosted version. 💡 Use it if you want the smallest possible footprint and don't mind a plain interface. Third-party integration is definitely a plus. ## 6\. FreshRSS [FreshRSS](https://freshrss.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is the other half of the decision everyone ends up making. Where Miniflux stays deliberately small, FreshRSS goes the other way: multi-user, extension-friendly, and closer to a full Feedly replacement. ![FreshRSS](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/freshrss.jpeg) It supports SQLite, MySQL, and PostgreSQL, so you can start tiny and grow into a bigger database later without switching tools. It's multi-user, with an anonymous read-only mode if you want to share a public instance. Thanks to WebSub, it can receive instant push updates from compatible sources instead of waiting on a polling interval. It also has built-in web scraping, so it can generate feeds for sites that don't publish RSS at all, no separate bridge tool required for basic cases. Official Docker image is available for easy deployment. Extensions and themes fill in most of the gaps in the default interface. 💡 Use it if you want a full-featured, multi-user reader. ## 7\. Tiny Tiny RSS [Tiny Tiny RSS](https://github.com/tt-rss/tt-rss?ref=itsfoss.com) has been around since 2005\. In 2025, the original developer quit the project and a long-time contributor forked the project to GitHub the same month and has kept development going since. ![Tiny Tiny RSS](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/tiny-tiny-rss-1.webp) Its plugin system exposes Fever, FreshRSS, and Google Reader compatible APIs for other mobile clients. Docker is the recommended install path, though it seems a bit heavier, more multi-container setup than Miniflux or FreshRSS. OPML import and export both work, and its plugin ecosystem covers full-content scraping similar to a built-in readability tool. 💡 Use it if you want a deep, plugin-driven reader and don't mind a heavier Docker setup. ## 8\. NewsBlur [NewsBlur](https://www.newsblur.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is both a hosted SaaS product and a fully self-hostable open-source reader. ![News Blue rss reader that can be self hosted if you want](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/newsblur.webp) It has native apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, and Mac, and it syncs with third-party clients like Reeder and NetNewsWire too. OPML import pulls in feeds and folders from Google Reader, Feedly, or Inoreader exports. Its standout feature is "Web Feeds," which can follow a website for updates even if it has no RSS feed at all, by watching the page for changes instead of relying on a bridge tool (mentioned later). It also supports saved stories with an "intelligence" training system that learns what you want to see more or less of. There are a few more AI features here to explore. Self-hosting is the heaviest lift on this list. The stack includes PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, and Elasticsearch, run through `make nb` with Docker Compose. All this realistically needs a few gigs of RAM to run comfortably. The hosted version has a free tier limited to 64 sites, with Premium at $36 a year (a 30-day free trial) unlocking unlimited feeds, full-text search, and notifications. 💡 Use it if you want to try the hosted version first and keep self-hosting as an option later, not the other way around. AI features are also a decisive criteria. ## 9\. Feedbin [Feedbin](https://feedbin.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) has one of the more polished reading experiences on this list but you should know that the maintainer doesn't recommend self-hosting it, even though you can. ![Feedbin](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/feedbin.webp) Feedbin's own documentation says its goal is to be a great web-based service, and that this is "at odds with being a great self-hosted RSS reader." It doesn't recommend running it in production unless you have real time to configure it, and instead points people toward community Docker projects like feedbin-docker if they want to try anyway. That's a starkly different stance from Miniflux or FreshRSS, which are built with self-hosting as the primary use case. If you do use it, the syncing story is strong. It works with Reeder, NetNewsWire, Unread, and ReadKit through its API, and it turns newsletters into feeds by giving you a unique subscription email address. It also does full-content extraction for partial feeds and supports podcast playback with resume. The hosted version costs $7 a month or $70 a year, with a 30-day free trial. 💡 Use it if you want Feedbin's reading experience and are fine paying for the hosted version or not afraid of self-hosting it despite the warning from the developer. ## 10\. Glance [Glance](https://github.com/glanceapp/glance?ref=itsfoss.com) is the odd one out to close on. It's not an RSS reader, it's a self-hosted dashboard that happens to fetch RSS feed from websites alongside Reddit, YouTube, weather, and server stats. Remember Google homepage from twenty years ago? ![glance feed](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/glance-feed-app.webp) If you've ever wanted your feeds sitting on the same page as your homelab status and the weather instead of in their own dedicated app, this is that. Configuration is a single YAML file rather than anything OPML-based, so backing it up is just copying that file. There is an official docker image and it also ships as a single binary under 20MB for Linux, macOS, Windows, FreeBSD, and OpenBSD. It's picked up a lot of attention fast, with more than 36,000 GitHub stars and still climbing. It's not going to replace a dedicated reader if you follow hundreds of feeds seriously, but as a "everything I check every morning" page, it's difficult to be ignored. 💡 Use it if you want your RSS feeds sitting on the same page as the rest of your homelab, not in a separate app. ## Bonus: RSS-feed generator apps What I discussed so far are the self-hostable RSS feed readers. There are a couple of additional tools that help you generate or find RSS feeds. For example, [RSS-Bridge](https://rss-bridge.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a companion tool that generates RSS and Atom feeds for sites that don't publish one, and it's meant to sit in front of whichever reader from this list you actually pick. Similarly, [RSSHub](https://rsshub.app/?ref=itsfoss.com) is the bigger sibling to RSS-Bridge, another feed generator rather than a reader, built on Node and TypeScript with a much larger route library. While not self-hosted, you can use [RSS Atom](https://rssatom.de/en/?ref=itsfoss.com) to generate feeds for a website online and then use it on your reader. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/ZimaBoard-2.webp) #### Easily Start Your Homelab with ZimaBoard 2 If you want to start your own homelab but not sure if you can manage all the technical things, try ZimaBoard. Zima devices come with ZimaOS, a very friendly operating system that easily allow deploying containerized self-hostable apps. This is how I [started my homelab journey](https://itsfoss.com/zimaboard-review/). [Explore ZimaBoard 2](https://amzn.to/4fSqjnV?ref=itsfoss.com) ## So, which self-hosted RSS reader should you actually use? I have not included some older, once-popular tools like Winds, Leed, FeedHQ etc in this list because they're no longer actively maintained. As for what to actually run: if you want the smallest possible footprint, go with Miniflux. If you want more features and don't mind a bit more setup, FreshRSS is the safer multi-user pick. If your want all things at a glance, go with Glance. NewsBlur is a good option if you don't mind paying. But at the end, the decision is totally yours. You can go through individual projects, see their features, try deploying them on your own and make a decision accordingly. What are you using to read your feeds these days? Let me know in the comments, and if you've found something newer than what's on this list, I'd love to hear about it. ### GNOME Boxes Won't Look Ancient Anymore Thanks to a Glow-Up URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-boxes-glow-up/ Last updated: 2026-08-04T10:55:33.000Z The lone developer behind [GNOME Boxes](https://apps.gnome.org/Boxes/?ref=itsfoss.com), Felipe Borges, has shown off [a complete rewrite](https://blogs.gnome.org/feborges/future-of-boxes/?ref=itsfoss.com) of the app as a Flatpak-only beta, featuring a modern interface foundation. Balancing his day job at Red Hat and his usual [GNOME Settings](https://apps.gnome.org/Settings/?ref=itsfoss.com) maintenance duties, Felipe says that he has been working on this by himself for the past two years, talking about his efforts at community events. The first design call was **going Flatpak-only**. Boxes is a front end for [libvirt](https://libvirt.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [QEMU](https://www.qemu.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), so a lot of its behavior depends on what the host distro ships. Maintaining separate code paths for every distro isn't realistic for a single maintainer, so the new build bundles the entire virtualization stack itself instead of leaning on the host. The second call is the one you will notice first. Boxes has moved to [GTK4](https://docs.gtk.org/gtk4/overview.html?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Libadwaita](https://gnome.pages.gitlab.gnome.org/libadwaita/?ref=itsfoss.com), dropping the old GTK3-based SPICE widget for a new display widget called *Libmks*. This is where the dated visual style finally goes away. The third one was to **fix Windows 11**, where the rewritten Boxes can now successfully install it without requiring any manual workarounds or other kind of sorcery since it configures Secure Boot and a virtual TPM device on its own. Moreover, **a new VSOCK device** gets around Flatpak sandboxing limits and lets you SSH straight into a guest, as long as it runs systemd v256 or newer. Early port forwarding support is also in, currently covering SSH and HTTP. ## What's different? ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/gnome-boxes-about-dialog.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/gnome-boxes-revamp-about-dialog.png) **Notice the difference? Ignore the bars in the title bar on the right.* Everywhere you see in the revamped Boxes is the result of the new interface components. Despite that, the app felt familiar right from the [first look](https://itsfoss.com/tag/first-look/). Being a regular Boxes user, I just knew where to click. The new [virtual machine](https://itsfoss.com/virtual-machine/) (VM) creation flow backed that up beautifully. I began installing Windows 11, and Boxes just pre-filled the memory and storage values on its own and set *UEFI* as the preferred boot method without me touching anything. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/gnome-boxes-revamp-windows-11-installation-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/gnome-boxes-revamp-windows-11-installation-2.png) **The installation itself went through without a hitch**, but Windows then insisted on a Microsoft account before letting me anywhere near the desktop, so that's where I had to stop. Still, the three-dot menu in the top-right of the VM window gave me plenty to work with before that point. I could take screenshots, send key combinations, and open a full *Properties* page. *None of it looks like what current Boxes offers today, btw.* 🤓 The video above walks through that new *Properties* dialog. What used to be part of a single window with a header menu is now a dialog with a sidebar that houses seven sections. *General, Resources, Network, Devices, Snapshots, Logs, and Configuration.* *Resources* lets you adjust RAM and resize storage; *Devices* handles the boot order and removable media; *Logs* shows the actual commands Boxes is running under the hood; and *Configuration* hands over the raw *Libvirt Domain XML* to edit directly. Similarly, the *Network* page lets you forward ports from the host into the VM, with toggles for SSH and HTTP. The *Snapshots* page lets you capture the VM's exact state at a point in time, then revert to it or delete it later. ![the virtual machine properties dialog on gnome boxes](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/gnome-boxes-vm-properties.png) Compare that to what current Boxes offers (*shown above*). The classic *Properties* window packs *Resources*, *Devices & Shares*, and *Snapshots* into just three tabs that are functional but very clunky. Though there was **a major snafu**. The Windows 11 VM crashed soon after I created that snapshot. I couldn't pin down the exact cause, though me ejecting the ISO around the same time is a likely culprit. Before all this, I had also tried installing [EndeavourOS](https://endeavouros.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) but kept running into an unsupported configuration error no matter what I tried. Switching the OS type between *Generic Linux* and *Arch Linux* and the firmware between *UEFI* and *Legacy BIOS*, none of it fixed the issue. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/gnome-boxes-revamp-endeavouros-installation-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/gnome-boxes-revamp-endeavouros-installation-2.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/gnome-boxes-revamp-error.png) **A couple of smaller things changed too**. Getting out of a VM window now takes `Super+Escape` instead of the `Ctrl+Alt` combo current Boxes uses. There's also no dedicated fullscreen button, and `F11` doesn't do anything either. ## See for yourself If you're on Ubuntu or another Debian-based distro, getting the beta running only takes a few terminal commands. You'll need to set up Flatpak first. [Our guide](https://itsfoss.com/flatpak-ubuntu/) covers the whole process if you don't already have it installed. Once that's done, add the [GNOME Nightly](https://nightly.gnome.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) repo: ``` flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists gnome-nightly https://nightly.gnome.org/gnome-nightly.flatpakrepo ``` ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/gnome-boxes-revamp-installation-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/gnome-boxes-revamp-installation-2.png) You can then check what's actually in that repo before installing anything: ``` flatpak remote-ls --app gnome-nightly ``` Once you spot `org.gnome.Boxes.Devel` in that list, install it with: ``` flatpak install gnome-nightly org.gnome.Boxes.Devel ``` **This is still beta software**, so back up any VMs you care about before testing it, and don't be surprised if you run into some of the rough edges mentioned above. You can stay in sync with its development by keeping an eye on its [code repository](https://gitlab.gnome.org/felipeborges/boxes?ref=itsfoss.com). ### AI Slop Keeps Flooding GNOME Extensions, So They Wrote a Manual for Bots Instead URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-shell-extension-instructions-for-bots/ Last updated: 2026-08-03T13:18:19.000Z [GNOME Shell Extensions](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-shell-extensions/) are usually sourced from extensions.gnome.org, or "EGO" as the GNOME folks call it. Every submission on this portal is manually reviewed, and that review process has been under strain for months now. We covered this [back in December](https://itsfoss.com/news/no-ai-extension-gnome/) when GNOME added a rule to its EGO review guidelines rejecting AI-generated slop. They did allow the use of AI for learning and code completion purposes, but generating the entire extension where the developer can't explain or debug it convincingly [was explicitly forbidden](https://gjs.guide/extensions/review-guidelines/review-guidelines.html?ref=itsfoss.com#extensions-must-not-be-ai-generated). Months later, and the deluge of AI slop hasn't slowed. So last week, [Javad Rahmatzadeh](https://blogs.gnome.org/jrahmatzadeh/author/jrahmatzadeh/?ref=itsfoss.com), the same developer behind that original rule, tried a different approach. Instead of just rejecting bad submissions after the fact, [he wrote instructions](https://blogs.gnome.org/jrahmatzadeh/2026/07/27/ego-ai-reference/?ref=itsfoss.com) aimed directly at the AI models generating them. ## Making the clankers understand ![a cropped bit from a this week in gnome post (#260) that lays out a new instruction for gnome shell extensions](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/08/ai-generated-gnome-shell-extensions-notice.png) Given that the review queue is still flooded with AI-generated extensions, and most of them repeat the exact same mistakes (*bad practices, as he* puts *it*), Javad's [new approach](https://gjs.guide/extensions/review-guidelines/best-practices.html?ref=itsfoss.com) skips the *reject-and-explain* method entirely. **Most of the guidance is about cleanup**. Extensions need to remove timeouts, disconnect signals, and destroy widgets in a specific order inside `destroy()`. Javad also calls out AI models for adding boolean flags like `_destroyed` to guard against improper calls, when the instance should just be *nulled* out and never referenced again after `destroy()` runs. Then there's **the overengineering**. AI models tend to wrap safe function calls in unnecessary error handling and add checks for methods that are guaranteed to exist. Javad traces this back to models trying to write code that works across several GNOME Shell versions at once, and his fix is simple. Just target one version instead of covering every possible one. The rest is about **keeping code organized**. Split logic across multiple files instead of one bloated entry point, keep related functions close together so cleanup is easy to check, and don't submit placeholder code with empty functions just to have something to show for it. There's a separate rule aimed at the AI models themselves. Any AI-generated extension meant only for personal use has to ship with a comment saying so, telling the person not to upload it to EGO unless they actually understand the code well enough to maintain it. 👇 ``` // Generated with AI for personal use. // Do NOT upload to extensions.gnome.org (EGO) unless you understand JavaScript // and can maintain this code. ``` ## Some thoughts Clankers overwhelming open source contributors is not new news. We've seen more than enough by now to conclude that these bots [will take the open source ecosystem down](https://itsfoss.com/news/codeberg-bans-ai-contributions/) if not moderated with a strong hand. What GNOME's Javad has done here is damage control. He and the other EGO reviewers have an important job. If they get inundated with AI slop that literally doesn't make sense, then **that is a big loss for us**, the GNOME users who install extensions to improve our desktop experience. ### Exploring Kittens With Kitty Terminal Emulator URL: https://itsfoss.com/kittens-kitty/ Last updated: 2026-07-31T11:16:37.000Z Kitty is a [popular terminal emulator](https://itsfoss.com/linux-terminal-emulators/) that supports many modern features. Focused on power users, it offers a wide range of customization that other terminals often lack. For example, it includes a functional image display protocol and smooth cursor animations. I have shown [Kitty tweaking](https://itsfoss.com/kitty-customization/) in the past, and in the regards, I would like to discuss Kittens today. Kittens are functional units that extend the features of the Kitty terminal or work as standalone programs. They have direct access to the running Kitty instance. Kitty comes bundled with several of these kittens, written in Go, which we will explore in detail later. You even have the option to create your own custom Kittens in Python, if you find a specific need that hasn't been solved yet. ## Some Cool Default Kittens 🚧 In my opinion, it is important to remember that many kittens are Kitty terminal exclusive. Before you build muscle memory around it, make sure you aren't planning to switch to a different terminal emulator anytime soon. ### Themes Let's start with the most popular tool first. If you use Kitty daily, you have likely come across this utility at some point. [Themes](https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/kittens/themes/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a kitten that allows you to change your terminal color scheme interactively without editing any configuration files. Kitty includes a wide variety of preset themes that you can access by running a simple command: ``` kitten themes ``` Apply themes in Kitty In the overlay window, you can easily scroll through both dark and light themes to see a live preview. Once you find one you like, just press Enter and follow the prompts to set it as your preferred theme. 💡 Latest versions of Kitty now support automatic theme changes based on your system's dark and light mode. This is a very convenient feature if you want your terminal to stay in sync with your global OS settings. In my opinion, this is a feature I really miss when [using Ghostty](https://itsfoss.com/comparison/ghostty-vs-kitty/). While Ghostty has a similar interface, you still have to manually edit your configuration file to apply the theme name after you pick one. ### Fonts If you have found a new font and want to set it as your terminal choice, [this kitten](https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/kittens/choose-fonts/?ref=itsfoss.com) has you covered. You can launch the interactive interface directly in your terminal using a simple command: ``` kitten choose-fonts ``` Choose Fonts This tool allows you to perform several actions within a single interface. You can select new fonts, preview how they look, and even fine-tune specific font faces. The utility makes it much easier to manage your typography without guessing how a font will appear in your workspace. It handles the complex parts of the setup so you can focus on finding the perfect look. ### Choose files [Choose files](https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/kittens/choose-files/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a comprehensive file picker designed for Kitty and other GUI applications on your system. It functions similarly to [fzf](https://itsfoss.com/fuzzy-file-search-linux/) but is specifically optimized for finding and managing files. Choose Files This tool offers several powerful features, including the ability to select multiple files at once. It intelligently respects `.gitignore` rules in your git directories to keep your workflow clean. To use it, run: ``` kitten choose-files ``` You can also select non-existent files to trigger a "save file" option or choose entire directories. In my opinion, this file picker will completely change the way you interact with files in your terminal. ### Quick access terminal If you remember Yakuake in KDE, you are already familiar with the concept of a drop down terminal for quick tasks. Kitty offers similar functionality through the [Quick Access Terminal Kitten](https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/kittens/quick-access-terminal/?ref=itsfoss.com). You can launch this feature at any time using a simple command in your terminal: ``` kitten quick-access-terminal ``` 0:00 /0:19 1× Quick Access Terminal If you want to personalize the experience, you can [customize the tool](https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/kittens/quick-access-terminal/?ref=itsfoss.com#configuration) using a specific configuration file. Simply create or edit `quick-access-terminal.conf` inside your `~/.config/kitty/` directory to adjust its behavior. ### GPU accelerated dock panel The [Panel kitten](https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/kittens/panel/?ref=itsfoss.com) is something truly special. It creates a desktop panel for you that functions much like i3bar. 0:00 /0:13 1× Kitten Panel While some might feel this is a bit overpowered for a terminal application, the panel is quite interesting for minimal use cases. It even allows you to set tools like btop as your actual desktop wallpaper. In my opinion, this is an incredible feature for anyone who loves a unique workspace. You heard that right, and here is a great example of how it looks in action. ### A diff tool The [diff kitten](https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/kittens/diff/?ref=itsfoss.com) is an excellent tool available directly within Kitty. It offers several advanced features like side-by-side comparisons, syntax highlighting, and even image diffs or recursive directory comparisons. To use it, you simply pass the file names as shown in the command below: ``` kitten diff file1 file2 ``` Diff Files ### Other interesting Kittens I [use the terminal daily](https://itsfoss.com/basic-terminal-tips-ubuntu/) for standard update tasks and [editing text files](https://itsfoss.com/command-line-text-editors-linux/). If you are deeply involved in terminal usage, there are many kittens available for very niche use cases. For example, the [Broadcast kitten](https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/kittens/broadcast/?ref=itsfoss.com) allows you to type text simultaneously across multiple Kitty windows. There are also SSH related kittens designed for editing files and even a specialized SSH supported clipboard. In my opinion, these specific tools are essential for power users who manage remote servers regularly. Feel free to [experiment with these options](https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/kittens%5Fintro/?ref=itsfoss.com) to make your terminal life significantly more productive. ## Assign keybindings/alias for quick access All these kittens can be bound to keyboard shortcuts or aliases so you don't have to manually run the command every time. This makes your workflow much faster by giving you instant access to your favorite actions. I will show you how I mapped the kittens in my own configuration file. It is a straightforward process that keeps everything organized and easy to access. The most important step is to make sure your chosen keys are uniquely assigned. You want to avoid any conflicts with existing terminal options or system-wide shortcuts. In the below code, I mapped the F1 key to get the file chooser kitten in multiple file select mode. ``` map f1 kitten choose-files --mode=files ``` Adding the following line to your shell configuration file (`~/.bashrc`) to add an alias to the diff tool: ``` alias d="kitten diff" ``` Now, you can run: ``` d file1 file2 ``` To get the difference between them. Another example, let's map the F2 key to get a quick access terminal: ``` map f2 kitten quick-access-terminal ``` ## Wrapping up So, we have seen how kittens can improve your terminal productivity. While most of these have separate alternatives like [fzf](https://itsfoss.com/fuzzy-file-search-linux/) for file selection or [difftastic](https://github.com/Wilfred/difftastic?ref=itsfoss.com) for diffs, integrating them directly into your terminal with a clean UI is commendable. Kitty also offers [a desktop-ui kitten](https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/kittens/desktop-ui/?ref=itsfoss.com) that lets you integrate the file picker into all your GUI apps. Since this can cause issues with some applications and is something I use rarely, it remains out of scope for this guide. In my opinion, the seamless integration of these tools makes Kitty feel much more cohesive than a standard terminal emulator. Did you find any of these kittens useful enough to replace your existing tools? ### Keychron Built Open Source Firmware for Gaming Mice, and Linux Users Stand to Gain the Most URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/keychron-zgm-mouse-firmware/ Last updated: 2026-07-30T16:42:42.000Z [Keychron](https://www.keychron.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) has introduced ZGM, short for **Zephyr Gaming Mouse**, an open source firmware project built for gaming mice. It is built on [Zephyr RTOS](https://www.zephyrproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), the same real-time operating system that already powers [ZMK](https://zmk.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com) for keyboards. In its [announcement](https://x.com/KeychronMK/status/2082268414786379968?ref=itsfoss.com), Keychron portrayed the launch as a philosophy rather than a marketing angle, stating, "*Open source isn't marketing for us. It's the default*." > Keyboards have QMK. They have ZMK. Mice have… nothing. 🔒 > > Every gaming mouse on the market runs firmware you can't read, can't audit, can't change. > > So we built it ourselves. > > ZGM — Zephyr Gaming Mouse. Open-source firmware for gaming mice, coming Q1 2027\. The G6 HE will run… [pic.twitter.com/naSdDXeMBh](https://t.co/naSdDXeMBh?ref=itsfoss.com) > > — Keychron (@KeychronMK) [July 29, 2026](https://x.com/KeychronMK/status/2082268414786379968?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=itsfoss.com) The firmware is set to debut alongside the [Keychron G6 HE](https://x.com/gizmodojapan/status/2080580994315464917?ref=itsfoss.com), with a launch window sometime between January and March 2027. ## The details ZGM isn't a mouse, and it isn't a driver or third-party tool you install after buying one either. It's firmware that runs directly on a mouse's own hardware, and only devices built with it will run it. The G6 HE is the first confirmed device, and any wider adoption depends on whether other manufacturers choose to build around it. The project is released under the **GPL-3.0 license**, so anyone can inspect the code, modify it, or fork it for their own hardware. Currently, it is in a very early stage of development, where [the repository](https://github.com/Keychron/zgm?ref=itsfoss.com) mainly holds project scaffolding and policy files right now. Keychron says firmware sources, board support, and flashing guidance are still being prepared. The plan is for the project to grow into full Zephyr-based firmware, with configuration layers for different hardware variants and integration for sensors, buttons, scroll wheels, and lighting. Wired support is expected to arrive first, with wireless support to follow, alongside build instructions, example hardware targets, and testing guidance for latency and reliability. ## Want even more? ![a cropped screenshot of the zgm homepage that has a bunch of text on the left, and an illustration of a compact computer mouse on the right](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/zgm-homepage.png) **Just a placeholder pic of the ZGM website.* Keychron plans to support the chips Zephyr already works with, plus the sensors, buttons, scroll wheels, and lighting that go into a gaming mouse. Battery management for wireless builds is part of the plan too. The roadmap starts where the project is now, then moves to building the actual firmware. After that comes getting buttons, scrolling, and sensors working, followed by basic USB support for wired mice. Later steps cover different hardware setups, testing for lag and stability, and eventually wireless support and more customization. The peripherals manufacturer says this is just a tentative plan for now, not a fixed schedule. Keychron already builds keyboards around [QMK](https://www.keychron.com/collections/keychron-k-qmk-series?ref=itsfoss.com) and is already going towards [ZMK](https://www.keychron.com/collections/k-ultra-8k-series?ref=itsfoss.com). Both firmwares have proven that **open source software can deliver deep customization and long-term reliability** through years of community development. And, as mentioned earlier, ZMK already runs on the same Zephyr foundation ZGM uses, which likely shaped Keychron's choice to build on it for their new mouse instead of starting from scratch. That said, ZGM has a long way to go before it matches either project. QMK and ZMK both carry years of contributions, documentation, and supported hardware, while ZGM's repository only has planning material. ## Linux users gain from this Gaming and productivity mice rarely ship with official Linux support. Most peripheral makers build their configuration software **for Windows and macOS only**, leaving buttons, DPI stages, and lighting profiles locked behind an app that never gets a Linux release. Linux users are left relying on community projects that reverse engineer these devices instead, and even then, support only covers whatever protocols someone has bothered to document. I personally use two Logitech mice, the *G502 HERO* and a wireless one that comes with the *MK470* bundle, and neither has official software support on Linux. Both work fine plugged in directly, but configuring them means turning to third-party tools like [Piper](https://github.com/libratbag/piper?ref=itsfoss.com) or [Solaar](https://github.com/pwr-Solaar/Solaar?ref=itsfoss.com). If more manufacturers pivot towards an open solution like ZGM, us Linux users could at least get some QMK-like support (*but for mice*). Imagine the kind of keybinds and macros you could play around with. ### FOSS Weekly #26.31: Ubuntu 26.10 Features, OpenUK, Graphene Trouble, Vibe Coded Linux and More URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-31/ Last updated: 2026-07-30T13:57:34.000Z Let's see what's happening in the Linux and open source world this week. Ubuntu 26.04 [quietly stopped notifying users about available updates](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-04-update-notifier-fix/), and it turns out that was intentional. The tray icon was switched off by design, and without it, the notifier never fired. Security patches kept installing themselves in the background, but non-security updates just sat there waiting. Collabora Online turns 10 [with the 26.04 release](https://itsfoss.com/news/collabora-online-26-04/), pulling in the same AI, Calc, Writer, and Impress improvements from CODE 26.04\. The AI component is off by default and points to whatever model your organization already runs, not theirs. Codeberg members [voted to ban](https://itsfoss.com/news/codeberg-bans-ai-contributions/) projects mostly built from AI-generated code and to formally commit the platform to never using user code or data for AI training. They were unhappy with how AI crawlers hit their servers, and maintainers found themselves drowning in low-effort AI contributions to review. And they are not alone in it. [GCC compiler is also taking a stand against AI-slop coding](https://itsfoss.com/news/gcc-bans-ai-code/) but they have taken a little more moderate approach to it. OpenUK is [calling on the UK government](https://itsfoss.com/news/british-flavored-linux-foundation-proposal/) to build its own foundation along the lines of the Linux Foundation after watching British-born open source work repeatedly end up under US governance. FireDragon, Garuda Linux's default browser, [got a full rewrite with the v13 release](https://itsfoss.com/news/firedragon-v13-release/), dropping the Floorp base for a new codebase. Its Welcome dialog now handles common privacy toggles like *ResistFingerprinting* and *prefetching* without needing `about:config`, TLS 0-RTT is on by default, and the pre-installed extension list is trimmed to just uBlock Origin and Flagfox. I know we are quite early, but [Ubuntu 26.10 "Stonking Stingray"](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-10-features/) is shaping up to be a busy interim release. Worth bookmarking if you want to stay updated on what's coming. Still scheduling maintenance windows to patch the kernel? KernelCare Enterprise applies Linux kernel security patches while the system runs. No reboots, no downtime, no 2 AM patch nights. - Works across 60+ distro versions, x86-64 and ARM64 - Shrinks your vulnerability window by up to 90% - Plays nice with Qualys, Nessus, and OpenSCAP Your uptime streak survives. Your CVE backlog doesn't. [Patch without rebooting ](https://tuxcare.com/enterprise-live-patching-services/kernelcare-enterprise/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About An Atlanta man is facing [a federal indictment](https://itsfoss.com/news/grapheneos-duress-password-indictment/) for evidence destruction after CBP agents at the airport demanded his phone passcode, entered it, and watched the device wipe itself. GrapheneOS is in the news for this reason. [A GrapheneOS Privacy Feature Just Became the Basis for a Federal IndictmentSamuel Tunick faces up to five years in prison after the passcode he gave CBP agents wiped his phone.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-de9b8167-8846-4037-ba22-ad6b8ab0a153.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/grapheneos-arrest-banner-487b156d-1c74-4304-b94a-0b6c39beef33.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/grapheneos-duress-password-indictment/) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings Seeing that we are on the topic, our [Markdown beginner's guide](https://itsfoss.com/markdown-guide/) covers all the basics you'd need: headings, links, images, lists, bold and italics, block quotes, and line breaks, with a downloadable cheat sheet to keep handy. Dark mode fans, this one's for you. [15 GTK themes](https://itsfoss.com/dark-gtk-themes/) covering most tastes, from Dracula and Catppuccin to Gruvbox, Graphite, and Fluent Dark for anyone coming from Windows 11. If you use Ubuntu, you should [know about these keyboard shortcuts](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-shortcuts/). Makes the desktop usage a bit more efficient, or at least that's what I feel when there are keyboard shortcuts in my muscle memory and I don't have to reach for the mouse. Getting constant buzz noise from your desk speakers in Linux? You don't have to live with it. Try [this fix here](https://itsfoss.com/buzzing-noise-speaker-linux/). ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner My hands-on review of SunFounder's flagship Pi 5 case, the [Pironman 5 Pro Max](https://itsfoss.com/pironman-5-pro-max-review/), complete with two small local AI projects built to test it. [Pironman 5 Pro Max Review: SunFounder’s Most Capable Pi 5 Case Doubles as an AI DesktopSunFounder’s flagship Pironman case now ships with a 4.3″ touchscreen, a camera mount, and room for an AI accelerator, built for Raspberry Pi 5 owners who want to experiment with local AI, not just add cooling and storage.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-634c4b65-cb6f-4c70-bb7b-0f653288fb92.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/pironman-max-pro-feature-reviews-1-fdd9f354-63b3-4105-9067-fc45802823b1.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/pironman-5-pro-max-review/) Hopefully, next week I'll share how I have set up my homelab on ZimaBoard 2 with AdGuard, Nginx Proxy Manager and Tailscale to have all the services on a .internal domain and accessible from outside the home network. By the way, I tried out a Markdown editor built specifically for developers who work on documentation in Git repos. [Ferrite](https://itsfoss.com/ferrite-editor/) has a built-in terminal, folder view, Git status, split pane, and diagram support. It seemed too good to be true until I saw that it is "100% AI coded". Now I am not sure if I should be using it. Why should you opt for It's FOSS Plus membership: ✅ Ad-free reading experience ✅ Badges in the comment section and forum ✅ Supporting creation of educational Linux materials ✅ Free Linux eBook [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights I knew this day would come. And it is finally here. Someone [has 'vibe coded' a Linux distro](https://itsfoss.com/starling-vibe-coded-desktop/). Not recommending to use it, of course. But something you should know about because I have a feeling that, like AI-developed software, we may soon start seeing lots of AI-coded distros. The problem is that it is easy to launch projects, but maintaining them is a different story altogether. [And Folks, We Have a Vibe Coded Linux Distro!Don’t get your hopes high; there are many rough edges and incomplete features.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-836683d1-70d7-44e6-86e4-b4e6544c05c3.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/starling-desktop-banner-8b95870c-81c5-47d2-ae55-b4499e083efe.png)](https://itsfoss.com/starling-vibe-coded-desktop/) Not everyone wants their music player rearranging their carefully organized folders into an artist-album grid. [SonicTree](https://itsfoss.com/sonictree-music-player/) just shows you your files as they are on disk. [Play Local Music With File-Manager SimplicityOld school style, old school vibes. SonicTree is for people who like browse music files in folders the way they are stored on the disk.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-9d8fea35-bac0-4ec8-8afc-ba904cc91da1.png)It's FOSSPulkit Chandak![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/sonictree-music-player-08535273-0cc0-4ca1-822f-b3561ed80ae6.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/sonictree-music-player/) ## 📽️ Videos for You Last time we talked about GNOME shell extensions that can help you be more productive. But did you know that you can use [Extension Manager](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiTQJIi7C90&ref=itsfoss.com) to manage those? [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip If you are an [Xfce](https://itsfoss.com/customize-xfce/) user with a multi-monitor setup, then you can span the Xfce panel across monitors. First, *right-click* on the panel you want to span, and then go to *Panel → Panel Preferences*. ![xfce span panel across monitors tip](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/span-xfce-panel-across-monitors.png) Here, in the *Display* tab, set Output as *Automatic* and enable the “*Span monitors*” checkbox. Local AI Weekly will start from first week of August. If you are interested in learning about open source AI, please [subscribe to our upcoming Local AI Weekly newsletter](https://itsfoss.com/local-ai-weekly/). [Subscribe to Local AI Weekly ](https://itsfoss.com/local-ai-weekly/) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse Can you [spin the wheel](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/identify-command-spin/) and uncover the command? [Spin to Uncover The Command: QuizSpin the wheel and spot the command!![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-ff4eb281-0e47-4cc8-8b15-2883bd3e2293.png)It's FOSSAnkush Das![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-spin-command-137fd5fc-b336-4230-80da-2385f4800290.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/identify-command-spin/) Peace over chaos, always. 💪 ![simple life linux meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/meme762.png) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On July 23, 1985, Commodore unveiled the [Amiga 1000](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amiga%5F1000?ref=itsfoss.com) at New York’s Lincoln Center, stunning audiences with 4,096-color graphics, 4-channel stereo sound, and true preemptive multitasking. Designed around a custom coprocessor chipset and a Motorola 68000 CPU, it debuted at a price of $1,285. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: The deluge of Flock cameras plaguing streets in the U.S. [has FOSSers talking](https://itsfoss.community/t/big-brother-has-arrived-in-the-us/16082?ref=itsfoss.com) about a Big Brother situation. ### And Folks, We Have a Vibe-Coded Linux Desktop! URL: https://itsfoss.com/starling-vibe-coded-desktop/ Last updated: 2026-08-03T04:45:49.000Z [Starling](https://starling.build/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a new open source Linux desktop environment. One developer built it by directing Claude for about six months, ending up with a working desktop that boots into its own session with a compositor and window manager. Don't think of this as a themed shell bolted onto GNOME or KDE either. It brings its own X11 server, so apps like Chrome, Slack, and Zoom run on it without requiring any special modifications. 🚧 This is a vibe-coded desktop environment, still an early preview built mostly through AI prompts rather than a full engineering team. Expect bugs, security issues, missing settings, and rough edges throughout. ## What is Starling? ![a wide as heck screenshot that shows the about page in the settings app for starling desktop](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/starling-about-dialog.png) Every part of it, like the shell, the compositor, the window manager, and the apps, are written in [Swift](https://swift.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), a language that has hardly been used for a Linux desktop before. Most of the heavylifting here has been done using **Claude**, which [was instructed](https://github.com/starling-build/starling/blob/main/CLAUDE.md?ref=itsfoss.com) to follow things like "*Wayland only. Do not read, modify, or reference X11Server/ or X11 launch paths unless explicitly asked*." Under the hood, the framework running the whole desktop is a full port of Flutter's Dart framework to Swift. Starling brings a Wayland compositor written in C and its own X11 server, so older X11 apps still work. That combination is what actually makes it a desktop rather than a demo. **For features**, it has things like: - A dock and Launchpad (app launcher). - Floating and tiling window management. - A shader-based glass effect on the dock and panels. - Five first-party apps, including *Terminal* and an apt-powered *App Store*. ## Taking it for a run ![many app windows are open on an starling session on ubuntu 26.04 lts](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/starling-desktop-view.png) I tested Starling on an **Ubuntu 26.04 LTS virtual machine**, and its rough edges showed up almost immediately. Right after logging in, the resolution defaulted to a non-standard, letterboxed widescreen ratio of 5120x2160 at 2x scaling (*according to Fastfetch*). I tried searching for an option to change this in the *Settings* menu, and the "*Displays*" page only had a slider for scaling, nothing for resolution itself. Things might be better if you install it on a computer directly, but that's a risk you are more than welcome to take. 🙂‍↔️ ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/starling-display-settings.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/starling-app-launcher-1.png) A few smaller things didn't work either. The search bar inside the Launchpad (*app launcher*) doesn't respond to typing, and none of the accent color swatches in *Appearance* actually apply once clicked. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/starling-app-center-chrome.png) **The App Store itself works**, technically. I installed Chrome through it without any errors, but the browser opened up oversized and ran noticeably laggy once it loaded. Not exactly the experience you'd want from one of the few apps the store puts at the top of its list. Shutting the system down turned into its own small hunt. There's **no power menu anywhere on the desktop**, so I had to go into the *Terminal* and run `sudo shutdown` to turn it all off. ## Early stages of abandonware? Starling probably won't be the last project like this. If one developer directing an AI can produce a working desktop environment, compositor and all in about six months, expect a lot more attempts over the coming years. Building something and keeping it alive are two very different jobs. Vibe coding gets you off the ground fast. Debugging what it produces is painfully slow, and that grind is usually what kills a developer's motivation before the project gets anywhere. ## Installing Starling Starling packages as a single DEB, built for [Ubuntu 26.04 LTS](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-04-lts/) on amd64\. You will have to ensure that you have a Wayland-capable login manager (*which the Desktop LTS release ships with*). ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/starling-installation-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/starling-installation-2.png) From there, download and install the package: ``` curl -fLO https://github.com/starling-build/starling/releases/download/v0.2.1/starling_0.2.1-1_amd64.deb sudo apt install ./starling_0.2.1-1_amd64.deb ``` Next, you have to either log out or reboot, then at the login screen click your name, open the session menu (*a small gear icon at the bottom-right*), and pick "*Starling*" from the list. ![the ubuntu 26.04 lts login screen with the session switcher showing starling and ubuntu (gnome) as options on the bottom-right](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/starling-installation-3.png) Mind you, it is [quite early for this desktop](https://github.com/starling-build/starling?ref=itsfoss.com). Currently on v0.2.1, the project itself is being handled by an anonymous human developer (*or maybe AGI* 😱*?*), so I would test it on a spare machine. ### I Found a Simple Open WebUI Alternative for Running Ollama Models in a Web Browser URL: https://itsfoss.com/orionchat/ Last updated: 2026-07-30T10:27:37.000Z Running local AI models has become surprisingly accessible. [Install Ollama](https://itsfoss.com/ollama-docker/), pull a model, and you can start chatting with it in minutes. That's exactly how I began my journey with local AI. Using an LLM directly in terminal is *okayish* but it limits your ability. That's why there are so [many frontends available for Ollama](https://itsfoss.com/ollama-web-ui-tools/), providing you with a graphical, chatGPT-like interface. This way, you can easily revisit an earlier answer, copy code snippets, or have an extended discussion with a model. Of the so many GUIs, [Open WebUI](https://github.com/open-webui/open-webui?ref=itsfoss.com) is like the de facto Ollama front-end. I don't know about you but I find it difficult to set up. I also looked at options like LibreChat, AnythingLLM, and LobeChat. They all felt geared toward users who wanted an all-in-one AI platform rather than a lightweight companion for a local Ollama UI. This is the 'problem' that I think OrionChat solves...by its simplicity. ## OrionChat: Web-based chat interface for Local LLMs ![Using OrionChat as a frontend for Ollama Local AI Models](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/Using-OrionChat-as-a-frontend-for-Ollama-Local-AI-Models.webp) [OrionChat](https://github.com/EliasPereirah/OrionChat?ref=itsfoss.com) is a free, open-source, web-based chat interface. It isn't built exclusively for Ollama. Instead, it can also talk to OpenAI, Google Gemini, Claude, Groq, Cerebras, and a few other providers. But for this piece, I only care about one thing: how well it works as a front end for models running locally through Ollama. It doesn't attempt to become an entire AI platform, no automation, agents, scheduled tasks. Instead, it provides a clean chat interface, model selection, and a responsive interface. Once the models are downloaded, OrionChat simply detects them. I particularly liked this design because it doesn't introduce another layer of model management. ## Installing OrionChat Getting OrionChat running took me less than five minutes. There's no need to even run a Docker daemon. ### Step 1: Clone the repository Clone and move into the project folder. ```bash git clone https://github.com/EliasPereirah/OrionChat.git cd OrionChat ``` ### Step 2: Serve the files Python makes this trivial if you already have it installed, which most Linux systems do: ```bash python -m http.server ``` ### Step 3: Open OrionChat ![Edit Ollama Systemd Service File to Use OrionChat as Web UI for Ollama Models](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/Edit-Ollama-Systemd-Service-file-to-use-OrionChat.webp) Head to `http://localhost:8000` in your browser. OrionChat's interface should load right away. ## Letting Ollama talk to OrionChat This is the part I actually got stuck on the first time. By default, Ollama only accepts requests from its own trusted origins, and a browser-based frontend like OrionChat doesn't automatically qualify. Every request gets silently blocked until you explicitly allow it. ### Step 1: Check how you're running Ollama If you installed Ollama via the official install script, it's almost certainly running as a systemd service. If you just launch it manually with `ollama serve`, skip to Step 3. ### Step 2: Edit the Ollama service You need to add the origin override to `ollama.service` systemd unit file. ```bash sudo systemctl edit ollama.service ``` In the editor that opens, add this under the `[Service]` section: ```ini [Service] Environment="OLLAMA_ORIGINS=http://localhost" ``` Save, then reload and restart Ollama: ```bash sudo systemctl daemon-reload sudo systemctl restart ollama ``` ### Step 3: Or, if you run Ollama manually Skip the systemd steps entirely and just set the variable inline when you launch it: ```bash OLLAMA_ORIGINS=http://localhost ollama serve ``` ### Step 4: Confirm it worked ![Enable Ollama AI Models in OrionChat: An alternative Web UI for Running Ollama](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/Enable-Ollama-AI-Models-in-OrionChat-.webp) Refresh the OrionChat tab in your browser. It should now connect to Ollama and start listing your locally installed models. You can choose your default Ollama model and start prompting. It provides an option to upload files and to use the microphone with Ollama models. This is a really nice feature you can't use in CLI mode. ## My wxperience running Ollama models with OrionChat Want to go from [Gemma to Qwen](https://itsfoss.com/testing-local-llms-without-gpu/)? A couple of clicks. Want to try Mistral instead? Select it and keep going. For someone who regularly experiments with different models, this alone is worth the five-minute setup. ![OrionChat- An alternative UI for Ollama showing history saving and code rendering features](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/OrionChat--An-alternative-web-UI-for-Ollama-saves-history-and-render-code-blocks.webp) Starting a conversation feels exactly like using any modern AI chatbot. Code blocks render properly. Markdown formatting looks clean. Tables show up as tables instead of a mess of pipe characters. Long conversations stay easy to navigate because everything lives in an actual interface instead of a scrolling terminal buffer. Copying responses feels natural too, no highlighting text in a terminal and fighting with line wrapping. For anyone who asks a lot of questions to local LLMs, that alone noticeably improves the day-to-day experience. Also, unlike other Ollama UI alternatives, OrionChat is not an Electron wrapper hiding a browser inside your app menu. It lives in a web browser ;) ## Final Thoughts Ollama already made running local models easy, and for quick tests, the terminal is perfectly adequate. But if you're talking to local models for hours every week, a proper interface makes a real difference. OrionChat hits a sweet spot for me. It doesn't require a complicated deployment, and doesn't try to become an all-in-one AI platform. It focuses on doing one thing well: giving Ollama a pleasant place to live outside the terminal. After using it for a while, I found myself opening OrionChat first and reaching for the CLI only when managing or updating models themselves. If you've been relying purely on the Ollama CLI and occasionally wish it felt a bit more like ChatGPT, OrionChat is worth the five minutes it takes to try. If OrionChat isn't quite your fit, Open WebUI, Enchanted, Chatbox, LibreChat, and NextChat are all solid alternative Ollama frontends, each trading off simplicity against features differently. Worth trying a couple to see which matches your workflow. ### GCC Compiler Bans AI Code Contribution But Sensibly URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/gcc-bans-ai-code/ Last updated: 2026-07-30T09:10:17.000Z Open source projects have mostly split into two camps on AI. Some keep a human in the loop, letting contributors use whatever tools they want as long as they take responsibility for the result. Others have gone further and banned AI-generated contributions outright, no matter who reviews them. [GCC](https://gcc.gnu.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) has now weighed in, and it's leaning toward the stricter camp. It's the compiler at the heart of building software across GNU and Linux systems, so its stance on AI carries weight well beyond its own repository. The GCC Steering Committee [has decided](https://gcc.gnu.org/pipermail/gcc/2026-July/248628.html?ref=itsfoss.com) to decline what it calls "*legally significant*" contributions made with AI, a term we will be unpacking shortly. ## AI begone? ![a wall of text that is the gnu gcc ai policy, the link in the text below has the policy for you to read using assistive tech](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/gcc-ai-policy.png) Well yes, and no. The GCC Steering Committee has inducted [a new AI policy](https://gcc.gnu.org/ai-policy.html?ref=itsfoss.com) built around one core rule. If a contribution is legally significant and any part of it traces back to an LLM, GCC won't take it. By that, they mean what the [GNU maintainer guidelines](https://www.gnu.org/prep/maintain/maintain.html?ref=itsfoss.com#Legally-Significant) define as being legally significant, which is around 15 lines of code or text, the point where copyright actually applies. Smaller edits don't count on their own, but enough of them from the same person can still add up to it. There's some leeway for a certain use case, though. **GCC maintainers can still accept legally insignificant AI-generated contributions**, as long as they're clearly marked and meet the project's usual contribution standards. **Test cases are exempted too**. Even ones that would normally count as legally significant can still be AI-generated. The policy itself only covers GCC. Any code imported from other projects for convenience or dependency satisfaction falls outside its scope. Other than that, any AI-assisted contribution now needs an "*Assisted-by:*" tag in its commit message, similar to what [the Linux kernel adopted earlier this year](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-ai-coding-assistants-policy/). None of this touches how contributors use AI on their own time. Screen readers, translation tools, spelling and grammar help, research, bug hunting, and patch review are all fair game, provided the actual output submitted to GCC isn't AI-generated itself. The GCC Steering Committee expects the policy to keep evolving, shaped by community feedback and wherever the wider GNU Project lands on AI overall. The next review is set for the start of 2027. ## A growing trend Codeberg [took the dramatic route](https://itsfoss.com/news/codeberg-bans-ai-contributions/) last week, where its members voted 358 to 144 to ban projects built mostly from AI-generated code and to formally rule out training AI models on user data or code. They blame server strain from AI crawlers, climbing hardware costs, and a growing pile of low-effort AI-generated contributions as the driving forces behind the decision. LLVM went [the other way](https://itsfoss.com/news/llvm-ai-policy/) at the start of this year, adopting a "*human in the loop*" policy. Here, contributors can use any AI tool they like, but they have to disclose which one, answer questions about their submissions, and take full responsibility for the result. **GCC's policy lands closer to Codeberg's** without going as far as an outright ban. [Test cases](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test%5Fcase%5F%28software%29?ref=itsfoss.com) keep a narrow opening that Codeberg's rules don't, and GCC still allows small, clearly marked AI contributions that Codeberg's project-level ban wouldn't. ### Good News Gamers! GOG is Officially Coming to Linux URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/gog-galaxy-is-coming-to-linux/ Last updated: 2026-07-29T12:44:34.000Z [GOG](https://www.gog.com/en/?ref=itsfoss.com) built its whole brand around selling [DRM](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital%5Frights%5Fmanagement?ref=itsfoss.com)\-free games and providing offline installers that work without requiring an internet connection or any kind of verification from their side. They even [encourage people](https://x.com/GOGcom/status/2077037131751432515?ref=itsfoss.com) to download installers and copy them over to physical media like discs, and treat the copy as theirs. This is something the big players in the space, Steam and Epic Games, just cannot do, since both keep your library tethered to their clients. And don't even get me started on account standing. If you break their rules, they retain the right to suspend your account or, worse, ban it outright, leaving you locked out of your own games. [GOG GALAXY](https://www.gog.com/galaxy?ref=itsfoss.com) is the company's optional client that does the things one would expect from such an application. It handles auto-updates, cloud saves, achievement tracking, rollbacks for when a patch breaks your save, and pulls in game libraries from other platforms. Sadly, **none of that has ever officially arrived on Linux**, as the client is only offered for Windows and macOS. Linux gamers who want it on their systems have to run the Windows client through compatibility layers like Bottles or Lutris [instead of installing it directly](https://itsfoss.com/play-gog-games-linux/). ![a cropped picture showing what the gog galaxy website shows when accessed from a linux system (shows it doesn't recognize the current system)](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/gog-galaxy-linux-unsupported.png) **What you see when you visit the GOG GALAXY website from a Linux computer.* All's not gloom though, as [it has now been confirmed](https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/07/gog-confirm-they-are-working-towards-gog-galaxy-on-linux/?ref=itsfoss.com) that **a Linux build of GOG GALAXY is coming**. Speaking to Liam from GamingOnLinux, the joint CEO of GOG, Krzysztof Papliński, stated that they already have a "*specialist on board*," and are looking for the "*best way to approach Linux support*." **Before you get too excited**, know that there's no release window mentioned in the original email reply by Krzysztof, who notes that: > This is a significant undertaking, so while we’re not ready to share any specific plans, timelines, or results just yet, it’s very much an area we’re investing time and effort into. ## Some context This isn't appearing out of nowhere. Late last year, GOG [became an independent company](https://www.gog.com/blog/gog-is-getting-acquired-by-its-original-co-founder-what-it-means-for-you/?ref=itsfoss.com) after CD Projekt sold it to co-founder Michał Kiciński, ending its run as a subsidiary. A few days later, in January, Michał told [PC Gamer](https://www.pcgamer.com/software/windows/gogs-new-owner-cant-stand-windows-either-its-such-poor-quality-software-i-cant-believe-it/?ref=itsfoss.com) that Windows is "***poor-quality software***" and that he isn't surprised people are gravitating away from the ecosystem altogether. In the same interview, managing director Maciej Gołębiewski said Linux was already one of the things GOG had put in its strategy for the year. Around the same time, [a new job listing](https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/01/gog-job-listing-for-a-senior-software-engineer-notes-linux-is-the-next-major-frontier/?ref=itsfoss.com) went up, looking for a senior software engineer, with the description referring to Linux as the next major frontier for the platform. ## This is great news ![the gog galaxy interface has many game listings and a lot of elements (buttons) that help navigate the game library](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/gog-galaxy-windows-client-1.png) **Placeholder image of the Windows client for GOG GALAXY.* A native GOG GALAXY client would finally let Linux gamers manage their GOG library the same way Windows and Mac users already do. Though I am not sure if any other game platforms will be supported. But despite that, gamers will still get to take advantage of a well-equipped launcher that handles large game libraries with ease. Which is supplemented by handy conveniences like auto-updates, cloud saves, syncing between multiple devices, and staying connected with your friends. **This matters more than you might think, btw**. Nowadays, digital storefronts are the ones who have the final say over what stays in your library and what doesn't. The recent [delisting of Xbox games](https://gamerant.com/xbox-games-delisted-shut-down-removed-creepy-tale-more/?ref=itsfoss.com) showed us that quite clearly. Physical media is going away too, as Sony, for instance, recently confirmed it will stop producing game discs for new PlayStation titles [starting January 2028](https://blog.playstation.com/2026/07/01/physical-disc-production-ending-in-january-2028-for-new-games-releasing-on-playstation-consoles/?ref=itsfoss.com), pushing new releases into digital-only territory. GOG's DRM-free installers and the optional client that lets you download those eliminate both problems. Since nothing phones home to check a license, copying those installers onto a USB drive or burning them to a Blu-ray or DVD is enough to keep a library playable long after the storefront disappears. ### Ubuntu Now Has a Rolling Release Model! But Not For The Distro URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-rolling-release-virtualization-stack/ Last updated: 2026-07-29T11:33:48.000Z Ubuntu is one of the most stable Linux distros out there, provided you're running its LTS release. Now imagine giving that up for a [rolling release model](https://itsfoss.com/rolling-release/). Feels exciting, right? Stop fantasizing then, as today's not the day that happens. Instead, Canonical's [latest announcement](https://ubuntu.com//blog/ubuntu-virtualization-hwe-stack-confidential-computing?ref=itsfoss.com) introduces a rolling release approach for the virtualization stack, which swaps the usual LTS cycle for a faster, six-month upgrade cycle. [Confidential computing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confidential%5Fcomputing?ref=itsfoss.com) is the driving force behind this move, as Canonical's [Ijlal Loutfi](https://ubuntu.com/blog/author/ijlal-loutfi?ref=itsfoss.com) emphasizes that the different pieces of the stack rarely arrive at the same time. A processor might support a new feature before the kernel can expose it, before [QEMU](https://www.qemu.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) can handle it, before [libvirt](https://libvirt.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) gives users a way to turn it on, and before the firmware and attestation tools are ready to make it actually usable. ## How does this work? ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/ubuntu-virt-helper-tool.png) **Checking the installed virtualization variant with ubuntu\_virt\_helper.* The virtualization HWE stack has four parts. `qemu-hwe` handles the hypervisor and system emulation; `libvirt-hwe` covers virtualization management; `edk2-hwe` brings newer [OVMF](https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UEFI/OVMF?ref=itsfoss.com) firmware for UEFI booting; and `seabios-hwe` does the same for BIOS compatibility. It's the same approach Ubuntu already runs for kernels, just extended across the rest of the [virtualization](https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/virtualization?ref=itsfoss.com) chain. **Switching to this is entirely optional**, and during these first two years of Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, all four packages get refreshed every six months, but only after a dry run in [an interim release](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-10-features/) first. And stating the obvious, existing installations of Ubuntu will stay on the base stack unless someone decides to switch over to the new stack. A tool called [ubuntu\_virt\_helper](https://packages.ubuntu.com/resolute/ubuntu-helper-virt-hwe?ref=itsfoss.com) (*different package name*) handles that switch, since QEMU, libvirt, and firmware all need to move together as one unit rather than being swapped out piece by piece. ## Why should you care? This is basically [Canonical](https://canonical.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) admitting that confidential computing has outgrown the two-year cadence [Ubuntu LTS](https://itsfoss.com/long-term-support-lts/) was built around. The virtualization HWE stack is aimed at anyone running confidential VMs on **AMD SEV-SNP** or **Intel TDX**, regulated workloads that need stronger isolation, AI inference that leans on confidential computing, or accelerators, and private or sovereign cloud platforms that can't just hop to Ubuntu's interim releases. These workloads are moving faster than Ubuntu's own release schedule can absorb, and nobody running them is waiting two years for a point release to catch up with the ever-evolving silicon vendors. Canonical is positioning this as **a way to get LTS stability and newer hardware support at the same time**, instead of users needing to pick one over the other. ## Get started Don't assume this is locked behind [Ubuntu Pro](https://ubuntu.com/pro?ref=itsfoss.com). Every example in Canonical's instructional material runs on plain apt commands without requiring you to log in to some portal. The most basic one is to install the helper tool: ``` sudo apt install ubuntu-helper-virt-hwe ``` The rest, you will have to figure out by going through [the documentation](https://ubuntu.com/server/docs/how-to/virtualisation/virt-hwe/?ref=itsfoss.com) and running the following command: ``` ubuntu_virt_helper --help ``` ### A GrapheneOS Privacy Feature Just Became the Basis for a Federal Indictment URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/grapheneos-duress-password-indictment/ Last updated: 2026-07-28T12:56:46.000Z An Atlanta resident, Samuel Tunick, is fighting a federal indictment that treats a privacy feature on his phone as evidence destruction. A grand jury [charged him](https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.gand.351976/gov.uscourts.gand.351976.1.0%5F2.pdf?ref=itsfoss.com) under [18 U.S.C. § 2232(a)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2232?ref=itsfoss.com), a statute that covers destruction of property to block seizure by a government agent. The root cause of all this was **the deletion of a Google Pixel smartphone's contents during a border search**, and the case itself sits in the [Northern District of Georgia](https://www.gand.uscourts.gov/court-info/court-locations/atlanta?ref=itsfoss.com) under case number [1:25-CR-499](https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72009158/united-states-v-tunick/?ref=itsfoss.com), before District Judge Eleanor L. Ross. If Tunick is found guilty, the charge carries a fine, up to five years in prison, or both. ## The coercion On January 24 last year, the [CBP](https://www.cbp.gov/?ref=itsfoss.com) placed Tunick into secondary inspection at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport as he returned from a trip to the Dominican Republic, putting him through several rounds of questioning and searches. The officers started off by searching him, checking what he was carrying, and demanding that he fork over the passcode for his phone. All of this was reportedly done under the pretext of searching for [CSAM](https://www.justice.gov/d9/2023-06/child%5Fsexual%5Fabuse%5Fmaterial%5F2.pdf?ref=itsfoss.com). He also asked for a lawyer multiple times, but the officers ignored every request, never read him his [Miranda rights](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/mirandawarningfinal.pdf?ref=itsfoss.com), and kept questioning him anyway. When he pushed back, they said it was "***a whole different ballgame***" at the border and that they didn't need a warrant. Tunick eventually handed over a passcode. But, the moment it was entered, the screen flickered blank a few times before the device rebooted itself, erasing its contents in front of the same agents who'd demanded access. The motion [filed by Tunick's lawyer](https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.gand.351976/gov.uscourts.gand.351976.21.0.pdf?ref=itsfoss.com) stresses that his association with [Defend the Atlanta Forest](https://defendtheatlantaforest.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), an AGAAVE-labeled outfit, was the actual reason federal agents moved on him, not any crime. Earlier, a Homeland Security agent had circulated Tunick's name and photo hours before his flight landed, flagging him for suspected terrorism activity, while FBI and CBP officers coordinated to set up the search. Despite that, the government has never presented evidence tying Tunick to an actual crime connected to the movement. ## What triggered this? Tunick had what appears to be GrapheneOS's [duress PIN/Password](https://grapheneos.org/features?ref=itsfoss.com#duress) feature set up on his phone. When officers entered the passcode he gave them, it did what it was designed to do, wiping the device the moment the duress code was entered. *If you didn't know, this feature also triggers at any authentication prompt, not just the lockscreen, and covers every profile on the phone, not only the main one.* In [a forum post](https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/40700-grapheneos-protections-against-data-extraction-from-locked-devices?ref=itsfoss.com) that reads like a reaction to this case (*though they never name it*), GrapheneOS said **people should carefully think through how they use the duress feature**. And that wiping a device in an actual duress situation can carry physical or legal consequences of its own. ## Guilty as charged? Nope! Nothing's decided yet. A hearing on Tunick's suppression motion happened earlier this month, but the judge kept it open for more testimony before ruling on anything. Written arguments are due through the fall, Tunick's side by September 18, the government's by October 9, and Tunick's reply by October 23\. Until then, know that the five-year prison term attached to the charge is just the maximum the law allows, **not what's actually coming his way**. As for my views, hearing about a citizen of a country getting worked over like this just to come home, only for it to end in a federal indictment months later feels like something you'd expect from a [banana republic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana%5Frepublic?ref=itsfoss.com). But that's how things go in the *greatest nation in the world* /s. It makes you wonder how worthless the rights of the average Joe are, while people committing crimes that make your blood boil walk free. 🙃 ### I Really Want to Love This Markdown Editor, But One Thing Holds It Back URL: https://itsfoss.com/ferrite-editor/ Last updated: 2026-07-28T10:26:18.000Z From the Git repo's README to blogs, Markdown is everywhere in the tech world in general. I have been [using Markdown](https://itsfoss.com/markdown-guide/) for years. That's what I use for writing the articles here. While I often write directly in the CMS, I also manage personal notes, drafts and work on documentation in dedicated Markdown editors on my computer. Over the time, I have used a [number of Markdown editors on my Linux system](https://itsfoss.com/best-markdown-editors-linux/). But I keep on exploring new ones, a force of habit, as it keeps me aware of the new tools in the field. Recently, I came across a new Markdown editor called Ferrite. I tried and found that it mentions all the features I wanted: - Folder view - Dual pane - Focused view - Editor tool bar - Git status - Built-in terminal There are many more features, like code folding, syntax highlights, mini-map overviews, diagrams, and more. Basically, Ferrite is like an IDE but for Markdown (or should I say text) files. 🚧 It was later that I realized that the project, though open source, is 100% coded with AI. Read [their AI workflow details here](https://github.com/OlaProeis/Ferrite/blob/master/docs/ai-workflow/ai-development-workflow.md?ref=itsfoss.com). I'm adding this disclaimer because whether to use AI-generated code is a matter of principle for a lot of you. ## Meet Ferrite, Markdown editor for developers ![Ferrite](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/ferrite-split-dark-1.webp) Written in Rust, [Ferrite](https://getferrite.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com) a text editor primarily for Markdown but with good support for JSON, YAML, and TOML files. Basically, various text files developers and devops deal with. For markdown file, you can view it in raw mode (with synax), rendered view (only shows rendered markdown), and split view (shows raw text and rendered view side by side). For other files, it just displays them with a mini-map overview and highlighted syntax. There is zen mode for focused work. ![Ferrite zen mode](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/ferrite-zen-mode.webp) Zen mode removes nice to let you focus on the text Ferrite also allows you to create flowcharts, wire diagrams, mind maps etc. In fact, Ferrite has a huge list of [features](https://getferrite.dev/features?ref=itsfoss.com). You can export files as PDF and HTML, run shell and Python codes from the editor itself, has a command palette, supports Wikilinks, can view PDF and CSV files and much more. Basically, it's a Markdown editor specially created for developers. ## Why I liked it Lately, I found myself in situations where I had to edit technical documentation hosted on GitHub. The flow is standard. I fork the repo, clone it on my system, checkout to a new branch, make my changes, push it to my forked repo and then create a pull request to the upstream branch. This is the usual code contribution flow, applies to collaborative documentation, too. Now, since this is a dev-like workflow, a text editor that behaves like IDE is perfectly suited for this. ![Ferrite with terminal](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/ferriter-terminal.webp) Built in terminal is useful for my workflow Ferrite's built-in terminal gives me instant access to the command line for quick commit and push. It also shows the locally modified files if you are in a git repo. For this kind of workflow, though I could use [VS Code with extensions](https://itsfoss.com/install-vs-code-extensions/), it's an overkill. And I prefer to separate code and text files. I [used Ghostwriter](https://itsfoss.com/ghostwriter/), but it's a simple Markdown editor and I found myself switching between tools. This is when I came across Ferrite and it looked like it could be the perfect fit as it ticked (almost) all the checkboxes for me. ## It's not perfect Like most things in life, Ferrite is not perfect as well. I came across a few quirks after regularly using it for the past few days. There is a dedicated button to sync the raw and rendered views when you are in the split view mode. This way you should be able to scroll on one side and see the impact on the side pane. This feature works, but not perfectly. There is a lag that cannot be unnoticed. 0:00 /0:03 1× Sync issue between raw and rendered views Then, it doesn't display images in the rendered view. This is a huge disappointment for me. Take a look at the screenshot below: ![Ferrite markdown editor has image display problem](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/ferrite-doesnt-display-images.webp) Ferrite cannot display images? I understand that relative path is crucial for image display in Markdown. But those paths were correct and the image was displayed properly in the Ghostwriter editor: ![Ghostwriter renders images perfectly](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/ghostwriter-displays-images.webp) Ghostwriter displays the images correctly Also, Ferrite has way too many features. It's like an IDE and if you have ever used an IDE you would know that IDE gradually become too complex with all kinds of settings and tweaks and busy interface. Sometimes, simplicity also becomes a feature. ## Should I use it or not? Frankly, I did not notice the "100% AI developed" when I started using Ferrite last week. I liked what I saw, used it and fit very well for my current needs. I made notes, something I often do when I try a new tool, so that I can write articles and reviews on those tools later. And when I started writing this article and went through the details, I learned that the project mentions explicitly that it is fully developed with AI. That puts me in a dilemma. On one hand, it seems like a good piece of software. 1.7K GitHub stars are proof of its popularity. On the other hand, "100% AI" label is kind of offputting. What would you do? ### OpenUK Wants Britain to Stop Giving Away Open Source Creations URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/british-flavored-linux-foundation-proposal/ Last updated: 2026-07-28T05:34:45.000Z OpenUK recently published its [AI Openness](https://openuk.uk/report/aiopenness2026/?ref=itsfoss.com) report, and buried inside the 40-page document is a big ask from the UK government. Build Britain its own foundation that holds code, governance, and standards the way the [Linux Foundation](https://www.linuxfoundation.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) (LF) does in the US. If you are hearing that name for the first time, [OpenUK](https://openuk.uk/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a UK-based (*obviously*) non-profit that advocates for open technology and is led by [Amanda Brock](https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandabrocktech/?ref=itsfoss.com). They first put out this call [in a report](https://openuk.uk/makingukhomeofopensource/?ref=itsfoss.com) titled "*Making the UK the Home of Open Source*," which was submitted to [UKRI](https://www.ukri.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) earlier this year. The AI Openness report restates the case with added urgency this time. ## The ask Characterizing the proposed British flavor of LF as a ***National Foundation***, the body, once formed, would hold repositories, standards, and datasets built with UK public money rather than watch that work migrate to servers and governance boards based elsewhere. It would also handle training, community engagement, and event organizing. Those are areas that would otherwise need separate infrastructure, like an [open source program office](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open%5FSource%5FProgram%5FOffice?ref=itsfoss.com) (OSPO) and [a sovereign fund](https://interoperable-europe.ec.europa.eu/collection/open-source-observatory-osor/document/funding-open-source-case-study-sovereign-tech-fund?ref=itsfoss.com). **OpenUK frames this as a funding and governance gap** more than a technology one. They note that the UK ranks as Europe's top country in open source software and AI openness, yet it has no equivalent to the Linux Foundation, Germany's **Sovereign Tech Agency**, or China's **Open Atom Foundation** to show for it. ## UK is bleeding open source The non-profit didn't have to look far to prove its point, as [MCP](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/getting-started/intro?ref=itsfoss.com) is the group's strongest example. The **Model Context Protocol**, now the standard behind how AI models connect to outside tools and data, was created by two engineers in London. **Anthropic backed the protocol** and eventually donated it to LF's [Agentic AI Foundation](https://itsfoss.com/news/agentic-ai-foundation-launch/), alongside Block's goose and OpenAI's `AGENTS.md` specification. In conversation with OpenUK, [David Soria Parra](https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-soria-parra-4a78b3a/?ref=itsfoss.com), one of MCP's co-creators, said that they gave MCP away because they needed the standard to stay vendor neutral, free of trademark and licensing risk. *If the UK had an established foundation, then they wouldn't have lost MCP to the US.* 🙃 ## Not the only ones The European Commission has already [shown off an initiative](https://itsfoss.com/news/eu-open-source-strategy-call-2026/) **to break free from US tech dominance** by moving towards an open European digital ecosystem. It would cover fields like cloud computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, open hardware, internet technologies, and industrial applications like automotive and manufacturing. Germany is closer to what OpenUK wants for the UK. Its [Sovereign Tech Fund](https://www.sovereign.tech/programs/fund?ref=itsfoss.com) has turned into a government agency, and the report calls that "*the right direction*." China has already proven the model works. Open source became a national pillar under its [14th Five-Year Plan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/14th%5FFive-Year%5FPlan?ref=itsfoss.com), supported by a dedicated foundation called the [Open Atom Foundation](https://www.openatom.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). DeepSeek’s R1 showed how that focus pays off, leveraging open-weights and knowledge distillation to deliver frontier-level AI at a fraction of the cost. OpenUK looks to garner interest from various public sector organizations across the UK while also aiming to collaborate with global experts, delivering the best proposal for their country as a result. ### FireDragon Browser Swoops in With New Wings URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/firedragon-v13-release/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T15:05:14.000Z FireDragon is the default browser on [Garuda Linux](https://garudalinux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), the Arch-based distro known for its polished KDE Plasma spins and reliability despite riding the bleeding edge. It has traditionally run on a [Floorp](https://itsfoss.com/news/floorp-firefox/) base, giving it Firefox's extension support wrapped in Garuda's privacy defaults and *Dr460nized* branding. Now the developers have flipped the playbook, changing its base and delivering [a v13 release](https://forum.garudalinux.org/t/firedragon-v13-official-release/48353?ref=itsfoss.com) that's packed with many usability-focused improvements. ## What's new? ![you can see an about page (with lots of text) open for the firedragon web browser with the main browser window in the background](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/firedragon-about-dialog.png) This overhaul gets you **a better search experience**, where the default search engine is [DuckDuckGo](https://itsfoss.com/duckduckgo-easter-eggs/). It arrives alongside an expanded list of search tools that range from privacy-focused ones like **Qwant**, **Brave Search**, **Startpage**, and Big Tech options like *Bing* and *Google*. Next is the improved onboarding experience, with the *Welcome dialog* now packing in one-click toggles for things you'd normally have to dig up in `about:config`. Turn off the built-in password manager if you already rely on a separate one like [Proton Pass](https://go.getproton.me/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=42&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=itsfoss.com) (*partner link*), flip on *ResistFingerprinting* for tighter privacy at the risk of breaking sites, or switch on prefetching to speed up page loads. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/firedragon-quick-settings.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/firedragon-search-engine-options.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/firedragon-pre-installed-extensions.png) **New quick settings, search engine options, and pre-installed extensions (click/touch to expand).* Similarly, browsing speed sees a small bump with TLS [0-RTT](https://blog.cloudflare.com/introducing-0-rtt/?ref=itsfoss.com) now being enabled by default, cutting latency when reconnecting to sites you have already visited. There's also the optional setting to enable prefetching (*the same one as earlier*), which starts loading a page the moment you hover over a link or downloads the next page in the background before you click it. As for **the other notable changes**, v13 adds support for XDG Base Directories and now handles WebGL and DRM content through site permissions. It also drops [Dark Reader](https://darkreader.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) from the default extension lineup, leaving [Flagfox](https://flagfox.wordpress.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [uBlock Origin](https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock?ref=itsfoss.com) as the only pre-installed add-ons. ## Should you ditch Firefox? ![a fresh firedragon browser installation that has many user interface elements visible, and a timeline of its development on the right-hand side](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/firedragon.png) I spent time with FireDragon v13 to see how the new codebase holds up and whether it changes anything for someone deciding between it and stock [Firefox](https://www.firefox.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). Most of it feels familiar, though there are a few rough edges worth flagging. The quick-setup wizard, powered by the new Welcome dialog, left me a little disappointed as there's a lot of empty space on the page; however, the options themselves worked just fine. Past that screen, the browsing experience feels like Floorp or Firefox with a Garuda twist to it. Vertical tabs are where FireDragon comes closest to matching Firefox outright, with the layout looking nearly identical. The **one kink is the title bar**. Firefox hides it on Fedora Workstation (*which comes with GNOME*), but FireDragon shows an ugly one with no toggle anywhere in the settings to turn it off. ![on the left is a screenshot of firefox with its hamburger menu open, on the right is a screenshot of firedragon browser with its hamburger menu open](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/firefox-firedragon-comparison.png) A bigger miss showed up with system theming. Firefox follows your system's dark or light mode automatically for both its interface and supported sites. FireDragon didn't do that for websites, even with the "*Website appearance*" option set to "*Dark*". I tested this across *Mastodon*, *DuckDuckGo*, and here (*where you are reading the article*). *Restarting the browser didn't help either.* 😵 ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/firedragon-vertical-tabs.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/firedragon-settings.png) **Enabling vertical tabs (left) and FireDragon Settings (right).* The dedicated *FireDragon Settings* page claws some of that back, with toggles for things like closing the browser window with the last tab, enabling middle-click paste, updating add-ons automatically, and additional controls for prefetching. The *Design* tab lets you go further, letting you fine-tune any installed themes with a great degree of control over what gets shown and what doesn't. **So, should you ditch Firefox?** If you're already on Garuda Linux, FireDragon v13 can be turned into a daily driver with some tweaking. If you're happily settled on Firefox itself, the theming bug and stubborn title bar make this a harder sell. ## Get started You can get the ***Dr460nized*** edition of FireDragon from [Flathub](https://flathub.org/en/apps/org.garudalinux.firedragon?ref=itsfoss.com) for most Linux computers: ``` flatpak install flathub org.garudalinux.firedragon ``` [FireDragon (Flathub)](https://flathub.org/en/apps/org.garudalinux.firedragon?ref=itsfoss.com) **For Arch users**, there are four [AUR](https://itsfoss.com/aur-arch-linux/) packages on offer. One that is [pre-compiled](https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/firedragon-bin?ref=itsfoss.com) (*should be faster to install*), the second one that [needs compiling](https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/firedragon?ref=itsfoss.com), and the other two are the same but **with *Catppuccin* theming** ([*link1*](https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/firedragon-catppuccin-bin?ref=itsfoss.com)*,* [*link2*](https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/firedragon-catppuccin?ref=itsfoss.com)). People on platforms like **Windows** and **macOS** or those looking for alternative packages for Linux can visit Garuda Linux's [GitLab instance](https://gitlab.com/garuda-linux/firedragon/firedragon13/-/releases?ref=itsfoss.com). There's also [a documentation page](https://firedragon.garudalinux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) you can refer to, but keep in mind that it is a bit outdated. ### Pironman 5 Pro Max Review: SunFounder's Most Capable Pi 5 Case Doubles as an AI Desktop URL: https://itsfoss.com/pironman-5-pro-max-review/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T12:35:25.000Z [Pro Max](https://www.sunfounder.com/products/pironman-5-pro-max-mini-pc-case-with-touch-screen-for-raspberry-pi-5?ref=itsfoss) is the fourth case in SunFounder's famed Pironman 5 case series. These tower cases turn your regular, naked, Raspberry Pi boards into a miniature tower PC. ![Pironman 5 Max pro](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/pironman-max-pro-feature-reviews.webp) So here, you get RGB fans and tower cooler for colling, RGB lights for asthetics, small OLED display for stats, full HDMI ports, GPIO pins exposed, NVMe HAT for adding SSDs and AI accelerator. That's what more or less these cases offer. Only the Pironman Mini has fewer options. I have used all of these cases so far, thanks to SunFounder sending them for the review. The first Pironman 5 case is [used for my daughter's desktop setup](https://itsfoss.com/raspberry-pi-kids-set-up/). And then [I use Pironman Max](https://itsfoss.com/pironman-5-max-review/) for [running Nanoclaw AI agent 24x7](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27baD2XZPiM&ref=itsfoss.com) along with other homelab and smart home automation experiments. The new [Pironman 5 Pro Max](https://www.sunfounder.com/products/pironman-5-pro-max-mini-pc-case-with-touch-screen-for-raspberry-pi-5?ref=itsfoss) has a 4.3" touchscreen, a camera, speakers, and a microphone in addition to what the Max version already offered. The new device is marketed around local AI. And that's what I would also like to focus on in this review, with whatever limited resources I have in my homelab setup. ✅ Same tower cooler and RGB fans as before, now properly in sync ✅ Touchscreen, camera mount, and USB microphone turn the Pi 5 into a capable AI desktop (for hobbyist projects) ✅ Ran cool, CPU stayed around 45°C under load in my testing ❎ Still a DIY kit ❎ No option to keep the small OLED display always on 📋 This device was sent to me by SunFounder for review. The experience and views expressed here are my own. ## The hardware ![Pironman 5 Pro Max](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/pironman-5-pro-max-specs-1.webp) | Spec | Pironman 5 Pro Max | | ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- | | Compatible boards | Raspberry Pi 5 (2GB/4GB/8GB/16GB) | | Power input | USB-C, 5V/5A | | Cooling | PWM tower cooler + 2 PWM RGB fans | | Display | Small OLED status display + 4.3" IPS touchscreen | | NVMe support | 2x M.2 slots (2230/2242/2260/2280), PCIe Gen2 switch, RAID 0/1 | | AI accelerator | M.2 Hailo-8/8L compatible, swaps in for one NVMe slot | | HDMI | 2x full-size HDMI | | Audio | 2x built-in speakers, audio amplifier, USB microphone | | Camera | Adjustable camera mount | | Extras | Metal power button, RTC battery, GPIO expansion | The case costs $145.99\. You can get it from SunFounder's website or from Amazon. I think the duty and shipping costs are included in the pricing, but confirm with them to be sure. [Pironman 5 Pro Max Official Webpage](https://www.sunfounder.com/products/pironman-5-pro-max-mini-pc-case-with-touch-screen-for-raspberry-pi-5?ref=itsfoss) ![Pironman 5 Pro Max Back](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/pironman-5-pro-max-specs-back-1.jpg) Raspberry Pi 5, NVMe SSDs, and the Hailo accelerator are not included. You're buying the case, the cooling, and the screens, and bringing your own Pi and storage. ## Assembling the case Like every Pironman case before it, this is a DIY kit. You assemble it yourself. As a reviewer, I get these cases to review before they are available to the public. And thus I get only paper manuals for assembly. ![Assembling the Pironman 5 Pro Max case](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/pironman-max-pro-assembly.webp) Assembling the Pironman 5 Pro Max case Not a big deal. I take pride in accepting and completing the challenge. And since I already had the experience of building the previous Pironman models in the past, this one was relatively quicker. No major issue in assembling the case. However, if this is your first Pironman case, budget more patience for the paper manual than I needed to. SunFounder usually releases assembly video for their cases. Surprisingly, there is no assembly video for this case so far. I hope they release one soon because it could be challenging. ## It's a reversible case! This is what I noticed while assembling the case, although reversible is not the correct word here. See, there is a super long FPC cable that connects to the camera mount. I found it awkward to have a long cable exposed like this. It made sense when I saw that there was scope for the camera to be mounted on both top/bottom surfaces. Meaning, you vertically rotate the device by 180 degrees and you have the power button and IPS touchscreen at the top. ![Pironman 5 Pro Max can be reversed too](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/pironman-max-pro-reverse.webp) This gives you flexibility as the exposed GPIO pins also change their position. If you use the case with the screen at the top, you need to rotate the display from the operating system; otherwise, it will display everything in reverse. Also, it makes sense to set a screen timeout to save on power. ## The OLED and power button behavior, rethought The small OLED display has changed behavior across every generation, and it's worth mentioning out because it affects how you'll actually use the case day to day. The [original Pironman case](https://itsfoss.com/pironman-5-review/) kept stats on the small OLED all the time. Pironman Max introduced a tap-to-wake gesture instead, where you had to tap the top of the case to see anything, and honestly, that was an annoyance. ![OLED display in Pironman 5 Pro Max](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/pironman5-pro-max-oled-close.webp) Small OLED screen displays system stats The Pro Max changes this again. The small OLED isn't on by default anymore. You press the power button on the front to wake it, and pressing it again cycles through the different stats. To shut the system down, you hold the power button, the same way you'd shut down a real tower PC. SunFounder has also pushed this new behavior back to the older Pironman cases through a software update, so if you own an earlier one, you'll see the same button logic after updating those Pironman specific Python scripts. ## RGB fans, finally in sync One thing that bothered me about the very first Pironman case was that the RGB lighting on the rear fans was slightly out of sync between the two fans. It's a small thing, but once I noticed it, I could not unnotice it. ![RGB in sync for Pironman 5 Pro Max](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/pironman-5-pro-max-rgb-sync.webp) RGB lights are in perfect sync The Pro Max doesn't have this problem. Both fans run in sync now, and the case looks the way it was clearly meant to look. ## Configuring the visuals Everything I've described, the OLED behavior, the RGB lighting color and pattern, screen timeouts, is configurable through SunFounder's dashboard. The bigger 4.3" touchscreen can be set to auto-dim and turn off after a period of inactivity, which is a sensible way to save a bit of power on an always-on device. ![Pironman Dashboard lets you control RGB lights, fans and OLED screen behavior](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/pironman-5-pro-max-dashboard.webp) My one complaint is that there's no option to keep the small OLED always on for stats. If the old always-on behavior bothered some people enough to get a tap-to-wake option, and the tap-to-wake bothered others enough to get the current button-press behavior, the dashboard should really let you choose the original always-on mode too, for people like me who want the stats always visible at a glance. ## Testing it as a local AI desktop Pironman 5 Pro Max provides the following additional features from the previous Max version: - 2 tiny speakers - USB-based microphone - IPS touchscreen - Camera plus mount This is where the Pro Max earns its "Pro" name, so I put together two small projects that utilize these four additional projects. First, I built a voice assistant using faster-whisper, piper-tts, sounddevice, openwakeword, and psutil. It listens for the wake word "Hey Jarvis" and handles simple requests like reading out CPU temperature and usage, both through the speaker and on the touchscreen. ![Small AI projects with Pironman 5 Pro Max](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/ai-project-pironman5-pro-max.webp) Small AI project that listens and responds to commands Second, I built a face greeter using opencv-contrib-python and piper-tts. I trained it on my own face and my daughter Ushika's face, so whenever the camera spots either of us, it announces "Hello Abhishek" or "Hello Ushika" through the speaker. ``` Note that Qt no longer ships fonts. Deploy some (from https://dejavu-fonts.github.io/ for example) or switch to fontconfig. Watching for faces. Press 'q' on the window, or Ctrl+C here, to stop. Recognized ushika (confidence 68.9) -> greeting ``` ![Face detection with Raspberry Pi 5 Pro Max AI project](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/pironman-5-pro-max-face-detection.webp) Neither project is complicated on its own, you could run both on a bare Raspberry Pi 5 with a webcam and a USB speaker. What the Pro Max adds is that everything, the mic, the camera mount, the speakers, and the screen to show status, is already built into one desktop-style unit. That's the whole pitch of this case, and in my testing, it delivered on it. The OV5647 camera module that came with the case is decent. The [official Raspberry Pi AI Camera](https://amzn.to/4fVngMF?ref=itsfoss.com) might have performed even better. Similarly, if I had [Hailo 8 AI accelerator](https://amzn.to/4fVngMF?ref=itsfoss.com) in this setup, these AI projects could easily be expanded to more serious work. ## Cooling well done Even while running these AI workloads, the case stayed cool. CPU temperature usually lingered around 45°C and goes to 56°C under load in my testing. I haven't tried it with an NVMe SSD or the Hailo AI accelerator installed, since I don't own either, so I can't speak to thermals once you add those into the mix. But since it has one tower cooler and two PWM fans, it should provide the best possible cooling. ## A case that keeps growing with the Pi 5 ![Pironman 5 Pro Max and Max cases](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/pironman5-pro-and-max.webp) The Pironman line has been evolving with actual user demand, and you can see it clearly if you've followed all three previous versions. The original Pironman 5 was a tower cooler with room for one NVMe SSD. Pironman 5 Max added a second NVMe slot, so you could mix an SSD with a Hailo AI accelerator instead of just stacking storage. The Pro Max takes everything from the Max and adds a 4.3" screen and a camera mount on top. That combination, camera or AI camera plus AI accelerator plus SSD, gives you pretty much every upgrade path you could want on a Pi 5 right now. It's versatile enough to be a basic NAS, a local AI box, a Home Assistant hub, or whatever other Pi project you have in mind, all in a proper desktop-style tower instead of a naked board on your desk. ## Is the Pironman 5 Pro Max worth getting? ![Pironman 5 Pro Max](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/pironman-max-pro-review.webp) At $145.99 barebone, this sits well above the original Pironman 5 ($79.99) and the Pironman 5 Max ($94.99). So, you should weigh your needs and wants. If you just want solid tower cooling and a place to put one NVMe SSD, the original Pironman 5 still does that job for less. Although its gray aluminum look may not be as cool as the dark ones like Max and Max Pro. If you want dual NVMe with RAID or a Hailo accelerator alongside storage, the Max covers that without the screen and camera premium. The Pro Max is for a more specific person: someone who wants to build voice assistants, camera-based projects, a Home Assistant hub, or general local AI experiments on a Raspberry Pi 5, and wants the mic, camera, and screen already integrated into a case instead of duct-taped together. If that's the project you have in mind, this could be a good option. The versatility on offer here, NAS, AI box, Home Assistant hub, general Pi project machine, is hard to match. [Pironman 5 Pro Max](https://www.sunfounder.com/products/pironman-5-pro-max-mini-pc-case-with-touch-screen-for-raspberry-pi-5?ref=itsfoss) ### Play Local Music With File-Manager Simplicity URL: https://itsfoss.com/sonictree-music-player/ Last updated: 2026-07-26T09:36:44.000Z Have you ever wished for a file manager that shows you nothing but audio files that you can play, and then play them within the manager itself? Yeah, I haven't either. But if you had, I might have discovered the application for you. Here comes SonicTree. ## SonicTree: The Simple Music Player ![SonicTree music player](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/sonic-tree-player.png) SonicTree is an as-simple-as-it-gets kind of music player in the middle of all the fancy, all extensive ones we've recently seen (like the high-fidelity player [Astra](https://itsfoss.com/astra-music-player/)). It offers you an easy experience: a file-explorer, a list of playable audio files, playback of said audio files, and a simple playing menu at the bottom. Most music players automatically categorize your music files based on the metadata of the file. This one desn't and that's its unique feature. If you are someone who has meticulously organized music files into folders of your own criteria, you might like SonicTree. There's nothing much more or much less to it, but let us explore the features in detail. ## Interface SonicTree has a file-explorer on the left that is shown in a (surprise, surprise) tree structure. You can expand directories into subdirectories, and double clicking on any directory lists all the playable audio files on the big canvas on the right. Besides the file title, there's also the track number, artist name, album name, duration and year of release. On the bottom of this canvas, there's the playerback interface. It shows the song and artist name, the album cover, a seek for the song as well as the volume, buttons for playing, pausing, next track and previous track, and technical information of the song such as the filetype, bitrate, frequency, stereo settings and whether it is lossless or lossy. ![SonicTree Interface](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/sonictree_interface.png) On the top, there are two menus, one that rescans the folders, and one that can be used to change the repeat status to off, single track, or playlist. The interface, though, looks very dated and clunky by modern application standards in 2026\. The design looks like something from the early 2000s era and not in a chic way, and the song listings quite literally overlap on each other (at least on my system). The looks can be worked upon and straightened out a bit to bring it to the present, in my opinion. ## Performance SonicTree boasts low strain on the hardware of the system, and gapless playback, and on that counts it delivers well. It seems to barely have an impact on the system, taking about 50 MB RAM and 02-0.5% CPU usage (numbers may vary depending on your system). The playback is indeed gapless, seamlessly switching between tracks without a delay. The playback of files is usually alright. I've tried MP3, WAV, M4A and OPUS audios, and they all work flawlessly. But these are all lossy formats. When I tried a lossless FLAC audio, it didn't play at all. That might be a dealbreaker for a lot of people, as mostly the point of an offline music player is to play lossless audio. But I can't really say that they don't deliver because on their website, they don't really list formats that are playable. ## Navigation As for the navigation, the seeks and the buttons on the GUI are the obvious choice, but there's a simple set of keyboard shortcuts as well that do the job. Space to toggle the playing, Enter to select the song from the list to play, Ctrl+Left or Right Arrows to change the track, Ctrl+Up or Down Arrows to increase/decrease volume, Shift+Right/Left to seek through the song, and finally, Esc to exit. ![SonicTree Keyboard Shortcuts](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/sonictree_keyboard.png) ## Get SonicTree SonicTree can be downloaded from its official page on SourceForge.net, and is available only as an AppImage: [Get SonicTree](https://sourceforge.net/projects/sonictree/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## Wrapping Up SonicTree doesn't offer much. It looks a little awkward, a little out of time, but it gets the job done. It is essentially for people who like managing their music files in their own way, in their own folder structure. Can't say if I can count it among the [list of best music players for Linux](https://itsfoss.com/best-music-players-linux/). The shortcomings can't really be pointed out, as they didn't really claim to cover it all in the first place. But since this is still a very early version, perhaps more improvement will be seen in the later ones. ### Ubuntu 26.10 "Stonking Stingray": All the New Features So Far URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-10-features/ Last updated: 2026-09-23T09:39:38.000Z Every two years, Canonical puts out a [Long Term Support](https://itsfoss.com/long-term-support-lts/) release that gets five years of security updates, which can be stretched further with [Ubuntu Pro](https://ubuntu.com/pro?ref=itsfoss.com). In between those LTS releases, Canonical ships **an interim version every six months**, and each one is supported for nine months. Those releases don't carry the same importance as an LTS, but that's the point. They give [Canonical](https://canonical.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) room to test newer kernels, toolchains, and design changes with a smaller user base before those changes get baked into the next LTS. The next one, **Ubuntu 26.10**, carries the codename "**Stonking Stingray**", continuing the tradition of ordered alphabetical codenames after [Resolute Raccoon](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-04-lts/) (*26.04*). Stonking is British slang for something impressively big or excellent, and a stingray is the flat-bodied, boneless fish that spends most of its time half-buried in sand near the seafloor (*which is quite understandable seeing the state of this world*). If things go as planned, it will land on **October 15, 2026**, with a short support window that will close in July 2027. ## ⏱️ Ubuntu 26.10 Release Schedule ![fastfetch output of a development build of ubuntu 26.10 shown inside a terminal window](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/ubuntu-26-10-fastfetch-output-1.png) Below is the release schedule [as laid out by Canonical](https://documentation.ubuntu.com/release-notes/26.10/schedule/?ref=itsfoss.com); do keep in mind that some of these dates might change if there are any regressions or other developmental hurdles. | Milestone | Date | | ----------------- | ------------------ | | Beta Release | September 24, 2026 | | Kernel Freeze | October 1, 2026 | | Release Candidate | October 8, 2026 | | Final Release | October 15, 2026 | Know that this is kind of [a live blog](https://www.britannica.com/topic/liveblogging?ref=itsfoss.com) where we will be adding new changes and handling any anticipated features as they appear. So, yeah, let's see what's coming with Ubuntu 26.10\. 👇 ## Something for New Installations ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/ubuntu-26-10-installer-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/ubuntu-26-10-welcome-dialog-1.png) **The typical installation and onboarding experience of Ubuntu.* Canonical **is redesigning how Ubuntu gets installed**, with a sharper focus on cutting down the complexity around partitioning and storage configuration. The new design is set to lean on safe defaults, guided workflows, and will be hiding advanced options behind a button (*presumably*) instead of throwing everything at you at once. Alongside the installer, **a new onboarding flow** is in the works too. Instead of asking you to make every decision during setup, Ubuntu will move personalization and configuration into a dedicated first-boot experience after the system is already up and running. Organizations deploying Ubuntu at scale will still be able to automate and configure these onboarding steps, just like they can with the current installer (*pictured above*). Worth noting that both of these are explicitly aimed at **Ubuntu 28.04 LTS**. The design work is happening during the 26.10 cycle, but don't expect the finished experience to show up fully baked in this release. ## Linux Kernel 7.3 ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/ubuntu-26-10-linux-7-3.png) You might remember that Canonical changed its kernel selection policy [back in 2024](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-latest-kernel/), opting to ship whatever upstream kernel version is the latest available at release freeze, even if it was in the *Release Candidate* status. That policy got extended further [in 2025](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/kernel-development-release-cadence-and-deprecation-of-linux-modules-extra/65176?ref=itsfoss.com) to also track interim kernel versions during the development cycle itself through monthly snapshots for better test coverage along the way. Now, weeks before the kernel freeze in October, the Ubuntu team at Canonical [has decided](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/announcing-7-2-kernel-for-ubuntu-26-10-stonking-stingray/83393/10?ref=itsfoss.com) to ship Ubuntu 26.10 with **Linux kernel 7.3**! This kernel lays the groundwork for AMD's upcoming Zen 6 client CPUs by introducing `AMD_CPU_TYPE_LOW_POWER`, a third core type sitting alongside the existing performance and efficiency (Zen 4C/5C) cores. It also unifies how Intel and AMD core types are mapped under a generic paradigm, and for power management, the AMD P-State driver gains dynamic EPP tuning at per-core granularity, while Intel gets better HWP handling for Broadwell hardware. [Nouveau](https://nouveau.freedesktop.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), the open source NVIDIA driver, picks up NVDEC channel allocation support through the ABI16 interface, while Valve's [2026 Steam Controller](https://store.steampowered.com/hardware/steamcontroller?ref=itsfoss.com) has gained [initial mainline support](https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/99pnqn61-qs7s-26o7-o05q-n18485pqs3q6@xreary.bet/?ref=itsfoss.com). ## A Major D-Bus Change Ubuntu is finally swapping out [dbus-daemon](https://dbus.freedesktop.org/doc/dbus-daemon.1.html?ref=itsfoss.com), the default D-Bus implementation it's used since its very first release back in 2004, in favor of [dbus-broker](https://github.com/bus1/dbus-broker?ref=itsfoss.com). If you didn't know, [D-Bus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-Bus?ref=itsfoss.com) is the messaging system your desktop relies on constantly, letting apps, background services, and the system itself pass messages back and forth. Anything from plugging in a USB drive to updating a notification badge runs through it. Dbus-daemon has held up fine as the reference implementation for over two decades, but it has limits. Under heavy load, messages can vanish unexpectedly, and it queries message targets sequentially instead of all at once, which adds up to latency as the bus gets busier. Dbus-broker addresses both by design, built around an asynchronous, event-driven architecture from the ground up, and it's already the default on several other distros. ## GNOME 51 ![an early build of gnome 51 is showcased here on a development build of ubuntu 26.10 where the settings app and file manager are open](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/ubuntu-26-10-gnome-51.png) Ubuntu 26.10 is shipping with **GNOME 51**, the upcoming stable release from the [GNOME](https://www.gnome.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) project that's scheduled to be out sometime in mid-September. We start with **the *Shell* changes first**, which has picked up many fixes that you will actually notice during daily use. Screenshot selections now stretch cleanly to monitor edges instead of stopping short, the power-off dialog properly shows its "*Install Updates*" checkbox again, and the overview search box stops resetting its loading spinner every time you type a character. It also swaps in custom sound effects instead of pulling from the system sound theme, saves and restores your monitor brightness across sessions, and only lights up the audio input icon in the top bar while your mic is actually recording. The rest of the [desktop environment](https://itsfoss.com/what-is-desktop-environment/) picks up smaller but still visible changes. The Settings app drops the "*Windowing System*" (*Wayland ftw, I guess?*) field from the *About* page and condenses system details into a single page. Similarly, [Software](https://apps.gnome.org/Software/?ref=itsfoss.com) now warns you before installing an app that's already reached end-of-life, and [Calendar](https://apps.gnome.org/Calendar/?ref=itsfoss.com) got its internals rebuilt around GListModel **for better performance** and has **picked up support for opening Teams meeting links directly**. **Mutter**, GNOME's window manager, is dropping support for legacy NVIDIA drivers. ![prototype of gnome's new search overlay](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/gnome-51-floating-search.png) **Source:* [**Sam Hewitt*](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-shell/-/merge%5Frequests/4307?ref=itsfoss.com#note%5F2826988) There's also [an unconfirmed addition](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-shell/-/merge%5Frequests/4307?ref=itsfoss.com) that would bring GNOME, and by extension, Ubuntu desktop, on par with how KDE Plasma handles app searches and launches via [KRunner](https://userbase.kde.org/Plasma/Krunner?ref=itsfoss.com). GNOME's version would open up an overlay over the current workspace or apps view to show you the same search bar you already use but in a smaller, floating form that gives you quick access to your apps and files. ## AI is Coming If you remember, Canonical [shared their plans](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-is-getting-ai/) to handle AI on Ubuntu back in April, when Jon Seager split things into two approaches. Implicit AI improves things you already use without you noticing, and explicit AI is the kind you'd actually summon on purpose. The short version of it all was that **everything would be local-first** and built around open-weight models rather than forcing a cloud subscription onto users. One of the earliest features under this new initiative is [Myna](https://itsfoss.com/news/myna-ai-speech-to-text-tool/), a local speech-to-text tool built around a simple push-to-talk flow. Hold a hotkey, speak, and the transcribed text lands wherever your cursor was sitting. Recognition happens entirely on your machine through a sandboxed component called the *Canonical Inference Snap*, with different model sizes to match whatever hardware you're running. ![the myna gnome shell extension on screen display states](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/ubuntu-26-10-myna-osd.jpg) **Source: OMG! Ubuntu* [OMG! Ubuntu](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/08/testing-ubuntu-ai-voice-dictation?ref=itsfoss.com) got an early version of Myna working by building from source, and during their testing they found out that there are two parts to it. One is the orchestrator that sits behind the scenes loading the AI model, handling hotkey detection, etc., and the GNOME Shell extension that's the user-facing side that shows you the various states Myna goes through (as shown above). ## Ubuntu Certified Check ![ubuntu certification check inside the settings menu for ubuntu 26.10](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/09/ubuntu-26-10-certification-check.png) If you ever wondered whether your device was officially supported by Ubuntu, then you will like this one. The *Settings* menu is getting a simple way to check whether your machine is [Ubuntu Certified](https://ubuntu.com/certified?ref=itsfoss.com). It is already up on the daily builds, showing up in the *About* page, where it pulls a certification status for your exact hardware model, checked against Canonical's own database. When I enabled it, the check was a fail, even though my laptop is technically certified. The reason it didn't get it right was because I was running Ubuntu inside a [virtual machine](https://itsfoss.com/virtual-machine/). **Results can range from** *fully certified* to *certified for a different Ubuntu version*, *close to a certified model*, *not certified*, or *unable to check*. ## Package-Agnostic Approach ![the app center app on ubuntu 26.10 handling deb file installation](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/ubuntu-26-10-deb-installation-1.png) The [App Center](https://snapcraft.io/install/snap-store/ubuntu?ref=itsfoss.com) is getting rebuilt to handle apps consistently **no matter which packaging format they come in**, with unified search, ratings, categories, and metadata. Earlier, when Canonical rebuilt Ubuntu's software center into App Center for 23.10, it launched without the ability [to install local DEB files](https://itsfoss.com/install-deb-files-ubuntu/) at all. Double-clicking one either threw an error or left you staring at a spinner that never resolved. That got fixed with an update to Ubuntu 24.04's App Center [months later](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-24-04-deb-install/). ## Continued Rustification Canonical is putting more weight behind memory-safe Rust rewrites, recently becoming [a Gold Sponsor](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-ntpd-rs-push/) of the Trifecta Tech Foundation with **a €40,000 yearly contribution**. Ubuntu's already swapped *coreutils*, *findutils*, *diffutils*, and *sudo* for their Rust equivalents, with [sudo-rs](https://itsfoss.com/sudo-vs-sudo-rs/) becoming the default in 25.10\. Ntpd-rs is next in line, a Rust rewrite of the tools Ubuntu uses to keep system clocks synced. The Trifecta funding is going toward catching ntpd-rs up to [chrony](https://chrony-project.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) on features like multi-threaded NTP servers and GPSd support, alongside AppArmor and seccomp hardening. Although [ntpd-rs](https://trifectatech.org/projects/ntpd-rs/?ref=itsfoss.com) is arriving in the testing archives for 26.10, it becoming the default is planned for next year, when Ubuntu 27.04 is introduced. ## New Wallpapers In line with the mascot for this release, and following what the Ubuntu team usually does, a set of fresh new wallpapers has been introduced for Ubuntu 26.10, which were selected from [a community-driven competition](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/stonking-stingray-26-10-wallpaper-competition/86058?ref=itsfoss.com). This time, there was a huge turnout of people submitting their work, and a total of **12 new wallpapers were selected** [across three categories](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/vote-stonking-stingray-wallpaper-competition/86906/18?ref=itsfoss.com): *Mascot*, *Photography*, and *Digital/Abstract*. What you see in the video above are the different variants of the default wallpaper for 26.10 created by the folks at Canonical. ## Miscellaneous Additions And here are a bunch of smaller but important changes that deserve your attention now that you have scrolled so far. ☠️ - Continued push toward [WCAG 2.2 AA](https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/?ref=itsfoss.com) accessibility compliance. - The [hwctl](https://packages.ubuntu.com/stonking/hwctl?ref=itsfoss.com) command-line tool has been [turned into a Snap](https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/rust-hwlib/+bug/2156756?ref=itsfoss.com); it used to be offered as a DEB package earlier. - New wallpapers, chosen through the usual community wallpaper contest, though Canonical hasn't announced it yet. - The full desktop experience for RISC-V, targeting [RVA23](https://ubuntu.com/blog/risc-v-profiles-why-is-rva23-significant?ref=itsfoss.com)\-compliant hardware. - Better driver management controls, with clearer metadata and maturity indicators for available drivers. - Microsoft password and MFA authentication support through [authd](https://ubuntu.com/docs/authd/stable-docs/?ref=itsfoss.com), with approval requests routed through [Microsoft Authenticator](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/authenticator/about-microsoft-authenticator?ref=itsfoss.com). - An experimental amd64v3 ([x86-64-v3](https://hackaday.com/2024/02/25/what-is-x86-64-v3/?ref=itsfoss.com)) package archive for testing performance gains on newer Intel and AMD CPUs. - A proposed change to strip signed GRUB builds down [to bare essentials](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-10-grub-overhaul/) for Secure Boot, dropping support for filesystems like Btrfs and ZFS in the process. ## 📥 Download Ubuntu 26.10 While the stable ISOs for this interim Ubuntu release are a few months out, you can take [the snapshots](https://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/releases/26.10/release/?ref=itsfoss.com) or [the daily builds](https://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/stonking/daily-live/current/?ref=itsfoss.com) for test runs on a virtual machine or a spare machine. We don't recommend installing such images on computers that are used daily or on production-sensitive deployments because these contain components that might break at any time. [Ubuntu 26.10 (snapshots)](https://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/releases/26.10/release/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Ubuntu 26.04 Stopped Notifying Users About Updates, But That Was Intentional URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-04-update-notifier-fix/ Last updated: 2026-07-24T17:41:58.000Z If update notifications have stopped showing up on your Ubuntu 26.04 LTS install, that isn't some random glitch. OMG Ubuntu's [Joey Sneddon](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/07/ubuntu-26-04-update-notifications-disabled?ref=itsfoss.com) has traced it back to [a Launchpad bug report](https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/update-notifier/+bug/2159587?ref=itsfoss.com) and [a Discourse thread](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/update-manager-never-popping-up/85064?ref=itsfoss.com) that both point to the same root cause. The issue is that *update-notifier* only sends a desktop notification when its tray icon is visible, and that icon was switched off in [Ubuntu 26.04](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-04-lts/), with nothing in the *Settings* menu to switch it back on. [Guillaume Michaud](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/u/gfmichaud?ref=itsfoss.com), who filed the bug on July 5, **found 10 pending non-security updates sitting on his machine without a single prompt to install them**. He tested it manually. With the tray icon forced on, update-notifier fired a notification, and with it switched off, nothing happened at all. Canonical's Marco Trevisan had flagged a [related problem](https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/update-notifier/+bug/2148611?ref=itsfoss.com) himself back in April, when the update indicator wasn't obeying its own settings and couldn't be switched on even manually. That got fixed within a day, but the icon stayed off by default. Commenting on the bug again [in June](https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/update-notifier/+bug/2148611/comments/3?ref=itsfoss.com), Marco called the setup a design choice and said anyone who wants the icon back can enable it through *gsettings*. ***However, this sounds worse than it actually is.*** 😅 Ubuntu still runs [unattended-upgrades](https://ubuntu.com/server/docs/how-to/software/automatic-updates/?ref=itsfoss.com) in the background by default, so security patches keep installing themselves whether a notification ever appears. The actual gap was in non-security updates, the kind you'd normally want to review yourself, going completely unflagged. ## The fix Alessandro Astone has already shipped [update-notifier 3.207.2](https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/update-notifier/3.207.2?ref=itsfoss.com) as a security update cleared for Ubuntu 26.04.1\. It removes the tray icon dependency entirely. Now, an [App Center](https://snapcraft.io/install/snap-store/ubuntu?ref=itsfoss.com) install, an unattended-upgrades run, or a manual check all trigger the same notification. And because it went out as a security update, the fix reaches most systems automatically thanks to unattended-upgrades. **If you'd rather have the tray icon back**, open a terminal and run: ``` gsettings set com.ubuntu.update-notifier show-updates-status-icon true ``` Or just check your update status directly through App Center's "*Manage*" tab, the Software Updater, or simply run: ``` apt list --upgradable ``` --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*GNOME's Security Might Be in Peril as Lone Tracker Goes Off*](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-security-tracking-limbo/) [GNOME’s Security Might Be in Peril as Lone Tracker Goes OffMichael Catanzaro has single-handedly run GNOME security tracking since 2020, but he is leaving in December.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-3fabecde-f444-4502-b385-bafdfc2d72f0.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/gnome-security-reports-banner-f8bac5fa-9bb4-40a1-a41e-b214a20c7d60.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-security-tracking-limbo/) ### Codeberg Has Drawn a Hard Line on Use of AI With Community Backing URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/codeberg-bans-ai-contributions/ Last updated: 2026-07-24T16:31:44.000Z 📋 ****TLDR:** \- Codeberg e.V. members voted on two AI-related proposals at their annual assembly, and both passed. \- The first formalizes that Codeberg will never use project or user code and data to train AI models. \- The second amends the Terms of Use to ban projects that mostly consist of AI-generated code. \- Codeberg cites server strain from AI crawlers, rising hardware costs, and eroding contributor trust as its motivations. Codeberg's annual [member](https://join.codeberg.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) assembly has tackled [two important votes this week](https://blog.codeberg.org/protecting-our-floss-commons-from-llms.html?ref=itsfoss.com), and both are about AI. One formalizes a promise already implied by the non-profit's privacy policy that it won't use code or user data to train AI models. The other rewrites the Terms of Use to ban most AI-generated projects from the platform outright. Both proposals passed after a 14-day voting period that closed on July 22. ## The two votes The first vote turned an existing privacy stance into formal policy. Codeberg's [privacy policy](https://codeberg.org/Codeberg/org/src/branch/main/PrivacyPolicy.md?ref=itsfoss.com) already states **it doesn't want to need user data**, and the members have now extended that same principle to AI. The forge and its associated services **will not use code or data from projects and users to train AI tools**, according to the passed motion. **The second vote was more contested**. It passed 358 to 144, with 14 abstentions, on a turnout of around half of Codeberg's active members. The result is the addition of a new clause to the [Terms of Use](https://codeberg.org/Codeberg/org/src/branch/main/TermsOfUse.md?ref=itsfoss.com) (*check point 2.7*) barring projects built mostly from AI-generated code, specifically naming tools like Claude and OpenAI Codex. ## Why do this? Codeberg's reasoning goes well beyond a single grievance. AI crawlers hit the platform indiscriminately, reading every issue filter variant and every point in git history. This results in excessive workload for volunteer system administrators who could instead be working on new improvements. **Hardware costs are climbing too**. Codeberg says a drive that cost around €700 a few years ago now runs closer to €3,700 and is often out of stock. Because the association, *Codeberg e.V.*, owns its hardware rather than renting cloud capacity, it has to absorb those price hikes directly. Codeberg also argues that **vibe-coded, single-use software is flooding the platform** with projects that consume storage and [CI/CD](https://www.redhat.com/en/topics/devops/what-is-ci-cd?ref=itsfoss.com) resources far beyond what their contributor count would justify. At the same time, maintainers face a growing pile of low-effort AI-generated contributions to review. ## What it means for you? Codeberg is confident that **these changes won't trigger a mass deletion of existing repositories**. The moderation team isn't generating a purge list either, as enforcement will happen case by case as issues come up. Projects with an active community, real history predating AI tools, or the odd, unknowingly accepted AI contribution are unlikely to be affected. Small side projects and experiments get some leeway too, as long as they don't draw much attention. **The line is drawn at projects built by autonomous AI agents**, code maintained mostly through heavy AI use, or projects burning far more resources than their contributor count justifies. It's hard not to read this against [what Linus Torvalds has been saying lately](https://itsfoss.com/news/linus-torvalds-on-ai/). He went from calling AI "*90 percent marketing*" to telling critics to fork the kernel or walk away if they don't like it in Linux. What Codeberg did here is the opposite; it looked at the same technology and decided the costs, to its servers, the trust between contributors, and to the model of running a small non-profit forge, outweigh whatever AI might offer in return. ## My humble opinion I think they did the right thing. [Codeberg](https://codeberg.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is just getting more popular, and they can't risk cost overruns at this stage, with active development and no shortage of new repositories building on it. A project like Linux is a different story. It's one of the most heavily reviewed codebases on the planet, where **a bad AI-generated patch tends to get caught fast**, with some harsh words following soon after. ### Collabora Online Turns 10, Refusing to Hand Over Your Data to Someone Else's AI URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/collabora-online-26-04/ Last updated: 2026-07-23T14:07:37.000Z [Collabora Productivity](https://www.collaboraonline.com/about-us/?ref=itsfoss.com) has spent the past decade proving that an open source office suite can compete directly with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace without asking organizations to give up control of their infrastructure or their documents. All of that is backed by a team of open source engineers whose work has made Collabora a trusted name when enterprises go shopping for a collaborative document platform. Celebrating the 10-year anniversary of [Collabora Online](https://www.collaboraonline.com/collabora-online/?ref=itsfoss.com), they have now [released Collabora Online 26.04](https://www.collaboraonline.com/blog/cool-26-04-release/?ref=itsfoss.com), marking a major milestone for the self-hostable offering. ## We already saw this ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/collabora-online-26-04-writer-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/collabora-online-26-04-calc-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/collabora-online-26-04-impress-2.png) **Collabora Online 26.04 Writer, Calc, and Impress.* Most of what ships in Collabora Online 26.04 will look familiar if you followed the [CODE 26.04](https://itsfoss.com/news/collabora-code-26-04/) release back in June. So this will be me rehashing the information we already covered earlier. **AI assistance touches every major app in the suite** this time, landing in Writer, Calc, and Impress. Writer's version helps draft and rewrite passages, Calc's works through formula errors and spreadsheet data, and Impress's condenses notes or longer documents into slide-ready material. None of it runs unless an organization switches it on first. From there, teams choose their own path, connecting a commercial API they already trust or deploying a self-hosted model on infrastructure they control, with Collabora not peddling any specific vendor. **Calc**'s changes lean toward collaboration. Per-user sheet views let two people filter and rearrange the same shared spreadsheet without stepping on each other's setup. Pivot tables now support calculated values, and a batch of newer functions is here for anyone doing serious data work. **Impress** picks up *Follow-Me Slideshows*, where an audience automatically tracks whatever slide the presenter is on, with the option to pause and scroll back through something they missed before rejoining the live view. **Writer**'s document comparison tool has got the biggest rework this cycle. Bring up an earlier version of a file, whether it's on the server or sitting locally, and the editor highlights everything that changed against the current draft, credited to whoever made the edit and when. You also have the choice of reviewing changes side by side or through the usual *tracked changes* panel, and there's BITV 2.0 accreditation too. Speaking about this release, [Michael Meeks](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-meeks-8a6b2151/?ref=itsfoss.com), the CEO of Collabora Productivity, said that: > Collabora Online 26.04’s highly customisable and tightly controlled AI assistance enables users to safely accelerate their document related tasks. > > Likewise, the new editing and review features, improved accessibility and greater document interoperability will smooth the everyday experience for all users, making it more intuitive and flexible. ## Why go for Collabora Online? Collabora offers four flavors of its suite. [CODE](https://www.collaboraonline.com/code/?ref=itsfoss.com) is free and self-hosted, built for early adopters chasing new features first. [Collabora Office](https://www.collaboraonline.com/collabora-office/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Collabora Office Classic](https://www.collaboraonline.com/collabora-office-classic/?ref=itsfoss.com) bring that experience to the desktop, while [Collabora Online](https://www.collaboraonline.com/collabora-online/?ref=itsfoss.com) is the paid enterprise solution. Everything here has already made it through CODE, where the community stress-tested it first. Collabora then rolls it into *Online* with a paid SLA, signed security updates, long-term maintenance, and direct access to its support team whenever something breaks. [Collabora Online](https://www.collaboraonline.com/collabora-online/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### FOSS Weekly #26.30: Vocalinux, My Computer, Alacritty Terminal, TDF Against Microsoft and More Linux Stuff URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-30/ Last updated: 2026-07-23T12:55:11.000Z Ready for another round of latest happenings in Linux world? Here, we go. [Vocalinux 0.14 beta](https://itsfoss.com/news/vocalinux-beta-release/) adds custom recording shortcuts, fixes Wayland text injection on GNOME, and handles CPU usage better on hybrid laptops. It didn't run cleanly during testing, but it's pre-release software, so that's a given. GNOME's entire security tracking operation has been one person since 2020\. That person is leaving in December. There's [space for a replacement](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-security-tracking-limbo/), but they will have to modernize the current system. Nothing to panic about. GNOME Foundation should take care of it. Speaking of GNOME, the GNOME OS' development is going on nicely, with the developers sharing that [a safe mode is coming](https://www.phoronix.com/news/GNOME-OS-Safe-Mode?ref=itsfoss.com), allowing users to troubleshoot issues that prevent boot or optimal usage of the OS. MPEG-4 Visual is now [completely patent-free](https://itsfoss.com/news/mpeg-4-visual-patent-expiry/) after the last remaining patent, held by Siemens AG in Brazil, expired a few days ago. If you do a lot of video processing on a Zen 4 or newer AMD chip, FFmpeg's latest AVX-512 optimization [is worth knowing about](https://www.phoronix.com/news/FFmpeg-AVX-512-1.372x?ref=itsfoss.com). RGB24 to RGBA conversion is now 1.372x faster. The TDF has published [a sharp piece](https://blog.documentfoundation.org/blog/2026/07/17/microsofts-main-tool-for-lock-in/?ref=itsfoss.com) on why DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX are Microsoft's most effective lock-in tool. These bind organizations not through contracts or bans, but via pesky formatting friction that makes anything outside Office look slightly wrong. Elon says [X's entire codebase is going open source](https://itsfoss.com/news/x-might-be-going-open-source/) once xAI finishes a security review. He's said things like this before, but his track record has been mixed so far. [Jellyfin is having a leadership crisis](https://itsfoss.com/news/jellyfin-leadership-crisis/). I hope it gets sorted soon because Jellyfin is my favorite [media server](https://itsfoss.com/media-server-software/), and I would like to see the project being happily developed. ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About Three years ago Linus called AI "*90 percent marketing*." Last week [he told critics inside the kernel project to fork it or walk away](https://itsfoss.com/news/linus-torvalds-on-ai/). He is not alone. People have accepted AI as a tool in the development kit. [Linus Torvalds Spent Years Dismissing AI, Only to Vouch for ItA chronological look at how Linux’s creator went from “90% marketing” to telling AI critics to fork the kernel or walk away.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-413087ac-a1f3-42cc-bc93-bfa7be7b337a.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linus-torvalds-anti-ai-banner-4a2b6faf-00fe-49b2-9590-249b4de0d800.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/linus-torvalds-on-ai/) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings Sreenath, a Kitty user of several years, [tried Alacritty for two months](https://itsfoss.com/alacritty-terminal/) and came away with a temptation to switch. Features like Vi mode, scrollback search, bracket matching, and sensible defaults are what won him over. Here are [eight GNOME extensions](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-extensions-for-productivity/) that can make you more productive. A dropdown terminal, clipboard history with regex search, a proper tiling manager, Pomodoro timer, sticky notes that actually *stick*, and phone notifications on your desktop. [MangoWM does what Niri does](https://itsfoss.com/mangowm-explore/) but gives you many layout modes alongside a comprehensive tags system, per-tag layout switching, and a lean installation for you to tailor according to your preferences. [Tired of manually mounting your external drive every time](https://itsfoss.com/automount-drives-linux/)? Adding a UUID entry to `/etc/fstab` handles it at boot, while `udev` rules combined with `autofs` take care of hot-plugged USB drives. I wrote this tutorial years ago and it is still valid. Lastly, enjoy [workspaces in Linux Mint](https://itsfoss.com/workspaces-linux-mint/). ## ⌛ Don't Miss: Last Week for Linux Books Less than a week to go for the [Humble Bundle O'Reilly collection](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/X4r9Lg?ref=itsfoss.com). It is packed with Linux and Unix books, covering everything from shell scripting to system administration and kernel internals. This should be of interest to most Linux users, professional or not. [Humble Tech Book Bundle: Linux: All the Things by O’ReillyAll things are possible with the power of Linux—learn the latest and greatest techniques from the pros at O’Reilly and help support Code for America!![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/46cf2ed85a0641bfdc052121786440c70da77d75-a1ab4ab2-0872-4a47-a141-0db5b2280abb.png)Humble Bundle![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/7c2e99d2c73e3cbbacc2b21dec6397356724309d-282c5e9d-d169-4493-b6a0-051124945870.png)](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/X4r9Lg?ref=itsfoss.com) ***And part of the money gets donated to Code for America.*** [Get the eBooks](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/X4r9Lg?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner What if you could have aan intern sitting on your desk and help you with your work? That's what [Intern 2 from Autonomous does](https://itsfoss.com/news/autonomous-intern-2/). Be prepared to see a lot of such "AI gadgets" in the coming months. [Talk to This Glowing Pyramid on Your Desk, and It’ll Run Your AI Agent for YouIt’s a pyramid-shaped Orange Pi 4 Pro that ships with OpenClaw or Hermes preloaded and now talks back so you get that “Iron Man” feel.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-da6677f9-5340-4639-9128-e5eeb8822c16.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/Intern_V2-2d60f656-3b65-4048-bda1-6a5845460053.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/news/autonomous-intern-2/) Got an old PC gathering dust? It could be converted into [a NAS](https://itsfoss.com/terramaster-f4-425-pro-first-impressions/). We have covered some [pretty neat OS options](https://itsfoss.com/open-source-nas-os/) that can complement your restoration efforts. [Here are Your Choices for an Open Source NAS Operating SystemBuilding a NAS in your homelab? Here are the choices of operating systems you can use.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-074b7d13-fa87-4e8d-bee7-bf815b6440f3.png)It's FOSSPulkit Chandak![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/nas-operating-system-09f560cd-4f34-4715-85a3-d0422511a60a.png)](https://itsfoss.com/open-source-nas-os/) Why should you opt for It's FOSS Plus membership: ✅ Ad-free reading experience ✅ Badges in the comment section and forum ✅ Supporting creation of educational Linux materials ✅ Free Linux eBook [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights GNOME removed "Other Locations" tab from the sidebar in [Nautilus so a developer created a "My Computer" style to show](https://itsfoss.com/nautilus-my-computer/) all the mounted drives in a beautiful overview. [Getting Windows-Like “My Computer” Feel on Linux File ManagerGet a beautiful, unified view of what drives and locations are on your computer in Nautilus file manager with this plugin.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-55f99215-856f-4032-a3f5-e076b9192d7c.png)It's FOSSSreenath![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/Not-Windows-61fce2a9-62e5-407a-8e68-9f3eb8af1195.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/nautilus-my-computer/) If you share a lot of screenshots or images and want to stop routing them through Imgur or similar services, [Slink](https://github.com/andrii-kryvoviaz/slink?ref=itsfoss.com) is worth a look. [GitHub - andrii-kryvoviaz/slink: Self-hosted image sharing serviceSelf-hosted image sharing service. Contribute to andrii-kryvoviaz/slink development by creating an account on GitHub.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/favicon-d380fca9-1b92-416f-a86f-ed6452a6cd5e.svg)GitHubandrii-kryvoviaz![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/slink-c52a537d-6a55-42f5-b52d-40f2f368ef08)](https://github.com/andrii-kryvoviaz/slink?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 📽️ Videos for You In the latest video, I show an [e-paper clock that I built recently](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxwmsZmARNw&ref=itsfoss.com). The special thing is that it tells time in book quotes. The [code is here for you to explore](https://github.com/itsfoss/literary-clock?ref=itsfoss.com). [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip This one is overlooked often, but [Looking Glass](https://wiki.gnome.org/Projects/GnomeShell/LookingGlass?ref=itsfoss.com) is GNOME's integrated inspector tool and JavaScript console that is quite useful for debugging. First, you have to launch the *Run a Command* dialog with `Alt+F2`, then launch the tool by typing `lg`. ![gnome looking glass tip](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/gnome-looking-glass-inspector-1.png) You can use it to troubleshoot issues with GNOME shell extensions or other interface snafus, and you can exit it by pressing `Esc`. Local AI Weekly will start from first week of August. If you are interested in learning about open source AI, please [subscribe to our upcoming Local AI Weekly newsletter](https://itsfoss.com/local-ai-weekly/). [Subscribe to Local AI Weekly ](https://itsfoss.com/local-ai-weekly/) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse How adept are you with Git? Our [Git Command Knowledge](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/git-crossword/) puzzle will test you. [Test Your git Command Knowledge: CrosswordGit your clues right and see if you can solve the crossword by guessing the git commands correctly.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-acba95b4-e630-4419-a2a5-91cf69d5e348.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/git-command-crossword-4cfb3b90-06a3-4b30-8dd3-d576d8297c37.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/git-crossword/) A riced-up [Hyprland](https://itsfoss.com/hyprland/) setup. 🤌 ![linux reject having children meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/meme9131.jpg) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On [July 25, 1990](https://www.computerhistory.org/tdih/july/25/?ref=itsfoss.com), Microsoft became the first PC software company ever to top $1 billion in annual sales, reporting $1.18 billion for its fiscal year. Just 15 years after Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded it in 1975. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: A slightly different thread than usual, FOSSers are discussing whether [the answer to EV charging issues is swappable batteries](https://itsfoss.community/t/evs-with-swappable-batteries/16074?ref=itsfoss.com). ### Plex's Open Source Alternative Jellyfin is Having a Leadership Crisis URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/jellyfin-leadership-crisis/ Last updated: 2026-07-23T10:46:06.000Z [Jellyfin](https://jellyfin.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), the local media server solution that makes people forget that Plex even exists, is going through a major shakeup in its development team's [organizational structure](https://forum.jellyfin.org/showteam.php?ref=itsfoss.com). In a [forum post](https://forum.jellyfin.org/t-project-leadership-changes?ref=itsfoss.com) published a few days ago, founder [Joshua Boniface](https://forum.jellyfin.org/u-joshuaboniface?ref=itsfoss.com) confirmed that he is departing as *Project Leader*, while [Anthony Lavado](https://forum.jellyfin.org/u-anthonylavado?ref=itsfoss.com) is stepping down as a core team member. Their exit comes just days after the other founder, [Andrew Rabert](https://github.com/andrewrabert?ref=itsfoss.com), announced his own voluntary departure. **Joshua and Anthony describe their exit as being amicable**, saying that there is little to no risk of a hostile fork. They're leaving day-to-day operations to the rest of the team, many of whom have already been managing different parts of Jellyfin for years. ## The departures ![many pictures are visible in this jellyfin movie page for a movie titled "jungle book"](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/jellyfin.png) **Just a placeholder image of an older build of Jellyfin.* Joshua and Andrew leaving are both cases of maintainer burnout. Boniface says **he could no longer give the role the mental or time-based effort** it demanded and that he was facing real risks to his own mental health as a result. Rabert's account, shared in [a GitHub issue](https://github.com/andrewrabert/jellium-desktop/issues/609?ref=itsfoss.com) about renaming his now-independent desktop client project, points to something similar. He said he started rewriting Jellyfin's desktop client back in December 2025 but **ran into resistance from certain members of the Jellyfin organization** over how he was approaching the work. That friction eventually cost him his motivation, and he made the call to leave the Jellyfin organization. Anthony's departure is a bit different. He said **he hasn't touched much code in recent times**, focusing instead on backend tasks like *App Store* management, and that changes in his personal life mean he can no longer give Jellyfin the time he used to. He's still sticking around through the transition, though, and says he's committed to making it a smooth one even if it takes up to a year. ## Things were looking up! ![a colored graph that shows the trend of jellyfin development from may 2025 to april 2026](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/jellyfin-development-graph.png) It wasn't long ago that Jellyfin looked to be in a good spot. Back in May, the project published a [State of the Fin](https://jellyfin.org/posts/state-of-the-fin-2026-05-24/?ref=itsfoss.com) update, and the stats pointed to a project running at a healthy pace. The accompanying activity graph, covering May 2025 through April 2026, showed PRs merged and issues closed staying in the hundreds nearly every month, with PRs merged ranging from roughly 180 to 430 and issues closed from roughly 240 to 500\. The contributor count held steady throughout. That same post introduced **Jellyfin's LLM and AI policy**, put together in response to a wave of AI-authored pull requests that had piled onto the team's workload. It also included a section titled "*Burnout / Remember the Person*", where the team said that growing support demands and the extra review work brought on by AI-generated code **had worn down staff** across development and admin roles. If you draw a parallel from the departures above, it is clear that many people were/are running at the absolute limit or have broken past their capacity to deliver good work. **And this is not something new**; we are used to [hearing about maintainer burnout](https://itsfoss.com/news/open-source-developers-are-exhausted/) taking capable devs off projects they once used to have a passion for. While things are certainly improving thanks to increased awareness, there's still a long way to go. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*You can set up Jellyfin on a Raspberry Pi to host your media library locally.*](https://itsfoss.com/jellyfin-raspberry-pi/) [Setting up Jellyfin Media Server on Raspberry PiPut your Raspberry Pi to a good use by setting up local media streaming with Jellyfin.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-9da2a243-bd78-4484-a189-3d61bd8c529f.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Kumar![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/setup-jellyfin-media-server-on-raspberry-pi5-a48aecf3-675a-4a5d-8067-3fe7ea9b4447.png)](https://itsfoss.com/jellyfin-raspberry-pi/) ### Getting Windows-Like "My Computer" Feel on Linux File Manager URL: https://itsfoss.com/nautilus-my-computer/ Last updated: 2026-07-23T03:39:47.000Z People who used Windows 7 and earflier version would remember "My Computer". It's called "This PC" now a days but does the same job. You click on the icon, and it opens the file explorer and shows you the meta folders (Documents, Pictures, Downloads, etc.) and all the drives on the system and any other mounted devices. ![Windows My Computer](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/windows-my-computer.jpeg) Windows 8 My Computer This is useful for many people to see all the locations in the system at a glance. On the Linux side, GNOME used to have **Other Locations** page in Nautilus file manager. It served as a central place where you could access network shares, cloud storage such as Google Drive, removable drives, and even your root partition. ![Other locations in GNOME file](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/other-locations-gnome.png) Other Locations view in older GNOME versions Starting with GNOME 47, that page was removed. In its place, Nautilus introduced a dedicated **Network** folder, while local drives and partitions were moved directly into the sidebar. This makes sense for systems with only a few drives, but some users still prefer to have a dedicated page that shows everything in one place. ## Meet My Computer for Nautilus [My Computer for Nautilus](https://github.com/yannmasoch/nautilus-my-computer?ref=itsfoss.com) is an extension for GNOME Files (Nautilus) that brings back a dedicated computer view. ![My Computer in GNOME](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/my-computer-gnome.webp) Instead of scattering drives and network locations across different places, it puts all your drives, partitions, removable media, and network mounts into a single, organized page. It also comes with a handful of useful features that [make Nautilus much more customizable](https://itsfoss.com/nautilus-tips-tweaks/) than it is by default. While bringing back a dedicated Computer view is its primary purpose, My Computer goes beyond that. It adds a few quality-of-life improvements that make Nautilus even more flexible. Let's have a look at its features. ### A dedicated Computer view The most noticeable change is the new **Computer** entry that appears at the top of the Nautilus sidebar. Clicking it opens a dedicated page where all your drives, partitions, removable media, and network locations are neatly organized. ![An image showing the My Computer view in Nautilus File Manager](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/computer-page-1.png) My Computer Panel You can even make Nautilus open in this view every time it starts. Simply right-click the **Computer** entry in the sidebar and select **My Computer Settings**. ![Right-click on the Computer entry in sidebar and then select My Computer Settings.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/my-computer-settings.png) Access My Computer Settings Under the **General** tab, enable **Start on the Computer View**. ![In the General tab of the settings window, enable the Start on the Computer View option to make Nautilus open in My Computer view.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/start-in-my-computer-1.png) Start in My Computer ### Customize what appears in the Computer View The Computer page is fully customizable. If you don't want certain sections, such as **Preferred Folders**, **Network**, or **Removable Media**, you can simply hide them. This lets you tailor the page to match your workflow. For example, you can turn it into a dedicated drives overview by hiding everything except storage devices. ![Panel Item visibility settings in My Computer settings.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/panel-item-visibility.png) Panel Item Visibility I have removed the Preferred Folders and made the Computer page show only Drives and Network Drives in the image below: ![Hidden Preferred Folders and only show Drives and Network Drives in the Computer Panel.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/hidden-preferred-folder-2.png) Hidden Preferred Folders ### Enjoy Miller columns One of the most interesting additions is support for **Miller Columns**. If you've used macOS Finder before, you'll immediately recognize this layout. Instead of opening each folder in a new window or replacing the current view, folders expand into the next column, making navigation much faster. 0:00 /0:20 1× Miller Column View The extension also includes a preview pane. Selecting an image or video displays a thumbnail along with basic information about the file without opening it. ### Customize the sidebar Another feature I like is the ability to customize Nautilus' sidebar. Normally, entries such as **Recents** and **Starred** cannot be removed. My Computer adds simple toggle switches that let you hide or show these built-in entries. ![In the Sidebar tab of the My Computer settings, toggle the visibility for items.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/sidebar-visibility.png) Sidebar Visiblity To customize the sidebar, open **My Computer Settings** and switch to the **Sidebar** tab. For example, I hid **Recents**, **Starred**, and **Network** to create a much cleaner sidebar. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/normal-view.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/adjusted-sidebar-view.png) Gallery showing the sidebar before and after disabling built-in items. ### Customize storage bar colors If you like personalizing your desktop, My Computer also lets you customize the storage usage bars shown beside your drives. Open **My Computer Settings**, switch to the **Computer** tab, scroll down to **Bar Color**, and change **Color Mode** to **Custom Gradient**. ![A screenshot showing the color settings in My Computer extension.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/bar-color.png) Bar Color Settings You can then choose two colors to create your own gradient. Here's how mine turned out. ![Colored view in Panel in File Manager](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/colored-view.png) Colored View ## Install My Computer My Computer is under active development. Since it is a Nautilus extension rather than a GNOME Shell extension, you'll need to install it as a system package or use the project's installer script. On **Ubuntu 26.04 and newer versions**, install it from the official PPA: ```shell sudo add-apt-repository ppa:yannmasoch/nautilus-my-computer sudo apt update sudo apt install nautilus-my-computer ``` Fedora users can install it through the project's COPR repository: ```shell sudo dnf copr enable yannmasoch/nautilus-my-computer sudo dnf install nautilus-my-computer ``` If you're using another distribution, including Arch Linux, the project also provides a universal installation script: ```shell curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/yannmasoch/nautilus-my-computer/main/install.sh | sh ``` ## Wrapping Up My Computer brings back several features that many long-time GNOME users have missed over the years. While it doesn't recreate the old **Other Locations** page exactly, it offers a practical alternative by gathering everything into a dedicated Computer view. The addition of Miller Columns is another nice to have feature. It's a navigation style I've wanted to see in Nautilus for quite some time. Elementary OS' file manager has offered a similar feature for years, but I never found a reliable way to use it on GNOME until now. If you're happy with Nautilus' current sidebar-centric approach, you may not feel the need for this extension. But if you miss having a dedicated Computer page or want more control over the file manager's interface, My Computer is definitely worth trying. Would you install it, or do you prefer Nautilus the way it is? Let me know your thoughts in the comments. ### Talk to This Glowing Pyramid on Your Desk, and It'll Run Your AI Agent for You URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/autonomous-intern-2/ Last updated: 2026-07-22T11:43:06.000Z When OpenClaw hype was at its peak in the beginning of 2026, a lot of people bought Mac Mini just to keep an agent running around the clock. I never understood why people would spend $500 on a device to run [OpenClaw like agents](https://itsfoss.com/openclaw-alternatives/) that are merely inferences to a commercial LLM like Claude and ChatGPT. But these 'claws' are here to stay, and people are utilizing them to run their agent on dedicated hardware. And that's why we have dedicated hardware built around these agents. [Autonomous](https://www.autonomous.ai/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a company known for standing desks and ergonomic chairs, although they did start as Robotbase, making personal robots. Seems like they are back to their roots, sort of. They have a few "AI hardware" projects in their offering and that includes a [thinking desk](https://www.autonomous.ai/thinking-desk?ref=itsfoss.com) and a [paper pet companion](https://www.autonomous.ai/soul?ref=itsfoss.com). But the device I am going to feature today is a desk companion that runs AI agents and you can use it as an office assistant or an intern (no offense to interns). The device is called Intern 2 because it's a follow-up to Intern, which was released six months ago. Let's learn more about it. ## Intern 2 Specifications - **Board:** Orange Pi 4 Pro, 8-core Allwinner A733 (2x Cortex-A76 + 6x Cortex-A55, up to 2.0GHz) - **Memory:** 6GB LPDDR5 - **Storage:** 64GB onboard + up to 256GB expansion - **Connectivity:** Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4 - **New in Intern 2:** voice interaction (dual mic, pickup up to 3m; 5W speaker) and browser control, on top of the existing Telegram/Slack/Discord channels - **Warranty:** 1-year warranty, 30-day free returns Intern 2 starts at $249 for the OpenClaw or Hermes editions, and $299 for the Developer edition. ![Intern 2 hardware components](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/intern-detail.webp) So basically, the device ships with an agent framework already running. You pick OpenClaw or Hermes at checkout, plug the box into Wi-Fi, add it to a Telegram, Slack, or Discord group (WhatsApp gets added later through a separate QR pairing step), and it starts triaging your inbox, watching GitHub issues, and running whatever multi-step task you hand it, all without you touching a terminal. I am guessing you will have to do some configuration to connect it to your mail and suff but that should not be too difficult if your main LLM is already connected to various services you use. The board underneath is an Orange Pi 4 Pro: an 8-core Allwinner A733 chip, two beefier Cortex-A76 cores paired with six efficiency Cortex-A55 cores, and a 3 TOPS NPU. It's the kind of board you can buy separately, so Intern 2 isn't offering or hiding anything exotic. It is just packaging familiar SBC hardware into something that doesn't look like a dev board. ![Intern 2 separate layers](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/seperate-1-.webp) What does it look like? It looks like a pyramid with a glowing top. I kind of like the look. The voice interaction is the main selling point here. Why type when you can just speak to it? Is that not what Tony Stark did as Iron Man? Intern 2 adds dual far-field mics rated to pick up speech from up to 3 meters away, plus a 5W speaker, so you can just talk to the thing sitting on your desk the way you'd talk to a coworker (or an intern). Browser control is also there, letting the agent act on websites on your behalf instead of only working through chat integrations and APIs. There are three editions to choose from: - **OpenClaw ($249):** the default, framework preloaded, no setup beyond Wi-Fi and a chat app. - **Hermes ($249):** identical hardware, running the [Hermes agent](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) out of the box instead. - **Developer ($299):** ships with the shell open. You SSH in, and Claude Code comes preloaded, with room to swap in Codex or OpenCode if you'd rather run your own agent stack. ## Open-source Autonomous OS ![Autonomous OS](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/autonomous-stack.svg) Intern 2 runs on [Autonomous OS](https://github.com/autonomous-ai/autonomous-os/?ref=itsfoss.com), an open-source operating system created by Autonomous for physical AI agents. It handles sensing, memory, skills, and updates, while the actual "brain" is swappable between OpenClaw, Hermes, PicoClaw, Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, or any other agent framework you want to wire in. Intern is the second reference device built on it, after a desk lamp called Autonomous Lamp. Since Autonomous is working on more AI-powered hardware, it makes sense to have a custom operating system. Open sourcing is also the wise decision. These devices are more for tech enthusiasts, and some of them may tweak the OS to our liking and needs. So good job, Autonomous. ## Pricing and Availability Intern 2 is available right away. [Get Intern 2](https://www.autonomous.ai/intern?ref=itsfoss.com) As mentioned previously, it starts at $249 for the OpenClaw or Hermes editions and $299 for the Developer edition, with free shipping. Every unit ships hand-assembled and tested, backed by a 1-year warranty and 30-day free returns (I like that). Developer documentation is [available here](https://docs.autonomous.ai/intern-2/?ref=itsfoss.com). Should you buy Intern 2 is a question only you can answer. If you have interacted with Nanoclaw, Hermes Agent, etc. and like the idea of interacting with them via voice, this device should interest you. Sure, this can be built from scratch, especially when the operating system is also open source. But not everyone has the time and skills to do that. People spend money on 'out of the box' experiences after all. I would not mind splurging on it, as I am sucker for such gadgets. So, would you spend some money and get yourself an "AI Intern"? ### Siemens AG Was The Last Holdout in MPEG-4 Visual's Road to Being Patent-Free URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/mpeg-4-visual-patent-expiry/ Last updated: 2026-07-22T04:55:09.000Z The MPEG-4 Visual Patent Portfolio License has been in effect since January 1, 2000, covering essential patents behind the MPEG-4 Part 2 Visual standard from more than 30 licensors, including Canon, LG, Microsoft, Panasonic, Sony, and Toshiba. As of July 19, 2026, every one of those patents [has expired](https://www.phoronix.com/news/Last-MPEG-4-Patent-Expired?ref=itsfoss.com). The very last one standing belonged to [Siemens AG](https://www.siemens.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), active only in Brazil. VIA Licensing Alliance, the body that administers the portfolio, has already taken down [the webpage](https://www.via-la.com/licensing-programs/mpeg-4-visual/?ref=itsfoss.com) for it, which was around until [July 18](https://web.archive.org/web/20260718205945/https://www.via-la.com/licensing-programs/mpeg-4-visual/), a day before the expiry. The patent in question is [BR PI0109962-0](https://patents.google.com/patent/BRPI0109962B1/en?ref=itsfoss.com), titled "*process for storing and processing image information from successive images over time*." ## How we got here Siemens had filed the same patent across several jurisdictions, and most of those expired years ago. The European version, EP 1,279,291, expired on April 9, 2021, across Germany, France, and the UK. Two other Siemens US patents in the broader portfolio, US 6,636,637 and US 7,068,721, expired in January 2018 and March 2022, respectively. The rest of the portfolio wound down on a similar timeline. Koninklijke Philips N.V.'s US 6,959,046, expired on December 7, 2022; Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation's US 7,395,211, expired on November 14, 2023, making it the last US patent in the pool to expire. That left Brazil's BR PI0109962-0 as the final one. ## What does this mean? With the last patent gone, this specific license no longer has any patents behind it. VIA Licensing Alliance's per-unit royalties on decoders and encoders, along with its separate participation fees for subscription and title-by-title video services, have nothing left to enforce. That doesn't mean every possible MPEG-4 Visual patent anywhere is gone, just the ones in this specific pool. Other essential patents could exist outside it. But for the 30-plus companies that did join, the licensing obligation is now over. ## A quick look at MPEG-4 Visual MPEG-4 Visual is formally [Part 2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPEG-4%5FPart%5F2?ref=itsfoss.com) of the MPEG-4 suite of standards, the same family that gave us the [MP4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MP4%5Ffile%5Fformat?ref=itsfoss.com) container format as Part 14. **The container and the codec are separate things**. MP4 files can hold audio and video encoded in several different codecs, including MPEG-4 Part 2, H.264/AVC, HEVC, and AV1. The standard itself was developed by [MPEG](https://www.mpeg.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), the Moving Picture Experts Group, a working group under [ISO](https://www.iso.org/home.html?ref=itsfoss.com)/[IEC](https://www.iec.ch/homepage?ref=itsfoss.com) responsible for compression standards spanning video, audio, and 3D graphics. MPEG doesn't administer the patents behind its own standards, though. That job fell to VIA Licensing Alliance, *formerly MPEG LA*, which pooled patents from Canon, LG, Microsoft, Panasonic, Siemens, Sony, Toshiba, and more than 30 other licensors into a single license. **Over the years**, companies large and small took out licenses to use MPEG-4 Visual in their products. Canonical, Apple, Sony, Raspberry Pi, and The Walt Disney Company all appear on VIA Licensing Alliance's [list of licensees](https://web.archive.org/web/20260718205945/https://www.via-la.com/licensing-programs/mpeg-4-visual/#licensees) in good standing, alongside hundreds of others spanning security cameras, media players, and broadcast equipment. Electronic Engineering Times has a detailed writeup on [the history of MPEG licensing](https://www.eetimes.com/mpeg-licensing-basics/?ref=itsfoss.com) if you are looking for a longer read. ### I Tried MangoWM, and I'm Not Going Back to Niri URL: https://itsfoss.com/mangowm-explore/ Last updated: 2026-07-22T02:27:23.000Z I already shared [my experience with the Niri window manager in another post](https://itsfoss.com/niri-window-manager/). Its scrollable workspace model is clever. Then I stumbled across MangoWM, and I couldn't leave it alone because it offers a similar scrolling mode as compared to Niri, plus more, while still being simple to [build from source code](https://itsfoss.com/install-software-from-source-code/). [MangoWM](https://github.com/mangowm/mango?ref=itsfoss.com) is a Wayland compositor built on top of wlroots and heavily inspired by [dwl](https://codeberg.org/dwl/dwl?ref=itsfoss.com) (which itself draws from [dwm](https://dwm.suckless.org/?ref=itsfoss.com)). On paper, it sounds like yet another minimal tiling compositor. But when I actually sat with it for a few days, something clicked. This is a guide to what I tried, what I discovered, and what made me stop going back to Niri. 📋 Niche window managers like Niri, MangoWM, Hyprland often require configuring elements with dot files. I would consider these more of an expert level domain for Linux users. If these things are new to you and you still want to try, use dot files from the developer or trusted repos and try them in a VM or a spare test machine. ## What is MangoWM, anyway? Before I get into the setup, let me introduce MangoWM. 0:00 /1:35 1× A short video of Mango WM on Arch Linux [MangoWM](https://github.com/mangowm/mango?ref=itsfoss.com) (sometimes referred to as "mango") is a Wayland compositor, meaning it replaces not just your window manager but the entire [display server](https://itsfoss.com/display-server/) layer above the kernel. It handles input, rendering, compositing, and window management all in one relatively small binary. It was created by a developer named DreamMaoMao, and it takes the "as lightweight as dwl, built in seconds" philosophy seriously, while tacking on a surprisingly complete feature set: [smooth animations](https://mangowm.github.io/docs/visuals/animations?ref=itsfoss.com), multiple layout modes, per-tag window rules, blur and [shadow effects via scenefx](https://mangowm.github.io/docs/visuals/effects?ref=itsfoss.com), scratchpads, hot-reload config, and excellent XWayland compatibility for the legacy apps you can't avoid. The tag system (borrowed from dwm) is worth understanding upfront. Instead of numbered workspaces that you switch between sequentially, tags are labels you assign to windows. A window can carry multiple tags at once, and you can view any combination of tags simultaneously. It's a different mental model, and once it clicks, going back to linear workspaces feels oddly constraining. ## Installing MangoWM on your system MangoWM comes as a pre-built package on Arch Linux, Fedora, and NixOS. If you're just trying Mango for the first time, I highly suggest running it on Arch Linux. It eases the overall installation with just a single command. On Arch Linux (which includes Kali, Manjaro, and EndeavourOS users), the cleanest route is through the AUR. You need an [AUR helper](https://itsfoss.com/best-aur-helpers/) like `yay` or `paru`: ```bash yay -Syu scenefx0.4 yay -Syu mangowm-git ``` This pulls the latest git build. If you get classic Arch Linux error messaging saying, "a manual intervention is required," then it's likely you're missing `-yu` flag with AUR helper. ![Error while installing Mango Wayland Compositor on Arch Linux](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/Error-while-installing-MangoWM-on-Arch-Linux-with-yay.webp) On Fedora, MangoWM lives in the [Terra third-party repository](https://terrapkg.com/?ref=itsfoss.com): ```bash sudo dnf install --nogpgcheck --repofrompath 'terra,https://repos.fyralabs.com/terra$releasever' terra-release sudo dnf install mangowm ``` ## Launching Mango WM for the first time You can start MangoWM straight from a TTY: ```bash mango ``` If you're using a [display manager](https://itsfoss.com/display-manager/) like SDDM or GDM, MangoWM registers a desktop session entry during install, so it should appear as a session option at the login screen. When you open Mango WM for the very first time, all you get is a blank screen. When you hit `Alt+Enter(Return)`, `foot`,(the default terminal emulator) opens, and you can start configuring the window manager from there. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/MangoWM-screen-after-opening-up-two-terminal-instances.webp) Mango WM screen after opening up two terminal instance ## Getting a working config to start from MangoWM reads the config from `~/.config/mango/config.conf`. On a fresh install, the system-wide default lives at `/etc/mango/config.conf`. The first thing I did was copy it over: ```bash mkdir -p ~/.config/mango cp /etc/mango/config.conf ~/.config/mango/config.conf ``` ![Mango Window Manager Default Configuration](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/mango-window-manager-default-configuration.webp) If you want a more complete starting point with Waybar, Rofi, wallpaper setup, and all, the developer maintains an example config repo. I tried the developer-provided config, but didn't find the shortcut intuitive to use. So I went ahead and wrote my own config file from scratch. Mango WM documentation really helped me to copy configuration snippets that I wanted to achieve, a keybinding similar to Sway and i3 setup. ![Mango WM look on Arch Linux after loading developer provided example config](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/Mango-WM-look-with-developer-provided-config.webp) ```bash git clone https://github.com/DreamMaoMao/mango-config.git ~/.config/mango ``` To make the developer-provider config work exactly as it is, you need to install additional dependencies: ``` yay -Syu rofi foot xdg-desktop-portal-wlr swaybg waybar wl-clip-persist cliphist wl-clipboard wlsunset xfce-polkit swaync pamixer wlr-dpms sway-audio-idle-inhibit-git swayidle dimland-git brightnessctl swayosd wlr-randr grim slurp satty swaylock-effects-git wlogout sox ``` I found this genuinely useful as a reference, even though I ended up rewriting most of it from scratch within a few sessions. Reading through someone else's complete config taught me what was possible much faster than the docs alone would have. Here's my [complete config in one file](https://github.com/mvban/dotfiles/blob/main/config/mango/config.conf?ref=itsfoss.com). The default configuration uses `Alt+arrow keys` instead of a Sway-like configuration of utilizing `hjkl` Vim-like workflow. ## Learning the tag system This is where MangoWM diverges most sharply from compositors like [Sway](https://itsfoss.com/sway-window-manager/), [Hyprland](https://itsfoss.com/hyprland/), or Niri, all of which use the workspace model I'd been on for years. In MangoWM, every window is assigned one or more tags (numbered 1–9 by default). You view tags rather than switch to workspaces. The [keybindings](https://itsfoss.com/configuring-hyprland/) to know: | Keybind | Action | | ---------- | -------------------------------- | | Ctrl + 1-9 | View a tag | | Alt + 1-9 | Move the focused window to a tag | The thing that surprised me: you can view multiple tags simultaneously by pressing `Ctrl` multiple numbers. Two related projects on different tags? Hold `Ctrl` and press both numbers. They merge into a single view. I resisted this for about a day. Then I stopped resisting. There's something genuinely freeing about being able to pull in exactly the windows you want without reorganizing anything. ## Switching between layouts One of MangoWM's most practical features is per-tag layout switching. You're not locked into master-stack globally. For each tag, you can cycle through: - **Master-Stack:** the standard big window on the left, stack on the right - **Scroller:** windows scroll horizontally, similar to Niri's model (this one made me feel at home) - **Monocle:** one maximised window at a time, others hidden - **Grid:** even tiling across available space - **Deck:** stacked cards, only the top one visible The default keybind to cycle layouts is `Super + N`. I ended up assigning specific layouts to specific tags because my work context maps cleanly to them: a Monocle tag for focused writing, a Scroller tag for reference browsing, and a Master-Stack tag for terminal work. 0:00 /0:23 1× Switching layout in Mango WM with Super + N I have bind `Alt + s` to get a similar scrollable model like Niri. Similarly, to switch to normal tiling, I have bind `Alt + t`. To cycle windows, I have bound `Super + Shift +hjkl` and `Super + Shift + arrow keys`. This kind of per-context layout was something I kept wishing Niri had. Niri's scrollable workspace model is clever, but it's one model. MangoWM gives you a toolkit. ## Setting up your bar, launcher, and wallpaper MangoWM doesn't bundle these, so you have to bring your own. The recommended options from the official quick-start docs are: - **Status bar:** Waybar, eww, AGS, Quickshell. I use Waybar all the way. - **Launcher:** rofi, fuzzel, bemenu, wmenu. I prefer Fuzzel as an application launcher on Wayland. - **Wallpaper:** You have these options: swww (awww) and swaybg. Btw, I use azote for setting up wallpaper. It offers the ability to set different wallpapers for different monitors and presents a nice gallery of wallpapers to choose from. - **Notifications:** swaync, mako, dunst. I prefer fnott as my notification daemon on Wayland. I was already running [Waybar](https://itsfoss.com/configure-waybar/) with a Tokyo Night theme on Niri, and I carried the whole config over with minimal changes. The IPC support in MangoWM means you can expose workspace (tag) state to Waybar properly. The example config in the developer's repo shows exactly how. To autostart these tools, MangoWM's config has an `exec-once` directive (similar to Hyprland): ``` exec-once = waybar exec-once = swww-daemon exec-once = dunst ``` Within about an hour, I had a working bar and wallpaper. The whole setup felt familiar to anyone who's configured a wlroots-based compositor before. ## Tuning the visual effects This is where I spent more time than I expected. MangoWM ships with window effects powered by scenefx: blur, drop shadows, corner radius, and per-window opacity. These live in the `[effects]` section of the config: ``` [effects] blur = true blur_passes = 2 blur_strength = 4 corner_radius = 8 shadow = true shadow_color = 0x44000000 ``` The hot-reload support means you can adjust values and see changes without restarting anything. Just save the file. I found myself iterating on corner radius and shadow softness for an embarrassing amount of time. Coming from Niri, which keeps visual effects minimal, this felt almost indulgent. But it also never felt slow. The scenefx rendering layer is efficient enough that I didn't notice a GPU performance difference on my i5 with integrated graphics. ## Window rules and per-app behaviour MangoWM supports window rules that let you control how specific applications open: which tag they land on, what layout they use, whether they float, and their starting dimensions. A basic rule in the config looks like: ``` [[rules]] match_app_id = "org.mozilla.firefox" tag = 2 layout = "master-stack" [[rules]] match_app_id = "foot" floating = false [[rules]] match_title = "Picture-in-Picture" floating = true size = [400, 225] pin = true ``` The `pin` option keeps a floating window visible across all tags, useful for PiP video, a music player, or a floating terminal you want everywhere. I set up rules for Firefox (always tag 2, master-stack), my terminal (tag 1, no floating), and a scratchpad terminal (floating, pinned). This level of control over window placement is something I missed badly whenever I used a compositor without it. ## Should you try MangoWM? If you're already on a tiling Wayland compositor and you're happy with it, the answer depends on what's missing. MangoWM is worth trying if you want more layout flexibility than a single-model compositor gives you, if you like the dwm tag philosophy but want modern Wayland features alongside it, or if you want smooth animations and window effects without moving to a heavier compositor like Hyprland. It's probably not the right choice if you want a point-and-click GUI configuration tool, if you're new to tiling window managers in general, or if your distro doesn't package it and you're not comfortable building from source. For me, the combination of fast compilation, hot-reload config, per-tag layouts, and genuinely good XWayland support hit a set of itches I didn't fully know I had. I came in expecting to write a quick "I tried it" post and came out with a compositor I'm going to stay on. No doubt, Niri is a good window manager. But I'm sticking with MangoWM for my daily use. ### GNOME's Security Might Be in Peril as Lone Tracker Goes Off URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-security-tracking-limbo/ Last updated: 2026-07-23T11:46:31.000Z [Michael Catanzaro](https://gitlab.gnome.org/mcatanzaro?ref=itsfoss.com) is stepping away from managing GNOME's security issue tracking, a role he has held largely by himself since November 2020, with support from [Red Hat](https://www.redhat.com/en?ref=itsfoss.com). He calls the work mostly administrative, following each report from the moment it lands to whenever it gets fixed or the clock runs out, and requesting a [CVE](https://www.cve.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) once that happens. Come November 1, 2026, Michael will stop tracking newly reported security issues, only focusing on issues that were already in the pipeline before that date. By December 1, he anticipates that every disclosure deadline tied to that remaining batch will have passed, and his part in handling issues will be done. Alongside that, he is **also changing how GNOME handles vulnerability reports overal**l. Pointing to the rise of AI-generated security submissions, he says that for issues reported on or after August 1, 2026, the disclosure deadline is now just 30 days, a 60-day drop from 90. And projects that ban AI-generated contributions have to take note. Any security issues submitted to GNOME Security **won't be forwarded to such projects**, given how much of what comes in today carries AI involvement. Michael will instead close the report in GNOME Security's own tracker and reach out to the project's maintainers directly to flag that it exists. ## Someone needs to step up Michael is currently looking for someone to take the role over, but not just anyone. He wants an experienced member of the [GNOME community](https://welcome.gnome.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), someone who already knows their way around the project, to step in. He's offered to help whoever takes it on get started, but is clear that this isn't a good task for newcomers. **Whoever takes over** would inherit the workflow that runs through a form on [security.gnome.org](https://security.gnome.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), which funnels submissions to a security team that aims to acknowledge new reports within two business days. Whatever gets submitted through that form is used to open a confidential issue on GitLab, which is then assigned to the relevant project maintainer as the primary handler. ![a document titled home is shown here, which lays out the current security issues that are being tracked in gnome](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/gnome-archaic-security-issue-tracker.png) They would also need to take over the archaic way of keeping track of all the security issues for GNOME, which is [a basic wiki page](https://gitlab.gnome.org/Teams/Releng/security/-/wikis/home?ref=itsfoss.com) on GNOME's GitLab instance. It has to be updated manually, with every new report, fix, and disclosure going into separate tables split by year and project. Other Linux projects already run something closer to that. [Ubuntu](https://ubuntu.com/security/notices?ref=itsfoss.com) publishes searchable, filterable security notices tied to CVE IDs. Fedora and Red Hat route tracking through [Bugzilla](https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Security%5FTracking%5FBugs?ref=itsfoss.com) instead, where a parent bug logs the underlying flaw, with separate tracking bugs filed against each affected package. You can go through Michael's [announcement](https://blogs.gnome.org/mcatanzaro/2026/07/20/some-changes-to-gnome-security-tracking/?ref=itsfoss.com) for more information. ### I Finally Tried the Alacritty Terminal And It May Replace Kitty for Me URL: https://itsfoss.com/alacritty-terminal/ Last updated: 2026-07-21T06:23:48.000Z It's been nearly five years since Alacritty made its debut and became a favorite of many power terminal users. By power users, I mean people who configure Vi mode everywhere, even in graphical IDE. Personally, I prefer Kitty and I have written some [tutorials on Kitty](https://itsfoss.com/kitty-customization/). But whenever we share our Kitty articles, someone would mention Alacritty. And that kind of forced me to try Alacritty. But this article is not about comparing Kitty and Alacritty. It's merely me sharing my experience and exploration of Alacritty. ## What is Alacritty? [Alacritty](https://alacritty.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a [modern terminal emulator](https://itsfoss.com/linux-terminal-emulators/) designed with a strong focus on performance. It is a GPU-accelerated terminal that uses OpenGL technology to offload rendering tasks entirely to your graphics processor rather than relying heavily on the CPU. Out of the box, Alacritty comes with a decent set of defaults. Which seems to be true as you really don't need to do much to make this terminal work right away. ## Exploring Alacritty Alacritty comes with several 'cool features' that will elevate your terminal workflow. These are Vi mode, scrollback buffer search, regex hints and multi-window approach. 📋 The Alacritty interface you see in the videos and screenshots here are slightly modified by me. I have shared my tweaking and configuration changes in the later section of this article. ### Scrollback navigation with keyboard Alacritty features a built-in Vi mode, which you can easily access using the keyboard shortcut `Ctrl + Shift + Space`. Vi Mode in Alacritty Once you are in this mode, you can move around your scrollback buffer using standard Vi navigation keys. This means you don't need to reach for your mouse at all just to scroll through your text, keeping your hands exactly where they belong on the keyboard. ### Text selection The Vi mode can do several types of selection and copy text entirely with keyboard shortcuts. When you are in Vi mode, pressing `Alt + v` enables semantic selection, which is the one I use most often. Semantic selection is a smart feature that lets you select distinct words or semantic blocks of text based on specific characters acting as boundaries. 0:00 /0:21 1× Semantic Select If you want to perform a standard manual selection, simply press `v` to start selecting from the cursor, then move the cursor in any direction to select your text. 0:00 /0:11 1× Normal Select Now, instead of lowercase `v`, if you press `Shift + v`, a line selection mode is enabled, allowing you to quickly select entire lines of text at once. 0:00 /0:11 1× Line Select ### Searching inside terminal When you have a lot of output in your terminal scrollback and need to track something down, Alacritty has built-in search functions. You can press `Ctrl + Shift + F` to start a forward search. 0:00 /0:12 1× Forward Search Or `Ctrl + Shift + B` to initiate a backward search. 0:00 /0:11 1× Backward Search Once you type your query, you can press Enter to jump between the matches sequentially. Alternatively, if you are already inside the Vi mode, you can simply press `/` and type your search term directly. 0:00 /0:25 1× Search inside Vi Mode I personally use the Vi mode search because it gives me extra flexibility. It allows me to semantic-select/line-select the entire matched term even when only a partial match is found. ☠️ Don't judge me for using light themed terminal 😸 ### Moving between brackets A feature I love while reading configuration files is bracket matching. I usually print the file to the terminal and jump straight into Vi mode. Once there, you can place your cursor on top of any bracket and press `%`. This will instantly jump your cursor to the matching opening or closing bracket. 0:00 /0:25 1× Matching brackets At times, this is much more handy than opening the file up in a separate text editor. Especially when I am using it with the Zellij terminal multiplexer. ## Configuring Alacritty Alacritty does not need any user configuration to work properly and access its important features, as it comes right out of the box with some highly sensible defaults. Still, there are plenty of areas that we can customize to tweak it to perfection. Here, I will take you through some of the options that I personally changed in my Alacritty setup. I have also [shared these config changes on our GitHub repo for your ease](https://github.com/itsfoss/desktop-customization/tree/main/alacritty?ref=itsfoss.com). ### Splitting the configuration Creating a single configuration file for all your features seems easy at first. However, if a tool supports multiple configuration files and imports, it is always a better practice to divide the config into relevant, modular parts. Doing this will give you a much easier editing experience later when you need to tweak specific behaviors. For Alacritty, all configuration files should be located in the `~/.config/alacritty/` directory. The directory structure in my system looks like this: ``` ├── alacritty.toml ├── keybindings │   └── keybindings.toml └── themes ├── ansi.toml ├── catppuccin-mocha.toml ├── cocoa-dark.toml ├── cream-light.toml ├── dracula.toml ├── dusk-dark.toml ├── fog-light.toml ``` You can see that I have split the configuration files into separate items for: - Main config: `alacritty.toml` - Keybindings: `keybindings/keybindings.toml` - Themes: `themes .toml` Now, once you have all your configuration files split up, you need to import the other configs into your main file `alacritty.toml` so that Alacritty can actually read them. Open up your `alacritty.toml` file in a text editor and add the import lines to the top of your file using the import array under the `[general]` section: ``` [general] import = [ "~/.config/alacritty/keybindings/keybindings.toml", "~/.config/alacritty/themes/lavender-fields-light.toml" ] ``` ### Change the font To change font in Alacritty, in the config file, add the following lines: ``` [font] size = 12 [font.normal] family = "JetBrains Mono" style = "Regular" [font.bold] family = "JetBrains Mono" style = "Bold" [font.italic] family = "JetBrains Mono" style = "Italic" [font.bold_italic] family = "JetBrains Mono" style = "Bold Italic" ``` The above configuration is self-explanatory. Of course, any font you want to appear in your terminal must actually be installed on your system first. To find the exact name of the font you want to use, you can either open up a font-manager GUI application, or query your system via the command line using `fc-list` and filtering for your desired font family: ``` fc-list | grep "jetbrains" ``` ![Search for a font name using the fc-list command.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/list-fonts.png) List fonts in the system ### Set scrollback history We have already seen some great features relating to scrollback navigation, selection, and searching. To make these features truly efficient, you need a comparatively large scrollback buffer so you don't lose your terminal history too quickly. In your main Alacritty configuration file, you can set this by adding the following lines: ``` [scrolling] history = 10000 ``` I would suggest caution when increasing this value much beyond 10000\. Because this scrollback history is stored directly in your RAM, a massive scrollback buffer can negatively affect your system performance. Especially when you accidentally dump a massive log file or print exceptionally long files directly to the terminal. ### Change the shell Most Linux distributions come with Bash as the default shell, and sometimes you may want to use an alternative shell like Zsh. You don't actually need to change your entire system-wide default shell just for this. You can simply change the shell executed inside Alacritty itself. To do this, add the following lines to your main `alacritty.toml` file: ``` [terminal] shell = "/usr/bin/zsh" ``` To know the shell location, use: ``` which zsh ``` ### Opacity and blur Alacritty allows you to change the terminal window opacity across all desktop environments, and it even lets you add a native blur effect if you are running a KDE Plasma Wayland session. To configure this, add the following lines under the `[window]` section of your configuration: ``` opacity = 1.0 blur = true # enable this for KDE Plasma to get blur ``` ### Keybindings The best way to manage custom shortcuts is by adding them via a separate `keybindings.toml` file and importing it into your main configuration, as we looked at earlier. In this file, you can define keybindings using the following syntax: ``` [[keyboard.bindings]] key = "C" mods = "Control|Shift" mode = "Vi" action = "ClearSelection" ``` Here, `[[keyboard.bindings]]` defines the section. For every new keybinding you want to map, a separate `[[keyboard.bindings]]` section must be used. Inside this section, you have a few core parameters to customize: - **key**: The main key used to perform the action (e.g., `A, B, 2, 3, |, /`). - **mods**: The modifier keys required for the shortcut. You can use keys like *Control*, *Shift*, *Alt*, or *Super*. To combine multiple modifiers, separate them with a pipe symbol (`|`)—for example, `Control|Shift` triggers on a *Ctrl + Shift* action. - **mode**: Defines a specific terminal state (such as Vi mode) that must actively be running for this shortcut to take effect. - **action**: The actual command or event you want to perform. You can find a complete action reference list directly in the official documentation. [Alacritty Keyboard Actions](https://alacritty.org/config-alacritty.html?ref=itsfoss.com#keyboard) ### Mouse bindings With Alacritty, you can customize how various mouse buttons behave inside your terminal. The general syntax looks like this: ``` [[mouse.bindings]] mouse = "Forward" action = "ToggleViMode" [[mouse.bindings]] mouse = "Back" action = "CreateNewWindow" ``` Just like keyboard configurations, the `[[mouse.bindings]]` headers must be separate sections for each distinct mouse shortcut. Inside each section, you define: - **mouse**: The specific mouse button you want to map. Options include *Right*, *Left*, *Middle*, *Forward*, *Back*, *WheelUp*, and *WheelDown*. - **action**: The command you want to perform. This uses the exact same action references as the keyboard bindings. For instance, I have an 8-button mouse, so I added the Forward button to quickly toggle into Vi mode, and the Back button to instantaneously open a fresh Alacritty window. ### Color schemes Alacritty allows you to completely alter the appearance of your terminal using custom color configurations. Out of the box, it expects you to modify the hex color values for various display elements manually. If you don't want to build a palette from scratch, you can visit our GitHub repository to grab several preset color schemes for Alacritty. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/cream-light.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/gruvbox-dark.png) Alacritty color schemes Once you find a theme you like, you can drop it into your `~/.config/alacritty/themes/` directory, import it into your main config, or tweak the individual color blocks within that file to customize the look entirely to your liking. [Alacritty Themes](https://github.com/itsfoss/desktop-customization/tree/main/alacritty?ref=itsfoss.com) ## Installing Alacritty Alacritty is available in the default repositories of most popular distributions. If you are using Ubuntu, install it using the apt package manager: ``` sudo apt install alacritty ``` Fedora users can install it using the DNF package manager: ``` sudo dnf install alacritty ``` For Arch Linux users, install Alacritty from the extra repository using the command: ``` sudo pacman -S alacritty ``` ## Wrapping Up One thing to note is that, as far as I know, Alacritty does not support viewing images natively from the terminal, though there is some Sixel image support development floating around. Personally, I don't care much about image support because I am not working on images from the terminal anyway. But if that is an absolute requirement for your workflow, you may feel a bit disappointed. There are exciting new terminal emulators like [Ghostty](https://itsfoss.com/ghostty-terminal-features/) and [Ptyxis](https://itsfoss.com/ptyxis-terminal-features/) these days, and I have given them a try for a while. Now, I have been using Alacritty for the past couple of months as my main terminal, paired with Zellij multiplexer. I like this setup. It may make me forget Kitty, who knows. What's your take on Alacritty? Do you use it as your main terminal emulator? If not, which one is your favorite? Do mention it in the comments below! ### Become More Productive With These GNOME Extensions URL: https://itsfoss.com/gnome-extensions-for-productivity/ Last updated: 2026-07-18T03:37:28.000Z Our brains are not meant to be locked in for eight straight hours during a work/school day. That's not how these little pink sponges work, no matter what hack productivity gurus on YouTube might try to sell you. What works is cutting the friction around your workflow, and staying on top of the mental nerfs you already carry, plus the ones that pile up over the day. There's a whole ecosystem built around fixing that, ranging from break reminder apps, Kanban boards, to Pomodoro timers and phone-to-desktop bridges. On [GNOME](https://www.gnome.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), you don't need to leave your desktop to get most of this. The extension ecosystem already covers timers, notes, clipboard history, and phone syncing, without asking you to juggle five different subscriptions. Here are eight extensions worth having, plus a native GNOME feature that handles some of this for free. 📋 This is a productivity-focused list. If you want a quick overview of extensions that add to your experience, we have [a separate list](https://itsfoss.com/best-gnome-extensions/) for that. ## 1\. GSConnect ![gsconnect](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/gsconnect.png) Every time your phone buzzes, and you have to pick it up just to check what it was, that's a small amount of time taken away from whatever you were doing. [GSConnect](https://itsfoss.com/gsconnect/) gets rid of that by putting your phone's notifications right on your desktop, so you can glance, decide it's not urgent, and stay exactly where you were. *Of course, this could also go the other way, making you waste more of your time, but that's on you.* ☠️ It's a full implementation of [KDE Connect](https://kdeconnect.kde.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) built specifically for GNOME Shell. Beyond notifications, you get SMS from your keyboard, a synced clipboard between your phone and your Linux machine, and file sharing that goes both directions. [Seamlessly Connect Your Android Phone and Linux Using GSConnectLet’s improve the ‘relation’ between your Linux computer and the Android smartphone.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-783b6803-2262-406d-9f6c-83732c8635af.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/use-gsconnect-linux-android-06734523-0652-43f4-a8c2-740f559bd164.png)](https://itsfoss.com/gsconnect/) ## 2\. Caffeine ![caffeine](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/caffeine.png) [Caffeine](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/517/caffeine/?ref=itsfoss.com) does one thing. It stops your screen from dimming, locking, or suspending while it's switched on. Click the coffee cup icon in the top bar, and GNOME leaves your screen alone until you turn it back off. It sounds minor until you're three slides into a presentation and the screen goes black, or you're deep into a long article and the lock screen interrupts you mid paragraph. You can also scroll on the panel icon to toggle it, and there's command line support if you'd rather script it. Alternatively, you could fully disable system suspend via the *Settings* menu under the *Power* page (*inside Power Saving*), but that's not a good idea if you are running a laptop that needs to be functional during long sessions without AC power. ## 3\. ddterm ![ddterm](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/ddterm.png) Hit a keyboard shortcut, and a terminal slides down from the top of the screen. Hit it again, and it slides back up. With [ddterm](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/3780/ddterm/?ref=itsfoss.com), you don't need to switch through workspaces or hunt for a terminal window buried under everything else. Restart your session and every tab comes right back, and resizing is just a matter of dragging on the outer edge. The preferences panel covers the rest if you go looking for it. It also runs natively on Wayland, which isn't something every drop-down terminal extension can claim, and its development has stayed consistent for years now, with a steady flow of releases rather than long stretches of silence between updates. ## 4\. Clipboard Indicator ![clipboard indicator](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/clipboard-indicator.png) [Clipboard Indicator](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/779/clipboard-indicator/?ref=itsfoss.com) keeps a searchable history of everything you copy, text and images both, so you're not relying on memory or copying the same thing twice. The feature list goes further than most clipboard managers bother with. Pin entries to keep them at the top, tag them to stay organized, search with regex if you need precision, and edit an entry directly from the menu instead of copying it out, fixing it, and copying it back in. For anyone handling sensitive information, a private mode pauses history tracking on demand, and specific apps like password managers can be excluded from tracking entirely. ## 5\. Advanced Alt-Tab Window Switcher ![advanced alt-tab window switcher](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/aatws.png) GNOME's default `Alt+Tab` is fine until you have a dozen windows open and no way to tell them apart at a glance. Advanced Alt-Tab Window Switcher or [AATWS](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/4412/advanced-alttab-window-switcher/?ref=itsfoss.com) replaces all three of GNOME's built-in switchers with one that actually helps you find what you're looking for. This includes filtering, sorting, and a type-to-search mode that matches by title, app name, or even the executable behind it. It's not limited to switching either. Close windows, move them between workspaces or monitors, pin one always on top, or launch a new instance of an app, all without leaving the switcher. For anyone whose workflow is spread across multiple monitors with a lot of windows open at once, this cuts out most of the clicking and squinting that the stock switcher makes you do. ## 6\. Tiling Shell ![tiling shell](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/tiling-shell.png) [Tiling Shell](https://itsfoss.com/news/tiling-shell-gnome-extension/) brings proper tiling window management to GNOME, going well past the basic two column split GNOME ships with by default. Drag a window and a snap assistant shows you where it'll land, with a built in editor for building your own layouts from scratch. Layouts aren't rigid either. Span a window across multiple tiles, resize adjacent tiled windows together, and set a different layout for each workspace on each monitor. Keyboard shortcuts handle the tiling too, so dragging windows around with the mouse is optional rather than being a neccessity. [Tiling Shell: A GNOME Extension to Add Superpowers to UbuntuA nifty GNOME extension to maximize productivity.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-51b27e19-56e6-403e-8dea-dc8d09517f68.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/tiling-shell-first-look-18380b84-ff5d-4bdb-94b3-01536fc4c53f.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/tiling-shell-gnome-extension/) ## 7\. Cronomix ![cronomix](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/cronomix.png) Most productivity extensions do one job. [Cronomix](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/6003/cronomix/?ref=itsfoss.com) does several. Timer, stopwatch, Pomodoro tool, alarm, to-do list, time tracker, and even flashcards, all bundled into a single dropdown instead of five separate tools competing for your attention. The [Pomodoro](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro%5FTechnique?ref=itsfoss.com) and timer functions cover the classic work-then-break rhythm, while the to-do list and time tracker give you somewhere to actually log what you did with the time instead of making guesses at the end of the day. It follows a very different approach compared to the single-purpose extensions elsewhere on this list. ## 8\. Notes With History ![notes with history](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/notes-with-history.png) A lot of the sticky note extensions on GNOME haven't been touched in years, and installing one on a modern system usually means finding out the hard way. [Notes With History](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/7847/notes-with-history/?ref=itsfoss.com) puts a menu of notes in your panel instead of scattering note windows across your screen. *Click the icon, pick a note, and it's all there.* 📝 Notes can be reordered to keep the most relevant ones near the top, and the panel icon itself is customizable so it's easy to spot at a glance. ## 9\. Freon ![freon](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/freon.jpeg) A sluggish system without an obvious cause can be very annoying, especially when you are in the middle of a time-sensitive task with your manager breathing down your neck. [Freon](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/841/freon/?ref=itsfoss.com) puts important system stats like CPU, disk, and GPU temperature, alongside fan RPM and voltage info, right in the top bar for you to quickly figure out if there's a system-wide slowdown or an app that's misbehaving. You can pick which sensors to show, switch between *Celsius* and *Fahrenheit*, and set the refresh rate for the metrics display. Though you will need your GPU manufacturer's driver installed to get GPU readings. ## Bonus Tip ✨ ![the gnome-settings app's "wellbeing" page is shown here, with many buttons enabled](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/gnome-wellbeing-menu.png) If you don't want to install anything at all, GNOME has a few tricks up its sleeve, tucked inside *Settings*. Since [GNOME 48](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-48-release/), there's a **Digital Wellbeing** section that handles screen time and break reminders natively. It tracks how much time you spend on screen each day and compares it against previous days and weeks. You can set a daily screen time limit that triggers a notification once you hit it, with an option to turn the screen grayscale afterward as a nudge to step away. There are also built-in eyesight and movement break reminders. It's not as configurable as something like Cronomix or a dedicated break reminder extension, but if you're already on GNOME 48 or later, the most basic productivity features are sitting right there waiting to be turned on. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** *Wireless file transfers are incredibly convenient,*[***especially between Linux and Android devices***](https://itsfoss.com/file-transfer-apps-linux-android/)*.* [5 Open Source Apps You Can use for Seamless File Transfer Between Linux and AndroidWant to share selected files between your Android smartphone and Linux computer? Explore these open source tools.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-adc6508f-c01f-426e-8bec-609db8e6dfe6.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/transfer-files-between-android-and-linux-2-f76b8097-c2a7-49d6-ba34-3555bd53ffcd.png)](https://itsfoss.com/file-transfer-apps-linux-android/) ### Linus Torvalds Spent Years Dismissing AI, Only to Vouch for It URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linus-torvalds-on-ai/ Last updated: 2026-07-17T11:20:28.000Z By now, you must know that Linus Torvalds, the leader of the Penguin army, uh, I mean the [Linux kernel](https://www.kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) project, does not shy away from being blunt, especially when it comes to making a point. When he has one, the Linux kernel mailing list hears about it, and so do we, the ones who use Linux. For the past few years, his opinion on AI was quite simple, being that it was mostly noise, and he was not interested. But something changed; Linus has gone from calling AI "*90 percent marketing*" to publicly telling critics inside the Linux kernel project to fork it or walk away. Here's how that change happened along the years. ## AI is hype At the Open Source Summit Japan in December 2023, [Dirk Hohndel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dirkhohndel/?ref=itsfoss.com) asked Linus a direct question. Would he ever see AI-written code submitted to the kernel? Linus said yes and guessed [it might already be happening on a small scale](https://www.zdnet.com/article/linus-torvalds-on-state-of-linux-today-and-how-ai-figures-in-its-future/?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=submitted%20to%20you%3F%22-,Torvalds%20replied,-%2C%20%22I%27m%20convinced%20it%27s). He wasn't particularly worried about the risk of hallucinated code either, pointing out that plain human error causes plenty of bugs on its own. "*I think we're doing just fine at making mistakes on our own*," he said. Four months later, at Open Source Summit North America in Seattle, that curiosity had turned into something closer to mockery. Where he joked that he might "*be replaced by an AI model*," and brushed off most of the surrounding hype as nonsense, suggesting everyone [wait a decade](https://www.zdnet.com/article/linus-torvalds-takes-on-evil-developers-hardware-errors-and-hilarious-ai-hype/?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=Let%27s%20wait%2010%20years%20and%20see%20where%20it%20actually%20goes%20before%20we%20make%20all%20these%20crazy%20announcements.) before drawing any real conclusions. By October 2024, speaking to [TFiR](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4wlrxFf2lM&ref=itsfoss.com) at the Open Source Summit in Vienna, Linus put a number on his skepticism. He called the AI industry "***90 percent marketing and 10 percent reality***," and said he'd mostly just tune it out until that changed. He left himself an opening though, predicting real use cases might show up in five years, once the [hype cycle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gartner%5Fhype%5Fcycle?ref=itsfoss.com) burned out. ## The slow burn A year later, in November 2025, something had changed. At [Open Source Summit Korea](https://events.linuxfoundation.org/open-source-summit-korea/?ref=itsfoss.com), Linus told Dirk that he was "*fairly positive*" about [vibe coding](https://itsfoss.com/vibe-coding-tools-linux/), though only for people learning to code, not for anything that actually mattered. He compared it to typing programs out of computer magazines as a kid, pitching vibe coding as a low-stakes way to get people excited about doing things on computers "*that maybe they couldn't do otherwise*." That openness turned into a holiday project a few months later, where he built an audio effects tool called [AudioNoise](https://itsfoss.com/news/linus-torvalds-vibe-coding/), writing a portion of the code himself (*mostly C*) and then handing over the Python visualizer tool to Google's Antigravity IDE. Even so, the kernel itself stayed off limits. Just before announcing the project, [he had replied to a heated thread](https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/CAHk-=wg0sdh%5FOF8zgFD-f6o9yFRK=tDOXhB1JAxfs11W9bX--Q@mail.gmail.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) about anti-LLM sentiment creeping into kernel documentation, pushing back on turning the issue into a political statement. His argument was that people submitting genuinely careless AI patches were never going to label them as such anyway, so writing rules aimed at catching them was pointless. That tension between personal enthusiasm and institutional caution showed up again in April 2026, when the kernel shipped its first official [AI Coding Assistants](https://docs.kernel.org/process/coding-assistants.html?ref=itsfoss.com) policy alongside [Linux 7.0](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-7-0-release/). The rules [were narrow but clear](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-ai-coding-assistants-policy/). AI-assisted code still had to meet GPL-2.0 licensing requirements. AI tools were barred from adding their own `Signed-off-by` tags, and a human always had to take responsibility for what got submitted through a new `Assisted-by` tag. That same month, stable kernel maintainer Greg Kroah-Hartman was found quietly running an [AI-assisted fuzzing tool](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-ai-fuzzing/) against the kernel from a branch nicknamed "*clanker*." ## Coming around By May 2026, the volume of AI-generated activity around the kernel had become its own problem. Linus complained that [a release candidate had ballooned](https://lkml.org/lkml/2026/5/17/896?ref=itsfoss.com) with what he called pointless pull requests, much of it AI-assisted bug hunting that produced trivial fixes late in the development cycle. He said that he would get tougher about it, promising to be "[*a bit more hardnosed*](https://lkml.org/lkml/2026/5/24/466?ref=itsfoss.com)" from here on. At his keynote for Open Source Summit North America in Minneapolis, Linus had pushed back hard against a different kind of AI narrative, one he found more annoying than the code itself. Claims that "*99 percent*" of a project's code came from AI [genuinely angered him](https://thenewstack.io/torvalds-ai-programming-productivity/?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=When%20I%20see%20people%20saying%2C%20%E2%80%98Hey%2C%2099%25%20of%20our%20code%20is%20written%20by%20AI%2C%20I%20literally%20get%20angry), he said, since the same people never credited compilers for writing effectively all of their code either. By July, at Open Source Summit India in Mumbai, that optimism came with a correction. He admitted that his own earlier "*10x*" [productivity estimate for AI tools](https://www.zdnet.com/article/linus-torvalds-ai-tool-maintaining-linux-code/?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=while%20AI%20might%20add%20%2210x%20or%20even%20100x%20on%20top%20of%20that%2C%22%20still%20it%27s%20%22just%20a%20tool.) had been guesswork, not a real measurement. He pointed out [a real downside](https://www.zdnet.com/article/open-source-summit-linus-torvalds/?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=A%20major%20pain%20point%20was%20bogus%20reports) too. Separating a fabricated bug report from an actual one could take hours, since a hallucinated issue often doesn't announce itself until someone digs in and finds nothing there. Then, more recently [on July 14](https://lore.kernel.org/linux-media/CAHk-=wi4zC+Ze8e+p3tMv8TtG%5F80KzsZ1syL9anBtmEh5Z40vg@mail.gmail.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), while replying to a mailing list thread discussing perceived anti-LLM sentiment in a recent post from the [Software Freedom Conservancy](https://sfconservancy.org/llm-gen-ai/llm-backed-generative-ai-recommendations.html?ref=itsfoss.com), Linus settled the question for good. "***Linux is not one of those anti-AI projects***," he wrote, telling anyone who disagreed to fork the project or simply walk away. While also saying that AI could still be a painful tool, both for maintainer workloads and for how often it turned up embarrassing bugs. But in his view, the answer wasn't to ignore the problem. It was making sure the tools actually helped the people maintaining the code, not just added to their load. ## Closing words Three years isn't long by kernel standards. Linus has been doing this since 1991, and some subsystems have taken longer to get right than that. But watching him go from "*90 percent marketing*" to "*fork it or walk away*" in such a short span says something. Unlike some people, he didn't stay stuck on the idea that AI is bad. He kept updating his opinion, in public no less, admitted his slip-ups, and still called out what's lacking. --- 💬 *So, are you still against AI? Let me know in the comments below; it's always insightful to see where our readers stand on this.* ### 15 O'Reilly Linux eBooks for Under $30: A Bundle That Goes From Command Line Basics to Kubernetes URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/oreilly-linux-ebooks-bundle/ Last updated: 2026-07-17T10:29:41.000Z Humble Bundle and O'Reilly have put together a pay-what-you-want Linux collection called [**Linux: All the Things**](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/X4r9Lg?ref=itsfoss.com) (partner link), and it's built to take you from basic command-line comfort to container orchestration across fifteen eBooks. ![More Linux ebooks](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/all-things-linux-bundle.webp) O'Reilly doesn't really need an introduction. They are one of the most trusted technical book publishers. This bundle leans on some of their strongest Linux titles, including **Learning Git**, **Linux Pocket Guide**, and **Practical Linux System Administration**, alongside a handful of more specialized picks for security testing and Kubernetes. [Humble Bundle: Linux: All the Things by O'Reilly](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/X4r9Lg?ref=itsfoss.com) All fifteen eBooks come as DRM-free PDF and ePUB files. Which means they're yours to keep forever once you buy them. Whatever amount you pay goes toward the publisher, Humble, and Code for America, a nonprofit working on making government services simpler and more accessible. If you use our link, a tiny fraction will come to us as well (read our [affiliate policy](https://itsfoss.com/affiliate-policy/)). Just wanted to be clear about that. ### \-- [Get the bundle](#) ## Here's everything in the bundle | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | | ------------------------------ | -------------------------------------- | | Linux Observability with BPF | Learning Kali Linux | | Git for Teams | Linux Pocket Guide | | Git Pocket Guide | Learning Git | | Linux System Programming | Practical Linux System Administration | | Understanding the Linux Kernel | Version Control with Git | | | Kubernetes: Up and Running | | | Network Programmability and Automation | | | Learning Modern Linux | | | Efficient Linux at the Command Line | | | Linux Cookbook | Bundle is divided into two tiers with different pricing and sets of books. ## Tier 1: Pay $5.90 or More for 5 Books ![Tier 1 Linux book bundle](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/linux-book-bundle.webp) The entry tier costs $5.90 and gets you five books, leaning more toward Linux internals than beginner material. **Linux Observability with BPF** covers using BPF for performance analysis and network monitoring, the kind of thing you refer to when you're troubleshooting a production system rather than just running one. **Linux System Programming** and **Understanding the Linux Kernel** go a level deeper still, covering system calls, process management, and how the kernel itself is put together. The other two books in this tier are Git references. **Git for Teams** focuses on building efficient, user-centered Git workflows across a team, and **Git Pocket Guide** is a quick-reference companion for common git commands. ## Tier 2: Pay $29.50 or More for All 15 Books Paying $29.50 or more unlocks the full fifteen-book set. Do note that the tiers above that, $34.50 up to $49.50, don't add any more books. That extra money just routes to O'Reilly, Humble, and Code for America. This tier adds two more Git titles to round out what Tier 1 started. **Learning Git** is a from-scratch introduction for anyone still fuzzy on branches and commits, and **Version Control with Git** goes deeper into collaborative workflows and tooling. A cluster of books here cover core Linux skills. **Linux Pocket Guide**, now in its fourth edition for its 20th anniversary, is a command reference built for the terminal. **Learning Modern Linux** and **Efficient Linux at the Command Line** build on that with cloud-native context and practical shell efficiency, while **Linux Cookbook** and **Practical Linux System Administration** round things out with recipes and day-to-day sysadmin practice. **Learning Kali Linux** covers security testing, penetration testing, and ethical hacking basics, useful if you want to poke at your own systems before someone else does. The last two books look are more advanced and geared towards DevOps. **Kubernetes: Up and Running** is a solid on-ramp into container orchestration, and **Network Programmability and Automation** covers automating network devices instead of clicking through them one by one. 📋 Do checkout for the edition of those books, though. Sometimes, these bundles may include older editions. ## 🛒 Get the Bundle All fifteen books are DRM-free PDF and ePUB, so they're yours to keep and move to whatever device you actually read on. If even a couple of these titles are already on your reading list, $29.50 for all is still a good deal. And part of your payment supports Code for America, which is similar to doing charity yourself. [Get the Linux: All the Things bundle](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/X4r9Lg?ref=itsfoss.com) ### X (Formerly Twitter) is Possibly Going Open Source URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/x-might-be-going-open-source/ Last updated: 2026-07-17T10:11:57.000Z [Elon Musk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elon%5FMusk?ref=itsfoss.com) has announced that X's [entire codebase will go open source](https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2077361679034118271?ref=itsfoss.com) once xAI wraps up an internal review for security vulnerabilities. He says they will publish the whole thing without holding anything back. Further stating that **they are inviting third-party reviewers** to confirm that what gets published actually matches what's running in production. > Once we have completed our review for security vulnerabilities, we will make the entire codebase of 𝕏 open source, with no exceptions. > > Moreover, we will invite third party reviewers to examine the system that is running to confirm that the open source code is what is running.… > > — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) [July 15, 2026](https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2077361679034118271?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=itsfoss.com) The onboarding of reviewers could be a move to tackle a common complaint against corporate open source releases where the published code is different from what's actually deployed. Of course, skepticism around the announced move has shown up as expected. [JerryRigEverything](https://jerryrigeverything.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), a man known for his knack for taking smartphones to their breaking point, [replied](https://x.com/ZacksJerryRig/status/2077394135326269697?ref=itsfoss.com) to the original tweet (*xeet?*) saying that: > Don't you say this every few months? That tracks. And he's not wrong. Elon has made open source promises like this before, for X's codebase and for Grok's models alike, and not all of them have held up. ## A pattern to take note of X's transparency push goes back further than Grok. In March 2023, not long after taking over the platform, Elon had [X](https://x.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) (*called Twitter back then*) publish a partial version of its recommendation algorithm on [GitHub](https://github.com/twitter/the-algorithm?ref=itsfoss.com), the platform's first real step toward opening up its codebase. Then there's **Grok 1**. He tweeted back in March 2024 that [xAI would open source Grok](https://itsfoss.com/news/xai-grok/?ref=itsfoss.com). Six days later, [the company delivered](https://x.ai/news/grok-os?ref=itsfoss.com), publishing the base model's weights and architecture under Apache 2.0. In August 2025, xAI put the weights for **Grok 2.5**, its 2024 flagship, up on [Hugging Face](https://huggingface.co/xai-org/grok-2?ref=itsfoss.com) (*listed there as "Grok 2"*). Elon said [at the time](https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1959379349322313920?ref=itsfoss.com) that **Grok 3** "*will be made open source in about 6 months*." That puts it somewhere in February 2026, a window that's now been closed for months with no sign of Grok 3 on Hugging Face. Following that, in January 2026, the code behind the "*For You*" feed's ranking algorithm went open source too, landing in a [separate repository](https://github.com/xai-org/x-algorithm?ref=itsfoss.com) built on a Grok-based transformer model. This is the one that actually got the update it was promised, picking up a substantial refresh in May 2026\. And more recently, [Grok Build](https://x.ai/news/grok-build-open-source?ref=itsfoss.com) followed on July 15, the same day as the X open-sourcing announcement, with xAI publishing the coding agent's Rust source and terminal interface on [GitHub](https://github.com/xai-org/grok-build?ref=itsfoss.com) under Apache 2.0. **The record, overall, is mixed rather than uniformly bad**. The "*For You*" algorithm got the update it was promised, the 2023 algorithm release didn't (*you can check the repo linked above*), and Grok 3's six-month window closed back in February 2026 with nothing to show for it. Let's see what comes of Elon's latest promise. ### Vocalinux Turns Your Speech Into Text Without Giving Away Voice Data URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/vocalinux-beta-release/ Last updated: 2026-07-17T04:53:52.000Z An open source, speech-to-text tool for Linux called [Vocalinux](https://vocalinux.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) has just introduced its [0.14 beta](https://github.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux/releases/tag/v0.14.0-beta?ref=itsfoss.com) release, bringing about a mix of refinements that touch keyboard shortcuts, remote transcription, and Wayland reliability. We kick things off with the most important usability addition. Earlier, users were stuck with the default toggle or push-to-talk bindings for recording audio during transcriptions. Now, **it is possible to set keyboard shortcuts** via the *Settings* menu, allowing you to create a diverse range of keybind combinations using the *Ctrl*, *Alt*, *Shift*, and *Super* keys paired with any letter or number key. Likewise, on GNOME's Wayland session, text injection is possible again when a bare [XKB](https://www.x.org/XKB/?ref=itsfoss.com) engine is configured, and whisper.cpp no longer defaults to using every CPU core on hybrid Intel and AMD laptops. Remote API users get something too, where the Remote API engine **now supports FunASR and SenseVoice models** through OpenAI-compatible endpoints. ## What is Vocalinux? ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/vocalinux-about-dialog.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/vocalinux-settings-menu.png) **The about dialog and settings menu of Vocalinux.* I talked about the new Vocalinux release, but I never fully explained what it was. It is **a free and open source voice dictation app for Linux**, released under the **GPL-3.0 license**. It lives in your system tray and lets you dictate into almost any text field on your desktop, terminals, browsers, IDEs, office apps, wherever your cursor happens to be. And **everything runs locally**, so your voice data stays on your machine the whole time. The choice of speech recognition engine isn't locked either, as you get [whisper.cpp](https://github.com/ggml-org/whisper.cpp?ref=itsfoss.com) as the default choice, followed by [Whisper](https://github.com/openai/whisper?ref=itsfoss.com) for PyTorch and NVIDIA configs, [VOSK](https://github.com/alphacep/vosk-api?ref=itsfoss.com) for lightweight setups, and Remote API for offloading to a network server. **I tried testing this beta release** to see what it offered. I tried running it on two separate distros, Fedora Workstation and Ubuntu; the result for both runs was an app refusing to launch via the app launcher or the terminal. It eventually did launch on Ubuntu after I followed some [troubleshooting steps](https://vocalinux.com/troubleshooting/?ref=itsfoss.com), but the app was unresponsive and had to be terminated. Even so, I am not too bummed out by this, as such are the risks associated with pre-release software. ## Get started You can get a quick start by trying out the demo on the [Vocalinux](https://vocalinux.com/?ref=itsfoss.com#demo) website, which runs *SpeechRecognition* on your web browser. Naturally, that's for testing purposes only. ![the vocalinux installer running inside a terminal window on ubuntu](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/ubuntu-vocalinux-installer.png) **If you want to locally run speech-to-text** on your Linux computer, then you can install Vocalinux by running this script: 🚧 Always verify such scripts before running them on your computer. ``` curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux/main/install.sh -o /tmp/vl.sh && bash /tmp/vl.sh --interactive ``` [Vocalinux](https://vocalinux.com/?ref=itsfoss.com#install) After the installation finishes, either run `vocalinux` or find the app icon in the application launcher. If you get caught up choosing between the engines, there's [a comparo](https://vocalinux.com/compare/?ref=itsfoss.com) that should make your decision easier. *If you were looking for it, the source code for Vocalinux lives on* [*GitHub*](https://github.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux?ref=itsfoss.com)*.* Also, running the installer on a non-Debian-based distro like Fedora, will make it throw a warning or two about needing to install dependencies manually, take a note of that before proceeding. My thanks to [Phoronix](https://www.phoronix.com/news/Vocalinux-0.14-Beta?ref=itsfoss.com) for bringing this tool to my attention. 😄 ### FOSS Weekly #26.29: Mint Goes Wayland, OpenBook Reader, Terminal Shortcut Tips, Linux Handheld Computers and More URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-29/ Last updated: 2026-07-16T13:06:19.000Z Linux Mint has taken the slow road to Wayland while everyone else rushed ahead, and it looks like that paid off. Cinnamon's Wayland session [is dropping the experimental label](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-mint-wayland-stable/) with Mint 23 this Christmas, shipping alongside X11 as a fully supported option. And Wayland is not really as slow as some people think. That's what a [recent benchmark study found out](https://itsfoss.com/news/x11-vs-wayland-input-latency/). Most microcontroller boards support Lua as an afterthought. The [ELM11-Feather](https://itsfoss.com/news/elm11-feather-announcement/) from BrisbaneSilicon builds around it. A GOWIN FPGA runs the whole show with no separate CPU, giving you Lua at the application layer, C for drivers, and VHDL/SystemVerilog for the hardware itself. Joey Castillo's Open Book started as a DIY soldering project back in 2020\. Six years later it's back as [Open Book Touch](https://itsfoss.com/news/open-book-touch-crowdfunding/), a proper ready-to-use e-reader with a 4.26-inch touchscreen, ESP32-S3, microSD, user-replaceable battery, and no DRM. One developer, a few months of work, and [Chatto is now open source](https://itsfoss.com/news/chatto-goes-open-source/) under AGPL-3.0\. It's a self-hosted team chat built to be light and simple enough to run by just launching an executable. GNOME is working on an app called [Test Center](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-test-center-announcement/) that would make trying experimental features less of a gamble. ## 📚 Linux Learning Offers There are a few offers I came across that will help you improve your Linux skills, personally or professionally. First is Linux Foundation offering [upto 40% off on its training courses and certification exams](https://tidd.ly/4prg2TY?ref=itsfoss.com). For people looking to make a career in the field of Linux and IT, a certification on Linux, Kubernetes and other related technologies can be of help. 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[Humble Tech Book Bundle: Linux: All the Things by O’ReillyAll things are possible with the power of Linux—learn the latest and greatest techniques from the pros at O’Reilly and help support Code for America!![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/46cf2ed85a0641bfdc052121786440c70da77d75-a1ab4ab2-0872-4a47-a141-0db5b2280abb.png)Humble Bundle![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/7c2e99d2c73e3cbbacc2b21dec6397356724309d-282c5e9d-d169-4493-b6a0-051124945870.png)](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/X4r9Lg?ref=itsfoss.com) ***And part of the money gets donated to Code for America.*** [Get the eBooks](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/X4r9Lg?ref=itsfoss.com) Third and last, my friend has created an "AI Engineer Bootcamp" course because AI is now a useful tool, even Linus Torvalds thinks so. If this is something that interest you, [you can get it an additional discount with custom link](https://www.udemy.com/course/ai-genai-engineer-bootcamp-llm-rag-agents/?couponCode=LINUXHANDBOOK&ref=itsfoss.com). ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About Like a zombie back from the grave, the SCO vs. IBM lawsuit, one of the longest-running legal sagas in open source history, [isn't dead yet](https://www.tomshardware.com/software/linux/unix-copyright-code-infringement-lawsuit-is-back-from-the-dead-ibm-still-under-fire-from-xinuos-about-2003-era-bytes?ref=itsfoss.com). [Unix copyright code infringement lawsuit is back from the dead — IBM still under fire from Xinuos over 2003-era bytesWhat year is it?!![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-bf16bbbf-f3b7-49a8-9f6e-b47431f316b5.png)Tom's HardwareBruno Ferreira![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/U8WKeeZdxNUNhWEnavBWiK-2048-80-eb2b9717-f362-4b08-a92c-e2082791b35c.jpg)](https://www.tomshardware.com/software/linux/unix-copyright-code-infringement-lawsuit-is-back-from-the-dead-ibm-still-under-fire-from-xinuos-about-2003-era-bytes?ref=itsfoss.com) Cursor has [an unpatched zero-day on Windows](https://itsfoss.com/news/cursor-ignores-critical-flaw/) where dropping a file named git.exe at the root of any repository causes it to execute automatically when the project opens. This was known to them for months and has not been patched yet. ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings I have been using Trello since 2013, watching it slowly turn into something else after new ownership stepped in. I set out to find what Trello used to be, across [seven open source tools](https://itsfoss.com/open-source-trello-alternatives/). [Seven Gentoo-based distros](https://itsfoss.com/gentoo-based-distros/) for people who want what Portage offers without starting completely from scratch. We have covered desktop use, penetration testing, security hardening, and audio production. The compose key has been in Linux desktops for years, and [most people have never touched it](https://itsfoss.com/compose-key-gnome-linux/). Once you assign a key in GNOME settings, short two-character sequences let you type accented letters, copyright symbols, degree signs, and more. On a related note, learn about [remapping the CoPilot key on your keyboard to something useful](https://itsfoss.com/remap-copilot-key-linux/). Yes, some keyboards these days come with a dedicated Microsoft Copilot key. Since there is so much discussion around keys, let me share my favorite [keyboard shortcuts that make me more efficient in the terminal](https://itsfoss.com/linux-command-tricks/). ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner The [ORICO 8848U4](https://itsfoss.com/orico-das-8848u-review/) is a 4-bay USB4 NVMe enclosure that connects over Thunderbolt and shows up as native NVMe devices on Linux without requiring any driver installation. [ORICO 88 Series 4-Bay USB4 NVMe SSD Enclosure Review: Fast Storage That Works Natively on LinuxA compact 4-bay NVMe enclosure with USB4 connectivity, tested on Linux with benchmarks.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-af956d92-2812-4411-829a-d2630de31ff3.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/orico-das-side-3-1-79d87a5a-9bfd-4cf0-85bb-0bcd087b2f47.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/orico-das-8848u-review/) The indie [Linux handheld space](https://itsfoss.com/linux-handhelds/) is getting interesting, with many tinkerers and small companies trying their hand at crowdfunding to fund their creations. [8 Linux Handheld Computers You Can Splurge OnThe rest are ready to use out of the box without requiring a spare Raspberry Pi or tinkering.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-b9465400-c5fd-442a-916e-9b537d7fd3c4.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-powered-handhelds-banner-9868e203-a76b-48d7-a34c-1f10cf7b18b4.png)](https://itsfoss.com/linux-handhelds/) Why should you opt for It's FOSS Plus membership: ✅ Ad-free reading experience ✅ Badges in the comment section and forum ✅ Supporting creation of educational Linux materials ✅ Free Linux eBook [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights [Space Haven](https://itsfoss.com/space-haven-review/) will have you manage a crew of humans on a spaceship trying to survive the cold, dark vastness of space. [I Mined and Built My Way Through Space HavenAn indie game studio out of Finland, Linus Torvalds’ birth country, built this game, treating Linux as a first-class citizen.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-186077b0-ae58-48e0-b365-08d23e658b31.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/space-haven-banner-a3f7b864-380b-4a4e-87b4-79c9cbeea422.png)](https://itsfoss.com/space-haven-review/) ## 📽️ Videos for You I still stand by this, [apt update && apt upgrade needs to go away](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0cufWhVUQQ&ref=itsfoss.com). [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip On [GNOME](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-tricks-ubuntu/), you can resize a window using the `Super` key on your keyboard. First, run this command: ``` gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.wm.preferences resize-with-right-button true ``` 0:00 /0:13 1× Now, when pressing the `Super` key, drag a window while pressing the right-click to resize it. SPONSORED If you are interested in learning about open source AI, please [subscribe to our upcoming Local AI Weekly newsletter](https://itsfoss.com/local-ai-weekly/). Expected to start dispatch from this month itself. [Subscribe to Local AI Weekly ](https://itsfoss.com/local-ai-weekly/) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse How sharp is your [Linux automation knowledge](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/linux-automation-quiz/)? [Linux Automation: QuizAre you an automation expert? Or, you want to be? This quiz should be interesting for you.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-7e07e2f6-5c3f-4dd7-9fda-405af22fc23a.png)It's FOSSAnkush Das![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/Linux-Automation-72057f33-e0fd-42b7-9e7b-865d87933c69.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/linux-automation-quiz/) What does the cat says? ![cat bash history meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/Gk4Cp6oX0AA8mUy.jpeg) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On July 15, 1928, [the ENIGMA cipher machine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enigma%5Fmachine?ref=itsfoss.com) entered service with the German Army, encrypting messages via rotor wheels and swappable patch cables. Polish cryptographers first cracked it in 1932, sharing their methods with Britain in 1939, which let Bletchley Park read German traffic throughout WWII. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: Pro FOSSer Ernest has kicked off [a rather interesting thread](https://itsfoss.community/t/who-uses-ai-and-what-do-you-understand-about-how-it-works/16043?ref=itsfoss.com), asking other FOSSers what they understand of AI. ### Remapping the Useless AI Slop Copilot Key in Linux URL: https://itsfoss.com/remap-copilot-key-linux/ Last updated: 2026-07-16T09:35:31.000Z I recently bought an external Dell keyboard that came with a dedicated Copilot key. Since I don't use Microsoft's Copilot, the key was doing nothing useful. ![The Dell keyboard with Copilot key](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/my-dell-keyboard.webp) My new Dell Keyboard comes with a CoPilot key So, I decided to map it to the YouTube Music web app. There is no such app, but I created it as a PWA using Vivaldi. In theory, it seems like a trivial thing, but making the Copilot key launch that web app came up as a decent challenge. And hence this tutorial. My first attempt was using KDE's System Settings → Keyboard → Shortcuts. I created a shortcut for the YouTube Music PWA and tried assigning the Copilot key to it. Unfortunately, KDE only detected the key as Meta+Shift and completely ignored the function key that was part of the key combination. After a bit of searching, I came [across a Reddit post](https://www.reddit.com/r/linux4noobs/comments/1jfnyyq/remap%5Fcopilot%5Fkey%5Fto%5Fthe%5Fcontext%5Fmenu%5Fkey%5Fkeyd/?ref=itsfoss.com) that suggested using the keyd utility to remap the key at a lower level. That turned out to be exactly what I needed. Instead of trying to use the original key combination, I remapped the Copilot key to Ctrl+Alt+Shift+F12\. It is a key combination that is rarely used, making shortcut conflicts highly unlikely. ## Why KDE Can't Detect the Copilot Key On my keyboard, pressing the Copilot key actually sends **Meta+Shift+F23**. The problem is that KDE's shortcut recorder only captures the **Meta+Shift** modifiers and ignores the **F23** key entirely. As a result, it is impossible to assign the Copilot key directly through the graphical settings. The solution is to intercept the key before KDE receives it and translate it into another shortcut that KDE can recognize normally. This is exactly what **keyd** does. ## Install keyd On Arch Linux, install [keyd](https://github.com/rvaiya/keyd?ref=itsfoss.com) using: ``` sudo pacman -S keyd ``` It is also available in the official repositories of Ubuntu 26.04 and above. Enable and start the service: ``` sudo systemctl enable --now keyd ``` Verify that it is running: ``` sudo systemctl status keyd ``` ## Identify Your Keyboard First, identify the vendor and product ID of your external keyboard. Run: ``` sudo keyd monitor ``` Locate your external keyboard in the output and note its `vid:pid` value. Make sure you choose the external keyboard instead of your laptop's built-in keyboard. ``` device added: aaaa:bbbb:cccccccc Dell KB216 Wired Keyboard Consumer Control (/dev/input/event9) device added: aaaa:bbbb:cccccccc Dell KB216 Wired Keyboard System Control (/dev/input/event8) device added: aaaa:bbbb:cccccccc Dell KB216 Wired Keyboard (/dev/input/event7) device added: dddd:eeee:ffffffff Keychron Keychron K8 Pro Keyboard (/dev/input/event6) ``` ## Verify the Copilot Key To see what the Copilot key actually sends, run: ``` sudo keyd monitor ``` Now press the Copilot key. You should see output similar to: ``` leftmeta down leftshift down f23 down f23 up leftshift up leftmeta up ``` This confirms that the key sends the combination: ``` Meta + Shift + F23 ``` ## Create the keyd Configuration Create a configuration file for your external keyboard. ``` sudo mkdir -p /etc/keyd sudo nano /etc/keyd/externalKeyboard.conf ``` Replace the keyboard ID with your own `vid:pid`. ``` [ids] aaaa:bbbb:cccccccc - [main] leftshift+leftmeta+f23 = C-A-S-f12 ``` Here's what each part does: The `[ids]` section limits the remapping to the selected keyboard, leaving your built-in keyboard and other input devices untouched. - C, A, S, and M represent **Ctrl**, **Alt**, **Shift**, and **Meta**. - The left side specifies the key combination received from the keyboard. - The right side defines the new shortcut that will be sent to the system. ## Apply the Configuration Reload keyd: ``` sudo keyd reload ``` Normally, you do not need to log out or reboot. If this is your first time installing `keyd` and the remap does not work immediately, a reboot is worth trying. ## Verify the Remapping Run the monitor again: ``` sudo keyd monitor ``` Press the Copilot key once more. This time, you should see the newly assigned shortcut (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+F12) instead of the original Meta+Shift+F23. ``` keyd virtual keyboard 0fac:0ade:bea394c0 leftalt down keyd virtual keyboard 0fac:0ade:bea394c0 leftshift down keyd virtual keyboard 0fac:0ade:bea394c0 leftcontrol down keyd virtual keyboard 0fac:0ade:bea394c0 f12 down keyd virtual keyboard 0fac:0ade:bea394c0 f12 up keyd virtual keyboard 0fac:0ade:bea394c0 leftalt up keyd virtual keyboard 0fac:0ade:bea394c0 leftshift up keyd virtual keyboard 0fac:0ade:bea394c0 leftcontrol up ``` ## Assign the Shortcut in KDE Now that the Copilot key sends a standard shortcut, KDE can detect it correctly. Open **System Settings → Shortcuts**. Here, click on the **Add New** button on the top-right and select **Application**. ![Select Application option from the KDE Plasma Keyboard shortcut settings](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/add-new-application.png) Add a new Application From the list of sections, select Vivaldi Apps (or other apps of your choice) and then YouTube Music. ![Select the YouTube Music application](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/select-the-youtube-music-application.png) Select the YouTube Music PWA Locate the application shortcut you want to configure, click the shortcut field, and press the Copilot key or `CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+F12`. ![Add the shortcut for YouTube Music](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/add-the-shortcut-for-youtube-music.png) Add Shortcut for YouTube Music PWA Since `keyd` is now emitting `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+F12`, KDE records the shortcut without any issues. ## Check for Shortcut Conflicts Before deciding on a shortcut, it's worth checking whether KDE or KWin already uses it. For example, whether `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+F12` toggles the KWin compositor in X11 sessions. You can search for existing shortcuts by running: ``` grep -i "F12\|F13\|F14" ~/.config/kglobalshortcutsrc ``` ## A Few Things to Keep in Mind Before I end this this tutorial, let me share a few things that you should know about using this method. **Hot plugging:** keyd automatically detects when the keyboard is connected or disconnected through udev. You don't need to restart the service after plugging in the keyboard. **Mouse remapping:** keyd only handles keyboard input. If you need to remap mouse buttons, consider tools such as input-remapper or xremap. **Disable the remapping:** If you want to temporarily restore the original keyboard behavior, simply stop the service: ``` sudo systemctl stop keyd ``` With that, you should be able to make some good use of CoPilot key on Linux. ### Turns Out Wayland Isn't the Input Lag Disaster Everyone Says it is URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/x11-vs-wayland-input-latency/ Last updated: 2026-07-16T08:40:19.000Z The idea that Wayland has worse [input lag](https://www.rtings.com/monitor/tests/inputs/input-lag?ref=itsfoss.com) than X11 has been floating around Linux gaming circles [for years](https://discuss.cachyos.org/t/x11-wayland-input-lag/4522?ref=itsfoss.com). Some numbers backing the claim did come up back in 2025, when a developer [measured GNOME's Wayland session against X11](https://mort.coffee/home/wayland-input-latency/?ref=itsfoss.com) and reported some considerable extra latency. More recently, [Marco Nett](https://marco-nett.de/en/about/?ref=itsfoss.com) decided to test the same question (*along with a few others*) on his gaming rig, and instead of using a mobile phone camera to calculate latency, he cooked up a DIY device to measure it himself. ## What do the numbers say? 0:00 /0:03 1× **Source: Marco Nett* Called the [Click2photon](https://github.com/marconett/click2photon?ref=itsfoss.com), it is a DIY device that straps a light sensor to the monitor and fires simulated mouse clicks over USB. It measures the time between a click and the resulting change on screen, giving out real end-to-end latency numbers. As a side note, the hardware, firmware, and analysis code for the testing device are freely available on [GitHub](https://github.com/marconett/click2photon?ref=itsfoss.com). He ran the tests on [Diabotical](https://www.diabotical.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), a CPU-bound DirectX 11 game, through **Proton** on **CachyOS** with an RTX 4070 SUPER and a 500 Hz OLED monitor. He went looking for answers in varying scenarios. Testing X11 against native Wayland, VRR on against off, and a DXVK [low-latency fork](https://github.com/netborg-afps/dxvk-low-latency?ref=itsfoss.com) on against off. He also ran a bonus set of tests comparing native Wayland to [XWayland](https://wayland.freedesktop.org/docs/book/Xwayland.html?ref=itsfoss.com), with every configuration standardized at **300 clicks**. The results undercut a lot of what gets discussed online. The eight main test cases land within 0.72 ms of each other, with medians ranging from 4.21 ms to 4.93 ms. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/click2photon-plain-x11-wayland.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/click2photon-vrr-low-latency-x11-wayland.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/click2photon-fastest-case.png) **Source: Marco Nett* **X11 beats Wayland by just 0.14 to 0.22 ms**, nowhere near enough to explain Wayland's reputation for feeling laggy. Enabling VRR cuts latency by 0.26 to 0.45 ms and tightens the spread of results, more than any other factor tested. Up to 0.84 ms gets saved in uncapped scenarios once the dxvk-low-latency fork is turned on. **The real culprit is XWayland**, which adds 3.13 ms on top of native Wayland, more than every other factor combined. Stacking every optimization together (*X11, VRR, and the low-latency fork*) only moved the median down by 0.72 ms compared to a plain Wayland setup. ## What does this mean for Linux gamers? For the average Linux gamer, **the lesson isn't to abandon Wayland for X11**. It's to turn on [VRR](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable%5Frefresh%5Frate?ref=itsfoss.com) if your display supports it, get the dxvk-low-latency fork installed if your setup allows it, and make sure games run through native Wayland instead of XWayland. What I have covered here is a distilled summary of the testing done by Marco, I highly suggest you give [the original blog](https://marco-nett.de/blog/measuring-input-latency-on-linux-x11-vs-wayland-vrr-dxvk/?ref=itsfoss.com) a read. He has taken a lot of variables into account, and listing them individually would've made you click away from this article. 😅 ### Cursor AI's Silence on a Critical Flaw Jeopardizes Millions of Users URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/cursor-ignores-critical-flaw/ Last updated: 2026-07-15T09:59:20.000Z Mindgard just disclosed [an unpatched 0-day in Cursor](https://mindgard.ai/blog/cursor-0day-when-full-disclosure-becomes-the-only-protection-left?ref=itsfoss.com) yesterday, where a poisoned repository could trigger arbitrary code on Windows systems without the developer needing to do anything on their end. The bug lives in how Cursor resolves Git binaries when a project loads. Cursor checks several locations for git, and one of them is the workspace itself. Plant a file called `git.exe` at the root of a repository, and [Cursor](https://cursor.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) runs it the moment that project opens. This happens because the execution is integrated into the normal startup routine, something you'd probably never notice unless you went looking for it. Mindgard proved this by renaming the [Windows Calculator](https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9wzdncrfhvn5?ref=itsfoss.com) app to `git.exe` and placing it in a test repo. Opening that repo in Cursor launched it instantly, with the flaw repeatedly spawning new instances of the app. ![on a windows system, the task manager is shown on the left with many processes visible, on the right are numerous instances of the calculator app being launched by cursor due to a critical flaw](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/cursor-git-exe-exploit.png) **Here you can see many instances of the Calculator app being launched by Cursor repeatedly.* **This is not something Cursor didn't know about**. Mindgard's [Aaron Portnoy](https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronportnoy/?ref=itsfoss.com) first reported the bug on December 15, 2025, then followed up repeatedly in the months after. Getting anyone to respond took [a public LinkedIn post](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/aaronportnoy%5Fcan-anyone-put-me-in-touch-with-a-security-share-7416965166954868736-agkL/?ref=itsfoss.com) asking for a security contact. Cursor's [CISO](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-daniels-7345564/?ref=itsfoss.com) eventually replied privately, blaming a broken automation for the missed HackerOne invite. The stonewalling didn't stop there, as the bug report on HackerOne was closed prematurely, being termed "*informative and out of scope*." Mindgard pushed back, HackerOne reopened it, and confirmed the details had reached Cursor. Days passed, and the silence from Cursor was more apparent. Requests for updates in February, March, and April were left unanswered, all while they were busy shipping new releases. Five months of cat and mouse, and Mindgard finally decided to go public. ## There's a response ![the about dialog of the linux client for cursor is visible in the foreground, the background has the rest of the cursor interface with a wall of code](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/cursor-linux-about-dialog.png) **Just a placeholder image of Cursor's Linux build.* Albeit a very vague one. Speaking to [Dark Reading](https://www.darkreading.com/application-security/cursor-ide-malicious-code-poisoned-repos?ref=itsfoss.com), an unnamed spokesperson for Cursor informed them that: > I can confirm we are addressing this and will get back to Mindgard accordingly. That statement isn't very confidence-instilling for an issue that feels magnitudes higher. But what do I know about handling sensitive cybersecurity issues in a big AI firm? Maybe they had good reason to ignore the issue and were working on some shiny new AI feature. 🤷 --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [Did you know a storage bug on Windows 11 could eat up disk space?](https://itsfoss.com/news/windows-11-cam-bug/) [LOL! Storage Bug on Microsoft Windows 11 Could Eat Up 500 GB Disk SpaceA Microsoft customer support agent even suggested buying a new hard disk instead of acknowledging the problem.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-6e5aec57-e638-4f79-bf06-f025facf9da7.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/windows-11-storage-bug-banner-6bed86e3-17cd-44a5-843d-90b20841a563.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/windows-11-cam-bug/) ### GNOME Wants to Let You Test Experimental Features Without Breaking Anything URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-test-center-announcement/ Last updated: 2026-07-14T15:07:44.000Z Testing experimental software is a hassle right now. You either wait for a stable release, or you dive into the pit of nightly builds hoping the whole thing doesn't fall on your head. That gets worse on image-based systems like [GNOME OS](https://os.gnome.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), where the base image is read-only and you can't just swap out a package and move on. GNOME [wants to fix that](https://modal.cx/blog/image-based-for-developers/?ref=itsfoss.com) with a new app it's prototyping, tentatively called Test Center. ## Something new to tackle testing ![a mockup that shows the planned test center app for gnome os](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/gnome-test-center-mockup-1.png) It is meant to act as **a one-stop solution for installing, running, and removing anything experimental**, whether that's an app or a piece of the system itself. For apps, you skip the usual grind of hunting down CI artifacts or building your own Flatpak bundle by hand. A developer hands you a link, you tap it, and the build shows up tagged as experimental, set to expire on its own. System components run on [sysext images](https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/latest/systemd-sysext.html?ref=itsfoss.com) instead of [Flatpaks](https://itsfoss.com/flatpak-guide/), though the idea plays out the same way. Take something like parental controls, still early in development, you'd grab the sysext tied to that merge request through Test Center, and it lands on your system as an overlay rather than a replacement. Remove it, and you restore your system to the same state before the experimental change was applied. Plus, there's a good reason system-level testing has been such a mess up to now. According to [Modal Collective](https://modal.cx/?ref=itsfoss.com), the closest thing on a regular package-based distro is packaging your changes into an unofficial repo like a [COPR](https://copr.fedorainfracloud.org/coprs/?ref=itsfoss.com) or [PPA](https://itsfoss.com/ppa-guide/) and asking testers to install from there themselves. Once they do, the experimental packages don't sit next to the stable ones, they replace them outright. Break something, and it's on you to fix it. You won't get proper updates again until you do. ## What's next? All this effort is part of the [GNOME OS Developer Tool Suite](https://www.prototypefund.de/en/projects/gnome-os-developer-tool-suite?ref=itsfoss.com), a project that's been in funding through Germany's **Prototype Fund** since June 2026\. Tobias Bernard, Jonas Dreßler, and a few others are working on this under the Modal Collective umbrella. In a related plan, **an easier way to distribute command-line developer tools on image-based systems** is also part of the same project, though the team says more details on that are coming in a separate post. If you're developing for GNOME OS and have opinions on what's currently annoying about testing and development workflows, the team wants to hear from you on [Matrix](https://handbook.gnome.org/get-in-touch/matrix.html?ref=itsfoss.com), in the `#gnome-os room`, or in person at the [GNOME OS BoF](https://events.gnome.org/event/306/contributions/1572/?ref=itsfoss.com) during [GUADEC](https://events.gnome.org/event/306/?ref=itsfoss.com). ### 7 Open Source Trello Alternatives For Your Kanban Boards URL: https://itsfoss.com/open-source-trello-alternatives/ Last updated: 2026-07-15T06:59:06.000Z I started using Trello around 2013-14 to work on a team project. Trello was new and rising at the time for its simplicity of providing a collaborative Kanban board. After its acquisition and recent AI surge, Trello has changed a lot. But I still miss its simplicity in Kanban style tools I have tried so far. As I lean more towards, open source and self-hosting, I have collected a bunch of projects that can be considered in the same league as Trello. My search for open source Trello alternatives was based on mainly finding simple kanban boards with team collaboration and public boards option. Integration to external services, mobile apps and the ability to import Trello projects are also worth considering. Since we are in the AI era, automation and AI agent access shouldn't be ignored either. So, let's begin to see what open source tool can replace Trello for you. ## 1\. Kan.bn [Kan](https://kan.bn/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a sleek, modern looking Kanban task board. Built with Typescript, Kan provides a modern user interface and experience. It comes with all of the classic Trello features so you get boards and workspaces, labels and filtering. You also have the ability to comment and check activity logs on the tasks. ![Kan.bn is a good modern open source alternative to Trello](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/kan-ban.webp) There is no automation or AI feature at the time of writing this article. Which is not entirely a bad thing because sometimes simplicity itself is a feature. One thing that does bother me is the lack of smartphone apps. I like to keep a track on tasks while on the move. That doesn't mean Kan doesn't provide ways for efficient work. They are already working on implementing templates so that you can easily create same type of tasks. Integrations with external tools is also a work in progress. The biggest feature for people moving away from Trello is that you can [import your Trello boards directly in Kan](https://docs.kan.bn/imports/trello?ref=itsfoss.com). That makes it a true open source alternative to Trello. Kan can be self-hosted or you can [pay for their hosted service](https://kan.bn/pricing?ref=itsfoss.com). Hosted service is free for single user. 💡 Use it if you want to move your existing Trello tasks to a self-hosted tool with modern look and feel. ## 2\. Planka If you want to use something that looks and feels like Trello, look no further than [Planka](https://planka.app/?ref=itsfoss.com). Look at the screenshots, and you'll feel like you are looking at Trello itself. ![Planka interface is almost identical to Trello](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/planka-board-overview.webp) You get all the usual Trello and kanban board features. You have lists with tasks and those tasks can have deadline and time tracking. Kanban, grid and list views are available. You should also be able to import your Trello tasks here. ![Planka even has project overview like Trello](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/planka-project-overview.webp) REST API with 50+ webhook events helps you integrate task management with external tools in your workflow. Public boards were [supposed to arrive with version 2](https://github.com/plankanban/planka/issues/602?ref=itsfoss.com) but I don't think that has happened yet. Organizations can have single sign on along with Google, Azure AD and more. There are no official mobile apps for now. If you must use one, there is a community app in progress. I would suggest waiting for the official mobile apps, instead. Licensing and pricing are issues here. There are two versions: community and pro. Both versions are available in hosted and self-hosted formats. The pro version has additional features like user roles, recurring cards, UI customization for organization branding etc. You can self-host the community edition for free. Everything else has a price tag, including self-hosting the pro version. Licensing is 'fair use' and it is not clear that they use a clear, open source solution. **I would keep them in 'source open' category**. 💡 Use it if you want a Trello style Kanban task board for your organization and you are okay using a source open software with no public boards. ## 3\. Vikunja [Vikunja](https://vikunja.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) is primarily and an open source, self-hostable Kanban board that you can use on your own and with your team. You can add labels, create relation between tasks, add deadlines and priorities. ![Vikunja Kanban board for task managements](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/vikunja-kanban-view.webp) Tasks and boards can be shared with public, too. This makes it easy to collaborate with external people and they don't even have to create an account. Apart from Kanban, you also get list, tabular and Gantt chart views. Recurring tasks, sub tasks, due date notification, you get them all. I like the idea of the "quick add magic". It's a helpful featuere specially if you work with AI to create task description. In the description, use keywords like mention a date and it adds that as a due date. This saves you the trouble of manually assigning labels, due dates, priorities etc. Vikunja doesn't have smartphone apps but it does let you import your Trello projects. Written in Go, Vikunja claims to be speedy. How to verify the claim? Well, [there is a demo board](https://try.vikunja.io/demo-account-create/?ref=itsfoss.com) you can test, no log in required. It is AGPL licensed and you can self host it on your own or opt for managed hosting from Vikunja itself. 💡 Use it if you want a true open source, self-hostable tool to manage tasks individually or for an organization. ## 4\. Wekan [Wekan](https://wekan.fi/?ref=itsfoss.com) is one of the OG open source Trello alternatives. You can self host it on your servers. It feels more enterprise and organization oriented than individuals and lean team. The interface is a bit dated for my liking but still good enough for managing tasks without eye candy. ![Wekan is open source trello alternative](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/wekan-dark-mode.png) The promise is simple. You get boards, lists and tasks. It is collaborative and since its enterprise oriented, there is [option to purchase commercial support](https://wekan.fi/commercial-support/?ref=itsfoss.com). There are mobile apps listed on their website but I didn't find anything on the Trello import. No AI integration as far as I can see. 💡 Use it if you want a true open source, self-hostable tool for an enterprise. ## 5\. Tududi Funny sounding name aside, [Tududi](https://cloud.tududi.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is somewhat of a Clickup alternative. You have boards, areas (work, life, personal) and the ability to create notes. Which is a great way to share common docs with the team. ![Tududi is an open source kanban tool](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/tududi.jpg) There are plenty of features to like here. Recurring tasks, subtasks, priorities, labeling, deadlines. All the usual stuff is already here with a few smart features. Progress can be tracked with completion stats and productivity patterns. No smartphone apps but responsive design makes it easy to follow tasks on web browser on your mobile devices. Don't see automation or AI features here, either. Not sure about public board, too. It can be self-hosted via Docker or you can use the hosted service from the developer. 💡 Use it if you want an open source Kanban tool with the ability to add docs. ## 6\. Leantime While not exactly a Trello clone, [Leantime](https://leantime.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a project management tool created specifically with [ADHD and neurodivergence in mind](https://leantime.io/the-top-digital-planner-for-adhd-brains/?ref=itsfoss.com). So you get more color codings, emoji-based priority features. ![Leantime is a project management tool for people with ADHD](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/leantime-task-management.png) There is a "personal view" that shows all your tasks in one place irrespective of which board they belong to. This is something I have seen in ClickUp. You can also take notes that won't be saved in the main tasks and would only be used in personal view. You can track productivity with built in reports and see how the project is coming together. Another thing that I feel is helpful is the ability to create a blueprint for a project. So instead of creating the main project board immediately, this can be used for the (pre) planning phase. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/leantime-blueprint-project.png) Leantime also has builtin whiteboard for creating mind maps and wireframes to visually represent your thoughts. 💡 Use Leantime if you have people with ADHD in your team and you are not looking for an exact Trello replacement. ## 7\. Fizzy From the makers of Basecamp, [Fizzy](https://www.fizzy.do/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a relatively new tool and claims to make "Kanban as it was supposed to be". Which means it is keeping things simple by giving you boards with only the most essential features. We have been [using Fizzy](https://itsfoss.com/fizzy-self-hostable-kanban-solution/) for the past several months for managing our tasks here at It's FOSS. ![Fizzy task board](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/fizzy.webp) Auto close is the feature that you won't easily find in other project management tools. Once you add a task, it gets added to Maybe list by default. And if the task sees no activity (edits, comments, moving to other lists), it gets moved to a "Not now" list that is hidden from the main view. Another thing here is that no matter how many lists (columns) you add, you can only view two of them at a time. Helps with focus, apparently. Fizzy has smartphone apps that makes it easier to manage tasks without sitting in front of a computer. My biggest gripe with Fizzy is that it doesn't have a deadline feature. Everything is either Maybe, Intermediate lists or Done. And then removing tasks from Done list is done one by one manually, no multi-select here. So if your board has hundreds of finished tasks and you didn't delete them immediately, you have to delete them one by one. Or you just let them stay in the Done section which kind of looks odd when the number increases. Public boards are available in Fizzy so you can use it for sharing project roadmaps. Webhooks let you integrate to external tools. Fizzy also has CLI version and thus allowing you to use an AI agent for accessing and managing the board, if that's your thing. There is no direct way for importing Trello projects in Fizzy. So that's something worth noting. Also, Fizzy is source available, not open source. You can self-host it or use the hosted service which is free anyways. 💡 If deadlines is not something you need and you are okay with source available, Fizzy is a good choice as it is free even in hosted version. ## Bonus: Schedule Now this one is completely different than the rest of the Trello alternatives mentioned here. [Schedule](https://github.com/zhrexl/ThisWeekInMyLife?ref=itsfoss.com) is a simple, kanban style todo list of your Linux desktop. It doesn't have collaboration features, cannot be self hosted or accessed via web browsers. ![Schedule planner app is also called This Week in My Life](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/image-1.png) It's a desktop application. You install it, you create your boards, add tasks and work on them. Sometimes you need that. Either you don't work with a team or external collaborators or you just want a separate place for your personal projects. And if that's the case for you, a [regular desktop kanban app](https://itsfoss.com/schedule-kanban-board/) like [Schedule](https://itsfoss.com/schedule-kanban-board/) does the job. 💡 Use this for personal task management on your desktop only. ## Which tool should you use to replace Trello? I have deliberately not included these in my list here: - Nextcloud Deck: Kanban feature is good but it's just one part of a different type of software suite. - Plane, Mattermost and OpenProject: Full-fledged project management suite. Overkill for just Kanban feature. - Kanboard, Restyboard, Taskboard: No longer actively developed. - Nocobase, Baserow: More of no code CRM oriented tools than just Kanban boards. And to answer the question...it all depends on your requirements. If you want a simple Kanban tool that looks modern, go with Kan. You can use it for free or self host it or opt for the paid hosted version. Fizzy is also a good choice if you don't need deadline features. Vikunja is also rising in popularity and worth a dekko. I would suggest checking each tool and its features and see if they will be your ideal open source Trello alternatives. Your turn now. Which Kanban tool do you use? Did you find something worth trying in this list? Share it in the comments, ### Slack Who? This Self-Hosted Chat App Just Went Open Source URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/chatto-goes-open-source/ Last updated: 2026-07-13T13:22:54.000Z [Slack](https://slack.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is the solution most teams think of first when they are in the market for a chat application. It is known for being feature-packed, fast, and consistently updated, making it a go-to for millions of teams across the world. But no matter how good it is, it is not open source. 🙃 Thankfully, the open source space has no shortage of alternatives. *Rocket.Chat*, *Mattermost*, *Zulip*, and [Matrix](https://matrix.org/?ref=itsfoss.com)\-based clients like *Element* have all built up loyal followings among teams who want to own their data. Now there's [a new name to add to that list](https://hmans.dev/blog/chatto-is-open-source?ref=itsfoss.com). It's called **Chatto**, and it's still early in its development cycle, with a stable 1.0 release yet to arrive. ## Chatto goes open ![against a mixed green/blue background a chatto client window is visible, with the chatto hq server open, showing channels, messages and users](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/chatto-server-view.png) After spending the past few months developing Chatto, [Hendrik Mans](https://hmans.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com) has decided to offer the project openly under **AGPL-3.0+** with a few Apache-2.0 exceptions for certain components. It's built as a self-hosted option for teams who would otherwise reach for Slack, Teams, or Discord. Hendrik wanted something light on resources, simple enough that an administrator can just run the executable and get started. It covers the essentials you would expect from a chat app. That includes channels, rooms, file sharing, video embeds, and a roles and permissions system for fine control over which user gets what kind of access. You also get screen sharing, along with **end-to-end encryption on every voice and video call**, and the number of people that can join comes down to what kind of capacity your server has. ## Going forward Right now, there's **no dedicated desktop or mobile client**. Chatto's [roadmap](https://github.com/orgs/chattocorp/projects/1/views/7?ref=itsfoss.com) lists both as something that could be worked on, but they're still in the discovery phase, meaning that they are still deliberating on whether to offer those. Beyond the client apps, the roadmap lists **a dedicated Slack to Chatto migration tool**, along with GDPR-compliant data export, thread locking, and thread deletion as planned feature additions. Hendrik is currently working on new room types, bot accounts with dedicated API tokens, Chatto hub integration, and server-wide user suspension. Next in line are an emergency lockdown mode for admins, slow mode, in-app message reporting, and server invites. For anyone who'd rather **skip the self-hosting** altogether, [Chatto Cloud](https://chatto.run/cloud?ref=itsfoss.com) is entering public beta soon too. It'll run on European-owned infrastructure, with neat perks like automatic scaling and nightly backups. Don't worry about vendor lock-in either, as moving data in or out of it will be made accessible. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Best Open Source Slack Alternatives*](https://itsfoss.com/open-source-slack-alternative/) [Ditch Slack With These Open Source Team Chat ToolsHere, we shall take a look at the best open source slack alternatives that you can choose to communicate with your team at work.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-8f440d09-e52a-420f-a29f-d7e66174a7e6.png)It's FOSSAnkush Das![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/Open-Source-Team-Communication-Software-1673063a-cca9-4313-ad1c-2034b3818c97.jpg)](https://itsfoss.com/open-source-slack-alternative/) ### Open Book Touch is Crowdfunding: A Buttonless, Open Hardware Answer to Kindle URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/open-book-touch-crowdfunding/ Last updated: 2026-07-13T06:48:17.000Z Back in 2020, [I wrote about Open Book](https://itsfoss.com/open-book/): a DIY, open source e-reader project from developer [Joey Castillo](https://www.joeycastillo.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) that you could solder together yourself... at least in theory. It had a 4.2 inch e-paper screen, seven physical buttons for navigation, and the kind of "anyone with a soldering iron can build one" ambition that attracts a certain kind of small userbase. Six years later, Castillo is back with Open Book Touch. It is built on the same idea just that it's more of a ready-to-use, out of the box kind of product this time. If need be, you can still take it apart and modify it as needed. The new project just [went live on Crowd Supply](https://www.crowdsupply.com/oddly-specific-objects/open-book-touch?ref=itsfoss.com). With "[own your data](https://itsfoss.com/opinion/self-hosting-rising/)" becoming a way to resist against Big Tech's walled garden, an open source alternative to Kindle's ecosystem is exactly the kind of thing that appeals to many of us open source lovers. No account needed, no DRM, nothing "phoning home". If you have a good ebook coolection, a device like this is worth adding to wishlist, at least for me. ## 📝 Key Specifications ![Open Book Touch](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/open-book-touch-3.jpg) - **Display:** 4.26" e-paper touchscreen, 480 × 800 px, warm + cool frontlight - **Processor:** ESP32-S3 dual-core, Wi-Fi + Bluetooth LE - **Memory:** 16 MB flash, 8 MB PSRAM - **Formats:** EPUB and plain text, no DRM - Storage: microSD card slot - **Interface**: USB-C with integrated LiPo charging - **Dimension**: 78 × 120 × 10 mm, about 85 g - **Open source:** MIT-licensed firmware, open hardware (to be released at shipping) The base model is $149, with a limited "Author's Edition" going for $249 during the campaign only. The most obvious change from the [original Open Book](https://github.com/joeycastillo/The-Open-Book?ref=itsfoss.com) is right there on the front. Where the old board had a directional pad, a select button, and dedicated page-turn buttons, Open Book Touch is a single symmetrical slab, just 1 cm thin, with a capacitive touchscreen doing all the work instead. That's why it is called Open Book Touch, perhaps. The exclusion of physical buttons makes sense because it is a tiny device. The touchscreen sits on a 4.26 inch e-paper panel at 480 × 800 pixels, working out to roughly 220 ppi, sharper than you'd expect at that size. It's a 1-bit display at its core meaning fast, crisp black and white for page turns. Slower 2-bit grayscale mode is reserved for the lock screen, so a book cover or your own photo renders in more shades of gray. ![Book cover image](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/open-book-touch-2.jpg) Frontlight uses five warm and five cool LEDs together, so you get a warm tone for reading in bed or something cooler for daylight, rather than being stuck with the single-temperature light. At its core lies an ESP32-S3, paired with 16 MB of flash and 8 MB of PSRAM, the kind of arrangement you'd want for parsing EPUB files on a microcontroller instead of a full Linux SBC. The firmware itself is C++ on ESP-IDF and FreeRTOS, with SQLite quietly tracking your library's metadata. Typesetting gets some attention too: justified text with proper hyphenation (English, Spanish, French, and Italian dictionaries are included), inline dithered images, and text set in bitmap versions of open source Lucida Bright and Lucida Sans fonts, complete with true bold and italic weights. ![Language support in Open Book Touch](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/open-book-touch-4.jpg) Language support is pretty impressive for a new device. GNU Unifont ships on the device as a fallback covering around 70,000 glyphs, the interface itself is localized into seven languages including Arabic and Hebrew. They have also implemented the Unicode bidirectional algorithm so right-to-left scripts shape correctly instead of just rendering backwards. There's no DRM support here, by design. Books load from a microSD card or over local Wi-Fi. You may also manage metadat of library with SQLite. ![OpenBook Touch library metadata](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/open-book-touch-web-inetrface.jpg) There is no companion app here. This 'feature' could be an inconvenience, too, if you like reading on more than one devices like your computer or smartphone. Perhaps later, something can be thought about it, The 800 mAh (minimum) LiPo battery is user-replaceable, and the 3D-printed snap-fit case is designed to be taken apart, with printable CAD files included if you want to make your own in a different color. ## Whatever happened to the original? The original Open Book won [Hackaday's "Take Flight with Feather" contest in January 2020](https://hackaday.com/2020/01/22/winners-of-the-take-flight-with-feather-contest/?ref=itsfoss.com), a competition sponsored by Adafruit and [DigiKey](https://www.digikey.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) for Feather-compatible boards. ![Original OpenBook from 2020](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/image.png) That win was supposed to mean a manufactured run of at least 100 units landing on DigiKey's shelves. From what I recall, that specific retail run doesn't seem to have fully materialized. Castillo sold bare PCBs himself through Tindie starting mid-2020, and by that October, more than 100 Open Book and E-Book FeatherWing boards had shipped to makers willing to solder them together at home. So it did shipped, sort of, just not like DigiKey retail run originally promised. But real boards did reach real people as a DIY kit rather than a finished product. The project kept evolving after that, through an RP2040-based "[Open Book Abridged](https://hackaday.com/2022/09/29/open-book-abridged-oshw-e-reader-now-simplified-pico-driven/?ref=itsfoss.com)" and, eventually, a full reimagining that led to Open Book Touch. The original Open Book had all its schematics and firmware [public on GitHub](https://github.com/joeycastillo/The-Open-Book?ref=itsfoss.com) from day one, before a single board existed. Open Book Touch is a bit different for now. Castillo has open sourced [Focus](https://github.com/joeycastillo/focus?ref=itsfoss.com), the C++ application framework that powers the device's interface, and the firmware is MIT-licensed. But the board files, enclosure CAD, and the Open Book Touch-specific firmware itself are staying private until the campaign ships, going public to backers first and everyone else after. This is what's promised by the developer. ## Get Open Book Touch ![Open Book Touch](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/open-book-touch-1.jpg) Open Book Touch is live on Crowd Supply now. At the time of writing, the campaign has raised $25,658 of its $45,000 goal from 131 backers, with about five weeks left to go. [Back Open Book Touch on Crowd Supply](https://www.crowdsupply.com/oddly-specific-objects/open-book-touch?ref=itsfoss.com) Pledges start at $149 for the standard Open Book Touch (free US shipping, $12 elsewhere), with a $249 "Author's Edition" in a special enclosure available only during the campaign. Crowd Supply is targeting early 2027 to get the first units to backers, fulfilled through its usual partner, Mouser. Manufacturing runs through [NextPCB's Launchpad program](https://www.crowdsupply.com/nextpcb/launchpad?ref=itsfoss.com), with the e-paper panel itself coming from [Good Display](https://www.good-display.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). 🚧 As with any crowdfunding campaign, treat the timeline as an estimate. Back it because you want to support the project, not because you're counting on the ship date. If you just want the reading experience Castillo designed, the $149 tier gets you the full thing. Go for the $249 Author's Edition only if the nicer enclosure matters to you, since the electronics inside are identical. *Suggested Read: If Open Book Touch is out of your price range or you'd rather build one yourself,* [*we've rounded up several DIY open source e-reader projects*](https://itsfoss.com/open-source-ebook-readers-options/) *you can put together at home.* ### 8 Linux Handheld Computers You Can Splurge On URL: https://itsfoss.com/linux-handhelds/ Last updated: 2026-07-12T06:00:22.000Z As consumers, we are used to correlating handhelds with the big names like Valve's Steam Deck, Lenovo's Legion Go, and ASUS' ROG Ally. But these machines are geared towards gaming and are priced like it too. Lately, a different segment has been getting just as much attention. Indie creators and small hardware outfits who are shipping handhelds built around open hardware, swappable parts, and running full Linux distros. We have picked out eight such handhelds that range from fully assembled devices to bring-your-own board kits that expect you to bring your own board, battery, and storage. ## 1\. CardputerZero ![cardputerzero](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/cardputerzero.png) [M5Stack](https://m5stack.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) has kept its Cardputer line going since 2023, updating it every so often. The original ran on an ESP32-S3, and so did the follow-up, the Cardputer-Adv, just with a bigger battery and more sensors bolted on. Howeverm, neither of them ran real Linux. The [CardputerZero](https://shop.m5stack.com/pages/m5-cardputerzero?ref=itsfoss.com) changes that. It swaps the ESP32 for a **Raspberry Pi Compute Module Zero**, which is equipped with a Broadcom BCM2837 with a quad-core Cortex-A53 running at 1GHz and 512MB of RAM. You get a 1.9-inch non-touch LCD with HDMI output up to 1080p, a 46-key keyboard, and a 1500mAh battery to keep it running, all of which fits into an 84 x 54 x 23.1mm shell you could mistake for a fat credit card. The *Standard* model throws in an 8MP camera and a full IMU sensor suite; features the cheaper *Lite* version drops entirely. Both variants keep Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, and a built-in app store that lets you flash community firmware without requiring a computer. [Check it Out](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/m5stack/cardputerzero?ref=itsfoss.com) **Suggested Read 📖:**[*This Credit Card-Sized Linux Box Has a Keyboard*](https://itsfoss.com/news/cardputerzero-crowdfunding/) [This Credit Card-Sized Linux Box Has a Keyboard, Camera, and AI CapabilityM5Stack’s offering has already pulled in over 10,000 Kickstarter backers.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-980204f1-52ca-4b22-a81c-4f1e0ef55e2d.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/m5stack-cardputerzero-banner-13c8ff87-24e2-4155-8f07-68c47b182a6f.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/cardputerzero-crowdfunding/) ## 2\. Mecha Comet ![Mecha Comet](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/new-comet.jpg) The [Mecha Comet](https://mecha.so/comet?ref=itsfoss.com) looks like a chunky Android phone at first glance, until you notice the 40-pin magnetic connector running along the bottom edge. Snap on a QWERTY keyboard with a trackpad, a gamepad with a dual D-pad, or a bare GPIO breakout, and the same device becomes a different tool entirely. For the software, it runs **Mechanix**, Mecha's own Fedora-based distro powered by Linux 6.12, with the bootloader, kernel, and root filesystem all being published as open source. They are also committing to releasing the full PCB schematics once mass production starts. You get to choose between two configurations; the cheaper one will get you an **NXP i.MX 8M Plus**, a quad-core Cortex-A53 clocked at 1.8GHz, paired with 4GB or 8GB of LPDDR4 RAM. Step up to the higher tier, and you get an **i.MX 95** with a six-core Cortex-A55 setup, yielding roughly double the GPU throughput. Both of these are equipped with an NPU and share the same 3.92-inch AMOLED touchscreen that outputs at 1080 x 1240. [Check it Out](https://hub.mecha.so/preorder?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 3\. Orange Pi Neo ![orange pi neo](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/orange-pi-neo.png) The [Orange Pi Neo](https://neo.manjaro.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) has been in the works since early 2024, being built as a joint effort between **Orange Pi** and **Manjaro Linux**. The planned hardware for it is an AMD Ryzen 7 7840U chip, a 7-inch 1920x1200 display running at 120Hz, dual touchpads modeled after the Steam Deck's, and Hall effect joysticks with RGB lighting. Sadly, [it is running quite late](https://itsfoss.com/news/orange-pi-neo-delayed/), and the recent hike in DDR5 RAM and SSD prices has only added to the delay, with Philip Müller, Manjaro's project lead, saying that they are waiting for a good time to launch. I added this to the list because, on paper, this looks like a capable Linux-powered handheld; would've been a bummer to skip. [Check it Out](https://neo.manjaro.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 4\. PocketTerm35 ![pocketterm35](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/pocketterm35.png) Waveshare has designed the [PocketTerm35](https://www.waveshare.com/pocketterm35.htm?ref=itsfoss.com) around a dedicated RP2040 microcontroller that handles the keyboard, screen brightness, and volume control duties, freeing up the main board to just run Linux. That main board can either be a **Raspberry Pi 4B** or a **Pi 5**, both of which slot in as the actual compute hardware doing the work. Software-wise, it runs a full Linux desktop with a terminal and command-line tools included, and it's compatible with **RetroPie** for retro gaming. It is sold in four different configurations. Two come with a Pi 4B or Pi 5 already installed along with a preloaded SD card and heatsink, and two are accessory-only kits for anyone supplying their own board. [Check it Out](https://www.waveshare.com/pocketterm35.htm?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 5\. piBrick PocketCM5 Ahmad Amarullah, [an Indonesian maker](https://amarullz.com/2026/06/03/pibrick-pocketcm5-open-source-handheld-computer/?ref=itsfoss.com), has spent considerable time refining what eventually became the [piBrick PocketCM5](https://github.com/amarullz/piBrick?ref=itsfoss.com). The final design pairs a **Raspberry Pi CM5** with a **BlackBerry BBQ20 keyboard**, complete with its own integrated trackpad, inside a compact 80 x 145 x 19.6mm shell. The screen is a 3.92-inch AMOLED panel running at 1080 x 1240 and a 90Hz refresh rate, output over MIPI/DSI. Full-size HDMI and micro-HDMI are both present too, so you're never lacking in ways to get an image onto a bigger screen. Ports are expansive for something this size. You get 1x USB 3 Type-A, 1x USB 3 Type-C, 1x USB 2 Type-C, and 1x USB 2 Type-A, plus an internal USB 2.0 header, an I2C connector, and a GPIO extension header for anyone who wants to wire something in. Every part of it, the PCB schematics, the 3D-printable case, and the keyboard firmware, is published openly on [GitHub](https://github.com/amarullz/piBrick/tree/main/Pocket-CM5?ref=itsfoss.com). The full DIY kit without the CM5 is listed on [Tindie](https://www.tindie.com/products/amarullz/pibrick-pocketcm5-kit-for-raspberry-pi-cm5/?ref=itsfoss.com) but was out of stock at the time of writing. [Check it Out](https://github.com/amarullz/piBrick/tree/main/Pocket-CM5?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 6\. Pilet ![pliet 5 and pilet 7](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/pliet-5-pilet-7.jpg) soulscircuit's [Pilet](https://soulscircuit.com/pilet?ref=itsfoss.com) hit its [Kickstarter](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/soulscircuit/pilet-opensource-modular-portable-mini-computer/?ref=itsfoss.com) goal within five minutes of its debut. It is pitched as a retro open source computer that was initially built to house the Raspberry Pi 5, but, later, switched to the **Raspberry Pi CM5** instead. While [my original coverage](https://itsfoss.com/news/pilet-handeld/) of it did insinuate that the board was included, the original listing never mentioned that was the case. The [change in board requirements](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/soulscircuit/pilet-opensource-modular-portable-mini-computer/posts/4654610?ref=itsfoss.com) did stir up disappointment among backers, but the creators [have pushed forward](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/soulscircuit/pilet-opensource-modular-portable-mini-computer/posts/4682709?ref=itsfoss.com). It is offered in two sizes, the 5-inch **Pilet 5** with a retro console layout, and the 7-inch **Pilet 7**, a tablet variant running [KDE Plasma](https://itsfoss.com/kde-plasma-widgets/). Both share a 1280x800 touchscreen and a custom battery module for USB charging. [Check it Out](https://soulscircuit.com/pilet?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 7\. RootBoard ![rootboard](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/rootboard.png) [RootBoard](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dian-lieu/rootboard/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a pocket-sized Linux terminal designed by tinkerer Dian Lieu, built as an open hardware shell rather than a finished gadget. The keyboard controller, firmware, and software are all left fully open for makers to inspect and modify. The shell wraps a 3.5-inch color display with a 70-key QWERTY keyboard and a built-in speaker, but there's no touchscreen here. You navigate using the keyboard or an external mouse instead. And you will need a Raspberry Pi **Zero**, **Zero W**, or **Zero 2 W**, as the RootBoard doesn't feature a CPU, memory, or storage. [Check it Out](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dian-lieu/rootboard/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 8\. MNT Pocket Reform A German outfit, called [MNT Research](https://mntre.com/about.html?ref=itsfoss.com) has come up with the [MNT Pocket Reform](https://shop.mntre.com/products/mnt-pocket-reform?ref=itsfoss.com), their take on a compact Linux handheld that takes pointers from the [Reform](https://mntre.com/reform.html?ref=itsfoss.com) laptop series. It ships with **Debian** preinstalled, with custom versions of GNOME and Sway both preloaded as desktop options. Schematics, firmware, and case design files are all published [under an open license](https://source.mnt.re/reform/pocket-reform?ref=itsfoss.com), along with the rest of the Reform hardware lineup. If you go for this, you get to **pick between three processor modules**, an NXP i.MX8M Plus (*via* [*Crowd Supply*](https://www.crowdsupply.com/mnt/pocket-reform?ref=itsfoss.com)), a Rockchip RK3588, or a Qualcomm QCS6490\. You can swap between them later since the CPU sits as a removable card rather than being soldered down. There's also the 7-inch display that sits above a mechanical ortholinear keyboard and an optical trackball. [Check it Out](https://shop.mntre.com/products/mnt-pocket-reform?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** *If you are interested in Raspberry Pi-powered handhelds, we have* [*a separate list*](https://itsfoss.com/raspberry-pi-handhelds/) *for that.* [6 Raspberry Pi Handhelds Worth Exploring (If You Have Money to Spend)These are pocket-sized Linux machines that go beyond just being an SBC on your desk.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-f55ef9fa-9f8e-4bd6-80d9-52c87de911a8.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/best-raspberry-pi-handhelds-banner-27b88935-98f0-4b7a-8719-6dfd0f2ed8af.png)](https://itsfoss.com/raspberry-pi-handhelds/) ### I Mined and Built My Way Through Space Haven URL: https://itsfoss.com/space-haven-review/ Last updated: 2026-07-11T11:56:36.000Z I have been [gaming on Linux](https://itsfoss.com/linux-gaming-guide/) more than usual lately; that's part due to my main gaming rig being out of reach and part me wanting to play more on this platform than Windoze. I played a few indie games to pass the time and eventually went looking for new games to check out during the Steam Summer Sale. That is when I found **Space Haven**, a native Linux space-themed colony sim with base building, survival, and combat elements built into it. It is the work of [Bugbyte](https://bugbyte.fi/?ref=itsfoss.com), a Turku-based indie game studio who initially introduced the game on [Kickstarter](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bugbyte-ludibooster/space-haven/?ref=itsfoss.com) back in 2019, running a successful crowdfunding campaign, and eventually making it out of *Early Access*. Here's how my playthrough of it went. ## Worth your time? ![the main menu of the space haven video game is shown here with many buttons on the left, and some information on the right, the background is space-themed](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/space-haven-main-menu.png) I say yes! If you are someone who is a buff for building intricate bases and micromanaging the smallest of details, then this game can be a good play for you. I completed the tutorial before starting a full playthrough, which walked me through the basics quite well, but it did take some considerable time to finish. There's **a lot to keep track of** once you are actually playing. Crew health and mood depend on beds, food, privacy, and toilets, so you cannot just build a ship and forget about the people living on it. Powering the ship adequately matters just as much, where you place power generators and power nodes to route power distribution throughout your ship, keeping life support equipment like the oxygen generator and water purifier running to keep the crew alive. Below you can see how I had to add a power node to provide electricity to the oxygen generator, with power-related metrics visible on the right. In this case, I was completing a quest objective to expand the ship's power grid. ![the power view in space haven is showcased here, with many interface elements and a spaceship visible](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/space-haven-power-node-placement.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/space-haven-mining-1.png) **Installing a small power node (left) and mining an asteroid (right).* **Resource extraction comes next**. Pod hangars support mining, building, and starfighter types, and once you assign a mining pod hangar, it automatically sends out a pod to a selected resource and starts mining. For moving beyond the current region, hyperspace jumps are the only way. After ensuring that you have installed a *Navigation Console* and *Hyperium Hyperdrive*, you can use the Starmap to chart your way forward. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/space-haven-hyperdrive-tutorial.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/space-haven-starmap.png) **Then there's the combat**. The ship can be protected by placing *Point Defense Turrets* for shooting down incoming asteroids as well as enemy drones and spacecraft. The crew members themselves can be drafted and equipped with weapons too! ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/space-haven-turret-placement-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/space-haven-derelict-ship.png) You can send them aboard derelict ships to salvage for resources, and any aliens or clankers they run into get shot on sight once you give the order. ## Room for improvements ![a confirm button is visible that, when clicked, would load the map on a space haven save](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/space-haven-map-load-button.png) Two things bugged me while playing. The **camera stays locked to one angle**; there is no way to rotate the view to see the ship or its contents from a different side. Loading a new map also means clicking through a checkmark button every single time before you can proceed, which will get annoying. What I have covered here is only the surface of what Space Haven has to offer. There is **a lot more to dig into**, including deeper ship combat, faction missions, and even prison management, if you go further than I did. Even with the fun I had, it would be wrong to exclude [an issue](https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198039417136/recommended/979110?ref=itsfoss.com) that can be a dealbreaker for you. Crew members treat every task as a separate event instead of chaining related jobs together, placing a single wall block before wandering off, or returning to base after each mining haul instead of heading straight back out. That is something the developers can fix in a future patch. For me, it was not much of a dealbreaker, as I am used to making things hard for myself. ☠️ ### 🎮 How to Play? As this is a native Linux game, you can run it on any computer that meets the minimum hardware requirements, provided the distro you install it on has the necessary components to run recent video games. It costs **$24.99**, with prices going lower during sales. You can grab it from [GOG](https://www.gog.com/en/game/space%5Fhaven?ref=itsfoss.com) for **a DRM-free copy** that you can share with others, or from [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/979110/Space%5FHaven/?ref=itsfoss.com) if you want [access to mods](https://steamcommunity.com/app/979110/workshop/?ref=itsfoss.com). [Space Haven](https://www.gog.com/en/game/space%5Fhaven?ref=itsfoss.com) ### ELM11-Feather Is a Feather-Compatible Board That Speaks Lua Natively URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/elm11-feather-announcement/ Last updated: 2026-07-11T05:54:55.000Z Most microcontroller boards on the market today rely on Python, usually in the form of [MicroPython](https://micropython.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) or [CircuitPython](https://circuitpython.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). If you've ever wanted something leaner without giving up that no-compile, REPL-driven workflow, [Lua](https://www.lua.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is the option worth considering. But then most microcontroller boards are not built for Lua even if you can run Lua on them. That's the gap BrisbaneSilicon, a small Brisbane-based semiconductor outfit, is trying to fill with [ELM11-Feather](https://brisbanesilicon.com.au/docs/ELM11%5FDatasheet.pdf?ref=itsfoss.com). It is a [Feather-compatible](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-feather/overview?ref=itsfoss.com) board that runs Lua natively. Actually, it's Feather-form-factor follow-up to the company's original [ELM11](https://brisbanesilicon.com.au/elm11/?ref=itsfoss.com), and the [crowdfunding campaign for it is now live on Crowd Supply](https://www.crowdsupply.com/brisbanesilicon/elm11-feather?ref=itsfoss.com). ## Key Specifications ![ELM11-Feather](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/elm11-feather.webp) - **Native languages:** Lua (application), C (driver), SystemVerilog/VHDL (hardware), all on one board - **Chip:** GOWIN FPGA (no separate CPU core, the FPGA runs everything) - **I/O:** 23 pins, each configurable as GPIO, PWM, UART, SPI, or I²C - **RAM:** 1 MB - **Dimensions:** 22.86 x 64.65 x 4.85 mm (0.9 x 2.54 x 0.191 in) - **Weight:** 5.2 g - **Form factor:** Feather-compatible, works with existing FeatherWings **ELM11-Feather is priced at $39.** More than the specs, the architecture choice is the highlight here. There's no traditional microcontroller on this board. Instead, a GOWIN FPGA does the work, running a dual-core setup with an independent Lua REPL on each core. That's the "clever bit". Because Lua is running on an FPGA rather than a fixed MCU, BrisbaneSilicon can expose the entire stack, hardware included, to the user for modification. Each of the 23 I/O pins can be configured as GPIO, PWM, UART, SPI, or I²C, which is a lot of flexibility per pin compared to boards that hardwire a fixed number of each. The board also carries 1 MB of RAM, a hardware watchdog, 5 user-programmable LEDs, and a built-in 500 mA LiPoly charger with a status LED, all inside Feather's compact footprint (22.86 x 64.65 x 4.85 mm) at 5.2 g. Being Feather-compatible means it slots into the existing ecosystem of FeatherWing add-on boards without any adaptation. ## Full-Stack Programmability BrisbaneSilicon calls this "Full-Stack Programmability," and that is main selling point of the board. The idea is that the same product can be extended at three separate layers at once: the Application Layer runs Lua, the Driver Layer runs C, and the Hardware Layer runs VHDL/SystemVerilog through a swappable "Hardware Overlay." In practice, this means a user could design a custom hardware module (say, a quadrature encoder), write the C driver for it, and then expose it to their Lua scripts as a plain function like `quadrature_encoder_speed()`. Nothing about that workflow requires touching a separate toolchain for each layer either, since BrisbaneSilicon's own IDE, called [Arvore](https://brisbanesilicon.com.au/arvore-ide/?ref=itsfoss.com), is built to unify all three. ![ELM11-Feather in its IDE](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/elm11-ide.webp) Arvore handles project creation, uploading, and extending the Lua API from one interface, and a beta is already available to download. For anyone who doesn't want to install a custom hardware overlay by hand, the IDE has a config screen for that too. Purists who'd rather do everything from the command line aren't locked out either, that path still works. BrisbaneSilicon says the hardware schematics and firmware API will both be released under the MIT license once the campaign wraps and production begins. Compared to a few other boards in the same rough space: - **pico2-ice** (RP2350 + ICE40UP5K): more GPIO and RAM, but no native scripting language and a higher price - **Adafruit Feather STM32F405**: cheaper, but no FPGA and no hardware-layer extensibility - **Adafruit HUZZAH32 (ESP32)**: better battery life, but far fewer I/O options and no scripting-to-hardware pipeline ## 🛒 Pricing and Availability ![ELM11-fetaher](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/elm11-fetaher-hand.webp) The ELM11-Feather crowdfunding campaign launches this week on Crowd Supply. [Back it on Crowd Supply](https://www.crowdsupply.com/brisbanesilicon/elm11-feather?ref=itsfoss.com) The board is priced at $39\. Shipping cost isn't listed yet, and BrisbaneSilicon hasn't given a firm ship date either. The company does say it has already manufactured and tested a small batch of 5 boards ahead of the main production run, which is a bit more reassurance than most campaigns start with, though the only risk it flags is component availability for the GOWIN FPGA and the BL702 chip. 🚧 As with any crowdfunding campaign, treat the timeline as an estimate. Back it because you want to support the project, not because you're counting on the ship date. ***Suggested Read: If you're curious about other Feather-family and Arduino-alternative boards, check out our roundup of*** [***Arduino alternative microcontroller boards***](https://itsfoss.com/arduino-alternative-microcontroller-boards/)***.*** ### Linux Mint Now Considers Wayland Stable URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-mint-wayland-stable/ Last updated: 2026-07-10T05:04:04.000Z Among the mainstream Linux distros, Linux Mint has been an outlier, spending many years easing [Cinnamon](https://github.com/linuxmint/cinnamon?ref=itsfoss.com) and its users, into [Wayland](https://wayland.freedesktop.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) one careful step at a time while other distributions like Ubuntu and Fedora made it the default experience. Now, that patience is paying off, as the project's [June update](https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=5046&ref=itsfoss.com) reveals that Wayland will no longer be considered "*experimental*" starting with the next Cinnamon release. ## Better late than never, eh? Don't worry, **both X11 and Wayland sessions will be fully supported** starting with the next Cinnamon release, and the latter won't be the default session. Linux Mint's founder, Clement Lefebvre, said that the Wayland experience now feels solid, "*almost on par with X11*." Of course getting here took longer than it did for other distros, but a project like Mint doesn't rush a major change like this without carrying out the appropriate prep work. You will see the results of that in what's lined up for the new release. Cinnamon finally has **full HiDPI support**, sharp icons, better mouse cursors, and fixes for bugs affecting Chromium apps like Slack and VS Code. Similarly, window progress shows things like Nemo's (*the file manager*) file/folder copy progress in the panel's app button, and focus stealing prevention keeps other apps from yanking your attention away mid-task. **Multi-monitor setups and KVM switches behave better**, and hardware acceleration now runs across the compositor, desktop session, and both Wayland and Xwayland clients, including GBM over EGL for NVIDIA GPUs. ## They have been busy Back in February, Lefebvre revealed [the team was rethinking](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-mint-longer-release-cycle/) its release schedule altogether, since a new version every six months on top of maintaining LMDE left them testing and releasing more than actually building features. By April, [the decision was final](https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=5019&ref=itsfoss.com), Linux Mint 23 got pushed all the way to Christmas 2026, the longest gap between major releases the project has taken. Part of that extra time went straight into Wayland. Earlier, Lefebvre had called a redesigned Cinnamon screensaver the last missing piece of the puzzle for full Wayland support. The old screensaver only ran on X11 as a standalone GTK app, sitting outside Cinnamon's own window manager. The [new one](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/03/linux-mint-cinnamon-lock-screen-screensaver?ref=itsfoss.com) runs on both X11 and Wayland, rendered natively by Cinnamon's own compositor. The rest of that time bought more convenience for users. Mint [started shipping HWE ISOs](https://itsfoss.com/linux-mint-hwe-images/) in May, giving people access to newer kernels like 6.17 on LM 22.3 without needing to wait for the LM 23 release. **All that's left now is the wait**. Based on what's already landed, the next Linux Mint release looks like it'll be worth it. ### FOSS Weekly #26.28: Microslop Moment, Rustification, Brave New features, KDE Plasma Tips and Meme Distro and More URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-28/ Last updated: 2026-07-09T13:05:42.000Z Recently, Microsoft [reluctantly agrred that a bug was eating up uo to 500 GB of disk space in Windows 11](https://itsfoss.com/news/windows-11-cam-bug/). They knew about the bug for months, no fix came. Germany may not have kicked right in the Paraguay match, but it sure has kicked out Microsoft Sharepoint. The [state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern will be using Nextcloud](https://itsfoss.com/news/german-state-ditches-sharepoint/) for over 5,000 employees. We need wins like these, don't we? There was a time when every other new distro was based on Ubuntu but that list is shrinking. Linux system vendor [Tuxedo is moving to Debian for its TuxedoOS distro](https://itsfoss.com/news/tuxedo-os-is-ditching-ubuntu/). [Firefox users have had containers](https://itsfoss.com/firefox-containers/) (old article) for years. [Brave 1.92 finally adds them natively](https://itsfoss.com/news/brave-browser-containers/), keeping cookies and site data separate per container even when visiting the same site. You get four default categories, temporary containers are one right-click away, and the feature is also heading to Brave Origin, which as you might remember [is free for Linux users](https://itsfoss.com/news/brave-origin-linux/). Most office suites shipping AI right now have made it difficult to avoid. [Collabora Office 26.04](https://itsfoss.com/news/collabora-office-26-04/) goes the other way, keeping AI off by default. Turning it on means plugging in your own API credentials or self-hosted model. In other news, Canonical is pouring in €40,000/year into the [Trifecta Tech Foundation](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-ntpd-rs-push/), and their next target is to rustify Ubuntu's time synchronization components. 🚧 Ubuntu 25.10 users [should upgrade to 26.04 LTS](https://itsfoss.com/opinion/ubuntu-26-04-upgrade-or-not/) sooner rather than later. July 9 [is end of life](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/07/ubuntu-2510-eol-july-9-2026?ref=itsfoss.com) for the interim release, meaning security patches stop that day and anything disclosed after goes unpatched on your system. ## 📚 Linux eBooks from O'Reilly [Humble Tech Book Bundle: Linux: All the Things by O’ReillyAll things are possible with the power of Linux—learn the latest and greatest techniques from the pros at O’Reilly and help support Code for America!![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/46cf2ed85a0641bfdc052121786440c70da77d75-a1ab4ab2-0872-4a47-a141-0db5b2280abb.png)Humble Bundle![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/7c2e99d2c73e3cbbacc2b21dec6397356724309d-282c5e9d-d169-4493-b6a0-051124945870.png)](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/X4r9Lg?ref=itsfoss.com) [Humble Bundle has a new O'Reilly collection](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/X4r9Lg?ref=itsfoss.com) packed with Linux and Unix books, covering everything from shell scripting to system administration and kernel internals. Pay what you want for a few titles, or pay a bit more to unlock the entire bundle. If you have been meaning to deepen your Linux knowledge, this is worth grabbing before the deal expires. Part of the money gets donated to Code for America. [Get the eBooks](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/X4r9Lg?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About Hannah Montana Linux is back, and yes, it's 2026\. Noah Cagle, a developer, [has rebuilt the legendary meme distro](https://itsfoss.com/news/return-of-hannah-montana-linux/) on Debian 13 with KDE Plasma. [Return of The Meme! Hannah Montana Linux Lives Again in 2026A curious developer took it upon himself to revive this \*iconic\* gem.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-0f8366c3-4e8d-48f7-b7eb-627d7aa3094e.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/hannah-montana-linux-banner-7ea961f4-d2f1-4b13-ae57-2794ef41b8e2.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/return-of-hannah-montana-linux/) Microsoft was caught lacking after a Windows 11 storage bug [ate up to 500GB of disk space](https://itsfoss.com/news/windows-11-cam-bug/), with a fix quietly being slipped into a preview update. ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings Three years with Obsidian and Logseq, and [the conclusion isn't that one is better](https://itsfoss.com/comparison/obsidian-vs-logseq/). They just solve different problems. Obsidian is a Markdown writing environment where files and folders are the organizing principle. Logseq is an outliner where every bullet is a referenceable block. But then my colleague Sreenath is obsessed with [note management and he also experimented using only Markdown and KDE's Dolphin](https://itsfoss.com/kde-plasma-as-personal-knowledge-base/). KDE is actually quite versatile and we have covered plenty of KDE tweaks and tips over time. Sharing some of them here: - [Tagging feature in KDE's Dolphin](https://itsfoss.com/file-tagging-kde/) file manager - [Dolphin file manager tweaks](https://itsfoss.com/dolphin-tweaks/) - [Customizing and twekaing Konsole terminal](https://itsfoss.com/konsole-terminal-tweaks/) - [Theming KDE Plasma](https://itsfoss.com/properly-theme-kde-plasma/) (properly) - [Explore KDE themes](https://itsfoss.com/best-kde-plasma-themes/) (a bit old) - [KDE customization tips](https://itsfoss.com/kde-customization/) Enjoy KDE 😄 ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner Sipeed's [NanoKVM-Go](https://itsfoss.com/news/sipeeds-nanokvm-go-crowdfunding/) is a single USB-C KVM that carries video, audio, keyboard, mouse, disk emulation, and power pass-through over one cable with WiFi 6 for wireless connectivity. [PocketMage](https://itsfoss.com/news/pocketmage-campaign/) is a pocketable e-paper PDA with a physical QWERTY keyboard, a 3.1-inch e-ink main display, and a secondary 1.8-inch OLED strip for menus that need faster refresh. Most USB-C hubs are fixed in what they offer. [DockFrame](https://itsfoss.com/news/dockframe/) has four slots that take in Framework expansion cards, alongside tool cards so the port lineup can be whatever you need it to be. Valve quietly open-sourced the [Inkterface](https://itsfoss.com/news/inkertface-diy-steam-machine-faceplate/) this week, a DIY e-ink faceplate for the Steam Machine. Why should you opt for It's FOSS Plus membership: ✅ Ad-free reading experience ✅ Badges in the comment section and forum ✅ Supporting creation of educational Linux materials ✅ Free Linux eBook [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights [Lockpicker](https://flathub.org/en/apps/se.sjoerd.lockpicker?ref=itsfoss.com) is a GNOME-native frontend for [hashcat](https://hashcat.net/hashcat/?ref=itsfoss.com) that lets you crack password hashes without you needing to memorize hashcat's syntax. [Install Lockpicker on Linux | FlathubRecover passwords from their hash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/favicon-77e19fd8-d1fd-491b-87bb-ff562c17d853.svg)FlathubSjoerd Stendahl![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/se.sjoerd-e9f778ab-8300-4161-8d6f-8777f2a8edf5.lockpicker)](https://flathub.org/en/apps/se.sjoerd.lockpicker?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 📽️ Videos for You Your Linux terminal needs the *oomph* factor. These [seven tools](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGVnnRsF14E&ref=itsfoss.com) will get you there. [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip On a vanilla GNOME setup, you can assign keyboard shortcuts to an [PWA](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Progressive%5Fweb%5Fapps?ref=itsfoss.com). First, you need to copy the command used to launch the web app. This is the value of `Exec` keyword in the desktop file. Now, open the *Settings* app, go to `Keyboard -> View and Customize Shortcuts -> Custom Shortcuts -> Add Shortcut`. Here, you have to add a name for the PWA, and in the *Command* field, enter the command you copied from the `Exec` field (*without the `Exec=`*) and paste it. ![gnome pwa/appimage keyboard shortcuts tip](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/gnome-keyboard-shortcuts-pwa-2.png) Now input a keybind using your keyboard, and create the shortcut by clicking on "*Add*." This also works for AppImage files, btw. SPONSORED If you are interested in learning about open source AI, please [subscribe to our upcoming Local AI Weekly newsletter](https://itsfoss.com/local-ai-weekly/). Expected to start dispatch from this month itself. [Subscribe to Local AI Weekly ](https://itsfoss.com/local-ai-weekly/) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse The Riddler can be a pesky character, [can you help Batman solve a riddle](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/distro-riddles-quiz/) and save Linux? [Batman Saves Linux: RiddlesGuess the distributions by solving the riddles.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-d71fe4e0-e6ee-4949-9348-28b52530805d.png)It's FOSSAnkush Das![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/riddles-of-the-distros-a9bc2dfb-e8c1-4c48-a2c2-0904a5ee5e87.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/distro-riddles-quiz/) I spot an impostor here, I wonder who that is. 🤐 ![wsl out of place linux meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/meme10.png) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On July 4, 1956, MIT researchers plugged a keyboard into the [Whirlwind](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whirlwind%5FI?ref=itsfoss.com) computer, letting programmers type commands directly instead of wrestling with punch cards, dials, and switches. Whirlwind was already five years old at the time, but this simple addition changed how humans and computers would talk forever. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: Pro FOSSer Neville has asked [a very interesting question](https://itsfoss.community/t/do-computers-need-to-be-managed/16026?ref=itsfoss.com). Do computers need to be managed and can AI take over the job? Valve refusal to support Linux distributions other than Ubuntu has raised eyebrows over the years, but [a recent Reddit thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/linux%5Fgaming/comments/1umsain/why%5Fdoes%5Fvalve%5Fonly%5Fsupport%5Fubuntu/?ref=itsfoss.com) makes some convincing arguments. ### Avoiding Vendor Lock-in By Using KDE Plasma As Personal Knowledge Base URL: https://itsfoss.com/kde-plasma-as-personal-knowledge-base/ Last updated: 2026-07-09T10:49:36.000Z There is no shortage of [personal knowledge management (PKM) applications](https://itsfoss.com/open-source-second-brain-apps/) available today if you [use Markdown](https://itsfoss.com/markdown-guide/) notes. Be it [Obsidian or Logseq](https://itsfoss.com/comparison/obsidian-vs-logseq/) or Tolaria, there is a pain point associated with almost all of them. They add a layer on top of the plain markdown files. From Wikilinks to custom properties, there is always something that makes the interprotability an issue. It almost feels like a vendor like in despite Markdown being an open standard. Recently, I started experimenting with a different idea. Instead of relying on a specialized application, I tried using the KDE Plasma desktop itself as the foundation for this workflow. Let me share how we can use Dolphin, along with a few KDE tools, to build a simple Markdown-based knowledge management system. I t is still an experiment, and it certainly has limitations (that I will discuss later), but it has been an interesting workflow to explore. 🚧 This is a highly experimental topic, and you are essentially taking the entire burden of note taking, organizing and interlinking. ## Create Some Templates The first step is to create a few Markdown templates that make taking notes faster. Inside your `~/Templates` directory, create two files: - `Markdown.md` - `QuickNotes.md` 0:00 /0:13 1× Create an empty templates file Once these files are in the Templates folder, they become available from Dolphin's right-click context menu, allowing you to create new notes instantly. Open `QuickNotes.md` in your preferred Markdown editor and add a simple structure such as: ``` ## Core Concept --- ## Key Characteristics --- ## Examples --- ## Related Reading --- ``` This is the template I use for quick notes, but you can customize it as per your need. From now on, you can create a structured Markdown note anywhere in your file manager with just a few clicks. ## Create a Folder for Your Notes Next, create a folder that will hold your entire note collection. I created mine as `~/Documents/MarkdownSource`, but you can choose any location you prefer. 🚧 Avoid spaces in file names. Spaces in files names can be a pain in Linux, speically when dealing with scripts in the command line. Inside this folder, create sub-folders to organize notes. I also recommend creating two additional folders: - **Inbox**, for notes that you haven't organized into a dedicated folder, yet. - **Attachments**, for images and other files that your notes may reference. Keeping attachments inside the root of your notes directory makes them much easier to manage later.Avoiding Vendor Lock-in By Using KDE Plasma As Personal Knowledge Base ## Install a Markdown Editor Since this workflow revolves around plain Markdown files, you'll need a [Markdown editor](https://itsfoss.com/best-markdown-editors-linux/). I intentionally avoid recommending dedicated PKM applications such as Obsidian or Logseq here, because using one of those would defeat the purpose of this workflow. I've tried the [**Ghostwriter**](https://itsfoss.com/ghostwriter/) Markdown editor from KDE, and it has worked very well for this experiment. [Apostrophe](https://apps.gnome.org/Apostrophe/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a similar editor, if you prefer a GNOME style application. On Arch Linux, you can install it using: ``` sudo pacman -S ghostwriter ``` For other distros, use your package management commands. ## Configure Dolphin to Open Markdown Files Now make Ghostwriter the default application for Markdown files. Open **System Settings** and navigate to **Default Applications → File Associations**. Find the **Markdown** file type and move Ghostwriter to the top of the application list. ![In KDE System Settings, go to the File Association settings. Here, move the Ghostwriter app to the top of the list for Markdown files.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/move-ghostwriter-to-top.png) Ghostwriter for Markdown This can also be done by right-click on a Markdown file, go top Properties. Here, select the **open with** option and change the application preference order in a similar interface as above. From now on, double-clicking any Markdown file in Dolphin will open it directly in Ghostwriter. ## Use Dolphin Tags for Organization Tagging is one of the most useful features in any PKM system. Without it, finding notes later becomes much more difficult. Fortunately, Dolphin already [includes a simple tagging system](https://itsfoss.com/file-tagging-kde/). Open Dolphin and enable the information panel by selecting **Menu → Show Panels → Information**. A sidebar will appear showing details about the selected file or folder. Here you'll find a **Tags** field where you can assign one or more tags to each note. Using Tags in Dolphin Once you've tagged your files, Dolphin's search function can quickly locate notes that share the same tag. Using Tags in Dolphin 📋 Dolphin's tagging and file search features depend on the Baloo file indexing service. Make sure Baloo is installed and running before relying on tags for searching. ## Interlinking Notes We've now covered most of the essential parts of this workflow. The only major feature left is linking notes together. This is one area where a file manager-based workflow is less convenient than a dedicated PKM application. Since Dolphin doesn't understand wiki links or automatically manage relationships between notes, you'll need to create standard Markdown links yourself. One improvement I would recommend is storing all your notes and attachments inside a single dedicated notes directory. Instead of using absolute file paths, create links using relative paths whenever possible. Relative links are much easier to manage because the entire notes directory can be moved to another location without breaking the internal links, as long as the folder structure remains unchanged. To make this easier, I created a small Bash function that generates the relative path between two files. ``` relpath() { local from_dir from_dir=$(dirname "$(realpath "$1")") realpath --relative-to="$from_dir" "$2" } ``` I added this function to my `.bashrc`. I originally wrote this function for a terminal-based PKM workflow, but it fits this KDE-based workflow just as well. Now, whenever I need to create a link from one note to another, I simply run: ``` relpath current_file distant_file ``` The command prints the relative path, which I can directly use in the Markdown link. 0:00 /0:21 1× Get relative path in terminal A [normal Markdown link](https://itsfoss.com/markdown-links/) looks like this: ``` [Link text](Link address) ``` It's a manual process, but once the link is created, you can easily navigate between your notes from within your Markdown editor. And this way, you have a folder containing subfolders of markdown files. The interlinking is the hardest and boring part but once that is done, your knowledge base can be used on any OS, with any Markdown editor. ## It Is Not Perfect (Obviously) And that's not a surprise. You are not using a specialist tool so there are a few limitations worth knowing. ### Strict Data Organization Is Needed With this approach, your desktop environment effectively becomes your knowledge management system. That also means you are entirely responsible for keeping your notes organized. If you don't maintain a clear folder structure, your note collection can quickly become difficult to manage. For example, a note may contain links to attachments stored in completely different folders. Without a consistent organization strategy, finding those files later can become frustrating. Similarly, if you are linking notes to a PDF file, keep those files organized in a folder and don't mess up with its location. Else, interlinking won't work. ### Distro and Desktop Environment Changes This workflow is tied to KDE Plasma's tagging feature. Moving away from KDE Plasma would likely mean abandoning parts of this workflow altogether. ### Link Fragility You probably have already realized that this is the weakest link in the entire workflow. The Markdown links point directly to file paths. If you rename or move a file or folder later, every note pointing to that location will break. Unlike dedicated PKM applications, Dolphin doesn't automatically update links when files are moved. Any reorganization requires manually updating the affected links yourself and that would be a serious pain. ## Wrapping Up I know this approach is far from perfect. Compared to dedicated PKM applications, it places much more responsibility on you to organize your notes, attachments, and folder structure properly. Personally, I think that's not necessarily a bad thing. When you organize your notes yourself, you naturally become more familiar with your knowledge base. You're more likely to revisit, reorganize, and improve your notes over time instead of treating them as something you write once and never look at again. At the same time, this workflow won't suit everyone. If you depend on advanced features such as automatic backlinks, graph views, embedded queries, or seamless note linking, a dedicated PKM application will provide a much better experience. On the other hand, if your priority is to keep everything as plain Markdown files while using lightweight tools that are already available on your desktop, this approach is certainly worth trying. In my opinion, this workflow also works well for people following the [Zettelkasten method](https://zettelkasten.de/introduction/?ref=itsfoss.com). I'm still experimenting with this workflow myself, and I'll probably continue refining it as I use it more. What do you think about this idea? Would you consider using your file manager as a personal knowledge management system, or would you rather stick with a dedicated application? Let me know your thoughts in the comments. ### Another German State Just Kicked Out Microsoft... Kind Of URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/german-state-ditches-sharepoint/ Last updated: 2026-07-10T04:04:34.000Z The German state of [Mecklenburg-Vorpommern](https://www.regierung-mv.de/Landesregierung/fm/Presse/Aktuelle-Pressemitteilungen/?id=221531&processor=processor.sa.pressemitteilung&ref=itsfoss.com) is done with [Microsoft SharePoint](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/sharepoint/collaboration/?ref=itsfoss.com), ditching it for **a self-hosted Nextcloud deployment** that is already serving around 5,000 employees. Eventually, that number will be scaled up to 50,000 public sector workers, covering agencies ranging from ministries down to municipal offices. ## What's happening? Currently, [Nextcloud](https://nextcloud.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is handling file sharing, and features like chat, video conferencing, and groupware tools are coming next. The existing implementation as well as the expansion is being handled by [DVZ M-V](https://www.dvz-mv.de/?ref=itsfoss.com), the state's IT services provider. The state's CIO, [Marco Anschütz](https://www.regierung-mv.de/Landesregierung/im/Ministerium/Organigramm/Anschuetz,-Marco?ref=itsfoss.com), says the SharePoint migration for the first 5,000 employees went smoothly, with no disruption or data loss, further adding that: > Together with DVZ M-V, we've built a platform that runs reliably today and is being expanded step by step. *The above quote was translated from Deutsch.* 📝 Nextcloud isn't the only aspect of the open source push. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern also uses [OpenProject](https://www.openproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) as an alternative to proprietary project management tools and has built its own administrative AI assistant, **LEA**, that is based on [OpenWebUI](https://openwebui.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). ## Not a solo effort The northern state isn't figuring this out alone. In 2025, its Ministry of Finance and Digitalization [signed a cooperation agreement](https://www.regierung-mv.de/Aktuell/?id=215184&ref=itsfoss.com) (*in Deutsch*) with the State Chancellery of Schleswig-Holstein, specifically to strengthen digital sovereignty across both states. That's a state which needs no introduction when it comes to adopting open source solutions to [Big Tech](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big%5FTech?ref=itsfoss.com) problems. Many of their governmental agencies have already migrated their email system off Microsoft Exchange and Outlook, made LibreOffice mandatory across their administration, and are expecting [to save more than €15 million a year](https://itsfoss.com/news/german-state-ditch-microsoft/) in licensing costs as a result. Nationally, Germany backs the same direction with the [Deutschland-Stack](https://itsfoss.com/news/germany-digital-stack-mandate/), a sovereign infrastructure framework. It limits public administration to two document formats, *ODF* and *PDF/UA*, excluding Microsoft's `.doc`, `.ppt`, and `.xls` entirely. The framework also favors open source tools and European providers over foreign ones, aiming to cut vendor lock-in, and promoting digital sovereignty across public administration. ## Wrapping up None of this means **Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is cutting ties with Microsoft entirely**. SharePoint is out, sure, but that's the scope of what's actually announced so far. Nonetheless, going from 5,000 employees to their stated target of 50,000+ is a massive undertaking, and with two states coordinating this move instead of migrating separately, their alliance might end up as an example for other German states to follow. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Austrian Ministry Kicks Out Microsoft in Favor of Nextcloud*](https://itsfoss.com/news/austrian-ministry-kicks-out-microsoft/) [Good News! Austrian Ministry Kicks Out Microsoft in Favor of NextcloudThe BMWET migrates 1,200 employees to sovereign cloud in just four months.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-d43784dc-86f1-40ef-8ee0-65a1db07c806.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/austria-bmwet-nextcloud-move-1-c4981c7b-16b0-4626-be96-b66b1e1c4e50.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/austrian-ministry-kicks-out-microsoft/) ### ORICO 88 Series 4-Bay USB4 NVMe SSD Enclosure Review: Fast Storage That Works Natively on Linux URL: https://itsfoss.com/orico-das-8848u-review/ Last updated: 2026-07-16T06:15:55.000Z Ever tried a DAS (Direct-Attached Storage) device? Unlike NAS, where you have a bunch of hard drives available over network, DAS is directly connected to your computer. I never used such a product because I never had the need. But then Orico sent me there new DAS 88 Series 4-Bay USB4 NVMe SSD Enclosure and I got the opportunity to use a DAS for the first time ever. Sharing my experience and some benchmarking test that I did for the first time in several years. ## Orico 8848U4 DAS Specification ![Orico DAS 8848U](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/orico-das-side-3.webp) Here's the quick hardware specifications for Orico 8848U DAS: | Spec | Details | | --------------- | ------------------------------------- | | Model | 8848U4 USB4 | | Drive Bays | 4 x M.2 NVMe (2230, 2242, 2260, 2280) | | Interface | USB4 (40Gbps in total) | | RAID Support | None | | Max Capacity | 8TB per bay / 32TB total | | Cooling | Aluminum body + built-in fan | | Power | 12V/3A external adapter | | Expansion Ports | None | | Dimensions | 167 x 101 x 119.5 mm | | OS Support | Windows, macOS, Linux | Do note that there is also a SATA version of DAS in the same 88 Series lineup. It is older, bigger and has a RAID mode. The version I tested is M.2 NVMe SSD only and without built-in RAID functionality. That's intentional to give you the raw NVMe speed in a compact form factor. Do note that this is a diskless enclosure. You bring your own M.2 NVMe drives. You cannot expect to get enclosures with SSD disks for under $200 in this age of AI slop. [Git it on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F1CR71L4?ref=itsfoss.com) 💰 Save additional 10% by using coupon code 7OS6995Z when you order it from Amazon. The code is valid till August 30, 2026. ## Build Quality And Design The first thing I noticed is how good this thing looks. The CNC-machined aluminum body has a silver finish that would blend right into a Mac-heavy studio desk. I am a Linux person, not an Apple person, but I will admit the build quality is quite impressive. Feels solid. My Terramaster NAS also has silver-gray aluminium chasis but this one is more "Mac looking." All the ports and controls are on the back. There is a USB4 Type-C port, 12V DC power input, a dedicated power button, and a cooling fan. ![Orico DAS 8848U backside](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/orico-das-back.webp) The power button being on the back is a minor annoyance if the enclosure is tucked away. Worth planning your desk layout around it. The power button glows when pressed but difficult to look at it in the back. The front has disk bay access with a slider button. It's a little bit stiff but not worth complaining about. The disk bay can host M.2 NVMe SSDs of various sizes. I only tested it with 2280 but guess that doesn't really matter. The front also has 4 indicators at the bottom. They glow blue when the DAS is attached to a running computer. ![Orico DAS 8848U front](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/orico-das-front.webp) Sides has nothing, just minimal branding. The fan is there for active cooling, and ORICO claims it operates under 30dB. In my testing, the device felt completely silent. The fan does start running as soon as power is turned on but there is no audible noise unless you put your ear near the fan vent. There is no fan speed control that I could find, which is a small omission. It would be nice to have a quiet mode toggle, but in practice it's a non-issue. Keep in mind that the enclosure has no passthrough port. There is a single USB4 connection and that's about it. If you need to daisy-chain other Thunderbolt peripherals, this will consume your only port. On a laptop with limited Thunderbolt ports, this is something worth thinking about before buying. ## Linux Compatibility I noticed that the drive appeared as a native NVMe device. This means that each drive in the enclosure shows up as a separate NVMe namespace (nvme1p1, nvme1p2 etc) under a single controller. ```bash $ cat /sys/class/nvme/nvme1/transport pcie #output ``` And this detail matters because it means that the Thunderbolt PCIe tunneling is working correctly. The OS treats these drives as if they are plugged directly into the motherboard's PCIe bus, not as USB devices. My [Sandisk external SSD](https://amzn.to/4wuXUe7?ref=itsfoss.com) comes up under /dev/sda that means it's treated as USB. ## Performance Testing I tested with a [Crucial CT500P3PSSD8](https://amzn.to/44SNzNg?ref=itsfoss.com) (P3 Plus 500GB NVMe) installed in one bay. I only had one drive available for testing. Rest of them were being used in [ZimaCube](https://itsfoss.com/zimacube-2-review/) and Terramaster NAS. I have to buy new NVMe SSDs but the prices are not coming down. I ran benchmarks using [fio](https://linux.die.net/man/1/fio?ref=itsfoss.com) and hdparm, and also timed some real-world file transfers. ### Understanding The "40Gbps" Claim It is easy to get excited with numbers but let's analyze the numbers. ORICO itself clarifies this in the product page: each drive achieves up to 10Gbps when all four bays are operating simultaneously. The 40Gbps is the total aggregate across all four drives. A single bay doesn't get 40Gbps. In practice, even that 10Gbps per drive is rare achievement. Thunderbolt 4 tunnels PCIe 3.0 x4, which gives around 3500 MB/s of usable bandwidth total. Divided across four bays, each drive gets roughly 800-900 MB/s of real-world headroom. Mind the difference between bits and bytes. My single-drive benchmarks came almost there, which indicates that the enclosure is performing exactly as it should. If I had 3 more spare SSDs, I would have tested the full 40Gbps claim. ### Benchmark Results (ext4) I tested with two filesystem configurations. The reliable numbers come from the ext4 run, where direct I/O (O\_DIRECT) was fully confirmed working with no cache assistance. | Test | Result | | ------------------------ | --------------------- | | Sequential Read | 729 MB/s | | Sequential Write | 669 MB/s | | Random 4K Read | 71 MiB/s / 18.2k IOPS | | Random 4K Write | 103 MB/s / 26.3k IOPS | | Raw device read (hdparm) | 763 MB/s | Sequential read at 729 MB/s and sequential write at 669 MB/s are pretty good numbers. Pretty close to the numbers I discussed earlier. That's the advantage of using NVMe over a PCIe tunnel. ### NTFS vs ext4 Since the Crucial drive I installed was previously formatted as NTFS, I benchmarked it in that state before reformatting to ext4. | Test | NTFS | ext4 | | ---------------- | ---------- | -------- | | Sequential Read | 820 MB/s\* | 729 MB/s | | Sequential Write | 231 MB/s | 669 MB/s | | Random 4K Write | \~2.3 MB/s | 103 MB/s | NTFS sequential read was partially served from [OS cache due to FUSE limitations](https://medium.com/@xiaolongjiang/linux-fuse-file-system-performance-learning-efb23a1fb83f?ref=itsfoss.com) and thus it is not a reliable number. Don't think that NTFS is somehow better than ext4 ;) The NTFS write performance is inconsistent. Sequential writes drop to 231 MB/s and random 4K writes fall to around 2.3 MB/s. Mind that this is not the DAS's fault. Linux accesses NTFS through the ntfs-3g FUSE driver, which adds overhead, especially on small random writes. The raw device speed (hdparm on the block device directly, bypassing any filesystem) was virtually identical in both runs at around 764 MB/s, which confirms the ORICO hardware is not the bottleneck. 📋 If you plan on using this enclosure exclusively on Linux, format your drives in ext4 format for better write performance. If you need Windows compatibility, exFAT is a better choice than NTFS for Linux users, as it avoids the FUSE overhead while remaining readable on all operating systems. ### Real-World Transfers I am not a fan of bechmarking tests. They do not capture how the device actually feels to use. So I ran two practical tests. Copying a 5GB 4K video file to the DAS took just over 4.5 seconds. ![Orico DAS 8848U copy test](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/orico-das-real-world-copy-2.png) A folder with nearly 2,800 photos and videos totaling 10.2GB transferred in under 12 seconds. ![Orico DAS 8848U copy test](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/orico-das-real-world-copy-1.png) Note that Linux buffers writes in RAM before flushing to disk in the background, so these numbers reflect the immediate user experience rather than sustained disk throughput. ## Things To Keep In Mind The no-passthrough situation is probably the biggest practical limitation but only if you need to daisy chain multiple devices and only have few thunderbolt ports available on your system. No RAID support is by design here, but something to keep in mind if you were hoping for redundancy. Fan control would be a nice addition, perhaps? The device was silent in my use, but there is no software or hardware toggle to set a fan curve or force it off. Definitely not a dealbreaker, just something I noticed. Another thing to note is that there is not enough space for a heatsink since the device has a compact size. Also note that for $219 you are buying a diskless enclosure. Four decent NVMe drives to fill it will cost a lot more. That's an obvious thing but I still would like to state that. ## Who Is This For Really? The primary userbase for something like this is video editors and creative professionals who are constantly moving large files. If you are working with 4K or 8K footage across multiple projects, you'll have TBs of data and your internal SSD would fill up fast. A 4-bay NVMe DAS sitting on your desk gives you that additional storage without the latency of a NAS. You plug it in and it just works like local storage, because over Thunderbolt 4, it effectively is. It is also a good fit for you if you already have a handful of spare NVMe drives sitting around from previous hardware upgrades. Instead of those drives collecting dust in a drawer, you slot them in here and have a fast, compact multi-terabyte storage pool at your desk. That said, this is not for everyone. If you just need an extra 1 or 2TB of portable storage, a simple USB-C external SSD will do the job at a fraction of the cost and with far less desk space and will also be portable. A dedicated 4-bay DAS only makes sense when you need the multi-bay capacity. Some NAS devices offer a feature called direct attach, where you plug the NAS directly into your computer over Thunderbolt and use it as local storage rather than over the network. [ZimaCube](https://www.zimaspace.com/products/cube-personal-cloud?ref=itsfoss.com) highlights this as a use case. The difference here is that a NAS with decent specs will cost you significantly more than this DAS. If all you need is fast desk-side storage without the NAS software stack and network overhead, the ORICO DAS is a simpler and cheaper solution. ## Conclusion As a Linux user, the experience was better than I expected. No driver issues, no special configuration needed. The drive showed up as native NVMe devices and behaved like internal storage. Format to ext4 and you get fast sustained speeds in both directions. Do evaluate your needs and if it fits, you can [get it from its official website](https://oricotechs.com/products/orico-88-series-4bay-usb4-nvme-ssd-enclosure?ref=itsfoss.com) or order it on Amazon: [ORICO 88 Series 4-Bay USB4 NVMe SSD Enclosure on Amazon](https://amzn.to/4vVSysy?ref=itsfoss.com) 💰 Save additional 10% by using coupon code 7OS6995Z when you order it from Amazon. The code is valid till August 30, 2026. ### TUXEDO OS is Ditching Ubuntu for a Debian Base That Never Goes Stable URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/tuxedo-os-is-ditching-ubuntu/ Last updated: 2026-07-17T04:32:29.000Z TUXEDO Computers has announced that their Linux distribution [is moving away](https://www.tuxedocomputers.com/en/A-new-foundation-for-TUXEDO-OS-Switching-to-Debian.tuxedo?ref=itsfoss.com) from Ubuntu, with Debian taking over as its new base. TUXEDO OS is the default choice on every TUXEDO machine, but it's not exclusive to their hardware, and anyone can just grab an image and run it on their computer. Going forward, the distro will be based on [Debian Testing](https://www.debian.org/devel/testing?ref=itsfoss.com) instead of an Ubuntu LTS release, under what the company calls the **Continuous Debian** approach. The move is permanent too, as TUXEDO OS will not follow *Testing* into the next Debian stable release. Behind the switch is also a fair bit of frustration with how [Canonical](https://canonical.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) has been steering Ubuntu lately. Announcing the rebase, they stated that: > By moving to Debian, TUXEDO OS gains substantially more independence while reducing the effort required to maintain up-to-date software. The result is a robust operating system with a clear focus on digital sovereignty—for both TUXEDO customers and users running TUXEDO OS on third-party hardware. 📋 There's an update to this topic. TUXEDO Computers [have laid out](https://www.tuxedocomputers.com/en/Security-on-TUXEDO-OS-How-we-secure-Debian-Testing.tuxedo?ref=itsfoss.com) how they intend to handle the kernel and security for their Debian Testing-based distro. ## Done with Ubuntu ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/tuxedo-os-debian-rebase-early-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/tuxedo-os-debian-rebase-early-2.png) **Source: TUXEDO Computers* TUXEDO says that an aging [LTS](https://itsfoss.com/long-term-support-lts/) base makes backporting harder as time goes on, since newer dependencies are often missing or stuck on outdated versions. Things get worse when core libraries like Qt (*which KDE Plasma runs on*) get updated and break software pulled from Ubuntu's repositories. [Snaps](https://snapcraft.io/about?ref=itsfoss.com) are another pain point, as Canonical keeps moving toward packaging and delivering Snap-only software, making it harder for TUXEDO to keep those components out of their distribution. Similarly, [the Ubuntu AI roadmap](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-is-getting-ai/) hasn't offered much clarity on how it will actually work, and slow security updates were the final points of contention. ## The new base With Ubuntu now gone, *Debian Testing*, the development branch of [Debian](https://www.debian.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), becomes the new base. New packages arrive here from *Debian Unstable*, but only after [proving they build identically from the same source](https://itsfoss.com/news/debian-makes-reproducible-builds-mandatory/), a requirement Debian made mandatory back in May. The switch is already visible under the hood too, as the internal testing version of TUXEDO OS is pulling from Debian's repositories instead of Ubuntu's (*as shown above*). ## Why should you care? Don't think that this is only a rebase; TUXEDO Computers is also working on introducing some major upgrades. [Btrfs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Btrfs?ref=itsfoss.com) becomes the default file system on new installs, paired with [Snapper](https://github.com/openSUSE/snapper?ref=itsfoss.com) for automatic snapshots before every update. That is the same setup openSUSE has used for years, so it is a proven solution. They haven't detailed their kernel strategy yet. My guess, and *it's only a guess* until TUXEDO confirms otherwise, is **something closer to how Ubuntu or Fedora handle it**, [shipping recent kernels quickly](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-latest-kernel/) instead of sitting on an older one for stability's sake. A visual overhaul is also on the way, though they haven't locked in the new look yet, and current builds still run the old theme over the new Debian base. Gaming and enterprise use cases are both getting attention too, with the specifics being shared later. **If you are already running the Ubuntu-based TUXEDO OS**, there is no direct upgrade path here. A clean install will be required, and TUXEDO says a full migration guide is coming before the final release shows up. Alternatively, if you would rather stay on an Ubuntu base, the company will be offering a transition path to [Kubuntu 26.04](https://itsfoss.com/news/kubuntu-26-04-lts/) instead. ## When to expect? An extensive beta testing phase kicks off in the coming weeks, aimed at non-production setups. Expect things to shift based on feedback and whatever release blockers turn up along the way. If you want a more complete look at what they are cooking up, the next [FrOSCon](https://froscon.org/en/?ref=itsfoss.com) happening in August is the place to be. The TUXEDO Computers team will be presenting this new development direction in a dedicated talk. ### LOL! Storage Bug on Microsoft Windows 11 Could Eat Up 500 GB Disk Space URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/windows-11-cam-bug/ Last updated: 2026-07-07T16:29:23.000Z We are used to hearing about Copilot eating storage space on Windows machines, showing up in applications [it has no business in](https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/windows-11/microsoft-finally-begins-removing-copilot-from-notepad-on-windows-11-but-the-ai-still-persists?ref=itsfoss.com), and generally being a nuisance for anyone who prefers an AI-free computer. Now, we have a Windows log file that has been [silently eating up space](https://www.windowslatest.com/2026/07/06/microsoft-admits-a-windows-11-bug-is-eating-up-to-500gb-of-storage-verify-if-you-are-affected/?ref=itsfoss.com) on people's storage drives, with a Microsoft customer support agent even suggesting buying a new hard drive when a user complained about it. ![a complaint by a user named donald gibson that lays out the issue with capability access manager (cam)](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/ms-forum-question.webp) ## What happened? The file responsible is `CapabilityAccessManager.db-wal`, a write-ahead log for the database Windows uses to track camera, microphone, and location permission requests. It's supposed to stay a few megabytes and clear itself out after about a month. Instead, it can balloon past 500GB, sitting in a folder Windows won't even let you open to check. ![windirstat being used to analyze the storage consumption of the capabilityaccessmanager on windows 11](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/windows-11-cam-storage-bug.png) **Original pic via* [**Agumon\_Hakase*](https://www.reddit.com/r/techsupport/comments/1kwtfcn/comment/mukcobn/?ref=itsfoss.com)**.* The user who got the hard drive advice was Donald Gibson, who posted about it on [Microsoft's Q&A forum](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5815087/capabilityaccessmanager-is-devouring-my-hard-drive?ref=itsfoss.com) in March 2026\. His *System and Reserved* storage had ballooned to 111GB when it should have sat around 40GB, **all thanks to a single 66.5GB *CapabilityAccessManager.db-wal* file** eating up precious space on his 221GB drive. When he contacted Microsoft support, the agent had never heard of the bug and had to loop in a supervisor before responding. The result was **a suggestion to buy a new portable hard drive**, and **no help deleting the bloated file** either. This is not something new that has popped over the past few months, [a Reddit thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/techsupport/comments/1kwtfcn/my%5Fharddrive%5Fis%5Fgrowing%5Fslowly%5Fwith%5F500gb%5Fof/?ref=itsfoss.com) from a year ago had **the same file ballooning to 513GB** on someone else's machine, with no folder anywhere to explain where the space went. ## A quiet fix The [official fix](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/june-23-2026-kb5095093-os-builds-26200-8737-and-26100-8737-preview-0e2a20f2-cf9e-46f8-9f08-e6996220882d?ref=itsfoss.com) didn't show up until June 29, quietly tacked onto the release notes under the "*Change log*" section for a preview update that had already shipped six days earlier. But not everyone will have this now, as the full rollout is expected with the July 2026 [Patch Tuesday](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patch%5FTuesday?ref=itsfoss.com) update, which is well over a year after the first reports started showing up. The same update also shipped a redesigned Start menu, a new point-in-time restore feature, and support for bigger local AI models, so it is not like Microsoft was short on engineering hours to spare. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Brave Says This is Not a Privacy Feature*](https://itsfoss.com/news/brave-browser-containers/) [Brave Says This is Not a Privacy Feature, But Using Containers Has Its PerksBrave Browser 1.92 introduces support for Containers that isolate cookies and site data per tab.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-3bccc944-5cc9-4501-bc69-a8f7d53c4293.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/brave-browser-containers-banner-df64ecf7-cf69-41e9-9099-00cb1730325d.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/brave-browser-containers/) ### This E-Paper PDA Wants You to Ditch Your Smartphone for a Keyboard and Two Tiny Screens URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/pocketmage-campaign/ Last updated: 2026-07-07T06:51:28.000Z Every few months (or years, depending upon how old you are), there is a new "anti-smartphone" device that comes with a physical keyboard and a tiny screen and focuses on doing one thing well. [Freewrite](https://getfreewrite.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) did it for writers. [PicoCalc](https://www.clockworkpi.com/picocalc?ref=itsfoss.com) did it for tinkerers. Now Talisman Design, an independent hardware studio out of Phoenix, Arizona, wants a shot at it with [PocketMage](https://pocketmage.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), a pocketable personal digital assistant that [just launched on Crowd Supply](https://www.crowdsupply.com/talisman-design/pocketmage?ref=itsfoss.com). ## PocketMage Key Specifications Let's take a look at the hardware: - **Chip:** ESP32-S3 with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth - **RAM:** 2 MB QSPI PSRAM - **Displays:** 3.1-inch e-paper (320x240) + 1.8-inch OLED (256x32) - **OS:** [PocketMageOS](https://pocketmage.org/pocketmageos/?ref=itsfoss.com), custom, open source, built on FreeRTOS - **Storage**: 16 MB QSPI flash and MicroSD card slot - **Battery:** 1200mAh LiPo, rated for about 7 days - **User Input**: Built-in tactile QWERTY keyboard, USB keybord support and touch scrollbar on main screen - **Expansion:** FPC port with I2C, SPI, UART, GPIO and power - **Dimensions:** 100 x 73 x 21.7 mm - **Shipping:** expected by the end of March 2027 I find the dual-display setup interesting in this tiny device. There is the main 3.1-inch e-paper panel display and then there is a secondary, 1.8-inch OLED strip for menus and anything that needs a fast refresh. Somewhat like those touchbars in MacBooks except that it's display only. That's deliberate because although e-paper is sunlight-readable and power-friendly, it's too slow for scrolling menus and hence the secondary OLED display. ![PocketMage](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/pocketmage-closeup.jpg) Underneath all that is an ESP32-S3, which may feel like an unusual choice for something marketed as a PDA. It's a microcontroller, not the kind of chip you'd find running a full desktop OS, but that's sort of the point. ESP32 boards have gained a massive hobbyist ecosystem of late, which means PocketMage keeps the whole thing low-power enough to hit that 7-day battery estimate. A DIY kind of gadget should allow tinkerers some tinkering room. PocketMage doesn't disappoint. It has an FPC expansion port with I2C, SPI, UART, and GPIO for anyone who wants to bolt on their own hardware and thus showing off your engineering skills more than your writing skills. ## At the core: PocketMageOS and the Bazaar ![PocketMage app loading](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/pocketmage-app-bazar.webp) PocketMage doesn't run Linux. It runs PocketMageOS, a custom, "wizard-inspired" operating system built on [FreeRTOS](https://www.freertos.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), with a built-in suite that includes a Markdown text editor, a dictionary, a journaling app, and a terminal. Third-party apps get distributed through something called the [Bazaar](https://pocketmage.org/bazaar/?ref=itsfoss.com), essentially an app store for sideloaded software. I can already see a calculator, a text-based web browser, an e-book reader, a Pomodor timer and, a bit oddly, a Tarot card reader among the available apps. 📋 Everything, hardware and software, ships under the Apache-2.0 Open Source Hardware license, with KiCad design files and firmware on [GitHub](https://github.com/TailsmanDesign/PocketMage%5FPDA?ref=itsfoss.com). If you'd rather build one yourself than back the campaign, that option is also available. ## Back PocketMage on Crowd Supply [PocketMage is live on Crowd Supply](https://www.crowdsupply.com/talisman-design/pocketmage?ref=itsfoss.com) now, and at the time of writing this article has raised $66,538 of its $100,000 goal from 204 backers, with 58 days left to go. [Get PocketMage on CrowdSupply](https://www.crowdsupply.com/talisman-design/pocketmage?ref=itsfoss.com) The DIY kit is $185 and the pre-assembled version is $235, both with free US shipping and a flat $12 for international orders. Both come in Parchment or Royal Purple. Backers should expect deliveries to start by the end of March 2027. 🚧 As with any crowdfunding campaign, treat the timeline as an estimate. Back it because you want to support the project, not because you're counting on the ship date. ![PocketMage DIY Kit](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/PocketMage-Kit.webp) PocketMage DIY Kit If you're comfortable with the idea of assembling it yourself and want to save $50, the DIY kit gets you the exact same hardware as the assembled version. You only need screwdrivers to assemble it. No soldering required. If you'd rather skip the build entirely, the $235 tier is the way to go. The pricing may seem steep at first. But if you look at the alternatives, PicoCalc is cheaper at $89 but doesn't include a battery and only lasts 16 hours on a charge, the Freewrite Traveler costs $549 for a writing-only device with no expansion port, and the [GPD MicroPC 2](https://www.gpd.hk/gpdmicropc2345345345?ref=itsfoss.com) is $680 and not really pocketable at all. At $185 to $235, PocketMage isn't the cheapest option in this space, but it's not the priciest either, and it's the only one on that list that's fully open on both hardware and software. ## Do You Need This or Do You Want This? ![PocketMage in a pocket](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/pocketmage-pocket.webp) Here's the thing, though. Your phone is already in your pocket, already has a keyboard, and already does everything PocketMage does. That's the harsh truth. I can't speak for you, but personally, I doubt if I can use PocketMage for any serious work. But the child inside me would want this just for fun. That tiny cyberdeck feel takes you straight back to the 80s when something like this could have been the talk of the town, the envy of your peers. And these tiny devices have their own niche market. No wonder that we have several [handheld Raspberry Pi devices](https://itsfoss.com/raspberry-pi-handhelds/) and Linux computers. It's not a need, it's a want, aimed primarily at hobbyists, cyberdeck builders, and people nostalgic for a Palm Pilot they never quite got over. Would you buy a PocketMage? Share your answer in the comments please. ### You Can Now Craft E-Ink Faceplates for the Steam Machine URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/inkertface-diy-steam-machine-faceplate/ Last updated: 2026-07-07T05:52:55.000Z The Steam Machine's swappable front panel just got a very useful upgrade that Valve has put out for free under an *MIT License*. Called the **Inkterface**, the e-ink faceplate replaces the stock panel with a small Bluetooth-connected display. [NaKyle Wright](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nakylewright/?ref=itsfoss.com) is the person behind this project, who has published all the design, CAD, and documentation for this under Valve's SteamHardware group on GitLab. Wright has been working on this since at least October last year, with the repository covering everything you'd need to actually build the thing. ## What's included? ![a blue/green-themed illustration depicting a fully-assembled inkterface e-ink faceplate installed on a steam machine on the left, on the right is the circuit diagram for the inkterface](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/inkterface-overview.png) You get a full bill of materials which includes an **Adafruit ESP32 Feather**, an **eInk Breakout Friend**, a **5.83 inch monochrome panel**, plus assorted screws and magnets. The repo also includes STEP and STL files for 3D printing, a pin by pin wiring guide, and both a video and PDF walkthrough for assembly. Finish the build and you get a panel that clips onto the Steam Machine's chassis with magnets, the same way the stock faceplates do, then pairs with the system over Bluetooth once you've installed the companion service. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/inkterface-software-mockup-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/inkterface-software-mockup-2.png) **The mockups for Inkterface's companion app.* That last bit is still under development, but once it's live on [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1222770?ref=itsfoss.com) (*listing redirects to homepage*), it will let you find Inkterface faceplates over Bluetooth and choose what shows up on its display. Whether that's live hardware stats or anything else the panel supports. Related to that, the Inkterface comes with a handful of system statistics collectors, so you are not stuck with a dumb display with no metrics to show. If there's something else you'd rather track instead, the code is open enough that you can add it yourself. ## Start building The [Inkterface](https://gitlab.steamos.cloud/SteamHardware/SteamMachine/inkterface/?ref=itsfoss.com) repository has the actual build guide, which is backed up by a full [assembly PDF](https://gitlab.steamos.cloud/SteamHardware/SteamMachine/inkterface/-/blob/main/docs/Inkterface%20Assembly.pdf?ref=itsfoss.com) and a [video walkthrough](https://gitlab.steamos.cloud/SteamHardware/SteamMachine/inkterface/-/blob/main/docs/Inkterface%20Assembly.mp4?ref=itsfoss.com) for anyone who'd rather watch than read. [Inkterface](https://gitlab.steamos.cloud/SteamHardware/SteamMachine/inkterface/?ref=itsfoss.com) And, thanks to this being open source, any third-party accessory vendor can theoretically build new faceplates based on this. This only makes the case for [open hardware](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-source%5Fhardware?ref=itsfoss.com) that much stronger. There's also news of JSAUX [teasing a similar accessory](https://jsaux.com/pages/steam-machine?ref=itsfoss.com) since late last year. A swappable e-ink faceplate alongside a LCD and dot matrix version, with the launch happening sometime in 2026. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Sipeed's New KVM Looks Interesting*](https://itsfoss.com/news/sipeeds-nanokvm-go-crowdfunding/) [Sipeed’s New KVM Wants AI Agents to See and Control Your ScreenThe NanoKVM-Go connects with a single USB-C cable, runs over WiFi 6, and exposes every KVM function as an MCP server for AI agents like PicoClaw and Claude Code.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-cbf2703f-d2cd-47f4-a55c-16dfe4d0a6cc.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/nanokvm-go-327f9e1c-ca54-4d28-9aba-c4047a5458ae.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/news/sipeeds-nanokvm-go-crowdfunding/) ### Canonical Puts €40,000 a Year Behind Trifecta Tech to Rustify Ubuntu URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-ntpd-rs-push/ Last updated: 2026-07-07T05:04:58.000Z Canonical is now [a Gold Sponsor](https://ubuntu.com/blog/canonical-becomes-gold-sponsor-of-trifecta-tech-foundation?ref=itsfoss.com) of the [Trifecta Tech Foundation](https://trifectatech.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), a non-profit focused on keeping critical infrastructure software memory-safe. The new backing comes with **a yearly €40,000 contribution**, meant to fund continued work on memory-safe system utilities written in [Rust](https://www.rust-lang.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). Trifecta Tech Foundation operates projects across three areas: *data compression*, *time synchronization*, and *privilege boundaries*. [sudo-rs](https://github.com/trifectatechfoundation/sudo-rs?ref=itsfoss.com) is its best-known output so far, but the foundation also works on zlib-rs and several other Rust rewrites most Linux users never think about. Don't think that Canonical just started contributing to the foundation; it has been a backer since 2025, co-sponsoring the development of sudo-rs, and as you already know, that collaboration paid off. It became Ubuntu's [default privilege escalation tool](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-25-10-sudo-rs/) in 25.10 and carried over into 26.04 LTS a few months later. The sponsorship is a bigger step in the same direction, part of what Canonical once called an effort to go *"carefully but purposefully oxidising Ubuntu*." *Coreutils*, *findutils*, *diffutils*, and *sudo* have already been swapped for Rust alternatives. That leaves time synchronization as the next frontier. The current phase of their partnership is moving to [ntpd-rs](https://trifectatech.org/projects/ntpd-rs/?ref=itsfoss.com), the Rust rewrite that Canonical wants to make Ubuntu's default time synchronization client and server. ## What do Ubuntu users get out of this? ![a cropped snippet of the ntpd-rs webpage hosted on trifecta tech foundation's website with some informational text](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/ntpd-rs-webpage-cropped.png) Fewer memory-safety bugs in a piece of software every Ubuntu install relies on to keep its clock, and by extension its TLS certificates, in sync with the rest of the internet. **ntpd-rs isn't an untested experiment either**. Jon Seager, the VP of Engineering at Canonical, [points out that](https://jnsgr.uk/2026/03/ntpd-rs-its-about-time/?ref=itsfoss.com) it has already been running in production at Let's Encrypt since June 2024, following a staging rollout that started two months earlier. Trifecta is also developing [Statime](https://trifectatech.org/projects/statime/?ref=itsfoss.com), a memory-safe implementation of the [Precision Time Protocol](https://www.linuxptp.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) (PTP), with a plan to build its capabilities directly into ntpd-rs. Canonical's funding also covers feature-parity work. That includes GPSd IP socket support, multi-threading for NTP servers, and support for multi-homed server setups, closing gaps that currently exist between ntpd-rs and [chrony](https://chrony-project.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). For more specialized deployments, the funding also covers **gPTP support**, useful for automotive and connected vehicle use cases, along with **experimental support for the proposed Client-Server PTP protocol**. Security is an area of focus too, with work being done to build AppArmor and seccomp profiles for ntpd-rs, matching the isolation chrony already gets. Along with support for [rustls](https://github.com/rustls/rustls?ref=itsfoss.com) to fall back on [OpenSSL](https://www.openssl.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) as a crypto provider for organizations with strict compliance policies. ## When to expect? **Canonical is targeting Ubuntu 26.10 as the first real milestone**, including `ntpd-rs` in the archive so people can start testing it. Followed by the bigger goal of introducing ntpd-rs as the default time synchronization tool for Ubuntu in the 27.04 release next year. For you as a regular desktop user, not much will change; this looks to be focused more on sysadmins than anyone else. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*sudo vs. sudo-rs, Which One is For You?*](https://itsfoss.com/sudo-vs-sudo-rs/) [sudo vs sudo-rs: What You Need to Knowsudo-rs is poised to take over. Here’s what you should know about sudo-rs as a sudo user.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-96f751c7-d2cf-4d11-af8f-3f5efba313ed.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/sudo-rs-c13c8c93-4fc6-40ce-b56d-5b427dc81108.png)](https://itsfoss.com/sudo-vs-sudo-rs/) ### Return of The Meme! Hannah Montana Linux Lives Again in 2026 URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/return-of-hannah-montana-linux/ Last updated: 2026-07-06T10:21:12.000Z Hannah Montana Linux (HML) has become a conversation starter in the land of FOSS (*aka FOSSLand?*), and somehow, the year is 2026\. The remaster, released by [Noah Cagle](https://www.decacagle.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), a developer/YouTuber, has taken us by surprise. This [new avatar of HML](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKx5UZsX9jw&ref=itsfoss.com) is a combination of Debian Live tooling and the Calamares installer, with most of the makeover happening inside KDE Plasma, the desktop environment of choice here. **For anyone unfamiliar**, the original [Hannah Montana Linux](https://linux.fandom.com/wiki/Hannah%5FMontana%5FLinux?ref=itsfoss.com) was *bestowed* upon us in 2009, riding on Kubuntu 9.04 and KDE 4.2, drenched in hot pink Disney Channel branding. It might sound like a fever dream, but it was a real, functioning operating system, and that absurdity is precisely what turned it into a long-running Linux meme that never quite died. ## HML in 2026!? ![a kde plasma interface with pink themeing all over is shown here with the app launcher open and a linux-themed hannah montana wallpaper in the background](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/hannah-montana-linux-desktop.jpg) This variant of HML is built on [Debian 13](https://itsfoss.com/news/debian-13-release/), with non-free repositories enabled from the beginning for easy access to proprietary hardware drivers. Noah used [live-build](https://manpages.debian.org/testing/live-build/live-build.7.en.html?ref=itsfoss.com), Debian's tool for building custom distributions, and a few custom flags to get this up and running. Most of the visual changes you see here are the result of cloning Plasma assets and manually editing them. The "*pretty pink*" color scheme is a copy of [Breeze](https://github.com/kde/breeze?ref=itsfoss.com) with only the window header and button highlight colors changed. The wallpaper is rebuilt from the original 2009 PNG file, resized for widescreen screens, with a recreated glitter effect and Hannah's cutout pasted back in. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/hannah-montana-linux-themes.jpg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/hannah-montana-linux-calamares-installer.jpg) **The theme options and Calamares installer on HML.* Similarly, the icon pack ships with only one replacement icon for the kickoff start menu button, which was taken from the Hannah Montana logo. The panel's pink color comes from a separate Plasma theme, copied and recolored from [Noir Dark](https://github.com/L4ki/Breeze-Noir-Dark?ref=itsfoss.com)'s panel background SVG in [Inkscape](https://inkscape.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). All of these pieces are bundled into one *Global Theme* for quick access. For the installer, the default Debian installer was replaced in favor of [Calamares](https://calamares.io/?ref=itsfoss.com), with the distro's existing Calamares-specific assets being reused and redesigned for use in HML to match the rest of the theme. ## Grab an image Noah has not hosted a dedicated website for this project, so you will have to make do with the [GitLab](https://gitlab.com/DecaCagle/hannahmontanalinux26?ref=itsfoss.com) repository that hosts the source code as well as [the latest release](https://gitlab.com/DecaCagle/hannahmontanalinux26/-/releases?ref=itsfoss.com) of Hannah Montana Linux (*v26.1 at the time of writing*). [Hannah Montana Linux](https://gitlab.com/DecaCagle/hannahmontanalinux26/-/releases?ref=itsfoss.com) *Btw, the main release isn't the only option on offer.* 👇 The [HML26 Lite](https://gitlab.com/DecaCagle/HannahMontanaLinux26Lite?ref=itsfoss.com) image swaps Plasma and SDDM for **LXQt** and **LightDM**, making HML a more suitable option for people running RAM-constrained, older hardware. And **if you already run Plasma** and just want the look without needing to install a whole new operating system, the *exquisite* pink theme has its own [standalone repository](https://gitlab.com/DecaCagle/hannah-montana-kde-theme?ref=itsfoss.com). I must say, **this is mostly a passion project**, and only time will tell how maintained this new avatar of HML will be. If you just want to [distrohop](https://itsfoss.com/distrohopping-issues/) and see what this offers, then this is a great fit, but if you intend to daily drive it, your mileage may vary. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*14 Discontinued Linux Distros I Still Miss*](https://itsfoss.com/discontinued-linux-distros/) [14 Discontinued Linux Distros I Still Miss in 2025Some popular Linux distributions did not make it. Let’s take a look at some of them!![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-8203da0c-e39c-431b-884c-d6b7c3a028ec.png)It's FOSSAnkush Das![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/discontinued-popular-linux-distros-0630cd3d-0282-435b-aa9b-74ebe246bfd2.png)](https://itsfoss.com/discontinued-linux-distros/) ### Obsidian vs Logseq: Which Note-Taking App Fits Your Workflow Better? URL: https://itsfoss.com/comparison/obsidian-vs-logseq/ Last updated: 2026-07-06T08:06:45.000Z Obsidian and Logseq may seem similar. Both are local-first note-taking apps, both use Markdown, and both are popular among people building their personal knowledge base. But after using both for nearly three years, I can say this: they are not the same kind of tool. Obsidian feels like a powerful Markdown writing environment. Logseq feels like an outliner built for connecting ideas at the block level. Both applications [use Markdown](https://itsfoss.com/markdown-guide/) as their primary note format. However, Logseq is also actively developing a database-based version alongside its traditional Markdown workflow. I have written several tutorials on both [Logseq](https://itsfoss.com/tag/logseq/) and Obsidian here on It's FOSS. One of the frequently asked questions in the comments of those articles has been about the differences between Obsidian and Logseq. Of course, the major difference is that Logseq is open source and Obsidian is not. Yes, Obsidian is one of [those tools that feel like they are open source even when they are not](https://itsfoss.com/popular-software-open-source-feel/). But that major difference is not a difference for many. They want to know which tool they should use for their perfectly curated knowledge base. So, I decided to compare both Logseq and Obsidian on certain points that I have noticed in my experience. Instead of trying to declare one as the winner, I'll explain where each application works well, where I struggled, and why I still use both in my daily workflow. 📋 Choose ****Obsidian** if you prefer traditional Markdown files, folders, long-form writing, strong plugins, and a polished mobile app. Choose ****Logseq** if you prefer outlining, daily journals, block references, open source software, and idea-first note-taking. I personally use ****Obsidian for writing** long text, articles and ****Logseq for collecting and connecting ideas**. This is not a recommendation to switch to one application or the other. It is simply a collection of my experiences and the workflow that worked best for me. Here is a quick comparison before we go into the details. | Feature | Obsidian | Logseq | | ---------------- | ------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------ | | Best for | Long-form notes, writing,structured vaults | Outlining, daily journals,block references | | Note format | Markdown files | Markdown/Org,moving toward database | | Open source | No | Yes | | Learning curve | Easier | Steeper | | Linking style | Page/file-level links | Block-level references | | Mobile app | More polished | Less polished,especially on Android | | Plugin ecosystem | Larger | Smaller, but morebuilt-in features | | Portability | Better | Good, but moreLogseq-specific structure | ## Local Storage of Notes How an application stores your notes is one of the most important aspects of any note-taking system. Fast access to your data and [complete ownership](https://itsfoss.com/news/digital-content-ownership-illusion/) of your notes are essential. Fortunately, both Obsidian and Logseq follow a local-first approach. ### Obsidian [Obsidian](https://obsidian.md/?ref=itsfoss.com) stores every note as a standard Markdown (.md) file inside a local folder called a Vault. Since all files remain on your computer by default, you have complete control over your data without depending on external servers or proprietary databases. You can also create multiple vaults, allowing you to separate different projects or areas of work. Because everything is stored locally, your notes remain accessible even without internet connection. ### Logseq [Logseq](https://logseq.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) also stores notes locally using Markdown and Org-mode files. However, the project is gradually moving toward a local SQLite database architecture to improve performance, stability, and query capabilities. Even with this transition, the [developers have stated](https://logseq.io/p/e3YDyX5AYr?ref=itsfoss.com) that they intend to continue supporting the traditional Markdown-based workflow for users who prefer plain text notes. Like Obsidian, Logseq also allows you to maintain multiple collections of notes and switch between them easily. ## Plain Markdown vs Logseq's Bulleted Markdown Although both applications use Markdown, the editing experience is fundamentally different. ### Obsidian Obsidian follows the traditional Markdown editing approach, where an entire file becomes the main unit of work. It is well suited for writing long articles, detailed documentation, or structured notes that resemble conventional documents. Obsidian for Long form Notes ### Logseq Logseq is built around an outliner. Every line is a collapsible bullet, making each individual block the primary unit of information. Outline Style notes in Logseq Instead of thinking in pages, you naturally build ideas by nesting bullets and creating hierarchies through indentation. ### Where Obsidian Feels Better for Writing I use Obsidian whenever I'm writing article drafts or other long-form documents. Its editor feels much more comfortable for continuous writing, and organizing paragraphs is straightforward. If you're writing regular articles or lengthy notes, Logseq can sometimes feel restrictive because everything starts as a bullet point. I especially notice this when working with a table of contents. In Obsidian, the document structure is easier to visualize because there isn't a bullet interface surrounding every paragraph. On the other hand, Logseq is excellent for collecting ideas before writing. Its outline-based interface makes it easy to brainstorm, collapse large sections into a single line, and gradually expand ideas whenever needed. When you maintain proper indentation, every parent bullet can almost act as a separate note with all of its supporting information nested underneath. ## Interlinking Notes Linking related notes is one of the most important features of any PKM application because that's what separates it from just a random dump of notes and an organized, accessible knowledge base. ### Obsidian Obsidian connects notes by linking entire files using wiki-style links. It also includes a backlinks panel that shows every note linking to the current document. ![When selected the backlinks button, the right side panel shows the backlinks of the current notes in Obsidian.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/backlinks-in-obsidian.png) Backlinks in Obsidian To visualize these relationships, Obsidian provides an excellent graph view that displays how your notes connect with each other. ### Logseq Logseq does things differently by introducing block-level references. Instead of linking only to entire pages, you can directly reference or embed an individual bullet from anywhere in your knowledge base. Like Obsidian, Logseq also includes a graph view to visualize relationships between notes. ![Logseq shows backlinks of the current note and a page specific graph.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/backlinks-and-page-graph.png) Backlinks and Page Graph ### Why I Prefer Logseq for Connected Notes When it comes to interlinked notes, I prefer Logseq every time. The biggest reason is block-level references. Because Obsidian links entire files, I often end up creating many small notes just so they can be referenced from different places. Logseq removes that need. If I organize my ideas using proper indentation, I can reference only the specific block I need while leaving the rest of the information in the same page. Even better, hovering over a reference displays the complete parent block along with its nested content. This allows me to keep large collections of related ideas together while still being able to reference individual parts wherever I need them. There is one thing to keep in mind, though. This workflow depends heavily on proper indentation. If the structure becomes messy, references may not include all the information you expected. Overall, I think Obsidian works better if you're intentionally following a Zettelkasten-style workflow with a strict "one idea, one note" philosophy. Personally, I believe that [Zettlekasten](https://zettelkasten.de/introduction/?ref=itsfoss.com) is one of the best ways to organize knowledge. The challenge is that maintaining such a system consistently can become difficult over time. ## File Storage Architecture The way notes are organized on disk and inside the application is very different in Obsidian and Logseq. ### Obsidian Obsidian follows the traditional file and folder approach. You are free to create any folder structure you like inside a vault, whether it is deeply nested or completely flat. This gives you complete control over how your knowledge base is organized. ![The Folder structure of Obsidian using custom folders created bt the user.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/obsidian-folder-structure.png) Obsidian Folder Structure ### Logseq While Logseq, instead of relying on folders, encourages you to organize information using daily journals, pages, tags, and block hierarchies. Rather than maintaining a directory structure yourself, the organization gradually emerges through links and references. ![Logseq Folder Structure showing the preset Logseq folders.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/logseq-folder-structure.png) Logseq Folder structure ### Why Obsidian is Easier for Beginners For most casual users and students, I feel Obsidian's approach is much easier to understand. Logseq's organization model can be confusing at first. By the time you fully understand how pages, tags, and journals work together, you may already have created hundreds of notes that need to be reorganized. One thing that initially confused me was the [relationship between pages and tags](https://itsfoss.com/logseq-pages-links-tags-blocks/). In many situations, they almost behave like the same thing. If you come from a traditional folder-based workflow, it's easy to start creating pages as if they were folders. That usually leads to confusion later when your notes begin to grow. Obsidian, on the other hand, follows a familiar file-and-folder hierarchy that almost everyone already understands. Logseq's approach is certainly powerful, but it requires careful planning from the beginning. ## Notes portability Being able to move your notes between applications is an important consideration. If you ever decide to switch tools, a portable note format can save a lot of effort and frustration. ### Obsidian Obsidian stores everything as standard Markdown files. Because Markdown is widely supported, you can open your notes in almost any text editor without losing the main content. This makes your notes easy to access in the future, regardless of whether you continue using Obsidian. ### Logseq Logseq also stores notes in Markdown, but its heavy use of block structures and internal block identifiers makes those files less suitable for use in traditional Markdown editors. While it do provide a way to export the current page to a proper markdown, the default note you created is always in a bullet-structure form. ### Which One Is Easier to Move Away From? Although Obsidian is highly portable, there are still a few things to keep in mind. Obsidian's wiki links are not part of the Markdown standard. If you open those files in another editor, internal links and embedded images may not work as expected. The same applies to some Obsidian-specific features such as callout blocks. Fortunately, Obsidian allows you to disable wiki links and use standard Markdown links instead. If long-term portability is important to you, this is a setting worth considering. ![In the Files and links settings of Obsidian, disable the Wikilink feature and enable common Markdown link. This will allow you to create more portable documents.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/disable-wikilink.png) Disable Wikilink in Obsidian Logseq has similar limitations because it also extends Markdown with its own features. Overall, I still find Obsidian's notes easier to migrate to other applications than Logseq's Markdown files. ## Plugin Ecosystem A healthy plugin ecosystem can greatly extend the capabilities of a note-taking application. ### Obsidian Obsidian has one of the largest plugin ecosystems available. Thousands of [community plugins](https://itsfoss.com/obsidian-plugins/) can transform the editor into anything from a task manager to a database-like system using plugins such as Dataview. Because the core application remains fairly minimal, many advanced features depend on community plugins. ![The Plugin marketplace of Obsidian, where you can install thousands of community plugins](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/obsidian-plugins-marketplace.png) Obsidian Plugin Marketplace ### Logseq Logseq has a much smaller [plugin ecosystem](https://itsfoss.com/logseq-plugins/). However, it includes many features that Obsidian users often install plugins for, including flashcards, PDF annotation, and advanced queries. Its philosophy is to provide most of the commonly used PKM features as part of the default installation. ![Logseq plugin marketplace with 500 plus community plugins.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/logseq-plugin-marketplace.png) Logseq Plugin Marketplace ### Plugins vs Built-in Features: My Take I actually give a thumbs up to the Obsidian's plugin model. Providing a simple editor and allowing users to choose only the features they need is a good design approach. Many modern applications, including Visual Studio Code, follow a similar philosophy. The downside is that depending heavily on third-party plugins introduces additional security considerations. Logseq takes the opposite approach by including most important features out of the box. I repeat, one thing to remember for both applications is portability. Many plugins introduce their own syntax that goes beyond standard Markdown. If your goal is to keep your notes compatible with other Markdown editors, it's worth being selective about which plugins you install. Callout blocks are a good example. They work well inside the application but may not render correctly elsewhere. ## Web Clipper If you regularly save articles while browsing, a good web clipper becomes an essential part of your workflow. Though, you only need one reliable web clipper. ### Obsidian Obsidian offers an excellent web clipper extension that is available for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and other browsers. It lets you save web pages as Markdown notes. When used with Obsidian, the clipped notes are automatically populated with useful YAML front matter such as the title, source URL, author, and other metadata. ### Logseq At the time of writing, Logseq does not have an official web clipper. There have been ongoing discussions about one, but an official release is yet to arrive. ### Why Obsidian’s Web Clipper Is More Useful One thing I really like about the Obsidian Web Clipper is that it doesn't require Obsidian to be installed. This means I can use it to save web pages as Markdown and then import those notes into other applications, including Logseq. The only feature you miss without Obsidian is the ability to send clipped notes directly into a specific vault or folder with a single click. That integration naturally requires Obsidian to be installed. ## Sync Features Working on more than one computer? Sync is essential for your workflow. ### Obsidian Obsidian provides its own paid synchronization service called Obsidian Sync. I have used it extensively, and it has worked very well for me. Since all notes remain local files, you can also use other synchronization solutions such as iCloud, Dropbox, or Syncthing instead of paying for the official service. One thing worth mentioning is Android. Services like Dropbox and Google Drive do not automatically live synchronize a local folder in the background because of Android's storage restrictions. This is not an Obsidian limitation. If you want continuous synchronization on Android, tools such as Syncthing generally provide a much better experience. ### Logseq Logseq also offers its own paid synchronization service. Users can choose alternatives such as iCloud, although it has been known to have occasional issues. The upcoming database version is also expected to improve real-time synchronization and collaboration between multiple devices. ### My Sync Setup and Why I Avoid Direct Comparison I personally don't use Logseq Sync. Instead, I keep my Logseq graph inside a private GitLab repository to avoid accidental data loss. Because of that, I don't think it would be fair for me to compare the official synchronization services of both applications. If you've used both, I'd be interested in hearing about your experience in the comments. ## Mobile Application Availability A good note-taking application should work well on mobile devices too. After all, we don't always have a laptop with us. ### Obsidian Obsidian offers official mobile applications for both Android and iOS. In my experience, the app works very well, and Obsidian Sync integrates seamlessly across devices. Since I'm the only person using my vault, I haven't tested its collaboration features, so I won't comment on them. ### Logseq Logseq's mobile experience is currently less polished. There isn't an official Android app for the legacy Markdown version on the Play Store. Android users can still install it by downloading the APK from the official GitHub repository. iPhone users, however, have an official release available on the App Store. The new database version is currently being developed with iOS as the primary focus, and an Android release is not expected anytime soon. ### Where Obsidian Feels Ahead on Mobile Regarding Obsidian, one thing I did notice is that the interface can feel a little crowded on smaller screens. The ribbon menus, sidebars, and other interface elements take up a fair amount of space. If you prefer larger fonts while reading or writing notes, the interface can feel even more compact. I rarely use Logseq on my phone, so I don't think I can fairly judge its mobile experience. It will be unfair if I tried it for the sake of this article, so I leave it to those who use it frequently to judge it, and I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. ## Git Integration Possibilities Git is not only an excellent version control system but also a reliable synchronization solution for users who prefer not to use paid cloud services. ### Obsidian Since an Obsidian vault is simply a folder containing Markdown files, it works naturally with Git. You can [store your vault in a private GitHub or GitLab repository](https://itsfoss.com/git-with-obsidian/) and manage its history using standard Git workflows. In this setup, version history depends entirely on Git rather than the application itself. Git in Obsidian ### Logseq Logseq also works well with Git when using the Markdown version. Its upcoming database architecture introduces another interesting feature. Instead of relying entirely on Git history, the database is designed as a "time-travel database." Every change is stored as a timestamped transaction, allowing you to inspect previous states of your knowledge base directly from within the application. 0:00 /0:22 1× Git in Logseq ### How I Use Git With Both Apps Both applications provide community plugins that simplify Git operations through a graphical interface. Between the two, I found Obsidian's Git plugin more polished and easier to understand. It exposes almost every Git operation you might need through a straightforward interface. Ironically, I rarely use either plugin. I manage my repositories using Lazygit, so I generally prefer handling Git from the terminal. ## Open Source vs Proprietary The licensing model of an application doesn't necessarily affect how well it works, but it is still an important consideration for many users. ### Obsidian Obsidian is proprietary software. The application itself is closed source, meaning only the developers have access to its source code. It is free for personal use, while commercial use requires a paid license. One important point is that many community plugins available for Obsidian are open source, even though the application itself is not. ### Logseq Logseq is fully open source under the AGPL-3.0 license. Its source code is publicly available, and anyone can inspect, modify, or fork the project. All local features are available without requiring any payment. ### Why I Still Use Obsidian Despite It Being Closed Source Almost every application I use daily is open source. Obsidian is one of the few exceptions. There are several reasons for that. I've been using it for a long time, migrating my notes without breaking links would take considerable effort, and I simply don't have enough time to rebuild my entire knowledge base. Another reason, is the writing experience. For long-form writing, Obsidian is still one of the fastest and most comfortable editors I've used. My long-term goal is to move toward a completely plain-text, wiki-style note system, but that is still some distance away. ## Default Entry Point and Daily Workflow One of the first things you'll notice when trying a new PKM application is how it expects you to work. ### Obsidian Obsidian starts with a blank note or an existing document. From there, you're free to organize your vault however you like. You can create folders, move notes between them, and rearrange your structure whenever needed. Because Obsidian automatically updates internal links, reorganizing notes is generally painless. ### Logseq Logseq is different. Every time you open the application, you're greeted by today's journal. The idea is simple. Open the application, start writing, and organize everything later using links, pages, and tags. ### Why Logseq’s Journal-First Workflow Needs Planning This journal-first workflow is one of Logseq's biggest strengths, but it also comes with a learning curve. Personally, I recommend spending some time understanding how Logseq works before filling it with notes. Learning while building your knowledge base can easily lead to unnecessary pages, duplicate tags, and organizational problems that become frustrating to fix later. At least, that's exactly what happened to me. ## Theming Support A note-taking application should also be pleasant to use. If you enjoy the interface, you're more likely to keep coming back to read and write. ### Obsidian This is one area where Obsidian stands out. Thanks to its large community, there are hundreds of themes available, along with plugins that let you customize almost every part of the interface. I personally use the **Border** theme most of the time. Combined with the **Style Settings** plugin, it lets me customize Obsidian exactly the way I want. Occasionally, I switch to **Retroma**, which has a unique appearance that I really enjoy. Retroma Theme in Obsidian ### Logseq Logseq isn't far behind, but its theme ecosystem is much smaller. There are still several good community themes available, although they don't offer the same level of customization as Obsidian. I usually switch between the **Immersion Dark** and **Bonofix Dark** themes. If you're comfortable editing CSS, you can customize Logseq even further. However, I wouldn't recommend that approach to beginners who simply want to install the application and start taking notes. ## Importing Notes Between Obsidian and Logseq Both Obsidian and Logseq let you work with Markdown files, but moving an existing knowledge base from one application to the other is not as straightforward as it sounds. The biggest reason is the difference in how each application structures notes. According to the documentation, you can import a folder of Markdown files into Logseq. In practice, however, the results may not always be ideal. Because Logseq is built around an outline-based structure, imported Markdown files don't automatically adopt its bullet hierarchy. This becomes even more noticeable if you're using the Table of Contents plugin, where the structure may not appear as expected. If you're particular about keeping your notes properly organized with consistent bullets and indentation, you'll likely have to spend time manually restructuring many of the imported notes. Obsidian handles Logseq notes a little better. You can simply copy the Markdown files from Logseq's `pages` folder into an Obsidian vault, and the bullet structure is generally preserved. However, headings and overall formatting may still need some cleanup. If you've built a large knowledge base in either application, migrating it perfectly to the other is difficult. The underlying architecture of the two applications is simply too different to make the process completely seamless. ## Who Are Obsidian and Logseq For? Although both applications solve similar problems, I think they are designed for different kinds of users. ### Choose Obsidian If You write long-form notes, prefer traditional files and folders, and enjoy customizing your workspace through plugins. It works particularly well if you're willing to invest time in organizing your knowledge base and maintaining a structured note system. ### Choose Logseq If You naturally think in outlines and bullet points. Its journal-first workflow, block-based organization, built-in flashcards, and PDF annotation tools make it an excellent choice for quickly capturing ideas before organizing them later. It is also a strong option for users who prefer fully open-source software. ### How I Use Them Both For a long time, I've used both applications side by side. I wouldn't generally recommend this approach unless you're comfortable managing two separate knowledge bases every day. In my workflow, Obsidian is where I keep long-form notes, article drafts, and web clippings. Logseq is where I quickly capture ideas, maintain journals, and collect thoughts before they grow into larger pieces of writing. This workflow still works well for me because my overall note collection is manageable. As my knowledge base continues to grow, however, I expect to simplify everything into a system that's easier to maintain over the long term. ## Wrapping Up 📋 I'll revisit this comparison article when Logseq's upcoming database feature is available and well tested by me. This article was never meant to declare one application objectively better than the other. Obsidian and Logseq reflect two different ways of thinking about notes. Obsidian works better for me when I need a polished writing environment. Logseq works better when I want to collect, nest, and connect ideas quickly. At the end of the day, the best note-taking app is the one that fits the way you actually work. Which one do you use: Obsidian, Logseq, [Joplin](https://itsfoss.com/joplin-tips/), [Zim Wiki](https://itsfoss.com/zim-wiki/), or something else? Share your workflow in the comments. ### Sipeed's New KVM Wants AI Agents to See and Control Your Screen URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/sipeeds-nanokvm-go-crowdfunding/ Last updated: 2026-07-05T06:43:00.000Z Sipeed has been making tiny RISC-V and ARM boards for the maker crowd for years, and its [NanoKVM](https://wiki.sipeed.com/hardware/en/kvm/NanoKVM/introduction.html?ref=itsfoss.com) line is already a familiar name if you have ever wanted BIOS-level remote access without paying enterprise [IPMI](https://www.zenlayer.com/blog/what-is-ipmi/?ref=itsfoss.com) prices. Sipeed has announced a new entry in the NanoKVM line. It is called NanoKVM-Go, it is miniature and skips the usual pile of HDMI, USB, Ethernet, and power cables entirely. It comes with just USB-C cable to the target device and WiFi 6 for the connectivity. That's it. The [NanoKVM-Go is on Kickstarter](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zepan/nanokvm-go-worlds-first-ai-native-4k-usb-c-kvm?ref=itsfoss.com) and has already achived its funding goal by raising over a $130,000 against its target of approximately $6,000. This tiny KVM also generated quite a buzz on Twitter, perhaps because it used the term "AI-native" in its campaign. Yes, Sipeed is calling it the world's first "AI-native" KVM, built so that an AI agent can watch your screen and act on it at the hardware level. Interesting, right? ## NanoKVM-Go Specifications ![NanoKVM-GO](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/sipeed-nanokvm-go.webp) Here are the main hardware specifications for NanoKVM-GO: - Single USB-C cable for video, audio, keyboard/mouse, power pass-through, and virtual disk - 4K capture at 45Hz, 2K at 90Hz, latency as low as 60ms at 1080p - Dual-band WiFi 6, up to 286Mbps, built-in Tailscale for remote access. - KVM functions exposed as an MCP server for AI agents (for [OpenClaw like AI agents](https://itsfoss.com/openclaw-alternatives/)) - Go+ variant (comes with a built-in 3.2TOPS AI processor and PicoClaw) adds a local "Ambient Screen Intelligence" with 180-day searchable screen history **The device is priced to be $89 for Go and $129 for Go+. But if you back them in the crowdfunding campaign, you can get them for $69 and $99 respectively.** The main USB-C port on NanoKVM-Go carries video and audio (over DisplayPort Alt Mode), keyboard and mouse emulation, disk emulation for mounting OS images, and even a virtual network interface, all through that single cable. A separate auxiliary USB-C port handles power pass-through so your laptop or phone keeps charging during a long session. It also powers an optional FingerBot accessory that can physically press a stuck computer's power button for a hard reboot. Yes, you read that right. On the capture side, it does 4K at 45Hz or 2K at 90Hz, with latency Sipeed lists at 60ms for 1080p60, 80ms for 2K60, and 100ms for 4K30\. That is over dual-band WiFi 6, rated up to 286Mbps, with [Tailscale](https://tailscale.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) built in so you can reach the device remotely without setting up port forwarding. ![NanoKVM Go connectivity](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/nanokvm-go-connectivity.webp) Since it works with anything that supports USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode, that covers MacBooks, Mac minis, any laptop with USB C port, iPhone 15 and later, several Android phones, and even the Steam Deck. ![NanoKVM-GO](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/nano-kvm-go.webp) NanoKVM-GO board images shared by Sipeed on X Under the hood is an unnamed SoC that is probably the same Axera Tech AX630C used in the existing NanoKVM Pro. It is paired with a dual-core Cortex-A53 and a 3.2 TOPS NPU. The base NanoKVM-Go gets 256MB of RAM and 16GB of eMMC storage, and the whole thing draws around 1.6W at 4K30. ## NanoKVM-Go+ The NanoKVM-Go+ doubles the memory to 512MB and jumps to 64GB of eMMC, all in service of a feature Sipeed calls "Ambient Screen Intelligence,"which is basically its own version of the infamous Microsoft's Recall. It continuously captures your screen, stores up to 180 days of history locally, and lets you search through it later with plain text, all processed on-device without cloud uploads or a subscription. Whether you actually want a machine remembering everything on your screen for six months is up too you, but at least Sipeed is keeping it local instead of 'calling it home' like Microslop. ## What could you use it for? Well... remotely accessing and controlling your device is the most straight forward use. Typically, you would need to install a remote desktop or remote access solution on the host system that you want to control. But with this gadget attached to the machine, it becomes a 'plug and play'. You can assist your elderly parents and friends (if they have devices with USB-C) or control your homelab devices from outside the home network. Let's talk about the "native AI" feature. See, every KVM function, keyboard input, mouse control, screen capture, is exposed as an MCP server that you can turn on yourself. That effectively turns the device into a hardware-level Computer Use Agent peripheral. ![NanoKVM Go AI agent use](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/nano-kvm-go-agent-ready.webp) Instead of an AI agent needing screen-sharing software running on the target machine, it can drive the actual hardware through the KVM, which also means it works even if the target OS is frozen or sitting at a BIOS screen. You can use Sipeed's own PicoClaw agent or go with OpenClaw, Claude Code, Codex, and Hermes Agent among other compatible options. Sipeed is leaning on this to court the current wave of agentic AI tools, name-checking its own lightweight [PicoClaw](https://picoclaw.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) agent alongside OpenClaw, Claude Code, Codex, and Hermes Agent as compatible options. The screen capture recall feature of Go+ is also helpful. If you are running AI agents, you can let them run with your laptop lid closed (that's the running joke in the industry). The announcement video could give you more ideas: ## 🛒 Pricing and Availability NanoKVM-Go is live on Kickstarter now, and it's already comfortably funded past its original $50,000 HKD (about $6,374) goal. [Back NanoKVM-Go on Kickstarter](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zepan/nanokvm-go-worlds-first-ai-native-4k-usb-c-kvm/description?ref=itsfoss.com) The Early Bird tier for the base NanoKVM-Go is going for $69 (instead of $89), and the Super Early Bird for NanoKVM-Go+ is $99 (instead of $129)**.** Shipping adds roughly $20 for international backers, and rewards are expected to go out in August 2026. ![NanoKVMGO packaging](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/HLZvZ1WaQAA8BTT.jpeg) 🚧 As with any crowdfunding campaign, treat the ship date as an estimate rather than a promise. Back it to support the project, not because you're counting on August delivery. If you want to use this device in your AI workflow, go for the Go+ version. **Suggested Read*: If KVMs are your thing, we also covered the* [*LeafKVM*](https://itsfoss.com/news/leafkvm-crowdfunding/)*, an open source Rust and Buildroot based KVM-over-IP device that takes a very different, fully open approach.* ### HW Lab's DockFrame Heads to Crowd Supply With Swappable Tool Cards URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/dockframe/ Last updated: 2026-07-05T04:21:19.000Z Crowdfunding is one of the best ways to turn an idea into an actual product. A creator pitches something, sets a funding goal, and backers decide whether it is worth building. While most campaigns stay small, a few do break out completely. The [original Pebble smartwatch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pebble%5F%28watch%29?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=Original%20production%20%282013%E2%80%932016%29) asked for $100,000 in 2012, walked away with over $10 million, going on to ship more than two million watches. It [has since returned](https://itsfoss.com/news/pebble-returns-as-open-source/) as an open source-focused outfit. [HW Media Lab](https://hwlab.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) already knows that path. Its first product, [WebScreen](https://itsfoss.com/news/webscreen/), a hackable secondary display for gamers and creators, asked Crowd Supply for $5,250 and came back with $10,718, **more than double its goal**. Now they are back again with a new creation that focuses on modular, repairable USB-C docking. ## Just a generic USB-C hub? ![laying on a white table is a framework laptop, over which two expansion cards and a purple-colored dockframe usb-c hub are placed](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/dockframe-front-view.jpg) Not quite; the [DockFrame](https://dockframe.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a modular USB-C hub built around [Framework](https://frame.work/?ref=itsfoss.com)'s open source [Expansion Card](https://github.com/frameworkcomputer/ExpansionCards?ref=itsfoss.com) slot standard. Instead of a fixed set of ports, it gives you four open slots that accept the same cards Framework sells for its laptops and desktops. The hub itself operates on **USB 3.2**, with USB-C DisplayPort and Power Delivery passthrough up to 100 W on the downstream ports. The case is injection-molded and translucent, supports Framework's [Desktop Tiles](https://frame.work/products/desktop-tile-pack?ref=itsfoss.com), and has **a LEGO-compatible stud grid on the bottom** so multiple units can be stacked once four slots stop being enough. Slot in any of the Framework [Expansion Cards](https://frame.work/marketplace/expansion-cards?ref=itsfoss.com), and DockFrame will treat them like they belong there. This means any spare USB-A, HDMI, Ethernet, or storage cards left over from a laptop upgrade do not have to sit in a drawer; they can go straight into the hub instead. **HW Media Lab builds its own Tool Cards too**: - The ***Multimeter Card*** can read DC/AC voltage, current, and continuity. - The ***Mini Hub Card*** adds four USB 3.0 ports, each capable of 5 Gbps transfer speeds. - The ***Power Supply Card*** is a programmable buck-boost supply with USB PD input up to 100 W. - The ***BreadBoard Card*** carries a Seeed Studio XIAO board and standard 0.1 inch headers for prototyping work. ![an early view of the dockframe pcb inside an orange case with lego studs on both sides](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/dockframe-card-slots.png) If none of the four fit what you need, **you can design your own card** using the same open slot standard or build a custom host app that talks to the onboard MCUs over *USB serial*, *Wi-Fi*, *Bluetooth*, or *ESP-NOW*. **Repairability is also a focus here**, as the DockFrame is held together with screws instead of glue. Makers, embedded engineers, educators, and anyone tired of keeping a dock, a multimeter, and a bench supply as three separate boxes are the target audience here. ## While you wait… The DockFrame **is yet to receive an official release date or a price tag**. While you wait, you can keep an eye out on the [Crowd Supply](https://www.crowdsupply.com/hw-media-lab/dockframe?ref=itsfoss.com) page for it, and if you want to share feedback, the [official product page](https://hwlab.io/dockframe?ref=itsfoss.com) has a form you can fill out. [DockFrame (Crowd Supply)](https://www.crowdsupply.com/hw-media-lab/dockframe?ref=itsfoss.com) All the hardware-related files, like schematics, layouts, firmware, and the FreeCAD case files, should be available on [GitHub](https://github.com/HW-Lab-Hardware-Design-Agency?ref=itsfoss.com) once the crowdfunding campaign ends. You can track development by joining HW Lab's [Discord](https://discord.com/invite/vKT5b3skjF?ref=itsfoss.com) server. ### Brave Says This is Not a Privacy Feature, But Using Containers Has Its Perks URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/brave-browser-containers/ Last updated: 2026-07-04T10:10:55.000Z Brave has rolled out [Containers](https://brave.com/blog/containers/?ref=itsfoss.com) with the **Brave Browser 1.92** release, giving its Chromium-based browser something Firefox users have had [for years now](https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-use-firefox-containers?ref=itsfoss.com). And no, it is not some pre-installed extension doing the work; this functionality is built right into the browser for Linux, Windows, and macOS. In this implementation, **each container keeps its own cookies and site data storage separate from the rest**, even if you visit the same website across containers. By default, this feature ships with four categories: *Personal*, *Work*, *Social*, and *School*. Each one of them can be edited or deleted to suit your workflow. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/brave-browser-containers-setup-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/brave-browser-containers-setup-2.png) **The default Container categories are useful, I must say.* You can make new ones too! I made one to test how containers worked, named it "*It's FOSS*," and picked a color and icon for it from the available options. The idea itself isn't new. Brave points back to [a Mozilla concept doc](https://wiki.mozilla.org/index.php?title=Security/Contextual%5FIdentity%5FProject/Containers&oldid=1048703&ref=itsfoss.com) from 2015 that laid out the original pitch for container tabs in Firefox, complete with cookie isolation, per-container icons, and even auto-naming. ![two brave browser windows are shown here side-by-side, one is x.com, the other is fizzy.do, both of these tabs are part of the same container called "it's foss"](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/brave-browser-containers-demo.png) **I didn't really login to either service when I took this, but you get the idea, right?* Mozilla eventually built a version of this right into the browser, with a [Multi-Account Containers](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/multi-account-containers/?ref=itsfoss.com) extension being made available for people who are unable to access Containers on their installation or want site auto-assignment and cross-device syncing. ## There's more Alongside named containers, **Brave Browser also lets you spin up a temporary one** straight from the right-click menu, for whenever you want quick isolation without setting up and naming a permanent container. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/brave-browser-temporary-containers-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/brave-browser-temporary-containers-2.png) I tried it out myself, and instead of asking me to name anything, Brave auto-generated a random two-word name along with its own icon and color; mine came out as "*Enter victory*." It still worked like any other container while it was open; I just did not have to set it up first. Another thing to watch out for is that **Brave is rolling out *Containers* gradually**, so not everyone will see it on their installation just yet, and the feature is **also being offered on Brave Origin**, which, if you remember, [is free for Linux users](https://itsfoss.com/news/brave-origin-linux/). ## Get access now! If you have already updated to Brave Browser 1.92 and still don't see a *Containers* option in your settings menu, then **you could force-enable it** by following these steps. First, visit this address in your browser: `brave://flags`. Here, type `containers` into the search bar and click on the dropdown menu. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/brave-browser-containers-flag-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/brave-browser-enabling-containers-1.png) Now, click on `Enabled` to activate this feature on your installation and relaunch the browser. Next, visit the *Settings* page, and under the "*Content*" page, look for the *Containers* category and enable it. This is how I got it running on my Fedora Workstation setup, so you should also be able to do the same on other platforms and even on [Brave Origin](https://brave.com/origin/?ref=itsfoss.com). ### Collabora Office 26.04 Keeps AI Optional and Refines Writer and Calc URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/collabora-office-26-04/ Last updated: 2026-07-02T16:41:00.000Z Collabora Productivity got into the desktop editor market last year when they launched [Collabora Office](https://www.collaboraonline.com/blog/press-release-bringing-collabora-online-to-the-desktop/?ref=itsfoss.com), an office suite built on the same rendering mechanism as Collabora Online, but focused on offline use. They came up with this so people could get the same editing experience online or offline without needing to re-learn their way around the interface. It is still LibreOffice code under the hood, but instead of the traditional VCL interface, it uses a JavaScript, CSS, WebGL, and Canvas stack. That shared codebase means updates move fast between Collabora's products, which is why [the first major update](https://www.collaboraonline.com/blog/collabora-office-26-04-release/?ref=itsfoss.com) for Collabora Office already pulls in features from [CODE 26.04](https://itsfoss.com/news/collabora-code-26-04/). ## A refined document suite ![a purple/white-themed banner that shows details on the collabora office 26.04 release](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/collabora-office-26-04-illustration.png) **Illustration sourced from Collabora Productivity.* Open any one of the three editors without a document loaded, and you will land on the new start screen. It will show your recent documents with file type icons, a template gallery, and provide quick access features like AI and document signing once a file's open. Of course **the bigger addition here is AI**. I know you are tired of seeing every other open source office suite dipping themselves in [Clanker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clanker?ref=itsfoss.com) paint, but fret not, as Collabora has kept **AI off by default**. Switching it on means picking your own model provider, self-hosting a model, or choosing a vendor you already trust, and plugging in your own credentials. Collabora stays out of the loop entirely and the assistant gets no access to your documents unless you hand it over yourself. When enabled, it drafts and rewrites text in *Writer*, sorts out broken formulas in *Calc* before you go hunting for the error yourself, and turns rough notes into an actual slide deck in *Impress*. It can also generate images and summarize documents when you don't have time to go through them manually. **For the rest of the release**, Office 26.04 ships what the CODE 26.04 release came with. So for **Writer**, you get a reworked document comparison tool that color-codes insertions/deletions and any moved content while flagging who made each change and when. All of that is viewable side by side or through the tracked changes panel. There's also a new multi-page view, richer style previews, Navigator search, and Markdown import/export. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/collabora-office-26-04-writer-ai.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/collabora-office-26-04-calc-table-styles.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/collabora-office-26-04-impress-ai.png) **Writer, Calc, and Impress.* **Calc** picked up just as much. Per-user sheet views let each person set their own filters and layout without touching anyone else's, and a new table design tab brings proper table styles along with calculated pivot fields. Formula errors now show up in a floating helper dialog right on the cell, so you can inspect and fix the problem without scrolling through the sheet. A batch of new functions has also landed, including `TEXTSPLIT`, `HSTACK`, and `WRAPROWS`. Over in **Impress**, follow-me presenting lets viewers scroll back through earlier slides on their own without ever jumping ahead of whoever's presenting. Similarly, slides can be grouped into sections, a single deck can mix multiple slide sizes, and multi-monitor support is better than before. You also get better font embedding for presentations that render consistently wherever they're opened. ## Get started [Collabora Office](https://www.collaboraonline.com/collabora-office/?ref=itsfoss.com) is available for a wide range of platforms, including **Linux** (*as a* [*Flatpak*](https://flathub.org/en/apps/com.collaboraoffice.Office?ref=itsfoss.com) *and* [*Snap*](https://snapcraft.io/collabora-office?ref=itsfoss.com)), **Windows** (*via the* [*Microsoft Store*](https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9p9mrbxjjg0m?ref=itsfoss.com)), and **macOS** (*via the* [*App Store*](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/collabora-office-desktop/id6754639856?ref=itsfoss.com)). For tracking development and access to the source code, you can visit Collabora's [Gerrit](https://gerrit.collaboraoffice.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) instance. [Collabora Office](https://www.collaboraonline.com/collabora-office/?ref=itsfoss.com) **If you were looking out for enterprise support**, Collabora says that they are working on it and that this release acts as a preview of what's to come. I asked [Michael Meeks](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-meeks-8a6b2151/?ref=itsfoss.com), the CEO of Collabora Productivity, what enterprise users, **particularly those looking to deploy Collabora Office on Linux**, can expect. He said that: > Enterprises can start evaluating this today, support will arrive in a few weeks. They can look forward to smoother workflows, less training with a more attractive and ergonomic UX shared with Collabora Online, built-in AI support and more. We look forward to enterprise user feedback. ### FOSS Weekly #26.27: Dev Mode in KDE Linux, Local AI, De-Google Android, Free Terminal Starter Course, KDE Step and More URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-27/ Last updated: 2026-07-02T13:28:53.000Z I recently had a very interesting conversation with a reader who suggested that I should not ignore AI. Because this is the next new normal and we have to adapt. I agree but in the context of local AI. Local AI is the popular term used for the open source models that live on your system, stay offline and don't send data anywhere. Sure, it's not for everyone and not every one would be interested in AI, irrespective of whether it is open source or not. And that's why I am creating a separate newsletter called "Local AI Weekly" for people who are interested in learning and using the local (open source) AI. If you are interested, you can [subscribe to this upcoming newsletter](https://itsfoss.com/local-ai-weekly/). [Subscribe to Local AI Weekly (If you want to)](https://itsfoss.com/local-ai-weekly/) FOSS Weekly will have the usual Linux and open source material that you love. No changes on that end. If you don't like AI, nothing changes for you. ## 📰 Linux and open source news that matter David Plummer, the ex-Microsoft engineer who built the original Windows Task Manager, has had enough of what Notepad has become, his response is [TinyRetroPad](https://itsfoss.com/news/tinyretropad-notepad-clone/), a fully functional Notepad clone built in x86 assembly that comes in around 2.5KB. Proton's [Lumo 2.0](https://itsfoss.com/news/proton-lumo-2/) fills the gaps that made the original feel half-baked. Memory is in; web search now actually searches, returning cited results instead of falling back on training data; and image generation is finally possible. If you're not a developer or bug hunter, [Ubuntu 26.10 Snapshot 2](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/06/ubuntu-26-10-snapshot-2-released?ref=itsfoss.com) isn't really worth your time yet; the user-facing stuff (GNOME 51, voice typing) is still months out. But Canonical has done some backend work that should simplify image delivery. The [Wine 11.12 release](https://www.winehq.org/news/2026062901?ref=itsfoss.com) is mostly housekeeping, with fixes for two gamepad bugs worth knowing about. *Need for Speed: Most Wanted* had a stuck `Up` input firing on its own, and *Super Hexagon* went deaf to keyboard and mouse once a controller was plugged in. The Linux Foundation has launched [Akrites](https://www.linuxfoundation.org/press/linux-foundation-and-industry-leaders-launch-akrites-to-defend-critical-open-source-software-against-ai-enabled-cyber-threats?ref=itsfoss.com), a body for open source vulnerability handling, with roughly 20 founding members, including Anthropic, AWS, Google, Microsoft, GitHub, Red Hat, and NVIDIA. Additionally, they have also announced their intent to launch the [Agent Name Service](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-foundation-agent-name-service-announcement/), an open DNS-based standard for verifying AI agent identities. Here, every agent gets a versioned name and certificate tied to standard domain verification, with every registration and change logged in a tamper-evident, publicly auditable record. Nate Graham of KDE [has announced](https://pointieststick.com/2026/07/01/this-month-in-kde-linux-june-2026/?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=Rudimentary%20%E2%80%9CDeveloper%20Mode%E2%80%9D) a fairly basic [Developer Mode](https://invent.kde.org/kde-linux/kde-linux/-/work%5Fitems/33?ref=itsfoss.com) for KDE Linux that is supposed to let developers jump into a session tailored for Plasma or distro-related work. [ONLYOFFICE](https://www.onlyoffice.com/desktop?ref=itsfoss.com) is now 16 years old. I did not know that it was inexostence for so many years. ONLYOFFICE gained popularity in the last few years as an open source office suite that has good compatibility with MS Office documentation format. That solves a major pain point for people who rely heavily on docx and xlsx and other such document formats. [Learn more ](https://www.onlyoffice.com/desktop?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About We had an interesting chat with [iodé](https://iode.tech/?ref=itsfoss.com)'s Brian Russell on [what running a de-Googled Android distro project actually looks like](https://itsfoss.com/brian-iode/) in practice. [Banking Apps, No Google, and a Locked Bootloader: How iodé Makes Privacy Android Work for EveryoneIn discussion with Brian from Iodé project and how Iodé is addressing issues de-Googled smartphone users face.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-eb70cb6c-27d6-4156-8203-5ba257630e35.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/iode-eb475374-954f-42de-8de2-b65cede6de41.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/brian-iode/) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings If someone you know just switched to Linux and is intimidated by the terminal, [we have a course](https://itsfoss.com/linux-terminal-basics/) to point them to. These are ten short chapters, all hands-on, that will walk them through core file operations. KDE's System Monitor is a lot more flexible than its default layout suggests. Join us as [we guide you](https://itsfoss.com/kde-system-monitor-tweaks/) through building your own page from scratch, picking chart styles, and organizing everything neatly with rows, columns, and sections. Here are [ten fonts worth knowing about](https://itsfoss.com/fonts-linux-terminal/) if your terminal is still running whatever shipped with your distro. 1 backup is no back up. 2 backups are 1 backup and untested backups are not backups. Those are the golden rules for backups and I have a list of [different kinds of backup tools you can explore on Linux](https://itsfoss.com/linux-backup-tools/). ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner Purism's Linux-powered [Librem 16](https://itsfoss.com/news/purism-librem-16/) laptop starts at $2,899 for the base configuration and tops out at an absurd $11,944 if you max out every build-your-own option. [You Can Spend Up to $11,944 on Purism’s Librem 16 Linux LaptopThe laptop starts at $2,899 and scales up to an eye-watering $11,944 for a custom config.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-a2b386b0-ffb8-420f-b40f-898a80cc45f8.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/purism-librem-16-banner-2d7e9e88-b93c-4510-880e-a28e17a2e491.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/purism-librem-16/) Why should you opt for It's FOSS Plus membership: ✅ Ad-free reading experience ✅ Badges in the comment section and forum ✅ Supporting creation of educational Linux materials ✅ Free Linux eBook [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights [KDE Step](https://itsfoss.com/kde-step/) is a physics simulation tool that turns abstract concepts like harmonic motion, orbital mechanics, and electrostatic equilibrium into something you can actually watch play out. [Every Physics Teacher (And Student) Should Try This Open Source SoftwareThe free software I used for years as Physics student. I strongly believe teachers can use it to simulate concepts of physics in their classrooms.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-c74fc1d3-c432-4977-8dec-8c2f846da244.png)It's FOSSPulkit Chandak![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/kde-step-1--37c4fe1f-c573-466d-a66b-28f8e9c3871c.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/kde-step/) ## 📽️ Videos for You Keeping the batteries on modern laptops in optimum condition over time [requires a little more attention](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDHEKpmSLO0&ref=itsfoss.com) than usual. [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip In KDE Plasma, go to `Settings -> Default Applications -> File Associations`. Here, search for a file type of your choice; as an example, I chose an `.svg` image below. Now, arrange the applications in order of your choosing. Like Gwenview, Inkscape, and GIMP, then apply the changes. ![kde plasma file format launch order quick tip](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/file-association-settings.png) Now, in Dolphin file manager, you can *double-left-click* (*first app in the list*) to open the image in Gwenview, *middle-click* (*second app in the list*) to open in Inkscape, and *Shift+middle-click* (*third app in the list*) to open in GIMP. You can do this for other file formats as well. ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse Some choices [in this puzzle](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/odd-one-out/) don't belong with the rest. Can you get them all? [Pick the Odd One OutThe cat among the pigeons. Can you identify it?![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-3d48a0d0-efe7-4718-b84c-a926b4103e1b.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/puzzle-odd-one-out-baa06272-f0c6-4f6f-b27c-94b7ecaa4e5d.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/odd-one-out/) The terminal can bite you if you go to it ill-prepared. 🙃 ![beginner user terminal nightmare meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/meme0128.png) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: IBM just announced [the world's first sub-1nm chip](https://research.ibm.com/blog/sub-1nm-node-chips?ref=itsfoss.com). The transistors are only **0.7nm** wide, called *7 angstroms*, and the new "***nanostack***" design packs about 100 billion of them into a chip the size of a fingernail. IBM says that this is 70% more efficient than their previous 2nm chips. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: Pro FOSSer Mikael is wondering what everyone thinks of AUR. Seeing [the recent fiasco](https://itsfoss.com/news/arch-linux-aur-malware-flood/) surrounding it, this is a well-timed thread. Lastly a question for those who read the entire newsletter properly. Would you be interested in a text-only version of FOSS Weekly? ### Sick of AI Slop, Former Microsoft Engineer Built a New, AI-less Notepad URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/tinyretropad-notepad-clone/ Last updated: 2026-07-02T11:31:59.000Z Microsoft has spent the last few years stuffing Notepad with AI tools, Markdown support, and cloud-tied credits, [chipping away](https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9msmlrh6lzf3?ref=itsfoss.com) at the simple, local text editor it used to be. Basic editing still works without signing in, but the AI features don't. You need a Microsoft account just to check your remaining monthly AI credits. *That's a lot for an app whose only job used to be opening text files.* 🤷 [David Plummer](https://github.com/davepl?ref=itsfoss.com) (*Dave*), the ex-Microsoft engineer behind the original Windows [Task Manager](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Task%5FManager%5F%28Windows%29?ref=itsfoss.com), just proved none of it was necessary. He has built [TinyRetroPad](https://github.com/PlummersSoftwareLLC/TinyRetroPad?ref=itsfoss.com), a fully working Notepad clone that fits in roughly **2.5KB**. ## No slop included ![tinyretropad, the notepad clone is shown here with some text added and the right-click context menu visible](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/07/tinyretropad-select-all-button.png) **Source:* [**David Plummer*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OG91c7xsNMc&ref=itsfoss.com) Instead of writing a text editor from scratch, Dave just borrowed the one already sitting inside the operating system. This note-taking app works by wrapping `RICHEDIT50W`, a text-editing component that's been built into Windows for years. It's built with [MASM](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft%5FMacro%5FAssembler?ref=itsfoss.com), an x86 assembler, then squeezed down further with [Crinkler](https://github.com/runestubbe/Crinkler?ref=itsfoss.com), a compressor made for tiny Windows executables. The generated output still carries a full Notepad-style menu bar, covering the familiar options like *File*, *Edit*, *Format*, *View*, and *Help*. You also get useful tools like *Find and Replace*, *Go To*, a font picker, word wrap, a status bar, and **working print support**. Also, at the risk of stating the obvious, there's no telemetry plumbing in here that's calling back home. ## Tracing its origin TinyRetroPad did not appear out of thin air; Dave built it on top of *Dave's Tiny Editor* (DTE), a tiny editor made by another developer that uses the same barebones approach. DTE, in turn, grew out of [tiny.asm](https://github.com/PlummersSoftwareLLC/HelloAssembly?ref=itsfoss.com) (*also known as HelloAssembly*), a project Dave wrote years earlier himself, extending someone else's take on his own idea. The whole codebase, however small it might be, lives on [GitHub](https://github.com/PlummersSoftwareLLC/TinyRetroPad?ref=itsfoss.com) under the **Apache 2.0 License**. Anyone can grab the code, poke at it, or shrink it down even further if they're feeling competitive. ## Old news for Linux users None of this is news if you use Linux. **GNOME Text Editor** ships as the default on GNOME, and **Kate** does the same on KDE. Neither needs an AI assistant or a cloud account to open a config file. **Geany** and **Sublime Text** (*not FOSS*) have been staples of the Linux editing ecosystem for years, and Notepad Next exists specifically for people who wanted [a Notepad++ alternative](https://itsfoss.com/notepad-alternatives-for-linux/) without going through Wine or an unofficial Snap package. What Dave has done here is hand the Windows crowd a reminder Linux users have been living with for a long time. A text editor's only job is to edit text, and every feature bolted on afterward is mostly ***bloat***. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*You Can Spend Up to $11,944 on Purism's Librem 16*](https://itsfoss.com/news/purism-librem-16/) [You Can Spend Up to $11,944 on Purism’s Librem 16 Linux LaptopThe laptop starts at $2,899 and scales up to an eye-watering $11,944 for a custom config.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-6c7e673d-192f-4438-bfff-9b736328b8aa.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/purism-librem-16-banner-4e47e3b0-32b7-4621-8c17-6b6d7b09ef78.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/purism-librem-16/) ### 6 Backup Tools for Linux Users of All Kind URL: https://itsfoss.com/linux-backup-tools/ Last updated: 2026-07-01T10:48:38.000Z There's no shortage of free backup tools on Linux. The problem is choosing which one to use. The choice of backup tool depends on what you're actually doing. Someone backing up a home folder on a GNOME desktop has nothing in common (backup tool wise) with someone running five servers and a NAS. In other words, different types of Linux users would have different need of a backup software. Let me share you a variety of backup tools you can use in a variety of situations in Linux. ## Back up tools for Linux users At a glance, for our busy readers: | Tool | Best For | Backup Type | Cloud Support | Free Tier Limits | | ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------- | | Déjà Dup | Linux desktop users (GNOME) | File-level (Restic backend) | Yes – Google Drive (via GUI) | None – fully free and open source | | MSP360 Free Backup | Cross-platform users wanting cloud backup | File-level (Linux) | Yes – BYOS (S3, B2, Wasabi) | Personal use only, 5TB cap, no image backup on Linux | | Kopia | Porfessionals and commercial use, off-site backup | File-level (snapshot-based) | Yes – BYOS (S3, B2, Azure, SFTP) | None – fully free and open source | | BorgBackup | Linux servers, homelabs, terminal-native users | File-level (snapshot-based, dedup) | Local/SSH only – cloud needs extra tooling | None – fully free and open source | | Restic | Developers, scripting, automation | File-level (snapshot-based) | Yes – BYOS (S3, B2, SFTP, and more) | None – fully free and open source | | UrBackup | Multiple machines, small office fleets | File + image (mainly Windows clients) | No – local/network storage only | None – fully free, but requires server setup | **Desktop Linux users** running GNOME will get the smoothest experience from Déjà Dup. It's already in most GNOME-based distros and asks almost nothing of you. Connect it to Google or One drive or some network server for offsite backups. **Individual professionals and small teams** need commercial-use licensing as much as features. Kopia is the strongest fit here. Open source, no restriction on business use. MSP360 Free covers the cloud-backup workflow well but is licensed for personal use only, so it's a better match for a side project than client data. **Sysadmins and homelabbers** managing more than one servers should look at BorgBackup, Restic, or UrBackup. The choice really comes down to whether you want a CLI tool on each machine or one server watching all of them. ## 1\. Déjà Dup: Best For Desktop Linux Users ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/deja-dup.png) Take Ubuntu, Fedora Workstation, basically any GNOME-based distro, odds are Déjà Dup is sitting in your app menu. Just search for "Backups." in the GNOME Activity. Pick what to back up, pick where it goes, set a schedule. That's the whole process. It moved to a [Restic backend a while back](https://forum.restic.net/t/deja-dup-a-linux-backup-gui-adds-restic-support/10322?ref=itsfoss.com), so under the hood you're getting all the goodness of [Restic](https://restic.net/?ref=itsfoss.com), proper incremental snapshots, not just a folder copy. And all this without ever opening a terminal, Restic is CLI after all. You can choose to store the backup in Google Drive, OneDrive, local folder (but what's the point), network server (NAS) or use [RClone](https://itsfoss.com/use-onedrive-linux-rclone/) to any cloud storage of your choice. ![DejaDup backup storage](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/deja-dup-storage.png) There is one thing you should note. Déjà Dup backs up what your user account can access. Your home folder, basically. It's not a system backup tool, and it won't help you recover a broken OS install. For protecting personal files on a single desktop, though, it's close to ideal. For system backups, [try Timeshift](https://itsfoss.com/backup-restore-linux-timeshift/). ✋ ****Non-FOSS Warning!** MSP360 offers 5 TB of cloud storage for personal use. However, the backup tool is not open source. ## 2\. MSP360 Free Backup: Best For Personal-Use Cloud Backup Option [MSP360 Free Backup](https://www.msp360.com/solutions/file-level-backup-linux/?ref=itsfoss.com) is one of the few free tools that bring real cloud backup to Linux without asking for a subscription. On Linux, MSP360 is more of CLI-first tool. The free edition is described as a command-line tool that automates file-level backups and schedules through cron. And that puts it closer to how Restic or Borg operate. There's a GUI installer if you want it, but MSP360's documents point Linux users toward cron-based automation as the main path. You get flexible choice for storing the backup files. Local storage, network shares, or your own cloud account through Backblaze B2, Wasabi, or any S3-compatible provider. The free edition is capped at 5TB locally and 5TB in the cloud. Incremental backup support is included, and automation runs through [cron](https://itsfoss.com/cron-job/) rather than a built-in GUI scheduler. The free tier is licensed for personal use and won't run on domain-joined machines (if you don't know what that is, don't worry). Some advanced security and management features, including centralized management, are reserved for paid editions. If you want free cloud backup on Linux and don't mind a cron job standing in for a GUI scheduler, this could be worth a try. Kopia is the nearest comparison to MSP360. ## 3\. Kopia: Open Source and Cloud-Ready ![Kopia ](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/kopia-gui.jpeg) [Kopia](https://kopia.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) is an open source cross platform backup tool for Linux, Windows and macOS. This doesn't mean that it is strictly a GUI tool. KopiaUI sits on top of the CLI, and scheduling, deduplication, and end-to-end encryption all works from there. On the storage side, it covers a lot of groundyou have all the standard options. S3-compatible buckets, Backblaze B2, Azure Blob, Google Cloud Storage, SFTP, WebDAV, plus the usual local and network drives. All of it runs through your own storage accounts. Kopia doesn't provide storage, just the backup tool. There is some learning curve here. You'll need to understand repositories and policies first. Not difficult, exactly, but not plug-and-play either. And because Kopia has less of a track record than Restic, testing your restores before you depend on them is worth the extra ten minutes. ## 4\. BorgBackup: The Terminal-Native Choice for Linux Servers ![Borgbackup](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/borg-backup-1.png) [BorgBackup](https://www.borgbackup.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) feels like it was built specifically for the hardcore sysadmins. SSH, cron, systemd timers, no GUI required unless you bolt one on separately like [Vykar](https://itsfoss.com/vykar-open-source-backup-tool/). It's a strong fit for home servers, NAS boxes, and homelab setups where a GUI is a secondary need. Borg builds deduplication, compression, and authenticated encryption straight into how it stores data, so both storage costs and bandwidth stay down over the long run. The feature that I find awesome is that you can mount a Borg backup and poke around it like a normal filesystem, instead of pulling an entire archive just to grab one file. Cloud object storage isn't native here. Borg expects local drives or SSH-accessible remote servers. Getting it to talk to S3 or Backblaze B2 usually means a hosted Borg-compatible service or extra tooling. If you're already comfortable with SSH and server management, none of that is a real obstacle. ## 5\. Restic – Maximum Control, Minimum Hand-Holding ![Restic](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/restic.webp) [Restic](https://restic.net/?ref=itsfoss.com) asks for more from the user than anything else on this list, and gives back the most control in return. There's no GUI on Linux, no built-in scheduler. You bring your own cron job or systemd timer. What you get is a fast, snapshot-based backup tool where every run after the first only stores what changed, and every snapshot is independently restorable. Encryption is handled automatically using a key derived from your password. Storage destination span local drives, SFTP servers, and S3-compatible storage, Backblaze B2, Azure, Google Cloud. This is a tool for serious sysadmins and terminal junkies. If that's you, it's hard to find a more capable free option. If it's not, Kopia gets you most of the same capability with considerably less setup. ## 6\. UrBackup: When You're Backing Up More Than One Machine ![UrBackup](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/urbackup.png) Every othre tool here is built around backing up one machine. [UrBackup](https://www.urbackup.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is what you could use when you manage a fleet of servers or computers. It's a central server with a web dashboard, pulling backups from all client machines you point it at, deduplicating across all of them to keep storage cost in check. The process involves setting up a machine ((Linux, Windows, NAS etc) ) that runs the server and installing a lightweight client agent on every machine you want covered. After that, scheduling, monitoring, and restores all happen from the web interface, no need to log into each machine separately. One thing worth noting is that UrBackup's image-based backup feature was built primarily for Windows clients. Newer versions do support extX and XFS image backup for Linux clients, but it's a less "battle-tested" path than the Windows side. That's why file-level backup is still the safer bet for Linux machines. Worth planning around if you're running a mixed fleet of Windows and Linux endpoints off one server. ## Few Things to Keep in Mind **Backup type** matter. True image-based, bootable disk backup, the kind EaseUS or Veeam offer on Windows, barely exists for free on Linux. Clonezilla is there but I can never make it work. Most tools in Linux do file-level, snapshot-based backup instead which is fast, space-efficient, but not a one-click bare-metal restore. **Automation** varies more than you'd expect. Déjà Dup, Kopia, and UrBackup all include scheduling as part of the product experience. MSP360, Restic, and BorgBackup are the exceptions. They expect you to wire up cron or systemd timers yourself, which is standard practice for Linux users but worth knowing if you're coming from a Windows background where scheduling is baked into the GUI by default. **Multi-machine management** is where UrBackup earns its place on this list. None of the other five tools here are built to backup a fleet of machines from one dashboard. ## FAQs **Do you need GNOME to use Déjà Dup?** No, but you'll get the smoothest experience there since it's designed around GNOME conventions. It runs on other desktop environments too, just without the same level of integration. **Isn't rsync good enough for backup?** Rsync syncs files. It doesn't keep historical versions by default. Delete or corrupt a file, then sync, and now your "backup" has the corrupted version too. Restic, Kopia, and Borg all keep point-in-time snapshots for exactly this reason, so you can go back to before the mistake happened. **Can any of these handle a remote VPS or headless server?** Yes. Restic and BorgBackup are both built around exactly that scenario, run entirely from the command line with no desktop required. UrBackup can also back up headless machines if you install just the client agent. **What's the real difference between free and open source here?** MSP360 Free is a limited free tier of a commercial product personal use only, some features are reserved for paid plans. Déjà Dup, Kopia, Restic, Borg, and UrBackup are all open source, broader usage rights, no features locked behind a paywall. **Should you combine more than one of these backup tools?** Yes. See what fits your need. ## So, Which Backup Tool to Use on Linux? If you just want the shortcut: - GNOME/Linux desktop, zero setup: Déjà Dup - Free cloud backup, don't mind a cron job or non-open source: MSP360 - Want a GUI with open source: Kopia - Live in the terminal, want full control: Borg or Restic - Managing more than one machine: UrBackup And let me end this with excellent advice on backups: ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/backup-tweet-linuxhandbook.png) ### Lumo 2.0: Proton's Private Alternative to ChatGPT and Claude Just Got Better URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/proton-lumo-2/ Last updated: 2026-06-30T14:42:23.000Z When [Lumo](https://go.getproton.me/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=68&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=itsfoss.com) (partner link) launched last year, [I took it for a spin](https://itsfoss.com/news/proton-lumo-experience/) to see what Proton's foray into AI assistants looked like. I found out that the open source AI assistant ran quite well for a new launch. And a few months later, Lumo 1.3 brought [Projects](https://itsfoss.com/news/proton-lumo-projects/) to the assistant, letting me bundle related chats, files, and custom instructions into encrypted workspaces. I tried this out too, complete with Proton Drive integration for pulling files straight in, and it worked well. Following that, I used Lumo to cook up some ideas for our socials, and it worked decently, though sometimes it would completely miss the mark. Also, its lack of ability to read images was something that didn't sit well with my workflow. Fortunately, that's changing with the launch of [Lumo 2.0](https://proton.me/blog/lumo-2?ref=itsfoss.com), Proton's "*most advanced AI assistant yet*." ## What's new with Lumo 2.0? ![the proton lumo ai assistant interface is shown here with the lumo 2.0 max model selected](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/lumo-2-0.png) The feline-faced assistant didn't have real memory capabilities before this. It could save your chat history and group-related work into *Projects*, but it never actually remembered anything about you between separate conversations. That is something every major AI chatbot on the market has already cracked. With Lumo 2.0, that changes, and you can now take advantage of **user-controlled memory**, which lets you configure what Lumo carries over from chats. Then there's the web search feature that already existed earlier, but it leaned entirely on the model's own knowledge once you toggled it on. The Lumo 2.0 implementation **pulls in live results with source citations** instead, so answers about anything recent should actually hold up. Another gap that has been plugged is the **image support**, with there now being the ability to analyze, edit, and generate images inside any encrypted Lumo conversation. Proton also includes the ***Lite*** and ***Max*** models with this release. [Andy Yen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-yen-03a9676/?ref=itsfoss.com), Proton's CEO and founder, says the latter performs on par with the latest models from OpenAI and Anthropic for many use cases, based on the company's own user testing. ### I played around with it ![this is a proton lumo plus interface with a sidebar menu on the left and the chat window on the righ with a prompt entered and the ai model selector open](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/lumo-2-0-version-info-prompt.png) For starters, I asked Lumo what version it was running, just to see if it had information on what its internal components consisted of. The earlier Lumo release had just done some guesswork, guiding me towards the support page for Lumo for getting further information. But with 2.0, I was given an overview of the release, and during that, I also noticed **the new AI model switcher** that let me change between the *Lite* and *Max* models, as well as the thinking mode, with toggles for *Fast* and *Thinking*. Next, **I enabled memory** through the settings panel. Before I could do that, Lumo laid out what it does. Showing that it can personalize chats based on saved preferences, stay out of project chats entirely, and store everything with zero-access encryption. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/lumo-2-0-memory-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/lumo-2-0-memory-2.png) Once it was on, the panel showed an empty saved memories list, with options to generate entries from recent chats or add your own. I added one manually, telling Lumo I prefer facts over hallucinations and clarity over jargon. To test **the upgraded web search**, I asked Lumo, "*What is the hype behind Crypto?*," a question that needs current information rather than whatever the model already knows. Initially, it gave me a long summary of what I asked, but it was drawn from its training knowledge. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/lumo-2-0-enhanced-web-search-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/lumo-2-0-enhanced-web-search-2.png) I asked Lumo again, this time with a slightly different prompt, "*Why is crypto in hype right now?*," and it visibly searched the web before answering. It then came back with a June 2026 breakdown covering Bitcoin's recent price drop, the political money flowing into crypto-friendly campaigns, and the DeFi narrative gaining traction. To back all that, the sources panel sitting next to the answer **cited reporting from authoritative outlets** like Business Insider, Forbes, Seeking Alpha, and Politico. **For image generation**, I uploaded the official Lumo 2.0 launch banner and asked it to convert the branding over to our branding, with a link to our homepage as reference. Lumo worked through the request, pulled in the image, read through the It's FOSS homepage, our socials, and searched the web before generating a result. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/lumo-2-0-image-generation-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/lumo-2-0-image-generation-2.png) The output swapped the purple cat mascot for a green penguin and shifted the color palette to match our branding. Though **there was a slight niggle here**. Lumo's own summary claimed the text had been updated correctly to read "*It's FOSS*." It hadn't. The actual banner reads "*It's FOCS*," a typo Lumo never caught, even while running on Lumo 2.0 *Max* in *Thinking* mode. ![this shows a string of mistakes proton lumo did when generating an image](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/lumo-2-0-image-generation-3.png) AI assistants are known to fumble exactly this kind of detail, so I asked Lumo to fix the typo. A few prompts and a handful of slightly different image variations later, Lumo gave up, explained what the issue was, and asked me to add the text myself instead. It then promptly slipped a typo into the supposedly text-free image it generated next. ☠️ ## Get started with Lumo The 2.0 models are available right now, accessible via the [official website](https://lumo.proton.me/?ref=itsfoss.com). Without signing up, you get limited guest access to Lumo's core AI capabilities, while creating a free account unlocks more prompts and chat history. [Proton Lumo](https://lumo.proton.me/?ref=itsfoss.com) **If you want more**, then signing up for [*Lumo Plus*](https://go.getproton.me/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=68&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=itsfoss.com) will get you access to projects, image generation, unlimited chats, and the various Lumo models. [Proton Lumo Plus](https://go.getproton.me/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=68&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=itsfoss.com) If that still doesn't cover your use cases, then there are the [*Lumo for Business*](https://go.getproton.me/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=68&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=itsfoss.com) plans, which run on the same zero-access encrypted, Europe-based infrastructure. These include admin tools for managing team access and compliance support for regulations like GDPR and HIPAA. Finally, the source code for Lumo's Android and iOS apps can be found on [GitHub](https://github.com/ProtonLumo?ref=itsfoss.com). ### AI Agents Could Get Verified Identities, Courtesy of DNS URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-foundation-agent-name-service-announcement/ Last updated: 2026-06-30T08:58:33.000Z The Linux Foundation says that it intends to launch the [Agent Name Service](https://www.linuxfoundation.org/press/linux-foundation-announces-intent-to-launch-agent-name-service-to-establish-trusted-identity-infrastructure-for-ai-agents?ref=itsfoss.com) (ANS), an open standard that extends [DNS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain%5FName%5FSystem?ref=itsfoss.com) to give [AI agents](https://cloud.google.com/discover/what-are-ai-agents?ref=itsfoss.com) a way to prove who they are. In practice, that means being able to look up an agent and check who's actually operating it, what it's cleared to do, and whether anything in its code or history has changed. Citing a research paper, the Linux Foundation says **82% of executives plan to adopt AI agents within the next one to three years**, and most still have no reliable way to authenticate or govern them once they're running in production. Right now, nothing stops an agent from claiming to be `support-agent.acme.com` as there is no way for anyone to check if that's true. Finding the right one is just as hard. Nothing today links an agent's name and capabilities to a specific, verified version you can actually reach. ANS is built to address both problems at once. ## How does it work? Every agent registered under ANS gets a DNS-style name with a version number built in, something like `ans://v1.0.0.my-agent.example.com`. That name only comes with an identity certificate once the agent's domain passes the same DNS and ACME checks a website goes through to get an ordinary TLS certificate. Every registration, renewal, or revocation gets recorded in a tamper-evident log (*append-only Merkle log*), so nobody can edit an agent's history after those events. A separate offline tool called `ans-verify` can check those records without even needing a live connection to the registry. And before you assume this is something new they cooked up, it is not. GoDaddy already had ANS up and running months before the Linux Foundation got involved, building on [an existing IETF draft](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-narajala-ans/?ref=itsfoss.com). Rather than build new certificate and DNS systems from the ground up, GoDaddy's engineers [reused infrastructure](https://www.godaddy.com/resources/news/building-the-agent-name-service-using-a-one-system-approach?ref=itsfoss.com) they already had in production. That is the same certificate service handling over 100 million active SSL and TLS certificates, plus their existing DNS systems. ## What's already live? The [agentnameservice](https://github.com/agentnameservice?ref=itsfoss.com) organization on GitHub currently hosts eight repositories. The main one is [ans](https://github.com/agentnameservice/ans?ref=itsfoss.com), an MIT-licensed Go codebase that implements the whole stack, including the registry, the logging, and the verifier as a working reference anyone can run. It's still early days, of course, but the whole stack reportedly **comes up in around 60 seconds** with nothing more than Go, openssl, curl, and jq installed. ### You Can Spend Up to $11,944 on Purism's Librem 16 Linux Laptop URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/purism-librem-16/ Last updated: 2026-07-02T08:42:17.000Z Ever since successfully crowdfunding over $500k for the Librem 15, [Purism](https://puri.sm/?ref=itsfoss.com) has become a recognized hardware manufacturer catering to privacy and Linux enthusiasts. The company is registered as a [Social Purpose Corporation](https://puri.sm/about/social-purpose/?ref=itsfoss.com), dedicating its existence to upholding the privacy, security, and freedom of its users, even when that conflicts with maximizing shareholder profit. That philosophy carries through their lineup of offerings like the Liberty Phone, the Librem series of phones, and Post Quantum Cryptography hardware. Just recently, they announced the Librem 16 laptop, positioned as the direct successor to the Librem 15 and an upgrade over the Librem 14 in both performance and expandability. ## 📝 Librem 16: Key Specifications ![against a mixed yellow/orange background two photos of the librem 16 laptop are shown, one is the view with the lid up, the other is the view with the lid down](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/purism-librem-16.png) At the heart of the Librem 16 sits a 13th Gen [Intel Core i7-13620H](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/sku/232130/intel-core-i713620h-processor-24m-cache-up-to-4-90-ghz/specifications.html?ref=itsfoss.com), which is a 10-core, 16-threaded chip. Its performance cores turbo up to 4.9GHz, while the efficiency cores cap out at 3.6GHz. Sadly, **there's no discrete GPU onboard**, just Intel's integrated *UHD Graphics* handling display duties. Memory tops out at **64GB**, split across two DDR4 SO-DIMM slots. Storage comes from two M.2 bays that handle both NVMe and SATA drives, for a maximum of **16TB**. [PureOS](https://pureos.net/?ref=itsfoss.com) is the Linux distribution of choice here. It is Purism's own **Debian-based distro** that has endorsement from the Free Software Foundation, and there's no telemetry or advertisements involved. ![the two hardware kill switches for disabling camera, microphone, wifi, bluetooth are visible on the top-left here](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/purism-librem-16-kill-switches.jpg) Firmware leans in the same direction, with the Librem 16 featuring [coreboot](https://www.coreboot.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and a disabled [Intel Management Engine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel%5FManagement%5FEngine?ref=itsfoss.com). Then there are the **two kill switches**; one cuts the camera and mic, the other cuts wireless and Bluetooth; both can be flipped off manually. The rest of the specs include: - **Display:** 16-inch, 1920x1200 (*16:10 aspect ratio*). - **Ports:** 2x USB-C (*USB 3.2 Gen 2, DisplayPort Alt Mode, USB-PD up to 100W*), 2x USB-A (*USB 3.2 Gen 1*), 1x HDMI 2.0, 1x memory card reader, and a 3.5mm combo audio jack. - **Dimensions:** 360 x 26 x 240mm (*W x H x L*), 1.8kg. - **Connectivity:** 1x Gigabit Ethernet over RJ45, Intel AX200 Wi-Fi 6 with two antennas, and Bluetooth. - **Battery:** A single 3-cell, 54.2Wh pack rated at 11.55V and 4.7Ah ## Get Yours The Librem 16 is sold in **three pre-configured tiers**, plus a build-your-own option for anyone who wants to tailor the specs to their needs. - The ***Base*** model is [the entry point](https://shop.puri.sm/shop/librem-16-base/?ref=itsfoss.com) at **$2,899**, with 16GB of RAM and 500GB of storage. - The ***Plus*** model [bumps that](https://shop.puri.sm/shop/librem-16-plus/?ref=itsfoss.com) to 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage for **$4,199**. - The ***Max*** model with 64GB of RAM and 16TB of storage across two 8TB drives [tops the range](https://shop.puri.sm/shop/librem-16-max/?ref=itsfoss.com) at **$9,799**. If none of those fit, the *build-your-own* option starts at **$2,870** and [lets you configure](https://shop.puri.sm/shop/librem-16/?ref=itsfoss.com) memory, both storage slots, the wireless card, anti-interdiction service, and warranty length individually. Push every option to its highest value, and the final tally lands at a whopping **$11,944**. Anyhow, every configuration **ships within 10 business days**, with optional [anti-interdiction service](https://docs.puri.sm/Services/Anti%5Finterdiction.html?ref=itsfoss.com) ($249) and an extended 3-year warranty ($399) available as add-ons. [Librem 16](https://puri.sm/products/librem-16/?ref=itsfoss.com) [Linux preloaded laptops](https://itsfoss.com/get-linux-laptops/) have never been cheaper, but what Purism has is a privacy-at-hardware-level angle, so this model won't be affordable for most people. ### Every Physics Teacher (And Student) Should Try This Open Source Software URL: https://itsfoss.com/kde-step/ Last updated: 2026-06-28T07:41:57.000Z Open source software has always been a cornerstone in scientific applications. From supercomputers to CERN labs, handling some of the greatest discoveries of humankind and accelerating particles beyond imagination, open source software has provided the framework for all necessary technological usage. Bringing it down to a simpler level, [KDE's Step](https://apps.kde.org/step/?ref=itsfoss.com) provides you a platform to test out some of the most important basic concepts in physics, like simple motion, electrostatics and gravitation, and even things like spring (harmonic) motion. Developing an intuition about these phenomena can finally bridge the knowledge gap that students need. So if you are a physics teacher (or student), KDE Step is worth your attention. ## Interface and Experience Using the basic KDE design kit, the application looks quite familiar as it is. It is arranged in a very efficient manner, with all the usable objects on a panel on the left side of the window, while the right side holds the panel that can be used to modify any of the attributes of those objects as well as a panel that shows the history of the steps (no pun intended) made by the user. On the top of the window, all the menus are present with the undo/redo buttons, and most importantly, the button that allows you to start the simulation. ![KDE Step](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/kde-step.png) To demonstrate the elements and how they're used in the best way possible, I'm going to show different simulations that incorporate said elements. It is the most efficient and vivid way, since it is, after all, a simulation app. ## Simple Harmonic Motion As a very famous quote from Sidney Coleman says, "The career of a young theoretical physicist consists of treating the harmonic oscillator in ever-increasing levels of abstraction." Keeping up with that sentiment, I will show a very basic demonstration of a simple harmonic motion. 0:00 /0:16 1× Simple Harmonic Motion The elements used here are two particles, a spring, a graph, weight field and an anchor. **Particles** in Step are simple zero-dimensional point objects with modifiable position, color, velocity, mass, momentum and kinetic energy. **Springs** are simple, you can attach both ends to objects, you can change the stiffness. **Anchors** are utilities that can be used to fix the position of an object to the scene. No matter what, it will not move from where it is placed. A **weight field** simply simulates the gravitational force of earth for all the objects placed on the scene, but again, you can modify the gravitational acceleration to suit whatever kind of simulation you're trying to run (for example, trying to simulate the gravitational force on the moon). Finally, the **graph** utility can be used to plot any property of any object on the scene against any other property. ## Soft Body While sounding like a promise made by a moisturizer, soft body is not that but a category of objects in physics that are not rigid but that deform and change shape according to the parameters set. More accurate, and as shown in the app itself, it can be thought of as an object made of small particles connected to each other by springs that deform according to the force provided. 0:00 /0:09 1× Soft body simulation Two new elements are used here, a **soft body** (that has already been described) and a **box**. A box is just that, a rectangle with modifiable dimensions, where apart from what you can already change in a particle, you can also change the angular velocity, angular momentum, inertia, and so on. 📋 If you're wondering why the soft body falls on the left even though it has been placed centrally on the screen, that is because nothing can be truly zero in this context. There's always a miniscule value left, and in this case, even when the value is defined as 0, it is some exponentially small value close to it on the left (negative). ## Orbit Another basic simulation that can really help is that of an orbit. Step provides a **gravitational field** simulation, in which the universal law of gravitation starts holding true and applying within the canvas. In this simulation, I've modified the value of the gravitational constant to something that allows my particle to orbit the central particle (because I finally can), and I'm using a **controller** to change the mass of my central particle while the simulation is going on to show how that changes the velocity and distance of the revolving particle. 0:00 /0:31 1× Orbit simulation As you can see, for the first part of the video, it is making a calm orbit but as soon as I start increasing the mass, the particle comes closer (as one would expect) and when I decrease it, the particle goes out the frame (a little dramatic, but still expected). ## Compound Pendulum Have you ever wondered what an oscillating lambda would look like? Well wonder no further because Step allows you to make any kind of polygon that you would like to make with the **polygon** tool, and then you can use a **pin** to fix the position of one point in that body to the canvas. And some weight force to the scene, and there you go. A lambda pendulum: 0:00 /0:11 1× Compound pendulum simulation This kind of pendulum that isn't one concentrated mass but distributed instead is called a compound pendulum in physics, which can be quite difficult to visualize sometimes. ## Linear-Angular Parallels Students often struggle with the equations for the motion of a disk, or anything that has to do with rotating rigid bodies, but it is only a matter of translation of the values in the usual linear equations of motion into those that concern rotating bodies. For example, mass gets replaced with moment of inertia, velocity with angular velocity, same with acceleration and so on. In the following simulation, that's exactly what we're showing: 0:00 /0:07 1× Linear-rotating parallels. In this simulation, the particle and the disk have mass and moment of inertia with the value 1, velocity and angular velocity with value 6, acceleration and angular acceleration -2 respectively. As you can see, the changes happen hand-in-hand, making it clear how the equations work practically parallelly. I have used a **linear motor** to apply a linear force to the particle and a **circular motor** to apply a torque to the disk. The values on display can be shown using the **meter** utility. ## Stable and Unstable Equilibrium Positions In the first case, I've fixed two positive charges of equal magnitude on the canvas with anchors. Another positive charge was placed right in between them. The charge, of course, will be in equilibrium just by the virtue of being smackdab right in the middle of the positive charges. What happens if I slightly move the central charge from its position? 0:00 /0:09 1× Stable equilibrium state for charges The charge starts oscillating. In a real life scenario where there are losses due to friction and so on, this will return to the equilibrium position right in the middle. But what if my central charge is negative? What happens then? 0:00 /0:06 1× Unstable equilibrium state for charges As you can see, the charge moves on to the side of movement, as you would expect. In this case, the equilibrium was unstable, meaning even the slight change in position on one side will result in absolute ruin of the equilibrium state. I've used **charged particles**, which are similar to normal particles but with the added option of adding a charge to them. Similar to how we did with gravitation, you need to add the **Coulomb field** to the canvas in order for the law of electrostatics to start applying. ## Constraints A lot of basic physics is based on constraints, which can be of different sorts. The most basic one is where the distance between two bodies is fixed, so that the motion of one of the bodies impacts that of the other. So in this simulation, I've done that exactly with a massless **stick**, which connects two bodies in Step. I've given a certain velocity to one of the particles, and you can see here how it impacts the other one: 0:00 /0:09 1× Usage of stick in Step 📋 It is important to note that sometimes the stick doesn't work really well. It is not supposed to be elastic, but it sometimes acts more like a spring than a stick if not configured exactly well. ## Perfect Gas Simulation Finally, Step has a tool that lets you simulate a perfect **gas**, following the basic principles of kinetic theory of gases. When applying it on the canvas, you can configure the area that the gas will exist in, the number of particles inside that area, the concentration, the temperature, particle mass and mean velocity. Sure, some of these things are dependent on each other and all of them being configurable individually does seem a little counter-intuitive, but if you change one of the values that another depends upon, it changes automatically. There's no disregard for the physics of it here. 0:00 /0:18 1× 📋 The gas particles are not configured to interact with any other bodies or walls/objects in the vicinity. If you put boxes or polygons to see how the gas interacts with them, Step will show an error saying it isn't possible. ## Wrapping Up There are some very obvious points at which Step breaks. Not even showing an error, it just breaks. For example, if you configure the mass of a particle to be 0 or very close to it, for any simulation that involves forces or collisions, the canvas just disappears. Obviously, massless particles are not in the scope of scenarios which Step can simulate. Overall, Step has some excellent options that can really help students visualize their physics lesson up to an elementary undergraduate level. As a student of Physics, I have been using it for years to clear my doubts, but it is only obvious that the simulation can only be as helpful and accurate as you are careful with setting it up. More than that, it helps you explore possibilities that aren't possible in the physical world, such as completely ideal conditions of zero friction, the ability to change fundamental and universal constants and so on. On a related note, you may want to check out the [list of distros for schools and education](https://itsfoss.com/educational-linux-distros/). I hope this article was helpful and that you have fun seeing the answers to your physics doubts come to life. Cheers! ### Banking Apps, No Google, and a Locked Bootloader: How iodé Makes Privacy Android Work for Everyone URL: https://itsfoss.com/interview/brian-iode/ Last updated: 2026-06-26T07:26:46.000Z A few weeks back, I invited Brian from the iodé, a [de-googled Android](https://itsfoss.com/android-distributions-roms/) project, to have a quick discussion on the project, its achievements and the futuree challenges. I was meant to be in video/audio format but part of discussion suffered from poor audio quality and hence I switch it to nour usual text format. I hope you enjoy this conversation. #### *It's FOSS: iodé sits at an interesting crossroads of privacy and sustainability. For those who haven't come across the project before, what is it and what is it trying to accomplish?* **Brian:** iodé is a project that is interested in making sure that there's a privacy-based Android distribution that is also very easy to use. Very easy for normal users to feel they can use it conveniently. We also feature a tool which is a tracker blocker, so both your apps and your browser when you're browsing the internet have a sort of firewall that allows you to know exactly which connections your device is making, which connections the apps are making, the browser is making when you're visiting websites, and it prevents ads and trackers from following you around the internet. That's the main goal and while it's not a Linux device in the classic sense of a Linux mobile device, it's an Android device, it gives you all the usability of an Android device. #### *It's FOSS: App compatibility is usually the first thing that worries someone considering a de-Googled phone, especially banking apps and anything they'd normally get from the Play Store. Since iodé doesn't ship with Google Play, how do you handle that?* **Brian:** We have two app stores. We have F-Droid, which is a free software app store that comes by default. And we also have Aurora Store, which is basically a front end for the Google Play Store. So you can install any app that's on Google Play without Google knowing which apps you're installing it doesn't track you the same way Google Play does, but still gives you all the usability of Google Play. And the difference is you can also spoof different devices. So if something is not available for your device, you don't have to go to some random APK store and risk downloading something that maybe is a dangerous file. You can just simply change the device settings and spoof another device and download that. So it gives you all the usability of Google Play, maybe even more so. And like all of our pre-installed apps, you can uninstall any of them and install another app store if you want. You can even install the official Google Play if you want. #### *It's FOSS: If a non-technical person, someone who just wants their phone to work, switched to iodé tomorrow, what would their day-to-day experience actually look like?* **Brian:** There may be issues with some banking apps because Google has this integrity API, it's more about monopoly than it is about security. So there are a few issues users may find with some apps not playing well with Play Integrity API. What we have is called MicroG. It's a Google Play Services emulator, and that usually works for almost any app. All the common apps that you would expect,Instagram, TikTok, all these things, they still work on iodé as you would expect. So for the average user, unless you have problems with a banking app, and that's not that common, most banking apps continue to work. The only occasional thing I've seen is some apps that are from OEMs, like Samsung Watches, may not work. But in general, most users won't notice a big difference moving over from Android. The difference you will notice is you don't get a lot of notifications and advertisements and just junk you get in a standard Android distribution, there's an incredible amount of bloatware and ads, especially if you're on something like Xiaomi or OPPO. #### *It's FOSS: Sustainability is something that sets iodé apart from a lot of other privacy-focused Android projects. You offer refurbished devices alongside new ones. Can you walk us through your thinking on that?* **Brian:** We're very [interested in sustainability](https://iode.tech/sustainability/?ref=itsfoss.com) and so we encourage people to use [refurbished devices](https://iode.tech/smartphones-and-tablets/?ref=itsfoss.com) when possible. Even some of the Fairphones we offer are refurbished. When you're using a very minimalistic image like iodé, it doesn't have a lot of the bloat and unnecessary software, things that you can't uninstall on a regular stock Android device, which is just running in the background and using up your CPU and using up your RAM. The system itself is much bigger on stock because of Google Play Services and any other add-ons that OPPO or Xiaomi or any other manufacturer puts in. Because iodé is more minimal, it can run on older hardware, on hardware with lower specifications. So that's why we encourage people to use refurbished devices. ![refurbished devices on iode](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/iode-refurbished.webp) But people are asking, saying, "hey, we want new devices as well." So we have begun to add more new devices to our shop. Initially, we only wanted to work with Shift and Fairphone because they're sort of ethical manufacturers. They look at the entire supply chain, the conflict minerals that are involved in building the phones, and make sure that workers get paid well and that the materials are fairly sourced, and try to make a more sustainable model. Because obviously the best device you can always use is a device that's already been built, in terms of sustainability and ecology. So this is why we focused on refurbished. ***It's FOSS: The privacy Android space isn't exactly crowded, but there are notable players like /e/OS, LineageOS, GrapheneOS. Do you see them as part of the same broader community, or more as competitors?*** **Brian:** Honestly, I think anything that's good for any of these projects is going to help the other projects. Of all the Android hardware that's out there, there are very few devices to choose from, probably less than 1% of all Android devices can be de-Googled. There was more interest in custom ROMs back in the day when Android wasn't as useful and when people wanted to customize it. With Play Integrity and the Google Play APIs coming out that made it more difficult to use banking apps and things like that, there was a loss of interest. And also people began to see it as a security problem with unlocked bootloaders. Now, we try to respect the locked bootloader, which makes us different from other projects like Lineage. Whenever we can relock the bootloader, we do. We have relocked bootloaders on four or five manufacturers. The rest of the manufacturers simply don't allow it. We're trying to work with these other operating systems. We have an agreement through the unified attestation to try to come up with an alternative to Google Play Integrity. I think there's a big market for these devices. A lot of people just don't know that they can get a device that isn't spying on them, that isn't constantly sending data back to Google or to Apple. And just the fact that these devices exist and work out of the box, many people don't even know or realize this, or they think that it's going to be a huge amount of work to install it. That's why we have a shop, that's why we sell our devices. And if we can help these other projects, I think that's great. I'd like to see more collaboration, and it would be really good if these groups didn't see each other as competitors. I think the same thing is true of Linux distributions. It would be very absurd for Fedora to be attacking SUSE Linux or Linux Mint. People often distro-hop, and I think the same will be true of privacy-based Android distributions. #### *It's FOSS: GrapheneOS has at times been quite critical of other projects in this space, including iodé, particularly on security grounds. How do you view that?* **Brian:** Graphene has been very vocal about saying that we've been attacking them. Actually, I don't think we have. **This is probably the first time we'll ever say anything about Graphene.** And I think the only thing I will say is that they have a great project, and that it's only available on Pixels. There are some people who want other devices. It is important to have a locked bootloader, but not all hardware manufacturers permit it. While we do lock bootloaders when possible on every system that allows bootloader re-locking, we also want to offer other hardware. And that can lead to security issues on those people's devices. As for whether we also support end-of-life devices — we do. There's a billion people in the world who are running end-of-life devices, and those devices are vulnerable to attacks that have been found in the code base and aren't getting fixed by manufacturers. We continue to support those devices. I think people should know that if they are worried about security, they shouldn't be running end-of-life devices. But we also don't want people to throw them in the bin. They may have other uses for the device and they may not want that device to be constantly sending data back to Google. So there's a balance here. There's also the question of the firmware. The firmware is updated by the manufacturer and a lot of those device drivers are actually closed source. We don't have access to be able to change it even if we wanted to. This is kind of one of the problems with the Android ecosystem. It's the same problem that the Linux mobile space is also facing. We do want to support 60 devices; we don't just want to support Google Pixels. All power to them. I hope that Graphene can also make an agreement with Motorola to allow re-locking bootloaders on their devices. We've already begun to support Motorola devices. We do provide monthly security updates, and we're much more up to date than some of the other custom Android distributions out there. All of these projects are working with very limited resources, and it would be wise if we didn't do any sort of infighting. There's no custom ROM developer that has 30 developers. We're all working with very limited resources. #### *It's FOSS: Without tracking your users, getting a real picture of adoption must be tricky. What do you actually know about how many people are running iodé?* **Brian:** We do not really get any information on our user base. We don't keep any information. We just know what happens on the forum. We do know that in the last two years there's been a quarter of a million downloads. There's probably well over 10,000 people running iodé as a daily driver. It's almost doubled in the last year, we think, because **there's been a great increase of users, including in the United States. We don't actually sell our devices in the US, so this is a bit of a surprise**. Basically the only thing we can see is the IP of the person downloading the file, and we log this in the sense that we just keep some statistics on which countries are downloading. We have people in the United States, in Germany, and France. And we wipe out these IPs. We just know which country it's coming from. #### *It's FOSS: To close, if someone is weighing iodé against other privacy-focused Android options, what's your pitch? What makes it worth choosing?* **Brian:** Aside from monthly security updates and the fact that you can install it on many different devices, we have over 60 devices supported now. I think one of the big things that's really going to interest people, like why to choose iodé over something like Lineage, is that you get an iodé blocker. So you get an integrated tracker blocker, and it's also not going to fill up your VPN slot. On most operating systems, if you install a DNS blocker or an ad blocker, those will usually take up your VPN slot and the VPN slot is also useful for your privacy. So you get kind of the best of both worlds. One of the things we also focus on is we want there to be a complete suite of apps that's pre-installed, and we want all of those apps to be uninstallable. If you don't like our music player, you just uninstall it. If you don't like the default map app, we use Comaps as a default map app, you can install Google Maps if you want, you can have them both. And you still get all of the privacy advantages of Lineage, because our base is Lineage, with some more improvements. The standard Firefox browser doesn't have any connections back to Google, for instance. But if you wanted to use a different web view, you can also do that. So you have a lot of choice. But for the average user who doesn't know anything about configuring a device besides "I want to install these four apps," it will still give you much better privacy than a standard stock Android, privacy by default, and the choice to do whatever you want to do with the phone. --- I would like to thank Brian for sharing interesting insights about the iodé project. I strongly recommending checking it out, who knows perhaps your next smartphone is powered by iodé. [iodé project](https://iode.tech/?ref=itsfoss.com) And if it interests you, you may checkout: - List of [Linux-based smartphons](https://itsfoss.com/linux-phones/) - Other [de-googled Android distros](https://itsfoss.com/android-distributions-roms/) - and choice of [open source smartphone OS](https://itsfoss.com/open-source-alternatives-android/) ### FOSS Weekly #26.26: Free Origin Access, Niri Tiling, Firefox Tricks, Myna in Ubuntu and More Linux Stuff URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-26/ Last updated: 2026-06-25T14:17:05.000Z [Brave browser released Origin](https://itsfoss.com/news/brave-origin-linux/), a striped down, non-crypto version of the Brave browser. It's basically Brave browser without the bloat but still with ad-block and anti-tracking. Here's the good thing which you will lke a s Linux user. This Brave Origin costs $6o for Windows and macOS users, but it is free for Linux users. Not everyday we Linux users get such privilege. Epic Games [open-sourced Lore](https://itsfoss.com/news/lore-launched/) at State of Unreal 2026, a Git alternative built specifically for projects that mix code with huge binary files, the kind of thing Git LFS handles awkwardly. NVK, the open source Vulkan driver for NVIDIA cards, [can now run DLSS in games](https://www.phoronix.com/news/Mesa-NVK-Vulkan-Does-DLSS?ref=itsfoss.com). The catch is it's experimental and needs a special flag to turn on, so don't expect it to just work out of the box yet. Full stable support lands with Mesa 26.2 in August. Remember Canonical's "*implicit/explicit AI*" framework from a few months ago? [Myna is the implicit half](https://itsfoss.com/news/myna-ai-speech-to-text-tool/) taking shape as a local speech-to-text dictation tool that's expected to land in Ubuntu 26.10. ArmSoM's Sige series has always shipped on Rockchip silicon, until now. The [Sige6](https://itsfoss.com/news/armsom-sige6-launched-with-allwinner-soc/) swaps in an Allwinner A733 instead, an octa-core chip with a 3 TOPS NPU, LPDDR5 RAM up to 16GB, and an M.2 slot for NVMe storage. Fruit Ninja's developers are making [a dungeon crawler](https://itsfoss.com/news/guncrypt-demo-review/), and the demo already runs on Linux through Proton without a hitch. 🙏 Thank you to all the people who supported It's FOSS with [lifetime membership](https://itsfoss.com/lifetime-membership/). We reached 192, just short of our goal of 200 supporters. The discount ends on 26th June. Maybe we will reach our goal. And if you recently paid for a [lifetime membership](https://itsfoss.com/lifetime-membership/) and your Plus membership is not enabled yet, please reach out to me (support@itsfoss.com) and share the transaction details. I have sent follow up emails to a few people whose email address doesn't match in the membership database and yet to hear back from them. I don't want any lifetime members left behind. ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About If you're running ARM64 servers on Ubuntu, you can finally patch kernel vulnerabilities [without scheduling a reboot](https://itsfoss.com/news/arm64-livepatching-on-ubuntu/), something AMD64 has had for years. [No More Reboots During Kernel Patching for ARM64 Systems on UbuntuCanonical’s Livepatch finally extends to the platform in Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and Ubuntu Core 26.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-a806e182-acb9-49d5-988a-da4f751e0293.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/arm64-livepatching-ubuntu-1b9b71d9-2dcd-42af-9a60-4050db36f055.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/arm64-livepatching-on-ubuntu/) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings Most people use Firefox for browsing and nothing else, which is a shame given how much is actually packed in. There are [many features that you might've missed](https://itsfoss.com/firefox-additional-features/), like split-screen tabs, a PDF editor with merge support, the built-in eyedropper tool, and full-page screenshots. If you've ever wondered how LVM actually works under the hood rather than just clicking through an installer's defaults, [we can walk you through it](https://itsfoss.com/lvm-guide/) command by command. Niri rearranges nothing when you open a new window; it just adds another column to an endless horizontal strip, and you scroll over to it. After [a few weeks of daily use](https://itsfoss.com/niri-window-manager/), Bhuwan admits the real appeal only showed up once they stopped trying to use it like a normal tiling WM. SPONSORED ANY.RUN just released its [Q1 2026 Cyber Risk report ](https://any.run/cybersecurity-blog/cyber-risk-report-q1-2026/?utm%5Fsource=itsfoss&utm%5Fmedium=newsletter&utm%5Fcampaign=q1%5Freport%5F26&utm%5Fcontent=blog&utm%5Fterm=110626)based on the data from 2M malware & phishing investigations. It gives exclusive insight intohow the threat landscape is shifting and what it means for SOC and MSSP teams. Inside the report: - +14.7% increase in credential theft, showing sustained attacker focus on identity compromise - +98.3% growth in loader-based attacks, driving initial access at scale - +58.4% rise in LOLBAS attacks leveraging JavaScript for low-noise execution Help your security team detect earlier, prioritize faster, and reduce incident impact. [Download the report for FREE ](https://any.run/cybersecurity-blog/cyber-risk-report-q1-2026/?utm%5Fsource=itsfoss&utm%5Fmedium=newsletter&utm%5Fcampaign=q1%5Freport%5F26&utm%5Fcontent=blog&utm%5Fterm=110626) ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner I [briefly tested Terramaster F4-425 Pro NAS](https://itsfoss.com/terramaster-f4-425-pro-first-impressions/). The device is good but there are some rough edges to handle on the software side. [Terramaster F4-425 Pro: An Hardware Upgrade for an Already Solid NASThe popular Terramaster F4-425 Hybrid NAS has a hardware bump along with a new OS version. They want to focus on local AI but that needs a lot of work.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-9504f991-7fb1-471f-915e-0fc58f847d96.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/terramaster-F4-425-Pro-4-6d37a844-6a3c-4d39-9207-8a5b18c8d345.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/terramaster-f4-425-pro-first-impressions/) Raspberry Pi-powered handhelds are cropping up regularly now. Our list covers [six such options](https://itsfoss.com/raspberry-pi-handhelds/) that you could look into. PINE64's latest offering is [PineVoice](https://itsfoss.com/news/pinevoice-smart-speaker/), a $49.99 smart speaker that skips Alexa and Google Assistant entirely in favor of being a dedicated Home Assistant voice satellite. ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights Audiophiles, this one's for you. [Astra](https://itsfoss.com/astra-music-player/) is a music player that lets you play locally stored music files with many controls to fine-tune playback. [Astra: For All Your High Fidelity Music Needs and Absolute ControlGo old school and play local music from your Linux computer but in style with this Spotify-looking music player.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-ac35a6c0-8c0f-4944-a58f-2461f67eb7dd.png)It's FOSSPulkit Chandak![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/astra-music-player-6d91e602-42d7-4a3e-8d96-6fa316ddf7cf.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/astra-music-player/) ## 📽️ Videos for You There's [a simple command](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRZAt1t0ryM&ref=itsfoss.com) that can save you some considerable space on your Linux server. [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip In KDE Plasma System Settings, go to `Window Management -> Virtual Desktops`. Here, enable the "*Switch desktops independently for each screen*" option to easily switch between the different virtual desktops on multiple monitors. This was introduced with the recent [Plasma 6.7](https://itsfoss.com/news/kde-plasma-6-7-release/) release and should be very convenient for people who like to multi-task. ![kde per display workspace setting tip](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/kde-plasma-workspace.png) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse Can you [match terminal shortcuts with their actions](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/match-terminal-shortcuts/)? [Memory Match Terminal Shortcuts With Their ActionsAn enjoyable way to test your memory by matching the Linux terminal shortcuts with their respective actions.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-f79a3e3d-bc3d-4639-be4e-ea9d1f90a6a7.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/terminal-shortcut-match-5253c8e5-ac05-49e7-8928-6ee457cbad62.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/match-terminal-shortcuts/) Selective outrage, I guess, right Brave Linux users ;) ![hypocrite linux user meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/memes4.png) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On June 18, 1997, the [DESCHALL Project](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DESCHALL%5FProject?ref=itsfoss.com) cracked the 56-bit [Data Encryption Standard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data%5FEncryption%5FStandard?ref=itsfoss.com). Managed by a modest i486 server, online volunteers pooled their idle computer power to brute-force the key in 96 days, proving DES was obsolete. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: A developer [has posted on our forum](https://itsfoss.community/t/how-to-get-a-mac-like-text-capture-experience-on-gnome/15960?ref=itsfoss.com) showing off their new GNOME shell extension called [Snap Text](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/10209/snap-text-extractor/?ref=itsfoss.com) for OCR. ### Getting More Out of KDE Plasma System Monitor URL: https://itsfoss.com/kde-system-monitor-tweaks/ Last updated: 2026-06-25T13:47:12.000Z One of the biggest strengths of KDE Plasma is its customization, and the System Monitor is no exception. I have shown this with [KDE Konsole tweaks earlier](https://itsfoss.com/konsole-terminal-tweaks/) and now I am here to do the same with KDE System Monitor. Like most other parts of the Plasma desktop, the System Monitor offers plenty of customization options that are easy to overlook. Let me show you how to transform the default KDE Plasma System Monitor into a clean and powerful system monitoring dashboard. ## Understanding the System Monitor Layout Before we start customizing the System Monitor, let's first understand how KDE Plasma System Monitor arranges sensors on the page. Take a look at the sample layout diagram below. ![A diagram showing KDE Plasma System Monitor Layout](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/KDE-System-Monitor-Layout.png) KDE Plasma System Monitor Layout This gives you a general idea of how different elements are organized inside the System Monitor. At the top is the window layer, where everything is arranged in rows. Inside each row is a column layer, where items are arranged into columns. Within each column, you'll find sections. These sections hold the individual widgets that display system information. When you enter the System Monitor's edit mode, which we'll cover in the next section, you can hover over the layout to identify these different layers. As you add or modify widgets, clicking on a particular layer only shows the options available for that layer. For example, clicking the column layer lets you add more columns, but not sections. Likewise, clicking the section layer lets you add additional sections, but not columns. Keeping this layout in mind will make it much easier to customize the System Monitor without any confusion. As mentioned earlier, KDE Plasma's default System Monitor includes a few pre-built pages that display essential system information. If you look closely, you'll notice that each item on these pages is essentially a widget, similar to the widgets you can place on the Plasma desktop. In other words, the System Monitor app works like a canvas where you can add widgets and configure them however you like. 💡 KDE System Monitor has the concept of "pages" and they are configured to display specific system information. If you look closely, you'll notice that each item on these pages is essentially a widget, similar to the widgets you can place on the Plasma desktop. In other words, the System Monitor app works like a canvas where you can add widgets and configure them however you like. This is what we are going to do. ## Add a New Page By default, the Plasma System Monitor includes four pages: - **Overview:** A dashboard that displays multiple system statistics. - **Applications:** A list of running applications and their resource usage. - **History:** Live graphs for CPU, GPU, memory, and network activity. - **Processes:** A list of running processes and their resource usage. For this guide, we'll create a new page instead of modifying the existing ones. Click the menu button in the top-left corner and select **Add New Page**. ![Open the System Monitor menu from the top-left corner and select Add New Page.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/select-add-a-new-page.png) Add a new page In the dialog that appears, enter a name for the page and choose an icon. Next, set **Load this page** to **During application startup**. Finally, click **Add**. ![Enter a name, choose an icon, and set the page to load during System Monitor startup before clicking Add.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/add-a-new-page-with-details.png) Add page details The new page will now appear in the sidebar. Select it to open it. You'll be greeted with an empty page. This is where we'll build our custom system monitoring dashboard. ## Edit the Page Now that the new page is ready, it's time to customize its contents. Open the new page and click the **Edit Page** button in the top-right corner. Since the page currently contains only one system monitor widget, click on it. This opens a sidebar where you can configure the selected widget. Let's turn it into a horizontal bar chart that displays the load on each CPU core. In the sidebar, change the following settings: - **Title:** CPU Load Graph (or any name you prefer) - **Display Style:** Horizontal Bars - **Sensors:** Select the usage percentage for all CPU cores, as shown in the clip below. **Editing the first KDE Plasma System Monitor widget.* ### Selecting Sensors Choosing the right sensors is the most important part of building your dashboard. Most System Monitor widgets work similarly to Plasma desktop widgets and let you display different types of system information. Depending on the widget, you'll usually find two sensor fields: - **Sensors:** Displays the selected sensors as charts, graphs, or other visual elements. You can select multiple sensors. - **Text-only Sensors:** Displays the selected sensors as plain text instead of charts or graphs. Clicking either field opens a categorized list of available sensors. For example, CPU-related sensors, such as usage percentage, per-core statistics, and CPU temperature, are available under the **CPU** category. Likewise, RAM-related sensors are grouped under **Memory → Physical Memory**. Here are some of the main sensor categories you'll come across: - **CPUs:** CPU usage, per-core statistics, temperature, and related metrics. - **Disks:** Disk usage, free space, read/write activity, and other storage information. - **GPU:** GPU usage, temperature, video memory, and related statistics. - **Memory:** RAM and swap usage. - **Network Devices:** IP address, download and upload speed, and other network statistics. - **Operating System:** Kernel version, hostname, uptime, and other system details. The exact sensors available will depend on your hardware and system configuration. ## Adding a New Row Now that we've added the first widget, let's create a new row to add another one. While still in edit mode, click **Add Row**. A new empty system monitor widget will appear below the existing one. ![Click on Add Row button on the top right to add a new row to the selected page](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/add-a-row.png) Add a row This time, we'll configure it as a pie chart to display used and free physical memory (RAM). If you'd like to see the complete process, check out the short clip below. Otherwise, configure the widget with these settings: - **Title:** RAM Usage - **Display Style:** Pie Chart - **Sensors:** Used Physical Memory Percentage and Free Physical Memory Percentage **Adding a RAM usage pie chart to the dashboard.* You can also customize the chart colors if you like, but we'll leave them at their default values for this guide. ## Add a Column If the first section looks a bit too wide, you can split the available space by adding another column. While in edit mode, click the topmost layer of the widget. This opens the menu for that layer. 📋 Check the layout diagram to know the arrangements. From there, select **Add → Add Column**. The process is shown in the clip below. **Adding a new column using the top layer menu.* A new system monitor widget will appear to the right of the existing one. At the same time, the original widget will automatically resize to make room for the new column. Using the same editing process as before, I configured this new widget with the **Color Grid** display style to show additional system information. **Creating a Color Grid widget to display system information.* ## Change the Position of a Widget After setting up the dashboard, I felt that the Color Grid would look better before the CPU Load graph. To move it, I clicked the topmost part of the widget to open that layer's menu. From there, I clicked on **Move** and simply dragged the widget to the left of the CPU Load graph. **Moving the column item.* That's all there is to it. ## Organize Widgets with Sections So far, we've added rows and columns and rearranged widgets. There is one more organizational feature in the System Monitor called **Sections**. Sections let you group related widgets together. For example, you can keep all hardware-related sensors in one section and system information in another. Let's see how it works. I'll demonstrate this on a new page. By now, you should already know how to create one. In edit mode, click the top part of the **section layer**, located just above the widget title. From the layer menu, select **Add → Add Section**. A new widget will be added to the right of the existing one. Both widgets now belong to the same section and share a single section header. To separate them visually, click the section header and select **Add → Add Separator**. **Add items in sections.* ## Save Your Changes Once you're happy with the layout, click the **Save Changes** button in the top bar. ![Click on Save changes to save the changes and exit edit mode.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/save-changes-1.png) Save Changes This saves all your modifications and exits edit mode. Your newly created pages and customized widgets will now be available whenever you open the System Monitor. ## Start with Your Custom Page After creating your custom dashboard, you may want the System Monitor to open with that page by default. Fortunately, that's easy to set up. Click the menu button in the top-left corner and select **Edit or Remove Pages**. In the **Start with** drop-down menu, select the page you created. Click **OK** to save the changes. ![Select a custom page to start the System Monitor with that custom page.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/start-with-a-page.png) Start with Custom Page From now on, the System Monitor will open directly to your custom page every time you launch it. ## Remove a Page If you no longer need a page, you can remove it at any time. Click the menu button in the top-left corner and select **Edit or Remove Pages**. A dialog listing all available pages will appear. Click the **Delete** button next to the page you want to remove. ![Remove a custom page from the KDE Plasma System Monitor.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/remove-a-page.png) Remove a custom page from the System Monitor Once you're done, click **OK** to save the changes. If you don't want to delete a page completely, simply uncheck it in the list. This hides the page without removing it. ## Download Community Pages You don't have to build every dashboard from scratch. The KDE community has created many custom System Monitor pages that you can download and use. As with any third-party content, install these pages with caution. They are community-created and may not have been tested by the KDE developers for security or stability. To browse available pages, click the menu button in the top-left corner and select **Get New Pages**. **Browse available community created pages* This opens the online catalog, where you can click the **Install** button next to any page to download and add it to your System Monitor. ## Export or Import Pages If you frequently switch between systems, exporting and importing pages can save you from recreating your custom dashboards every time. To export a page, first open the page you want to save. Then click **Menu → Export Current Page**. Choose a file name and click **Save**. The page will be saved with the **.page** extension in your chosen location. **Export a page in KDE System Monitor* To use it on another system, open the System Monitor and select **Menu → Import Page**. Then choose the exported **.page** file to add it to your System Monitor. ## Wrapping Up [KDE Plasma's System Monitor](https://apps.kde.org/plasma-systemmonitor/?ref=itsfoss.com) is much more than a tool for checking CPU and memory usage. It offers a level of customization that many graphical system monitors simply don't provide. Despite being a GUI application, it gives you plenty of flexibility to build dashboards that suit your workflow. Have you customized the KDE Plasma System Monitor before, or do you prefer a different system monitoring tool? Let me know your thoughts in the comments. ### Terramaster F4-425 Pro: An Hardware Upgrade for an Already Solid NAS URL: https://itsfoss.com/terramaster-f4-425-pro-first-impressions/ Last updated: 2026-06-26T12:09:35.000Z [Terramaster F4-425 Plus was the first NAS](https://itsfoss.com/terramaster-f4-425-plus-review/) I ever used in my hoemlab setup. It's a solid device for a NAS. Not too expensive, silent and has a decent operating system. The hybrid HDD+SSD model along with TRAID and built-in backup tools makes it a good NAS choice. Now Terramaster has refreshed their [F4-425 series with a Pro model](https://www.terra-master.com/products/f4-425-pro?ref=itsfoss.com). The main thing that changes here is the CPU. There is also a revamped operating system in the form of TOS 7 but that should be available on previous F4-425 models, too. [20% off on Prime Day](https://amzn.to/4w6n0zH?ref=itsfoss.com) The new F4-425 is still a solid device, hardware wise. Operating system has rough edges and hopefully it will improve in the future updates if Terramaster is serious on this product. They usually are. I have used the device for a few days as it's a new device and I have been travelling to other cities for most of the past few weeks. So what I am sharing here are more of first impressions. A more thorough review with extended daily use will follow. Still, there is enough here to give you a useful picture of where the F4-425 Pro stands right now. 📋 Just so that you know, Terramaster sent me the F4-425 Plus NAS. The views shared are my own, coming from my experience of using this device. ## The hardware Visually, the F4-425 Pro is identical to the Plus. Same aluminum chassis, same front layout with four HDD bays and a single USB-A port, same rear port arrangement. There is no design refresh here. You cannot distinguish between the two by just looking at them from the outside. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/terramaster-F4-425-Pro-3.webp) Find differences between the two models of F4-425 What changed is the processor primarily. The Plus had an Intel N150 with 4 cores. The Pro moves to the Intel Core 3 N350 with 8 cores and a 7W TDP. The integrated GPU gains 32 execution units versus 16 to 24 on the Plus, which matters for hardware-accelerated transcoding. My unit is the top configuration with the N350 and 16GB DDR5. | Component | F4-425 Pro (this unit) | F4-425 Plus | | ----------- | -------------------------------- | ---------------------------- | | CPU | Intel Core 3 N350, 8-core (7W) | Intel N150, 4-core | | RAM | 16GB DDR5 (single SODIMM slot) | 16GB DDR5 | | GPU (iGPU) | 32 execution units | 16–24 execution units | | HDD Bays | 4× SATA hot-swap | 4× SATA hot-swap | | M.2 Slots | 3× NVMe (PCIe Gen3 x1) | 3× NVMe (PCIe Gen3 x1) | | Max Storage | 152TB (32TB×4 HDD + 8TB×3 NVMe) | 144TB | | LAN | Dual 5GbE | Dual 5GbE | | USB | 3× USB-A + 1× USB-C (all 10Gbps) | 3× USB-A + 1× USB-C (10Gbps) | | OS | TOS 7 | TOS 6 (upgradeable to TOS 7) | | Price | $799.99 | $599.99 | The 8-core upgrade is meaningful for a NAS running multiple Docker containers, simultaneous services, and media transcoding. **There is also a cheaper N305 variant at $699.99 with 8GB less RAM, but given how much a NAS tends to do in parallel, I would lean toward this configuration**. One constraint worth noting is that there is only one SODIMM slot. If you want to upgrade beyond 16GB later, you will need a single module of single-rank DDR5. 📋 I like the fact that Terramaster includes bunch of M2 screws and stickers to label the hard disks. It's a minor thing but worth appreciation. ## First, a discovery that changed how I think about TerraMaster migration Before the hardware rundown, I want to share something I stumbled into during setup that I did not know before and found genuinely useful. Terrmaster's operating system, TOS, does not live on the NAS device itself. There is no onboard eMMC storage. The operating system is installed directly on one of the user-inserted disks. When I moved some of my existing drives from the Plus into the Pro, it booted straight into TOS 6 with my old user credentials already present. The Pro just picked up where the Plus left off because the OS was on the drives, not the device. If that was amusing, the story gets better. I then inserted those same drives into my [ZimaCube Pro](https://itsfoss.com/zimacube-2-review/) as I wanted to format them. And the strangest thing happened. The ZimaCube started presenting itself as a TerraMaster NAS running TOS. The TOS installation on disk was only about 280 MB but that was enough to 'hijack' the boot process. I formatted the SSDs by putting them in my [Terramaster D1 SSD enclosure](https://itsfoss.com/terramaster-d1-ssd-plus-review/) and connecting it to my Ubuntu laptop. I formatted the drives using GParted via my TerraMaster USB DAS, reinserted them in the Pro, and it initialized fresh with TOS 7. 💡 The upside of this design is that NAS migration is much simpler than you might expect. If the NAS unit dies, your OS, configuration, and data all survive on the drives. Move them to a new TerraMaster device and you pick up right where you left off. ## The OS installation experience No, I am not talking about installing an open source NAS OS on the Terramaster F4-425 Pro. I am talking about TOS itself. Since the device doesn't come with on-board storage, the OS is installed when you boot (with fresh hard disks). I used two SSDs to test the NAS. Only SSDs, no HDDs (don't judge me). I think in total, I have 8 SSDs of various size. I started buying them 2 years back when I started exploring homelab setup. My collection of disks would have grown as my interest and devices grew in my homelab but the increased price have put a stop on them for now. From what I see, the SSDs that I bought 2 years ago, cost 2 to 3 times more these days. I'll wait for the prices to come down. ![Waiting for SSD prices to come down](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/waiting-for-ssd-price-to-go-down.webp) Enough of my sob story. So, I used two disks and they were combined into one with TRAID. The TOS 7 was downloaded and installed in 25 minutes or so. ![TNAS initialization](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/Screenshot-From-2026-06-25-17-15-29.webp) Once it is installed, you get the option to create a "super user" locally: ![TNAS user creation](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/tnas-user-creation.webp) And then you get the option to add an email account. You have to provide an email address and you may provide a fake or temporary one and skip verification, I think. However, this email address is used to send notification about certain events like NAS being rebooted, shutdown and more. You can also configure custom notification for when disks are full or they encounter issues. Here's a video of the TNAS OS installation and initilization. It's a raw, unedited video of about 35 minutes. Mostly the first and last few minutes are of interest. You'll notice some errors when I first log in to the TOS. Those errors went away after the reboot. ## Using TOS 7: Improvement on TOS 6, but the "AI-native" label is not justified (yet) TOS 7 is surely an improvement over the previous TOS 6\. The interface is cleaner, navigation is more intuitive, and the storage management tools feel more coherent. The addition of system monitor in the sidebar is a good move and overall, the TOS seems to have a good user interface at first look. ![TOS 7](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/tos-7.webp) The redesign is evident, sepecially if you have used TOS 6 in the past. That said, TerraMaster is marketing TOS 7 as "the world's first AI-native NAS OS" and I think that's more of marketing than actual AI features. ### The "Ai-native" tag needs a lot more work The main AI feature is the inclusion of OpenClaw, which lets you interact with the NAS using natural language. Sounds compelling. But OpenClaw is an orchestration layer, not an AI model itself. It acts as a middleman between you and whatever LLM you connect it to, which could be a cloud service or a local model running on current or another device. The NAS itself is not doing any AI inference. So "AI-native" means "designed to connect to AI", which is a different thing. The idea Terramaster showcased in their TOS7 video was that OpenClaw could be used to manage the NAS more easily by asking the AI to configure a few things instead of doing it all by yourself. If that was the idea, it would have made more sense to include some open source model pretrained data on Terramaster docs or at least have some custom skills added to it (for the lack of good enough GPU for local AI). There is no scope for adding a GPU for more local AI capabilities. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/terramaster-nanoclaw.webp) Nanoclaw needs to be conncted to an LLM first I tried pointing OpenClaw at Ollama running on my ZimaCube Pro. The configuration is not straightforward. There are networking details to sort out and Ollama's API endpoint format matters. It is doable (and I'll revisit this scenario later), but it is not the one-click experience the marketing implies. Of course, OpenClaw can be connected with Claude and other cloud LLMs but then it won't be native, local AI. I also don't have Claude Max plan to connect it to OpenClaw. Personally, I would not trust AI automation with my private data, especially when I plan to use this as my primary local data backup. That said, the idea of including AI assistance is not entirely bad. People are increasingly using AI and they want it built into the tools they already use, rather than switching to a browser tab or a terminal. The other AI feature is in the Photos app. It scans your library to recognize faces, places, and scenes. This is useful but nothing new or revolutionary, it was already there in TOS version 6\. Tools like Immich and PhotoPrism already do this, and they are both open source options you can install on the NAS itself. What would actually differentiate this is something like OCR on scanned documents, which neither Photos nor most self-hosted tools handle well. That opportunity is sitting right there. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/terramaster-tos-photos-ai-feature.webp) Official Terramaster Photos apps has some AI features (that were in TOS 6 too) The AI recognition in Photos is also not enabled by default. You have to go into settings and turn it on manually. Once enabled, it takes a while to process a large library. 📋 To give credit where it is due: TRAID for combining disks of different sizes works well and remains one of TOS' highlights. And Jellyfin had Intel QuickSync hardware transcoding enabled out of the box without any manual configuration on my part, which I appreciated. ### There is a Linux terminal, too TOS 7 provides terminal access to a Linux environment running underneath. I guess this is good for people who do not want to rely on the provided graphical user interface and want to take matters into their own hands by using the command line. Now, the Linux environment is Ubuntu. Ubuntu 22.04 specifically. That version reaches end of life in April 2027, almost a year from now. For a device just launched in mid-2026 and expected to run for years, shipping with a near-EOL Ubuntu base is not a good move. I would have expected 24.04 at minimum. ![Terramaster Linux terminal](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/terramaster-linux-terminal-1.webp) Another thing is that I could see pending updates in the terminal but it threw a warning when I tried to run apt upgrade. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/terramaster-linux-terminal.webp) I don't know why the screenshot is blurry. Still, you can see the upgrade results in warning Which makes sense to some extent. Terramaster doesn't want you to upgrade the system on your own. Rather, they will provide OTA updates. If you install a package on your own, you can upgrade it with "apt install package\_name" way. And of course, the terminal is at your disposal to configure docker, development tools etc from the command line because a few things are rather easy in the terminal than fiddling around in the GUI menu. ### Easy remote access through Terramaster also has this new feature (I think) calles TNAS.online remote access. So, if you register an account with Terramaster, you can enable remote acces to your NAS device. This makes it easier for you to access data when you are not on your home network. ![Terrmaster remote access](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/terramaster-remote-access.webp) ### Rough edges worth knowing about These are not dealbreakers but they add up and are worth calling out early. I hope Terramaster team reads this and provides software updates to address these issues. **Global search has a scope problem.** TOS 7 has a distinction between your personal space (home directory) and the shared public space. A global search only returns results from your home directory. Files stored elsewhere on the device did not appear. Even files I copied into the home directory did not show up in search results immediately, possibly due to indexing time. But the lack of clear guidance on what the two spaces mean, and which one search actually covers, will confuse new users. **Jellyfin cannot browse subdirectories inside the home directory.** I set up a Movies folder inside my home directory but Jellyfin would not display subdirectories when I tried to add it as a media library. It wanted to use /Volume1/jellyfin by default, which means media gets tied to the application path. If Jellyfin gets uninstalled, the data location becomes a concern. ![Jellyfin path issue](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/jellyfin-path-issue.png) **No keyboard navigation in Photos.** Browsing photos requires mouse clicks throughout. You cannot use arrow keys to move between images in the viewer. The app search bar launched from the top bar also does not dismiss with Escape. These are minor but they signal a UI that was not fully tested for keyboard users. ![Terramaster OS has lack of keyboard shortcuts](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/terramaster-lack-of-keyboard.webp) Would make more sense to navigate through keys rather than mouse clicks **The absurd need to enable apps after each reboot.** Unless Terramaster really want to discourage shutting down the NAS device, I see no reason why an installed application needs to be enabled again after rebooting the device. I noticed it with OpenClaw, Jellyfin and even Terramaster's Photos application. It makes no sense to me. ![Terramaster TOS7 requires applcations to be renamed after each reboot](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/terramaster-app-renenable-1.webp) ## Still excellent hardware wise I liked the previous F4-425 Plus device. This one is not much different other than a (needed) CPU upgrade. It's the same aluminium chasis, same small form factor and the same silent device. Yes, F4-425 Pro is also a 'silent machine'. You'll probably won't notice it running even if it is sitting on your disk and its fan is running. The hybrid model to include 4 HDDs and 3 SSDs is good. It's just that you need to pull out the outer casing to access the SSD compartment. HDDs can be easily accessed from the front. It seems that TOS's software is capable of handling the hot swap. I could not test it for the lack of disks. It measures 181 mm wide, 219 mm deep, and 150 mm tall. Basically a small form factor device that doesn't take much desk space. The USB-C port is still at the back**.** I said this in my F4-425 Plus review, too. The single USB-C port is on the rear of the device. For quick external SSD connections, this is inconvenient for a lazy person like me. ![Terramaster F4-425 Pro from the back](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/terramaster-F4-425-Pro-2.webp) I added around 125 GB of pictures and watched the resource consumption. It remained under 20% CPU and RAM load. Similarly, I streamed a 4K movie in mkv format. The load remained under 10%. So the processor is quite capable here as a NAS and a casual media hub. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/terramaster-f4-425-pro-load-media-streaming.webp) Resource utilization during 4k media streaming I am not a professional and don't really run benchmark tests. Just sharing what I observed as a novice homelabber. ## Verdict: promising hardware, software still maturing ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/terramaster-F4-425-Pro-5.webp) Based on a few days of use, the F4-425 Pro is a capable device with a hardware upgrade that makes sense. The 8-core processor and improved iGPU are relevant improvements for anyone running multiple services. The TOS-on-disk design makes migration genuinely easier than it has any right to be. TOS 7 is a better version of TOS 6 by a clear margin. But the AI features are far from a finished product. OpenClaw requires external configuration to work so the native AI part is not there yet. I will be putting the Pro through more extensive use as a daily driver and sharing a full review a few month later perhaps. There is more to test, including sustained performance under load, RAID behavior with multiple disks (if I can afford them), mobile apps and whether Ollama installed directly on the device makes OpenClaw actually useful. Stay tuned for that. The NAS itself is $799.99 for this configuration. That is the entry point, not the total cost. If you do not already have drives, HDDs and SSDs have increased substantially in price over the past year. Building a usable NAS with populated bays is a meaningfully larger investment than the device price alone suggests. Factor that in before buying. 💡 The device is priced at $799.99 but due to Prime Day sale, it is available for just $639.99\. That saves $160 for you. Official [website link here](https://www.terra-master.com/products/f4-425-pro?ref=itsfoss.com) or the [Amazon link here](https://amzn.to/4w6n0zH?ref=itsfoss.com). If you already have the previous F4-425 model, I don't think you should upgrade just because there is a new model. If you are buying a NAS for the first time or upgrading your NAS for several years, F4-425 Pro is an option worth considering. Sure, the provided operating system may not be to everyone's liking but you can always install a different operating system. The hardware is solid. ### Linux Users Get This For Free! Brave Origin Costs $59.99 For Everyone Else URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/brave-origin-linux/ Last updated: 2026-06-25T04:34:48.000Z Origin is Brave's [stripped-down browser](https://brave.com/blog/brave-origin/?ref=itsfoss.com), built for people who never touch most of what the company packages with [Brave Browser](https://brave.com/download/?ref=itsfoss.com). It drops the AI assistant, the rewards program, the crypto wallet, and the VPN, leaving the ad and tracker blocking in place. Don't let that fool you into thinking that this is some half-baked browser; you still get regular security upgrades, Chromium-specific patches, and general browser updates. Though, for most users, **Brave Origin costs $59.99** for a one-time license purchase for use across Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS. However, people running a Linux distro on their computer **do not have to pay a dime** or sign up for an account. Announcing Origin earlier this month, Brave explained that they: > Built Brave Origin in response to requests from users who wanted to support Brave’s industry-leading work on Web privacy and open-source adblocking, without having to manage or remove features they weren’t interested in using. I wanted to see for myself what Brave Origin was about while also comparing it to their flagship offering. So, would you like to come along as I explore it? 🤓 ## This is what's on offer ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/brave-origin-onboarding-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/brave-origin-onboarding-2.png) The first thing Origin showed me was a choice built right into onboarding; pay for a license to support Brave, or proceed for free since I was on Linux. I went with free, and right after came the usual first-time setup screens. First came the prompt to set it as my default browser. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/brave-origin-onboarding-3.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/brave-origin-onboarding-4.png) Next came the request to import settings from other browsers, offering to pull bookmarks, extensions, and saved passwords over from whatever browser Brave found on the system (*Firefox in my case*). After that came the reporting of crashes or freezes (*aka Stability*) dialog; basically some telemetry that would be sent over to Brave when Origin behaved erratically during use. *Good to see that it was disabled by default.* 😄 ![this picture shows the default search engine on brave origin (brave search) being used to search for youtube](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/brave-origin-default-search-engine.png) Those were the only things asked of me during onboarding, and I started browsing right away. [Brave Search](https://search.brave.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is the default here, same as any other Brave install, though it can be swapped out for something else if you prefer something like *DuckDuckGo* or *Ecosia*. I left it as is during testing, and it held up well. Searching for "*YouTube*" even pulled in recent coverage from high domain authority sites like the BBC and Google's own blog under the news results. ![the brave shields widget is visible in this picture against a youtube video being played in the background](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/brave-origin-brave-shields.png) [Brave Shields](https://brave.com/shields/?ref=itsfoss.com) performed quite well too! It did its job without me needing to configure anything. While playing a video on YouTube, it caught 16 trackers and ads on that one page alone, with fingerprinting protection switched on by default. Nothing about the page felt broken or stripped down because of it either. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/brave-origin-speedometer-test-on-vm.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/vivaldi-speedometer-test.png) **A lean Brave Origin install's* [**Speedometer*](https://browserbench.org/Speedometer3.1/?ref=itsfoss.com) *score on a VM (left), next to a customized Vivaldi install's score on bare metal (right).* I also ran a *Speedometer* test on [BrowserBench](https://browserbench.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), running Origin inside my test setup of an Ubuntu 26.04 LTS virtual machine, and it scored a **23.3** without any extensions or themes installed. For a comparison, I ran the same test on my daily driver Vivaldi installation on Fedora Workstation 44 (non-VM setup), and the score came in at 23.2, close enough to call a tie. While it's tempting to say this proves Origin is incredibly lightweight, Speedometer mostly measures responsiveness of Web applications, where modern virtual machines actually perform nearly as fast as real hardware. Because the two tests ran on entirely different operating systems, the near-tie mostly shows that both browsers handle web code at the same fundamental speed. To truly prove Origin is lighter, I'd need to test them side-by-side on the exact same setup. *I didn't have the chance to do that while working on this piece.* 😅 ## Why not Brave Browser? ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/brave-browser-sidebar-menu.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/brave-origin-sidebar-menu.jpg) **Brave Browser (left) and Brave Origin (right).* Well, the regular Brave Browser already does almost everything Origin does, plus a lot more. Out of the box, it bundles in features like: | Column 1 | Column 2 | | --------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- | | Leo AI | Tor | | News | VPN | | Rewards (*which also brings along Brave Ads*) | Wallet (*plus Web3 domain support*) | | Speedreader | Wayback Machine | | Talk | Web Discovery Project | It also has **an opt-out telemetry system**, which, if skipped, will quietly send back a daily usage ping, crash logs, and P3A analytics in the background. If you use even a couple of those extras, like asking Leo a quick question, the VPN, or the rewards program, stick with regular Brave, since it already does this for free on all platforms. Brave Origin, on the other hand, removes every item on that list, either compiling them out of the build entirely or switching them off by default, depending on how it's installed. Simply speaking, Origin is for people who never touched most of those features and want them gone rather than just tucked away in a menu. It's also for the ones who skipped Brave Browser altogether because of all that extra stuff (*or bloat*). **Running both side by side isn't a problem either**. I ran the standalone Origin install alongside a Brave Browser install during testing, and neither one interfered with the other at any point. ## Installing Brave Origin on Linux There are **two ways to get Brave Origin** running on your Linux computer. The first is installing the standalone app (*we talk about this in detail a bit later*), where a dedicated application is downloaded into your system, and you just launch it to use it. The second method is to **upgrade your existing Brave Browser installation** by going into *Settings > System* and scrolling down to the "*Brave Origin*" entry. Here, you only need to click the "*Proceed with Origin for free on Linux*" button, and the browser switches over to the Origin experience, with the option to manually re-enable any of the disabled features. Switching back to the normal browser doesn't need a reinstallation either. You can do that by disabling the *Brave Origin* flag at `brave://flags`. **Ubuntu** If you already have Brave Browser installed via apt, then you can skip the last step in this section. If not, then you can follow these steps to get Brave Origin. First, you have to ensure that you have cURL installed via the following command: ``` curl --version ``` If it shows an error, run: ``` sudo apt install curl ``` ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/brave-origin-ubuntu-installation-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/brave-origin-ubuntu-installation-2.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/brave-origin-ubuntu-installation-3.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/brave-origin-ubuntu-installation-4.png) Next, you have to add the GPG keyring for Brave's APT repository to your system: ``` sudo curl -fsSLo /usr/share/keyrings/brave-browser-archive-keyring.gpg https://brave-browser-apt-release.s3.brave.com/brave-browser-archive-keyring.gpg ``` Then, you have to add Brave's APT repository to your system's sources list: ``` sudo curl -fsSLo /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-browser-release.sources https://brave-browser-apt-release.s3.brave.com/brave-browser.sources ``` And refresh apt's package index: ``` sudo apt update ``` Now, it is just a matter of installing the browser using: ``` sudo apt install brave-origin ``` **Fedora** On Fedora 41 or later machines with DNF5+ (*non-atomic*), you can run the following commands to get Brave Origin: ``` sudo dnf install dnf-plugins-core ``` ``` sudo dnf config-manager addrepo --from-repofile=https://brave-browser-rpm-release.s3.brave.com/brave-browser.repo ``` ``` sudo dnf install brave-origin ``` **Arch Linux** For Arch Linux and [derivatives](https://itsfoss.com/arch-based-linux-distros/), the way to get Brave Origin is via an [AUR helper](https://itsfoss.com/best-aur-helpers/) like *yay* or *paru*. The [official instructions](https://brave.com/origin/linux/?ref=itsfoss.com) mention how to get it using yay: ``` yay -Sy brave-origin-bin ``` There's also **a cURL command** that handles installation on most Linux distros that goes like: ``` curl -fsS https://dl.brave.com/install.sh | FLAVOR=origin sh ``` **You won't find the source code for Origin** in a separate repository on Brave's [GitHub](https://github.com/brave?ref=itsfoss.com), and that's because there isn't one. Origin is just a stripped-down build of [brave-core](https://github.com/brave/brave-core?ref=itsfoss.com), and doesn't have its own codebase. ### PINE64's Smart Speaker is a Home Assistant Powered Alternative to Amazon Echo URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/pinevoice-smart-speaker/ Last updated: 2026-06-23T15:46:32.000Z [PINE64](https://pine64.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) has been building budget-friendly ARM and RISC-V hardware since 2015, when the original PINE A64 single-board computer launched on Kickstarter. The community-driven outfit has since put out devices like the [PinePhone](https://pine64.org/devices/pinephone/?ref=itsfoss.com), the ROCK series of SBCs, and the Ox64 RISC-V board. And now with the **PineVoice**, they are stepping into the smart speaker space, going the [Home Assistant](https://www.home-assistant.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) way instead of bundling Alexa or Google Assistant. 🚧 PINE64 points out that this device is still in the early stages of development and might have some snafus. ## What does it pack? ![this multi-colored picture shows the box contents of the pinevoice, with the speaker, usb-a to usb-c cable, and a quick start guide](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/pinevoice-box-contents-1.png) Built specifically as a voice satellite (*basically a relay*) for Home Assistant and not a general-purpose smart speaker, the PineVoice's horsepower comes from the [Bouffalo Lab BL606P](https://en.bouffalolab.com/product/?type=detail&id=11&ref=itsfoss.com). Which is a RISC-V SoC that pairs a 480 MHz 64-bit **T-Head C906**, a 320 MHz 32-bit **T-Head E907**, and a 150 MHz 32-bit **T-Head E902** core. For the memory, PINE64 includes **32 MiB of pSRAM** and **788KB of SRAM**, along with **16 MiB of XSPI NOR flash** for storage, and wireless connectivity is handled via **802.11 b/g/n WiFi** and **Bluetooth 5.2** (*BT+BLE*). **Wake word detection runs locally** through [MicroWakeWord](https://github.com/OHF-Voice/micro-wake-word?ref=itsfoss.com), currently using the "*Hey Jarvis*" model from [ESPHome](https://github.com/esphome/micro-wake-word-models?ref=itsfoss.com) instead of routing audio through a cloud server. The firmware speaks the [Wyoming Protocol](https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/wyoming/?ref=itsfoss.com), which is how Home Assistant's voice interface talks to satellite devices like PineVoice. A dual microphone array handles audio capture, a built-in speaker outputs audio with physical buttons for volume, and a hardware switch handles mic mutes. A center LED ring shows what PineVoice is doing at any given moment, and these light patterns are said to replace spoken responses from the speaker for most actions and states. The whole thing measures 65 mm x 65 mm x 66 mm and connects over a single USB-C port that handles both power and data. ## Get one PineVoice is in stock now for **$49.99** at [the Pine Store's community price](https://pine64.com/product/pinevoice-smart-speaker/?ref=itsfoss.com), with a **$59.99** retail price for those buying elsewhere. It ships with a USB-A to USB-C cable in the box (*as shown above*), and PINE64 backs the device with **a 30-day warranty**. Additionally, the source code for PineVoice's firmware can be found on [Codeberg](https://codeberg.org/pine64/pinevoice%5Fsmartspeaker%5Fsdk?ref=itsfoss.com) and the specification sheet on the [documentation portal](https://pine64.org/documentation/PineVoice/Specifications/?ref=itsfoss.com). [PineVoice](https://pine64.com/product/pinevoice-smart-speaker/?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*ArmSoM Sige6 is The First Sige Board to Ditch Rockchip*](https://itsfoss.com/news/armsom-sige6-launched-with-allwinner-soc/) [ArmSoM Sige6 is The First Sige Board to Ditch Rockchip For AllwinnerPowered by the Allwinner A733, the SBC brings a 3 TOPS NPU, Wi-Fi 6, and up to 16 GB of LPDDR5 RAM.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-40bc641d-12f4-4bb3-a761-1c1aa61f16e0.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/armsom-sige6-banner-e8d416e1-50f6-4694-b541-4c2048e36162.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/armsom-sige6-launched-with-allwinner-soc/) ### No More Reboots During Kernel Patching for ARM64 Systems on Ubuntu URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/arm64-livepatching-on-ubuntu/ Last updated: 2026-06-23T12:35:24.000Z Canonical's [Livepatch](https://ubuntu.com/security/livepatch?ref=itsfoss.com) can now patch the Linux kernel on ARM64 systems without forcing a reboot. This has been possible on AMD64 machines for years, but [ARM64](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AArch64?ref=itsfoss.com) users had no equivalent option until now. It is available for users on **Ubuntu 26.04 LTS** and **Ubuntu Core 26**, and if this sounds familiar, that's because Canonical has already talked about this before. The first time was when the [Ubuntu 26.04 release](https://canonical.com/blog/canonical-releases-ubuntu-26-04-lts-resolute-raccoon?ref=itsfoss.com) was out, back in April, and the second instance was when [Ubuntu Core 26](https://canonical.com/blog/canonical-launches-ubuntu-core-26?ref=itsfoss.com) arrived. We are covering this now because they have put out [a dedicated writeup](https://ubuntu.com/blog/canonical-announces-live-kernel-patching-for-arm64?ref=itsfoss.com) explaining the effort that went behind getting this ready. **Work started back in 2023**, where the company ran a gap analysis (*a study of what's missing*) on what ARM64 needed to support live kernel patching, and the results weren't very encouraging. The issue was that the upstream ARM64 kernel lacked a stable implementation of [reliable stacktraces](https://docs.kernel.org/livepatch/reliable-stacktrace.html?ref=itsfoss.com), a feature livepatching depends on to know when it's safe to swap code in a running kernel. The compiler toolchain wasn't ready either, with *GCC*, *objdump*, and *Kpatch* all missing stable ARM64 support at the time. Work picked up through 2024 and into this year as [Arm](https://www.arm.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) processors became more common in cloud and edge deployments. Upstream kernel maintainers, hardware vendors, and Canonical's own engineers had to step up for closing those gaps. **By late February**, the ARM64 Livepatch client was already applying patches in Canonical's test environments for Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and Ubuntu Core 26. ## Why should you Livepatch? ![the ubuntu pro section in the security center app for ubuntu](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/ubuntu-pro-livepatch-option.png) **Some bug was preventing me from enabling Livepatch on a VM.* Livepatch comes as part of [Ubuntu Pro](https://ubuntu.com/pro?ref=itsfoss.com), Canonical's subscription that bundles security patching, support, and compliance tools all while also covering the kernel by patching critical and high-severity vulnerabilities. You don't need to pay for any of this if you just want to try it out, since Canonical offers Livepatch **free for personal use on up to five machines**. That should cover most home setups and small server fleets without forking over payment details. The real advantage shows up once you are managing more than a handful of machines, because instead of scheduling downtime to patch a kernel vulnerability, Livepatch applies the fix in-memory and **lets administrators decide when each machine gets the update**. It isn't a complete replacement for patching, though, since Livepatch only touches the kernel. **Canonical still recommends rebooting every so often** regardless, because long uptimes pile up memory leaks and other state issues that a livepatch can't clear. None of this really matters if you are a desktop user who restarts their machine fairly regularly, since Livepatch is built for systems where a reboot means real downtime and risk of cost overruns. ### I Finally Tried Niri, The New Way Of Tiling Linux Users Are Going Crazy About URL: https://itsfoss.com/niri-window-manager/ Last updated: 2026-06-23T08:10:36.000Z When I first heard about [Niri](https://niri-wm.github.io/niri/?ref=itsfoss.com)**,** a Rust-powered, scrollable-tiling Wayland compositor with a supposedly different take on window management, I was both skeptical and intrigued. But after a few weeks of daily driving it and pairing it with the [excellent Dank Linux desktop suite](https://itsfoss.com/dank-linux/), I have a lot to say. ## What Exactly Is Niri? ![An overview of Dank Linux Environment with Niri Window Manager](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/0524-002442.webp) [Niri](https://github.com/niri-wm/niri?ref=itsfoss.com) is not your typical tiling window manager. It describes itself as a "scrollable-tiling Wayland compositor," and that one word, *scrollable* changes everything. Traditional tiling WMs like i3 or Sway divide your screen into a fixed grid. Every time you open a new window, all the existing ones get reshuffled and resized. If you have ever lost track of your editor because Firefox decided to squish it into a 200-pixel-wide column, you know exactly how jarring that can be. Niri works differently. Windows are arranged in columns on an infinite horizontal strip that extends to the right. Opening a new window never causes existing windows to resize. You simply scroll sideways to bring other windows into view, much like flipping through pages on a tablet. ![Niri screenshot](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/niri-screenshot.webp) Scrollable tiling example in Niri (screenshot from their GitHub repo) The project is inspired by [PaperWM](https://github.com/paperwm/paperwm?ref=itsfoss.com), a GNOME Shell extension that brings scrollable tiling to GNOME. The motivation behind writing a standalone compositor, rather than another GNOME extension, was to isolate workspaces per monitor properly. With Niri, each display has its own discrete set of workspaces that never bleed into one another. And crucially, it is written entirely in Rust. Which could be a deciding point for some. ## Installing Niri Niri's availability varies across distributions. I found it packaged on Fedora, Arch Linux, and Ubuntu. 💡 I'm using Ubuntu 26.04 VM to test the full Niri window manager experience. For virtualization, I'm using QEMU/KVM along with virt-manager GUI. If you are on Ubuntu, you will need to install it from a custom PPA or build it from source. On Ubuntu 25.10 and above, there is a PPA: ``` sudo add-apt-repository ppa:avengemedia/danklinux sudo add-apt-repository ppa:avengemedia/dms sudo apt install niri dms ``` ![Installing Niri window manager on Ubuntu 26.04](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/Installing-Niri-window-manager-on-Ubuntu-26.04.webp) On Fedora, installation is as simple as: ```bash sudo dnf install niri ``` On Arch: ```bash sudo pacman -Syu niri alacritty dms-shell-niri systemctl --user add-wants niri.service dms ``` ![Launching Niri window manager while staying in the current gnome session](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/Launching-Niri-window-manager-while-staying-in-the-current-gnome-session.webp) Once installed, you can get a first impression of Niri by simply running a command `niri` while staying in the current Gnome or [XFCE session](https://itsfoss.com/install-xfce-desktop-xubuntu/). Later, you can launch Niri from your display manager (login screen). At first boot, you are greeted by a hotkey overlay, a quick cheat sheet of default keybindings that I found genuinely useful. If you prefer to skip it on subsequent launches, a single config line handles that. 0:00 /0:21 1× A glimpse of using Niri Window Manager in Ubuntu 26.04 To get a feel, you can start pressing Alt+T a couple of times. This will open multiple instances of your default terminal emulator, allowing you to navigate different windows by pressing Alt + arrow keys, the Alt+hl Vim binding, or using the mouse scroll button. ## The Scrollable Tiling Experience I discovered the real appeal of Niri only after I stopped trying to use it like a traditional tiling WM. This mental model shift is important. Rather than dividing my screen into regions, I started thinking in terms of a horizontal timeline of work. On the left, my text editor. Scroll right a bit in the terminal. Further right, browser, documentation, another terminal. Each workspace is its own infinite strip, and each monitor has its own independent set of workspaces. It felt a lot like having a very wide desk that you can slide across. In traditional tiling setups, every time I opened a new window, I would mentally recalculate where things had moved. In Niri, nothing moved. What was on the left stayed on the left. New things appeared to the right. Window resizing is still possible. You can adjust column widths and toggle preset sizes with keybindings. Niri also supports floating windows, which can be toggled per window via a keybinding or set as default through window rules. I used floating windows for things like file manager dialogs and calculator apps that feel awkward in a tiled layout. The workspaces are dynamic and arranged vertically (similar to GNOME's workspace model), while windows scroll horizontally within each workspace. It is a two-axis system, and I experienced it as surprisingly intuitive once the initial learning curve passed. ## Configuration Niri uses a KDL-based configuration file, typically located at `~/.config/niri/config.kdl`. [KDL](https://kdl.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a document language similar in spirit to JSON or TOML but with a different syntax. I found it clean and readable, though it is not something every user will be familiar with right away. The configuration is comprehensive. You can define: - Keybindings for almost every action - Window rules to set default sizes, floating state, or opacity per application - Animations for window open/close, workspace switching, and scrolling - Input settings for keyboard, touchpad, and mouse - Output configuration for multi-monitor setups, including scale, mode, and position 💡 When you're exploring Niri, you don't need to define any new configuration. The default configuration options are good to go for most users. There is [dedicated documentation on configuration](https://niri-wm.github.io/niri/Configuration%3A-Introduction.html?ref=itsfoss.com). It walks through the config format with clear examples. Hot-reloading the config works via `niri msg action reload-config`, which makes tweaking much less painful than the "restart and hope" workflow of some other WMs. One area I noted needs third-party tools: bars, notification daemons, and app launchers are not included. Niri is strictly the compositor. You bring your own [Waybar](https://itsfoss.com/waybar-grouped-items/), your own mako or dunst, your own wofi or rofi-wayland. For experienced users, that modularity is a feature. For newcomers, it can feel like a lot to wire up. That is precisely where Dank Linux comes in. ## Enter Dank Linux: Turning Niri Into a Complete Desktop Setting up a full Niri desktop from scratch, including bar, launcher, notifications, and theming, can take hours of configuration. I discovered [Dank Linux](https://danklinux.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) as a project that elegantly solves this problem. Dank Linux is not a distribution. It is a modern desktop suite built primarily around Niri (with also support [Hyprland](https://itsfoss.com/tag/hyprland/), Sway, MangoWC, labwc, and Miracle WM). At its heart is DankMaterialShell (DMS), a complete desktop shell featuring dynamic theming, smooth animations, a spotlight-style launcher, a control center, a system monitor, and beautiful widgets. Getting started is almost embarrassingly easy: ```bash curl -fsSL https://install.danklinux.com | sh ``` ![Turning Niri window manager into a full desktop experience with Dank Linux](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/Turning-Niri-window-manager-into-a-full-desktop-experience-using-Dank-desktop-on-Ubuntu.webp) That single command brings up an interactive installer that handles dependencies, sets up DMS, configures your chosen compositor (I selected Niri), and even lets you pick your preferred terminal from the list: Ghostty, Kitty, or Alacritty. ### Step 1 At first glance, the Dank Linux installer will ask you to choose your favorite window manager. Currently, it provides you with two options, i.e., Niri and Hyprland. Of course, I'll go with Niri this time. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/Choosing-Niri-window-manager-for-Dank-Desktop-1.webp) ### Step 2 Next, choose your default terminal emulator from the list. ![Choose default terminal emulator while setting up Dank Linux environment on Ubuntu](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/Choosing-Ghostty-as-default-terminal-emulator-while-setting-up-Dank-desktop-1.webp) ### Step 3 It will provide you with a dependency check if any additional necessary needs need to be installed. You can toggle your selection for installation with the **Space** key. ![Dependency review of Dank Linux](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/Dependency-review-for-Dank-desktop.webp) ### Step 4 Dank Linux installer will prompt for privilege escalation. I'll go with the **sudo** option. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/Selecting-sudo-as-previlege-escalation-tool-while-setting-up-Dank-Desktop.webp) Dank Linux asking for privilege escalation ### Step 5 The installer will also prompt you to replace the existing Niri config.kdl file. ![Dank Linux Installer prompt of installing dependencies](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/Dank-Linux-installation-in-progress-in-Ubuntu-26.04.webp) ### Step 6 Finally, after the setup is complete, you'll get to see the message saying "Your system is ready" and be provided with a couple of commands to view its logs. ![Screenshot showing successful installation of Dank Linux with Niri ](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/setup-complete-for-Dank-Linux-and-Niri-window-manager.webp) Now, it's time to log out and log back into our new Dank Linux environment. You can even first test the whole setup while staying on the Gnome desktop environment. I tried booting directly into Niri and got stuck on the black screen issue for a couple of days. The issue was that I had been testing it in a VM, and I first needed to enable 3D acceleration in the VM. 💡 Here's a quick troubleshooting tip. Ensure you have 3D acceleration configured on your machine either a physical or a VM. Check niri logs for any message related to /dev/dri. Make sure to set **Listen type** to **None** and tick the checkbox next to **OpenGL** in **Display Spice** options to enable 3D acceleration if you're using QEMU/KVM. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/enable-3D-acceleration-in-a-QEMU-KVM-virtual-machine.webp) To enable 3D acceleration, enable Listen type to None and enable OpenGL in Virt Manager Also, you need to make changes to **Video Virtio**. ![Enable 3D acceleration in Virt Manager for QEMU KVM VM](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/Enable-3D-acceleration-configuration-option-in-Virt-manager-GUI.webp) ## What DankMaterialShell Brings After the installer finished, I experienced one of those rare moments where a Linux desktop setup just *looks good out of the box*. Here is what DMS provides: ### Dynamic Material You Theming Powered by `matugen`DMS extracts a colour palette directly from your wallpaper and applies Material Design 3 colour schemes across the entire desktop, including system applications. Switch your wallpaper, and the whole UI recolors itself. It supports automatic light/dark mode switching too, and I found the color transitions genuinely elegant. ### Dank Dash ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/Dankdash-sidebar.webp) A sidebar dashboard that surfaces media controls, weather, a calendar, and system information at a glance. It is the kind of widget panel that looks like it belongs on a premium Chromebook, not a tiling WM. ### Spotlight Launcher ![Spotlight launcher for Dank Destop Environment on Ubuntu](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/Spotlight-launcher.webp) An application launcher that supports filesystem search and is extensible through plugins. I discovered it launches apps noticeably faster than rofi on the same hardware. ### Settings ![Settings menu in Dank Linux Desktop Environment](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/Control-center-dank-linux.webp) Quick toggles for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, night light, and other system settings. It mirrors the kind of control center you see in macOS or GNOME. ### **System Monitor (Dank** GOP**)** ### ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/system-monitor.webp) System Monitor on Niri and Dank Linux Environment Real-time monitoring of CPU, memory, GPU, disk, and network is presented in a clean overlay that does not require opening a separate terminal window. ### Dank Search (dsearch) 0:00 /0:08 1× Dank search (dsearch) in Dank Linux lets you search filesystems from the launcher Though you need to install it manually, it's a blazingly fast filesystem search tool, available both from the launcher and as a standalone CLI. When using from the launcher, you can use `/` to begin file search. ### Dank Greeter ![Greetd login screen for Dank Linux environment with Niri Window manager](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/greeter.webp) A polished login screen (greetd greeter) that matches the rest of the DMS aesthetic, so the visual consistency starts from the moment you boot. In case you're still getting the default gdm3 login screen or failed to install Greeted at the installation prompt, you can do so with the following command: ``` dms greeter install sudo systemctl start greetd ``` The DMS documentation is well organized and covers compositor-specific setup, keybind configuration through IPC, theming, plugin development, and CLI usage. Running `dms setup` After installation, it generates starter configs for both Niri and your chosen terminal, and `dms doctor` runs a diagnostic if something goes wrong. For Niri specifically, DMS integrates tightly, including IPC-based keybind hooks and compositor blur support. The Niri community maintains a Discord server, and DankMaterialShell has its own subsection there, which I found active and helpful. 🚧 Niri is Wayland-only. If you rely on X11-only applications, you will need XWayland. Niri supports XWayland, but you might face issues with older apps. ## In The End... Niri's scrollable tiling approach solves real friction in the traditional tiling workflow. It gives you a compositor that is both memory-safe (It's Rust afterall) and impressively stable. Paired with Dank Linux's DankMaterialShell, it becomes a complete, visually coherent desktop that can genuinely compete with mainstream desktop environments on aesthetics while leaving them far behind on efficiency. Is it for everyone? Nah! If you are new to Linux desktops, the setup complexity (even with Dank Linux's one-liner) assumes some familiarity. But if you are a tiling WM user who has ever been frustrated by windows jumping around when you open something new, Niri is worth your afternoon or night, depending on whether you are a day or night person. If you liked horizontal scrolling but don't want to go with Niri window manager and Dank Linux together, you can consider two actively maintained projects like [Scroll](https://github.com/dawsers/scroll?ref=itsfoss.com) (a fork of [Sway](https://itsfoss.com/sway-window-manager/) enabling horizontal scrolling) and [PaperWM](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/6099/paperwm/?ref=itsfoss.com), the GNOME Shell extension I mentioned in the beginning. Enjoy the variety in the Linux desktop offering 😸 ### Astra: For All Your High Fidelity Music Needs and Absolute Control URL: https://itsfoss.com/astra-music-player/ Last updated: 2026-06-22T14:01:07.000Z In the general trend of "back to the future past" that we've been experiencing these days, a lot of users want to roll back from the streaming-based consumption services now, days of physical media or digital files that are locally present on their systems (I still miss my iPod). So what do we need again? Physical and/or offline digital media players. At the same time, the technology encoding these files have enhanced exponentially, bringing the need for software that can adequately process all that information. And so, I bring to you [Astra](https://astramusic.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com): an open source music player that can play your high quality, high fidelity audio without breaking a sweat, and show you information about it that you had no idea you wanted. ## First, the Abilities ![Astra Homescreen](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/astra-homescreen.webp) ### Formats Astra is quite versatile, supporting all the major formats natively, which include FLAC, MP3, WAV, OGG, AAC, M4A, OPUS, WMA and AIFF. FLAC, WAV and MP3 are the most common formats that high definition audio is available in. If you wish to play audio of any other format, there's a background FFmpeg net it falls back to support it, so you'll be taken care of, anyway. ### Dolby Atmos "Dolby Atmos" is probably something that you've heard of, it is technology that makes your music sound more three-dimensional, giving it a more surround feel. Astra claims to decode audio made for that even if your hardware doesn't support it. It adapts the audio settings to the output you own. I don't have Doly Atom speakers but I felt that the sound was pretty surround quality. ### Playback Continuity Offline audio players often tend to cross-fade between tracks, or buffer before the next track plays which is really annoying, but Astra deals with that by pre-buffering the next track before the one playing ends. The audio flows the way it was meant to, like how it would on a physical vinyl. A beautiful touch, if you ask me. ## Parametric Equalizer 0:00 /0:11 1× "Parametric EQ" are two words that get every producer's tail wagging. First off, there are presets already that include a flat EQ, vocal focus, bass focus, treble focus and so on. The parametric part is that you can configure the EQ manually with up to 10 bands, which is a lot of control for a music player. Usually something like that is present in a production setup. In any case, the volume of the frequencies are displayed in the background of the EQ panel to help you find your settings even more easily. ## Visualizers Moving on to the most visually engaging (or distracting, take your pick) elements of Astra, it offers three visualizers, each highlighting a different element of the music you're listening to. Each of these visualizers are configurable, with technical settings which you can choose depending on how much your system can handle before it becomes too much to handle. ### Spectrum Analyzer The spectrum analyzer shows the relative volume of the frequencies in the audible range that the song has, which go from 20 Hz to 20000 Hz. In other words, it shows you how loud the bass is on the left of the spectrum, and how loud the treble is on the right. It changes with the audio in real time, being extremely helpful for finding problematic frequencies and creating an equalizer profile. 0:00 /0:09 1× ### Oscilloscope As we know, sound is all made of waves. These waves can be visually depicted as a simple graph, denoting the frequencies, wavelengths and amplitudes. In pure physics terms, all sounds can be made of adding different sorts of sine waves, one of which looks like this: ![What a sine wave looks like](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/image-54.png) If you add enough of them in the right way, you can even make a square wave, which looks like this: ![Square wave](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/image-55.png) So all in all, every sound can be seen visually as this sort of wave, which is made by "superimposing" many sine waves together, and the oscilloscope shows the wave that you're hearing when you play it. As a physics nerd, this is really fun. As a producer, this is really helpful for spotting clipping or distortion and monitoring dynamics. 0:00 /0:09 1× ### Vectorscope The vectorscope shows stereo correlation, meaning it shows how well spread out the audio is. A straight diagonal line means a mono signal, but a diagonal blob means a standard stereo mix. If it is wider or something very abstract, or vivid patterns, it means there are stereo, reverb or phase effects. This helps gauge how well spread out the audio is. 0:00 /0:09 1× ## Interface The interface is quite remnant of an older style that was trying to be futuristic, think GOM Player or some VLC skins. It comes with 5 themes inbuilt, which doesn't change any of the elements, just the color schemes. A little tile on the home page shows a new text every time you start the app, which are sometimes genuinely hilarious, that adds a lot of personality to it. ![Astra interface](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/astra_interface.png) The home, the library, the equalizer, the playlists are all very easily accessible. All the music you add are automatically categorized by album and artist. The favorites and history of the playback are automatically tracked. The bar on the bottom shows the usual name of the track, the seek, volume, and the unusual EQ curve and the technical data such as the bitrate, format and the sampling frequency. It even shows the resources being consumed on top of the window. The interface is a little too low-contrast on the dark mode, however. Combined with the small font, there comes a need for some squinting to see what is where on the window. ### Playback The fullscreen view of the playback is rather pleasing with a clean frequency graphed seek, the information of the track and the lyrics (if enabled). The accent colors of the background are picked up from the album art, making it even more immersive. ![Astra fullscreen playing interface](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/astra_fullscreen.png) Alternatively, or rather oppositely, there's also a mini player that you can use to keep control of your music playback while working on something else. ![Astra miniplayer interface](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/astra_miniplayer-2.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/astra_miniplayer.png) ## Integrations Astra provides the integration of several services to make your life even easier, some of which are: ### Last.fm You can connect your Last.fm account on Astra, where it "scrobbles" (which is Last.fm lingo for tracks and records) your listening history, with the ability to keep up with it right within the app. ### Lyrics The most important thing to me personally, Astra can show you embedded lyrics within a song, which, if missing, will be retrieved from LRCLIB. Synced lyrics are available for most of the fairly known songs, but the interface of the scroll of the lyrics (in the non-fullscreen mode), unlike the rest of the interface of Astra is a little lackluster. But you know, if it ain't broke and all that. ![Lyric integration on Astra](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/astra_lyrics.png) ### Discord You can sync your Discord Rich Presence, showing what you're listening to on your Discord profile along with the cover art. ### Local API You can even play media from any local servers you might have through the local API option, including [Jellyfin](https://jellyfin.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Navidrome](https://www.navidrome.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) media systems. ## Get Astra 🚧 I can see "Claude" as one of the contributors on the GitHub repo which means the software is developed with the help of Claude AI. These days almost every developer uses AI so it's not unusual. Astra is available as an AppImage (don't worry about it being an on Electron framework because that's what Astra is built on anyway, no matter how you install it) for the easiest installation method. Other than that, there is also a .deb package available. [Get Astra](https://github.com/Boof2015/astra?ref=itsfoss.com) 📋 Although working virtually without any problems at all, Astra is still in its beta release phase, so it might break on some systems or throw up some unexpected issues, but fret not as it only gets better. ## Cuing the Outro Astra delivers very well on every single thing it claims. The playback is flawless, the interface is gorgeous, the visualizers are spot on accurate and very helpful and all the configurations available exceed the possibilities even more. It is a little heavy on the resources with everything going on (Claude, make no mistake and optimize the code), but won't break your system (or so do I hope). This is when I find the good old [music players available for Linux](https://itsfoss.com/best-music-players-linux/) a better fit. If you're looking for a cutting-edge, high-performing music player, this might just be the one that will satisfy your needs. Try it out and let yourself drown in the music. Cheers! ### 6 Raspberry Pi Handhelds Worth Exploring (If You Have Money to Spend) URL: https://itsfoss.com/raspberry-pi-handhelds/ Last updated: 2026-06-22T13:01:31.000Z Ever since it first appeared as a credit card-sized computer, the Raspberry Pi has quietly reshaped how we think about cheap, hackable hardware. Its ability to run fully-fledged Linux distros and GPIO pins for wiring up sensors and motors all while being cheap is what drew people in. Of course, [recent hikes](https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/a-new-3gb-raspberry-pi-4-for-83-75-and-more-memory-driven-price-increases/?ref=itsfoss.com) across its lineup have made things harder for tinkerers, but that's the price they have to pay for access to a well-established ecosystem. That ecosystem covers a lot of ground too. Between the standard boards, the [Zero](https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/raspberry-pi-zero/?ref=itsfoss.com) line, and the [Compute Modules](https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/compute-module-5/?ref=itsfoss.com) meant to sit inside custom carrier boards, there is a Pi suited for nearly every kind of project. Makers and small companies have leaned on this range to build all sorts of things, and some of the results barely look like the underlying device anymore. With this list, we will be taking a look at a few handhelds that will make you wonder what more a Raspberry Pi can do. ## The List | Device | Price | Powered By | Status | | ---------------- | ----------------- | ---------------------- | ------------- | | Hackberry Pi CM5 | $158 to $1,049 | Raspberry Pi CM5 | In Stock | | PocketTerm35 | $87.99 to $181.99 | Raspberry Pi 4B / Pi 5 | In Stock | | Pi Slate | $299 to $749 | Raspberry Pi 5 | In Stock | | uConsole | $249 | Raspberry Pi CM4 | Partial Stock | | Cybert. | $199 | Raspberry Pi CM5 | Sold Out | | SpecFive Strike | $434.99 | Raspberry Pi CM4 | Sold Out | ## 1\. Hackberry Pi CM5 ![hackberry pi cm5](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/hackberry-pi-cm5.png) The [Hackberry Pi CM5](https://github.com/ZitaoTech/HackberryPiCM5?ref=itsfoss.com) is an open source handheld built by [Zitao](https://github.com/ZitaoTech?ref=itsfoss.com), an engineering student at the Technical University of Dresden in Germany. At the front sits a 4-inch 720x720 touchscreen, paired with a repurposed BlackBerry keyboard (*Q10, Q20, or 9900 layouts*), and the keys can be remapped through [Vial](https://get.vial.today/?ref=itsfoss.com) if the default mapping does not suit you. Powering it is a [Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5](https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/compute-module-5/?ref=itsfoss.com), running on a quad-core Cortex-A76 chip clocked at 2.4GHz, and a 5000mAh battery keeps it running for roughly five hours on standby or three to four hours of active use. There are two ways to get one. Elecrow sells a barebones kit for [$158](https://www.elecrow.com/hackberrypi-cm5-9900.html?ref=itsfoss.com) to [$168](https://www.elecrow.com/hackberrypi-cm5-q20.html?ref=itsfoss.com), but you will need to source your own Compute Module 5 and put it together yourself. If you want it ready to use, [Carbon Computers](https://carboncomputers.us/products/hackberry-pi-cm5?ref=itsfoss.com) sells a fully assembled version starting at **$449**, with prices climbing to **$1,049** for higher RAM and storage. [Check it Out](https://github.com/ZitaoTech/HackberryPiCM5?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 2\. PocketTerm 35 ![pocketterm 35](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/pocketterm35.png) You will notice further on that most handhelds on this list trade the standard Raspberry Pi board for a Compute Module to save space. The [PocketTerm35](https://www.waveshare.com/pocketterm35.htm?ref=itsfoss.com) is Waveshare's pocketable Linux terminal, built around a full Raspberry Pi 4B or Pi 5. It features a durable 3.5-inch 640x480 display and a 67-key silicone keyboard that can be used for code entry, command execution, and general editing. An [RP2040](https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/rp2040/?ref=itsfoss.com) chip handles input, screen brightness, and volume control. The device itself measures 93.5 x 168.5 x 37mm, with an aluminum faceplate on the front and a plastic cover on the back. Prices on [the Waveshare store](https://www.waveshare.com/pocketterm35.htm?ref=itsfoss.com) start at **$87.99** and go up to **$181.99**. The cheap end is the bare accessory kit, useful if you already have a spare Pi board to drop in. The higher end gets you a fully loaded setup with a Pi 4B or Pi 5, a 64GB card, and a 5000mAh battery. [Check it Out](https://www.waveshare.com/pocketterm35.htm?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 3\. Pi Slate ![pi slate](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/pi-slate.png) The [Pi Slate](https://carboncomputers.us/products/pi-slate?ref=itsfoss.com) is Carbon Computers' take on a portable cybersecurity workstation, built around a [Raspberry Pi 5](https://itsfoss.com/raspberry-pi-5-review/) in a shell slim enough for daily carry. Two integrated antenna mounts sit at the top corners, so GPS, LoRa, or SDR radio modules can be bolted on without modifying the case. The 5-inch touchscreen runs at 1920x720, and below it sits an RGB backlit keyboard with a gyroscopic cursor built in for pointer control. You get a 10,000 mAH battery as well, which is rated for 3 to 5 hours of use. Carbon Computers sells the Pi Slate fully assembled, starting at **$449** for the 2GB/32GB Pi 5 configuration, climbing to **$749** for the 16GB/128GB version with more storage. A barebones kit without the Pi 5 goes for **$299**, and a separate radio kit with GPS, LoRa, and SDR support costs **$149**. [Check it Out](https://carboncomputers.us/products/pi-slate?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 4\. uConsole ![uconsole](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/uconsole.png) The [uConsole](https://www.clockworkpi.com/uconsole?ref=itsfoss.com) does not lock you into one chip. ClockworkPi sells four interchangeable core modules for the same shell, and which one makes sense depends entirely on what you want to do with the thing. The Raspberry Pi CM4 core is the ideal choice for daily use, coding, emulators, and anything that benefits from Raspberry Pi's software support. Complementing that, you get a 5-inch display running at 1280x720, with a 74-key backlit keyboard, a trackball that doubles as a mouse, and a D-pad with four buttons wired in for emulator controls. An optional 4G LTE module adds cellular data, and the whole thing runs on replaceable 18650 Li-Ion batteries rather than a sealed battery pack. Plus, schematics and other design-related files can be found on [GitHub](https://github.com/clockworkpi/uConsole?ref=itsfoss.com). [Check it Out](https://www.clockworkpi.com/uconsole?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 5\. Cybert. ![cybert.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/cybert.png) Cybert. is yet another Carbon Computers offering; this one traces back to a concept called the [MC01](https://www.punkt.ch/blogs/news/behind-the-punkt-mc01-legend?ref=itsfoss.com). Initially, it was built around the [Raspberry Pi CM4](https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/compute-module-4/?ref=itsfoss.com), but later versions added support for the CM5 along with a custom QMK-compatible keyboard and a BlackBerry touch sensor for a cursor. The handheld is now at v3.2, powered by a CM5, offering two additional USB 3.0 ports along with a standard M.2 SATA slot for adding things like an SSD, AI accelerator, LoRa, or a 4G LTE module. For the display, it features a 4-inch 720x720 touchscreen and has wide Linux distro support, ranging from Raspberry Pi OS, Kali Linux, to other popular distros. It is sold as a bare PCB and case, **not a finished device**, priced at **$199** when in stock. You will need to source your own Compute Module, the display, a LiPo battery, and even a BlackBerry 9900 touch sensor separately to finish the build. [Check it Out](https://carboncomputers.us/products/cybert-cm5?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 6\. Strike ![specfivestrike](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/specfive-strike.png) This handheld has a built-in SX1262 LoRa radio, letting you join [Meshtastic](https://meshtastic.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) mesh networks and talk to [ATAK](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android%5FTeam%5FAwareness%5FKit?ref=itsfoss.com), the tactical mapping software used by military and first responder teams. None of the other handhelds on this list have a radio like this built-in. A Compute Module 4 sits inside, powering it all, with a 4.3-inch touchscreen and a QWERTY keyboard for tackling daily use, and GPIO, I2C, and SPI headers for anything else you want to wire up. There are two editions on offer; the *Base Edition* ships without an SD card, and you have to manually install an operating system like Raspberry Pi OS, RetroPie, or emteria.OS, while the *Ready Edition* comes preloaded with [Raspberry Pi OS](https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/operating-systems/?ref=itsfoss.com) and Meshtastic already configured. At the time of writing, SpecFive [only listed](https://specfive.com/products/spec5-strike?ref=itsfoss.com) the *Ready Edition* of Strike for **$434.99**, though every color is currently sold out. [Check it Out](https://specfive.com/products/spec5-strike?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*11 Interesting ESP32 Microcontroller Projects*](https://itsfoss.com/esp32-microcontroller-projects/) [11 Interesting ESP32 Microcontroller Projects Beginners Can TryTry your hand at these creative projects!![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-8aecfcc2-94b5-496f-898e-746e28904196.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/simple-esp32-projects-banner-0dcc0613-2d7d-43f1-80fa-e2d1aa03ec59.png)](https://itsfoss.com/esp32-microcontroller-projects/) ### Firefox Can Do All This? 21 Features Most Users Never Touch URL: https://itsfoss.com/firefox-additional-features/ Last updated: 2026-06-21T08:12:33.000Z Firefox is my daily driver, my main browser. I have been using it for years and I also pay attention to the features it adds with new releases. I find it surprising that many people use it just for browsing websites but not utilizing many other features it offers. Trust me, you will be surprised by just how much power and convenience is packed into this browser beyond simple web surfing. From clever productivity hacks to handy built-in tools, it is packed with features that can help enhance your online experience. You don't need to visit third-party websites for several day-to-day tasks. Let me share these "lesser known" (if I may call that) features of my favorite open source browser. 💡 In multiple places, I mention "add item to toolbar". Toolbar can be customized using Menu -> More Tools -> Customize Toolbar. Here, drag and drop items to the toolbar to add them. ## Tab Split View For a long time, the lack of a native split-screen viewing mode was a notable gap in Firefox's feature set. However, modern ultrawide monitor users can now view two tabs simultaneously side-by-side without needing to arrange separate OS windows. While the feature is currently limited to splitting two tabs at once, rather than tiling multiple layouts, the implementation is clean and works exactly as intended. To use it, simply hold CTRL key and click on the two tab titles you want to view together. Right-click either of the selected tabs, and choose Open in Split View from the context menu. Once active, you can easily swap their positions or resize the dividing line to allocate more screen real estate to a specific page. Split tab in Firefox 💡 Firefox-based Zen browser doesn an even more excellent at split tab views as it can have multiple tabs in multiple layouts. ## PDF Viewer and Editor Firefox offers more than just viewing PDF files. It allows annotating PDF documents with tools such as adding highlights, hand-drawings and texts. The browser also enables signing PDF documents and inserting images within PDF files. Editing PDF in Firefox One of its most interesting features is [merging multiple PDF documents directly within the application](https://itsfoss.com/firefox-pdf-merge/). To do this, navigate to the Pages view, click on the Plus button to select additional PDF files. Ensure that the last page of the current document is selected for appending. Once all PDFs are added, save the file to create a merged PDF without relying on external websites. Merge PDF in Firefox This capability makes Firefox an attractive option for [managing and editing PDF documents](https://itsfoss.com/pdf-editors-linux/), as it provides a convenient and accessible way to annotate, sign, and merge files. I mostly use Firefox as the PDF viewer, because it can highlight and comment PDFs, that is accessible everywhere, like inside my Obsidian PDF viewer. ## Built-in Color Picker Web developers and designers frequently spot colors they want to capture while browsing. Having a color picker built directly into the browser eliminates the need for third-party extensions. Firefox includes a native Eyedropper tool that allows you to easily pick colors from any webpage. To access it, open the main Firefox application menu, navigate to More Tools, and select Eyedropper. ![A screenshot showing the Firefox menu. Here, go to More Tools and select Eyedropper.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/firefox-open-eyedropper-from-menu.png) Open Eyedropper from Menu Once activated, your cursor transforms into a magnified circle with a precision pointer at the center, making it easy to isolate specific pixels. Simply hover over the exact color you want to capture and left-click. Firefox will instantly copy the corresponding hexadecimal color code directly to your clipboard. ![A screenshot showing the Eyedropper in action.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/firefox-eyedropper-in-action.png) Eyedropper in action If you find yourself using this tool frequently and want to bypass the menus, you can add the **Developer** item directly to your main Toolbar. ![A screenshot showing the Developer item in the toolbar. Click on it to access the Eyedropper tool with one click.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/eyedropper-from-developer.png) Select Eyedropper from Developer Tool This gives you one-click access to the Eyedropper whenever you need it. ## Screenshot Tool Firefox features a powerful, built-in screenshot tool that removes any need for separate screen-capture extensions or external utilities. To activate it, simply right-click on an empty space within any webpage and select **Take Screenshot**. ![A screenshot showing the Take Screenshot option in right-click menu.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/firefox-take-screenshot-button-from-context-menu.png) Click on Take Screenshot One of the tool's best feature is its ability to intelligently align to individual DOM elements on a page. For instance, if you hover your cursor over an image, a specific text block, or a column, the tool automatically snaps its bounding box to perfectly capture that exact element. Taking screenshot in Firefox Click on the Download button to save that selection as a PNG file. Beyond element snapping, the tool offers great flexibility: - Click and Drag to manually select a specific region of the page. - Save Visible button to capture exactly what is currently shown on your screen. - Save Full Page is the standout capability. It captures the entire webpage from top to bottom, even the portions buried far below the fold. **I absolutely loved the full website screenshot**, which allow us to capture everything all the way to the very bottom of the page. This is best used when you enable Firefox's reading mode. Whenever I find an important article, I usually take a full screenshot in reading mode and then annotate the important parts later! It is such a cool feature. ## Text and Websites Translation Newer versions of Firefox have the capability to translate website contents to your favorite language. While translations cannot always be top notch, as far as I read, those are decent and get the job done well enough. It provides a considerable amount of languages to translate to and from, making it easy to parse international sites. Translating an It's FOSS article from English to Spanish Also, when you go to **Menu -> More Tools -> Translate**, you can translate specific words or sentences of your choice to other languages. ![A screenshot showing custom translations in Firefox.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/custom-translations.png) Custom Translations This is incredibly handy when you don't need the whole page converted but just want to figure out a specific phrase. ## Reading Mode Firefox has a reading mode, which removes most of the distracting components and gives you a nice readable text. It really cleans up the page, stripping out messy blocks and sidebars so you can just focus on the content. Article in Read Mode in Firefox It takes this even further, too! You can adjust the font, the width of the text, and line spacing by using the Text and Layout settings right inside the reading mode. Font and Layout settings in Firefox Read Mode Also, you can set a different reading theme like Sepia, Dark, or Light depending on your environment and what's easiest on your eyes. Theme settings in Firefox Read Mode There is a read it aloud feature as well, which is useful when you want to listen to the article while multitasking. When you are on articles that can be read in a reader mode, a reader mode button appears on the address bar adjacent to the URL of the article. Click on it to enter the reading mode, and simply click on it again when you want to exit. ## AI Summaries AI summaries are helpful when you are in a hurry and want to know what an article is all about without reading the entire piece word for word. ![A screenshot showing an article summary side by side in Firefox.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/firefox-ai-summary.webp) AI Summary [Firefox now includes an AI](https://itsfoss.com/news/mozilla-ai-window-plans/) button that allows you to quickly summarize contents and get AI help right inside your browsing workflow. A major advantage here is flexibility. It lets you choose from and connect to multiple different AI service providers rather than locking you into a single model. ![A screenshot showing the AI sidebar settings and multiple AI service providers.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/select-other-ai-providers.png) Select other AI providers You can sign into your existing accounts with these chat services, which means you can seamlessly access your chat history and previous conversations while you work. ## Link Previews Firefox uses small local models to [create link previews](https://itsfoss.com/news/firefox-ai-link-previews/) and keypoints of links. You can enable this feature in the General Settings under the **Browser** settings section. Once you toggle it on, it will take a few seconds for the initial setup. ![A screenshot showing the Firefox settings where the AI related setting is turned on.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/ai-related-controls-in-firefox.png) AI related Settings You will also see a noticeable increase in memory usage when it's running, which happens because a small model is executing entirely locally on your machine rather than sending your data to a cloud server. Once it is up and running, you can simply left-click and hold on any link for a second to pull up a quick preview of the destination page along with its core keypoints. ![A screenshot showing link preview in Firefox along with a link key points.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/link-preview-in-firefox.png) Link Preview with Key points If you want to tweak how these features behave, there is now a dedicated settings section specifically for AI-related configurations inside the main Firefox Settings menu. ## Tab Group and AI Firefox offers a powerful tab grouping feature to help you manage numerous open tabs efficiently. You can manually create tab groups, for instance, by gathering all "It's FOSS" links into an "It's FOSS" group and assigning it a distinct color. Manually group selected tabs Even more interesting is the AI-powered tab grouping. If you have many tabs open and want to organize them quickly, Firefox's AI can assist with the heavy lifting. To use this feature, right-click on any tab and select the "Add tab to a new group" option. Choose "Suggest more of my tabs". Wait for the AI to analyze your open tabs. If related tabs are found, the AI will present a selectable list. You can then toggle which tabs to include in the group, provide a name for the group, and click "Done" to finalize it. AI powered tab grouping ## Picture in Picture Mode Firefox makes it super easy to watch videos without getting distracted. Picture-in Picture (PiP) mode lets you shrink your video down to a little window that floats on top of everything else. Watching video in Picture-in-Picture mode To turn it on, head to the Firefox settings and look in the "General" section under "Browser". You'll find an option to enable PiP mode there. ![Enable Picture in Picture mode settings in Firefox Browser settings page.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/picture-in-picture-mode-in-firefox.png) Picture-in-Picture Mode Settings You can also choose to automatically switch videos to PiP when you switch tabs. This is handy if you want to keep a video playing while you work on something else. Switch to Picture-in-Picture mode on tab change My personal favorite way to use PiP is during online courses; it keeps the video right there in my view while I code alongside searching documentation in tabs. ## Vertical Sidebar Firefox gives you the option to switch up your tab layout with a handy vertical sidebar. To turn it on, just right-click anywhere on the tab bar and choose "Turn on vertical tabs". ![Enable the vertical tab bar in Firefox browser.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/turn-on-vertical-sidebar.png) Turn on Vertical Sidebar Then, click the settings icon at the bottom of the sidebar. From there, you can customize it to expand and collapse when you hover your mouse over it. ![Hover over to expand and collapse the tab bar in Firefox.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/expand-sidebar-on-hover.png) Expand Sidebar on hover I personally find this layout helps me keep track of a lot more tabs without feeling cramped. Plus, it looks pretty cool! ## Quick Forget To quickly [erase browsing history](https://itsfoss.com/firefox-delete-history/) of a short period, Firefox has a quick solution, **Forget**! You can access this feature by clicking on the **Forget** toolbar item in your browser's toolbar. You have to add it first to the toolbar by customizing the toolbar. From there, you have three options to choose from: - **Forget the last 5 minutes:** Removes your browsing activity from the past 5 minutes. - **Forget the last 2 hours:** Removes your browsing activity from the past 2 hours. - **Forget the last 24 hours:** Removes your browsing activity from the past 24 hours. ![Forget history based on a time span in Firefox.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/forget-history-firefox.png) Quick Forget Keep in mind that once you clear your history, it cannot be undone, and you will be logged out where ever you signed in. ## Browsing History Dashboard The Firefox View dashboard is like a personal history book for your browsing. It gives you more than just a simple list; it lets you see all your recent activity in detail! Here's what you can do with it: - Get a clear view of every site you visited, including tabs from other devices. - Organize your history based on which sites you visit most often or those that are important to you. - Easily remove specific browsing history if you need to clean up your online activity. Per site history in Firefox View These are some of the cool features I use frequently, that make Firefox View a great way to keep your browsing organized and in control! ## Multiple Profiles Firefox natively supports using multiple profiles, which makes it incredibly easy to manage your home and work browsing in completely separate environments. Profiles can be created by going to the main Menu and selecting **Profiles -> New Profile**. From there, you just give the profile a name, select a distinct color theme if you want to visually distinguish it, and click on **Done Editing**. ![A screenshot showing the new profile creation page.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/firefox-profile-creation.png) Profile Creation Creating multiple profiles and switching between them is incredibly seamless with Firefox, allowing you to keep your cookies, history, and extensions completely isolated between your different workflows. ![Switching profiles in Firefox using the Firefox menu.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/switching-profiles-firefox.png) Switching Profiles ## Task Manager With the built-in task manager, you can easily view exactly which tab is consuming your memory, CPU, and other system resources. Being able to sort sites according to these metrics is incredibly useful. Especially when you are running heavy AI tabs and video streams together and need to track down what's lagging your system. ![A screenshot showing the Firefox Task Manager](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/firefox-task-manager.png) Task Manager To pull up the task manager instantly, you can use the keyboard shortcut **Shift + Esc**. It is also available via the main application menu if you prefer using your mouse. ## Copy Link to Highlight A feature that was absent for a long time, Firefox now supports link to highlights! You can select a part of the text on a webpage, right-click on the selection, and select **Copy Link to Highlight**. ![Select "Copy Link to Highlight" option from right-click menu.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/copy-link-to-highlight.png) Open Link to Highlight When you share this link with others, it will take them directly to that exact spot on the page and they can see the highlighted text instantly in the shared article! It's incredibly convenient for pointing people straight to the most relevant information without making them scroll through a massive page. ## Keyboard Based Controls Did you know that there's more to the Firefox address bar than meets the eye? By pressing a few key combinations, you can access a set of powerful actions that can help you customize your browsing experience. To get started, press **CTRL+L** to focus on the address bar. Next, enter `>` and press a space. You'll see that an Actions criteria is enabled. This feature offers several useful actions, including **Open a private window**, **Restart Firefox**, etc. To access these actions, simply use the keys as shown in the table below: | Key Combination | Use case | | --------------- | --------------------------- | | \> space | Opens the Actions interface | | ^ space | History search | | % space | Search among tabs | | \* space | Search among bookmarks | Using various keyboard actions ## Built-in Game Are you looking for a fun way to pass the time while waiting for your internet connection to kick in? You're not alone! Many browsers have hidden games that can keep you entertained. Google Chrome has its popular Dino game, and Microsoft Edge has Surf. But what about Firefox? The answer is yes, Firefox does have a game mode! But it's not as obvious as the others. To find it, follow these steps: Go to **Menu -> More Tools -> Customize Toolbar**. Drag all the items in the bottom of the toolbar to the overflow section. What remains will be the Flexible spacer. Play Game in Firefox And that's when the magic happens! Click on the small game button in the bottom. The interface transforms into a ball game, where you can bounce the ball and have fun. It may not be as flashy as some other games, but it's a cool way to pass the time while waiting for your internet connection to stabilize. ## Experimental Settings Now, let's see some experimental settings. Be cautious when using these, as these are either in experimental stage or cause unexpected issues. ### Get a rounder corner Firefox has an experimental feature that allows you to round off the corners of your browser, giving it a more cohesive look across all devices and operating systems, like GNOME desktop. However, be cautious when using this feature, as it may cause unexpected issues or affect other parts of your system. To enable it, follow these steps: Open Firefox and type `about:config` in the address bar. Press Enter to access the experimental settings page. You'll be warned that changing these settings can have serious implications. So proceed with caution! ![Enter the about config page in Firefox](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/enter-about-config-firefox.png) About Config In the search bar, enter **rounded** and find the setting called `widget.gtk.rounded-bottom-corners.enabled`. Toggle its value to **true** to enable rounded corners. ![Toggle the rounded bottom corner to true in about config settings.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/set-rounded-corner.png) Set Rounded Corner Now, go to **Menu -> More Tools -> Customize Toolbar** and disable the titlebar, as shown below. ![Disable the titlebar in Customize Toolbar settings in Firefox.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/disable-titlebar.png) Disable native titlebar After making this change, close and restart Firefox. ### Customize Keyboard Shortcuts Want to take control of your browsing experience with custom keyboard shortcuts? Firefox allows you to do just that! To get started, open Firefox and type `about:keyboard` in the address bar. This will bring up the experimental page for keyboard shortcut settings. ![Keyboard shortcut settings page in Firefox](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/change-keyboard-shortcuts.png) Change Keyboard Shortcuts From here, you can alter key combinations for actions, remove existing keybindings and make any other changes you like. ## Firefox Labs Want to get a sneak peek at some cutting-edge features before they're widely released? Firefox has a section called "Firefox Labs" right in the settings menu. ![Firefox Labs settings in the settings page.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/firefox-labs-settings.png) Firefox Labs Settings This is where you can experiment with experimental features that are still under development. Don't worry, your usage data isn't automatically shared just for trying these out. It only gets sent if you have **technical and interaction data** turned on in Privacy settings. I'm currently running Firefox 151, and there are a few cool new features I can try. Tab Notes seems really handy, but the List and Timer features are also pretty neat. They remind me of the homepage widgets in Vivaldi. ## Wrapping Up As you can see, Firefox is packed with a surprising number of features that go far beyond basic browsing, making your daily online tasks smoother and more efficient. You don't need to go to Google Translate and copy paste text there. Simple right click works. Need quick screenshot, that' there. PDF reading and editing capabilities are additional blessings. I can go on and on but I have to stop somewhere. So I stop here and I also let you explore [lesser known features of DuckDuckGo search engine](https://itsfoss.com/duckduckgo-easter-eggs/). I have a feeling that if you liked this article, you'll like that one too. And don't forget to share your favorite Firefox feature in the comments below. ### ArmSoM Sige6 is The First Sige Board to Ditch Rockchip For Allwinner URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/armsom-sige6-launched-with-allwinner-soc/ Last updated: 2026-06-20T07:47:19.000Z [ArmSoM](https://www.armsom.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is known for designing and manufacturing development boards and embedded solutions for a range of use cases that range from multimedia and IoT to AI and industrial applications. We have covered a few of their products here at It's FOSS, and they have generally been a good pick so far. Their flagship SBC lineup is the [Sige](https://www.armsom.org/sige?ref=itsfoss.com) series, which has so far shipped with [Rockchip](https://www.rock-chips.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) silicon. The Sige6 is the first to break from that, swapping the Rockchip for an [Allwinner](https://www.allwinnertech.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) chip, targeting use cases like AI inference, edge computing, cloud computing, and mini PC builds. ## 📝 ArmSoM Sige6: Key Specifications ![three views of the armsom sige6 board are shown here, top, back, and side (ports)](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/armsom-sige6-board-view.png) The Sige6 runs on the [Allwinner A733](https://www.cnx-software.com/2024/12/06/allwinner-a733-octa-core-cortex-a76-a55-ai-soc-supports-up-to-16gb-ram-for-android-15-tablets-and-laptops/?ref=itsfoss.com), a 12nm octa-core chip with two Cortex-A76 cores at 2.0 GHz and six Cortex-A55 cores at 1.8 GHz. ArmSoM went with this SoC because they had to tackle [certain pain points](https://www.armsom.org/post/allwinner-a733-deep-dive-why-armsom-chose-this-chip-for-sige6?ref=itsfoss.com). They point to three gaps in the SBC market. Boards either skip AI hardware entirely or bolt it on as a pricey add-on, entry-level and mid-range options are often stuck on older LPDDR4 or DDR3 memory, and the boards that are powerful enough to avoid those pitfalls tend to draw too much power for an always-on setup. The A733 covers all three and then some without cutting down on capability. Moving on to the GPU, it is an [Imagination BXM-4-64 MC1](https://www.imaginationtech.com/product/img-bxm-4-64-mc1/?ref=itsfoss.com), with support for OpenGL ES 3.2, Vulkan 1.3, and OpenCL 3.0, and there's also a **3 TOPS NPU** for AI acceleration workloads. The RAM goes from **2 GB up to 16 GB of LPDDR5**, with **eMMC storage** options of 32 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB. The rest of the specs include: - **VPU (*decode*):** H.265/VP9/AVS2 up to 4K@60fps; H.264 up to 4K@30fps - **VPU (e*ncode*):** H.264/H.265 up to 4K@30fps - **Storage (*extra*):** SPI Flash (*64 Mb to 256*), microSD slot, and M.2 Key M (*PCIe 3.0, 2-lane*) for NVMe SSDs. - **Networking:** 1x Gigabit Ethernet (*PoE via external HAT*), Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, and external antenna connector. - **Video Output:** 1x HDMI 2.0 (*4K@60fps*), 1x 4-lane MIPI DSI - **Camera:** 1x 2-lane + 1x 4-lane MIPI CSI - **USB:** 1x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.1, 1x USB Type-C (*OTG/Power*) - **Audio:** 1x audio jack, 1x HP-OUT - **Expansion:** 40-pin header (*GPIO, UART, SPI, I2C, PWM*) - **OS Support:** Debian, Android 13; Armbian (third-party) - **Dimensions:** 89 mm × 56 mm - **Weight:** 47.2 g With the 3 TOPS NPU and hardware video decoding up to 4K@60fps, **the Sige6 can handle lightweight AI inference at the edge** as well as media server and digital signage workloads. The M.2 slot with PCIe 3.0 gives it room for fast NVMe storage, and the PoE-capable Ethernet port makes it a decent fit for network appliance builds too. Moreover, ArmSoM has also committed to keeping the Sige6 in production through **January 2036**, which is worth noting for anyone deploying it in a long-running setup. ## 🛒 Get the ArmSoM Sige6 You will **have to wait until August** to get your hands on one, when the Sige6 should be available to purchase from the official store and from third-party retailers like Aliexpress and Taobao. For [OEMs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original%5Fequipment%5Fmanufacturer?ref=itsfoss.com) and [ODMs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original%5Fdesign%5Fmanufacturer?ref=itsfoss.com), they will need to get in touch with the company via email at `sales@armsom.org` to procure units. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*ArmSoM Sige7 Review*](https://itsfoss.com/arosom-sige7-review/) [This SBC Puts Raspberry Pi 5 to ShameCheeky headline apart, ArmSom Sige7 is actually a pretty impressive device.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-2206fbd6-0058-4d5a-9bd0-fd494ee74e62.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/armsom-sige7-review-3323ca2a-5c93-4d64-ba24-8d8e3ece4899.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/arosom-sige7-review/) ### Guncrypt is Halfbrick Studio's First PC Game, That Also Works on Linux URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/guncrypt-demo-review/ Last updated: 2026-06-20T06:38:22.000Z [Halfbrick Studios](https://www.halfbrick.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) reached out to us recently, and they were hyped to show off their newest project, [Guncrypt](https://www.guncry.pt/?ref=itsfoss.com), a dungeon crawler built around loading bullets in the right order instead of chasing better gear. *If that name sounds familiar to you, they are the ones behind a string of popular mobile games like Jetpack Joyride, Fruit Ninja, and Dan the Man.* In-game, the weapons system has three guns with over 60 bullet types and 80 relic types that can be combined to change the gameplay according to your playstyle. Load a *Corrosive Shot* right before a *Heavy Shot*, and it lands completely differently than loading the *Heavy Shot* first. Fuse two bullets together for a new combined effect, or rearrange your whole magazine between rooms if your current setup isn't working. **First few minutes of gameplay after finishing the tutorial.* Tarot cards add passive bonuses to your starting loadout between runs, and the Curse Level pushes things further across five tiers once a run stops feeling threatening. All of this plays out across **four procedurally generated floors**, each with its own enemies, hazards, and a boss waiting at the end. ## The demo plays nice ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/guncrypt-demo-intro-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/guncrypt-demo-intro-2.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/guncrypt-demo-intro-3.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/guncrypt-demo-intro-4.png) **Some lore info before we dive in.* I got **the demo version of Guncrypt** up on my Nobara Linux setup, and the game ran without downloading any additional files. So this was simply Steam Play leveraging Proton to get the game running on this non-native config. Anyhow, the opening cutscene sets the stage. The town of Guncrypt used to be a quiet, well-off town, until an evil wizard showed up, cursed it, and stole everyone's souls, leaving the townsfolk busy bickering among themselves to actually act (*sounds like current events* ☠️). *Resulting in the job being handed to the player instead.* ⚔️ ![screenshot that shows a dungeon with the player busy shooting at a stationary target](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/guncrypt-demo-tutorial.png) Then came the tutorial, and it was a curveball since I'm used to *WASD* movement. There's none of that here; instead, I had to hold down left-click and drag to move my gunslinger around while shooting at whatever was in front of him. Once I was in, I interacted with a few NPCs like the *Pirate* and the *Blacksmith*, then I entered a crypt, which immediately showed me the quest list with some quests visible. The main one was to uncover the mystery behind the curse put on by the evil wizard. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/guncrypt-demo-quest-start.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/guncrypt-demo-crypt-fight.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/guncrypt-demo-quest-completion.png) **Starting a run and getting rekt.* I entered a dungeon, where it was straight into combat, dodging enemies while keeping an eye on my reload timer between rooms. At the end of a run that got the best of me, I was shown a scoreboard with info like the floor I died on, the bullets used, and a detailed list of the various scoring criteria. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/guncrypt-demo-spark-bullet.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/guncrypt-demo-new-unlocks-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/guncrypt-demo-new-unlocks-2.png) **A few things that I unlocked.* Bullet pickups work similarly. I ran into three options at one point and picked *Spark*, a 110-damage round that throws lightning on enemies during reload. A bit further in the game, the pirate, "*Plunderin' Pete*" handed me bombs, a useful right-click ability for blowing up enemies and obstacles. ## Release, when? ![a scene from the guncrypt game is shown here, where an old tombstone for someone named dusty sundance is shown, they passed away due to a robot](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/guncrypt-demo-rip-dusty.png) **RIP Dusty, the clanker got ya.* As of writing, Guncrypt **doesn't have a release date or price yet**. The Steam page just lists it as "*Coming soon*." Meanwhile, you could try out [the demo](https://store.steampowered.com/app/4745070/Guncrypt%5FDemo/?ref=itsfoss.com), which ran just fine on my test setup. And, to wrap this up, [a native Linux build is in the works too](https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/06/from-the-fruit-ninja-devs-build-the-perfect-sequence-of-individual-shots-in-the-bullet-hell-guncrypt/?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=they%20told%20GamingOnLinux%20via%20email%20that%20Native%20Linux%20support%20is%20planned%20post-launch.), arriving sometime after the launch. [Check Out Guncrypt (Steam)](https://store.steampowered.com/app/4687020/Guncrypt/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Canonical's New AI Tool Wants You to Talk to Ubuntu Instead of Type URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/myna-ai-speech-to-text-tool/ Last updated: 2026-06-19T11:38:39.000Z In April, Jon Seager of Canonical laid out [the company's plan](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-is-getting-ai/) for handling AI in Ubuntu. The framework split things into two groups, *implicit AI* that quietly improves what you already use and *explicit AI* that are features you'd actually summon on purpose. Back then, Jon gave speech-to-text and text-to-speech as one of the examples of what an implicit feature could look like. Weeks later, one piece of that puzzle has materialized in the form of [Myna](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/introducing-myna-speech-to-text-for-ubuntu-desktop/84251?ref=itsfoss.com). While the tool is early in the development cycle, it is **set to debut with Ubuntu 26.10**, due out in October. ## AI-powered accessibility begins [Jean-Baptiste Lallement](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jean-baptiste-lallement/?ref=itsfoss.com), Canonical's Director of Engineering for Ubuntu Desktop, posted the announcement, saying that voice dictation has become a common feature across modern platforms. For Ubuntu 26.10, the initial version of Myna is expected to be **a desktop dictation tool built around GNOME on Wayland** with a push-to-talk mechanism gatekeeping when your microphone accepts input. Using it means holding a hotkey, speaking, and letting go. A small activity indicator shows while it is listening, and the transcribed text lands wherever the cursor was sitting when dictation started. ## How will it work? ![a complex diagram depicting the system architecture of myna is shown here, i suggest using an ocr tool to understand it](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/myna-system-architecture-diagram.png) **Source: Canonical* Recognition itself happens inside a sandboxed component called the **Canonical Inference Snap**, while a *Speech Orchestrator* manages the session and an *Audio Adapter* handles whatever the microphone picks up, denoising and chunking it before it ever reaches the model. The snap is meant to carry **speech models in three sizes**, *lightweight*, *default*, and *quality*, along with a runtime to match whatever hardware is being used to run Myna. May it be an NVIDIA GPU, an Intel NPU, or just a CPU. And before you yell, "*my data would be sent to cloud servers!*" know that **speech recognition will happen locally**, and an internet connection is not needed once the appropriate model is installed. Moreover, text only appears once it is finalized, so you won't see half-formed words flicker the way some assistants show live captions. The **audio data won't be sticking around** either, being stored in a small in-memory buffer that gets discarded the moment the session ends. Features like dictation into password fields, wake words, continuous listening, voice assistants, voice commands, translation, speaker identification, and automatic language detection are all off the table. ## The fine print None of this is locked in yet. The [GitHub](https://github.com/canonical/myna?ref=itsfoss.com) repository holds nothing more than a license, a README, and a folder for the documentation and architecture specs. And, going by how past features have landed on interim Ubuntu releases, we could see Myna show up in [the daily builds of Ubuntu 26.10](https://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/?ref=itsfoss.com) in the coming weeks. You should also know that Canonical is looking for feedback before the specs for Myna are finalized, especially from people who already rely on dictation or assistive tools on Linux. ### Epic Games Built Its Own Git Alternative For Handling Large Files URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/lore-launched/ Last updated: 2026-06-18T18:05:32.000Z Epic Games used its [State of Unreal 2026](https://www.unrealengine.com/news/state-of-unreal-2026-top-news-from-the-show?ref=itsfoss.com) keynote to announce Lore, an open source version control system the company built in-house and is releasing for free. You see, game and film projects have a workflow where they have to mix source code with large binary files such as build inputs, big data files, and other generated content. The problem is that most existing [version control](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Version%5Fcontrol?ref=itsfoss.com) tools were not built to handle that kind of combination well. [Git](https://git-scm.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) handles large binary files through an add-on called [Git LFS](https://git-lfs.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), rather than treating them as a built-in part of the system. [Perforce](https://www.perforce.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) manages binaries better, but it needs a live connection to its server for routine tasks, and it is a closed, proprietary system that other companies cannot build tools on top of. Epic Games says none of the available systems combine binary handling, offline work, and a fully open specification together, which is why it built its own. **Suggested Read 📖:** [*GitHub Alternatives to Host Your Open Source Projects*](https://itsfoss.com/github-alternatives/) ## How does it work? ![a terminal window screenshot showing the initial config step to get lore vcs up and running on linux](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/lore-linux-terminal-demo.png) Lore keeps a server running as the authority for who can access a project and how conflicts get resolved, but everyday work like saving changes, recording a commit, or switching branches happens entirely on your machine, **without needing an internet connection**. Every piece of content is given a unique fingerprint and stored only once, so identical data is never duplicated across files or branches. It also has a verification system, so the structure of every revision can be checked for tampering or corruption. Large files are broken into smaller pieces, so editing one part of a multi-gigabyte file does not require re-uploading the whole thing. And, by default, your machine only holds the files you are actually using, since Lore pulls down a file's data only when something asks for it. The core library, server, and CLI are **all written in Rust**, with official SDKs for JavaScript, Python, C#, and Go. Everything routes through the same interface, so the CLI is not a special, privileged way of using Lore. Any tool built using the same interface can do everything the CLI does. ## Get started quickly The project has not reached a stable release yet, with [the most recent release](https://github.com/EpicGames/lore/releases?ref=itsfoss.com) being 0.8.3, and Epic Games is warning that interfaces and storage formats could fluctuate from release to release. You do not need to have Rust installed or set up a container to try it out. One install script does the whole process of grabbing the CLI and server binary, dropping them into your PATH, and spinning up a server on your machine. The [official guide](https://epicgames.github.io/lore/tutorials/quickstart/?ref=itsfoss.com) lists the script to get it configured on Linux: ``` curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/EpicGames/lore/main/scripts/install.sh | bash -s -- --demo ``` Beyond that, if you have any questions or are just looking to have a conversation surrounding it, there's a [Discord](https://discord.gg/E4SFJKRPbg?ref=itsfoss.com) server you can join that has people from the development team and the Lore community. ### FOSS Weekly #26.25: AUR Supply Chain Attack, Commodore Phones, SonicDE, Y Server, Kernel 7.1 and More URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-25/ Last updated: 2026-06-18T14:15:14.000Z [Last week I shared something personal](https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-24/) and something I was way too hesitatnt to share. It was the fact that the ad-driven model that kept It's FOSS running for 14 years is breaking down, and that YOUR support is the most direct way to keep this going. The response was overwhelming and I cannot thank you enough to all the well wishers and supports. From what I see, so far 112 readers opted for the [lifetime Plus membership](https://itsfoss.com/lifetime-membership/). Several readers, even existing paid members, [bought coffees](https://ko-fi.com/itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) (a metaphor for donation). Several readers wrote in to share how It's FOSS helped them make the switch to Linux, sometimes years ago, and that it finally felt like the right moment to "give back". Thank you 🙏 There were a few concerns raised as well so let me answer them here for everyone. *"Will It's FOSS continue to publish? Will it survive?"* Fair concern. Here is the thing: the 112 people who joined last week made a real difference. They showed their confidence in It's FOSS, in the work we do and that's a huge confidence booster for me. It shows that there are good people out there who are willing to actively support us and no big tech can take this community support from us. The more Plus member we have, the stronger we become. So, yes, We are not just going to survive, we are going to thrive. Just keep supporting us 💪 *"I already get the newsletter and content for free. What do I actually gain by paying for the Plus membership?"* Honestly, not a lot of extra features. There are a [few eBooks to download](https://itsfoss.com/plus-member-resources/), though. But this is intentional. I never wanted to lock Linux content behind a paywall. The tutorials, the news, this newsletter, they stay free. What the Plus membership does is make sure they stay free, for you and for everyone else too. You are not buying a product for yourself, you are doing it for everyone. For students who canot pay, for someone who has just lost a job, for people who do not even earn $119 in an entire month. The $30 discount on lifetime membership will continue till 25th June. If you have been on the fence, this is the week to get off it. Our goal is to reach 200 lifetime member by the next week. Do help us please. [Get Lifetime Membership, $30 Off](https://itsfoss.com/lifetime-membership/) Not ready for a lifetime commitment? A one-time donation helps too. [Make a one-time donation](https://ko-fi.com/itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) Thank you for 14 years. Let's make it 14 more. 💡 If you made a payment for the LIfetime membership and has not heard from me, please reach out to me (support@itsfoss.com) and share the transaction detail. I have manually enabled it for 97 people. Sent mail to 14 people to clear the confusion about email address. There is at least one Wise payment that has no email address associated and thus no way for me to know who sent it. Please send me an email on support@itsfoss if it was you and share the deatils of the transaction. ## 📰 News That Matter [Linux 7.1](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-7-1-release/) does a lot for a feature release. The new NTFS driver is the main talking point here, but Intel FRED switching to on-by-default and a long-overdue Steam Deck OLED audio fix are worth knowing about too. Another new release this week is [KDE Plasma 6.7](https://itsfoss.com/news/kde-plasma-6-7-release/). There are a few improvements here and there and the two vintage themes make a comeback. With Ubuntu, Fedora, and soon KDE all dropping X11, [yserver is a strange but interesting counter-move](https://itsfoss.com/news/yserver/), arriving as a new X11 server, written in Rust, assisted by Claude. It intentionally drops decades of cruft to focus on what modern desktops actually need. Session, the private messaging service that doesn't require a phone number, has managed to [avoid getting shut down](https://getsession.org/blog/the-future-of-session?ref=itsfoss.com) thanks to the community stepping up and donating the funds required to keep things running. A new open standard called [DocLang](https://itsfoss.com/news/doclang-new-open-document-standard-for-ai/) wants to be the format AI pipelines actually need instead of fighting with PDFs and DOCX files that were designed for human eyes. This vendor-neutral working group has already released v0.6 of the specifications with more work already underway. In contrast, a compromised Fedora contributor account [let an AI agent run loose](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-bug-tracker-infiltrated-by-ai-agent/) across Bugzilla unsupervised, mass-reassigning bugs to the wrong person, closing reports it had no business closing with hallucinated LLM-generated comments. [Commodore and Jolla have joined to create anti-doomscrolling flip smartphone](https://itsfoss.com/news/commodore-callback-8020-launch/). It uses Linux-based Sailfish OS. [Commodore’s New Flip Phone Skips Android for Linux-Based Sailfish OSThe Callback 8020 still runs apps made for Android, btw.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-0b1db005-e55b-4ac2-ac86-865ee5c39711.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/commodore-callback-8020-banner-3e945e75-c75e-48b3-943e-af85908c00fe.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/commodore-callback-8020-launch/) ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About Arch User Repository, the community contributed repo, suffered supply chain attack. Arch had to [shut off new AUR registrations](https://itsfoss.com/news/arch-linux-aur-malware-flood/) after three separate malware waves tore through the community repo in the span of a week. More than 1,500 AUR packages were hit. AUR helper [Yay released a new version with some measures to spot malicious packages](https://itsfoss.com/news/yay-v13-release/). A few lesson from this incident: - It is always better to install packages from official repoistories your distro provides. - If you are erelying on AUR, looking at the PKGBUILD is more important than ever. - There is little end users like you and I can do in case of [supply chain attacks](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/security/what-is-a-supply-chain-attack/?ref=itsfoss.com). It is up to distributions to secure the users. - Supply chain attacks are going to be a bigger problem for the open source ecosystem. No wonder IBM-Red Hat is coming up with a [$5 billion project Lightwall](https://www.ibm.com/products/lightwell?ref=itsfoss.com) for this purpose. [Arch Linux Pulls the Plug on New AUR Registrations After Malware FloodMore than 1,500 AUR packages got hit, and new waves kept coming.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-3c6fbcc1-7528-4cbf-9dcb-fbe09e9ba14f.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/aur-sign-ups-blocked-banner-3fcac39f-0b58-4639-8ffc-bf153ba7ef9e.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/arch-linux-aur-malware-flood/) Proton has launched [Easy Switch for Business](https://proton.me/business/blog/proton-mail-easy-switch-for-business?ref=itsfoss.com), a six-step migration tool that moves a company's emails, calendars, and contacts from Google Workspace to [Proton Mail](https://go.getproton.me/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=37&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=itsfoss.com) (*partner link*) seamlessly. ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings CachyOS swapped out Octopi for [a homegrown Rust package manager called Shelly](https://itsfoss.com/news/shelly-package-manager/), and it looks like a useful upgrade. One window handles repos, AUR, AppImage, and Flathub together; search spans all four at once; and it just looks like something built in 2026. If that doesn't interest you, then we have [a list of GTK themes](https://itsfoss.com/dark-gtk-themes/) that cater to a wide variety of tastes, ranging from the warm retro tones of Gruvbox to the macOS-inspired looks of WhiteSur and McMojave, and even a pitch-black option in Flat Remix for OLED screens. If you use GNOME, explore this [list of GNOME Extensions](https://itsfoss.com/best-gnome-extensions/). Perhaps you will find some good ones for your usecase. And here is the [Dank Linux review](https://itsfoss.com/dank-linux/) I mentioned in the last newsletter but forgot to add the link. [Craving Hyprland But Don’t Want to Configure It? Try Dank LinuxA single cURL command can set you up with a fully themed desktop on top of Hyprland.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-e77f8688-d28d-4d6c-bc6f-08684bfd5044.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/dank-linux-banner-c3b88ad5-b491-4ab8-945b-2570de60374e.png)](https://itsfoss.com/dank-linux/) ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner [Raven Resonance](https://raven.computer/?ref=itsfoss.com) has come up with something they call *an ambient computer*, which can easily be passed off as a smart glass. It is Linux-powered, *not open source*, and is called [Raven Prism](https://itsfoss.com/news/raven-prism-linux-smart-glass/). [Raven Prism is a Linux Computer That Happens To Be A Pair of GlassesThis eye-controlled smart glass is a San Francisco-based startup’s bet on ambient computing.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-2d3f6a4a-62e4-4b8d-bcb3-577836b4c506.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/raven-prism-brand-logo-banner-8aae216b-4efa-405c-8625-3565a0aee184.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/raven-prism-linux-smart-glass/) There's also [a Linux cyberdeck](https://itsfoss.com/news/flipper-one-announcement/) that was in the news recently that you might've missed. ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights Unhappy with KDE ditching X11 on Plasma? There's [a fork](https://itsfoss.com/sonicde-x11-kde-plasma-fork/) that looks to preserve the experience while being init system agnostic. [KDE is Going Wayland Only So This New Project Gives You Plasma With X11SonicDE went from a KWin patchset to a 40-repository desktop environment in a matter of months.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-8c6709c2-9620-4d17-bc4f-4e71ea238017.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/sonicde-banner-5ac7f678-e7fb-4ffe-af6e-e4d31bd0a1d4.png)](https://itsfoss.com/sonicde-x11-kde-plasma-fork/) ## 📽️ Videos for You If you ever feel the need to experience how bad Winslop is, [you can create a bootable USB drive on Linux](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5sAAHMBfvM&ref=itsfoss.com) to get things going. [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip If you are using the [Clipboard Indicator](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/779/clipboard-indicator/?ref=itsfoss.com) extension on GNOME, then you can go into its settings, and under the "*Behaviour*" tab, enable "*Paste on select*." This allows you to automatically paste the selected clipboard item directly into your active text field when you click on it in the clipboard menu. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/access-extension-settings.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/enable-click-to-paste.png) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse Can you name [all the popular file managers](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/popular-file-managers-crossword/) in this crossword? [Popular File Managers: CrosswordSolve the crossword by identifying the popular file managers.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-be74fd15-eade-468b-9dc5-47c26d808334.png)It's FOSSAnkush Das![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/file-managers-quiz-390c3467-b5b5-4b5b-8a45-9bcc89743ac2.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/popular-file-managers-crossword/) I am not complaining, are you? 🧐 ![linux situation nowadays meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/meme9182.png) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: Last time we talked about [Alan Turing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan%5FTuring?ref=itsfoss.com) and his unfortunate passing, but what often gets overlooked is [Tommy Flowers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy%5FFlowers?ref=itsfoss.com)' contribution to building [Colossus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus%5Fcomputer?ref=itsfoss.com). Using 1,800 thermionic valves, his breakthrough dramatically shortened World War II while also proving that vacuum tubes could be reliable, forever changing modern computing history. He did get some recognition in 2023, when [a blue plaque](https://www.porf.co.uk/blue-plaque-honours-tommy-flowers-the-man-behind-alan-turings-computer-revolution/?ref=itsfoss.com) went up at Dollis Hill in London, the former Post Office research site where he built Colossus using mostly spare telephone parts. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: A FOSSer [is looking for pointers](https://itsfoss.community/t/anyone-familiar-with-openindiana-os/15929?ref=itsfoss.com) about an operating system called [OpenIndiana](https://openindiana.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). Have you ever used it? ### After the AUR Malware Flood, Yay v13 Lets You Script Your Own Safety Net URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/yay-v13-release/ Last updated: 2026-06-18T12:38:27.000Z As you might already know, the AUR has been going [through a rough patch](https://itsfoss.com/news/arch-linux-aur-malware-flood/), where more than 1,500 packages were compromised across three separate waves of malware attacks before Arch developers could get a handle on it. [yay](https://jguer.github.io/yay/?ref=itsfoss.com), the most [popular AUR helper for Arch Linux](https://itsfoss.com/best-aur-helpers/), just put out [a release](https://github.com/Jguer/yay/releases/tag/v13.0.0?ref=itsfoss.com) aimed at tackling that mess on the user level, introducing [two new features](https://jguer.space/blog/2026-06-15-yay-v13?ref=itsfoss.com) that make it easier to spot a risky package before you install it and to automate the review work yourself. Let's check it out! 🤓 ## New tools to spot malicious packages ![a terminal window showing the output for the following command: yay -Ss zen-browser](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/yay-v13-pkgbuild-last-modified.png) **The new PKGBUILD last-modified timestamps are visible inside the square brackets.* Search results, the yogurt prompt, and the upgrade menu all carry **a new timestamp** now, showing how long it's been since a package's [PKGBUILD](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/PKGBUILD?ref=itsfoss.com) last changed. This gives you a heads-up on which packages might be worth a closer look before installing. [Jo Guerreiro](https://jguer.space/about?ref=itsfoss.com), the maintainer of yay, clarified that the number by itself doesn't accomplish anything. Something edited last week isn't automatically dangerous, and something untouched for years isn't automatically clean. This is meant to be just one extra signal to weigh before you commit to an install. The other major addition here is support for [Lua-based hooks and configuration](https://jguer.github.io/yay/lua.html?ref=itsfoss.com), letting you script how yay behaves at different points in the install and upgrade flow. You can now drop a file at `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/yay/init.lua`, usually `~/.config/yay/init.lua`, and yay will pull both settings and hooks straight out of it. Leave that file out entirely and nothing Lua-related runs at all. `config.json` doesn't go away either, `init.lua` sits above it and can override what's already there, while flags you pass on the command line take priority over everything else. One of the new hooks, `UpgradeSelect`, kicks in partway through `yay -Syu`, once yay has worked out what needs upgrading but hasn't yet put the package exclusion screen in front of you. Two more hooks come into play before the actual install runs, just later in the sequence than `UpgradeSelect`. `AURPreInstall` triggers right after a PKGBUILD is fetched, early enough to abort an install before you've seen any menus. By the time `makepkg --verifysource` finishes pulling and checking the source, `AURPostDownload` fires, and at that point a script can look at the PKGBUILD next to the actual files it downloaded, still ahead of the install. Beyond those, the v13 release also adds hooks for filtering search results and for taking action once a package finishes installing. The rest of it is mostly cleanup work like restoring missing locale files, and the ALPM executor picks up a proper log callback and a new Debug method. **You can get yay running** on your Arch Linux or Arch-based setup by cloning it from the AUR and building it with makepkg: ``` git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay.git cd yay && makepkg -si ``` ### Commodore's New Flip Phone Skips Android for Linux-Based Sailfish OS URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/commodore-callback-8020-launch/ Last updated: 2026-07-02T03:39:03.000Z A year has passed since [Commodore](https://commodore.net/?ref=itsfoss.com), the computer brand many of you know and love, [came back from the dead](https://itsfoss.com/news/commodore-lives-again/) under new ownership. The comeback is picking up pace too, with a lineup that already includes multiple Commodore 64 Ultimate editions, a C64X PC, and [a licensing program](https://commodore.net/licensing/?ref=itsfoss.com) that invites outside builders to use the name. Now, they have announced **a return to the phone market**, and not in the doomscrolling glass-slab avatar we are all used to, but in a retro, very equippable flip phone format. ## Making Flip Phones Great Again The [Commodore Callback 8020](https://commodore.net/callback/?ref=itsfoss.com) is what comes out when a flip phone skips Android and goes toward a privacy-respecting Linux-based mobile operating system instead. In this case, Jolla's [Sailfish OS](https://sailfishos.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), known for having great Android app compatibility without Google's surveillance baked in. [Jolla](https://jolla.com/?ref=itsfoss.com)'s CEO, Sami Pienimäki, says that it was chosen after Commodore evaluated competing platforms, citing Sailfish OS' design language and stance on privacy as the deciding factors. As for what else it offers in terms of software, **browsers and social media apps are blocked at the system level**, with no toggle to turn the restrictions off. WhatsApp comes preinstalled, and Signal, Telegram, and WeChat are all supported, with iMessage possible through a third-party bridge. Additionally, the official material points out that **over 99% of Android apps are supported**. Users can even control a Commodore 64 Ultimate's LEDs from the Callback 8020, as long as both are on the same Wi-Fi network. ### The Specs ![an illustration that showcases the specifications and internals of the commodore callback 8020](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/commodore-callback-8020-specs.jpg) The polycarbonate-bodied phone is powered by a **MediaTek Helio G81** chip with passive cooling, paired with **4GB of RAM** and **64GB of storage** (*expandable via microSD*), which should be enough for a phone built around doing less rather than more. Flip it up, and you will see **a 3.25-inch IPS display** featuring a 480x640 resolution inside and a 1.77-inch VFD-style screen on the outside. Below the main screen sits **a tactile T9 keypad**, with dedicated *Fn* keys flanking the big Commodore key. Camera duties fall to a 48MP Sony sensor on the back, with autofocus on both the front and rear lenses for video calls. A **removable 1550mAh battery** keeps things running as you use the device. **For connectivity**, you get dual-SIM 4G support with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, hotspot, and GPS capabilities. ## Get Yours ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/commodore-callback-8020-colors.png) The Callback 8020 is being offered in **five colorways**: *ProtoPET White*, *SX Silver*, *BASIC Beige*, *Starlight Edition*, and *Founders Edition*. Swappable back covers and a protective case are sold separately for anyone who wants to change the look of their device later. Pricing starts at **$499** for ProtoPET White, SX Silver, and BASIC Beige. Starlight Edition runs **$549.99**, and the Founders Edition tops out at **$640**. These are discounted [pre-order prices](https://commodore.net/store/callback-8020/?ref=itsfoss.com), and using the code `CHICKENLIPS` at checkout unlocks **an extra $50 off**. Units are set to ship this winter, though Commodore hasn't given a specific date, and the window could easily run into early 2027. [Pre-Order Now](https://commodore.net/store/callback-8020/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### KDE Plasma 6.7 Release Resurrects Two Themes From the KDE 4 Era URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/kde-plasma-6-7-release/ Last updated: 2026-06-18T04:59:40.000Z KDE's [30th anniversary](https://kde.org/anniversaries/30/?ref=itsfoss.com) is closing in on us, and the developers have spent these past few months getting things ready for the occasion, set to take place in October. Two of those things are *Oxygen* and *Air*, two classic Plasma themes from the KDE 4 era that we talked about a few months ago. The X11-free Plasma 6.8 is also due around the same time, barring any delays, of course. But, yeah, that's looking somewhat further into the future. For now, let's focus on the [Plasma 6.7](https://kde.org/announcements/plasma/6/6.7.0/?ref=itsfoss.com) release, which has arrived with those themes as well as a number of upgrades that make the desktop experience more refined than before. 🕊️ This release is dedicated to [Eric Laffoon](https://www.facebook.com/eric.laffoon.2025/), a long-time supporter of KDE who passed away in May. ## 🆕 KDE Plasma 6.7: What's New? ![screenshot that showcases the desktop view of kde plasma on an endeavouros installation, with the app launcher open on the left-hand side with apps like firefox, system settings, dolphin, and spectacle visible](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/kde-plasma-6-7-endeavouros.png) Before we get into the highlights of this release, let's talk about **the various usability and quality-of-life upgrades** that ship with Plasma 6.7. If you use Plasma's virtual keyboard, holding down a key now brings up the special characters tied to it instead of you having to dig through a separate symbols screen. The [Discover](https://apps.kde.org/discover/?ref=itsfoss.com) software center also gets some attention, where the "*Install*" button has been redone to make it clearer and harder to miss, and app listings carry more useful descriptions on each card. Similarly, **the printing workflow has been improved** with a new print queue management tool, the system tray icon for printers now showing the number of print jobs in a queue, and quick connections to shared printers on Windows networks. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/kde-plasma-6-7-vietnamese-lunar-calendar.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/kde-plasma-6-7-dark-mode-toggle.png) Plasma's calendar options grow too, with the Vietnamese lunar calendar joining the other non-Gregorian calendars already on offer. And if you've already set up custom Global Themes for day and night, you can now flip between light and dark instantly via a toggle inside the "*Brightness & Color*" quick settings. Now, for the rest of the changes. 👇 ### Two Classics Make a Comeback **Source: KDE* If you remember, Oxygen and Air both go back to the [KDE 4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KDE%5FPlasma%5F4?ref=itsfoss.com) days, when Oxygen was the default theme starting with KDE 4.0, and Air took over that role once KDE 4.3 arrived. Ahead of their anniversary, a restoration effort led by community contributors looked to bring them back into proper shape. We covered that restoration effort in detail [back in April](https://itsfoss.com/news/kde-plasma-oxygen-air-comeback/), and a good chunk of it has now landed in Plasma 6.7, including reworked panels, a minimized window indicator, new switch designs, and adaptive opacity for both themes. These now ship as full Global Themes too, with light, dark, and twilight variants. The two wallpapers that shipped with KDE 4 (*Air and Horos*) are part of the package as well. ### Per-Screen Virtual Desktops **Source: KDE* Next in line is one of the most sought-after features that has arrived after 21 years of requests. Plasma has had [virtual desktops](https://userbase.kde.org/System%5FSettings/Virtual%5FDesktops?ref=itsfoss.com) for ages, but they were always tied globally across every monitor you had connected. That changes now. You can finally set up separate virtual desktops for each screen, so your laptop display and your external monitor no longer have to share the same set. It might sound like a small change, but anyone running a multi-monitor setup knows how essential this is. Apart from that, switching between virtual desktops got faster too; now you can pull up the *Overview* screen with `Super+W` and with a simple scroll or a tap of *`Page Up`* / *`Page Down`* move between desktops. **Suggested Read 📖:** [*This New Project Gives You Plasma With X11*](https://itsfoss.com/sonicde-x11-kde-plasma-fork/) ### Arrival of Union Plasma's theming has been a fragmented affair behind the scenes, with different toolkits needing different styling approaches. With this release, a new theming system, [Union](https://invent.kde.org/plasma/union/?ref=itsfoss.com), is being introduced that wants to assimilate all of that into one CSS-based system. So Plasma, QtQuick software, and QtWidgets software can pull their looks from the same set of style files instead of three separate ones. In its current state, it is **disabled by default** and only touches the QtQuick side of the stack, arriving here as a tech preview rather than a finished feature. ## 📥 Get KDE Plasma 6.7? Users of Plasma on [rolling release distros](https://itsfoss.com/best-rolling-release-distros/) like Arch Linux or EndeavourOS will be getting this the earliest. If you can't wait or are on a non-Arch distro, then you can [build from source](https://kde.org/info/plasma-6.7.0/?ref=itsfoss.com). [KDE Plasma 6.7 (source)](https://kde.org/info/plasma-6.7.0/?ref=itsfoss.com) On the other hand, if you just want to see how this release performs before committing to it on your main setup, then you could always go for the *User Edition* of [KDE Neon](https://neon.kde.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). --- 💬 *Have you been on KDE Plasma for a long time? How has it been for you?* ### Raven Prism is a Linux Computer That Happens To Be A Pair of Glasses URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/raven-prism-linux-smart-glass/ Last updated: 2026-06-16T18:07:44.000Z Smart glasses have become a real consumer product over the past year, being at the center of some pretty funny brainrot and outdoorsy content. Meta's partnerships with Ray-Ban and Oakley have put [AI-powered glasses](https://www.meta.com/ai-glasses/?ref=itsfoss.com) on faces across global markets, pitching voice-activated AI assistants, integrated cameras, and phone notifications as the selling points. **The privacy record of those products**, however, is extremely disturbing. Meta's AI features push footage from the glasses to their servers for processing, and [an investigation earlier this year](https://www.svd.se/a/K8nrV4/metas-ai-smart-glasses-and-data-privacy-concerns-workers-say-we-see-everything?ref=itsfoss.com) confirmed that human contractors had reviewed people's most intimate moments. Then there's the more recent fiasco, where Meta [was caught sneaking](https://www.wired.com/story/meta-smart-glasses-face-recognition-nametag-connections/?ref=itsfoss.com) face recognition code for its smart glasses onto millions of phones. This quietly laid the groundwork for a system that could match any face the glasses saw against stored biometric signatures. All of that doesn't instill much confidence, but these devices can be useful if the company behind them actually cares about its users rather than harvesting their soul… err, data. There's a new one being launched by a San Francisco-based startup that has some impressive specs, is powered by Linux, and isn't looking to sell user data. 🚧 This is not an open source project. We covered it because the operating system for this is based on Linux. ## Raven Prism: Is This For You? ![a raven prism smart glass is seen at the center of this image sitting on a tree branch stand](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/raven-prism.jpg) Founded by Thomas Suarez, [Raven Resonance](https://raven.computer/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a wearable computing startup with a diverse team of engineers who have experience building wearables, spatial computing, and other electronic gadgets. The Raven Prism is what they call **the world's first ambient computer** rather than a smart glass. I know, I implied that this was a smart glass at the start, because to me it looks like one. It is a standalone Linux computer that can be your everyday prescription (*−4.5 to +4.5 diopters*) or non-prescription eyewear that does not depend upon a smartphone to function. The ambient computing concept, as the company describes it, is technology that is present when you need it and stays out of the way when you don't. In this implementation, a full-color display on the right lens puts information in the wearer's field of view without cutting them off from the world around them. Eye control is the primary input, supplemented by voice and wireless HID peripherals. ![an illustration showing some applications on the raven prism's right lens display](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/raven-prism-software.jpg) **Some use cases** the company points to include hands-free coding agents, reading board schematics mid-build, following a recipe in the kitchen, and keeping sheet music in view while playing an instrument. Powering it is **RavenOS**, the company's own [Linux-based](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-6-0-release/) OS built around gaze-first, hands-free interaction. So yeah, it does not run Android or AOSP, and Raven is already building apps with future spatial environments in mind. The device supports SSH out of the box, can be rooted, and system images are planned for release soon. Moreover, as **a native ARM64 Linux platform**, it can run anything built for that environment, including Unity, web apps, local AI models, and agents. At launch, the Raven Prism is set **to ship with more than 25 apps**, and if you want to build for it, the SDK is live on [GitHub](https://github.com/RavenResonance/raven-framework?ref=itsfoss.com), with a development kit also in the works. ## The Hardware Bits ![this picture shows a person removing a detachable battery pack from the raven prism smart glass](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/raven-prism-removable-battery.jpg) The Raven Resonance team is being tight-lipped about the full specifications of the device but have shared some basic information that gives us an idea of what will be offered. Under the hood is a **quad-core 64-bit ARM processor** running at roughly 1 GHz, with the device available in **2 GB and 4 GB RAM** configurations. It **weighs under 70 grams**, with the weight distribution tailored for all-day wear. The display is **a full-color LCoS waveguide** positioned on the right eye with **a 30-degree diagonal field of view**. Raven describes the viewing experience as comparable to a 16-inch laptop at arm's length. There's also **a camera on the left**, multiple microphones, and **Raven Wings** (*shown above*) as the hot-swappable modular batteries that keep the Prism running throughout the day, with these doubling up as an expansion platform. ## The Privacy-Focused Bits ![this picture shows a person putting on the camera cover over a raven prism smart glass](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/raven-prism-camera-cover.jpg) Before you get worried, Raven Prism will ship with **a physical cover for the camera** that you remove when you want to use it and put back when you don't. There's also "*Beakon*" lights that illuminate when the camera is active, making it visible to both the wearer and anyone nearby. Similarly, eye tracking uses a combination of in-house models and technology from [Pupil Labs](https://pupil-labs.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), but all processing happens on the device. This way, no user data leaves the device without explicit consent from the wearer, and Prism itself **doesn't collect any telemetry by default**, with an opt-in path for people who want to contribute anonymized data. ## Want One? The Raven Resonance team has shared **a tentative base price of $1,499**. Full pricing and availability details will be confirmed at launch, and the device **won't require a wallet-draining subscription to function**. The device is designed and built at the company's California facility and assembled in the United States, with them being fully committed to the right to repair. If you can't wait to check it out, there's currently a public preview happening at [Augmented World Expo 2026](https://www.awexr.com/usa-2026?ref=itsfoss.com) from June 16 to 18, at Booth 1028 in Long Beach, California. The commercial launch is planned for later in 2026, and [their Discord server](https://discord.com/invite/QNT9RHWZqr?ref=itsfoss.com) is where the team will be sharing access details and launch news. ### Arch Linux Pulls the Plug on New AUR Registrations After Malware Flood URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/arch-linux-aur-malware-flood/ Last updated: 2026-06-16T15:57:05.000Z Arch Linux has disabled [new account registrations](https://lists.archlinux.org/archives/list/aur-general@lists.archlinux.org/thread/4JRS73YVTE7JUYHHE3ZDUIHXYHXZ3YQQ/?ref=itsfoss.com) on the Arch User Repository (AUR) as they work to contain a malware campaign that swept through the community package repository last week. The [AUR](https://itsfoss.com/aur-arch-linux/) is where Arch users look in for software that has not made it into the official repositories yet. It is community-run and unsupported, meaning **packages are user-submitted with no safety guarantee** from the Arch team. Over 1,500 packages were hit in the first wave alone, and two more waves followed shortly after developers thought they had it cleaned up. ## What happened? On June 11, Arch developer Jonathan Grotelüschen [opened a dedicated thread](https://lists.archlinux.org/archives/list/aur-general@lists.archlinux.org/thread/FGXPCB3ZVCJIV7FX323SBAX2JHYB7ZS4/?ref=itsfoss.com) on aur-general asking the community to report compromised packages. A formal [news post](https://archlinux.org/news/active-aur-malicious-packages-incident/?ref=itsfoss.com) from Campbell Jones followed the next day, acknowledging "*a high volume of malicious package adoptions and updates*" in the AUR. Community member a821 traced the initial packages to a malicious npm package called [js-digest](https://socket.dev/npm/package/js-digest?ref=itsfoss.com), which was embedded in post-install scripts. Shortly after, koraynilay [ran a broader search](https://lists.archlinux.org/archives/list/aur-general@lists.archlinux.org/message/5FDTMKA54RMWNRHJFUAKXEBAFV5WPDUL/?ref=itsfoss.com) against GitHub's AUR mirror using `js-digest` as the marker and found around 850+ packages that were affected, noting the count was already dropping as devs removed them. By the end of the day, Jonathan [posted](https://lists.archlinux.org/archives/list/aur-general@lists.archlinux.org/message/FCH7TT6IOVT7D477JKSVJALBKADAARSW/?ref=itsfoss.com) that they had deleted all known malicious commits, linking to [a document](https://md.archlinux.org/s/SxbqukK6IA?ref=itsfoss.com) that listed over 1,500 packages. That was not the end of it. On June 13, a821 [flagged a new batch](https://lists.archlinux.org/archives/list/aur-general@lists.archlinux.org/message/NHRO2RT3VRXHQ7O4WQCPTNGNIOQQQAWX/?ref=itsfoss.com) using a different technique. This time, the word "*bun*" was split across string literals as `'b''u''n'` to slip past detection. Around 50 packages were caught in this wave, spanning browser packages, a cluster of `nodejs-*` entries, `plasma6-applets-fancytasks`, a NeoVim plugin, and LibreWolf extensions. A day later, Nicolas Boichat [spotted another batch](https://lists.archlinux.org/archives/list/aur-general@lists.archlinux.org/message/TND7HA2KBQ46OHHUMMIAHKGXZE4WALM6/?ref=itsfoss.com), this one more heavily obfuscated. He caught it using a locally-run Gemma E2B model, with `htbrowser-bin` among the packages he flagged. ## What can you do? Fast-forward to now, Leonidas Spyropoulos of the Arch Linux team [announced on June 15](https://lists.archlinux.org/archives/list/aur-general@lists.archlinux.org/thread/4JRS73YVTE7JUYHHE3ZDUIHXYHXZ3YQQ/?ref=itsfoss.com) that new AUR account registrations had been disabled as they are busy cleaning up the AUR. Another thing to keep in mind is that **the core Arch Linux repositories remain unaffected**, with the malicious commits limited to the AUR. If you suspect malicious packages might've made it onto your system or you just want to be cautious, then the Arch team suggests reviewing every PKGBUILD and install script change before updating, particularly right now. And if anything suspicious does show up, they encourage users to flag it via the aur-general mailing list by replying to the [AUR REPORT THREAD](https://lists.archlinux.org/archives/list/aur-general@lists.archlinux.org/thread/FGXPCB3ZVCJIV7FX323SBAX2JHYB7ZS4/?ref=itsfoss.com) (*also linked earlier*). ### To Make Things Easier, CachyOS Opted for a New GUI Package Manager URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/shelly-package-manager/ Last updated: 2026-06-18T04:59:05.000Z [CachyOS](https://itsfoss.com/news/cachyos/) is a relatively new distribution that has gained mass popularity due to its cutting-edge software and features that focus on performance optimization, finding a very specific niche easily. In its recent updates, CachyOS has changed the default package management system to the [Shelly](https://shellyalpm.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) from [Octopi](https://github.com/aarnt/octopi?ref=itsfoss.com), so obviously, I was bound to check it out. ## What does Shelly offer? To start with, Shelly is a one stop solution to manage packages not only from CachyOS's own repositories, but also [AUR](https://itsfoss.com/aur-arch-linux/), AppImage and Flathub, all at the same place. It also provides quite a nifty clean look that just makes sense, both of which give it a clear edge over Octopi already, which can manage the default repositories and AUR only, and looks a little dated. ### Interface The home page shows recent activity, a package dashboard which displays the number of packages installed through AUR and Flatpak, and the absolute total number of packages on the system. It also shows the percentage of packages which are totally updated, with the available updates on the right side. ![Shelly interface](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/shelly_interface.png) There's a search bar on top which will search through the distribution's repositories, AUR and Flathub all at the same time. If a package is available from multiple sources, Shelly lists them in order of preference, first the distribution's repositories, then AUR and finally Flathub. All the different possible sources are tabbed on the left of the window, which means you can manage the packages from all different sources separately and seamlessly. 🚧 On CachyOS with GNOME even when the system is on dark mode, the app doesn't seem to be. There's no internal option to change it, either. This is what I noticed in my testing. ### Settings The settings keep things to a minimal. There are toggle switches for AUR, Flatpak and AppImage management, as well as for the tray icon. These settings are confirmed on the first start of the application. ![Shelly first start](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/shelly_first-start.png) You can move around the left menu to the top, again with a toggle switch. In the advanced settings, you can enable the "No Confirm" button to slide through the confirmation for the installation, uninstallation or updating of any package. You can also limit the number of parallel downloads, with the default being 10\. There's an interesting option called "Purify Packages" which gets rid of any corrupt packages on the system. ## How well does it work? In most aspects, Shelly works really well. Package management from the distribution's repositories, AUR and Flathub are virtually error-free. Search works really, and so does the installation and uninstallation. AppImage is a little patchy, though. I tried to install balenaEtcher's AppImage and Raspberry Pi's Imager, the former was not installed and embedded into the system menu, but the latter was. ![Shelly post-installation](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/shelly_post-install.png) ## How does it compare to Pamac and Octopi? With the first look itself, the interface, Shelly looks like it is several steps ahead from both Pamac and Octopi. It looks like it belongs on a modern system, is sleek and intuitively accessible unlike the other two. As for the functionality, Pamac and Octopi work reliably well at what they do. Shelly works fairly well, too, while providing more options at the same time, with some aspects being a little troubling, perhaps. ## Final Thoughts The change to Shelly as the default package manager is very promising, it seems to suit CachyOS much better than Octopi in my opinion. It offers a lot of new, interesting features, and delivers on them fairly well. Let us know what you think about this change in the comments. Cheers! 📋 An earlier version of this article called Shelly, a Rust-based tool which was incorrect. It also wrongly stated that CachyOS created this package manager. The article has been corrected and we apologize for these errors. ### Flipper One is a Pocket-sized Linux Cyberdeck URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/flipper-one-announcement/ Last updated: 2026-06-15T15:06:27.000Z Pocket-sized computer tools are the definition of cool, recruiting many people over to the developer side of things, including your humble writer. A project like Flipper One, which is intended to be a device that features the full mainline Linux kernel in a small package with a full range of connectivity, not to be used as a full-fledged computer (not all the time, at least) but rather a cyberdeck that can be used for development, experimentation and last but not the least, pentesting, is such a dream come true. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/image-39.png) With its radical philosophy of complete openness, both in terms of hardware and software, and the ability to do whatever is possible with the hardware on board, it is a project that would have sent my 14 year-old self into a hyperventilating fit. So what exactly can it do? And how do you fit into the picture? That's exactly what we will tell you today. ## Flipper One at a glance Flipper One hasn't been released yet, but there are some ambitious features that have been planned for it. While Flipper Zero was more of an offline access tool, with emphasis on NFC, RFID infrared, UART and so on, Flipper One is intended to be a network connected Linux system. So obviously, we start with: ### Connectivity Flipper One self proclaims as a "Swiss Army knife for IP networks across all OSI layers", which include: - 5G modem - Wi-Fi 6E - Two Gigabit Ethernet ports - Upto 5 Gbps wired connectivity over USB-C Ethernet All this results in Flipper One being usable as anything from a multi-hotspot bridge, an inline Ethernet sniffer, a VPN gateway, or a USB Wi-Fi/Ethernet adapter for another device. ### Hardware The hardware is a particularly interesting aspect of Flipper One, as it is has a completely custom, unique build. We will describe the technical aspects later, focusing first on the build of the device. It has a small monochrome 256x144px display, designed to show all necessary information from the custom software onboard, a touchpad, a 5-button D-pad, a back button, an app-switching button, and 5 buttons used for further navigation to power, edit, run or escape programs, and to view other options. Oh, there's a push-to-talk button as well for a pre-installed offline AI assistant. Fancy, eh? ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/image-36.png) As for the ports, it has the following: - Two USB-C, one multipurpose, one only for power - USB-A - HDMI - Two Ethernet - 3.5mm audio jack - MicroSD card slot - Nano SIM card slot - M.2 expansion module Now finally onto the hardware on board: - A main Rockchip RK3576 chip - A secondary low-powered Raspberry Pi RP2350B MCU - 8 GB RAM - 64 GB internal storage - 7000 mAh battery (tentatively) As an ARM based device, the processing is comparable to the power offered by a Raspberry Pi 5, handling basic operations rather well. ### Software Here's where things get really interesting. The Flipper team intends Flipper One to be able to support the mainline Linux kernel, and has gone to the massive undertaking of having absolutely no proprietary binary blobs in any of their software. This includes the operating systems as well as the firmware. They're building FlipperOS, a layer on top of Debian, which you can do anything to. There's also FlipperCTL, which has been created as a response to full-fledged Linux operating systems being awkward and uncomfortable on small screens. It is, therefore, a UI designed for a screen as small as that, controlled by a D-pad and a few buttons. The idea then, is to wrap utilities like *ping*, *nmap* and *traceroute* into this FlipperCTL interface. ### Abilities Apart from the use cases already mentioned, like as a pentesting tool or a networking agent, it can also be used as a survival desktop or a thin client, using the USB-C port to connect to a monitor. The exact details of the OS haven't been decided yet, but something slick like KDE Plasma with something resourceful like Kali Linux to suit all pentesting needs is the way Flipper is planning to go. It is also being planned as a hacker's TV media box, to be used as a media platform using Kodi or something similar. This would turn any HDMI input taking monitor into your personal media box, a luxury that is quite underrated in situations like a strange hotel room. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/image-38.png) Not to forget, the presence of both a CPU and an MCU is by design, as the intention is to have the device functioning at low power, with the LCD and buttons, even without the main CPU running. Even when Linux is off, the device can run simple programs off of the MCU. ## So what can you do? But where do you come in? Well, the entire device is still under development and needs contributions from anyone who can provide it to be completed. Flipper has made a [Developer Portal for Flipper One](https://docs.flipper.net/one?ref=itsfoss.com), where the entire development process is to be made open. That means half-baked task tracking, documentation, internal discussions, debates and everything. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/image-37.png) You don't need to be a software developer, strictly, you could be a designer, just work on documentation, 3D models, so on and so forth. So, what all can you contribute to? - **Hardware:** PCBs, antennae, chips, processors, connectors and everything in between (literally). - **Mechanics:** Designing, enclosure, plastic/metal parts, mounting parts and so on. - **Linux:** Firmware for the RP2350 microcontroller, relating to practically every component that the software will interact with. - **Interface:** UI/UX design, visuals and graphics. - **Docs:** Documentation, wikis, guides, progress made on the portal itself. - **Testing:** This one you can find out for yourself. ## Conclusion Flipper's team has taken up a humongous task, trying to make this entire project totally open, the hardware design plans, the software blobs barring no small proprietary bits, and has shown courage admitting the need for help finishing the project. The Developer Portal is a great approach, inviting all the people from across the globe to contribute in any way that they possibly can. And with a beautiful passion project such as this? I'm expecting they absolutely will want to. I urge the readers to do that as well, if you have some skill and time to contribute. [Read the whole story from Flipper](https://blog.flipper.net/p/08b02b37-adf5-41ca-9b19-2f6db47909fa/?ref=itsfoss.com) This kind of project instills hope in user-level innovation after long bouts of polished, corporate products and we're all here for it. Let us know what you think of the device in the comments. Cheers! ### KDE is Going Wayland Only So This New Project Gives You Plasma With X11 URL: https://itsfoss.com/sonicde-x11-kde-plasma-fork/ Last updated: 2026-06-16T10:29:50.000Z When KDE announced that [Plasma 6.8 would be dropping the X11 session entirely](https://itsfoss.com/news/kde-plasma-to-drop-x11-support/), not everyone was happy about it. [Wayland](https://wayland.freedesktop.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) has been the default on most major distributions for a while now, but there's still a significant chunk of users with reasons to stay on X11. One such case is of a group of developers who took the code that KDE itself is walking away from and started building an X11-first desktop around it. That project is **SonicDE**. Their goal is to maintain and actively develop the parts of KDE Plasma's X11 stack that are being left behind, while cutting out Wayland dependencies and pushing X11 support forward rather than just holding the line. The work can be traced back to a KWin/X11 patchset called [kwin-x11-improved](https://github.com/guiodic/kwin-x11-improved?ref=itsfoss.com), which was later merged with the full KWin/X11 source by Joseph Crowell in September 2025 under the name "*KDE-Lite*," and rebranded as SonicDE by December. ## SonicDE: X11 Plasma Restored ![many app windows are visible in this screenshot of the dekstop view of sonicde](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/sonicde-desktop-view.jpg) **Image sourced from* [**Joseph Crowell*](https://github.com/josephcrowell?ref=itsfoss.com)**, one of the contributing developers of SonicDE.* It is **a collection of KDE Plasma and KDE Frameworks component forks**, each rebuilt with [X11](https://www.x.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) as the focus. The project now spans [40 repositories on GitHub](https://github.com/orgs/Sonic-DE/repositories?type=all&ref=itsfoss.com), with the team working through the KDE stack and stripping out what's not needed. The most prominent of those is [sonic-win](https://github.com/Sonic-DE/sonic-win?ref=itsfoss.com), a fork of KWin/X11 that handles window management and compositing. It's the most active repository in the project and the one where most of the foundational work is happening. Alongside it are [sonic-workspace](https://github.com/Sonic-DE/sonic-workspace?ref=itsfoss.com), derived from plasma-workspace, and [sonic-desktop-interface](https://github.com/Sonic-DE/sonic-desktop-interface?ref=itsfoss.com), forked from plasma-desktop. The former provides the core environment components, while the latter handles the desktop shell. Together with sonic-win, these three form the backbone of what SonicDE actually is as a desktop. The project covers a lot of ground beyond the core trio of components. For networking, [sonic-network-manager](https://github.com/Sonic-DE/sonic-network-manager?ref=itsfoss.com) is there; [sonic-audio-applet-pulse](https://github.com/Sonic-DE/sonic-audio-applet-pulse?ref=itsfoss.com) covers PulseAudio volume management; [sonic-screenlocker](https://github.com/Sonic-DE/sonic-screenlocker?ref=itsfoss.com) takes care of screen locking; sonic-screen manages display configuration; and login sessions are handled by sonic-login-manager. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/sonicde-community-ss-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/sonicde-community-ss-2.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/sonicde-community-ss-3.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/sonicde-community-ss-4.png) **From left to right we have SonicDE on EndeavourOS, Artix Linux, and Vendefoul Wolf.* SonicDE also ships [a Silver theme](https://github.com/Sonic-DE/silver-theme?ref=itsfoss.com), forked from the *Klassy* theming utility for Plasma, alongside a matching [silver-sddm](https://github.com/Sonic-DE/silver-sddm?ref=itsfoss.com) login screen. Together, they give the desktop a consistent look rather than just resembling a stripped-down Plasma install. **What users actually get** is an X11 desktop that behaves the way longtime KDE users expect, while still inheriting improvements from the upstream Plasma components it forks from. And since SonicDE **is being built to be init system agnostic** from the start, it isn't locked to systemd. **BSD support is one of the stated goals too**, so the project is thinking well beyond Linux users. ## Availability of this? It is already packaged for Arch Linux-based distributions, with additional builds available for [Debian](https://www.debian.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), [Devuan](https://www.devuan.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), [Artix Linux](https://artixlinux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), and [Vendefoul Wolf](https://vendefoul-wolf-linux.sourceforge.io/index%5Fen.html?ref=itsfoss.com). The [official website](https://sonicde.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) has the links for the packages for those distros. [SonicDE](https://sonicde.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) Also good to know is that the developers are already packaging SonicDE for **Gentoo**, **NixOS**, **OpenMandriva**, and **FreeBSD**, so keep an eye out on their socials and [GitHub](https://github.com/Sonic-DE?ref=itsfoss.com) page for updates. ### Linux Kernel 7.1 is a Feature Release That Could Be Useful For You URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-7-1-release/ Last updated: 2026-06-15T10:18:48.000Z Following [Linux 7.0](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-7-0-release/) in April and the stable point releases since, Linux 7.1 is now available as a major feature release in the 7.x series. You get a bunch of upgrades with this, ranging from a new NTFS driver that landed after four years of development all the way to a bugfix for a long-standing audio issue on the Steam Deck OLED. And, if you remember [our reporting](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-i486-cpu-support-removal/) from a few months ago, then this release also formally drops i486 CPU support from the kernel build system. ## What's new in this release? ![terminal window that is showing the fastfetch output on an ubuntu 26.04 lts system, the line for kernel is highlighted with a green box and blue arrows, inside it linux 7.1.0-070100-generic is written](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/ubuntu-26-04-running-linux-7-1.png) Intel's Flexible Return and Event Delivery ([FRED](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/content-details/779982/flexible-return-and-event-delivery-fred-specification.html?ref=itsfoss.com)) is **now enabled by default** in Linux, having previously required a manual `fred=on` boot flag. The switch was held back until publicly available hardware could be properly evaluated, and the code has since been tested thoroughly enough to flip from opt-in to opt-out. [Phoronix](https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-7.1-Enabled-Intel-FRED?ref=itsfoss.com) reports that people running Intel Core Ultra Series 3 "*Panther Lake*" should see real gains here, particularly on I/O-heavy workloads like databases, networking applications, and audio processing. The crypto subsystem picks up some [Intel QAT](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/architecture-and-technology/intel-quick-assist-technology-overview.html?ref=itsfoss.com) additions too. For QAT Gen4 and Gen5 hardware, basic Zstd compression offload is now available. The Gen6 version, intended for the *Diamond Rapids* platform, gets a native Zstd implementation covering both compression and decompression. The [amd-pstate](https://docs.kernel.org/admin-guide/pm/amd-pstate.html?ref=itsfoss.com) driver gains CPPC Performance Priority, Dynamic EPP (*Energy Performance Preference*), and Raw EPP with this release for more granular control over power and performance on modern AMD Ryzen and EPYC hardware. Similarly, the [AMDgpu](https://docs.kernel.org/gpu/amdgpu/index.html?ref=itsfoss.com) driver sees several changes this cycle, including SMU 15.0.8 IP support, DCN 4.2 display updates, a new DebugFS interface for monitoring 64-bit PCIe registers, and a fix for a GPU page fault triggering on non-4K page size kernel builds. And, after four years of work, **a new NTFS driver has landed** in the mainline kernel. We covered its development [last December](https://itsfoss.com/news/ntfsplus-becomes-ntfs-linux/), when it was still working its way toward integration. Linus Torvalds called the merge the "*ntfs resurrection*," though he briefly un-pulled the code over a Git structure issue before [accepting a revised pull request](https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=cdd4dc3aebeab43a72ce0bc2b5bab6f0a80b97a5&ref=itsfoss.com). The new driver is available via the⁣ `NTFS_FS` Kconfig switch, and NTFS3 is still around for now. Finally, we have the newly introduced support for **12 new SoCs**, including Qualcomm's **Glymur**, **Mahua**, **Eliza**, and **IPQ5210**, Axis **ARTPEC-9**, Microchip's **LAN9691** and **PIC64GX**, Renesas **RZ/G3L**, NXP **S32N79**, Rockchip's **RV1103B**, and ARM's **Zena** and **Corstone-1000-A320**. ## Should you install this? 📋 It is to get excited about a new kernel release, But [compiling a new kernel](https://itsfoss.com/compile-linux-kernel/) or installing a new one is usually considered intermediate to expert zone. For a regular Linux user, it is better to wait for the distro to provide it, unless you have a compelling reason to get the new kernel early. *It depends*. If something in this release addresses a gap you had with earlier kernels, it's worth the upgrade. You can download the tarball from the [official website](https://www.kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and get started installing it on something like [Ubuntu](https://itsfoss.com/upgrade-linux-kernel-ubuntu/). [Linux Kernel 7.1](https://www.kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) For the rest of us, it depends on the distribution one is using. Not every distro will be providing this release upgrade. Rolling releases like [Arch Linux](https://archlinux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and more frequently updated distros like [Fedora](https://fedoraproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and its derivatives will be picking this up soon. Others on distros like Debian or Linux Mint likely won't see it on their computers. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Proton Drive Now Has a CLI*](https://itsfoss.com/news/proton-drive-cli/) [Good News For Linux Terminal Junkies! Proton Drive Now Has a CLISomething to work with before the GUI client for Linux drops.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-7cba0074-115d-4fa2-a0d2-b67dff2bbf7b.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/proton-drive-cli-banner-4ebacfff-4103-402e-916d-13283f71df71.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/proton-drive-cli/) ### An AI Agent Infiltrated Fedora's Bug Tracker and Wreaked Havoc URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-bug-tracker-infiltrated-by-ai-agent/ Last updated: 2026-06-14T11:53:46.000Z On May 27, Adam Williamson of the [Fedora QA](https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/QA?ref=itsfoss.com) team sent a message to contributor Nathan Giovannini, CC'ing the project's devel and test [mailing lists](https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/devel@lists.fedoraproject.org/thread/SFVETHOYKQAO7KKLEXCK4IBT4WVPRE6F/?ref=itsfoss.com) so everyone could see what had been going on. Adam had been combing through Nathan's [Bugzilla](https://bugzilla.redhat.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) history and found what he described as the work of "*some kind of agentic AI system*," operating unsupervised across both Fedora's bug tracker and several upstream projects. Soon after, Nathan replied, saying his credentials had been compromised and that he had nothing to do with any of it. ## Skynet, is that you? ![a bug report that has a wall of text, followed by a reply that accuses the report of being ai generated](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/ai-agent-bogus-report-fedora-bugzilla.png) **An* [**example*](https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show%5Fbug.cgi?id=2480661&ref=itsfoss.com) *of the AI agent running amok.* The agent had been mass-reassigning Bugzilla reports to Nathan's account, despite him not being the maintainer for any of the affected packages. In Fedora's Bugzilla instance, the assignee is supposed to be whoever can actually resolve the bug downstream, typically the package maintainer. It had also been prematurely closing bugs, where the correct protocol was to mark a bug as `POST` when a fix was proposed upstream but wasn't pushed downstream. The agent was just closing them outright after submitting or merging an upstream patch. Then there were the `NOTABUG` closures. The agent had been shutting bugs in components it had no ownership over, with comments Adam identified as clearly LLM-generated. Some of those comments just restated what the original reporter had already written. Others sounded plausible but were wrong. The fourth problem was the most serious. The agent submitted [an incorrect fix](https://github.com/rhinstaller/anaconda/pull/7074?ref=itsfoss.com) to the Anaconda installer project, and when a maintainer pushed back, it kept firing back LLM-generated responses until the maintainer gave in and merged it. The Anaconda team reverted the PR, but two related pull requests had already shipped in Anaconda 45.5. ## A supply chain problem? This is not a particularly sophisticated attack. A contributor account gets compromised, an AI agent runs through it, and bad code ends up in a release before anyone notices. The damage in this case was caught and cleaned up, but the scenario itself is not hard to replicate. Fedora approved [a policy on AI-assisted contributions](https://communityblog.fedoraproject.org/council-policy-proposal-policy-on-ai-assisted-contributions/?ref=itsfoss.com#comment-7945) last year, placing full accountability on the human contributor and requiring transparency when AI tools are involved. Submitting unreviewed, low-quality machine-generated content is explicitly called out as unacceptable. What played out here was the policy's failure conditions, except it was routed through a stolen account rather than a contributor acting in bad faith, **so the policy had no way to apply**. Open source software sits underneath nearly all modern enterprise infrastructure, which is what makes the supply chain angle worth taking very seriously. IBM and Red Hat announced [Project Lightwell](https://www.ibm.com/products/lightwell?ref=itsfoss.com) in late May as **a $5 billion effort to secure open source supply chains** using AI tooling and a team of over 20,000 engineers. It targets vulnerability remediation across upstream and enterprise environments, from language ecosystems to AI frameworks. However, **it does not address the specific problem of agentic AI operating through hijacked contributor accounts**, but it reflects [where the industry is moving towards](https://itsfoss.com/news/ai-companies-fund-open-source-security/) as AI keeps accelerating both the discovery and exploitation of vulnerabilities. ## Fedora's 2FA problem isn't going away The incident kicked off a debate on the *devel* list that has apparently been sitting unresolved since [the XZ backdoor](https://itsfoss.com/news/xz-utils-backdoor/) in 2024. [Daniel Berrangé](https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/users/0069a4bd73ad4964b68678cd9183d4ba/?ref=itsfoss.com), a Red Hat engineer and long-time Fedora contributor, pointed out that mandatory 2FA had come up after that incident; the only outcome was a soft recommendation that [provenpackagers](https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/fesco/Provenpackager%5Fpolicy/?ref=itsfoss.com) should have it enabled, and nothing has moved since. [Fabio Valentini](https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/users/758eb94885514efca886f72380f5d013/?ref=itsfoss.com) raised a separate issue saying that a lot of this activity happened on *Bugzilla*, which uses its own account system and may not support 2FA at all. Daniel acknowledged that but said it was not a reason to avoid mandating it for the *Fedora Accounts* (FAS), and noted *Bugzilla* may become less relevant if Fedora eventually moves to the issue tracker on *Fedora Forge*. [Michael Catanzaro](https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/users/9bb202b36c2543568ce9013838d98a8e/?ref=itsfoss.com), a GNOME developer, said he uses 2FA everywhere except Fedora, even though his Fedora account is among his most sensitive. The sticking point in his case is that [Kerberos](https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Infrastructure/Kerberos?ref=itsfoss.com) ticket renewal isn't working properly with 2FA in GNOME Online Accounts. **In the end**, seeing that a compromised account got bad code into their repos, the Fedora folks ought to step up their efforts when it comes to mandating 2FA for contributors whose work affects many users. ### There is a New X11 Server, Written in Rust, With the Help of AI URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/yserver/ Last updated: 2026-06-13T04:12:02.000Z If you have been keeping an eye on the display server situation on Linux, you know where things are headed. [Wayland](https://wayland.freedesktop.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is taking over as distros are dropping X11 sessions one by one. So naturally, someone went ahead and built a brand new X11 server from scratch. Developer [Jos Dehaes](https://github.com/joske?ref=itsfoss.com) recently went public with [yserver](https://github.com/joske/yserver?ref=itsfoss.com), a new MIT-licensed X11 display server written entirely in **Rust**. Now, this will either impress you or make you shout "***Clanker!***" but this project was built with significant help from **Claude Code**, Anthropic's AI coding agent. The repo has both a `CLAUDE.md` and an `AGENTS.md` file in plain sight, making this a proper vibe-coded project. ## What is it? Well, yserver isn't aiming to clone [X.Org](https://www.x.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), rather it is **meant to be a practical X11 server for modern Linux** that focuses on what real desktop environments and applications actually need today. Everything that has accumulated over decades and serves no purpose in today's computing environment has been dropped. That includes the DDX driver ABI, multiple X11 screen support, non-TrueColor legacy visuals, indirect GLX, and endian-swapped clients. Under the hood, yserver drives hardware directly through [DRM/KMS](https://docs.kernel.org/gpu/drm-kms.html?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Vulkan](https://www.vulkan.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), skipping the usual middleware layers that sit between the display server and the GPU. This means a more direct path to the hardware with fewer moving parts sitting in the middle. According to the project's documentation, yserver uses [libseat](https://sr.ht/~kennylevinsen/seatd/?ref=itsfoss.com) for seat management, which ensures it can run without root and the core is deliberately single-threaded, resulting in predictable protocol behavior. ## What can it do? 0:00 /0:10 1× [**Compiz*](https://itsfoss.com/compiz/) *running under yserver. Video courtesy of Jos Dehaes.* Currently, yserver can already boot into MATE, Xfce, and Cinnamon sessions, and it has also been tested with [window managers](https://itsfoss.com/best-window-managers/) like FVWM3, e16, and Window Maker. FreeBSD support is on the roadmap, but work on it has not started yet. Hardware coverage is wider than you might expect. In testing, Jos has covered AMD Ryzen and Radeon setups, Intel Kaby Lake iGPU, NVIDIA with the proprietary driver, Snapdragon X1, and Apple M1 and M2 on Asahi Linux. *These were all tested on MATE, Xfce, and Cinnamon configurations, btw.* ## The obvious question Major players in the Linux space like Ubuntu dropped the X11 session in 25.10, Fedora has done away with X11 on its flagship *Workstation* desktop edition, and KDE has already announced [Plasma 6.8 will drop X11 support entirely](https://itsfoss.com/news/kde-plasma-to-drop-x11-support/). So who is yserver for, exactly? Well, there is still a distinct group of users stuck on X11, whether because of legacy desktop environments, specific hardware setups, or workflows that just have not made the jump yet. **And the project itself is very early**. There is one primary contributor, and the security model is incomplete, with [the design documentation](https://github.com/joske/yserver/blob/master/docs/high-level-design.md?ref=itsfoss.com) clearly stating that clients can currently read other clients' windows and global input. Heck, even the name is a placeholder. 😅 So, yserver won't be replacing Wayland or X11 on your computer anytime soon, but it is a nice project to know about, and it also shows us how prevalent [vibe coding](https://itsfoss.com/vibe-coding-tools-linux/) has become, whether you like it or not. *Via:* [Phoronix](https://www.phoronix.com/news/YSERVER-Rust-X11-Server?ref=itsfoss.com) ### FOSS Weekly #26.24: Dank Linux Review, BitWarden Alternative, Mint Tips (And an Important Message) URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-24/ Last updated: 2026-06-11T15:23:19.000Z It's FOSS turns 14 tomorrow. Incidentally, my son turns 1 tomorrow as well. Two milestones the same day call for celebration, right? But there is something important that I wanted to share with you and it relates to the future of It's FOSS. The thing is that [Google Search is gone](https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/19/google-search-as-you-know-it-is-over/?ref=itsfoss.com). Not broken but gone. What replaces it is an AI that reads the web, summarizes it, and hands you the answer directly. No links. No clicks. No visits to the sites that actually wrote the content. This is not a minor update. This is a [structural shift in how the internet works](https://moneywise.com/news/top-stories/google-ai-search-overhaul-content-creators-publishers?ref=itsfoss.com). For the past two decades, a quiet but fair deal powered the open web: you search, you click, we earn a little from ads, and we use that to keep writing. That deal is over. Google now takes our content, serves the answer, and the publisher gets nothing. Not even a visit. Since the launch of ChatGPT, It's FOSS has already lost 80% of its Google search traffic. And it's alarming now. I built It's FOSS because I love Linux and open-source software. Not to get rich. I built it because I wanted a place where people could learn Linux for free, stay informed, and feel part of a community that actually cares about what open-source software means. For years, that worked. Ad revenue kept the lights on. We kept creating informational content that helped Linux users all around the world. That model is now broken, and no tweak to our content strategy will fix it. This is not an algorithm we can optimize around. The big publishers will survive this. They have corporate backing, licensing deals, and investors to absorb the losses. We don't. What we have is you. If It's FOSS has ever helped you, fixed a problem, taught you something new, saved you a frustrating hour, this is the moment to return the favor. You want us to continue for 14 more years, right? Becoming a Plus member keeps this alive: - The newsletter you're reading right now - The tutorials, guides, and news on It's FOSS - A small, independent voice in a world where content is increasingly written by non-humans for non-humans **To mark 14 years of It's FOSS (and my son's first birthday), I'm offering $30 off the lifetime membership this week.** This one-time payment also solidifies the trust you have in It's FOSS and keeps us going in the age of AI slop. [Get Lifetime Membership ($30 off)](https://itsfoss.com/lifetime-membership/) Not in a position to subscribe? A one-time donation helps too. Every contribution, whatever the size, is a vote for keeping It's FOSS alive, keeping the open web alive. [Make a one-time donation](https://ko-fi.com/itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) I've spent years writing about open source because I believe software freedom matters, using a free operating system matters. I still do. But this freedom also needs people willing to sustain the communities that talk about it. I'm asking you to be one of those people. ## 📰 News That Matter Proton has given us some back-to-back updates. There's an [encryption overhaul](https://itsfoss.com/news/proton-drive-encryption-upgrades/) that makes uploads up to 3x faster and downloads up to 2x faster, thanks to a cryptography rewrite. News on how a native GUI client for Linux is in the works, and an official [CLI offering for Drive](https://itsfoss.com/news/proton-drive-cli/) that works on Linux, Windows, and macOS. A lot has landed in the [DocSpace 3.7](https://itsfoss.com/news/onlyoffice-docspace-3-7/) release. You get AI-generated files, DeepSeek, xAI and Google AI support, a complete rework of form filling rooms that now handle PDF creation, room tagging, bulk deletion, and new admin controls. Similarly, Collabora have introduced [CODE 26.04](https://itsfoss.com/news/collabora-code-26-04/), possibly their biggest release yet. It includes AI assistance across all three editors, a reworked document comparison tool in Writer, per-user sheet views in Calc, 14 new spreadsheet functions, and a follow-me presentation mode in Impress. Yeah... AI everywhere. You know what else is everywhere? systemd. Well... almost. [KaOS has decided to distance itself from systemd and opted for dinit instead](https://itsfoss.com/news/kaos-first-dinit-image-release/). ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About ProtonMail is a solid Gmail alternative for privacy-conscious users, but [the absence of canned responses](https://itsfoss.com/opinion/protonmail-canned-response/) is still a daily pain point for me. [The Single Biggest Reason Why ProtonMail is Killing My Productivity6 years of ditching Gmail and I still miss that tiny but handy feature.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-2be1a392-561a-4327-9e8d-1bb690d1286b.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/proton-lacking-feature-1669b99a-1758-41cc-b52f-5eb8cad75fb7.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/opinion/protonmail-canned-response/) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings Man pages are famously dense, but they're also [the most accurate and complete documentation](https://itsfoss.com/linux-man-page-guide/) Linux has. Need to send a large file without uploading it to someone else's server first? [CheezyPizza](https://itsfoss.com/cheezy-pizza/) does it browser to browser over WebRTC, with no account, no size cap, and no middleman. *Not open source software* but [Melia](https://itsfoss.com/melia/) is a new Linux desktop email client that takes privacy seriously in ways most clients don't bother with. Tracking pixels are neutralized, incoming emails are verified against SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, and senders whose display names don't match their addresses get flagged automatically. If you find Linux Mint running slowly, [try disabling animations and window effects](https://itsfoss.com/disable-animations-cinnamon-desktop/). It may improve the performance a yiny bit and tiny bits help when you are struggling with performance. On the contrary, if you have decent hardware, you can [add eye candy to Linux Mint by adding more desktop effects](https://itsfoss.com/linux-mint-window-effects/). ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner Bambu Lab has been on a path to vendor lock-in, and even after outcry from the community over some of its recent moves, they don't seem to be learning anything. Luckily, the open source community knows [how to respond to such predatory behavior](https://itsfoss.com/news/bambuddy-self-hosted-bambu-lab-alternative/). [Bambu Lab Keeps Locking Down, The Community Keeps Building UpAs Bambu Lab tightens its grip on its ecosystem, tools like Bambuddy are giving owners back control of hardware they paid for.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-fcdab1d0-03db-44aa-b224-05c9d866d7be.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/bambuddy-banner-c151681e-f713-4a2d-8e0e-905d5312f616.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/bambuddy-self-hosted-bambu-lab-alternative/) ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights [Dank Linux](https://itsfoss.com/dank-linux/) is in the Arch+Hyprland zone. It gives you a preconfigured Hyprland to enjoy. [Craving Hyprland But Don’t Want to Configure It? Try Dank LinuxA single cURL command can set you up with a fully themed desktop on top of Hyprland.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-52621ab7-0987-423f-af7b-3c1f15de04c5.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/dank-linux-banner-9062ef76-f6c4-4015-9bf8-a6bf2502f685.png)](https://itsfoss.com/dank-linux/) [AliasVault](https://itsfoss.com/aliasvault/) can be a refuge from your escape from Bitwarden, seeing how they have been [pulling off some major moves quietly](https://itsfoss.com/news/bitwarden-quiet-changes/). [AliasVault is The BitWarden Alternative You Didn’t Know You NeededIt is open source, self-hostable, and free. What more do you want?![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-28b82db5-c00a-4447-8b1e-1ce09ca115d7.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/aliasvault-banner-e3d14eaa-6f8f-4aa9-b210-8978c1d61705.png)](https://itsfoss.com/aliasvault/) ## 📽️ Videos for You If you use top to monitor processes in Linux, you ought to know some of its [lesser-known commands](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z2ivTFPXao&ref=itsfoss.com). [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip If you are on a [GNOME](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-tricks-ubuntu/) setup, then you can enable certain user interface settings on the [Resources](https://apps.gnome.org/en/Resources/?ref=itsfoss.com) app to display important usage and hardware-related details in the sidebar at all times. Go into the "*Preferences*" menu via the hamburger button (*looks like three lines*), then under the "General" tab, look for these options and enable them: - Show Usage Details in Sidebar - Show Device Descriptions in Sidebar ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/gnome-resources-settings.png) **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Mission Center vs. Resources*](https://itsfoss.com/comparison/mission-center-vs-resources/) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse There have been many instances of the open source community striking back at projects that locked down. We have [a puzzle](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/community-strikes-back/) that will test your knowledge of such occurrences. [Community Strikes Back \[Puzzle\]Forked it!![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-75e48823-6c39-46f8-9c43-d3deea775d16.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/empire-strikes-back-puzzle-7174e6b1-ee3f-4611-b7d4-5e68fd1e388d.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/community-strikes-back/) Can you help this Arch user? 🤣 ![BTW Arch](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/btw-arch-version.jpeg) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On June 7, 1954, [Alan Turing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan%5FTuring?ref=itsfoss.com), the mathematician who conceived the theoretical blueprint for modern computers and helped crack [Enigma cipher](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enigma%5Fmachine?ref=itsfoss.com) at [Bletchley Park](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bletchley%5FPark?ref=itsfoss.com), reportedly took his own life at age 41. His work helped shorten World War II and laid the foundation for every computer running today. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: A newcomer is asking [which web browsers](https://itsfoss.community/t/which-web-browsers-do-you-use/15897?ref=itsfoss.com) his fellow FOSSers are using. Care to contribute? ### DOCX, PDFs Were Not Built for AI. This New Open Standard Wants to Change That URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/doclang-new-open-document-standard-for-ai/ Last updated: 2026-06-12T03:59:59.000Z The [LF AI & Data Foundation](https://lfaidata.foundation/?ref=itsfoss.com) has announced the formation of the [DocLang Specification Working Group](https://lfaidata.foundation/press-release/2026/06/09/lf-ai-data-foundation-launches-doclang-specification-working-group-to-advance-an-open-standard-for-ai-native-documents/?ref=itsfoss.com), kicking off a collaborative effort to build an open, AI-native document format standard. The working group operates under the [Joint Development Foundation](https://www.jointdevelopment.org/?ref=itsfoss.com)'s vendor-neutral governance model, ensuring that no single company controls the roadmap. The founding members are IBM, NVIDIA, Red Hat, ABBYY, and HumanSignal. Though, the [spec documentation](https://github.com/doclang-project/doclang/blob/main/spec.md?ref=itsfoss.com) also credits Forgis as a founding member, but the announcement didn't mention them. By the way, **DocLang is not the only thing in play here**. Combining its open document format specification with [Docling](https://itsfoss.com/news/docling-ibm-open-source-gen-ai/), IBM's open source document processing toolkit also under LF AI & Data, the initiative is looking to build a more complete open source document AI stack under one roof. Together, the two cover the full pipeline from document ingestion and parsing through standardized representation and downstream consumption by language models and agentic AI systems. As for the specification itself, **it is already at v0.6**, is available under the **Apache 2.0 License**, and covers document structure and semantics, geometric layout, pagination, and complex components like tables, charts, formulas, and code blocks. There's also **native support for audio, image, and video content**, and governance metadata like privacy flags and model training constraints are embedded directly in the document rather than stored in a separate file. ## Who is it for? The primary target is enterprises running generative AI and agentic workflows on large document sets. Formats like *PDF*, *DOCX*, and *JPEG* were designed for human consumption, not machine interpretation. When such files are fed into AI pipelines, their reading order gets mangled, tables flatten into plain text, and figures disappear entirely. The result is a scenario where the document quality becomes the bottleneck, not the model itself. DocLang is meant to fix that by giving pipelines a single, unambiguous representation where the same document always produces the same output regardless of which tool processed it. It is also relevant to anyone building with LLMs and vision-language models on real-world content. [Docling](https://github.com/docling-project/docling?ref=itsfoss.com) and [ABBYY FineReader Engine](https://www.abbyy.com/ocr-sdk/?ref=itsfoss.com) already support DocLang output natively, so existing pipelines can adopt the standard without overhauling their tooling. You can go through the specification for DocLang on [GitHub](https://github.com/doclang-project/doclang?ref=itsfoss.com). [DocLang Specification](https://github.com/doclang-project/doclang?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Open Standards for What AI Actually Costs*](https://itsfoss.com/news/tokenomics-foundation/) [Linux Foundation Wants Open Standards for What AI is Actually Costing YouThe Tokenomics Foundation will work on vendor-neutral benchmarks for token spend, with backing from major players.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-5dc49cf8-771c-41dd-96f1-24d9826dbaeb.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/tokenomics-foundation-banner-f3dd8b7f-f457-4d35-b0f4-c706238cfa3b.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/tokenomics-foundation/) ### KaOS Releases First Dinit-Based ISO, But It's Not Ditching Systemd Entirely URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/kaos-first-dinit-image-release/ Last updated: 2026-07-08T05:39:16.000Z We are used to seeing [systemd](https://systemd.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) as the default init on most Linux distributions, but not everyone is a fan. Some users and developers take issue with its broad scope, preferring init systems that do one thing and do it well rather than one that reaches into session management, logging, device handling, and more. To escape it, people often find refuge in [systemd-free distributions](https://itsfoss.com/systemd-free-distros/) that feature a diverse selection of init systems. While we are yet to see a widespread trend where mainstream distros ditch systemd, smaller projects have the flexibility to do so, with the decision usually being made only after discussing such a major change with the community. [KaOS](https://kaosx.us/?ref=itsfoss.com), the independent distro built around [Qt](https://www.qt.io/?ref=itsfoss.com), has successfully embarked on its move away from systemd, [introducing the first release candidate](https://kaosx.us/news/2026/kaosdinit/?ref=itsfoss.com) (RC) for what will be the next chapter in its developmental cycle. Their motivation boils down to upstream changes that [left the team in a tight spot](https://kaosx.us/news/2026/systemd%5Fkaos/?ref=itsfoss.com). Systemd 254 dropped support for its split `/usr` setup, later versions killed AUFS compatibility, and KDE Plasma's increasing systemd dependency made things worse. *In the end, switching init systems became the only real option for the project.* 🤷 ## KaOS' Dinit Image Debuts ![screenshot that shows the desktop view of kaos dinit 2026.06 rc with a terminal window on the left with a fastfetch output, a settings panel on the right with many options visible ](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/kaos-dinit-2026-06-rc.jpg) The ***KaOS Dinit 2026.06 RC*** image ships with a new startup stack where [Dinit](https://davmac.org/projects/dinit/?ref=itsfoss.com) takes over as the init system and service manager, [Turnstile](https://github.com/chimera-linux/turnstile?ref=itsfoss.com) handles session and login tracking, and [seatd](https://sr.ht/~kennylevinsen/seatd/?ref=itsfoss.com) takes care of seat management. Together, these cover what systemd previously handled as a single unit. Just so you understand what the fuss is about, Dinit ([*source code*](https://github.com/davmac314/dinit/?ref=itsfoss.com)) is **a lightweight, open source service manager** that can also act as a system init. It handles starting services in parallel, respects dependencies between them, and is designed to work with other system components rather than replace them fully. It already powers [Chimera Linux](https://chimera-linux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [eweOS](https://os.ewe.moe/?ref=itsfoss.com) as the default init and is one of the init options available on [Artix Linux](https://artixlinux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [antiX](https://antixlinux.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). That said, **KaOS is not going fully systemd-free with this release**. Systemd's *udev* and *tmpfiles* stay in place for now, and *elogind* is still present. The devs plan to keep these components around for the forseeable future. ## What else does the ISO offer? ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/kaos-dinit-2026-06-rc-bootloader-options.jpg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/kaos-dinit-2026-06-rc-noctalia.jpg) New bootloader For the display manager, SDDM has been ditched in favor of [greetd](https://git.sr.ht/~kennylevinsen/greetd?ref=itsfoss.com) with [tuigreet](https://github.com/apognu/tuigreet?ref=itsfoss.com), which is said to integrate better with the new seatd-based session setup. The **Calamares installer has also been updated** to run cleanly on a pure Wayland session, with fixes applied to QML modules that had lost text input capability in areas like the user creation screen. Likewise, [Limine](https://github.com/limine-bootloader/limine?ref=itsfoss.com) is now the default bootloader, with other UEFI options remaining available through the installer, and for partitioning, the automated setup in Calamares now covers most popular filesystems. There's also **a new welcome utility**, [Croeso](https://codeberg.org/KaOS/croeso?ref=itsfoss.com), which walks new users through around 15 common post-install settings after installation. And for the sound backend, [phonon-mpv](https://github.com/OpenProgger/phonon-mpv?ref=itsfoss.com) is now the default, replacing the previous VLC-based one. ## Try the RC This is a release candidate, **not a stable release**. Rough edges are expected, so it is best treated as a testing build rather than something for everyday use. The ISO is available for download from the [KaOS RC](https://kaosx.us/download%5Frc/?ref=itsfoss.com) portal via mirrors hosted across regions like France, U.S., and Japan. Moreover, existing [non-Dinit ISOs](https://kaosx.us/download/?ref=itsfoss.com) are still around and will be for sometime. The KaOS developers have not confirmed *when or if* these will be phased out. [KaOS Dinit 2026.06 RC](https://kaosx.us/download%5Frc/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Good News For Linux Terminal Junkies! Proton Drive Now Has a CLI URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/proton-drive-cli/ Last updated: 2026-06-10T11:09:05.000Z [Proton Drive](https://go.getproton.me/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=44&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=itsfoss.com) (partner link) is getting a lot of love these days. We recently covered [the encryption upgrades](https://itsfoss.com/news/proton-drive-encryption-upgrades/) and the Linux desktop client that's in the works. Now Proton has added something the terminal dwellers will find useful; an official [Command-Line Interface](https://proton.me/blog/proton-drive-cli?ref=itsfoss.com) (CLI) for Drive, available on **Linux**, **macOS**, and **Windows**. The CLI is built on the [Proton Drive SDK](https://github.com/ProtonDriveApps/sdk?ref=itsfoss.com), the same foundation that powers the official desktop and mobile apps. It runs as a single binary on the various platforms and carries the same end-to-end encryption capabilities as Drive. Here's a look at what it can do and how you can get it running on Linux. ## What does it offer? ![a terminal window that shows the output for the command "./proton-drive --version"](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/proton-drive-cli.png) The CLI lets you handle **the usual file management tasks** from your terminal. You can upload, download, and browse files; manage the trash folder; and even oversee content sharing and invitations. Results come out in plain text by default, and passing `--json` makes the output machine-readable for scripting. Do note that it **does not have a built-in continuous sync engine** like the existing desktop clients do. That said, you should get similar behavior by scheduling it with *cron* or a *systemd timer* on Linux, so it is not as limited as it first sounds. If you are the kind of person who would rather [write a shell script](https://itsfoss.com/create-bash-script/) than reach for a mouse, this will make [Proton Drive](https://go.getproton.me/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=44&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=itsfoss.com) (*partner link*) a natural part of your existing workflow rather than something that needs to be launched from the app launcher. 💡 Proton is also working on a graphical desktop client for Linux as well. We should see it before the year end. ## This is how you get it on Linux I tested these instructions on a [Fedora Workstation 44](https://fedoraproject.org/workstation/?ref=itsfoss.com) system, and everything went smoothly. First, you have to download the relevant CLI binary for your platform from the [downloads index](https://proton.me/download/drive/cli/index.html?ref=itsfoss.com). I went with `linux/x64` as I am on an x86 setup. [Proton Drive CLI](https://proton.me/download/drive/cli/index.html?ref=itsfoss.com) Now, open a terminal in the directory where you saved it and make the file executable: ``` chmod +x proton-drive ``` ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/proton-drive-cli-file-manager-entry.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/proton-drive-cli-initial-config.png) Verify the build: ``` ./proton-drive version ``` Sign in through your browser: ``` ./proton-drive auth login ``` ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/proton-drive-cli-login-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/proton-drive-cli-login-2.png) Your session is stored securely via [libsecret](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/libsecret?ref=itsfoss.com), so no password is ever passed on to the command line. Following that, you can run `./proton-drive help` for getting the full command list or add `--help` to any command for its available flags. I**f you prefer building from source**, then the instructions and the source can be found on [GitHub](https://github.com/ProtonDriveApps/sdk/tree/main/js/cli?ref=itsfoss.com). --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Microsoft Just Brought Linux Commands to Windows*](https://itsfoss.com/news/windows-coreutils/) [Not Kidding! Microsoft Just Brought Linux Commands to Windows OfficiallyThe company that once called Linux a “cancer” is now the one shipping its core tools to Windows users.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-e3b8e6bd-2eff-423e-bdbc-7730b3dda93f.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/windows-coreutils-21c0e189-723e-4873-b676-e7dfc4f07aa2.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/news/windows-coreutils/) ### ONLYOFFICE DocSpace 3.7 Lets You Generate Files Using AI URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/onlyoffice-docspace-3-7/ Last updated: 2026-06-09T16:23:01.000Z Other than its well-known lineup of office suites, [ONLYOFFICE](https://www.onlyoffice.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) has been consistently building up its collaborative platform, DocSpace, since 2023\. It sits in the same space as Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, targeting teams that want a self-hostable, format-compatible alternative. Things got a bit complicated recently when Nextcloud and IONOS forked ONLYOFFICE into [Euro-Office](https://itsfoss.com/news/onlyoffice-forked/), a "*Made in Europe*" alternative aimed at organizations with data sovereignty requirements. ONLYOFFICE pushed back, accusing the fork of violating the additional conditions attached to its AGPLv3 license. When [ONLYOFFICE Docs 9.4](https://itsfoss.com/news/onlyoffice-docs-9-4-release/) arrived shortly after, it came with a licensing update that tightened the language around attribution, copyright notices, and trademark rights, which felt very much like a direct response to that dispute. Now, [DocSpace 3.7](https://www.onlyoffice.com/blog/2026/06/onlyoffice-docspace-3-7?ref=itsfoss.com) is here with its own licensing update along the same lines, and it brings expanded AI provider support, a reworked form filling experience, and several room management improvements on top of that. ## 🆕 ONLYOFFICE DocSpace 3.7: What's New? ![this screenshot shows an onlyoffice docspace collaboration room that is titled "it's foss"](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/onlyoffice-docspace-3-7.png) The editors on this release are the same ones from the Docs 9.4 release, getting you niceties like horizontal lines in documents, a *Dark Document* mode for spreadsheets, 25 new slide themes, 20 new slide transitions, and a dedicated *Chart Design* tab. Then there's the **form filling rooms**, which have received comprehensive upgrades that let you create and edit PDF forms directly inside a room rather than having to upload a finished form from external sources. A new *Start filling* mode, accessible from the editor toolbar or the file context menu, puts the form into filling mode for everyone in the room, making it easier to collect responses from multiple people at once. ![the start filling option in a onlyoffice docspace form filling room is visible inside a right-click menu on the right-hand side ](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/onlyoffice-docspace-3-7-start-filling.png) Related to that change, the form filler role now keeps the form hidden from the room list until filling mode is active, at which point responses get gathered into a spreadsheet automatically. Additionally, you can refresh that file on demand with the new "*Sync responses to XLSX*" option, and there is now also **support for routing responses to a third-party external database** if you have one connected. DocSpace 3.7 similarly goes big on upgrading its existing AI functionality. You can now generate DOCX files, PDF forms, and PPTX presentations directly from the AI agent chat and open them immediately for editing. Accompanying them are **three new AI providers**, [DeepSeek](https://www.deepseek.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), [xAI](https://x.ai/?ref=itsfoss.com), and [Google AI](https://ai.google/?ref=itsfoss.com). This brings the total to seven, joining the existing roster of Anthropic, OpenAI, OpenRouter, and Together AI options, along with any custom providers you configure. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/onlyoffice-docspace-3-7-ai-providers.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/onlyoffice-docspace-3-7-ai-chat-image-upload-1.png) **All the AI providers (left) and the image upload feature (right) on DocSpace.* Beyond that, you can set a default provider and model that gets auto-selected whenever you spin up a new agent, and the provider configured in DocSpace also syncs automatically to the editors. You can also **upload images into the AI chat** for adding more context to your queries, and an extended thinking display shows up for more complex queries. Those who would rather **keep AI out of their workspace** entirely can now toggle it off across DocSpace and the editors without losing chat history. The toggle resides at: `Settings > Customization > General > AI Services Management` The rest of the update covers a good spread of smaller but useful changes, including the ability to group rooms with tags, bulk-delete multiple rooms at once, and replace default document templates via settings. Admins also get a couple of new access controls, with options to prohibit external link creation and set limits on how many users can join via an invite link and for how long. ## 📥 Get it Now This release is available via [a dedicated portal](https://www.onlyoffice.com/docspace?ref=itsfoss.com) for users who are okay with ONLYOFFICE taking care of the infrastructure. Those who prefer a more hands-on approach can wait a bit and self-host [the community edition](https://www.onlyoffice.com/download-community?ref=itsfoss.com#docspace-community) of DocSpace 3.7 when it is made available. The source code for all of that can be found on [GitHub](https://github.com/ONLYOFFICE/DocSpace?ref=itsfoss.com). [ONLYOFFICE DocSpace 3.7](https://www.onlyoffice.com/docspace?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Tuta Joins The Euro-Office Umbrella*](https://itsfoss.com/news/tuta-joins-euro-office-initiative/) [Tuta Joins Other European Companies Under the Euro-Office UmbrellaThe growing coalition is days away from shipping Euro-Office’s first stable release.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-5a6f5987-0e2c-445d-8486-c341dd105d0b.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/tuta-joins-euro-office-a39214d1-2be4-4871-9b95-36bca4d2f1c2.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/tuta-joins-euro-office-initiative/) ### Collabora's CODE 26.04 Release Might Be Its Biggest One Yet URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/collabora-code-26-04/ Last updated: 2026-06-09T13:12:25.000Z [Collabora](https://www.collaboraonline.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a UK-based company that builds open source office suite solutions based on LibreOffice. These are designed to run both on a browser and locally, integrating directly into an organization's infrastructure. Their flagship offering is [Collabora Online](https://www.collaboraonline.com/collabora-online/?ref=itsfoss.com) (COOL), the paid, enterprise-grade version that ships with support agreements, long-term maintenance, and thoroughly tested updates. Complementing that is [Collabora Office](https://www.collaboraonline.com/collabora-office/?ref=itsfoss.com), a desktop app for Linux, Windows, and macOS that mirrors the same interface. However, there's a third edition called **Collabora Online Development Edition** (CODE) that runs the same codebase as COOL but gets new features first and doesn't cost a dime. It has now received [a new release](https://www.collaboraonline.com/blog/code-26-04-release/?ref=itsfoss.com) that delivers a range of upgrades, including some AI ones that are quite interesting. 🚧 Think of CODE like a [rolling release](https://itsfoss.com/rolling-release/) Linux distro; while it is ideal for staying on the bleeding edge, it is not intended for production use. ## A Packed Release ![two ai assitant windows are visible on the right-hand side on collabora code 26.04](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/code-26-04-calc-AI-Integration.jpg) **Calc** gets AI integration aimed at data analysis and formula debugging. A floating indicator now appears on cells with errors, opening a quick menu to inspect and fix the issue in place. Per-user sheet views are another useful addition for teams, where each person working on a shared spreadsheet can now set up their own filters and column or row arrangements without touching anyone else's view. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/code-26-04-calc-pivot-tables-calculated-field.jpg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/code-26-04-calc-new-functions.jpg) **Calculated values (left) and new functions (right) on Calc.* Similarly, **pivot tables now support calculated values**, so you can build calculated columns from existing spreadsheet data, and table styles arrive with preset themes covering light, medium, dark, and custom options. A batch of **new functions** is also included; they are `CHOOSECOLS`, `CHOOSEROWS`, `DROP`, `EXPAND`, `HSTACK`, `TAKE`, `TEXTAFTER`, `TEXTBEFORE`, `TEXTSPLIT`, `TOCOL`, `TOROW`, `VSTACK`, `WRAPCOLS`, and `WRAPROWS`. ![the ai assistant window is in focus in the middle, and behind two screenshot of writer on collabora code 26.04 are visible](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/code-26-04-writer-ai-integration.jpg) AI assistance is now available in **Writer** as well, helping with text suggestions, rewrites, and general writing tasks without leaving the document. Document comparison receives an overhaul too. You can now bring up an older version of a file, either from the server or a local copy, and see exactly what changed. Insertions, deletions, moved text, images, and tables are all marked up with color-coded indicators showing who made each change and when. The comparison can be viewed side by side or through the tracked changes panel. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/code-26-04-writer-document-comparision.jpg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/code-26-04-writer-tracked-changes-reinstate.jpg) **Document comparison (left) and tracked changes reinstation (right) on Writer.* The editor also handles conflicting changes more gracefully. When one change overlaps with or depends on another, accepting or rejecting it no longer risks wrecking the surrounding content. Combined with reinstate improvements, going back and forth through a review cycle is a lot less tedious than it used to be. Before I forget, **markdown files can now be imported into Writer and exported back out**. This can be helpful for anyone whose work crosses between a traditional document editor and a text-based or developer-oriented workflow. ![three ai assistant windows are visible in the foreground, with a screenshot of impress on collabora code 26.04 in the background](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/code-26-04-impress-ai-integration.jpg) No surprises here, but **Impress** gets some AI powers too! It can assist with early research and slide preparation, helping summarize information and turn dense content into something that works better on a slide deck. A new **follow-me presentation mode** lets viewers sync to the presenter's current slide automatically. Someone who missed an earlier point can pause, go back to review it, and rejoin the live session without interrupting the presenter. The **present to all** feature works like a buff to the above, allowing the presenter to kick off the slideshow for all viewers at once rather than waiting for everyone to manually start it themselves. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/code-26-04-impress-multi-slide-resizing.jpg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/code-26-04-impress-present-to-all.jpg) **Mixing slide sizes (left) and presenting to all (right) on Impress.* Presentations can now **mix slides of different sizes** within the same file, and ODP files gain section support, allowing longer decks to be organized into grouped sections with overview pages. Interoperability with Microsoft's [OOXML](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office%5FOpen%5FXML?ref=itsfoss.com) family of file formats continues to improve in this release. Collabora has been running **a validation effort across 200,000+ documents, spreadsheets, and presentations**, working toward zero conversion errors when files move between Collabora and Microsoft Office. This release also introduces **significant accessibility improvements**, with screen readers now able to properly detect color pickers, line style selectors, numbering options, bullet choosers, and special character dialogs. Form controls across interface elements in Writer, Calc, and Impress now carry correct labels that assistive technology can read aloud, and keyboard-only navigation is now more consistent across toolbars, sidebars, and panels. All of that has earned Collabora a [BITV 2.0](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bitv%5F2%5F0/BJNR184300011.html?ref=itsfoss.com) (*in Deutsche*) certification from the German accessibility regulator. ## Try CODE 26.04 Don't let the warning note earlier fool you, though. While this is a fast-moving class of document editors, Collabora thinks **it is ideal for home users, small teams, and early adopters**. If you want to try it without setting anything up, Collabora offers a [live hosted demo](https://www.collaboraonline.com/demo/?ref=itsfoss.com). Sign up with an email address, and you get access to both the Collabora Online and Collabora Office Classic demos. **For self-hosting**, CODE is available as a Docker image for *x86-64*, *ppc64*, and *arm64* hosts, and as native `.deb` and `.rpm` packages for Linux. The [CODE portal](https://www.collaboraonline.com/code/?ref=itsfoss.com) has full setup instructions, including reverse proxy configuration for Apache and Nginx, and SSL setup via Let's Encrypt. [CODE 26.04](https://www.collaboraonline.com/code/?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*TDF and Collabora Feud*](https://itsfoss.com/news/document-foundation-collabora-feud/) [LibreOffice Drama: TDF Removes Collabora Developers in One SweepTDF has used a bylaw Collabora publicly opposed to strip over 30 of its most active developers of their membership.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-897aa0ec-8895-4d7e-b79b-97fdf6eab952.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/tdf-collabora-feud-banner-c4a13f09-1868-42bc-b4b2-f036b22c9c8f.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/document-foundation-collabora-feud/) ### Tired of File Size Limits? This Open Source Tool Sends Large Files Directly Browser to Browser URL: https://itsfoss.com/cheezy-pizza/ Last updated: 2026-06-09T11:07:49.000Z There are ways to transfer files over the internet. Twenty years ago, it was FTP for technically advanced people and emails for lazy people. (And Torrents for legally challenged people), Then came Dropbox and other cloud services and things have moved in that direction. But sharing large files through cloud services has its own quirks. Most services either have strict size limits, require account creation, or quietly store your data on their servers even when encryption is involved. This is where CheezyPizza comes in. ## What does CheezyPizza do? [CheezyPizza](https://github.com/hariharjeevan/cheezypizza?ref=itsfoss.com) is an open source, browser-based file transfer app that uses WebRTC to transfer files directly between two browsers. This means there is no server in the middle, no login, no installation required. Just open the site, share a link, and the transfer happens peer to peer. **It is actually a fork of** [**FilePizza**](https://file.pizza/?ref=itsfoss.com), which is a pretty solid tool but has its limitations. Like large files would fail, and there is no way to pause or resume a transfer if something goes wrong. This is the reason why Jeevan forked it into CheezyPizza and started adding the features he needed. Here's what CheezyPizza does differently than FilePizza: - Large file support: It works reliably for files larger than 10 GB. However, some browsers may restrict this. - Pause and resume feature: Interrupted transfers pick up from the last byte, with progress saved via OPFS or IndexedDB. It happens on the downloader side only. - Flow control: **H**igh/low watermarks on the WebRTC data channel prevent fast senders from overwhelming the receiver. - SHA-256 verification:files are checked before being written to disk. Project repo mentions that all WebRTC communications are encrypted using DTLS. The project is being actively developed, with more features planned. You can try it at [cheezypizza.in](https://www.cheezypizza.in/?ref=itsfoss.com) or [check out the source code in the repository](https://github.com/hariharjeevan/cheezypizza?ref=itsfoss.com). [CheezyPizza website](https://www.cheezypizza.in/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## Testing CheezyPizza The idea is simple. You upload the file to the [Cheesy Pizza web interface](https://www.cheezypizza.in/?ref=itsfoss.com). You can password protect the file, if you want. ![CheezyPizza file transfer](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/cheesypizza-file-transfer-tool.png) You can choose to password protect the transfer as well And then you get links, short and full URLs, both can be used. There is also a QR code generated for ease. ![URL for file trasnfer via CheezyPizza](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/cheesypizza-file-transfer-tool-1.png) I uploaded Omarchy ISO file of around 7 GB and shared it with my teammate Sreenath, who is a few thousand kilometers (or miles) away from me. When he started the download, I could see the status changed to file transfer as my file was now being uploaded. ![Initial file transfer via CheezyPizza](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/cheesypizza-file-transfer-tool-3.png) Initially, the file transfer was in a few KBps but soon it the speed increased into few hundred KBps, and then it peaked at around 7 MBps, I think. It took 2-3 minutes to reach the max speed. ![Speed increased after a few seconds](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/cheesypizza-file-transfer-tool-5.png) On the downloader side, the browser shows a notification about persistent data storage. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/persistent-storage-cheezy-pizza-1.png) It also shows that the downloader can close the tab and resume the transfer later. ![Downloading the file via CheezyPizza](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/1-download-file.png) To test the pause resume feature, Sreenath closed his browser a few times and opened the link again. CheezyPizza correctly recognized the the file was being downloaded earlier. ![Resume interrupted file transfer](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/2-click-resume.png) Earlier inerrupted file download can be resumed At the other end, it showed me, the uploader, several interrupted transfers. ![Several interruptions were registered at uploader's end](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/cheesypizza-file-transfer-tool-6.png) ### Password protect the transfer By the way, the file transfer can be password protected, too. Just add a password while initializing the file upload and share the password with the downloader. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/cheezy-pizza-password.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/1-enter-secret-password-not-filled.png) ## Uploader need to stay online 🚧 The pause-resume feature only works at the downloader's end. If the uploader closes the browser before it was downloaded completely, the link will be dead. If there were several downloaders and at least on of them completed the download, that downloader will continue to seed to incomplete downloaders, but no new downloads may be initiated. This is a bummer. When I, as the uploader, closed the browser tab, things were lost and it could not be resumed. ![If the upload interrupted, it cannot be resumed.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/upload-interrupted.png) ## Worth a bite? Many large file transfer (and cloud storage) services store data on their servers, even if it is encrypted. If you want a peer-to-peer alternative, CheezyPizza is worth trying. FilePizza does the same job, of course, but CheezyPizza adds a few extra toppings to that and no, it's not pineapple. The pause and resume feature is a nice touch, but if the uploader closes the tab, everything falls apart and that is a problem. I am not sure whether CheezyPizza supports self-hosting, but there is a Docker mention in the README and since it is web-based, self-hosting should be possible. By the way, if you want to share files between devices on the same network, a local file transfer tool like [LocalSend](https://itsfoss.com/news/localsend/) works well for that. Would you use a service like CheezyPizza for large file transfers over the internet? Share your thoughts in the comments. ### Bambu Lab Keeps Locking Down, The Community Keeps Building Up URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/bambuddy-self-hosted-bambu-lab-alternative/ Last updated: 2026-06-08T23:30:46.000Z People who dabble in 3D printing know that [Bambu Lab](https://bambulab.com/en-us?ref=itsfoss.com) makes some of the most capable consumer 3D printers on the market right now. And no, this is not sugarcoating it; the hardware is genuinely good, catering to tinkerers at varying price points. The software, though, is like a slow-burning wound for anyone who values owning what they buy. Things have been downhill for some time now, and it started back in January 2025, when the company announced [a new authorization and authentication system](https://itsfoss.com/news/bambu-lab-fiasco/) for its X1 Series printers. ## Some Lore Info They pitched it as a security update, with the change requiring Bambu Lab authorization for basic printer operations, locking out third-party tools in the process even in the offline LAN mode. The backlash was severe enough that Bambu had to walk back parts of the announcement, add an FAQ, and introduce a "[*Developer Mode*](https://wiki.bambulab.com/en/knowledge-sharing/enable-developer-mode?ref=itsfoss.com)" as a compromise. The damage to trust, however, was already done. By June 2025, the same authorization system had rolled out to the P and A series as well, [cutting off third-party software](https://www.tomshardware.com/3d-printing/bambu-lab-removes-third-party-app-support-for-p-and-a-series-3d-printers?ref=itsfoss.com) from working with Bambu printers by default. More recently, they went after an open source developer who had built a fork of OrcaSlicer that restored direct communication with Bambu printers by studying the publicly available Bambu Studio source code. He had not touched any proprietary library, yet Bambu Lab threatened him with a cease-and-desist, which led to the project being taken down. The Software Freedom Conservancy later confirmed this was [a violation of the AGPLv3 license](https://itsfoss.com/news/bambu-lab-caught-violating-agplv3/) that governs Bambu Studio and its upstream projects. This is where open source alternatives like **Bambuddy** come in. The tinkerer community has made it clear that locking down hardware people paid for tends to produce exactly this kind of response. ## Bambuddy: Overview ⭐ ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/bambuddy-printers-page.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/bambuddy-virtual-printer-proxy-mode.png) [Bambuddy](https://bambuddy.cool/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a self-hosted, open source print management system for Bambu Lab printers, built by a developer known as [Martin](https://github.com/maziggy?ref=itsfoss.com) (maziggy). It runs in Docker, sits on your local network, and gives you a full web-based dashboard to manage your printer. It offers you things like real-time monitoring, print management, file archiving, scheduling, and a lot more, all running locally on hardware you already own, whether that is a pricy Raspberry Pi 5, a NAS, or any other Linux-capable machine. Bambuddy also has a [print queue](https://wiki.bambuddy.cool/features/print-queue/?ref=itsfoss.com) **with drag-and-drop reordering and time-based scheduling**, so you can line up overnight jobs or off-peak prints without having to babysit the machine. For anyone running multiple printers, it **supports dispatching to a fleet** with automatic load balancing based on which machine is idle and has the right filament loaded. **Remote printing** is handled through *Proxy Mode*, which lets your slicer talk to your printer from anywhere in the world without port forwarding or touching Bambu's infrastructure. Traffic is forwarded securely with full end-to-end TLS, and there is built-in [Tailscale](https://itsfoss.com/tailscale-raspberry-pi-ssh/) awareness if you already run a private mesh network. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/bambuddy-supported-printers.png) Not only that, but it also **supports a wide range of Bambu Lab printers**, including the X1 Carbon, X1E, P1P, P1S, P2S, A1, A1 Mini, and the newer H2D, H2D Pro, H2C, H2S, and X2D. For people who want to cut desktop slicers out of the loop entirely, there is **an optional sidecar** [that runs](https://wiki.bambuddy.cool/?ref=itsfoss.com#new-integrated-slicing) OrcaSlicer or Bambu Studio headlessly in Docker. With this, you get a *Slice* button directly in the Bambuddy interface, multi-plate support, per-AMS filament matching, and the finished file drops straight into the queue when it is done. ## Get Bambuddy The source code for Bambuddy can be found on [GitHub](https://github.com/maziggy/bambuddy?ref=itsfoss.com), licensed under AGPLv3\. Installation guides, setup walkthroughs, and feature documentation are all on the [official wiki](https://wiki.bambuddy.cool/?ref=itsfoss.com). You can also check out the [Bambuddy website](https://bambuddy.cool/?ref=itsfoss.com) for [a live demo](https://demo.bambuddy.cool/?ref=itsfoss.com) and a full feature overview before committing to [a self-hosted setup on your homelab](https://itsfoss.com/self-hosting-starting-projects/). [Bambuddy](https://bambuddy.cool/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### AliasVault is The BitWarden Alternative You Didn't Know You Needed URL: https://itsfoss.com/aliasvault/ Last updated: 2026-06-09T05:47:19.000Z Passwords are one of those things everyone knows they should handle better but rarely do. The bare minimum is not reusing them across sites, and beyond that, you really want a password manager doing the heavy lifting for you. If you have been looking for options, you have probably come across [Proton Pass](https://go.getproton.me/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=42&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=itsfoss.com) (*partner link*) and [Bitwarden](https://bitwarden.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) as two of the more popular cloud-powered choices. For local hosting, something like [KeePassXC](https://keepassxc.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) lets you keep everything on your own machine without any cloud dependency at all. But I recently came across something a bit different. It is web-based, fully open source, works completely outside any ecosystem, and does a fair bit more than just storing passwords. And you can self-host it as well. So let me tell you about it. ## AliasVault: One Vault for Everything ![aliasvault login screen is shown here for a locked vault](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/aliasvault-login.png) Offered as **an open source, end-to-end encrypted password and email alias manager**, AliasVault lets you store passwords and create new aliases for use on the web. The latter works like this. Instead of using your real name and email address everywhere, you generate a unique identity, password, and email alias for each service you sign up to. If one of those services ever leaks your data or starts spamming you, you know exactly where it came from, and you can just kill that alias. Operated under [XIVISOFT](https://www.aliasvault.net/legal-notice?ref=itsfoss.com), this is the work of [Leendert de Borst](https://github.com/lanedirt?ref=itsfoss.com), a software developer from the Netherlands who has been building privacy-focused tools since 2013\. The project itself is licensed under AGPL-3.0, and the source is available on [GitHub](https://github.com/aliasvault/aliasvault?ref=itsfoss.com). The cloud version runs on dedicated servers in Germany (*Hetzner*), within the EU, making it **GDPR-compliant**. There is also a full self-hosting path via Docker if you would rather keep everything on your own infrastructure. 🚧 AliasVault is [yet to reach its first stable release](https://github.com/aliasvault/aliasvault/issues/731?ref=itsfoss.com). So use it with caution, as things might break. ### Initial configuration Getting started with AliasVault on the cloud version means heading over to [app.aliasvault.net](https://app.aliasvault.net/?ref=itsfoss.com) and creating a new vault. The first thing I noticed is that **it does not ask for an email address at signup**. You just pick a username, anything you want, and that's all the identifying information it collects. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/aliasvault-initial-config-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/aliasvault-initial-config-2.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/aliasvault-initial-config-3.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/aliasvault-initial-config-4.png) Before you get to the vault itself, you are asked to agree to the [terms and conditions](https://www.aliasvault.net/terms-and-conditions?ref=itsfoss.com). This is pretty standard for any web service, though the terms here are straightforward and not particularly alarming. The short version is that you cannot use AliasVault for illegal purposes, you are responsible for keeping your account secure, and the project itself is not liable if you lose your master password and your data becomes inaccessible. Once past that, you **set your master password**, and AliasVault shows a strength indicator right there during setup. A strong password is not optional here given the zero-knowledge architecture and the sensitive nature of the contents; lose it and the vault contents are gone for good. ![this screenshot shows the button on aliasvault for importing passwords from other services](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/aliasvault-import-passwords.png) **If you are coming from another password manager**, the empty vault screen immediately displays an import button. AliasVault can pull in credentials from 1Password, Bitwarden, Chrome, Dashlane, Firefox, KeePass, KeePassXC, Proton Pass, and Strongbox. ### Adding new logins Clicking on the "*\+ New*" button will give you multiple options to add a new entry for *Login*, *Alias*, *Card*, and *Note*. During my use, I mostly stuck to the *Login* entry, using it to add new credentials to the vault. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/aliasvault-new-login-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/aliasvault-new-login-2.png) The interface presented here is easy to get used to. You enter the username, add the password, enter the website URL, and click on "*Save Item*" to get an item added to the vault. ![this picture is showing what options the add (+) button on the left sidebar shows when adding a new item to aliasvault](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/aliasvault-new-login-3.png) You can even **generate passwords**, and from the left-hand side menu or at the bottom of the item entry, you can add more content to a vault item, such as email addresses, notes, a two-factor authentication secret, file attachments, or a custom field. *Just click on the plus button to get going.* **Keeping things organized is straightforward too**. Creating a folder takes about three seconds. Click "*\+ New Folder*", type a name, and hit "*Create*". Moving an existing login into a folder is done through the item's edit screen, where a *Select Folder* dropdown lists all your folders. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/aliasvault-new-folder-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/aliasvault-new-folder-2.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/aliasvault-new-folder-3.png) What is missing, though, is anything resembling **bulk management**. There is no drag and drop to move items into folders, no batch select to reorganize a bunch of credentials at once, and no multi-select for bulk deletion. If you are migrating a large existing vault and want to sort everything into folders, you are doing it one item at a time. ![the search functionality on aliasvault](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/aliasvault-search-functionality.png) The search functionality does make navigating a crowded vault easier, at least. The search bar at the top of the interface queries across your entire vault in real time, pulling up matching items as you type, with icons shown. ### Creating an alias ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/aliasvault-new-alias-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/aliasvault-new-alias-2.png) This is where AliasVault **separates itself from a regular password manager**. Switching to the *Alias* tab in the "*\+ New*" panel lets you create a fictional identity tied to a service, not just a username and password. You give it a name and a website URL, hit *Create*, and AliasVault generates the whole package. A unique email address at the `@aliasvault.net` domain, a username, a strong password, and a fictitious identity complete with a first name, last name, gender, and birth date. All of it is ready to use at signup for whatever service you are creating the alias for. ![this screenshot shows an signup otp email from facebook on an alias mail id on aliasvault](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/aliasvault-new-alias-3.png) Any emails that land on that alias address show up directly on the item's page inside the vault. I tested this with Facebook, and it worked well enough, getting multiple emails, including the OTP needed to confirm the signup. *The only wrinkle was Facebook asking me to verify the account with a live selfie.* ☠️ Another thing to keep in mind is that **the built-in email server is currently receive-only**. You cannot reply to or forward emails from your alias addresses on the cloud version. It is a deliberate limitation for now, listed on the roadmap as a future paid feature, so if two-way alias email is something you need, that is worth factoring in. ### The browser extension ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/aliasvault-browser-extension-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/aliasvault-browser-extension-2.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/aliasvault-browser-extension-3.png) AliasVault also has **browser extensions** available for [Chrome](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/aliasvault/bmoggiinmnodjphdjnmpcnlleamkfedj?ref=itsfoss.com), [Firefox](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/aliasvault/?ref=itsfoss.com), [Edge](https://microsoftedge.microsoft.com/addons/detail/aliasvault/kabaanafahnjkfkplbnllebdmppdemfo?ref=itsfoss.com), [Safari](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6743163173?ref=itsfoss.com), and [Brave](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/aliasvault/bmoggiinmnodjphdjnmpcnlleamkfedj?ref=itsfoss.com). I tested it on Vivaldi using the Chrome extension, and the experience was clean. Logging in connects directly to *aliasvault.net*, and you get a *"Log in using Mobile App*" option here as you do on the web app if you would rather not type your master password. I didn't test this one, but it should work well. Once inside, **the extension mirrors the web app fairly closely**. You get your full vault list with website icons, folder filters, a search bar, and a "+" button to add new items without leaving the browser. The *Emails* tab also works here, so you can check alias inbox activity without switching to the web app. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/aliasvault-browser-extension-4.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/aliasvault-browser-extension-5.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/aliasvault-browser-extension-6.png) It even shows relevant saved credentials automatically when you land on a website you have a login stored for. The *Settings* tab also has a few things worth knowing about. You can **switch the vault unlock method** between your master password and a PIN code, with the PIN falling back to the master password after three failed attempts. There is also **an auto-lock timeout** you can configure, ranging from 15 seconds all the way up to 24 hours, or never if that is your preference. Clipboard behavior is configurable too. Copied sensitive data is cleared automatically after 10 seconds by default, with options to change that to 5, 15, or never. ## Closing words AliasVault is one of those tools that makes you wonder why no one put these two things together sooner. A password manager that also handles email aliasing is something that Proton Pass does, but there are [some limits involved](https://itsfoss.com/proton-pass-hide-my-email/). While it is **still in beta and missing a few things** like bulk credential management and reply support for aliases, nothing about the current state feels rough or half-baked. If privacy matters to you and you have been running a password manager and a separate alias service side by side, this is worth a serious look. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Bitwarden vs. Proton Pass*](https://itsfoss.com/comparison/bitwarden-vs-proton-pass/) [Bitwarden vs. Proton Pass: What’s The Best Password Manager?What is your favorite open-source password manager?![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-025834f6-9d19-4f46-9108-a0fa5844bdb5.png)It's FOSSAnkush Das![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/biwarden-vs-protonpass-ft-7cd1595c-0fe5-4615-a02c-99dc2dc0b11c.png)](https://itsfoss.com/comparison/bitwarden-vs-proton-pass/) ### Meet Melia: A Privacy-First, Modern Desktop Email Client Made Just for Linux URL: https://itsfoss.com/melia/ Last updated: 2026-06-08T06:26:47.000Z Every once in a while, a project comes that is very adamantly heavy on its principles and it is always a breath of fresh air in a world where corporate greed forms the basis of all the services we use. This time it is for a service that is extremely basic and essential, e-mail. There are a [few email clients for desktop Linux already](https://itsfoss.com/best-email-clients-linux/). Thunderbird, Evolution, Geary, to name a few. I am not saying that they are not good but there is always scope for improvement and new features. And [Melia](https://melia.buxjr.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) does just that. It brings some additional features, a privacy enthusiast will appreciate. ![Melia Interface](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/melia_if.png) ✋ ****Non-FOSS Warning!** Melia might be awesome but unfortunately it is not an open source software. We covered it here because it is available for Linux. ## What Makes Melia Different? Let's see what makes Melia so special. ### Local and offline All e-mails on the application are stored locally in a SQLite database, which means you don't have to run around with your internet connection, waiting for your data to sync. Even the credentials are stored in the OS keyring (where your OS account passwords are stored), which makes it as safe as it gets from online cyber attacks. ### Supports 32+ services There are 32 pre-programmed presets for most of the common e-mail providers such as Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, Protonmail, iCould and so on. You need to ensure the allowance of an SMTP connection from the plan that you have on your particular service, however. ### Contact management ![Contcat management in Melia](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/melia_contacts.png) If you are particular about managing the contacts, Melia builds the address book automatically from sent and received emails. You can edit it and organize it as you want. It also helps with instant autocomplete when composing a mail. You also get stats on each contact. ### Rules for a more organized inbox ![Create rules for more organized inbox](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/melia_inbox_rules.png) Get statements from your bank, boring but good to keep for the future? Create a rule and send it automatically to a folder. Your inbox remains clean, and the emails are preserved. There are many more ways to use the rules and organize the inbox on Melia. 💡 There are also Tidy and Trim features that help you consolidates duplicate IMAP folders and delete old messages in bulk (with your manual approval, of course). ### Proper HTML email rendering HTML-based emails are everywhere, and they need to be displayed the same way they are intended to. Melia uses Shadow DOM isolation, intelligent dark mode transformation, and post-render quality audits to display your favorite newsletters, like FOSS Weekly, beautifully. ### Search across accounts 🚧 Melia is free for one email account. If you want to use more than one email account, you can purchase a perpetual license for a one-time fee of $10\. Melia developer, Joshua Richard, says that this will help him with the development of the software. There's a unified full-text search that can find anything across all the accounts that you've added to the client at blazing fast speeds (especially considering all the e-mails are available offline). ## Privacy and Security Take Center Stage There are some really great security features, solving some issues, which I admit didn't even know were issues. The entire focus is on security with **verifiable zero telemetry**, and privacy instead of analytics, such as: ### Tracking pixels neutralized ![Tracking pixels blocking](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/melia_security_suspicious.png) Some services use tracking pixels to mark e-mails as read back to the sender. The tracking pixels are thus neutralized on Melia, preventing a great deal of invasive telemetry. ### Automatic suspicious sender flagging The senders whose names don't match with the ones assigned to the address are automatically flagged, preventing a lot of scam/spam e-mails that one might receive. ### Message authentication ![Message authentication](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/melia_security_protection.png) All e-mails received are authenticated against SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to ensure nothing falls through the cracks. ### One-click unsubscribe The worst part of being spammed by a service is getting unrequited e-mails all day annoyingly. Good news is that you an unsubscribe them with just one click, making the whole process much easier. There are still more minor features, all of which you can check out [here](https://melia.buxjr.com/protection?ref=itsfoss.com). ## Transparency You Don’t Usually Get in Email Clients Apart from the privacy features, Melia prides itself on the transparency it provides to the users. What contributes to that? I'm glad you asked: ### Trust center There's an inbuilt Trust Center, which allows users to block or restrict the activities of the senders, giving you the option to block out e-mail addresses or entire domains, with a full activity log and statistics of all changes made to block or trust any sender. ![Melia Trust Center](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/melia_trust-center.png) ### Connection monitor The Connection Monitor feature that shows exactly what server the information is coming from or going to in real time, making it as clear as possible that Melia only talks to the servers. ## A Simple, Familiar Interface Melia is built on Electron, which means the interface will translate consistently to any distribution you might want to use. Some will scoff at Electron but it does provide a rather beautiful graphical interface, in my opinion. They have a [full explanation as to why they chose Electron despite](https://melia.buxjr.com/faq?ref=itsfoss.com) the bad rep it gets, and their answer is satisfactory considering it works well, safe, and "claims to keep the RAM usage within 250MB". The interface itself is slick and simple. There are 2 vertical panels: account list and categories, list of e-mails on the selected category, and the e-mail itself. There's a possible fourth panel if you open the Connection Monitor. ![Melia Connection Monitor](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/melia_connection.png) It comes with two inbuilt themes, dark and light, and both are easy on the eyes. Theme can be switched manually or automatically based on your system theme. There are several buttons on top to easily access some of the features, like creating a new e-mail, search, contacts, Connection Monitor, Trust Center and settings. Speaking of which, the settings provide some very simple options, such as: - Theme, and list density - Import/export options - Font settings - Sync settings (default being every 5 minutes) - Sound notification settings (you can set a custom one for new mails, opening the app, deletion, etc.) - Licensing and updates ![Melia Settings](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/melia_settings.png) There's an easy to access sync button right on top of the accounts list on the left panel. There are also two toggle switches on the bottom panel, for sound and theme. ## My Experience Setting Up Melia Initially, I ran into some issues setting up Melia. Two of my accounts, Google and Protonmail, were being difficult to set up. Then I realized the errors I was making. First, that Gmail requires 2-step-authentication for it to be set up on Melia, so after doing that, there wasn't an issue. As for Protonmail, however, using it on an external client isn't a feature available on the free tier, which made it not possible for me to sync up. So just make sure you read the instructions when setting up accounts; they're usually pretty clear and tell you exactly what to do. ## Installing Melia on Linux Since Melia claims to be an e-mail client for Linux, it offers several choices of packages. So, you have Deb package, AppImage, Snap and Flatpak. You won't find it in the distribution's repository because the software is not open source. While Debian and Ubuntu users have the deb package option, rest of the distros can choose among AppImage, Flatpak and Snap. [Get Melia](https://melia.buxjr.com/download?ref=itsfoss.com) ## Final Thoughts: Is Melia Worth Trying? Melia makes several claims and backs all of them up well. It is secure, transparent, easy on the eyes, and very simple to use. The functions all work very stably, primarily including writing and reading e-mails. It is definitely worth a shot if you want to give it a trial shot with just one account, and then you can decide for yourself if it is worth the $10 to add your other accounts as well. I would have been much more happier if it was open source. It's one of the [classic cases where software seems so much like open source but is not actually](https://itsfoss.com/popular-software-open-source-feel/). What do you think of Melia? Let us know in the comments. ### The Single Biggest Reason Why ProtonMail is Killing My Productivity URL: https://itsfoss.com/opinion/protonmail-canned-response/ Last updated: 2026-06-07T04:50:01.000Z I use [ProtonMail](https://go.getproton.me/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=37&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=itsfoss.com) for all official communication related to It's FOSS. Around 2020, I took their Visionary plan and switched from Google Workspace for the @itsfoss.com emails. The bundled offer of email, VPN, calendar, drive and password manager is a good ecosystem in its own. I am happy with their offering and continuous feature additions and improvements. Well, for the most part, One thing that I am still missing after all these years is the canned response feature. ## The lack of saved replies If you have ever used Gmail, you probably would have heard of the 'canned response' feature. ![Gmail canned response](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/gmail-canned-response-2-1.png) The idea is simple and it solves a major problem for people who get emails that often need similar replies. A canned response lets you save template responses. It lets you insert the template response in the email. Here, you can quickly modify it and hit the send button. Without this feature, I have the usual responses saved in my knowledge base. I have to open that, go to the appropriate response section, copy it and then paste it in Proton Mail, modify the message if needed and then hit the send button. This could have been fine if it was a once-a-day activity. But if I have to do it multiple times a day, I surely lose time in it. This is especially frustrating because I am aware of the existence of the canned response feature. It's like being forced to use the mouse when you know the same thing can be quickly done through keyboard shortcuts easily and quickly. I give you an example. I receive multiple press releases and software coverage requests a day. Often, the reply is similar, with only a little modification needed. Imagine if I could compose the repetitive reply in 2-3 clicks: 0:00 /0:06 1× I think this feature is more than ten years old and is available for free to all Gmail users. I don't see a reason why ProtonMail cannot offer it. ## There are a few more things that can help us ProtonMail users save some time In Gmail, if you are replying to an email and type Hi its predictive text feature already suggests the responder's name. It does save a few keystrokes. Now that is Google but I am sure ProtonMail can work on providing a similar feature without intrusing our privacy. How come? Well, Proton does provide a deep search option where messages are downloaded to the system and then you can search through email content. By default, you can only search through the email subject and sender. This way, the Proton server doesn't see your messages and yet you can do a full search. Perhaps something on that line to make our lives more convenient? I don't know how technically challenging it could be, that's why it's just a suggestion. Another convenient feature would be to make their AI integration more useful. ProtonMail has integrated its (private) [Lumo AI](https://itsfoss.com/news/proton-lumo-experience/) but I don't find it helpful. Perhaps it can be utilized to provide predective text? If not that, at least it can be used to compose replies to emails? For now, it provides a few options: Write for me, proofread, shorten, expand and a couple of options on changing the tone of the message. ![Ai assistant in Protonmail](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/protonmail-ai-assistent-1.png) The Write for me feature needs full prompts on what to write. If it could read the reply, locally in the browser, and suggest a response, that would be good. Basically, a "compose a reply" option here. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/proton-write-for-me-ai.png) I know, not everyone is a fan of AI and many find it repulsive but if Proton has to become a real private alternative to Google Workspace, it has to offer the cutting edge tools and features. And AI is the hottest buzzword that can [raise a shoe company's stocks 800% in a single day](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c98mrepzgj7o?ref=itsfoss.com). Come on, good people at Proton. Give us lazy users the boon of template response 😄 ### Craving Hyprland But Don't Want to Configure It? Try Dank Linux URL: https://itsfoss.com/dank-linux/ Last updated: 2026-06-06T04:02:44.000Z During your journey around the world of Linux, you might've come across riced-up builds that look and feel like something out of a sci-fi novel. And if you wondered, *why can't I have this on my system*?, then you wouldn't be alone. Many of those builds have something like [Niri](https://github.com/niri-wm/niri?ref=itsfoss.com) or [Hyprland](https://itsfoss.com/hyprland/) sitting on top of a Linux distribution that plays nice with such heavy customization. But setting those up is a bit of work, and not everyone might be up for it. That is where [pre-configured distros and scripts](https://itsfoss.com/hyprland-distros/) like Garuda Linux, Omarchy, ArchRiot, etc. come into the picture. With this article, we will be taking a look at [Dank Linux](https://danklinux.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), a desktop shell suite that can transform your system into a slick Hyprland one. ## Dank Linux: Hyprland Premium? ![dank linux settings menu about page (left), fastfetch output (right)](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/dank-linux-fastfetch-output.png) Okay, that might be a bit overstated, but using Dank Linux will make you feel that. Here, you don't need to pay extra for [Hyprperks](https://account.hypr.land/pricing?ref=itsfoss.com), and instead, you get a tailored Hyprland desktop experience powered by [DankMaterialShell](https://github.com/AvengeMedia/DankMaterialShell?ref=itsfoss.com) (dms), which is a desktop shell built with **Quickshell** and **Go**. It brings panels, a notification center, a lock screen, an app launcher, media controls, and automatic wallpaper-based color theming into one package. Currently at v1.4.6 "*Saffron Bloom*", the MIT-licensed project is actively developed, with the installer supporting Arch Linux (*incl. derivatives*), Fedora (*incl. derivatives*), Ubuntu, Debian, openSUSE, and Gentoo (*requires systemd*), with both *x86\_64* and *ARM64* hardware covered. ### Installation was okay ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/dank-linux-setup-2.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/dank-linux-setup-3.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/dank-linux-setup-7.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/dank-linux-setup-8.png) **There were a few steps in-between that are not shown here.* After setting up a minimal Arch Linux virtual machine, I ran the cURL script to get Dank Linux installed. The installer asked me to configure a few preferences, like the privilege escalation tool (*I went with sudo*), the compositor, and the terminal emulator. I initially picked Niri as the compositor, but after installation, the session would hang on startup due to some bug. I tried a few fixes, but none worked, so I reran the installer and switched to Hyprland with Kitty as the terminal. After entering my password and letting the installation finish, rebooting left me at a TTY login screen. The system didn't automatically boot into Hyprland, so I had to run the following command to get into the Dank Linux session: ``` hyprland ``` 📋 Before diving in, here are the keyboard shortcuts you will need to get around: \- Super+Space opens the app launcher. \- Super+Q quits the active window. \- Super+Left Mouse moves windows around. \- Super+Right Mouse resizes them. ### The desktop experience was lovely Once in, you will notice that **the installation is quite minimal**, with only a limited set of applications shipped out of the box. To get close to my usual Linux workstation setup, I had to separately install Firefox for browsing, LibreOffice for documents, Nemo as a GUI file manager, and VLC for audio and video playback. Launching them was easy via the application launcher, with the top bar showing the active window title, a clock, a calendar, weather info, system resource usage, battery status, network connectivity, and quick access to notifications and settings. **Window tiling works cleanly**, with windows snapping into a neat layout without any fussing around from my side. That said, the settings menu is where things get interesting in terms of customization. You can pick a Material Design color theme, let the shell pull one automatically from your wallpaper, or set a custom one. Font changes apply across the shell from the '*Typography & Motion*' section, and you can enable a dock if a top bar is not your thing. ![this screenshot shows three app windows tiled on a dank linux system, on the left is the system monitor, and on the right are the terminal window with fastfetch output and the settings menu with the themes & colors page open](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/dank-linux-window-tiling.png) The top bar itself is configurable, and you can even swap out the app launcher logo. Similarly, the quick access options are reorderable, so you can arrange them to match how you actually work. Though this last one was a bit wonky during my testing, refusing to slot the buttons where I wanted them to. **Audio and video playback worked without any issues**. I pulled up a YouTube video in Firefox, and it played back smoothly, with no tearing or stuttering worth noting given this was running inside a virtual machine. What made it nicer was the '*Media*' panel sitting in the top bar. It picks up whatever is playing and shows the title, the source, and a progress bar, along with buttons to skip, pause, or resume playback. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/dank-linux-web-browser-document-editing-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/dank-linux-web-browser-document-editing-2.png) For documents, I grabbed a sample ODT file and opened it in [LibreOffice Writer](https://itsfoss.com/libreoffice-tips/). Formatting text, rearranging content, and saving the file all worked as expected. Nothing surprising there. Plus, it was good to see that the Wayland clipboard and app integration was working well during edit sessions. ![this picture shows the workspaces interface on dank linux, with up to 10 virtual desktops being available for creation](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/dank-linux-workspaces.png) **The workspace switcher** is another area where Dank Linux does well. You get 10 workspaces out of the box, and the switcher gives you a view of what is open across each one. From the settings menu, you can choose what the workspace switcher indicator shows, whether that's workspace names, running app icons, or both, along with tweaking the overall appearance and enabling reverse scrolling direction. Small stuff, but having all of that in a GUI menu rather than being buried in a config file can make a real difference in day-to-day use. ## Get Started On a supported distribution, you simply need to run the following cURL script to get Dank Linux: ``` curl -fsSL https://install.danklinux.com | sh ``` Though I highly suggest you go through the [instructions for dankinstall](https://danklinux.com/docs/dankinstall?ref=itsfoss.com) to prepare your base system properly before making the switch. [Dank Linux](https://danklinux.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Proton Drive is Now Faster (And Getting a Linux Client Soon) URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/proton-drive-encryption-upgrades/ Last updated: 2026-06-05T12:51:50.000Z If you have been following [Proton Drive](https://go.getproton.me/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=44&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=itsfoss.com) this year, you know the pace of development has picked up. The developers have been busy rolling out a shared SDK across all their clients, and each update has introduced major improvements. This [week's update](https://proton.me/blog/drive-sdk-june-2026?ref=itsfoss.com) is the biggest one yet. Two things have landed at once. Proton pushed [a cryptography overhaul](https://proton.me/blog/drive-cryptography-update?ref=itsfoss.com) that makes file encryption a lot faster and quietly confirmed that **a native Linux client** is now in development. ## A faster Drive experience ![an illustration that is depicting the 3x uploads and 2x downloads gains ](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/proton-drive-june-2026-update-banner.jpeg) **Illustration by the Proton Drive team.* According to Proton's testing, uploads are now up to **3x faster** across platforms, and downloads are up to **2x faster**. Everyday tasks like Android photo backup and macOS file sync finish quicker, and the *Photos* section has been cleaned up too, with faster album loading and smoother timeline scrolling even in large libraries. **All of this is a result of** Proton pulling together the work from their Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and web teams into one integrated engine. Whereas earlier, every platform was running its own separate implementation, which meant development efforts were scattered across the board. Now they all run on [the same codebase](https://github.com/ProtonDriveApps/sdk?ref=itsfoss.com), which means improvements roll out everywhere at the same time rather than platform by platform. ## Encryption got a serious upgrade Proton Drive has used [OpenPGP](https://www.openpgp.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) to encrypt file contents since day one. The latest update moves to a newer version of that, and the key change here is that encryption now makes full use of the device's hardware. The numbers shared by Proton make the difference clearly apparent. On mobile, a 4MB file that used to take 97ms to encrypt now takes 32ms. On desktop-class hardware, the same job goes from 12ms down to 3ms. **In practical terms**, this means encrypting an HD video on your phone dropped from about 90 seconds to around 30, and on a desktop the same goes from around 12 seconds to 3. Existing users are urged to update their clients to take advantage of these improvements. ## Linux users, rejoice! 🎉 The most interesting bit of info in the SDK announcement is very easy to miss. Proton has confirmed that **they are currently building a native Drive client for Linux**, which is being put together from scratch using the SDK. Earlier this year, [the January SDK update](https://proton.me/blog/drive-sdk-january-2026?ref=itsfoss.com) had briefly mentioned a Linux client as something on the roadmap. This week's post is a step past that, with them confirming it is now in active development. For years, many of you have been vocal about the lack of a native Proton Drive app on Linux, and if our comments section is anything to go by, it has been one of the most requested things from the Proton ecosystem. The SDK is what is making it possible now, and building on it means **the Linux client will not be playing catch-up with other platforms** when it does arrive. If you haven't already, you can check out Proton Drive via our [partner link](https://go.getproton.me/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=44&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=itsfoss.com) below while supporting us in the process. [Proton Drive](https://go.getproton.me/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=44&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=itsfoss.com) ### FOSS Weekly #26.23: Vim Forked, Coreutils on Windows, Reverse WSL, KDE Linux and a Giveaway URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-23/ Last updated: 2026-06-04T14:38:10.000Z [Microsoft has released its own version of Coreutils](https://itsfoss.com/news/windows-coreutils/) to bring Linux commands to Windows command prompt. If you can't beat them, join them? This is a big move from the company that once called Linux a "cancer". [Someone forked Vim to keep it free from any AI assisted code contribution](https://itsfoss.com/news/vim-classic-first-release/). A bit too extreme? You tell me. KDE Linux is shaping up well, as [May's progress update](https://itsfoss.com/news/kde-linux-may-2026-update/) shows the project dropping its AUR dependency, switching to kde-builder for a faster and more distro-agnostic build system, and replacing KWalletManager with the newer KeepSecret app. Valve brought the Steam Deck OLED back after months of absence and quietly raised prices by nearly 50% to cover rising component costs. [People bought them anyway](https://itsfoss.com/news/steam-deck-oled-stock-out/). North America sold out overnight, and if you've been waiting for prices to normalize, *don't*. M5Stack's [CardputerZero](https://itsfoss.com/news/cardputerzero-crowdfunding/) is a credit card-sized Linux computer built around a Raspberry Pi Compute Module Zero, with a 46-key keyboard, 1.9-inch display with HDMI out up to 1080p, 8MP Sony camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, and a 1,500mAh battery. AlmaLinux Day [is coming to Los Angeles](https://itsfoss.com/news/almalinux-day-los-angeles/) on July 18, scheduled the day before SIGGRAPH 2026 to catch the VFX and studio crowd before the larger conference kicks off. More [European companies are joining hands to push Euro-Office](https://itsfoss.com/news/tuta-joins-euro-office-initiative/), the ONLYOFFICE clone. **Here are other highlights of this edition of FOSS Weekly:** - A new tool that feels like a reverse WSL. - Software that feels open source, but isn't. - Getting the fastest Arch Linux download mirrors. - And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes! ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About GitHub Copilot's metered billing went live this week. What was a predictable monthly subscription [is now usage-based](https://www.theregister.com/ai-and-ml/2026/06/02/github-copilot-users-threaten-exit-as-metered-billing-kicks-in/5249826?ref=itsfoss.com), with each request priced dynamically by model and context. [Angry devs vow to flee GitHub Copilot as metered billing takes hold’16% of my monthly Pro+ allowance. Gone. For basically nothing’![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-51650cff0f8efd72a550232aad11133e28aad00bc4302902a407a7c8a5fec1e0.png)theregisterO’Ryan Johnson![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/5249860-7650bff5addc3c266545cd35a129bc54d8ca4289a35db5d8c0fbce59b3015fe0.jpg)](https://www.theregister.com/ai-and-ml/2026/06/02/github-copilot-users-threaten-exit-as-metered-billing-kicks-in/5249826?ref=itsfoss.com) [![CTA Image](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/linux-book.jpg)](https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guide-Linux-Engineers-environments/dp/1806664232/?ref=itsfoss.com) The thing is that you cannot avoid AI specially if you are working as a sysadmin or DevOps. The best way is to use AI as a tool to assist you in your workflow. There is [this new book](https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guide-Linux-Engineers-environments/dp/1806664232/?ref=itsfoss.com) that guides you to build intelligent automation using LLMs, RAG, and AI agents for monitoring, troubleshooting, and system administration. You don't want to be left behind, after all. [Get the book ](https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guide-Linux-Engineers-environments/dp/1806664232/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings Your Arch mirror list from install day [is probably not your fastest option anymore](https://itsfoss.com/fast-arch-linux-mirrors/). `reflector` lets you pull the most recently synced HTTPS mirrors by country in one command. `rate-mirrors` benchmarks them and picks the fastest without you needing to specify anything. Want to try Alpine Linux without touching your main system? The installation process is text-based and a bit different from what most distros do, so [running it in VirtualBox](https://itsfoss.com/alpine-linux-virtualbox/) first makes sense. Steam is proprietary. So are Obsidian, Warp, Docker Desktop, and the Snap Store backend. Thirteen tools that [regularly fool Linux users](https://itsfoss.com/popular-software-open-source-feel/) into assuming otherwise, with open source alternatives listed. Desktop Linux is mostly neglected by the industry but loved by the community. For the past 13 years, It's FOSS has been helping people use Linux on their personal computers. And we are now facing the existential threat from AI models stealing our content. If you like what we do and would love to support our work, please become It's FOSS Plus member. It costs less than the cost of a McDonald Happy Meal a month, and you get an ad-free reading experience with the satisfaction of helping the desktop Linux community. [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner ZimaBoard was the device I began my homelab journey with a couple of years ago. I tried their latest device, [ZimaCube 2 and shared the experience in this review](https://itsfoss.com/zimacube-2-review/). If money is not a problem and you are looking for the comfort of owning a homelab, Zima devices are worth it. [ZimaCube 2 Review: Combining Self-hosting, NAS and Local AI in a Single PackageI have been using ZimaCube 2 Pro for nearly a month now. Here is my experience with it, covering what has improved, what has not, and what this upgrade actually means for real use.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-9c3ae180-4f04-4d3d-bab2-1f696c23a52e.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/zimacube-2-review-63352dd2-33e1-4d21-8754-cd2f3b38184a.png)](https://itsfoss.com/zimacube-2-review/) Jan AI [came close to replacing Ollama](https://itsfoss.com/jan-ai/) for Bhuwan with its one-click model downloads, built-in cloud provider support, and local API server. But performance-wise, it disappointed. ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights WSL runs Linux inside Windows. [Winpodx](https://itsfoss.com/winpodx/) does the opposite. It spins up a Windows container using Podman and streams individual Windows apps to your Linux desktop via FreeRDP. [Reverse WSL? I Tried This New Tool to Integrate Windows Apps in LinuxNot that I am a fan of Windows or need Windows-only application. But I appreciate the innovation of open source developers.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-1aa7ab64dc35165bb92fe0ec683780e84b27cd37df02b7bf66a6d1c19edbe254.png)It's FOSSSreenath![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/integrate-windows-app-in-linux-windpodx-17f0be316def836faa4e8a0fa7e691f3785e5e3d4609f18dc25ade7234b69fa7.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/winpodx/) ## 📽️ Videos for You We are now almost halfway through 2026, and [these things still hold up](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT8emqAIl7Y&ref=itsfoss.com). [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip In [GNOME](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-tricks-ubuntu/), if you have multiple keyboard layouts enabled, click on the keyboard layout button in the quick settings panel and click the "*Show Keyboard Layout*" button to get a quick overview of that layout. ![gnome keyboard layouts tip](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/show-layout.png) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse Can you spot all the hidden logos in [this image puzzle](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/spot-hidden-logo/)? [Spot All The Logos: Image PuzzleLet’s see if you can spot the hidden items in the image!![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-1aa7ab64dc35165bb92fe0ec683780e84b27cd37df02b7bf66a6d1c19edbe254.png)It's FOSSAnkush Das![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/spot-hidden-logo-0a1743f1bdabadaa28c6b65765a9206fd006eaeff0d337a10013bb37ef188572.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/spot-hidden-logo/) A glass of [Wine](https://www.winehq.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) to keep the Winslop away. 🍷😉 ![wine linux windows meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/MEME16.png) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On June 5, 1833, [Ada Byron](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada%5FLovelace?ref=itsfoss.com) met [Charles Babbage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles%5FBabbage?ref=itsfoss.com) at a party in London and walked away captivated by his mechanical [Difference Engine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Difference%5Fengine?ref=itsfoss.com). That chance encounter sparked a friendship that led Ada to write what is now recognized as the world's first computer program, over a decade before the word "*computer*" referred to anything other than a person doing sums. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: Manuel, a regular FOSSer is [looking for suggestions](https://itsfoss.community/t/terminal-do-you-have-recommendation-of-a-tool-where-is-possible-see-the-git-branches-history/15869?ref=itsfoss.com) for a terminal app that shows git branch history. If that doesn't interest you, then there's another thread discussing [whether technical education is failing in Australia](https://itsfoss.community/t/is-technical-education-failing/15856?ref=itsfoss.com). ### ZimaCube 2 Review: Combining Self-hosting, NAS and Local AI in a Single Package URL: https://itsfoss.com/zimacube-2-review/ Last updated: 2026-06-04T14:18:01.000Z I already [reviewed the original ZimaCube Pro](https://itsfoss.com/zimacube-review/) and gave it a positive verdict, for the most part. So when IceWhale offered me the newer version for review, I was curious to see how much had actually changed. Not much specification-wise. Here's why. If you compare the spec sheets of the [ZimaCube Pro](https://shop.zimaspace.com/products/zimacube-pro-personal-cloud?utm%5Fmedium=menu&utm%5Fsource=header) (original) and the [ZimaCube 2 Pro](https://shop.zimaspace.com/products/zimacube-2-personal-cloud-nas?ref=itsfoss.com) side by side, you will find the same Intel Core i5-1235U processor, the same 16 GB DDR5 RAM, the same 256 GB system SSD, and the same six SATA bays. The core hardware of the Pro tier has not changed between generations. What IceWhale actually did with the ZimaCube 2 lineup is more subtle. The real generational leap happened at the entry level of ZimaCube. **The new $799 Standard model replaces the old N100-based unit with a proper Intel Core i3, Thunderbolt 4, and DDR5, which is a substantial and much needed step up**. Intel N100 was not the best choice even two years ago. The Pro, meanwhile, got refinements, especially on the cooling and fan noise side, along with a more mature ZimaOS. The Pro version is not a new machine, it's just a better-tuned version of the same one. 💡 ****If you already own a ZimaCube Pro or Creator version, there is no compelling hardware reason to upgrade.** If you are buying for the first time, ZimeCube 2 is an excellent Homelab device for beginners. I'll share why in this review. With that said, here is everything I learned from almost a month of use. ## ZimaCube Pro v2 Specifications The ZimaCube 2 is available in three models: - **ZimaCube 2 Standard** ($799): Intel Core i3-1215U, 8 GB DDR5, 256 GB system SSD, 2.5GbE networking - **ZimaCube 2 Pro** ($1,299): Intel Core i5 (12th Gen), 16 GB DDR5-4800, 256 GB PCIe Gen4 SSD, 10GbE + 2.5GbE networking - **ZimaCube 2 Creator Pack** ($2,499): Everything in Pro, plus NVIDIA RTX Pro 2000 GPU, 64 GB RAM, 1 TB system SSD The unit I have for this review is the Pro, and I added an NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada (16 GB VRAM) via one of the PCIe slots bringing it close to Creator Pack territory. This gives local AI capabilities to my otherwise Homelab device. Again, the Pro specs are essentially identical to the original ZimaCube Pro. The i5-1235U, 16 GB DDR5, 256 GB SSD all unchanged. The ZimaCube 2 lineup's real generational upgrade happened at the base model ($799 Standard with i3), not the Pro tier. ![ZimaCube 2](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/zimacube-2.webp) Key specs for the Pro version: - **CPU:** Intel Core i5-1235U, 10 cores - **RAM:** 16 GB DDR5-4800 (expandable to 64 GB) - **System Storage:** 256 GB PCIe Gen4 x4 SSD - **Drive Bays:** 6x SATA (3.5"/2.5") + 4x M.2 NVMe slots - **Networking:** 10GbE + 2.5GbE LAN (no WiFi) - **Ports:** 2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C, 40Gbps), 2x USB-A (front), 2x USB-C 5Gbps + 2x USB-A (back), DP, HDMI and audio jack - **Expansion:** 2x PCIe slots (4.0 X4 and 3.0 X2) - **OS:** ZimaOS (default), but you can install Proxmox, Unraid, TrueNAS, Ubuntu, and others ### What else in the Box? The accessory bundle is generous and thoughtful. You get: - Four heatsinks for the M.2 NVMe drive slots - A couple of screwdrivers so you can actually open and configure the device without hunting for tools - Plenty of screws for hard disks and SSDs - A high-quality Cat6 UTP cable for networking - A power cable matching your region (a small but sensible touch since they ship worldwide) ## Fan noise is handled a lot better now ![ZimaCube 1 and 2](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/zimacube-1-and-2.webp) One of the major complaints I had with the previous ZimaCube was the fact that the tower cooler fan was annoyingly loud. I could not work without my Bose QuietComfort headphones on. I am a little picky about keeping the work environment quiet. ZimaCube Pro v2 is noticeably quieter than the original generation. That is a real improvement and definitely worth acknowledging. It is still not an absolute silent device. There is still a faint, constant, low-level whirring from the fans that you may hear in a quiet room if you are standing too close to it and the device is under load. You'll only notice it if you want to notice it. My [TerraMaster NAS](https://itsfoss.com/terramaster-f4-425-plus-review/) operates in near-silence by comparison. Where you place this device matters. A dedicated server spot away from your workspace: no problem. On your desk in a home office, you might notice it. ## The ZimaOS Experience: Still the heart of this device ZimaOS is the backbone of ZimaCube and all other Zima devices. The good news is that it has matured considerably since the original ZimaOS that was released with the previous ZimaCube. The interface is familiar: a clean web UI accessible from any browser on the local network, a file manager, and an app store for one-click deployment of self-hosted software. The applications run in Docker containers underneath, but you do not need to know Docker to install or use them. ![ZimaOS interface](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/zimaos-interface.webp) The storage manager continues to be one of the strongest features. ![ZimaOS storage](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/zimaos-storage.png) Disk management, merging storage pools, and setting up RAID are all handled through a graphical interface that makes things a lot easier. I migrated two drives from my original ZimaCube: a 1 TB SSD and a 500 GB SSD. A note on RAID for anyone in a similar situation: yes, ZimaCube 2 supports RAID and the ZimaOS GUI makes creating a RAID array incredibly easy. ![Setting up RAID in ZimaOS is really easy](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/zimaos-raid.png) 📋 I don't have HDDs in my setup. I have some SSDs of 500 GB and 1 TB. A couple of them are used for testing new devices such as this. I would like to expand my disk collection but the storage pricing has gone up to three times what it was a year ago. But with mismatched drive sizes, RAID is wasteful. A 1 TB + 500 GB RAID 1 mirror gives you only 500 GB of usable space, wasting the rest. So I skipped RAID and went with a practical split setup instead: - **500 GB SSD** dedicated to app data (persistent storage for all Docker-based apps) - **1 TB SSD** for actual user data and files Moving the application and container data between disks is effortless thanks to the storage manager. ![Moving data between disks](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/zimaos-move-data-between-disks.png) ZimaCube has 256 GB of built-in storage. But it starts filling up quickly as you install more (Docker) applications and add user data. ![The built-in emmc storage in ZimaCube](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/zimaos-built-in-storage.png) This is why I moved the app data to a 500 GB SSD and the user data to a 1 TB SSD. This way, the built-in storage is free. Once migrated, applications like Immich and others use the dedicated drive without needing to manually configure storage volumes in every app. ![ZimaOS disk setup I use](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/zimaos-my-disk-setup.png) ZVM (Zima Virtual Machines) is also available, letting you run other operating systems directly on ZimaCube from the browser. It comes with a trial of Windows in a VM by default. Not useful to me but I guess it extends the functionality and offering of ZimaCube. ![Virtual machines feature is also available in ZimaOS](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/zima-virtual-machine.png) ZimaOS has many little gems that are not well advertised. For example, there is an option to enable UPS settings. In the event of a power failure, if you have added a UPS in the set up, you can choose to gracefully power off the ZimaCube if the power is not restored in the given time frame. This saves the disks and data from a prolonged power failure. ![ZimaOS has power setting options for UPS](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/zimacube-ups-settings.png) ZimaOS has power setting options for UPS Many self-hosted applications are required to be configured with username and password at installation/deployment time. In such cases, ZimaOS shows the default credentials used under the Tips section. It is accessible when you click on the three vertical dots on the app. ![Utilize the options for each app](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/zimaos-tool-tips-1.png) 💡 ZimaOS has a tiered structure now. The free tier covers core features, Thunderbolt support, developer mode, up to 4 disks, and 3 members. ZimaOS+ adds unlimited disks and unlimited users for a one-time $29 lifetime license. Every ZimaCube and other official Zima devices ship with this lifetime license included. You don't need an annual subscription, or forced cloud dependency. ### ZimaOS still has room to grow! The GUI hits its limits more often than the marketing suggests. Some things still require dropping into a terminal, which is fine for Linux users but undercuts the "easy homelab for everyone" pitch for less technical users. For example, I installed Ollama-Nvidia from the app store. But there was no further information on using it. Since I have used Ollama in the past and I also have experience with ZimaOS, I figured out that it has to be accessed via the terminal of the Docker application. ![Accessing the terminal for Ollama configuration](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/ollama-terminal-1.png) When I ran Ollama commands, there was no visible output while the model downloaded or installed. It appeared to do nothing and then it was done. For anyone unfamiliar with CLI tools, this will cause confusion. ![No feedback on Ollama model installation](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/no-feedback-on-ollama-model-installation.png) Thankfully, Open WebUI now directly downloads models from Ollama so a separate Ollama server is not mandatory anymore. But for agentic AI flow, I think Ollama is still better suited. 💡 ZimaCube also has a mobile client that lets you sync any folder on your phone directly to your drives. For quick photo backup before setting up something like Immich, it works out of the box. ## Jellyfin as a media server While ZimaOS does makes self-hosting open source software easier, individual applications do require occasional tweaking and configuration changes. For example, I installed Jellfin Nvidia GPU version as I have added the RTX 2000 Ada. When I tried streaming a 4K video file, the GPU was not used at all. It started consuming 90% of the CPU. ![Jellyfin on ZimaCube consuming CPU](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/jellyfin-consuming-cpu-1.png) It's because Jellyfin still needed configuration changes and I had to enable the hardware transcoding with NVIDIA NVENC. ![Jellyfin Transcoding setting change](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/jellyfin-transcoding-settings-1.png) And once I did that, the CPu consumption was at the minimum. GPU was consumed but not much as NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada is way too powerful for video transcoding. ![After config changes, Jellyfin started using GPU](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/jellyfin-consuming-gpu-1.png) The point I am trying to make here is that individual apps may require setting and configuration changes of their own. [Zima has improved its documentation](https://www.zimaspace.com/docs/zimaos/media-server-setup-with-jellyfin?ref=itsfoss.com) considerably and mostly covers such pain points but there is plenty of scope for improvements here. ## Photo storage and management with Immich Immich is a self-hosted Google Photos alternative and ZimaCube is an excellent host for it. The combination covers the full use case: mobile photo backup via the Immich app, face recognition, smart albums, CLIP-based semantic search, and a clean timeline interface in the browser. With a GPU present, Immich's machine learning tasks like facial recognition, smart search run noticeably faster than on a CPU-only setup. I forgot to benchmark this data. Sorry for that 😦 The ZimaCube mobile client provides basic folder sync as an alternative if Immich feels like too much setup for your needs. Simple photo backup from your phone can be done without any additional app configuration. Although, it was buggy in my experience and I would prefer relying on PhotoPrism instead. ## Using ZimaCube 2 for local AI This is where ZimaCube Pro v2 genuinely separates itself from a typical NAS as no traditional NAS manufacturer gives you a PCIe slot for a GPU. ZimaCube does, and that changes what the machine can be. I shared my experience with Ollama earlier but then you don't necessarily need Ollama all the time. Open WebUI, AnythingLLM works well too. Anyways, the runtime experience is a different story. Once Ollama is running and models are pulled, things are smooth. With the RTX 2000 Ada's 16 GB VRAM, 7B and 13B parameter models run entirely in VRAM with no memory spillover. Response times are fast enough for real use: comfortable for chat, fast for summarization tasks, very fast for coding assistance. For everyday tasks like text summarization, Q&A, quick coding help, 7B to 13B models are the practical sweet spot. They are fast, fit cleanly in 16 GB VRAM, and the quality is more than adequate. Larger models in the 32B+ range will start to push the memory limits, though quantized versions can still run well. I tried Deepseek-r1, qwen and llama primarily. I wanted to use Kimi but Ollama only has it in cloud mode and that fails the point of setting up a local AI. I used AnythingLLM as an AI assistant for my private notes. It helps me find and create quick tips for the newsletter and social media. Setting up AnythingLLM was a struggle too. On the agentic AI side, I rely on [Nanoclaw as it is super easy to setup](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27baD2XZPiM&ref=itsfoss.com). ZimaOS only offers OpenClaw which is more popular but not something I prefer. Setting up Hermes Agent is easier as it has graphical interface. ![Hermes Agent](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/hermes-agent.webp) Let's be clear. Without a GPU, local AI on ZimaCube is CPU inference. Functional but slow and limited to smaller models. The PCIe slot is what makes the real difference here but then you have to spend on a small form factor GPU as not all GPUs will fit in the ZimaCube. ## Linux is still not getting the place it deserves There were two main concerns that I raised in the previous ZimaCube review: it's fan was too noisy and the Zima client was not available for Linux. Built on [ZeroTier](https://www.zerotier.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), Zima client allows you to use your ZimaOS device from anywhere in the world. You have to enable remote access option for this. ![Zima Client allows accessing the ZimaCube from anywhere](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/zimaos-zima-client.png) This way, even if your ZimaCube is on your home network, behind a NAT, you can access it from another location, city or country. This makes your homelab available outside the home network. The problem is that you need to install the Zima Client application on your system and this application is still available only for Windows and macOS. Two years and we still don't have Zima Client for Linux and as a Linux user, I am surely disappointed. ## What I am using ZimaCube Pro v2 for ![ZimaCube 2 in my setup](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/zimacube-in-my-setup.webp) I have a few Zima devices in my setup. I started my [homelab journey with the ZimaBoard](https://itsfoss.com/zimaboard-review/), a smaller SBC type of device that came with CasaOS. It was upgraded to [ZimaBoard 2](https://itsfoss.com/news/zimaboard-2-review-2/) and it runs continuously in my setup and powers my Home Assistant and Jellyfin servers. ZimaCube 2 runs the same operating system and thus I could use it for all my homelab need and remove ZimaBoard from the picture, but I chose not to do so. I use ZimaCube 2 as a combination of NAS and local AI. It has more power and thus also consumes more power. I usually turn the ZimaCube off at the end of the day and keep it running during my working hour. Photo backup and management with Immich is the primary use case. My full photo library lives here now. Then I use Local AI inference with Ollama and Open WebUI. Running Qwen and a few other models for summarization, knowledgebase assistant helps (with Anything LLM on my laptop). File storage for important documents. ZimaCube is one node in my backup strategy. ## Is it worth getting? ZimaCube 2 Pro is priced at $1299\. There is an increase in price because SSDs, RAMs cost more (all thanks to the AI craze). **If you already own a ZimaCube Pro**, there is genuinely no hardware reason to upgrade. The processor, RAM, and storage are the same. It is not worth the cost of switching just for a more silent fan. **If you are buying for the first time**, the ZimaCube 2 Pro is the one to go for. The standard ZimaCube 2, priced at $799, also provides more value now. Some people may think that it is better to build a PC in the same or cheaper price but than not everyone would want to do that. Devices like ZimaCube serve a niche of people who want to own a homelab without spending too much time dealing with the hardware, networking and the operating system. These days, you need more than just a NAS, You need that hardware to do more than just storing data. And ZimaCube brings NAS, self-hosting and local AI together. It gives you PCIe expansion, Thunderbolt 4, and an approachable homelab OS in the same box. For the right kind of user, that combination has no real alternative. For me, ZimaCube is an integral part of my home setup, and it stays that way. [Get ZimaCube 2](https://shop.zimaspace.com/products/zimacube-2-personal-cloud-nas?ref=itsfoss.com) P.S. You can win a ZimaBoard 2 (not ZimaCube 2) and start a small lab with that. Please [enter the giveaway on X](https://x.com/Itsfoss/status/2062528790673473901?ref=itsfoss.com) (formerly Twitter). > 🎁 Giveaway alert: Win a ZimaBoard 2 and start your homelab for FREE. > > We're teaming up with [@ZimaSpace](https://x.com/ZimaSpace?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=itsfoss.com) to give away a one-of-a-kind It’s FOSS × ZimaBoard 2 1664 Edition. And yes, only ONE exists. > > Powered by Intel N150 with dual 2.5GbE networking and PCIe expansion, it's perfect… [pic.twitter.com/yTRzYzNYox](https://t.co/yTRzYzNYox?ref=itsfoss.com) > > — It's FOSS (@Itsfoss) [June 4, 2026](https://x.com/Itsfoss/status/2062528790673473901?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=itsfoss.com) ### Canonical Promotes Steam Snap to Stable on ARM64, With Plans to Rebuild It from Scratch Later URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/arm64-steam-snap-goes-stable/ Last updated: 2026-06-04T13:04:01.000Z Canonical's Steam snap for ARM64 has been [promoted to stable](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/canonical-s-steam-snap-is-now-stable-on-arm64/83664?ref=itsfoss.com), nearly five months after a call for testing [drew feedback](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/call-for-testing-steam-snap-for-arm64/74719?ref=itsfoss.com) from users across a wide range of ARM hardware. The reason [a snap like this](https://snapcraft.io/steam?ref=itsfoss.com) exists at all is that **Valve's Steam client for Linux is x86-only**. To make it run on ARM64, Canonical bundled the x86 Steam binary together with [FEX-Emu](https://fex-emu.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), a Linux usermode emulator that translates x86 and x86-64 instructions for ARM64 systems at runtime. ![cropped picture that shows the snapcraft website, and a listing for the steam snap with the arm64 architecture packages visible](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/steam-snap-arm64-stable-build.jpg) [**Snapcraft*](https://snapcraft.io/steam?ref=itsfoss.com) *lists the stable release of the Steam snap for ARM64 now.* This stable release also introduces FEX's [library forwarding](https://wiki.fex-emu.com/index.php/Development:Setting%5Fup%5FLibrary%5FForwarding?ref=itsfoss.com) feature (*thunking*) as a user-configurable option. Instead of emulating every graphics API call through FEX, thunking forwards OpenGL and Vulkan calls directly to the host system's native ARM64 libraries, which cuts down on emulation overhead. Canonical has tested this release across three hardware families, all of which are said to have shown good performance across popular games. These include the **NVIDIA DGX Spark** and associated GB10 devices, **Qualcomm Snapdragon laptops** (*Lenovo ThinkPad X13s, T14s, and Dell XPS 9345*), and the **Radxa Orion** O6 and O6N. ## Switch to stable If you are already running the snap on *candidate* or *edge* and want to move to stable, run: ``` sudo snap refresh steam --channel=stable ``` They have also laid out a release cycle for the [Steam Snap](https://github.com/canonical/steam-snap?ref=itsfoss.com), with new versions first landing in the *edge* channel for experimental testing, then moving to *candidate* after around one to two weeks if no major issues surface. From *candidate*, they graduate to *stable* after another one to three weeks. ## What's next? [Mitchell Augustin](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/u/mitchellaugustin/summary?ref=itsfoss.com), who announced the stable promotion, **wants to eventually rebuild the snap around Valve's native ARM64 Steam client** and drop the FEX layer Canonical currently maintains on top of it. Yeah, that native client is already out there, [but quietly](https://interfacinglinux.com/community/sbcsoftware/native-steam-client-for-arm-linux/?ref=itsfoss.com). ROCKNIX has already shipped it in their distribution, keeping both ARM64 and x86 launch paths available side by side. Mitchell said he is keeping a close eye on it but is waiting for [Proton 11](https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Proton/releases/tag/proton-11.0-1-beta1?ref=itsfoss.com) to exit beta first before making any moves. For now, you can use the snap on your [ARM64](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AArch64?ref=itsfoss.com) device, and if you run into any issues or want to contribute to development, then [the GitHub tracker](https://github.com/canonical/steam-snap/issues?ref=itsfoss.com) for this app is the place to go. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Microsoft Just Brought Linux Commands to Windows*](https://itsfoss.com/news/windows-coreutils/) [Not Kidding! Microsoft Just Brought Linux Commands to Windows OfficiallyThe company that once called Linux a “cancer” is now the one shipping its core tools to Windows users.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-d47022ff-0e6b-4657-ad67-2cb377901b0e.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/windows-coreutils-66590944-ba33-431a-9903-d16af68c8795.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/news/windows-coreutils/) ### Linux Foundation Wants Open Standards for What AI is Actually Costing You URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/tokenomics-foundation/ Last updated: 2026-08-05T04:11:09.000Z The [Linux Foundation](https://www.linuxfoundation.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) has been steadily growing its roster of projects and initiatives, with AI governance becoming an increasingly prominent part of that push. Their latest push in this direction is a plan to launch the [Tokenomics Foundation](https://www.tokeneconomics.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), a new program focused on open standards, benchmarks, and best practices for the economics of [AI token](https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/ai-tokens-explained/?ref=itsfoss.com) consumption. It will work in close partnership with the [FinOps Foundation](https://www.finops.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), which has been busy with efforts surrounding cloud cost management since 2020. 📋 The foundation [has been officially launched](https://www.linuxfoundation.org/press/linux-foundation-launches-the-tokenomics-foundation-to-define-the-economics-and-roi-of-ai-value?ref=itsfoss.com) with 30 initial members. ## Why now? The foundation says that token costs have been moving around. They dropped heavily through 2023 and 2025, then settled down, and new model pricing is climbing again. Citing [a research paper](https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/ai-agents-forecast-to-boost-tech-cash-flow-as-usage-soars?ref=itsfoss.com), they pointed out that global token usage is projected to grow 24x between 2026 and 2030, hitting 120 quadrillion tokens per month. Separately, they also noted industry analyst projections of **AI infrastructure investment crossing $1 trillion by 2027**, with **the inference market going from roughly $106 billion in 2025 to $255 billion by 2030**. None of this spending is easy to measure consistently today. Cached vs. non-cached tokens, input vs. output pricing, on-demand vs. reserved compute. Every provider defines and bills for these differently, with no neutral framework to compare them across vendors. Having a standardized approach to all of this is precisely the gap the Tokenomics Foundation is looking to fill with its open standards and benchmarks. ### What will it do? The foundation will operate through a *Governing Board* that sets direction and allocates funding, alongside a *Technical Committee* responsible for the actual specifications and benchmarks. The first confirmed deliverable is expanding the [FOCUS](https://focus.finops.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) specification, an open billing format that came out of FinOps, to cover token-based spending models. That would give enterprises a common schema for AI cost data regardless of which provider they are using. **Twelve organizations have thrown their support behind it** so far, including Google Cloud, Flexera, KPMG, Accenture, Microsoft, Oracle, Salesforce, SAP, ServiceNow, Booking.com, IBM, and JPMorgan Chase. The formal launch is at [FinOps X](https://x.finops.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) in San Diego, from June 8 to 10, where the technical roadmap, initial working groups, partnerships, and upcoming conferences will be announced. You might remember that the Linux Foundation took a similar approach with the [Agentic AI Foundation](https://itsfoss.com/news/agentic-ai-foundation-launch/) late last year, pulling MCP, goose, and AGENTS.md under open governance before the agentic AI space had a chance to fragment further. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Tuta Joins The Euro-Office Umbrella*](https://itsfoss.com/news/tuta-joins-euro-office-initiative/) [Tuta Joins Other European Companies Under the Euro-Office UmbrellaThe growing coalition is days away from shipping Euro-Office’s first stable release.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-c668a8ca-8ec6-41e0-b20c-d98838827d14.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/tuta-joins-euro-office-376548aa-2af2-41f2-8485-dd1b5605f715.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/tuta-joins-euro-office-initiative/) ### Tuta Joins Other European Companies Under the Euro-Office Umbrella URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/tuta-joins-euro-office-initiative/ Last updated: 2026-06-03T17:11:33.000Z Tuta, the German encrypted email and calendar provider, [has officially joined Euro-Office](https://tuta.com/blog/tuta-joins-euro-office?ref=itsfoss.com). Unless you have been living under a rock or were trapped in some freaky dungeon, [this collaborative effort](https://github.com/Euro-Office?ref=itsfoss.com) has brought together many notable European companies. The participating names include Nextcloud, IONOS, Proton, XWiki, Soverin, EuroStack, BTactic, Open-Xchange, and a few others who are jointly developing an open source document handling solution. It is in the works as a web-based, AGPL-licensed fork of [ONLYOFFICE](https://www.onlyoffice.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) that is expected to support real-time collaborative editing across documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and PDFs, with wide format support. **Don't think of it as a standalone office suite**, though. It is designed to be plugged into existing platforms like Nextcloud Hub, Proton Drive, XWiki, or OpenProject, and **the first stable release is expected in a few days**. Speaking on the matter, [Matthias Pfau](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthiaspfau/?ref=itsfoss.com), co-founder and CEO of Tuta, added that: > We’ve joined Euro-Office because we see great potential for this project to become a truly sovereign alternative with great usability and data protection. It is built by European engineers, people and companies that you can trust, and it is fully open source. > > This is exactly what we need here at Tuta to compliment our encrypted offerings of Tuta Mail, Tuta Calendar, and Tuta Drive. ## Why not LibreOffice? Why LibreOffice was not chosen as the base is not something the coalition has addressed directly. The FAQ on the project's GitHub page (*linked earlier*) does mention openness to collaboration with the [LibreOffice](https://www.libreoffice.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) community and [Collabora](https://www.collaboraonline.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), with the document converter being highlighted as one area where that could happen. And there's still **an open question** hanging over the project. The Document Foundation (TDF), the nonprofit behind LibreOffice, asked Euro-Office back in April [what its native document format would be](https://itsfoss.com/news/tdf-calls-out-euro-office/). *As of today, the question remains unanswered with the official material still framing the project around "great MS compatibility."* TDF's argument is that this just relocates the dependency rather than removing it. If they go with the OOXML approach, the server moves to Europe, but the document format stays bound to decisions Microsoft makes. ODF, the Open Document Format, is an ISO standard with no single company controlling it, and Germany [recently mandated it by law](https://itsfoss.com/news/germany-digital-stack-mandate/) for use in public administration. ## Nearing a release I have been keeping an eye on [Euro-Office](https://itsfoss.com/news/onlyoffice-forked/) since it was first announced, and there has not been much in the way of official updates on how things were coming along. But now, the coalition is growing, a stable release is close, and the push for a genuinely European document stack appears to be gaining real momentum. I am curious to see what ships. ### Not Kidding! Microsoft Just Brought Linux Commands to Windows Officially URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/windows-coreutils/ Last updated: 2026-06-08T09:38:40.000Z Microsoft just shipped coreutils for Windows. Yes, you read that right. ls. grep. cat. cp. find. The same commands that have powered Unix and Linux systems for over 50 years are now available natively on Windows, maintained by Microsoft itself. In case you are not already familiar, coreutils are the foundational utilities that every Linux and macOS system relies on for basic file operations, text processing, and shell scripting. They are the foundation of Unix computing. Tens of millions of scripts, pipelines, and workflows depend on them every day. And now Microsoft is shipping and maintaining a build of them for Windows. This is not [WSL](https://itsfoss.com/tag/wsl/). You do not need a Linux subsystem running in the background. These "Linux commands" run natively on Windows, with the exact same flags and behavior as on Linux. Microsoft's ultimate goal seems to make moving between Linux, macOS, WSL, containers, and Windows completely frictionless. Write a script once. Run it anywhere. ## The Rust-based Windows coreutils is a work in progress The package bundles [uutils/coreutils](https://github.com/uutils/coreutils?ref=itsfoss.com) (a modern Rust rewrite of GNU coreutils), findutils, and grep into a single multi-call binary. Every command supports standard flags. Same commands, same pipelines, no translation needed. The project is still in preview and there are only a handful of commands. Since some commands have the same name in Linux and Windows, there is a possibility of conflict. Some don't fit in Windows environment. Commands like dir, expand, more, paste, whoami conflict too directly with existing Windows built-ins. kill and timeout are unavailable due to Windows lacking POSIX signals. dd, dircolors, shred, sync, and uname were dropped as not useful on Windows. A longer list of POSIX-only commands like chmod, chown, chroot, mkfifo, id, who, and others are simply not applicable to the Windows environment. Who is surprised? Not me. So, what commands are available as part of Windows coreutils then? The [official GitHub repo](https://github.com/microsoft/coreutils?ref=itsfoss.com) does a better job at it: ![Windows coreutils](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/windows-coreutils-status.png) Notice that there are separate columns for command prompt and PowerShell. Some commands would work in the default command prompt but not in the advanced PowerShell and vice versa. Clearly, this is a work in progress and there should be more improvement on them in the near future. ## Testing Linux commands on Windows I booted into my Windows partition just to test it out. It's been months since I last logged in to the Windows and thus had to update the system with multiple reboots. Sob story aside, I downloaded the .exe file for the Coreutils and installed it. Yes, these coreutils are offered in a single .exe file. You can see a very brief demo of running some Linux commands in Windows command prompt. Some commands result in error as they are not supported yet. ## A move for the agentic AI era? See, the entire point of bringing Coreutils to Windows is to keep developers on the Microsoft platform. If they can use Linux commands and the tools their workflows depend on without leaving Windows, they have fewer reasons to switch to a Linux desktop. That is the [same argument I made when WSL 2 was released years ago](https://itsfoss.com/windows-linux-kernel-wsl-2/). But this move goes beyond WSL, and in my opinion, it is not primarily aimed at developers, at least not in the direct sense. Microsoft made several announcements at Build 2026 yesterday. One of them was bringing OpenClaw to Windows. Now, OpenClaw is an open-source AI agent framework that lets autonomous agents run on your own machine. These agents rely on Linux commands, Python scripts, and similar tools to get things done. OpenClaw exploded in popularity earlier this year, so much so that people were buying Mac Minis just to run it locally. These days, every operating system wants to be AI-ready. Development itself is increasingly happening through AI agents rather than purely by hand. With OpenClaw coming to Windows, the ability to run Linux commands natively is no longer just a developer convenience, it becomes critical infrastructure for running AI agents. That is what makes this announcement bigger than it looks. Microsoft is not just courting developers; it is positioning Windows as a serious platform for the agentic AI era. ### Vim Classic is a Vim Fork for People Who Want Their Editor AI-Free URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/vim-classic-first-release/ Last updated: 2026-06-03T13:57:58.000Z A Vim fork has arrived, and it exists because of AI. [Drew DeVault](https://drewdevault.com/about/?ref=itsfoss.com), the developer behind SourceHut, announced Vim Classic [back in March 2026](https://drewdevault.com/blog/Forking-vim/?ref=itsfoss.com) after becoming unhappy with the direction both [Vim](https://www.vim.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [NeoVim](https://neovim.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) were heading. His gripe was that generative AI had started creeping into their development, and he wanted no part of it. The NeoVim side of that concern is the project's labeling of AI-assisted pull requests as "[*AI assisted 🤖*](https://github.com/neovim/neovim/pulls?q=label%3A%22AI%20assisted%20%F0%9F%A4%96%22&ref=itsfoss.com)," which has now stacked up a fair number of requests, many of which have already been merged. With Vim, the situation is a bit murky. Drew points to [a GitHub issue](https://github.com/vim/vim/issues/18800?ref=itsfoss.com#issuecomment-3568099543) where community members suspected one contributor of using LLMs, but a Vim maintainer had already pushed back on those accusations. Anyhow, [Vim Classic](https://vim-classic.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) has received its [first-ever release](https://git.sr.ht/~sircmpwn/vim-classic/refs/v8.3.0?ref=itsfoss.com), so let's see what it has to offer. 🚧 Drew warns that Vim Classic is meant for early adopters. Not for people looking to daily drive it. ## A classic Vim experience ![cropped screenshot of the vim classic website](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/vim-classic-website.png) **Screenshot of the website because building from source is* ☠️. Based on [Vim 8.2.0148](https://github.com/vim/vim/releases/tag/v8.2.0148?ref=itsfoss.com), Vim Classic predates the [Vim9 script](https://vimhelp.org/vim9.txt.html?ref=itsfoss.com) entirely. This was done deliberately to keep the maintenance burden manageable, stopping at the last patch before the script was introduced. *As a result, some Vim plugins that rely on Vim9 Script will not work with Vim Classic.* From that base, **select patches have been backported from upstream**, mostly addressing CVEs discovered after 8.2, alongside some bug fixes and original patches to keep things building on modern toolchains. DeVault is also upfront that not every applicable security patch has been confirmed as backported, **so some CVEs may have slipped through**. The project is currently recommended only for early adopters comfortable with that uncertainty. In addition, **the charityware model carries over from Vim**, with this project continuing to support the children of Uganda (*albeit via a different charity*) that [Bram Moolenaar](https://itsfoss.com/news/vim-creator-passed-away/), the creator of Vim, endorsed. 📋 The original [ICCF Holland](https://iccf-holland.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) charity was dissolved following his passing, with its mission carried forward by [Kuwasha](https://www.kuwasha.net/?ref=itsfoss.com). ## The packages Vim Classic 8.3 is currently available as a source tarball from [SourceHut](https://git.sr.ht/~sircmpwn/vim-classic/archive/v8.3.0.tar.gz?ref=itsfoss.com) (*direct download*). You will also find the release tarball and its PGP signature, signed with DeVault's public key, up on the project's [refs page](https://git.sr.ht/~sircmpwn/vim-classic/refs/?ref=itsfoss.com). For the source code, head to [the homepage](https://sr.ht/~sircmpwn/vim-classic/?ref=itsfoss.com) of the SourceHut instance for Vim Classic. [Vim Classic](https://git.sr.ht/~sircmpwn/vim-classic/refs/?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*KDE Linux is Coming Along Nicely*](https://itsfoss.com/news/kde-linux-may-2026-update/) [KDE Linux is Coming Along Nicely, Ditching the AUR and Tightening Up SecurityThe project’s May update also brings a better build system and replaces KWalletManager with the new KeepSecret app.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-1aa7ab64dc35165bb92fe0ec683780e84b27cd37df02b7bf66a6d1c19edbe254.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/kde-linux-development-progress-banner-3609ab38a60e4c3e1772dcf5ac0537abf25a8ed33c73a7254251c1ff10a54aa9.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/kde-linux-may-2026-update/) ### I Tried This Open Source ChatGPT Alternative on Linux, But Went Back to Ollama URL: https://itsfoss.com/jan-ai/ Last updated: 2026-06-02T11:23:47.000Z I may hate AI slop but I am not a AI hater. I have found decent use of the AI tools and I try to include these tools in my workflow wherever it makes sense. While mainstream LLMs like ChatGPT and Perplexity have decent free offering, they leach on the user data. "If you are not paying for the product, you are the product". That's why I am loving the idea of exploring local AI and I have spend my fair share of time [experimenting with LLMs that can be run on normal systems](https://itsfoss.com/testing-local-llms-without-gpu/). Recently, I discovered Jan AI. It is a polished, genuinely usable desktop app that runs entirely on my machine. In fact, I once tried replacing [Ollama](https://itsfoss.com/ollama/) and [llama cpp](https://itsfoss.com/llama-cpp/) with Jan AI, but later changed my mind. I'll explain why I switched back to Ollama in the later sections. First, let's learn about Jan AI. ## What is Jan AI? Jan is a free and open-source desktop application that lets you run various large language models directly on your own hardware. You can think of it as a self-hosted, offline-capable ChatGPT, except the model runs on your CPU or GPU, and no data ever leaves your machine. The project is developed by the Jan.ai company, and the source code is available on GitHub under the AGPL-3.0 license. It's built on top of llama.cpp under the hood, which means it can run quantized GGUF models efficiently even without a dedicated GPU. What I found impressive is that Jan's desktop application is built using the Tauri framework instead of Electron JS, which gives it a good performance boost and I think eats less RAM, too. A quick catch, you still need plenty of RAM for running your local LLM. The app supports Linux, macOS, and Windows. I used it on my Linux machine. ### System requirements Running a local LLM with Jan AI does require decent hardware. Here's what to realistically expect: - 8 GB RAM minimum. It's enough for 7B parameter models at 4-bit quantization (Q4\_K\_M). You'll notice slowdowns with other applications open. 16 GB RAM is the sweet spot. It can comfortably run 7B models and lets you experiment with 13B models. - GPU acceleration is optional but makes a big difference. Jan supports NVIDIA (via CUDA), AMD (via ROCm), and Intel Arc. If you don't have a compatible GPU, CPU-only mode works, but it's significantly slower. - Disk space models range from around 4 GB (7B, Q4) to 8 GB+ (13B). Download only what you need. 📋 I've been running Jan on a machine with 16 GB RAM and no discrete GPU, and a 7B model gives me response times that feel somewhat usable. ## Installing Jan AI on Linux Jan offers multiple installation formats, including `.deb` and AppImage, but the AppImage is what I'd recommend for most Linux users. It's a single self-contained file that runs on virtually any distro without touching your system packages or requiring root privileges for the app itself. It requires no dependency hell. It's just made to work. [Download Jan AI from GitHub](https://github.com/janhq/jan/releases?ref=itsfoss.com) I am not going in the details but if you need help, refer to this [guide to use AppImage on Linux](https://itsfoss.com/use-appimage-linux/). When you run Jan AI for the first time, you should see an interface like this: ![GUI interface of Jan AI application](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/image-19.png) Jan application interface for running local AI models ## Downloading models and putting Jan to work A freshly installed Jan is essentially an empty shell capable, but waiting. The first thing you need to do is grab a model. Think of it like the app is the frame and the model is the brain. ### Finding your way to the model hub Click the `Hub` in the left sidebar. This is Jan's built-in model library, a curated list of open-source models you can download with a single click. ![How to download AI models in Jan AI application](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/image-20.png) There are dozens of models with names full of numbers and letters like `Q4_K_M` or `IQ3_XS`. ![Jan AI application's model hub for downloading AI models](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/image-21.png) Jan AI application's model hub Before I recommend which ones to pick, let me quickly demystify that alphabet soup because I spent an embarrassing amount of time confused by it when I first started. ### What does Q4\_K\_M actually mean? Every model name carries a quantization tag. Quantization is how a model's original full-precision weights get compressed to fit on consumer hardware. Here's a practical breakdown: - **Q4:** 4-bit quantization. The most common choice. Roughly 4 GB for a 7B model. Fast, memory-efficient, and quality holds up well for everyday tasks. - **Q8:** 8-bit quantization. Nearly full quality, but needs about twice the RAM. Worth trying if you have 32 GB or more. - **K\_M:** The specific compression method (K-quants, medium variant). Generally, the best balance of speed and quality within the Q4 family. - XS (Extra Small): This is the most aggressive compression. It results in a file size that is slightly smaller than a standard Q4\_K\_S 💡 If you have 8–16 GB RAM, stick with `Q4_K_M`. If you have 32 GB+, try `Q8_0` for noticeably sharper outputs. ### The 3 LLM models I tested I am using an AMD laptop with an integrated GPU. I settled for CPU interference for local LLM models because enabling RoCm (Radeon Open Compute) is a hectic task, based on my research. It requires 25-30 GB of disk space. For those of you who aren't familiar with what AMD ROCm is, it's the answer to NVIDIA's CUDA. Basically, when you run a local LLM, the heavy math, such as matrix multiplications across billions of parameters, can be offloaded to a GPU instead of the CPU. RoCm lets software like Jan AI, PyTorch, or Llama.cpp talks to AMD Radeon GPUs to do that same heavy lifting. Without it, Jan falls back to CPU-only mode, which works but is significantly slower. For this article, I settled on three models that cover a solid range of use cases. I asked the same question to each model - "What can you do"? Here's what I found: ### Gemma 4 I don't lie. The performance wasn't superb, only 5 tokens per second. ![Running Gemma 4 on Linux with Jan AI application](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/image-25.png) ### Gemma 3 ![Screenshot showing download of Gemma 3 model with Jan AI application](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/Gemma-3-with-Jan-AI.png) The performance was bad than the Gemma 4 2B model. It was only 3 tokens per second. I think you can use the Gemma 3 2B model variant to achieve comparable performance. ![Running Gemma 3 on Linux with Jan AI application](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/gemma-3-Jan-AI.png) ### Jan ![Running Jan v3 4b local AI model on Linux with Jan AI application](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/Jan-v3-4b-performance.png) Yeah! Jan offers its own AI model. I used the Jan-v3-4b model to test. It comes with 262K context length. It can follow up instructions and do some light coding tasks. ## Features I liked in Jan AI Let's see a few features that I liked in this open source AI tool. ### Unified Interface for Local and Cloud LLMs Jan can act as a unified interface for local and cloud LLMs, instead of jumping from Claude to ChatGPT and then Gemini. You get to talk to your favorite LLMs within a single interface. Though directly interacting with Cloud LLMs takes away your privacy, you can still use Jan AI as a unified interface to interact with any models on HuggingFace, Groq, Gemini, Qwen, Mistral, and Claude with the respective platform's API. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/image-28.png) Configuring cloud LLM provider like Groq, Gemini, OpenAI, Mistral and OpenRouter within a single unified interface of Jan I'm especially in love with the Groq and Cerebras API. These platforms provide fast interference. If your model provider is not in the list, you can still add OpenAI-compatible models to it. ![Add custom model provider in Jan application](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/Use-custom-model-provider-with-Jan-AI.png) To add, click on the plus icon next to "MODEL PROVIDERS". It'll ask for a name. Enter the name and then set the BASE\_URL and API Key provided by your LLM platform. ![Configuring Cerbras LLM for use within Jan application](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/Jan-App-set-API-Key-and-BASE_URL-for-LLM-provider.png) ### Keeps your chats organized Jan offers the functionality to organize chats per project. ![Jan keeps your chat organized](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/image-29.png) ### Tailor Jan for Custom Experience You can edit the system instruction. It's kind of making LLM behave like a specific expert. ![Edit system prompts for Jan AI application](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/image-30.png) ### Local API Server It comes with a local API server. You can start the server by going to `Settings` \-> `Local API Server`. ![Enable local API server for Jan](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/image-31.png) ### Use it as a tool to download AI models for Llama.cpp Models downloaded with Jan AI application are completely compatible with Llama.cpp CLI. You can use Jan as a downloader tool and then run the downloaded AI model with `llama-server` **a** command**.** ### Jan CLI Jan offers a CLI interface to interact with as well. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/image-26.png) ## My honest opinion on using Jan AI vs Ollama Thanks to the developer involved in building the Jan AI app. It provides a nice GUI interface to interact with LLMs. On the contrary, I see some improvement scope for the application. ![Ollama vs Jan AI application](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/Ollama-vs-Jan-AI-for-Local-LLM.webp) Ollama vs Jan AI application The major one is with the local LLM inference time. I tested the same model, and what I found was that Jan AI provided slow inference time as compared to Ollama on the same hardware. Ollama produced a response at a rate of 6.62 tokens/sec while Jan AI produced a response at around 5 tokens/sec. On the second test, Ollama reported 7.35 tokens per second while Jan AI responded at 3 tokens per second. Also, I tried Llama.cpp for the same Gemma 5 E2B model with 3.97 tokens/sec. The secondary issue is Jan application often freezes your system. I agree, running LLM models takes significant RAM memory, but there are a couple of attempts I faced where giving a prompt with the Gemma 4 E2B model freezes my system. I haven't faced any similar issue with Ollama. That's why I kept Ollama and Llama.cpp for my local AI model inference. ## Who is Jan AI actually for? After spending time with it, I'd say Jan AI fits a few kinds of people particularly well. One thing I need to justify here, although in my tests, Jan struggled to give me more than 5 tokens per second in CPU mode, running it on a system with modern GPUs like Radeon GPU, Intel Arc, Nvidia 4050, you may get to see a huge boost in performance, especially with tokens per second. You could achieve around 13-15 tokens per second. Privacy-conscious users who want AI assistance without feeding their conversations to a corporation. Lawyers, journalists, healthcare workers, and anyone handling sensitive information fall into this category. Developers who want a local AI backend for their tools. The OpenAI-compatible API makes it drop-in compatible with a surprising number of existing integrations. Linux enthusiasts who simply prefer FOSS software and want to own their stack. The fact that it's AGPL-licensed and actively developed is a big plus. People on a budget. It comes with no API costs or subscription. You run it on hardware you already own. It's not for everyone. If you need GPT-4 level capability for complex reasoning tasks, you'll still feel the quality gap compared to frontier cloud models. But for writing assistance, summarization, brainstorming, and everyday tasks? A well-tuned 7B or 13B model gets the job done. ## The bigger picture Local AI is no longer a hobbyist experiment. The AI models like Gemma 4, Gemma 3, Granite, Jan AI model, and [SmolLM2](https://ollama.com/library/smollm2?ref=itsfoss.com) have gotten small enough that a standard laptop can run something genuinely useful. Tools like Jan have made the setup approachable enough that you don't need to be a machine learning researcher to get started. Jan AI won't replace cloud services for everyone. But for a growing number of Linux users who care about privacy, cost, and control, it's become a daily-use tool. I'd encourage you to try it. Download it, grab a 7B model, and see how far it gets you. ### AlmaLinux Day is Coming to Hollywood's Backyard This July URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/almalinux-day-los-angeles/ Last updated: 2026-06-19T04:30:11.000Z If you have been following [AlmaLinux OS](https://almalinux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), you know it is one of the more popular free enterprise Linux distributions out there. Born out of [the CentOS chaos](https://blog.centos.org/2020/12/future-is-centos-stream/?ref=itsfoss.com), it has steadily grown into a community-governed project with a clear focus on stability and compatibility for production use. Now, the [AlmaLinux OS Foundation](https://almalinux.org/members/?ref=itsfoss.com) is taking things to *Los Angeles*, with an event squarely aimed at the studios and engineers who keep the entertainment industry running on Linux. ## AlmaLinux Day: Los Angeles ![a dark blue-colored banner that shows some details for almalinux day: la ](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/almalinux-day-los-angeles.png) **Illustration by the AlmaLinux team.* This is **a free, one-day gathering** with a crowd that is set to be a mix of VFX engineers, sysadmins, cloud and DevOps folks, and open source contributors working in or adjacent to media and entertainment. The AlmaLinux people have scheduled it a day before [SIGGRAPH 2026](https://s2026.siggraph.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), the premier annual conference for the computer graphics and VFX world, so that attendees get the technical conversations and networking in before the bigger crowd moves in on Sunday. Sessions on Saturday will cover GPU driver integration for production use, the economics of running large-scale cloud rendering, and the AlmaLinux 2026/27 roadmap. Of course **the big reveal for the day** is the launch of a dedicated **AlmaLinux Media & Entertainment** edition, which is a purpose-built variant tailored for the needs of studios and creative teams. All of that is the result of the [Media & Entertainment SIG](https://almalinux.org/blog/2025-12-02-almalinux-media-entertainment-sig/?ref=itsfoss.com)'s hard work, a group that has been at this since December 2025, working to get AlmaLinux certified and production-ready for VFX, animation, and post-production studios. ## Event Details and Registration The event takes place on **Saturday, July 18, 2026**, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM (*local time*) at the E-Central Downtown Los Angeles Hotel. The venue can be found on [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/428024326?ref=itsfoss.com) (*listed under the old name 'Luxe Hotel'*) and [Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps?cid=3366717337711565594&ref=itsfoss.com). It is located at 1020 S Figueroa St., near the LA Convention Center. You can [register for it now](https://events.almalinux.org/event/189/?ref=itsfoss.com). [Register Now!](https://events.almalinux.org/event/189/?ref=itsfoss.com) Worth noting is that **the event room has a hard cap**, and the first 100 registrants get a special gift. So registering sooner rather than later is the wise move here. The hotel is also [ADA compliant](https://www.ecentralhotel.com/notice-of-accessibility?ref=itsfoss.com), so people with nerfs (*disabilities*) should not face major barriers, though the actual experience on the day will depend on the venue's current setup and staff. Additional information, like the schedule and the speakers presenting during the symposium, can be found [on the event page](https://almalinux.org/almalinux-day-los-angeles-2026/?ref=itsfoss.com). ### KDE Linux is Coming Along Nicely, Ditching the AUR and Tightening Up Security URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/kde-linux-may-2026-update/ Last updated: 2026-06-02T04:38:36.000Z You might remember that the KDE folks have been busy working on [KDE Linux](https://linux.kde.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), their own Linux distribution that is still very much in active development. I tried its Alpha build [last year](https://itsfoss.com/news/kde-linux-alpha/) and found the experience surprisingly smooth for something so early. Fast forward to today, and [Nate Graham](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanielgraham/?ref=itsfoss.com), a well-known KDE name, has put out [a progress report](https://pointieststick.com/2026/05/31/this-month-in-kde-linux-may-2026/?ref=itsfoss.com) covering a pretty busy May for the project, with security fixes, build system changes, and a notable app swap all making the cut. ## A lot of work The most significant infrastructure work this month came from contributor [Hadi Chokr](https://invent.kde.org/kde-linux/kde-linux-packages/-/merge%5Frequests/94?ref=itsfoss.com), who reworked how KDE software gets built. The old process churned out Arch packages and handed them off to [mkosi](https://mkosi.systemd.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) for installation. That is now gone, replaced by KDE's own [kde-builder](https://kde-builder.kde.org/en/introduction/brief-intro.html?ref=itsfoss.com) tool compiling everything directly. As a result, there are **three major improvements**. The build process now works the same way KDE developers build software on their own machines, the project is now more distro-agnostic, and builds are faster because the new setup uses caching more effectively. Reacting to the many Linux vulnerabilities of last month (*e.g., Dirty Frag and Copy Fail*), the devs went through KDE Linux's package list looking for anything insecure or unnecessary. The end result was **a slew of cuts** that included dropping the Zen kernel, axing several insecure kernel modules, removing a bunch of unused packages, and finally killing off the project's AUR dependency. **It's not all removals though**. Nate also [added a service](https://invent.kde.org/kde-linux/kde-linux/-/merge%5Frequests/493?ref=itsfoss.com) that installs newly added pre-installed Flatpak apps on existing KDE Linux systems automatically, while leaving untouched anything the user has already removed on purpose. There's a swap too; [KWalletManager](https://itsfoss.com/disable-kde-wallet/) is being retired in favor of [KeepSecret](https://apps.kde.org/keepsecret/?ref=itsfoss.com), a new, more modern KDE app for managing passwords and credentials. Another thing to note is that [Ark](https://flathub.org/en/apps/org.kde.ark?ref=itsfoss.com), the graphical file compression/decompression utility, now has `.7z` file support in its [KDE Linux Flatpak packaging](https://invent.kde.org/kde-linux/kde-linux/-/work%5Fitems/617?ref=itsfoss.com), bringing it in line with what the [Flathub](https://flathub.org/en/apps/org.kde.ark?ref=itsfoss.com) version already offers. And, lastly, **testing is being improved**. Right now, KDE Linux only checks that each build boots to the desktop, which is not saying much. Work is underway to change that though, with [an OpenQA-based testing system](https://invent.kde.org/kde-linux/os-autoinst-distri-kdelinux?ref=itsfoss.com) in the works that should catch a lot more before a broken build goes out. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*A New Tool to Integrate Windows Apps in Linux*](https://itsfoss.com/winpodx/) [Reverse WSL? I Tried This New Tool to Integrate Windows Apps in LinuxNot that I am a fan of Windows or need Windows-only application. But I appreciate the innovation of open source developers.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-1aa7ab64dc35165bb92fe0ec683780e84b27cd37df02b7bf66a6d1c19edbe254.png)It's FOSSSreenath![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/integrate-windows-app-in-linux-windpodx-17f0be316def836faa4e8a0fa7e691f3785e5e3d4609f18dc25ade7234b69fa7.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/winpodx/) ### This Credit Card-Sized Linux Box Has a Keyboard, Camera, and AI Capability URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/cardputerzero-crowdfunding/ Last updated: 2026-06-01T10:00:00.000Z The Espressif-backed [M5Stack](https://m5stack.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) has been keeping its Cardputer product line alive since 2023 by continuously updating it. The original ran on an **ESP32-S3**, and the follow-up, the [Cardputer-Adv](https://shop.m5stack.com/products/m5stack-cardputer-adv-version-esp32-s3?ref=itsfoss.com), stuck with the same ESP32-S3 but brought in better audio, a larger battery, a 6-axis IMU, and more expansion options. Both were decent microcontroller-powered devices, but **neither ran a real Linux environment**. The [CardputerZero](https://shop.m5stack.com/pages/m5-cardputerzero?ref=itsfoss.com) is where that changes. It trades the ESP32 for a Raspberry Pi [Compute Module Zero](https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/compute-module-zero/?ref=itsfoss.com) (CM0), and with that, the Cardputer platform goes from embedded tinkering territory into something you can do proper computing on. ## 📝 CardputerZero: Key Specifications The horsepower is provided by a **Broadcom BCM2837** inside the CM0, equipped with a quad-core Cortex-A53 at 1GHz with 512MB of LPDDR2 RAM and a VideoCore-IV GPU for graphics and hardware video codec. The device itself measures **84 × 54 × 23.1 mm** (*W×H×D*), small enough to fit in your pocket, with the display being a 1.9-inch ST7789v3 LCD **with HDMI output up to 1080p at 30fps**, which is paired with a 46-key matrix keyboard and a **1,500mAh LiPo battery**. Here are the rest of the specs: - **RAM:** 512MB LPDDR2 - **Storage:** microSD card slot - **Camera:** Sony IMX219, 8MP (*3280×2464*), CSI 4-Lane *(standard model only)* - **Wireless:** 2.4GHz Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2/BLE - **USB:** 2× USB Type-C, 1× USB-A (*both USB 2.0*) - **Networking:** 10/100M Ethernet - **Audio:** ES8389 codec, MEMS mic, 1W speaker, 3.5mm TRS out - **Video:** H.264/MPEG-4 decode at 1080p 30fps, H.264 encode at 1080p 30fps. - **Sensors:** BMI270 + BMM150 IMU (*gyroscope, accelerometer, magnetometer*), RX8130CE RTC - **Expansion:** Grove HY2.0-4P port (*I2C/UART switchable*), 2.54-14P bus (*SPI, UART, I2C, USB, GPIO, 5V*). - **IR:** Infrared TX/RX ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/cardputerzero-internals-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/cardputerzero-internals-2.png) **Depictions of some of the above-mentioned specs.* There are a few other things to know before you get yours, though. The screen is not a touchscreen, and the magnetic attachment found on earlier Cardputer devices is gone. You also get access to **a built-in app store** where you can load your projects or grab community firmware without needing to involve a computer. Carrying out **lightweight edge AI via tools like OpenClaw is possible** for local automation and testing. ## Many Choices ![a black/green themed illustration that shows the pricing structure for the cardputerzero standard and lite](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/cardputerzero-pricing-tiers.png) M5Stack is offering the CardputerZero in **two variants**. The ***CardputerZero*** gets you a Sony IMX219 8MP camera, the full IMU sensor suite, and a 32GB microSD card. The ***CardputerZero Lite*** skips those three and costs less. The CM0, keyboard, display, battery, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, expansion ports, and infrared transceiver are all the same across both models. For the standard ***CardputerZero***, the MSRP is **$149**, but Kickstarter pricing looks like this: - **Super Early Bird** (*reserved only*): $89 - **Early Bird** (*72 hours*): $104 - **KS Special**: $119 - **Double Pack**: $238 For the ***Lite***, against an MSRP of **$99**: - **Super Early Bird**: $59 - **Early Bird** (*72 hours*): $69 - **KS Special**: $79 Keep in mind that we are now well beyond the window for any early bird offers and have now moved on to "***KS Special***", which is the limited-time pricing for buyers on Kickstarter that **will be live until July 3**. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/cardputerzero-transparent-black-version.png) There is also **a Transparent Black version** that was unlocked as a stretch goal after the campaign crossed the *$1 million* mark. It is a Kickstarter-exclusive colorway, and backers of either model can pick it at no extra cost through a [PledgeBox](https://www.pledgebox.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) survey once the campaign ends. *They will send out the survey when the crowdfunding campaign ends.* 📝 ## Get Yours The Cardputer platform has built up a decent community over the past couple of years, with firmware projects, retro emulators, security tools, and dashboards floating around GitHub. Bringing Linux into the mix with the CardputerZero should give that community a fair bit more to work with. As of writing, **the campaign has raised over $1.4 million** against a $10,016 goal, with over 10,900 backers and 32 days still left. Units are set to ship some time around **November 2026**. [CardputerZero (Kickstarter)](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/m5stack/cardputerzero?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Reverse WSL? I Tried This New Tool to Integrate Windows Apps in Linux URL: https://itsfoss.com/winpodx/ Last updated: 2026-06-01T07:12:36.000Z Microsoft's WSL allows people to use Linux inside Windows. It integrates well in the system allowing people to [use Linux command line Windows](https://itsfoss.com/run-linux-commands-in-windows/). Linux GUI apps can also be used, which helps for editing config file in GUI-based editors. Now reverse the situation. How about using Windows applications on Linux? Sure, WINE and Bottles are there but I came across a new tool that combines container technology with Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to give you native-app feel for Windows software on Linux. I am going to share my experience with Winpodx for running Windows software on Linux in this article. But first, lets briefly understand its mechanism. ## How Winpodx Works Under the hood, [Winpodx](https://github.com/kernalix7/winpodx?ref=itsfoss.com) relies on open-source tools like [Podman](https://linuxhandbook.com/courses/podman/?ref=itsfoss.com), [FreeRDP](https://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP?ref=itsfoss.com), and the [dockur/windows](https://github.com/dockur/windows?ref=itsfoss.com) project to spin up a lightweight, isolated Windows environment. This way, it runs a specialized Windows instance inside a background container. Then, instead of rendering a full virtual machine interface, it uses FreeRDP to seamlessly stream individual Windows applications directly to the Linux desktop, making them behave like native apps. This setup allows Windows applications to launch and blend into the underlying Linux desktop with minimal overhead. If needed, we can also access the full Windows desktop environment, which I will cover in a later section of this article. ## Installing Winpodx 🚧 You'll need high-end system with at least 16 GB RAM. Fast and stable internet connection is a must for the installation as it downloads Windows ISO. Before beginning the installation, there are a few important resource requirements to keep in mind. On its first launch, the installer will automatically download a full Windows ISO, which requires a fast and stable internet connection. **Second, because this setup runs a complete Windows operating system in the background, it is resource-intensive**. To avoid performance issues, the host system should meet the following requirements: - **Storage**: A minimum of 50+ GB of free disk space. The installer explicitly recommends at least 64 GB of free storage space for a safe and stable setup. - **RAM**: At least 4 GB needed for the Windows container itself, alongside enough remaining host memory to keep the Linux system running smoothly. So, your system must have at least 16 GB of RAM for it to function smoothly. If your system meets these requirements, install Winpodx using its universal installer script. Ensure `curl` is installed, open the terminal, and run: ``` curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kernalix7/winpodx/main/install.sh | bash ``` The script will automatically configure the necessary packages and background containers. To use the graphical configuration tool (`winpodx gui`), I needed to manually install the Python bindings for Qt. On an Arch Linux system, install this additional package via pacman: ``` sudo pacman -S pyside6 ``` ### 💡Tip: Managing the container after a reboot Although Winpodx is designed to auto-start the background environment when you click an app icon, you might see a warning that the "pod is not started" after a fresh reboot. If that happens, or if you just want to ensure everything is ready before you begin working, you can manually fire up the container using this command: ``` winpodx pod start --wait ``` ![Start the Windows Podman container when the system is restarted.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/winpodx-start-and-wait.png) Winpodx Start Once the command finishes executing, the containerized Windows environment will be fully active and ready to launch apps or open the configuration GUI. ## Exploring the features of Winpodx Let me share some of the major features of this application that I tried. ### Using Microsoft-specific pre-installed Windows apps in Linux Microsoft Windows 11 comes with a number of default applications like notepad, paint, calculator etc. This is the core feature of the tool. Applications installed inside the Windows container can be made available directly in the Linux system menus. Naturally, applications that aren't installed yet inside the container won't show up or be accessible to run. To see what we have available, first, list the installed Windows applications using the command: ``` winpodx app list ``` This will output a list of the apps inside Windows that are ready to be integrated into Linux. ![List the apps in Windows that can be integrated to the Linux system menu.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/winpodx-app-list.png) List Windows Apps You can be selective: ``` winpodx app install app-name ``` Or, add them all to the host system, run: ``` winpodx app install-all ``` 💡 Latest versions supports auto-discovery of apps. This command automatically generates and registers `.desktop` files for all the compatible Windows apps so they populate the application launcher of the Linux system. Regardless of whether they show up in the desktop environment's menu, you can always bypass the GUI and launch any Windows application directly from the Linux terminal using: ``` winpodx app run ``` Where `` is the exact name of the application as it appears in the `winpodx app list` output. ### Get full Windows desktop Winpodx gives you the option to run the full Windows guest desktop interface. While this isn't necessary for launching standalone apps, **it becomes essential when you install new applications inside the guest Windows environment or tweak system configurations**. To launch the full Windows desktop, use the following command: ``` winpodx app run desktop ``` Windows Desktop Alternatively, the same Windows desktop is accessible directly via a web browser. Connect to it by opening your favorite browser and navigating to port `8007`: ``` http://127.0.0.1:8007 ``` ![Running the Windows desktop session inside Firefox web browser.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/running-windows-in-a-vm.jpg) Windows Desktop in Browser 💡 Whenever you want a new application available through Winpodx, open this full desktop view, use the installer, and install it within the guest Windows instance. I recommend downloading the installer file to the host system and then accessing the installer from the guest system. ### Accessing Linux files in Windows The guest Windows environment is integrated with the host system so that we can seamlessly access the Linux files from within the Windows container. This tight integration is precisely what sets this tool apart from a traditional, isolated Windows Virtual Machine. The primary use case for this is opening and modifying Linux files directly with Windows applications. For example, you can use Windows Notepad or a specific Windows-only IDE to edit code or text stored on the Linux drive. Opening Files Secondly, this shared file system allows us to manage, organize, and work with the host files natively from within the guest Windows session, making cross-platform workflows incredibly smooth. ### Managing everything from GUI Winpodx includes a clean, graphical configuration tool built with Qt. This utility provides a central hub to manage the containerized setup without relying solely on the command line. We can use it to quickly launch a full desktop session, adjust system-level preferences, and monitor the container's status. To open this Qt settings window from the host machine, simply run the following command: ``` winpodx gui ``` ![The Winpodx GUI settings, which is a Qt application used to manage the Windows inside a Pod.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/winpodx-gui-qt-settings.png) Winpodx GUI ### Install Windows Apps You can install Windows-only applications inside the containerized Windows session using standard `.exe` installers. Run full desktop (or web interface) of Windows, download exe file and complete the program's installation wizard. You know the drill of installing an application on Windows, I hope. After that. register the app with Winpodx so it can be launched from Linux. For that, open the Qt settings application: ``` winpodx gui ``` Inside the GUI, click on the **Add App** option and fill out the profile fields for the new program. If not sure of the exact executable path of the app, its always available in the properties of the application's shortcut file inside the Windows environment. ![Create an App profile for the Notion app using the Winpodx GUI Settings.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/create-app-profile.png) Create App Profile After saving the app profile in the GUI, verify that Winpodx recognizes it by listing the available applications: ``` winpodx app list ``` Once it appears in the list, register and install the shortcut to the Linux desktop environment using the following command: ``` winpodx app install ``` For example, I installed the Notion desktop client, and integrated it into the system using: ``` winpodx app install notion ``` ![Running Notion and Evernote in Linux](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/notion-and-evernote-3.webp) Notion and Evernote ### Opening Windows files in Linux apps Winpodx features a Reverse Open capability. This is incredibly useful if you plan to work inside the full Windows Desktop environment frequently but still prefer your host Linux workflows for specific tasks. For example, if you double-click a `.txt` or `.md` file inside the Windows guest, you can right-click it, head to the "Open with..." menu, and select a native Linux application like your host's text editor. ![Open Windows files using Linux Applications. Right-click on the file and select Open With option. Then select the required application.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/open-apps-in-linux-apps-right-click.png) Open in Linux App There is a dedicated "Linux Apps" folder, pinned to the sidebar of the Windows File Explorer, that contains a list of Linux apps available. ![Listing Linux apps in Windows File Explorer.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/linux-apps-in-windows-1.png) List of Linux Apps 💡 Winpodx also supports bidirectional copy-paste. There is scope for USB device passthrough as well. ### Uninstalling Winpodx If you decide that Winpodx isn't the right fit for your workflow, the project provides a dedicated uninstaller script to clean up its files, configurations, and containers. Depending on how thoroughly you want to wipe the data, there are two options: To remove the Winpodx files but preserve the underlying Windows container data run: ``` curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kernalix7/winpodx/main/uninstall.sh | bash -s -- --confirm ``` This is useful if you plan to reinstall later or want to keep the data intact To completely wipe everything, including the massive Windows container, the virtual disk image, and all configuration directories, use the command: ``` curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kernalix7/winpodx/main/uninstall.sh | bash -s -- --purge ``` The uninstaller script handles the Winpodx ecosystem and its containers, but it will not touch your system package manager. Any core packages installed during the initial setup like Podman or optional dependencies like `pyside6` will need to be uninstalled separately using your distribution's package manager. ## Winpodx for the win(dows)? [Winpodx](https://github.com/kernalix7/winpodx?ref=itsfoss.com) offers an innovative solution for accessing Windows applications on Linux system, provided you have a high-spec machine with plenty of resources to spare. During testing, I occasionally encountered minor input lag and screen artifacts. However, despite these occasional graphical hiccups, the majority of the applications remained functional and usable. It is worth noting the contrast in cross-platform integration. Because of Linux's incredibly small resource footprint, running Linux GUI applications inside Windows (via WSL) is a much lighter process. Conversely, running a full Windows environment on top of Linux via containers is naturally a heavy, resource-intensive operation. As development continues, the project will hopefully achieve better optimization and smoother performance in future updates. Did you find this tool interesting? Will you give it a shot on your system, or do you prefer sticking to a traditional Windows dual-boot? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! ### Steam Deck OLED is Absurdly Overpriced Now, Yet It Sold Out in North America Overnight URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/steam-deck-oled-stock-out/ Last updated: 2026-05-29T13:04:06.000Z The [Steam Deck OLED](https://store.steampowered.com/steamdeck?ref=itsfoss.com) has been largely off the shelves since mid-February, being among the casualties of the RAM and storage shortage that has been driving up prices across consumer tech since late 2025. It recently [came back on May 27](https://steamcommunity.com/groups/steam%5Fhardware/announcements/detail/672869045073085539?ref=itsfoss.com), just not at the prices everyone was hoping for. Valve bumped the pricing for the 512GB OLED from **$549 to $789** and the 1TB model from **$649 to $949**; that is a near-50% jump on the top model, btw. The cheaper LCD variant is gone entirely, having been discontinued before any of this played out. The company announced the price hike by saying that the "*Steam Deck itself hasn't changed; these new prices reflect the current state of component costs and other global logistical challenges across the industry as a whole*." ## Gone in under 24 hours People bought them anyway. [North America sold out in under 24 hours](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2026/05/despite-price-hike-steam-deck-is-already-sold-out-in-north-america/?ref=itsfoss.com), price hike and all. You would think an absurd jump in prices on [a two-and-a-half-year-old handheld](https://itsfoss.com/news/steam-deck-oled/) would give people some concern, but apparently not. Valve's store page warns that the Steam Deck OLED "*may be out-of-stock intermittently in some regions due to memory and storage shortages*." That warning is not new, and going by how things have played out since February, it is not decorative either. The handheld has been in and out of stock so unpredictably that catching it at the right moment has been more luck than anything else. ## Back now ![the shopping cart on the steam store is shown here with two items added; the 512gb and 1tb versions of the steam deck oled](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/steam-deck-oled-variants.png) As of writing, **both OLED models are showing as available in North America**. I checked the Steam store and was able to add both to the cart without issue, with an estimated delivery window of 6-10 business days. *Whether that holds is another question entirely.* 😵 For the rest of the world, the Europe, Australia, and Asia markets are served through Valve's partner [Komodo](https://komodostation.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), who have reportedly seen better stock ups than North America throughout this period, though that too keeps shifting. ## Why this keeps happening The RAM and SSD shortage that [took hold in late 2025](https://itsfoss.com/news/ai-causes-ram-prices-skyrocket/) is the main culprit. AI infrastructure has been consuming memory and storage at a pace that the consumer market is still processing, with prices unlikely to normalize any time soon. *It is not just Valve feeling this either.* Only yesterday, we covered how **Raspberry Pi** pushed through another round of price hikes in April, citing a seven-fold rise in LPDDR4 costs over the past year. The Raspberry Pi 6 itself [has been pushed out to 2028](https://itsfoss.com/news/raspberry-pi-6-delayed/) at the earliest, partly because of where the memory market sits. For anyone holding out for better prices or more reliable stock, the situation does not look like it will improve anytime soon. And maybe that kind of sentiment is precisely why the Steam Deck OLED is going out of stock so quickly? ### FOSS Weekly #26.22: Win for Linux, Firefox New AI Feature, AMD Betrayal, Rust Linux Commands and More URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-22/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T13:38:59.000Z Good news on the age verification front, though. California and Colorado[ have both moved to exempt open source software](https://itsfoss.com/news/age-verification-open-source-exemptions/) from their age verification laws after neither bill originally made any concessions for community-run projects. Warp's Oz platform [has been updated with multi-harness support](https://itsfoss.com/news/warp-oz-multi-harness-update/), meaning teams can now run Claude Code, Codex, and Warp's own agent side by side under unified access controls and audit logs. The SFC has formally [accused Bambu Lab of two AGPLv3 violations](https://itsfoss.com/news/bambu-lab-caught-violating-agplv3/), shipping a proprietary networking library alongside AGPLv3 code without releasing its source, and threatening a developer with a cease-and-desist for building a compatible fork that didn't even touch the proprietary parts. For a few days, German rail operator [Deutsche Bahn's website was turning away Linux users](https://itsfoss.com/news/deutsche-bahn-blocking-linux-users/), treating them as bot users. DB blamed overzealous bot filtering and says it's now fixed. Many Linux users still complain. AMD let students, academics, and hardware tinkerers build FPGA workflows around free Linux support in Vivado, then quietly moved Linux to [a $1,800 paid tier](https://itsfoss.com/news/amd-vivado-bait-and-switch-on-linux-users/). Intel engineers have submitted [a driver for Linux 7.2](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-usb4stream-protocol/) that turns a USB4 cable into a direct data pipe between two machines. It doesn't interact with the networking stack. [Raspberry Pi 6 won't be coming before 2028](https://itsfoss.com/news/raspberry-pi-6-delayed/) and it won't have NPU. Guess we just have to wait. **Here are other highlights of this edition of FOSS Weekly:** - What LTS releases entail. - Alternatives to MS Planner. - Nanoclaw setup. - Firefox introducing a very useful feature. - And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes! ## 🎫 Event alert: AWS Summit India Online Join AWS on June 3 at Summit India Online. Deep dive and discover how AI and cloud technologies are transforming business as we know it. Gain hands-on experience with virtual labs and collaborate with the community through live Q&A sessions. Take away actionable insights for cloud modernization, AI implementation, and driving scalable innovation. [Reserve your spot for free](https://bit.ly/49BlgFT?ref=itsfoss.com)! [Register for FREE](https://bit.ly/49BlgFT?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About A KDE developer [makes the case](https://pointieststick.com/2026/05/23/long-term-support-doesnt-mean-what-you-think/?ref=itsfoss.com) that rolling distros often have fewer bugs in practice since upstream fixes actually reach you. [“Long-Term Support” doesn’t mean what you thinkMy last post about good beginner-friendly KDE-focused operating systems sparked some discussions about the concept of “Long-Term Support” (LTS) releases. But what does this term mean? I…![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/webclip-cdae9c68044f1b74aa02ac5e04a403998f1fa9e5fef51002492617a93d8f2915.png)Adventures in Linux and KDENate![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/blank-b00618f3ace0753f8652eb90c50e795e1715af8c32d2e3086a377f50e05d8376.jpg)](https://pointieststick.com/2026/05/23/long-term-support-doesnt-mean-what-you-think/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings You can get kanban without the Microsoft tax. We have covered [six open source Planner alternatives](https://itsfoss.com/microsoft-planner-alternatives/), from Mattermost's Focalboard to the Penpot team's Taiga. Most are self-hostable; a couple have free cloud tiers if you'd rather not run your own server. Getting Rust on Linux [comes down to two options](https://itsfoss.com/install-rust-cargo-ubuntu-linux/). The official installer via rustup gives you the latest version without needing root access. Installing through your package manager is simpler and covers all users on the system. Speaking of Rust, how about experimenting with [Rust alternatives of the classic Linux commands](https://itsfoss.com/rust-alternative-cli-tools/)? Ever wondered [why the internet went from IPv4 straight to IPv6](https://itsfoss.com/what-happened-to-ipv5/)? IPv5 actually existed as an experimental streaming protocol for voice and video, but it inherited IPv4's 32-bit address space and its 4.3 billion address ceiling. By the time a real IPv4 successor was needed, the only sensible move was a complete overhaul, and IPv6 with its 128-bit addressing was the result. Desktop Linux is mostly neglected by the industry but loved by the community. For the past 13 years, It's FOSS has been helping people use Linux on their personal computers. And we are now facing the existential threat from AI models stealing our content. If you like what we do and would love to support our work, please become It's FOSS Plus member. It costs less than the cost of a McDonald Happy Meal a month, and you get an ad-free reading experience with the satisfaction of helping the desktop Linux community. [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner HP has pitched in as [a *Premier* sponsor](https://itsfoss.com/news/hp-supports-lvfs/) for the LVFS project. [Good News! After Lenovo and Dell, Now HP Pledges to Support Linux Vendor Firmware ServiceMore major vendors supporting LVFS is a good sign for the desktop Linux community.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-1aa7ab64dc35165bb92fe0ec683780e84b27cd37df02b7bf66a6d1c19edbe254.png)It's FOSSPulkit Chandak![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/hp-sponsors-lvfs-36049b440cbc74df360febc01d7a43aa56893132cce2c77fb6f9b88d0d3fec3e.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/news/hp-supports-lvfs/) Tired of AI fluff and misinformation in your Google feed? Get real, trusted Linux content. Add It’s FOSS as your preferred source and see our reliable Linux and open-source stories highlighted in your Discover feed and search results. [Add It's FOSS as preferred source on Google (if you use it) ](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=itsfoss.com&ref=itsfoss.com) ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights Firefox is not a new app per se, but [its new PDF merging feature](https://itsfoss.com/firefox-pdf-merge/) is a must-try if you are fed up of those signup-walled online services. [Firefox Just Saved Us All from Spammy Online PDF ToolsFirefox’s PDF viewer just got a feature that online tools have been charging for.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-1aa7ab64dc35165bb92fe0ec683780e84b27cd37df02b7bf66a6d1c19edbe254.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/firefox-pdf-merge-banner-475bdc36c595a31fb4cc7cf5ff79137ddaca3c1af502a40776e3702e53af1062.png)](https://itsfoss.com/firefox-pdf-merge/) That's not the only new Firefox offering. Sourav also tried the AI browsing mode, called Smart Window, in Firefox. This is an upcoming feature for which we got a bit early access. Here's his [experience with Firefox Smart Window](https://itsfoss.com/firefox-smart-window/). [I Tried Firefox Smart Window, and It Won Me Over a LittleMozilla’s new AI browsing mode is in limited beta, and it’s more capable than I expected.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-1aa7ab64dc35165bb92fe0ec683780e84b27cd37df02b7bf66a6d1c19edbe254.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/firefox-smart-window-banner-b73f6f3f06a9c2a6ba717aad8e39e093a8ac5ccee4b5445d6e450fca9a0afc92.png)](https://itsfoss.com/firefox-smart-window/) ## 📽️ Videos for You I am trying local AI and open source LLMs these days. And I thought of sharing my exploration with you. To begin with, I share [how you can set up Nanoclaw on a Raspberry Pi](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27baD2XZPiM&ref=itsfoss.com). Nanoclaw gives you an AI agent that you can use as a personal assistant. More on its usage later. [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip If you are using the [Ghostty](https://itsfoss.com/ghostty-terminal-features/) terminal emulator in GNOME Desktop, you can install the [ghostty-nautilus](https://archlinux.org/packages/extra/x86%5F64/ghostty-nautilus/?ref=itsfoss.com) package to get a "*Open in Ghostty*" option in the right-click context menu on [Files](https://apps.gnome.org/Nautilus/?ref=itsfoss.com). ![ghostty right-click context menu option on gnome](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/open-in-ghostty.png) This works on **Arch Linux** and [its derivatives](https://itsfoss.com/arch-based-linux-distros/). You just have to run this command: `sudo pacman -S ghostty-nautilus` ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse How up-to-date are you on [Linux kernel trivia](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/linux-kernel-quiz/)? [Kernel Chronicles: Linux kernel InsightsThink you know about the Linux kernel? Answer these questions!![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-1aa7ab64dc35165bb92fe0ec683780e84b27cd37df02b7bf66a6d1c19edbe254.png)It's FOSSAnkush Das![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-kernel-quiz-4831afe432f2a76ac3479a89b22a37d72e663a07578e40b0a0b028575b8ffc85.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/linux-kernel-quiz/) Winslop will make you run to the nearest trash can. 🚮 ![linux and windows mastery meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/windows-meme.png) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On [May 29, 1985](https://www.computerhistory.org/tdih/may/29/?ref=itsfoss.com), Eastman Kodak introduced the [Ektaprint Electronic Publishing System](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodak%5FEktaprint%5FElectronic%5FPublishing%5FSystem?ref=itsfoss.com), a $50,000 machine assembled from Sun, Canon, and Interleaf parts that let companies professionally edit and print graphics—capabilities that today come standard on any laptop costing far less. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: One of our FOSSers [is not convinced with Waterfox](https://itsfoss.community/t/privacy-focused-really-waterfox-user-beware/15841?ref=itsfoss.com) as a privacy-first browser, while another is [looking for reviews of writerDeck](https://itsfoss.community/t/have-ever-tried-writerdeck/15842?ref=itsfoss.com), a DIY project. ### Don't Expect a Raspberry Pi 6 Until At Least 2028 URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/raspberry-pi-6-delayed/ Last updated: 2026-05-27T17:57:58.000Z If you've been holding out for a next-gen Raspberry Pi, the wait just got a lot longer. [Eben Upton](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ebenupton/?ref=itsfoss.com) joined fellow Raspberry Pi honchos, [James Adams](https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/author/jamesadams/?ref=itsfoss.com), the CTO of Hardware Engineering*,* and [Gordon Hollingworth](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordon-hollingworth-056a322/?ref=itsfoss.com), the CTO of Software Engineering*,* for a Reddit AMA [on r/engineering last week](https://www.reddit.com/r/engineering/comments/1tcyfvk/hello%5Frengineering%5Fwere%5Feben%5Fupton%5Fceo%5Fjames/?ref=itsfoss.com), and **the Pi 6 release timeline** was among the top things to come up. Eben's response put the Pi 6 on a 4 to 4.5-year cycle from the Pi 5 launch, meaning **early 2028** at the absolute earliest. He didn't seem in any particular rush either, noting the Pi 5 is still a capable flagship that could comfortably hold that position beyond even that window. According to him, the new SBC will essentially be a Pi 5 with better internals like a faster CPU, more I/O, and more DRAM bandwidth. He called it "*quantitative changes, not qualitative ones*," meaning no new ports, no M.2 slot, nothing that would make the current board feel dated by comparison. ## The RAM situation isn't helping The timing makes a bit more sense once you look at what memory prices have been doing. In April, Raspberry Pi pushed through [another round of price increases](https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/a-new-3gb-raspberry-pi-4-for-83-75-and-more-memory-driven-price-increases/?ref=itsfoss.com), pointing to **a seven-fold rise in LPDDR4 DRAM costs** over the past year. That announcement also introduced a 3GB [Raspberry Pi 4](https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/raspberry-pi-4-model-b/?ref=itsfoss.com) at **$83.75**, as a way to give prospective buyers a cheaper option between the 2GB and the now-considerably-pricier 4GB. The [Pi Zero 2W](https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/raspberry-pi-zero-2-w/?ref=itsfoss.com) is in the same boat. Eben flagged it as the only product in an actual shortage right now, with supply squeezed by AI chip demand. A new supplier has been brought on though, with expectations that stocks will recover before the year is out. So for now, the [Raspberry Pi 5](https://itsfoss.com/deepseek-r1-raspberry-pi-5/) remains the best the lineup has to offer, at prices that would have raised eyebrows a couple of years ago. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*A New Linux Driver For USB4*](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-usb4stream-protocol/) [A New Linux Driver Could Make USB4 Cables a Blazing Fast Way to Move DataThe incoming driver would let you move data between two computers over a USB4 cable without needing a network interface.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-1aa7ab64dc35165bb92fe0ec683780e84b27cd37df02b7bf66a6d1c19edbe254.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-usb4stream-protocol-banner-ef6c1430e9e9f2a51bcc757c6c9476cbbffae61c789190ad05c0161e3dc4f13b.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-usb4stream-protocol/) ### I Tried Firefox Smart Window, and It Won Me Over a Little URL: https://itsfoss.com/firefox-smart-window/ Last updated: 2026-05-27T16:47:42.000Z Mozilla has received plenty of flak for adding AI features to [Firefox](https://www.firefox.com/en-US/?ref=itsfoss.com), like a chatbot in the sidebar, automatic alt text in PDFs, AI-powered tab group suggestions, and whatnot. It's been one thing after another, and while people might appreciate that these can be disabled, the sheer pace of the additions does make one wonder where it all ends. Their latest experiment in this space is the [Smart Window](https://www.firefox.com/en-US/smart-window/?ref=itsfoss.com), **currently in beta** and rolling out to users in the United States and Canada on Firefox 150 and newer. I got access recently, and here's what I found. 📋 The feature showcased here is of pre-production quality. Expect things to break. ## Good enough for daily use ![screenshot that showcases an empty chat message box inside firefox's smart window](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/firefox-smart-window.png) Smart Window is essentially **a new type of Firefox window**, sitting alongside *Classic* and *Private*, that comes with a built-in AI assistant. Unlike [the existing chatbot sidebar](https://www.firefox.com/en-US/features/ai-powered-chatbot/?ref=itsfoss.com), this one can actually see your open tabs, your browsing history, and the page you're currently on. You can ask it questions, get article summaries, compare things across tabs, and have it help you plan stuff, all without leaving the browser or reaching for a separate chat tool. We covered this [back in November](https://itsfoss.com/news/mozilla-ai-window-plans/) last year, when Mozilla announced what it was calling "*AI Window*" and opened a waitlist for early signups. At the time, it was mostly promises like building it in the open, keeping things opt-in, and giving users control over their data. Now, there's a working version that I tested on an [Ubuntu 26.04 LTS](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-04-lts/) system with Firefox 151.0.2 installed from Mozilla's [official deb package](https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/install-firefox-linux?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=Related%20articles-,Install%20Firefox%20DEB%20package%20for%20Debian%2Dbased%20and%20Ubuntu%2Dbased%20distributions%20%28recommended%29,-To%20install%20the). First, I had to log in with my Mozilla account (*that had early beta access*) and visit the Smart Window portal (*linked earlier*) to activate it on my browser. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/firefox-smart-window-onboarding-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/firefox-smart-window-onboarding-2.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/firefox-smart-window-onboarding-3.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/firefox-smart-window-onboarding-4.png) **This is how I got access to Smart Window.* Once through the portal, Firefox runs you through a quick setup with updated [Terms of Use](https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/about/legal/terms/mozilla/?ref=itsfoss.com) and a separate [Privacy Policy](https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/privacy/smart-window/?ref=itsfoss.com) to accept. Once in, you get to pick between [three experiences](https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/smart-window-models?ref=itsfoss.com). **Fast** uses Google's *Gemini 2.5 Flash Lite*, **Flexible** runs on Alibaba's *Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507*, and **Personal** is powered by OpenAI's *gpt-oss-120B*. After that, you pick what Smart Window is allowed to learn from, with options like "*Chats in Smart Window"* and "*Browsing activity across Firefox*" ticked on by default. Unfortunately, I had accidentally gone with *Personal*, not seeing that it was powered by an OpenAI model, so I went into *Settings* \> *AI controls* \> *Smart Window* and switched over to *Flexible*. There's also **a *Custom* option** for connecting your own LLM endpoint, though Mozilla's documentation flags that local models may not always play nicely with Smart Window. ![the smart window settings menu on firefox that shows many options under it](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/firefox-smart-window-ai-model-settings.png) With the model situation sorted, **I asked the AI a question** related to a hypothetical life-related occurrence. While it took some time processing the request, its replies were on point. It even suggested follow-up questions to ask that were very relevant. *See below for a demo.* 👇 **Summarizing content** such as books, articles, and research papers is probably the most practical use of the Smart Window, in my opinion. I asked it to go through an article of mine [on Bambu Lab being naughty with AGPLv3](https://itsfoss.com/news/bambu-lab-caught-violating-agplv3/), and it gave me two options. One was to search for it on the default search engine, and the other was to ask the AI model directly. I chose the latter, and it spat out a detailed summary of the coverage, complete with some follow-up question suggestions. The output quality was good throughout, and I didn't spot any major issues. I also **tried it out as a search tool**, typing in "*best food to pair with shawarma*." That went fine, but the more interesting part was when I decided to push further. I asked whether the suggestions the search result (*Gemini AI overview*) was giving were rooted in authentic culinary traditions or were the result of misappropriation. *It engaged with the question properly, which I wasn't expecting from an in-development browser feature.* 🤓 If you were wondering, **all your chats are automatically stored locally on your device**, and you can get to them from the *Chats* button in a Smart Window tab. It groups conversations by date, shows you what each one was about, and even links back to the page that triggered the search. ![the chats history page for firefox smart window](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/firefox-smart-window-chat-history.png) **Odd to see a chrome:// URL here (bottom-left).* If you go into the settings for this mode, you will find that there are toggles to control whether Smart Window opens by default when Firefox starts, whether the assistant sidebar shows up automatically on each new tab, what the assistant learns from (*chats, browsing activity, or both*), and which AI model powers it. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/firefox-smart-window-settings.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/firefox-smart-window-memories.png) **The 'AI controls' menu (left) and the 'Memories' menu (right).* Below all that is the "*Manage memories*" section, where you control what the assistant learns from. You can view everything it has stored, delete individual memories you don't want sticking around, or turn the whole thing off entirely if you'd rather the assistant not learn from your activity at all. ![the classic window and smart window switcher is visible on the top-right of this firefox screenshot](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/firefox-smart-classic-window-switcher.png) **And before you panic that Firefox is becoming AI-only**, there's a Classic/Smart Window switcher in the title bar that gives you a dropdown to jump between the two modes instantly. This way, your tabs stay put, nothing reloads, and going back to the classic browsing experience is just as fast as switching away from it. ## What now? Smart Window is shaping up well for a beta, and I wasn't expecting to say that. The AI integration is useful without being pushy, and Mozilla has mostly lived up to the opt-in commitments they made when they first announced this. It's expected to roll out to more users over time, though Mozilla hasn't shared a specific date yet, so if you're outside the US and Canada right now, keep an eye out on their socials. Meanwhile, if you are someone who'd rather keep AI features out of Firefox entirely (*like me, on most days*), *Settings* **\>** *AI Controls* has a **"*Block AI enhancements*"** option that does exactly what it says. ### A New Linux Driver Could Make USB4 Cables a Blazing Fast Way to Move Data URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-usb4stream-protocol/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T04:00:08.000Z Large data transfers are one of those things that always seem to find a way to be annoying. Tools like [LocalSend](https://itsfoss.com/news/localsend/) make it easier over a local network, but wireless is not always an option, and some transfers are simply too important to leave to a Wi-Fi connection. In such a scenario, a wired solution that does not require setting up networking at all would be ideal. Intel's Thunderbolt maintainer Mika Westerberg and fellow Intel engineer Alan Borzeszkowski have been [working on exactly that](https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/westeri/thunderbolt.git/commit/?h=next&id=6db21d817b43f8ce5654ccc7aff80d40e4dba4ac&ref=itsfoss.com). ## USB4STREAM explained The two have put together a new protocol called **USB4STREAM** and a matching Linux driver called `thunderbolt_stream`. The approach is **to let two or more machines transfer data directly over a USB4 or Thunderbolt cable** without touching the networking stack at all. Once configured, each host gets a character device at `/dev/tbstreamX` that behaves like a regular file. Any application that supports [read(2)](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man2/read.2.html?ref=itsfoss.com) and [write(2)](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man2/write.2.html?ref=itsfoss.com) operations works with it without needing any special patches. In simple terms, any app that can perform read/write operations will be compatible with this. ## How it works Before data can flow, both machines need to have their streams configured. Streams are basically the individual data channels over the connection, and getting them set up is a matter of pointing both sides at each other through [ConfigFS](https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/filesystems/configfs/configfs.txt?ref=itsfoss.com) and assigning channel IDs. *This can be done automatically or manually, depending on how much control you require.* Once one side announces an active stream, the other can pick it up automatically just by using the same name for it. You can also run multiple streams at the same time, and the whole thing works alongside [existing Thunderbolt plumbing](https://docs.kernel.org/admin-guide/thunderbolt.html?ref=itsfoss.com) without getting in the way. Closing a stream notifies the other end as well, so both sides know when the transfer is complete. ## When to expect? The patch is currently sitting in the Thunderbolt git tree's `next` branch. Assuming it gets submitted to the USB/Thunderbolt tree ahead of the Linux 7.2 merge window, it should land in that release. The ABI documentation in the patch already **marks the target as v7.2**. The driver ships as a loadable module named `thunderbolt_stream` and depends on `USB4_CONFIGFS` being enabled. 📋 This [has been merged](https://www.phoronix.com/news/USB4STREAM-In-Linux-7.2?ref=itsfoss.com), and you can expect it with Linux 7.2. ## USB4 keeps getting more relevant The [USB4](https://www.usb.org/usb4?ref=itsfoss.com) standard has been around since 2019 and has been getting steady attention in the kernel cycle after cycle. What was once an [Intel](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/homepage.html?ref=itsfoss.com) exclusive, royalty-gated technology has gradually become the preferred high-speed port on modern motherboards across both AMD and Intel platforms, with Thunderbolt [increasingly becoming a certification badge](https://www.xda-developers.com/usb4-quietly-replacing-thunderbolt-next-motherboard-will-prove-it/?ref=itsfoss.com). USB4STREAM adds yet another practical reason to put that cable to work. If you have a USB4 port on your machine, then this driver could open up a surprisingly neat way to move data around without spinning up any networking at all. *Via:* [*Phoronix*](https://www.phoronix.com/news/Intel-Linux-USB4STREAM?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Linux is Getting a Free Pass on Age Verification in California and Colorado URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/age-verification-open-source-exemptions/ Last updated: 2026-06-02T04:28:58.000Z Age verification laws have been spreading fast, and [we have been keeping tabs on them](https://itsfoss.com/news/age-verification-pandemic/) for a while now. California's Digital Age Assurance Act (AB 1043) was the first to land, signed in October 2025, with Colorado following with its own version (SB26-051). Neither made any concessions for open source software in the original language, which left Linux distributions and other community-run projects in a very uncomfortable dilemma. Both have since moved to fix that, with Colorado having wrapped it up earlier this month and California heading for a full [Assembly](https://www.assembly.ca.gov/?ref=itsfoss.com) vote. ## What's California doing? ![a cropped screenshot of the california ab-1856 bill for age verification signals in software and online services](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/california-age-verification-ab-1856-bill.png) **Look at the blue bits.* [AB 1043](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill%5Fid=202520260AB1043&ref=itsfoss.com) required OS providers to collect a user's age or birth date at account setup and share it with apps through a real-time API, starting **January 1, 2027**. Open source projects got no special treatment in the original text, which is something [we wrote about](https://itsfoss.com/news/our-take-on-age-verification/) when the bills started drawing attention. Assembly Member [Buffy Wicks](https://wicks.asmdc.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), who authored AB 1043 herself, introduced [AB 1856](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill%5Fid=202520260AB1856&ref=itsfoss.com) in February to address that. After four rounds of revisions, the bill has rewritten the definition of "*operating system provider*" **to exclude anyone distributing an OS under terms that let recipients copy, redistribute, and modify the software**. Most Linux distributions under permissive or copyleft licenses fall cleanly within that. In tandem, another change covers the application side, where software that is not offered as a standalone executable through a covered app store is no longer treated as an "*application*" under the law. The bill passed the [Appropriations Committee](https://apro.assembly.ca.gov/?ref=itsfoss.com) 11-0 on May 14\. It was ordered to third reading on May 19 and is awaiting an assembly vote. Interestingly, Buffy is the chair of that committee. Sadly, there is [an overreach with this bill](https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/05/one-step-forward-two-steps-back-cas-ab-1856-exempts-open-source-expands-age-gating?ref=itsfoss.com) that **would force browser providers and website operators to comply with age-bracketing requirements**. I missed this the first time around. ## What about Colorado? ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/colorado-age-verification-sb-26-051-a.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/colorado-age-verification-sb-26-051-b.png) **The formatting of* [**this bill document*](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill%5Ffiles/115998/download?ref=itsfoss.com) *could be better.* ☠️ Colorado's path here involved some direct community legwork. [Carl Richell](https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-richell-9435781?ref=itsfoss.com), the founder of System76, [spent some considerable time](https://itsfoss.com/news/colorado-age-attestation-bill-open-source-exemption/) working with Senator Matt Ball, one of [SB26-051](https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/SB26-051?ref=itsfoss.com)'s co-authors, to get open source exclusions written into the bill. The bill **exempts OS providers and developers distributing software under terms that permit copying, redistribution, and modification**. It also adds a requirement that exempt software have no platform-imposed technical or contractual restrictions on installing modified versions. The extra clause is aimed at [tivoization](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tivoization?ref=itsfoss.com), where manufacturers lock down hardware to block modified software from running even when the source code is freely available. Beyond that, code repository providers, containerized software distributions, and applications from free, publicly available code repositories are explicitly excluded too. **The law also has a narrower scope**, only applying to OS providers that operate a covered app store or ship one pre-installed. An OS provider with no app store involvement does not come into scope at all. Besides that, SB26-051 is now set to take effect on **July 1, 2028**. ### Some closing words… Neither state got here automatically. The open source exemptions did not exist in either bill to start with, and it took sustained community pressure and direct legislative outreach to get them added. This is something that **can be applied to many other issues**, of course. Though, when the representatives are more interested in serving certain interests (*say due to pressure from certain lobbies*) than their constituents, disruption tends to be the only way out. ### AMD Pulls a Bait-and-Switch on Linux Users with Vivado Licensing Changes URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/amd-vivado-bait-and-switch-on-linux-users/ Last updated: 2026-05-25T08:27:20.000Z Big tech companies have a habit of offering something for free, watching the user base grow, and then quietly walking it back once people are too invested to leave easily. A ***bait-and-switch***, so to speak. Redis did exactly this [back in March 2024](https://redis.io/blog/redis-adopts-dual-source-available-licensing/?ref=itsfoss.com), dropping its long-standing BSD license for the more restrictive dual licensing model, and the blowback was severe enough that [the community forked it into Valkey](https://itsfoss.com/community-strikes-back-with-forks/#10-valkey-forked-from-redis-as-it-changed-license) almost immediately. Linux tends to get hit hardest by these moves. Its comparatively smaller user base means less commercial pressure, making it an easy target to throw under the bus whenever companies feel like cutting costs or boosting profits. One such case has now surfaced that will make you wonder if this particular company's decision was really shortsighted or is just a cash grab. ## It doesn't make sense! ![an edited picture that highlights the new licensing terms for vivado as of may 25, 2026. the linux line is highlighted here as the basic/free tier doesn't offer support for the platform](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/amd-vivado-new-licensing-terms.png) [Vivado](https://www.amd.com/en/products/software/adaptive-socs-and-fpgas/vivado.html?ref=itsfoss.com) is AMD's design suite for its [FPGAs](https://www.amd.com/en/products/adaptive-socs-and-fpgas/fpga.html?ref=itsfoss.com) and [adaptive SoCs](https://www.amd.com/en/products/adaptive-socs-and-fpgas/soc.html?ref=itsfoss.com). It is what engineers, students, and hardware hobbyists use to write, synthesize, and test their [FPGA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field-programmable%5Fgate%5Farray?ref=itsfoss.com) designs. Until now, it **has been available for free on both Windows and Linux** under what AMD called the *Standard Edition*. Starting with the 2026.1 release, **AMD is switching to a tiered licensing model**. The free Basic tier covers entry-level devices but **is restricted to Windows only**. Linux support does not show up until the "*Core*" tier, which **costs somewhere between $1,200-$1,800 per year**. AMD framed all of this on its [download page](https://www.xilinx.com/support/download/index.html/content/xilinx/en/downloadNav/vivado-design-tools.html?ref=itsfoss.com) as a move toward *more flexible licensing*. On its [dedicated licensing options](https://www.amd.com/en/products/software/adaptive-socs-and-fpgas/vivado/vivado-licensing-options.html?ref=itsfoss.com) page, the company told free-tier users the only thing changing was a simple annual license renewal. *That's not all.* 🤷 When users went to AMD's [support forum](https://adaptivesupport.amd.com/s/?language=en%5FUS&ref=itsfoss.com) asking for an explanation, forum moderator *Anatoli Curran* showed up in the thread. His first order of business was to warn people about "*bad language or abusive behaviour towards AMD*," before getting around to addressing anything of substance. **When pushed for a real answer**, Anatoli pointed unhappy users toward Vivado 2025.2, suggesting they simply stick with it if they did not want to pay. He did mention that 2025.2 loses official support once Vivado 2026.3 ships, but that detail was buried in a thread reply, leaving users with little more than a dead-end recommendation. Anatoli also started putting out numbers, claiming that **70% of their customers still use Windows**. As expected, someone cross-questioned him, asking if much of their users were on Windows, then **why was Linux support being locked away behind a paywall**. ![this is a long screenshot of a forum reply by anatoli curran, a forum moderator for xilinix and amd, the highlighted part shows a 70% customers of vivado are on windows claim](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/new-amd-vivado-licensing-forum-post.png) To which he replied in a very *PR-coded* manner, completely disregarding what was brought up: > From Core and higher tiers, both Windows and Linux are supported platforms. > > As stated already, AMD expectation is that the BASIC tier is used for simple, entry‑level needs. While more advanced, production workflows are aligned with paid tiers. These tiers are specifically designed to deliver the full flexibility and capabilities needed for serious development. > Hence, all paid tier levels have options of both Windows and Linux platform usage. Only BASIC tier limited to Windows ONLY platform support. That really **doesn't instill one bit of clarity** and shows how apathetic tech giants like [AMD](https://www.amd.com/en.html?ref=itsfoss.com) can sometimes get. The conversation in the thread then continued along the lines of how [Xilinx](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xilinx?ref=itsfoss.com), and later, AMD, had gained the trust of Linux users by keeping an open outlook towards the community. But pulling off such a thing without considering how people benefited from having Vivado on Linux tells you a lot about what this company actually thinks of its non-enterprise user base. Students, hardware tinkerers, and academic researchers who have relied on a native Linux workflow are now left hanging. Keep in mind that many of those people eventually end up in engineering and procurement roles where they have real influence over hardware-related decisions. ## What now? As of writing this, **AMD hadn't put out a statement regarding this**, and the [stonewalling](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewalling?ref=itsfoss.com) has continued. Of course, more and more people are getting to know about this. It is just a matter of time before someone at PR has to do something about this. *Plus, with the kind of flak* [*they have been getting*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6O4LCmah98&ref=itsfoss.com) *over some of their most bizarre choices lately, I would handle this now instead of later.* Until then, you can participate in the conversation either on [the main thread](https://adaptivesupport.amd.com/s/question/0D5Pd00001YQLdMKAX/why-is-vivado-20261-dropping-linux-support-for-free-tier-?language=en%5FUS&ref=itsfoss.com) where this shady behavior was first reported, or you could head over to [Hacker News](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48254309&ref=itsfoss.com) and join the others in calling out AMD. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Bambu Lab Has Been Violating AGPLv3*](https://itsfoss.com/news/bambu-lab-caught-violating-agplv3/) [Bambu Lab Has Been Violating AGPLv3 for Years, SFC SaysThey are working on a new project called ‘baltobu’, which will reverse-engineer Bambu’s proprietary components.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-1aa7ab64dc35165bb92fe0ec683780e84b27cd37df02b7bf66a6d1c19edbe254.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/sfc-calls-out-bambu-lab-bad14400a250a37b7a43ba4d9e825c39c2d087f77f61925ed90047461deb86df.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/bambu-lab-caught-violating-agplv3/) ### Bambu Lab Has Been Violating AGPLv3 for Years, SFC Says URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/bambu-lab-caught-violating-agplv3/ Last updated: 2026-05-25T04:41:05.000Z The GNU Affero General Public License version 3, or [AGPLv3](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.en.html?ref=itsfoss.com), is one of the strongest [copyleft](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyleft?ref=itsfoss.com) licenses in the open source world. Published by the [Free Software Foundation](https://www.fsf.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) in 2007, it requires that any software built on an AGPLv3-licensed project must make its complete source code available under the same terms. That applies even when the software runs as a network service rather than being distributed as a standalone binary. I say that because what follows are **two violations** that the Software Freedom Conservancy [has dug out](https://sfconservancy.org/news/2026/may/18/bambu-studio-3d-printer-agpl-violation-response/?ref=itsfoss.com) after investigating [Bambu Lab](https://bambulab.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). ## What the investigation found ![this shows a cropped screenshot of the software freedom conservancy with a blog titled "comprehensive respons to bambu's agplv3 violations."](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/sfc-calls-out-bambu-lab-violations.png) For context, [Bambu Studio](https://bambulab.com/en/download/studio?ref=itsfoss.com) is the [slicing software](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slicer%5F%283D%5Fprinting%29?ref=itsfoss.com) that ships with Bambu Lab's 3D printers. It is what translates a 3D model file into printable layers before passing the instructions along to the printer. It was built on top of [PrusaSlicer](https://www.prusa3d.com/p/prusaslicer/?ref=itsfoss.com), which itself came from [Slic3r](https://slic3r.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). Both predecessors carry the AGPLv3, and so does every derivative built from them. SFC looked at both the userspace software and the firmware running on Bambu's devices and pointed out the violations. The first is about `libbambu_networking`, a networking library that ships with Bambu Studio across Linux, Windows, and macOS. It handles all communication between the slicer and Bambu's cloud. **Bambu has never made the source code for it available**, despite AGPLv3 requiring that any code distributed alongside an AGPLv3 project be released under the same terms. SFC says Bambu's own README has effectively sat with this admission [for years now](https://github.com/bambulab/BambuStudio/blame/e8c7dc1b84f5e3816238e070e04eeeb67cd92783/README.md?ref=itsfoss.com#L51-L52). The second violation comes from how Bambu handled [Paweł Jarczak](https://github.com/jarczakpawel?ref=itsfoss.com), a developer who built [a fork of OrcaSlicer](https://github.com/jarczakpawel/OrcaSlicer-bambulab?ref=itsfoss.com) that could communicate with Bambu's servers by studying the incomplete Bambu Studio source code. He did not touch the proprietary library at all. Bambu [still contacted him](https://github.com/jarczakpawel/OrcaSlicer-bambulab/commit/25bbf7fd65963b6b787b36025cf5f8f993a28d43?ref=itsfoss.com), demanded removal, and stated a cease-and-desist letter had been prepared, [arguing its terms of service take precedence over the license](https://blog.bambulab.com/setting-the-record-straight-on-cloud-access-and-community/?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=Our%20cloud%20is%20a%20private%20service.%20Access%20to%20it%20is%20governed%20by%20a%20user%20agreement%2C%20not%20the%20AGPL%20license.). You see the problem? The AGPLv3 explicitly says no one can place additional restrictions on the rights it grants. The SFC says going after Pawel the way Bambu did is itself a violation. ## What's their new initiative about? SFC's response is a new project called ***baltobu***, short for "***Bringing Affero Licensed Things (On)to Bambu Users***." It lives on SFC's [Forgejo instance](https://f.sfconservancy.org/baltobu?ref=itsfoss.com) and has three repositories, each going after a different piece of the puzzle. `reverse-networking` is working to reverse-engineer the `libbambu_networking` library and produce a replacement. Since the binary is itself covered by AGPLv3, SFC's position is that anyone holding a copy has the right to examine and reverse-engineer it. The second is `orca-slicer-for-bambu`, a soft fork of OrcaSlicer built to be compatible with Bambu printers, eventually replacing Bambu Studio for those who want out of the Bambu Lab walled garden. Then there is `viscose`, a fork of Bambu Studio itself. Part of it is keeping a copy of everything Bambu publishes in case anything disappears, and the longer-term aim is a version that respects users' software freedom better than the upstream does. ## The next steps SFC is also committing **to act as a watchdog on Bambu Lab going forward**. The organization says it does not usually go looking for violations proactively, but it is making an exception here and will keep checking. A standing committee on software freedom in the 3D printer space is planned as well, with details expected in June 2026\. The plan is to conduct monthly meetings, pulling in manufacturers, users, licensing experts, and software freedom advocates to track new issues and figure out what to do about them. And there's also **a fundraiser running until July 17, 2026**, with a target of **$250,007**. If SFC hits it, [the money](https://sfconservancy.org/donate/?ref=itsfoss.com) goes toward hiring dedicated staff for this work long-term. If not, whatever is raised goes to existing staff time and related right-to-repair efforts. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Open Source Licenses Explained*](https://itsfoss.com/open-source-licenses-explained/) [Which License to Use for Open Source Projects?This detailed guide gives you an effective Open Source license comparison. It should help you choose the right Open Source license for your project.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-1aa7ab64dc35165bb92fe0ec683780e84b27cd37df02b7bf66a6d1c19edbe254.png)It's FOSSSylvain Leroux![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/open-source-licenses-explained-2-86bd7ac1506dfd6b09de86218b3c162c8fac3ba7dfd8877ac79b9dd3cfba197d.png)](https://itsfoss.com/open-source-licenses-explained/) ### Firefox Just Saved Us All from Spammy Online PDF Tools URL: https://itsfoss.com/firefox-pdf-merge/ Last updated: 2026-05-23T03:42:54.000Z Firefox's built-in PDF viewer has been adding useful features for a while now. You can annotate, fill out forms, draw, insert images, and sign documents without leaving the browser. The recent [Firefox 151](https://www.firefox.com/en-US/firefox/151.0/releasenotes/?ref=itsfoss.com) release adds merging documents to that list. If you've ever searched "*merge PDF online*" and ended up wading through ads and signup walls just to get your own file back, then you should know that there's a privacy angle worth thinking about too. Every time you upload a document to one of those sites, you're handing your files over to a server you know nothing about. [Firefox](https://www.firefox.com/en-US/?ref=itsfoss.com) handles everything locally, so your documents stay on your machine. ## Merge PDFs using Firefox ![a firefox screenshot that shows a pdf file open in the browser's pdf viewer, on the upper-left section, the mouse cursor is on a "add file" option](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/firefox-pdf-merge-tool-new-file-add.png) First, you need to open a PDF file that you want merged with another. Then, unhide the sidebar menu by clicking on its toggle (*looks like a square with a line in it*), and click on the "*+*" button next to the *Pages* label. Doing so will open the file picker. In my case, it was the [Files](https://apps.gnome.org/Nautilus/?ref=itsfoss.com) (*Nautilus*) app on GNOME, but yours might be a different [file manager](https://itsfoss.com/file-managers-linux/) on a different [desktop environment](https://itsfoss.com/best-linux-desktop-environments/) with similar functionality. ![this is a screenshot of the files app on gnome with two pdf files visible](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/firefox-pdf-merge-tool-selecting-file-to-add.png) Pick the PDF you want to merge in, then click *Select*. Firefox will append its pages to the end of the document you have open, and the page count in the toolbar will update to reflect the new total. You can also reorder pages by dragging them in the sidebar, or delete any you don't need by selecting them and using the *Manage* menu. 👇 0:00 /0:27 1× Once the pages are in order, select all of them using the checkboxes, and then open the *Manage* dropdown and click "*Export selected...*" A save dialog will open up on your file manager. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/firefox-pdf-merge-tool-file-export-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/firefox-pdf-merge-tool-file-export-2.png) Give the file a name, hit *Save*, and the merged PDF lands wherever you pointed it. Though if you mistakenly try to quit the application before the merged PDFs are saved, Firefox will promptly notify you. 👇 ![a save-before-quit prompt is visible in a firefox app window with a pdf file open](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/firefox-pdf-merge-tool-save-before-quit.png) The prompt reads "*Save PDF before leaving?*" and clicking "*Save*" opens the same file picker. Hitting "*Don't Save*" will close Firefox without saving, and "*Cancel*" keeps you in the same window. ## Sign up for It's FOSS Making You A Better Linux User Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### In a Weird Case, German Deutsche Bahn's Website Was Locking Out Linux Users URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/deutsche-bahn-blocking-linux-users/ Last updated: 2026-05-23T01:32:12.000Z Since a few days now, people trying to plan a trip on Deutsche Bahn's (DB) [main booking website](https://www.bahn.de/?ref=itsfoss.com) have been getting stopped by *error 751*. The site accused their web browser of acting like a bot, and even logging into accounts made no difference. So, what was actually triggering it? Just the word "*Linux*" in the [User-Agent](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Reference/Headers/User-Agent?ref=itsfoss.com) string it looks like. [heise online](https://www.heise.de/en/news/Deutsche-Bahn-No-information-under-Linux-11300847.html?ref=itsfoss.com) tested this by setting a *Linux User-Agent* on Firefox under Windows and on Safari under macOS, and both got blocked. ## People noticed ![an error page is shown here for the deutsche bahn website, all of it is in deutsche, and the error code is 751](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/deutsche-bahn-linux-loading-error.png) **Source:* [**MaksDampf*](https://www.reddit.com/r/deutschebahn/comments/1thtx4x/was%5Fmacht%5Fdie%5Fit%5Fder%5Fdeutschen%5Fbahn%5Feigentlich/?ref=itsfoss.com) Heise had picked up on a thread from Reddit's [r/deutschebahn](https://www.reddit.com/r/deutschebahn/comments/1thtx4x/was%5Fmacht%5Fdie%5Fit%5Fder%5Fdeutschen%5Fbahn%5Feigentlich/?ref=itsfoss.com) as evidence that real users were being affected. Someone had posted about getting locked out just from clicking "*earlier connections*" a few times while planning a trip. *They, as you know, tested it on their end and found out that Linux systems were being blocked.* Later in the thread, a commenter tied it to the wave of vibe-coded projects, specifically ones built to scrape Deutsche Bahn's fare data. Another commenter identified themselves as a DB employee, pointing out that internal staff have to deal with DB Systel's problems regularly. *Before you ask,* [*DB Systel*](https://www.dbsystel.de/dbsystel?ref=itsfoss.com) *is the train operator's IT and digital solutions provider.* ## DB's official response Deutsche Bahn [has responded](https://www.heise.de/en/news/Deutsche-Bahn-No-general-blocking-of-individual-operating-systems-11302490.html?ref=itsfoss.com) to heise online. A spokesperson said Linux users are supposed to be able to use bahn.de and [DB Navigator](https://www.bahn.de/service/mobile/db-navigator?ref=itsfoss.com) without issues, and that the company's security systems look at traffic behavior, request origins, and browser traits to identify potential threats. **Normal traffic can get caught in this sometimes**, they said, while emphasizing that they are working to bring those cases down. Heise ran a test again the same day and found out that a Linux User-Agent on a Windows machine still triggered the block. **I ran two tests of my own**. The first was on a [Fedora Workstation](https://fedoraproject.org/workstation/?ref=itsfoss.com) system with a VPN active, where I accessed *bahn.de* on Firefox in private mode and spammed various header menu options, reloading repeatedly. ![a cropped screenshot of the bahn.de website](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/deutsche-bahn-website.png) The portal never locked me out. I did the same on an [Ubuntu](https://ubuntu.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) virtual machine and got the same result. So it is safe to assume the fixes have been made, though false positives may still happen occasionally. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Rust Could Eliminate 80% of Linux Kernel CVEs*](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-rust-cve-reduction/) [Rust Could Eliminate 80% of Linux Kernel CVEs!Linux’s stable maintainer is betting on a new Rust type to address a class of bugs C has never been able to fully prevent.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-1aa7ab64dc35165bb92fe0ec683780e84b27cd37df02b7bf66a6d1c19edbe254.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/gkh-tux-rust-banner-732f990d1570a7df622f4b4da2d4fac7c9f0bfaf50a55440ae0eced400dcab73.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-rust-cve-reduction/) ### Good News! After Lenovo and Dell, Now HP Pledges to Support Linux Vendor Firmware Service URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/hp-supports-lvfs/ Last updated: 2026-05-22T05:31:48.000Z As long as I've been a Linux user, I can remember one of the biggest issues being firmware support on the kernel. The issue has been notorious, with a lot of new users being discouraged immediately after joining, and the benevolent dictator Linus Torvalds himself [giving the bird to Nvidia](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4SWxWIOVBM&ref=itsfoss.com), a sentiment shared by almost every user who had tried to make Nvidia work on Linux a few years ago. Things have been getting better recently, though, especially with [LVFS](https://fwupd.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) (Linux Vendor Firmware Service) on the scene now, providing hardware vendors a portal to upload firmware updates, which can then be downloaded and installed by users through clients such as GNOME Software or [fwupdmgr](https://itsfoss.com/update-firmware-ubuntu/). ## Why does LVFS matter? The relief and effort of LVFS cannot be understated, as before a central secure portal for firmware, the users only had the option to trust some random third party upload on the internet, often breaking or worse, infecting their systems. LVFS fills a space where the vendors can provide secure firmware, with Linux-specific .cab files. ### The roadbloack... [The issue, however, obviously, had been funding](https://itsfoss.com/news/lvfs-consumption-quota/) with the largest contributors being the usual suspects, Framework and Open Source Framework Foundation, at $10K a year. Recently, however, [Lenovo and Dell joined suite as Premier sponsors, which is the highest tier at $100K a year](https://itsfoss.com/news/lvfs-finally-has-premier-sponsors/) each, making the project more sustainable and manageable. These companies contributing makes a lot of sense, considering they are two of the bigger computer companies which offer Linux by default in some cases, especially with Lenovo's ThinkPads being the Linux users' favorite for decades. ### Welcome the newcomer! And now, as you'd have it, [HP has followed suit as a Premier sponsor](https://www.phoronix.com/news/HP-Sponsoring-LVFS-Fwupd?ref=itsfoss.com), also providing $100K a year, right alongside Dell and Lenovo. This is already being reflected on the homepage of LVFS, with a quote from HP's Senior Vice President as well: > *“LVFS enables quick, easy and timely BIOS updates, so countless customers can enjoy the flexibility of open source Linux-based systems.”* > — Xavi Garcia, HP ![LVFS sponsors](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/image-35.png) This calls for a celebration as users, of course, and also a major bout of appreciation for HP will be well deserved. I'm delighted as an HP user on Fedora myself, this is a remarkable day. The question still remains, however, where are the other vendors? What are they waiting for? ## Where are the others? The image of Linux as a "niche" user community, left to their own devices (literally) to figure out the solutions to the hardware problems the vendors are unwilling to solve, is a view as outdated as it is ridiculous. It is like they expect us to unlock a door of which they have the only key. This major move by these three companies should not only be seen as a sign of relief and wider acceptance of the usage of Linux, but as a beacon for other vendors to follow, who ought to make their hardware more accessible to the open-source community. This change is only in their best interest, as every year shows the percentage of Linux's desktop market share going upwards. ## Wrapping Up HP, Dell and Lenovo all being the highest possible contributors to Linux firmware inspires a lot of confidence among the users, a sign of better support and easier updates. Their efforts are much appreciated and applauded, and we hope that more companies show up to the party. Hope this brightens up your day a little bit, if you're a Linux user on HP. Cheers! ### Warp's Oz Platform Can Now Run Claude Code and Codex Alongside Its Own Agent URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/warp-oz-multi-harness-update/ Last updated: 2026-05-22T05:31:30.000Z The folks over at Warp have been busy building out their Oz platform since we covered the [initial launch](https://itsfoss.com/news/warp-launches-oz/) back in February. The service takes care of the infrastructure side of running coding agents at scale, covering sandboxing, scheduling, monitoring, and team governance. This week, the developers pushed [a notable update](https://www.warp.dev/blog/multi-harness-cloud-agent-orchestration?ref=itsfoss.com). Oz **can now serve as a unified control plane** for **Claude Code**, **Codex**, and the native **Warp Agent**, all manageable from a single dashboard. This allows teams to compare how each [harness](https://www.langchain.com/blog/the-anatomy-of-an-agent-harness?ref=itsfoss.com) performs, assign the right one according to the task, and maintain consistent access controls and audit logs across all three. 🚧 Warp's terminal client [went open source in April](https://itsfoss.com/news/warp-goes-open-source/), but Oz is not. It's covered here because Warp is available for Linux. ## What's new in Oz? For complex, long-running tasks, **Oz can now spin up and coordinate multiple subagents in parallel** without you having to configure that manually. Think codebase-wide migrations or multi-repo feature work, anything that benefits from several agents tackling different parts at the same time. You get real-time tracking and steering across all of them, and it works across all three supported harnesses (*mentioned above*). Warp is also introducing **Agent Memory**, a cross-harness memory system that lets agents carry context forward across sessions, repos, and projects. How this works is that agents build up working knowledge about how your team operates over time, and that context carries forward regardless of which harness triggered the next run. The memory store is owned by the organization deploying it, and Warp can either host it for you or you can build and maintain your own. This particular feature is in *research preview* for now. Per-team billing and individual credit caps are part of this release too, along with **more granular permissions per agent**. Each agent gets scoped access based on what its task actually requires, rather than receiving blanket permissions across your infrastructure. Self-hosting is more flexible now too. **Oz works in Kubernetes pods, with or without Docker**, and fits into existing remote dev environments without requiring any changes to your configuration. ## Get Warp [Warp](https://www.warp.dev/?utm%5Fsource=its%5Ffoss&utm%5Fmedium=display&utm%5Fcampaign=linux%5Flaunch) (*partner link*) runs on **Linux**, **Windows**, and **macOS**. Linux packages are available as `.deb`, `.rpm`, `.tar.zst`, and *AppImage* for both x64 and ARM64. You can get started with Oz on [the official portal](https://www.warp.dev/oz?ref=itsfoss.com) with any Warp account, free or paid. [Warp](https://www.warp.dev/oz?ref=itsfoss.com) 📋 If you have an ad blocker enabled, the Warp links won't show up in this article. Either disable it for accessing the links or do a quick web search. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Things Are Quietly Changing at Bitwarden*](https://itsfoss.com/news/bitwarden-quiet-changes/) [Things Are Quietly Changing at Bitwarden, and People Are WorriedThe password manager swapped its CEO, rewrote its core values, and briefly pulled “Always Free” from its pricing page.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-427.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/people-worried-over-bitwarden.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/bitwarden-quiet-changes/) ### FOSS Weekly #26.21: Microsoft's Distro, Bitwarden Drama, Adobe on Linux, New Email Client and More URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-21/ Last updated: 2026-05-21T14:24:47.000Z The Fedora AI Developer Desktop initiative that passed unanimously [is now blocked](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-ai-developer-desktop-stalled/). Two council members retracted their votes after community pushback, with contributors arguing the CUDA focus contradicts Fedora's free software foundations and that significant kernel policy changes hadn't been cleared with the right people. [Fedora has also removed Deepin desktop](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-ditches-deepin/) from its offering due to security concern. Someone [got Lightroom CC running on Linux](https://itsfoss.com/news/vibe-coded-adobe-lightroom-cc-linux/) via Wine without writing a single line of code themselves. An AI agent did the whole thing autonomously, fixing DLL gaps and Wine incompatibilities. LibrePlan is a self-hosted open source project management tool that just got its [1.6.0 release](https://itsfoss.com/news/libreplan-1-6-0/). The additions worth noting include email workflows, per-project document repositories, an issue and risk log, and traffic light status indicators in the project list view. If you've ever wanted to run [BleachBit](https://www.bleachbit.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) over SSH without touching the CLI directly, [the TUI is shaping up well](https://itsfoss.com/news/bleachbit-tui-alpha/). You get keyboard navigation throughout, two preview modes for checking what would be cleaned before committing, and full backend parity with the existing GUI. Bitwarden got a new CEO in February, a new CFO in April, briefly removed "Always Free" from its pricing page, and quietly rewrote its core values. For most software, this would be unremarkable. For the app that holds your passwords, [the bar for transparency needs to be much higher](https://itsfoss.com/news/bitwarden-quiet-changes/). [ONLYOFFICE Docs 9.4](https://itsfoss.com/news/onlyoffice-docs-9-4-release/) lands with a mix of features and a licensing update that's hard to read as coincidental given the Euro-Office fork dispute. It offers users a dark mode for spreadsheets, 25 new presentation themes, 20 new slide transitions, and form recipient tracking. Linux's second-in-command, Hartman, [thinks that Rust could eliminate 80% of Linux kernel CVEs](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-rust-cve-reduction/). **Here are other highlights of this edition of FOSS Weekly:** - Listening to music on the terminal. - Microsoft having a Fedora-based offering. - Configuring a smart bulb to run with Home Assistant. - And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes! ## 🎫 Event alert: AWS Summit India Online From agentic AI to Cloud Modernization, AWS is bringing together the latest innovations shaping technology today at [AWS Summit India Online](https://bit.ly/49BlgFT?ref=itsfoss.com). - Attend 50+ sessions filled with tech deep dives, hands-on labs, and actionable insights from AWS experts and leaders - Discover how organizations are using AI and data to solve complex challenges - Connect with the AWS community through live Q&A The event is virtual and free to attend. [Register for FREE](https://bit.ly/49BlgFT?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About Microsoft spent its Open Source Summit announcement [talking about Azure Linux 4.0 without mentioning Fedora once](https://itsfoss.com/news/azure-linux-4/). The GitHub README for the 4.0 development branch uses the phrase "***upstream base***" to describe Fedora's role. [Wow! Microsoft Now Has a Fedora-based Linux DistroAzure Linux 4.0 is on the way, and its GitHub repo quietly confirms it’s built on Fedora.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-420.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/azure-linux-4-0-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/azure-linux-4/) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings Mission Center and Resources are both polished libadwaita system monitors, and both are genuinely good. But what makes them different from each other? A lot. We have [a detailed writeup](https://itsfoss.com/comparison/mission-center-vs-resources/) that should clear your doubts. Splitting a string in Bash isn't as intuitive as it should be. The trick is setting `IFS` to your delimiter and using `read -ra` to split the string into an array. Here's [a short explainer](https://itsfoss.com/bash-split-string/) with a working CSV example and a breakdown of what each part is actually doing. If `cmus` or `MOC` never quite clicked for you, [Kew](https://itsfoss.com/kew-terminal-player/) is worth trying. Written in C, it displays album art in the terminal, can search your music library with a single keyword, and handles playlists and shuffles without fuss. Desktop Linux is mostly neglected by the industry but loved by the community. For the past 13 years, It's FOSS has been helping people use Linux on their personal computers. And we are now facing the existential threat from AI models stealing our content. If you like what we do and would love to support our work, please become It's FOSS Plus member. It costs less than the cost of a McDonald Happy Meal a month, and you get an ad-free reading experience with the satisfaction of helping the desktop Linux community. [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner [Eight LLMs benchmarked](https://itsfoss.com/testing-local-llms-without-gpu/) on a CPU-only Intel i5 laptop with 12GB RAM, using Ollama with Q4\_K\_M quantization throughout. [Can You Run LLMs Locally Without a GPU? I Tested 8 Models on LinuxWant to run AI models locally without expensive hardware? I tested 8 LLMs on a CPU-only machine to find out what works and what doesn’t.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-421.png)It's FOSSBhuwan Mishra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/run-llms-on-linux-without-gpu.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/testing-local-llms-without-gpu/) Also, here's how [I fixed a pesky error](https://itsfoss.com/add-tapo-bulb-home-assistant/) with a Tapo smart bulb on Home Assistant. [How I Finally Added Tapo L530 Bulb to Home AssistantSharing my home automation journey as I keep on exploring and troubleshooting.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-422.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/penguin-holding-bulb.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/add-tapo-bulb-home-assistant/) Tired of AI fluff and misinformation in your Google feed? Get real, trusted Linux content. Add It’s FOSS as your preferred source and see our reliable Linux and open-source stories highlighted in your Discover feed and search results. [Add It's FOSS as preferred source on Google (if you use it) ](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=itsfoss.com&ref=itsfoss.com) ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights [Aerion](https://itsfoss.com/aerion/) is a new open source desktop email client built with Wails and Svelte, not Electron, and it shows. [I Gave Desktop Email Clients Another Shot and This New App DeliveredBtw, it is lightweight, open source, and not built on Electron.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-423.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/aerion-email-client-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/aerion/) ## 📽️ Videos for You Using [Xfce](https://itsfoss.com/customize-xfce/) doesn't need to feel like a trip down memory lane. [You can customize it thoroughly](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw4dLnMNecE&ref=itsfoss.com) to bring it up to current standards. [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip In the [Bitwarden](https://bitwarden.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) desktop app and browser extension, you can set a pin instead of using the master password to log in. To do that, go into the *Account Security* settings and turn on the "*Unlock with Pin option*." ![bitwarden use pin instead of master password quick tip](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/bitwarden-settings.png) Remember to turn off "*Require master password on browser restart,*" and set the session timeout to "*On browser restart*" for securing your vault against unauthorized access. Though, do not forget the master password, since the PIN is not a replacement, and you will need it when signing into new devices. [](https://t43217012.p.clickup-attachments.com/t43217012/da09f1e7-b651-4c93-b93b-141e46671d4b/copy-link-to-highlight-firefox.png?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse Test your terminal knowledge with our [Linux Terminal Emulators](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/linux-terminal-emulators-crossword/) crossword. [Linux Terminal Emulators: CrosswordLet’s explore some Linux terminal emulators with this crossword.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-424.png)It's FOSSAnkush Das![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-terminal-3.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/linux-terminal-emulators-crossword/) Do you still shudder at the sight of a [CLI](https://github.com/resources/articles/what-is-a-cli?ref=itsfoss.com)? 🤨 ![PenGUIn vs. PenCLIn meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/meme_2.jpg) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On [May 21, 1952](https://www.computerhistory.org/tdih/may/21/?ref=itsfoss.com), IBM announced its first electronic computer, the [Model 701](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM%5F701?ref=itsfoss.com), at a time when the company was better known as the world's largest supplier of punched card equipment, with chairman Thomas Watson Sr. so resistant to the idea that engineers had to rebrand it a "Defense Calculator" just to get it built. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: Old time FOSSer Howard is [looking for feedback and suggestions](https://itsfoss.community/t/spring-time-to-clean-house-home/15799?ref=itsfoss.com) on how to clean the `/home` folder. ### Rust Could Eliminate 80% of Linux Kernel CVEs! URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-rust-cve-reduction/ Last updated: 2026-05-21T13:19:23.000Z Greg Kroah-Hartman was at [RustWeek 2026](https://2026.rustweek.org/talks/greg/?ref=itsfoss.com) in Utrecht this week, and he talked about a Rust-based proposal still in development **that could wipe out around 80% of the CVEs the Linux kernel generates**. That is not a small claim. This is coming from someone who has personally reviewed every kernel security bug since the Linux kernel security team was formed in 2005. ## C's blind spot **Greg's presentation starts at 14:27.* The core problem, as [Greg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg%5FKroah-Hartman?ref=itsfoss.com) sees it, is untrusted data. Every time data arrives from user space or from hardware, the kernel should treat it with suspicion. [C](https://www.c-language.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) has never had a reliable way to enforce that. Once data gets copied from user space into the kernel, it becomes a regular pointer and loses all context about where it came from. It gets passed around freely, and the external checkers that should catch issues do not always get run. Hardware adds another layer of the same problem. The kernel was designed assuming hardware is trustworthy, and that assumption is getting harder to hold as malicious hardware becomes [a real and growing threat](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-driver-proposal-malicious-hid-devices/). ## What Rust already fixes Before the new proposal even ships, Rust is already making a difference. Failing to check error return values and forgetting to release locks are two notable contributors to [kernel CVEs](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-fully-patches-dirty-frag-exploit/), and Rust handles both at compile time. *Greg estimates those two fixes alone cover around 60% of kernel bugs.* And it doesn't stop there. Writing Rust bindings for existing C code has quietly pushed kernel maintainers to actually document and think through their APIs, working out ownership semantics, lock rules, and const-correctness. ## Enter, the "untrusted" type Greg's [proposed solution](https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/gregkh/driver-core.git/commit/?h=untrusted&id=3937bad8a8bf2e5d7fc3e11b4ed1aae21df71b02&ref=itsfoss.com) is a Rust type called `Untrusted`, developed with kernel contributor Benno Lossin. It attaches to data coming in from user space or hardware as a compile-time marker, with no runtime cost. And you cannot access the underlying data without going through a validation step that explicitly converts it to trusted. That pushes all validation code into one visible, reviewable spot. **What this means for you as a Linux user?** A significant number of the CVEs that currently trickle down to your distro as security updates simply would not exist in the first place. But, **it is not merged yet**. Changes are still needed in the Rust compiler, and related work on field projections is running alongside it. Greg concluded his presentation by asking for more Rust kernel developers, and pointed towards the [Rust for Linux](https://rust-for-linux.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) mailing list as the starting point. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Fedora Pulls the Plug on Deepin*](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-ditches-deepin/) [Fedora Pulls the Plug on Deepin Over Security and Maintenance FailuresAfter months of no responses and packages being left in disrepair, the FESCo has drawn a hard line.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-426.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/fedora-deepin-removal-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-ditches-deepin/) ### Fedora Pulls the Plug on Deepin Over Security and Maintenance Failures URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-ditches-deepin/ Last updated: 2026-05-20T15:48:42.000Z Fedora's Engineering Steering Committee ([FESCo](https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/fesco/?ref=itsfoss.com)) has voted to retire all [Deepin](https://www.deepin.org/index/en?ref=itsfoss.com)\-related packages from the distribution's repositories. The vote passed with +7, 0, 0 at [a May 19 meeting](https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/devel@lists.fedoraproject.org/thread/YFZBLHOTVMINNY5I7JSO4JOXHFH3SARN/?ref=itsfoss.com). On top of that, the release engineering team has been told **not to reinstate any of these packages unless they go through a fresh review**. ## A year in the making The story starts with openSUSE. In May 2025, their security team published [a detailed report](https://security.opensuse.org/2025/05/07/deepin-desktop-removal.html?ref=itsfoss.com) on Deepin's packages, stating that they had pulled them from their repos after a review had flagged serious problems across multiple components. The `deepin-file-manager` daemon had significant D-Bus interface issues, some of which stayed unfixed even after partial patches. Both `deepin-api` and `deepin-system-monitor` were found using deprecated Polkit authentication in an unsafe way. That report prompted [Adam Williamson](https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/User:adamwill?ref=itsfoss.com) of the Fedora QA team [to open a ticket](https://pagure.io/fesco/issue/3409?ref=itsfoss.com) with a pointed question attached. *If SUSE's security team found all of this, what did Fedora's situation look like*? Turns out Fedora had been shipping these packages without any meaningful security review, and **the project's own package review guidelines** [were found lacking](https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/packaging-guidelines/ReviewGuidelines/?ref=itsfoss.com) without any requirements, tools, or instructions for reviewers to consider security issues. *A thing to note here is that some security-related guidelines did exist at one point but were deleted years ago.* ## Was already on life support By the time FESCo cast its vote, the Deepin packages were already in rough shape on their own. Core packages had been failing to build across Fedora 42, 43, and 44\. The desktop environment had already been pulled from [Fedora spins](https://fedoraproject.org/spins/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [fedora-comps](https://pagure.io/fedora-comps/pull-request/1149?ref=itsfoss.com) months earlier because essential packages simply could not build. The ones who were supposed to be the stewards of this effort in Fedora, the [DeepinDE SIG](https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/SIGs/DeepinDE?ref=itsfoss.com), lost many of its key members over time. One of the original maintainers, [Zamir Sun](https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/User:Zsun?ref=itsfoss.com), who had served as the SIG's coordinator, confirmed as much in a reply to FESCo's outreach email: > To make a long story short, all the initial packagers of the Deepin DE packages(namely felixonmars, mosquito(no longer with Fedoraproject) and cheeselee in FAS, and me as the coordinator) are being too busy for the vast amount of work in maintaining DeepinDE. And we never got active packagers to take the effort so we have to see it going away from Fedora. That left a certain Felix Wang ([topazus](https://topazus.fedorapeople.org/?ref=itsfoss.com)) as the one person still actively touching the packages, who has not been replying to bug reports, maintainer pings, or direct emails. And whenever Fedora's build failure policy automatically orphaned a package, topazus would simply reclaim it without fixing anything. FESCo sent its formal outreach on May 5 and gave four weeks for a response. With nothing substantive coming back, the committee moved to retire the full package set. [Release Engineering](https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/ReleaseEngineering/Overview?ref=itsfoss.com) has also been told not to reinstate any of these packages unless they go through a proper review first. **So that is the end of line for Deepin on Fedora**, for now. If, in the future, some people step up and take the packages through a fresh review, maybe this desktop environment will make a comeback. But given the state things were left in, that is not a bet anyone should be making just yet. ### Open Source ONLYOFFICE Docs 9.4 Brings Dark Spreadsheets, Smarter Forms, and a Licensing Cleanup URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/onlyoffice-docs-9-4-release/ Last updated: 2026-05-20T10:49:03.000Z [ONLYOFFICE](https://www.onlyoffice.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) has been putting out fairly consistent updates to its open source office suite. The [previous release](https://itsfoss.com/news/onlyoffice-docs-9-3-release/) focused heavily on the PDF editor, adding new signature options, password-protected PDF editing, and a multipage view for documents. Since then, things got a little complicated for the project. Nextcloud and IONOS launched [Euro-Office](https://itsfoss.com/news/onlyoffice-forked/), a European fork of ONLYOFFICE, citing concerns about the project's Russian development roots, lack of transparency, and resistance to outside contributions. ONLYOFFICE hit back, accusing the fork of violating the additional conditions attached to its AGPLv3 license. Now, the developers have released [ONLYOFFICE Docs 9.4](https://www.onlyoffice.com/blog/2026/05/onlyoffice-docs-9-4?ref=itsfoss.com), which covers a fair bit of ground across all the editors and introduces a licensing update. ## 🆕 ONLYOFFICE Docs 9.4: What's New? Starting with form management, **you can now assign specific recipients and track their filling status** directly within the editor. Previously, that meant going outside the editor entirely, making the whole experience more clunky than it needed to be. Horizontal lines in documents are in too, which was apparently a frequently requested feature on their social media pages. You can insert them to visually separate sections via the "*Borders*" button in the *Home* tab. Similarly, the signature field in forms now defaults to the last image you used. Thanks to this, you don't need to dig around for the same file each time you sign a batch of documents. Then there's the **Presentation Editor**, which picks up **25 new ready-to-use themes**, covering a fairly wide range of styles, accessible from the *Design* tab. There are also ***20 new slide transitions*** under the *Transitions* tab for adding a bit more polish to your next pitch. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/onlyoffice-docs-9-4-new-presentation-themes.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/onlyoffice-docs-9-4-spreadsheets-dark-mode.png) **The new presentation themes (left) and the 'Dark Document' mode for spreadsheets (right).* The **Spreadsheet Editor** gets a dedicated **Dark Document mode**. With the general dark theme on, the spreadsheet canvas can be switched to a dark background as well via the *View* tab. The community version (*for self-hosting*) also sees some structural work. The code is no longer minified, making it easier to read through, and it now runs as a single process with no reliance on [RabbitMQ](https://www.rabbitmq.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) or databases. That trims down what the host machine needs to run, and starting with this release, the 20-connection cap is gone. Finally, **the licensing terms have been updated**. ONLYOFFICE has clarified its [AGPLv3](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.en.html?ref=itsfoss.com) conditions, with clearer language around attribution, copyright notices, labeling of modified versions, and trademark rights under a separate [Trademark Policy](https://onlyoffice.com/trademark-policy?ref=itsfoss.com) (*was error 404 at the time of writing*). If you recall, the Euro-Office dispute was specifically about whether a fork could drop those additional *Section 7* conditions. The developers haven't said this update was a response to that, but we can confidently infer that from what has happened so far. ## 📥 Download ONLYOFFICE Docs 9.4 Like usual, you will find there are **two main flavors**. One is for [self-hosting users](https://www.onlyoffice.com/download?ref=news.itsfoss.com) who want to deploy ONLYOFFICE on their infrastructure, and the other one is for people who want a reliable office suite [on their computer](https://www.onlyoffice.com/desktop?ref=itsfoss.com). For more details on this release, you can refer to [the changelog](https://github.com/ONLYOFFICE/DocumentServer/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md?ref=itsfoss.com#940). [ONLYOFFICE Docs 9.4](https://www.onlyoffice.com/desktop?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*The TDF Questions Whether Euro-Office is Truly Sovereign*](https://itsfoss.com/news/tdf-calls-out-euro-office/) [LibreOffice Questions Whether Euro-Office is Truly SovereignMakes us wonder how things will turn out in the end.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-425.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/tdf-calling-out-euro-office-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/tdf-calls-out-euro-office/) ### Things Are Quietly Changing at Bitwarden, and People Are Worried URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/bitwarden-quiet-changes/ Last updated: 2026-05-19T15:11:38.000Z For a lot of people, [Bitwarden](https://bitwarden.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) became the go-to password manager after [the LastPass fiasco](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022%5FLastPass%5Fdata%5Fbreach?ref=itsfoss.com). Free, open source, and trustworthy, it has gained a reputation by offering a free tier, keeping the code open, and not pulling the rug. But that comes at a cost; any hit to its image matters a lot when we are talking about software that holds extremely sensitive information. So when things start looking a little off, people pay attention. And over the past few months, a few things have looked a little off. ## Some things changed at the top The first change worth noting happened in February. Bitwarden's longtime CEO, [Michael Crandell](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcrandell?ref=itsfoss.com), stepped back to an advisory role. The company said nothing about it publicly, and one would have to check his LinkedIn profile to find out. ![a cropped screenshot of michael sullivan's linkedin profile, with the about section visible](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/michael-sullivan-linkedin-profile.png) The new CEO is [Michael Sullivan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mpsully/?ref=itsfoss.com), who was previously CEO of Acquia and, before that, InsightSoftware. What got people worried was his experience of working across "***all facets of mergers and acquisitions***," with named private equity firms, including Hg, Vista Equity Partners, and TA Associates. That is a very particular background for someone to be stepping into a head honcho role at a password manager company. Bitwarden's CFO also changed, where [Stephen Morrison](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-morrison-97845012/?ref=itsfoss.com) left in April and [Michael Shenkman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mshenkman/?ref=itsfoss.com), who previously ran InVision, came in as his replacement. None of these major executive changes were officially announced. ## Quiet changes ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/bitwarden-personal-always-free-text.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/bitwarden-personal-always-free-text-missing.png) **The term "Always free" has been restored (left), but it was missing for quite some time (right).* I referred to the [Wayback Machine](https://web.archive.org/) and found that the term "***Always free***" had been on Bitwarden Personal's [product page](https://bitwarden.com/products/personal/?ref=itsfoss.com) for a long time, sitting inside the plan comparison table. It disappeared sometime in mid-April and was only restored sometime [after May 14](https://web.archive.org/web/20260514234836/https://bitwarden.com/products/personal/). According to a company employee who posted on the [r/Bitwarden](https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitwarden/comments/1tdvnh7/comment/olznwcv/?ref=itsfoss.com) subreddit, all of that was supposedly due to an oversight by the Bitwarden marketing team. Then there's **the other issue of values being quietly changed**. Bitwarden has used the **GRIT** acronym to describe its company culture for years, standing for *Gratitude, Responsibility, Inclusion, and Transparency*. ![this is a cropped screenshot of the wayback machine on internet archive that shows a blog by bitwarden explaining the original meaning of their GRIT principles](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/bitwarden-grit-original-definition.png) I again checked the Wayback Machine, and the values were still intact [as of March 14, 2026](https://web.archive.org/web/20260314030243/https://bitwarden.com/blog/defining-and-sustaining-value-for-bitwarden-users/). At some point after that, they were quietly changed. GRIT now stands for *Gratitude, Responsibility, Innovation, and Trust*. The 2022 blog post Crandell wrote laying out [the original GRIT values](https://bitwarden.com/blog/defining-and-sustaining-value-for-bitwarden-users/?ref=itsfoss.com#bitwarden-operates-with-grit) was edited to reflect the new ones. Except the editing stopped halfway. The explanatory paragraph further down in the same post still describes *Inclusion* and *Transparency* as the values. 📋 Props to [ByteHaven](https://blog.ppb1701.com/the-quiet-renovation-at-bitwarden?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=But%20the%20explanatory%20paragraph%20at%20the%20bottom%20of%20the%C2%A0same%20post%C2%A0still%20says%20the%20old%20ones%3A%20Inclusion%20and%20Transparency.%20Crandell%E2%80%99s%20name%20is%20still%20on%20it.%20The%20post%20now%20contradicts%20itself%2C%20and%20nobody%20wrote%20a%20new%20one.) for spotting this. ## Bitwarden's stance Sullivan published [a blog](https://bitwarden.com/blog/my-first-100-days-at-bitwarden/?ref=itsfoss.com) recently, laying out his first 100 days at Bitwarden and also hashing some things out. **The free tier is not going anywhere**. He ruled out a trial model or bait-and-switch and said that the open source foundation and the ability to audit the code, self-host, and verify are what make Bitwarden different from everything else in the space. He also acknowledged that **changes are coming**, but those would be explained properly. ## Should you be worried? The post referenced above is the most direct on-record statement Bitwarden has about the free tier. But a pattern of ambiguity has already been established. For such a sensitive piece of software, unannounced leadership changes and a values rewrite are the kind of thing that should make you nervous. But unless Bitwarden does something drastic like axing the free tier or [pulling a Cal.com](https://itsfoss.com/news/cal-com-goes-proprietary/), there is not much to act on just yet. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Bitwarden vs. Proton Pass*](https://itsfoss.com/comparison/bitwarden-vs-proton-pass/) [Bitwarden vs. Proton Pass: What’s The Best Password Manager?What is your favorite open-source password manager?![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-419.png)It's FOSSAnkush Das![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/biwarden-vs-protonpass-ft-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/comparison/bitwarden-vs-proton-pass/) ### Wow! Microsoft Now Has a Fedora-based Linux Distro URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/azure-linux-4/ Last updated: 2026-05-19T12:01:11.000Z At the [Open Source Summit](https://events.linuxfoundation.org/open-source-summit-north-america/?ref=itsfoss.com) this week, Microsoft announced a range of open source-focused updates, ranging from new Linux distro releases to agentic AI tooling. [Brendan Burns](https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendan-burns-487aa590/?ref=itsfoss.com), co-founder of Kubernetes and Corporate VP for Azure OSS and Cloud Native at Microsoft, delivered a keynote on their technological shift from cloud native to what the company is calling the "***AI native era***." The [announcement](https://opensource.microsoft.com/blog/2026/05/18/from-open-source-to-agentic-systems-microsoft-at-open-source-summit-north-america-2026/?ref=itsfoss.com) covered quite a bit of ground, so here's a breakdown. ## What was announced? The Linux part of the announcement has two updates. **Azure Linux 4.0 is coming to Azure Virtual Machines as a public preview**, though it is still in active development and no downloads are available yet. Microsoft has a [sign-up form](https://aka.ms/AzureLinuxForm?ref=itsfoss.com) open for early access. **Azure Container Linux is now generally available**, with a full rollout planned during Microsoft Build on June 2\. It is an immutable, container-optimized OS, which by design means no package manager and a read-only system image. This is aimed at teams handling regulated or security-sensitive deployments, with the intent to keep the attack surface relatively limited while Microsoft maintains the supply chain end to end. **For agentic AI**, Microsoft is pushing several building blocks for what it calls an open agentic stack. The [Microsoft Agent Framework](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/agent-framework/overview/?pivots=programming-language-csharp&ref=itsfoss.com) is an open source SDK and runtime for multi-agent systems, consolidating earlier work from [Semantic Kernel](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/semantic-kernel/overview/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [AutoGen](https://microsoft.github.io/autogen/dev//index.html?ref=itsfoss.com) into one foundation. Alongside that is the [Agent Governance Toolkit](https://github.com/microsoft/agent-governance-toolkit?ref=itsfoss.com), which covers identity, policy, and audit controls for AI agent deployments and [A2A](https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/agent2agent-protocol?ref=itsfoss.com) (*agent-to-agent*) protocols for cross-vendor, cross-framework agent communication. ## We saw this coming ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/github-azure-linux-4-0-branch-readme-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/github-azure-linux-4-0-branch-readme-2.png) The announcement **doesn't mention Fedora once**, but the [Azure Linux 4.0](https://github.com/microsoft/azurelinux/tree/4.0?ref=itsfoss.com) branch on the project's GitHub paints a different picture. The [README](https://github.com/microsoft/azurelinux/blob/4.0/README.md?ref=itsfoss.com) file for 4.0 explicitly describes [Fedora](https://fedoraproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) as an "***upstream base***" for Azure Linux, describing the distro as a set of TOML configuration files and targeted overlays applied on top of Fedora. Likewise, packages come straight from Fedora's upstream repositories, with any deviations from that kept minimal and clearly documented. Last month, [we reported on discussions](https://itsfoss.com/news/azure-linux-fedora-rebase-speculation/) from a Fedora ELN SIG meeting where it became clear Microsoft was backing a proposal to build x86-64-v3 packages for Fedora 45. Kyle Gospodnetich, a Linux engineer at Microsoft, was co-authoring the change proposal, with the motivation tied directly to Azure Linux's need for x86-64-v3 performance gains. There was also talk of Microsoft forking the distribution entirely at one point, but they were guided toward working within the Fedora ecosystem instead. We called it "***a big if***" at the time. *Now, the 4.0 branch confirms it.* 🤓 As for **why Microsoft stayed quiet about the Fedora connection** in its announcement blog post. Fedora is effectively Red Hat's upstream, and [Red Hat](https://www.redhat.com/en?ref=itsfoss.com) is both [an Azure partner](https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/solutions/linux-on-azure/red-hat?ref=itsfoss.com) and a competitor in the enterprise Linux space. I presume that it would make for an awkward read in that context. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Fedora Hummingbird Debuts As a Hardened Linux Distro*](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-hummingbird-images/) [Fedora Hummingbird Debuts As a Super Hardened Linux DistroFedora Hummingbird ships the entire OS as a bootable OCI image with atomic updates and rollback support.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-418.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/fedora-hummingbird-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-hummingbird-images/) ### The Famous Linux System Cleaner BleachBit Now Has a TUI (And I Tried It Out) URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/bleachbit-tui-alpha/ Last updated: 2026-05-19T04:29:16.000Z It is a matter of preference to use system cleanup utilities on a computer or smartphone. On Linux, we have many such tools that handle everything from clearing browser caches and old package archives to shredding files and wiping free space. They range from quick CLI scripts to full-blown graphical applications. Some focus on browser data; others go deeper into system logs, package caches, and temporary files. One of the more popular offerings among those is [BleachBit](https://www.bleachbit.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), which is a free and open source system cleaner for *Linux* and *Windows* that handles all that. It's developers have now given everyone [an early look](https://www.bleachbit.org/news/bleachbit-text-user-interface?ref=itsfoss.com) into how its text-based user interface ([TUI](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Text-based%5Fuser%5Finterface?ref=itsfoss.com)) is shaping up. ## BleachBit TUI works well ![a list of files are shown in the alpha tui version of bleachbit inside a terminal window on ubuntu 26.04 lts](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/bleachbit-tui-alpha-file-list.png) The TUI is simple to navigate. The *space bar* toggles cleaning options on or off, and *Enter* expands a category to show the file list underneath. For previewing what would be cleaned, there are two options: lowercase `p` runs a full preview across all selected items, while uppercase `P` previews just the focused component. 📋 You can use either **Shift* or **Caps Lock* for switching to uppercase. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/bleachbit-tui-alpha-all-files-preview.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/bleachbit-tui-alpha-focused-preview.png) **The two preview options (full, focused) on the alpha TUI of BleachBit.* Once done, `d` handles deletion for everything selected, and `D` deletes the focused component specifically. On my first attempt, **the deletion failed because I had not launched the TUI with elevated privileges**. ![this is a picture of the alpha tui of bleachbit showing a confirm delete prompt for a non-focused delete action (this was done without sudo, so it failed)](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/bleachbit-tui-alpha-unsuccessfull-deletion.png) Re-launching with `sudo python3 bleachbit_tui.py` fixed that. Once initiated, I had to press `Y` to confirm the action, and when it completed, a dialog appeared in the bottom-right showing the files deleted and space recovered. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/bleachbit-tui-alpha-deletion-prompt.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/bleachbit-tui-alpha-successfull-deletion.png) **Using* `sudo` *fixed the errors I was getting.* There is also a palette menu, accessible via `Ctrl+P`. From there, you can search commands, maximize a selected component, quit BleachBit, save a screenshot, and bring up the keys/help side panel. ![this is a screenshot of the palette menu on the alpha tui of bleachbit that is showing many options like search, change theme, maximize, quit the application, save screenshot, and show keys and help panel](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/bleachbit-tui-alpha-palette-menu.png) Since **the TUI shares its backend with the regular BleachBit GUI**, it picks up all the same settings automatically. That covers your selected cleaning options, keep list, custom cleaning list, and cookie keep list. It also supports changing display themes and some mouse interaction alongside keyboard navigation, including the scroll wheel. On Windows, the TUI ships as both an installer and a portable package, compiled as a native 64-bit binary, unlike the 32-bit stable GUI and CLI builds. **If you want to try it out on Linux**, the official announcement [has quick-start instructions](https://www.bleachbit.org/news/bleachbit-text-user-interface?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=Here%27s%20a%20quick%20start%20for%20Ubuntu%3A) for running the TUI on Ubuntu, and if that doesn't suit you, then you could [build from source](https://github.com/bleachbit/bleachbit?ref=itsfoss.com). 🚧 This is still being developed. If you go ahead with testing it, expect things to break. ### How I Finally Added Tapo L530 Bulb to Home Assistant URL: https://itsfoss.com/add-tapo-bulb-home-assistant/ Last updated: 2026-05-18T15:08:08.000Z One of my [new year resolutions](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-resolutions-2026/) was to spend more time on homelab, local AI and smart home automation. I am slowly getting into this stuff and thought of sharing my (mis)adventures and experiences, especially when I encounter some issue and manage to fix it. One such incident was when I recently tried to add Tapo bulbs to my [Home Assistant](https://www.home-assistant.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) server. It kep on giving me this error. ``` Connection error: Unsupported device 192.168.0.192 of type SMART.TAPOBULB with encrypt_scheme EncryptionScheme(is_support_https=False, encrypt_type='TPAP http_port=80,Iv=2) ``` The fix that worked for me was to update the Home Assistant server and enable the third-party services option in the Tapo app. After that, I added the Tapo bulb in HA by providing the bulb's IP address and entering my Tapo credentials. Don't worry. I'll provide more details in this tutorial. ## My setup My Home Assistant runs on a [ZimaBoard 2](https://itsfoss.com/news/zimaboard-2-review-2/) device. This tiny device runs its own ZimaOS which makes it easier for homelab beginners to deploy software in containers in a few clicks. If interested, you can read my [review of ZimaBoard 2](https://itsfoss.com/news/zimaboard-2-review-2/). In terms of smart devices, I have a few Tap smart plugs, bulbs, temperature monitors, and motion sensors. I also have [Tapo Hub](https://amzn.to/4tFyZ5E?ref=itsfoss.com) in the mix, as some Tapo sensors run on batteries and use RF signals, so they *need* the hub as a bridge. Plugs and bulbs have constant power and built-in Wi-Fi and they talk to your router directly, no hub involved. My smart Tapo L530 bulb was already setup and connected via the Tapo app. And now I wanted it to be integrated into my Home Assistant server. This is where I faced the problem. 💡 In my case, the Tapo bulb was already connected to the network router. It was set up via Tapo app. This is important as we need to use the IP address of the bulb in home assistant. Also, Tapo devices need to be registered with TP Link account. I used [Proton Mail's email aliase](https://go.getproton.me/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=26&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=itsfoss.com) feature for this purpose. ## The problem I faced while integrating the Tapo bulb in Home Assistant I went to Settings -> Devices & Services -> TP-Link Smart Home -> Add entry, typed in the L530's IP address, and got this error: ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/tapo-bulb-home-assistant-error.jpg) Connecting TP-Link device to Home Assistant The culprit seemed to be `encrypt_type='TPAP'` with `lv=2`. After researching a bit, I learned that TP-Link pushed a firmware update to the L530 that switched to a newer encryption protocol. The official HA integration couldn't handle it. I checked my HA server and found that it was running the stable version from 2025\. I changed the container setting to make it use the latest image from May 2026. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/image-34.png) After restarting, the updated HA server threw a warning that the P110 plug was also no longer supported, wiping both the plug and bulb from my setup entirely. I tried integrating the Tapo L530 bulb again, hoping it might work but it gave me the same error. ## Here's how I fixed it The real issue wasn't Home Assistant at all. **Tapo's newer firmware blocks third-party local access by default.** There's a toggle in the Tapo app specifically for this and it's off out of the box. Here's exactly what I did: - Opened the Tapo app on my Galaxy S23 - Went to the "Me" section at bottom right that gave access to the settings - Found "Third-party services", clicked on it and then toggled Third-Party Compatibility on I am unable to share any images for the above step because Tapo app doesn't allow taking screenshots. Weird, I know. From the Tapo app itself, I selected the desired bulb, clicked the settings and then went into "Device Info" to get the IP address of the bulb. Again, no screenshots possible for this step as well. With these things done, I went to the Home Assistant app and then went to Settings -> Devices & Services -> TP-Link Smart Home -> Add entry. Here, I enter the bulb's IP address that I already had got from Tapo app. This time, there was no error and it asked me to enter my Tapo account email and password. Once I provided that, the bulb appeared in HA instantly. ## I hope it helps you If you are struggling with the same error. It's a small thing but even small issues could be demotivating if they become blockers. I am a beginner in this smarthome automation field and my needs are simple, at least at the moment. Setting up these things costs money so I am going with devices that are readily available, affordable and fit my needs. Let's see how it goes. I'll share my findings and experience under the new categories of Home Assistant and Home Automation. ### LibrePlan 1.6.0 Released With Better Collaboration Tools and 15 New Languages URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/libreplan-1-6-0/ Last updated: 2026-05-18T15:02:24.000Z If you have not heard of [LibrePlan](https://www.libreplan.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com) before, then you wouldn't be alone. When they sent us a press release, I was wondering what this project was for. Then I read up on it, and it turns out to be an open source, self-hosted, web-based project management tool that has been around [since 2009](https://www.libreplan.dev/info/history/?ref=itsfoss.com). It can handle project planning, resource allocation, time tracking, and progress reporting, and its target customers are organizations that want full control over their own infrastructure and data. Now, they have introduced **a new release** that adds some useful features around collaboration, project tracking, and a pretty notable expansion of language support. ## What's new? ![a screenshot that shows the demo version of libreplan with a dummy project loaded](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/libreplan-demo.png) **The demo of LibrePlan as a placeholder.* The 1.6.0 release arrives with email support for major user groups, per-project document repositories, and configurable email templates with notification support. **Project managers also get a few new visibility tools**. There is now an issue and risk log, a pipeline overview, project margin tracking, and traffic light-style status indicators in the project list view. The last addition in particular should be handy, letting you spot which projects need attention at a glance without you needing to click through each one. Moving on to the highlight of this release, we have **the expanded language support**, which takes the earlier four languages supported number all the way to **19**. These include Czech, Chinese, German, Persian/Farsi, Russian, Italian, Norwegian Bokmål, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, Swedish, Ukrainian, and Simplified Chinese. None of these new additions have been through manual review, though. They **were put together using AI tooling**, and the project is counting on the community to spot mistakes and tighten things up. ## Get LibrePlan LibrePlan 1.6.0 is available now, with Docker images for the *Community Edition* available on [Docker Hub](https://hub.docker.com/r/libreplan/libreplan?ref=itsfoss.com), and a live demo environment is accessible on the [official website](https://demo.libreplan.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com). There's also a separate enterprise-focused version called [LibrePlan Enterprise](https://www.libreplan-enterprise.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) for organizations looking to deploy this release, and the source code for the *Community Edition* lives on [GitHub](https://github.com/LibrePlan/libreplan?ref=itsfoss.com). You can learn more about this release in the [announcement blog](https://www.libreplan.dev/libreplan-1-6-0-has-been-released/?ref=itsfoss.com). --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Fedora's AI Move Hits a Roadblock*](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-ai-developer-desktop-stalled/) [Heavy Community Backlash Blocks Fedora’s AI Developer Desktop InitiativeTwo council members have retracted their approval votes after people raised concerns.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-417.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/fedora-addi-blocked-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-ai-developer-desktop-stalled/) ### Someone Vibe-Coded Lightroom CC Into Running on Linux, and I am Not Touching It URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/vibe-coded-adobe-lightroom-cc-linux/ Last updated: 2026-05-18T12:24:28.000Z Someone has managed to make [Adobe Lightroom CC](https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-lightroom.html?ref=itsfoss.com) run on Linux via [Wine](https://www.winehq.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). Don't get it confused with the other Adobe offerings though; this is the cloud-syncing desktop version of Lightroom. Sander Hilven, a developer, has put together [a working recipe](https://github.com/sander110419/lightroom-cc-on-linux?ref=itsfoss.com) that works on Wine 11.8 staging with Lightroom CC 9.3.1\. Interestingly, **they have not done any of the actual work themselves**. ![this demo screenshot shows adobe lightroom cc working on a linux system via wine](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/adobe-lightroom-cc-on-linux.jpg) The dev just told Anthropic's [Claude Opus 4.7](https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-opus-4-7?ref=itsfoss.com) what the goal was and left it to figure out the rest, while providing an *Adobe Creative Cloud* subscription for the AI to work with. The AI dug through crash logs and Wine compatibility issues autonomously, figuring out what needed fixing. It verified its own work by screenshotting the running Lightroom instance and clicking through the interface to confirm whether each fix held up. Though, **several fixes were needed to get things going**. Some Windows APIs that Wine doesn't implement were bringing down the entire Creative Cloud process on launch, some DLLs Lightroom depends on simply did not exist in Wine, and there were naming mismatches between how Lightroom looks for its files and how Adobe actually ships them. The *Remove/Heal* tool was the trickiest fix. It kept crashing mid-use, and the AI traced it back to a dependency that Wine ships in the wrong place. Currently, browsing, editing, exporting, and the Remove/Heal tool all work. **Not everything is perfect though**; tutorial videos don't play, some GPU-accelerated effects may not render correctly, and there's a bug with double-clicking thumbnails. ## I won't touch it The sole human developer's [GitHub](https://github.com/sander110419?ref=itsfoss.com) has no bio to speak of, and outside this repo, there is nothing that tells you much about who they are. The entire project, including the patched DLLs and the assurance that they work, **was produced by an AI agent**. No human has looked at those binaries independently. That is a lot of trust to put in AI-generated Windows DLL patches running inside your Linux computer. I won't be testing this due to all that and because I don't have an Adobe subscription. But if you have one and have a spare machine lying around, why not give it a try and post your findings [on our forum](https://itsfoss.community/?ref=itsfoss.com)? *Yeah, that is a not-so-subtle nudge to visit it and interact with the other FOSSers.* 😉 ### I Gave Desktop Email Clients Another Shot and This New App Delivered URL: https://itsfoss.com/aerion/ Last updated: 2026-05-18T12:30:15.000Z If you are someone who has to tackle many emails throughout the day, an email client is most likely part of your workflow. For the uninitiated, these desktop applications let you manage one or more email accounts from a single place without having to open a browser tab for each one. *Think of them as a local home for your inbox that comes equipped with the necessary tools for composing, organizing, and syncing your content.* 📥 I had one of my earliest experiences with these through [Thunderbird](https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/?ref=itsfoss.com), which I used at a previous workplace. It did the job well enough at the time, and I have no real complaints about it from back then. Eventually I drifted toward just using the web apps of whatever email service I was on. So, when I came across [Aerion](https://aerion.3df.io/?ref=itsfoss.com), I thought to myself, why not give [email clients](https://itsfoss.com/best-email-clients-linux/) another shot? ## Aerion: A Home For Your E-Mails ![the about page on aerion is shown in this screenshot](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/aerion-about-page.png) This is an open source, lightweight desktop email client maintained by a team of developers that is sponsored by [3DF](https://3df.io/?ref=itsfoss.com), which covers the infrastructure and human resource-related costs. The project takes inspiration from GNOME's email client [Geary](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/geary?ref=itsfoss.com), with a focus on being resource efficient and offering a clean interface without the baggage that tends to weigh down the older solutions on Linux. Before you blurt out "***Electron!***," know that Aerion uses [Wails](https://wails.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Svelte](https://svelte.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com) under the hood. It also comes with a [CASA Tier 2](https://appdefensealliance.dev/casa/tier-2/tier2-overview?ref=itsfoss.com) certification, which was assessed by [TAC Security](https://tacsecurity.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), a Google authorized assessor under the **App Defense Alliance**. This means that the app's codebase has been scanned and verified against the [OWASP ASVS](https://owasp.org/www-project-application-security-verification-standard/?ref=itsfoss.com) standards by an independent third party. For a small indie project that handles your email credentials and account access, that is a big reassurance. Feature-wise, it covers the essentials like **support for multiple accounts**, **conversation threading**, **a WYSIWYG composer** powered by [TipTap](https://github.com/ueberdosis/tiptap?ref=itsfoss.com), **contact sync** (*via CardDAV, Google, and Microsoft*), multiple color themes, and keyboard navigation with vim-style shortcuts. **For email providers**, Aerion works with **Gmail**, **Microsoft 365/Outlook**, **Proton Mail** (*via paywalled Proton Bridge*), **iCloud Mail**, **GMX Mail**, and **generic IMAP/SMTP setups**. Yahoo, Fastmail, Zoho Mail, AOL Mail, and Mail.com are listed as well, though **these were marked as untested** at the time of writing. 📋 Keep in mind that ****Aerion is still pre-release software**, so things may not always go smoothly. ## I Used It Getting started meant **adding my Gmail account**, and that process was smoother than I expected. Aerion hands you off to the browser for the *OAuth flow*, where you go through Google's usual permissions and disclaimers routine, at the end of which you land back in Aerion, authenticated and ready to go. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/aerion-new-account-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/aerion-new-account-2.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/aerion-new-account-3.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/aerion-new-account-4.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/aerion-new-account-5.png) **Adding a new Gmail account to Aerion.* There's **a nasty catch here**, though. If you accidentally click somewhere outside the "*Add Email Account*" window while it is open, the whole thing closes and discards whatever progress you made. You won't get any warning or confirmation popup; *it will just f\*ck right off*. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/aerion-new-account-syncing.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/aerion-remote-images-blocked.png) **Mails being fetched on the left, a filled inbox on the right.* When Aerion finishes fetching your emails, you will notice that **remote image loading is blocked by default**. You can manually allow loading per email or add specific domains to an allowlist to avoid having to do it every time. ![the email composer on aerion is shown here, with the usual editing tools visible, and some text about missing files as the body of the draft email](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/aerion-new-email-compose.png) With Gmail connected, **I spent some time sending and receiving mail**, and the basics work as you would want them to. The composer has all the tools you need to put together a well-written email, and new messages are delivered with proper sync happening with the Gmail servers. Below is a quick example of me sending a test mail from Aerion to my Proton Mail account. It landed without issue, showing up in Gmail's sent folder and in the Proton Mail inbox. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/aerion-sucessfull-mail-send-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/aerion-sucessfull-mail-send-2.png) **Checking the mail I sent using Aerion on the web apps for Gmail and Proton Mail.* **Where things got a bit less clean was with notifications**. When I received new mail, I received no notification in Aerion's interface or GNOME's notification dropdown. I had to manually hit the sync button to get the mail to appear, though Aerion does auto-sync in the background. ~~The catch is that there is **no way to configure how often it syncs**, at least for Gmail, so if you are used to mail showing up the moment it lands, adjust your expectations accordingly.~~ **What I missed was** that there is a way to configure sync intervals. It is hidden away under the *Accounts* settings, where one has to click on the pencil icon for a specific account and go into the "*Server*" category and look for "*Sync Options*." ![aerion is shown here recieving a new email from someone named sourav rudra, on the left is the email list, on the right is the email open with source details below](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/aerion-sucessfull-mail-receive.png) And if you like keeping your mailbox clean, Aerion has you covered. You can mass delete emails that land in the *"Bin"* first, or you can go the extra step and permanently wipe them to free up cloud storage. Either way, the changes reflect on Gmail's servers without issue. ![on the left gmail's bin folder is shown with a single trashed email, on the right is aerion's bin folder with the same trashed email with the right-click context menu showing many options on how to handle it](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/aerion-sucessfull-mail-deletion.png) Though there's **one more inconvenience** that some of you might not like. Before you can start using Aerion, you are asked to agree to its [Terms of Use](https://aerion.3df.io/terms/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Privacy Policy](https://aerion.3df.io/privacy/?ref=itsfoss.com). The terms are fairly standard. It is pre-release software, so bugs and shifting features are part of the deal, there are no warranties, and the whole thing is provided under the **Apache 2.0 license**. ![the terms of use and privacy policy disclaimer for aerion is shown here](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/aerion-toc-privacy-policy-disclaimer.png) **On the privacy side**, things are more reassuring. Aerion does not collect or transmit any of your data to external servers, **so no telemetry, no analytics, and no ads to worry about**. When it connects to Google or Microsoft APIs, that access is limited strictly to the email functionality you configured. ## Install it Now People running Linux-powered distributions can get Aerion from [Flathub](https://flathub.org/en/apps/io.github.hkdb.Aerion?ref=itsfoss.com). Those on platforms like ARM64, Windows, and macOS will have to visit the [releases page](https://github.com/hkdb/aerion/releases?ref=itsfoss.com) to get the relevant packages. If neither of the options are your thing, then you could always [build from source](https://github.com/hkdb/aerion?ref=itsfoss.com). [Aerion (Flathub)](https://flathub.org/en/apps/io.github.hkdb.Aerion?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Heavy Community Backlash Blocks Fedora's AI Developer Desktop Initiative URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-ai-developer-desktop-stalled/ Last updated: 2026-05-15T10:34:58.000Z What looked like a done deal for [Fedora](https://fedoraproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is now very much on hold. The [Fedora AI Developer Desktop Initiative](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-ai-developer-desktops/), a proposal to build an official platform for AI and machine learning workloads on Fedora, [has been blocked](https://forge.fedoraproject.org/council/tickets/issues/562?ref=itsfoss.com) after two Fedora Council members retracted their earlier approval votes. The initiative was proposed by Red Hat engineer [Gordon Messmer](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordon-messmer/?ref=itsfoss.com), aiming to deliver an Atomic Desktop with accelerated AI workload support, covering developer tools, hardware enablement, and building a community around AI on Fedora. ## Why the withdrawal? ![this picture shows an open ticket on forge.fedoraproject.org, titiled "Community Initiative Proposal: Fedora AI Developer Desktop Initiative #562" which has been blocked (visible on the right)](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/fedora-ai-developer-desktop-initiative-blocked.png) As you already know, at the [May 6](https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/fedora-council-meeting-2026-05-06-innovation-lifecycle-policy-f44-interviews-and-ai-desktop/190575?ref=itsfoss.com) council meeting, the members unanimously voted to approve this new initiative. After which a short, lazy consensus window was left open until May 8 to accommodate absent members, after which the decision was to be ratified. But that last bit never happened, as council member [Justin Wheeler](https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/User:Jflory7?ref=itsfoss.com) (Jflory7) was the first person to [change their vote to -1](https://forge.fedoraproject.org/council/tickets/issues/562?ref=itsfoss.com#issuecomment-698875). He pointed to the LTS kernel component of the proposal as a "*massive structural shift*" that had not been cleared with the relevant legal and engineering parties. He also noted that **feedback from Fedora kernel subject-matter experts had not been properly incorporated into the plan** and that new developments, particularly the [Nova](https://rust-for-linux.com/nova-gpu-driver?ref=itsfoss.com) driver work (*for NVIDIA GPUs*), would introduce technical and legal complexities that need proper vetting. Following that, fellow council member [Miro Hrončok](https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/User:Churchyard?ref=itsfoss.com) (churchyard) [put in his -1](https://forge.fedoraproject.org/council/tickets/issues/562?ref=itsfoss.com#issuecomment-711131), saying that **he had originally assumed the proposal was purely additive and therefore uncontroversial**. But seeing the community's response, he realized that he was mistaken about that. As an elected representative, he felt the need to reflect on this major proposal before signing it off. ## A community divided Over 180 replies have piled up in the proposal's [discussion thread](https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/fedora-ai-developer-desktop-objective/184941/?ref=itsfoss.com), with many well-known Fedora contributors pushing back on things like kernel policy, proprietary software, and project identity. [Hans de Goede](https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/u/jwrdegoede/summary?ref=itsfoss.com) from the packaging team called out the proposal's emphasis on [CUDA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CUDA?ref=itsfoss.com) support as going against Fedora's foundational commitment to free software, arguing that open alternatives like AMD's [ROCm](https://www.amd.com/en/products/software/rocm.html?ref=itsfoss.com) and Intel's [oneAPI](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/developer/tools/oneapi/overview.html?ref=itsfoss.com) should be the focus instead. Another Fedora contributor, [Tim Flink](https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/u/tflink/summary?ref=itsfoss.com), questioned whether the initiative amounted to little more than a mechanism to get CUDA onto a Fedora-adjacent system. [Neal Gompa](https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/u/ngompa?ref=itsfoss.com) raised similar concerns, saying Fedora has historically leveraged its stance on proprietary software to push vendors toward open solutions and that this proposal would undercut that effort. ## What happens next? Part of what made this blow up the way it did was a communications gap. [Fabio Valentini](https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/u/decathorpe/summary?ref=itsfoss.com) of the FESCo noted that he only became aware the proposal was being voted on after stumbling across the council meeting on [Matrix](https://matrix.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) accidentally. The initiative is now listed as *blocked* in the council ticket, with a new escalation deadline of May 22\. Gordon (*the proposal submitter*) has said [a revised draft is coming](https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/fedora-ai-developer-desktop-objective/184941/182?ref=itsfoss.com), telling the thread he plans to have a few people look it over before posting it. ### Can You Run LLMs Locally Without a GPU? I Tested 8 Models on Linux URL: https://itsfoss.com/testing-local-llms-without-gpu/ Last updated: 2026-05-15T07:27:53.000Z For the longest time, I assumed [running LLMs locally](https://itsfoss.com/ollama-setup-linux/) needed a decent GPU. That’s what most guides implied, and honestly, that’s how the ecosystem felt not too long ago. But after digging into recent tools and actually trying things out on CPU-only setups, that assumption doesn’t really hold anymore. Newer model formats like GGUF and aggressive quantization (think 4-bit variants) have made these models much smaller and lighter. At the same time, [runtimes such as Llama.cpp](https://itsfoss.com/llama-cpp/) have become efficient enough that CPUs (yes, even older ones) can run them without completely falling apart. That said, I quickly realized something more important: **just because a model *runs* doesn’t mean it’s *usable***. While testing, I found that the real metric that matters isn’t model size or even RAM usage, it’s actually [tokens](https://itsfoss.com/llm-token/) per second. A model providing a response at 3–5 tokens per second technically works, but it feels painfully slow in practice. On the other hand, once you get into the 15–30 tok/s range, things start to feel responsive enough for everyday use. So instead of just listing models that *can* run on CPU, I focused on ones that are actually usable on low-end machines. This list is based on my own experimentation. If you're working with an older laptop, Raspberry Pi, or basic desktop, this guide would be helpful for running your local AI model successfully and speedily. ## What “Runs well on CPU” actually means CPU performance varies wildly depending on model size and quantization. Formats used by tools like llama.cpp let you run models in reduced precision. Q8 offers better quality but is slower than Q4\_K, which is much faster but comes with slightly reduced quality. I found models ranging from \~40+ tokens/sec for tiny models all the way down to \~4 tokens/sec for larger 4B models. It completely changes how usable a model feels. I would say, 1B-2B models consistently offer the best balance. They're small enough to fit comfortably within 8 GB RAM (with quantization) and maintain decent token speeds. Additionally, they are capable of handling basic reasoning and producing useful responses. From my experience, Q4\_K\_M quantization usually hits the best balance. It provides fast response times, consumes low RAM, and produces acceptable output quality for most tasks. It significantly improves tokens per second, sometimes enough to move a model from painfully slow to actually usable. ## My hardware on which I'm performing these tests ![My hardware specification where I'm running Ollama benchmark for LLM models](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/my-hardware-where-I-m-running-benchmark-for-local-LLM-AI-models.webp) I'm performing these tests on an Intel i5-generation CPU laptop with around 12 GB of RAM. I’m not running these tests on a workstation or anything close to “AI-ready” hardware. This is a fairly typical older laptop. It's the kind many Linux users already have lying around. Though the device comes with an Integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620 GPU, it is irrelevant for LLMs here. While some tools experiment with iGPU acceleration, in practice, all meaningful inference in my tests is CPU-bound. I deliberately stuck to this machine because it reflects a realistic baseline. If something runs well here, it will likely run on older laptops and low-end desktops without any upgrades. With around 12 GB RAM, 3B–4B models fit comfortably (especially with Q4 quantization). Anything beyond that requires compromises, including swap, resulting in slower performance. While testing, I kept asking: Would I actually use this daily on this machine? If a model felt sluggish, I treated it as impractical. Whereas if it responded smoothly, even at smaller sizes, it made the cut. ## Quick reality table | Model | Eval Rate | Disk Size | | --------------- | --------------- | --------- | | Qwen 3 0.6B | \~34–36 tok/s | \~500 MB | | TinyLlama 1.1B | \~25–28 tok/s | \~638 MB | | Gemma 3 1B | \~18.6 tok/s | \~815 MB | | Gemma 4 E2B | \~9.9 tok/s | \~7 GB | | Granite 4 3B | \~8.5–9 tok/s | \~2 GB | | Phi 4 Mini 3.8B | \~6.90 tok/s | \~2.5 GB | | OpenHermes 7B | \~4.1–4.3 tok/s | \~4.1 GB | | Ministral 3 8B | \~3.16 tok/s | \~6 GB | ## 8 LLMs that actually make sense on CPU Let's dive into the LLMs. I used Ollama in this setup. ### Qwen 0.6B I started with Qwen 3 0.6B, mainly to establish a baseline for how fast a tiny model can run on a CPU. Qwen models are known for being efficient, and this 0.6B variant is about as lightweight as it gets while still being usable. To run it locally, I used [ollama command](https://itsfoss.com/ollama-commands/): ``` ollama run qwen3:0.6b --verbose ``` The --verbose flag exposes detailed metrics like token evaluation rate, total duration, and prompt processing speed. I only used it for this initial run to get a clearer picture of performance. ![Ollama benchmark for Qwen 0.6B](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/Ollama-running-qwen3-0.6b-model-locally-extremely-fast-with-CPU-inference-only.webp) The results were honestly impressive. I consistently saw \~34–36 tokens/sec eval rate. In practical terms, this feels instant. Responses stream smoothly without noticeable delay. Of course, this comes with tradeoffs. The model is fast, but limited in depth and reasoning. Still, as a baseline, it clearly shows what’s possible on CPU when the model size is kept small. ### TinyLlama 1.1B After establishing a baseline with Qwen 0.6B, I moved to [TinyLlama](https://github.com/jzhang38/tinyllama?ref=itsfoss.com) 1.1B to see how much capability you can gain without sacrificing too much speed. TinyLlama is a 1.1B parameter model trained on the Llama 2 architecture, but heavily optimised for efficiency. It was trained on \~3 trillion tokens, which is unusually high for a model of this size. That large training corpus is what gives it a noticeable edge over most sub-2B models. Architecturally, it sticks to a decoder-only transformer design, similar to Llama. TinyLlama is not just small but is also efficiently designed to run well on limited hardware. I run it locally using: ``` ollama run tinyllama:1.1b --verbose ``` ![Ollama benchmark for TinyLLama 1.1B](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/Ollama-benchmark-for-TinyLlama-1.1B-running-locally-on-Linux-with-CPU-inference.webp) From the benchmark, it feels slightly slower, but still very responsive as compared to Qwen 0.6B. ``` Eval rate: ~25–28 tokens/sec Total duration: ~5–7 seconds (short responses) Prompt eval rate: ~80–96 tokens/sec ``` What surprised me here is how well TinyLlama holds up despite being just 1.1B. It’s much more coherent than ultra-small models. It also handles basic coding prompts better than expected. ### Gemma 3 1B Next, I tested Gemma 3 1B, which sits in a slightly higher class than sub-1B models like Qwen 0.6B. The expectation here was simple: a bit slower, but noticeably better output quality. I ran it using: ``` ollama run gemma3:1b --verbose ``` ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/Ollama-running-Gemma-3-1B-model-variant-on-CPU.webp) Ollama benchmark for Gemma 3 1B The performance landed at around **\~18.6 tokens/sec**, which puts it firmly in the “usable” tier. It’s not instant like the smaller Qwen model, but it’s still responsive enough for real interaction. You can feel a slight delay when generating longer responses, but it never becomes frustrating. What stood out to me was the tradeoff. Compared to 0.6B models, Gemma 1B produces more structured and context-aware responses. It handles prompts more thoughtfully, especially when you ask for explanations or multi-step answers. So while you give up some speed, you gain a noticeable bump in quality, making this a solid middle ground for CPU-only setups. ### Gemma 4 E2B After testing smaller models, I wanted to see how far I could push things on this CPU-only setup. That’s where **Gemma 4 E2B** comes in, a significantly larger and more capable model compared to the earlier ones. I ran it with: ``` ollama run gemma4:e2b --verbose ``` ![Ollama benchmark for Gemma 4 E2B](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/Ollama-running-Gemma-4-e2b-model-variant-locally.webp) The performance drop was immediately noticeable. I was getting around **\~9.9 tokens/sec**, which places it right on the edge of what I’d call “slow but workable.” That said, the quality jump is real. Responses are more detailed, better structured, and noticeably stronger for complex prompts, especially coding and multi-step explanations. It feels closer to what you’d expect from a “serious” assistant. The tradeoff becomes very clear here: you’re exchanging speed for capability. On a low-end CPU, this is about as far as you can reasonably go before the experience starts to feel sluggish for everyday use. ### Granite4 3B Next, I tried **Granite 3B**, expecting it to land comfortably in the “sweet spot” range like most 3B models. On paper, this size usually delivers a good balance between speed and quality on the CPU. I ran it using: ``` ollama run granite4:3b --verbose ``` ![Ollama benchmark for Granite 4 3B](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/Ollama-running-Granite4-3b-variant-locally-with-CPU-inference-only.webp) In practice, the performance came in at around \~8.5–9 tokens/sec, which was a bit surprising. That puts it closer to the “slow but workable” tier rather than the typical 3B expectation of \~15–20 tok/s. Responses aren’t painfully slow, but there’s a noticeable delay, especially compared to lighter models like Qwen 0.6B or even Gemma 1B. It feels usable, but not snappy. ### Phi4 3.8B After poking around with various small models, I was curious about Microsoft's entry into the sub-4B space. Phi 4 Mini carries a reputation that punches above its parameter count, particularly for reasoning and structured tasks. Let's see what it actually feels like on a CPU-only setup. I run this with: ``` ollama run phi4:3.8b --verbose ``` ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/Ollama-benchmark-for-running-phi4-3.8b-on-Linux.webp) Ollama benchmark for Phi4 3.8B running with CPU inference The prompt eval rate at 20.06 tokens/sec is respectable. The model processes your input quickly. The CPU showing its limits is during generation: 6.90 tokens/sec for 876 tokens means you're waiting just over two minutes for a long, detailed response. That's consistent with what you'd expect from a 3.8B model doing real work on CPU. Phi 4 Mini comes in at around 2.5 GB on disk, compact enough to sit comfortably on systems with 8 GB RAM. The default pull uses Q4\_K\_M quantisation, which is the sweet spot most models land on for balancing quality against memory footprint. If reasoning quality matters more than raw speed for your use case, Phi 4 Mini makes a strong argument for itself in this size class. ### Openhermes 7B OpenHermes is a fine-tuned variant built on top of the Mistral 7B architecture, designed to improve conversational quality and instruction adherence. Instead of focusing purely on raw model capability, it’s trained to produce cleaner, more aligned, and more usable outputs right out of the box. In practice, this means better formatting when you ask for explanations, summaries, or step-by-step answers. Under the hood, it inherits Mistral’s efficient transformer design, which is already known for performing well relative to its size. The difference here comes from the instruction tuning layer, which makes it feel more like a polished assistant rather than a raw base model. I run it locally using: ``` ollama run openhermes:7b-mistral-v2-q4_K_M --verbose ``` ![Ollama benchmark for Openhermes 7B in CPU inference mode](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/Ollama-benchmark-for-Openhermes-7B-model-running-on-Linux.webp) Ollama benchmark for Openhermes 7B in CPU inference mode From the benchmark, the eval rate consistently stayed around \~4.1–4.3 tokens/sec, with total response times ranging between \~13 and 29 seconds depending on output length. Prompt processing itself was relatively fast, often exceeding \~180–280 tokens/sec, but generation is where the slowdown becomes noticeable. What makes OpenHermes interesting is its output quality. It provides more structured, better formatted, and easier-to-follow responses. ### Ministral 3 8B After testing smaller models, I wanted to see how far a CPU-only setup can realistically go. That’s where Mistral 3 8B comes in. Ministral models are well known for delivering strong performance relative to their size, and the 8B variant sits in an interesting spot. It’s significantly more capable than 3B models, but still just about runnable on a 10GB RAM system with quantisation. It feels close to a full-scale general-purpose LLM designed for conversational tasks, coding assistance, and structured reasoning. I run it locally using: ``` ollama run ministral-3:8b --verbose ``` ![Ollama benchmark for Ministral 8B in CPU inference mode](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/Ollama-Mistral3-8B-benchmark-on-Linux-with-CPU-only-inference-1.webp) From the benchmark: ``` Eval rate: ~3.16 tokens/sec Eval duration: ~2m 45s for ~524 tokens Prompt eval rate: ~7.49 tokens/sec ``` This is a big drop compared to smaller models, and that’s expected. In practical use, you’ll notice a delay before responses start, token generation is steady but slow, and longer answers require patience. It’s not unusable, but it’s definitely not “interactive” in the same way as 1B models. One interesting thing I quickly noticed, with 8.9 billion parameters, ministral-3 comes within a size of around 6 GB disk space, while Gemma 4, with 2B billion parameters, takes around 7 GB. ![Screenshot of Ollama show commands for ministral-3 LLM AI model](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/Ollama-ministral-3-8b-check-model-details.webp) Upon close inspection, it turned out Ministral 3 is using Q4\_K\_M quantization. ## Conclusion | Model | Params | Eval Rate | Disk Size | Quantization | Speed Tier | Best For | | --------------- | ------ | --------------- | --------- | ------------ | ---------- | --------------------------- | | Qwen 3 0.6B | 0.6B | \~34–36 tok/s | \~500 MB | Q4\_K\_M | ⚡ Fastest | Quick lookups, basic tasks | | TinyLlama 1.1B | 1.1B | \~25–28 tok/s | \~638 MB | Q4\_K\_M | Very fast | Coding help, coherent chat | | Gemma 3 1B | 1B | \~18.6 tok/s | \~815 MB | Q4\_K\_M | Fast | Structured explanations | | Gemma 4 E2B | 2B | \~9.9 tok/s | \~7 GB | Q4\_K\_M | Moderate | Complex prompts, coding | | Granite 4 3B | 3B | \~8.5–9 tok/s | \~2 GB | Q4\_K\_M | Moderate | General-purpose use | | Phi 4 Mini 3.8B | 3.8B | \~6.90 tok/s | \~2.5 GB | Q4\_K\_M | Slow | Reasoning, structured tasks | | OpenHermes 7B | 7B | \~4.1–4.3 tok/s | \~4.1 GB | Q4\_K\_M | Slow | Aligned, formatted output | | Ministral 3 8B | 8.9B | \~3.16 tok/s | \~6 GB | Q4\_K\_M | Slowest | Long-form, async tasks | After running all eight models through their paces on the same CPU-only hardware, a few things became clear. First, the assumption that local LLMs need a GPU is outdated. Tools like Ollama, combined with [GGUF quantization](https://huggingface.co/docs/hub/gguf?ref=itsfoss.com), have genuinely changed what's possible on modest hardware. Second, smaller doesn't mean useless. Qwen 0.6B and TinyLlama 1.1B surprised me consistently. For quick lookups, basic coding help, or conversational tasks, they hold up well and feel genuinely responsive. If raw speed matters most, these are hard to beat. Third, the 3B–4B range is where things get interesting. Gemma 4 E2B, Granite 3B, and Phi 4 Mini all sit in a space where you're making a conscious trade: slower responses in exchange for noticeably better reasoning and output quality. Whether that trade is worth it depends entirely on your use case. Beyond 7B, local AI models like OpenHermes and Ministral 3 8B both produce impressive output, but at 3–4 tokens/sec. They're better suited for tasks where you ask a question, step away, and come back, not for back-and-forth conversation. If I had to pick one model for daily CPU-only use, I'd land on something in the 1B–2B range for speed, or Phi 4 Mini if I needed structured reasoning and could tolerate the wait. **The honest takeaway: local AI on CPU is real, practical, and improving fast. You don't need to wait for a GPU upgrade to start experimenting.** ### FOSS Weekly #26.20: Killswitch in Linux, Fedora's AI Move, Rat in Terminal, KDE Dolphine Tweaks and More URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-20/ Last updated: 2026-05-14T13:50:45.000Z Hot on the heels of Copy Fail comes [Dirty Frag](https://itsfoss.com/news/dirty-frag-linux-exploit/), another Linux kernel privilege escalation with a working exploit already public. It chains two flaws, neither of which can work alone. Luckily, [fixes have arrived for it in the Linux kernel](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-fully-patches-dirty-frag-exploit/), as well as Fedora and Pop!\_OS. I suggest you make the necessary updates or risk being open to a highly publicized exploit. Seeing the rise of such exploits, there is now a new kernel proposal called [killswitch](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-killswitch-proposal/), which would allow system administrators to disable a vulnerable kernel function at runtime. In addition to that, there is a proposal for a scheduler in kernel that promises [frame time improvements on aging hardware under heavy CPU load](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-scheduler-patch-gaming-old-hardware/). A few weeks ago, we reported about LVFS turning up the heat on vendors who didn't pay their fair share. Now, [Dell and Lenovo have both signed on](https://itsfoss.com/news/lvfs-finally-has-premier-sponsors/) as *Premier* sponsors at $100,000 a year each, making them the first vendors to reach that tier. Ubuntu announced local-first AI plans, and now [Fedora has approved its own AI Developer Desktop initiative](https://itsfoss.com/news/debian-makes-reproducible-builds-mandatory/) with a unanimous council vote. Three Atomic Desktop images are planned, two of them CUDA-enabled, and none of them would be phoning home to cloud services. Fedora has also announced [Hummingbird](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-hummingbird-images/), a distro that ships the entire OS as a bootable OCI image with atomic updates and rollback support. Debian [has made reproducible builds a hard requirement](https://itsfoss.com/news/debian-makes-reproducible-builds-mandatory/) for the Forky cycle. Since May 9, any package that can't be compiled byte-for-byte identically from its source is blocked from entering testing. **Here are other highlights of this edition of FOSS Weekly:** - How moving away from OneDrive looks like. - Yazi file browser (that I missed to include last week). - A Ratatui terminal. - And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes! ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About My colleague Sourav, a long-time OneDrive user, had to move away from it over fears of Copilot messing around with his photos and videos. [Ente Photos was the alternative he went for](https://itsfoss.com/moving-from-onedrive-to-ente-photos/). [I Moved My Photos from OneDrive to Ente Photos, and I’m Not Going BackPrivacy concerns drove me to move 20,000+ photos and videos out of OneDrive.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-413.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/onedrive-migration-to-ente-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/moving-from-onedrive-to-ente-photos/) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings [Yazi](https://itsfoss.com/yazi/) is a Rust-based terminal file manager that does a lot more than `ls` and `cd`. You get a three-pane layout, image previews, syntax-highlighted code previews, and archive peeking without extraction. Most KDE users know Dolphin does split view and tabs. [Fewer know](https://itsfoss.com/dolphin-tweaks/) it can verify file checksums, restore recently closed tabs with `Ctrl+Shift+T`, and paste images directly from the browser. If you have been eyeing a move to Fedora, then our [Getting Started with Fedora](https://itsfoss.com/fedora-tutorials/) series is the one for you. This curated resource page covers everything from first boot to enabling RPM Fusion, NVIDIA drivers, Steam setup, and upgrading between versions. ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner Sanctions pushed Huawei to build their own mobile OS. Five years later, [it's on 55 million devices and growing fast](https://itsfoss.com/news/harmony-os-rises-china/). [Will You Pay $119 For This Open Source KVM Built on Rust and Buildroot?The LeafKVM packs a 2.4-inch touchscreen, Wi-Fi 5, and PoE into a CNC aluminum box.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-392.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/leafkvm-banner-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/leafkvm-crowdfunding/) If you are coding with AI agents, here's a new [open source tool that works like git but for the AI coding agents](https://github.com/regent-vcs/re%5Fgent?ref=itsfoss.com). Tired of AI fluff and misinformation in your Google feed? Get real, trusted Linux content. Add It’s FOSS as your preferred source and see our reliable Linux and open-source stories highlighted in your Discover feed and search results. [Add It's FOSS as preferred source on Google (if you use it) ](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=itsfoss.com&ref=itsfoss.com) ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights Terminal can be scary. Terminal can be fun. Terminal can be weird. This week, we [came across a new terminal](https://itsfoss.com/ratty-terminal/) that is amusing, absurd and fun. It shows terminals can have 3D effects. [This New Terminal is Absurd (But Totally Fun)Not every day you come across something absurd and fun and amusing at the same time.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-416.png)It's FOSSSreenath![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/ratty-terminal.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/ratty-terminal/) If you live in the terminal and use Discord, [Concord](https://github.com/chojs23/concord?ref=itsfoss.com) can be a TUI client replacement for it. Keep in mind that it is a relatively new offering, so verify this before installing it on your computer. [GitHub - chojs23/concord: A feature-rich TUI client for Discord, written in Rust.A feature-rich TUI client for Discord, written in Rust. - chojs23/concord![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/pinned-octocat-093da3e6fa40-34.svg)GitHubchojs23![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/1ebdd3a0-3a9a-4653-9aa3-16c00f627466)](https://github.com/chojs23/concord?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 📽️ Videos for You You can [run Arch Linux apps on Ubuntu](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok%5FoFKC9iHU&ref=itsfoss.com) by using Distrobox. [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip In [Kate text editor](https://itsfoss.com/news/kate-editor/), you can compare two files for differences in content. First, open two files in separate tabs. Then, *right-click* on the title of the inactive tab and select the "*Compare it with Active Documen*t" option. This will open a new tab, highlighting the differences between the files. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/kate-compare-1-right-click-and-select-compare.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/kate-compare-2-diff-sepearte-tab.png) [](https://t43217012.p.clickup-attachments.com/t43217012/da09f1e7-b651-4c93-b93b-141e46671d4b/copy-link-to-highlight-firefox.png?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse Do you know all the Apt commands? You can test your knowledge with our [package management quiz](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/apt-command-quiz/). [Apt Command QuizDebian or Ubuntu user? This is the apt quiz for you. Pun intended, of course :)![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-414.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/apt-command-quiz-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/apt-command-quiz/) Newbies have a hard choice to make nowadays. 😆 ![beginner linux distro choosing meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/itsfoss-memes.jpg) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On [May 10, 1954](https://www.computerhistory.org/tdih/may/10/?ref=itsfoss.com), Texas Instruments engineer [Gordon Teal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon%5FKidd%5FTeal?ref=itsfoss.com) stunned attendees at an IRE conference in Dayton, Ohio, by announcing **the first commercially produced silicon transistor**, moments after other speakers had declared such a device was still years away. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: Pro FOSSer Ernest shares how he has [created a home-brewed, cross-platform reminders system](https://itsfoss.community/t/ive-developed-my-own-home-brewed-cross-platform-reminders-system/15756?ref=itsfoss.com). ### This New Terminal is Absurd (But Totally Fun) URL: https://itsfoss.com/ratty-terminal/ Last updated: 2026-05-14T13:27:35.000Z There is [no dearth of terminal emulators for Linux users](https://itsfoss.com/linux-terminal-emulators/). Most people stick with the default terminal, while some have their own preferred ones. [I like Kitty](https://itsfoss.com/kitty-customization/) and I am pretty happy with it. But then I came across a new Rust-based terminal that grabbed my attention. No, it's not because it's written in Rust. It's because the terminal has a rat as the mouse cursor. ![Ratty terminal](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/image-33.png) Did you see the rat? Sounds weird, right? But Ratty shows the unusual capabilities of a terminal. ## What is Ratty, again? Ratty is a [modern terminal emulator](https://itsfoss.com/linux-terminal-emulators/) written in Rust that brings a unique twist to the command line. Unlike traditional terminal environments, Ratty is GPU-rendered. It supports viewing 3D models directly inside the terminal window, and a lot more! The design is inspired by TempleOS, giving it a retro look while still maintaining modern performance. Let's take a look at this cool project and see what makes it stand out in the crowded field of terminal emulators. ## Amusing features of Ratty Ratty stands out by merging traditional terminal functionality with modern graphics rendering. Here are some of the most notable features I noticed in this experimental project. 📋 I know screenshots are easier to glance at, but since most of the features here are animations, I added videos to show them in action. ### Customizable 3D Cursor Ratty uses terminal protocols, [Ratatui](https://ratatui.rs/?ref=itsfoss.com) and the [Bevy game engine](https://bevy.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) to create a 3D representation for the cursor. Instead of a traditional block or line, the cursor can be a 3D rat or other customized objects. Rotating 3D Cursor When you install Ratty, you get a spinning rat as the cursor by default. This 3D object moves along with your text input, providing a unique visual experience that blends a game engine's rendering capabilities with a standard terminal workflow. ### 3D Mode Ratty includes a dedicated 3D Mode that transforms the entire terminal into a canvas within a 3D scene. In this mode, the terminal window is no longer static. You can pull, warp and view your terminal output from different angles! 3D Mode in Ratty To enter 3D mode, you can use the keyboard shortcut CTRL+ALT+Enter. Additionally, there is a "Mobius mode" accessible via CTRL+ALT+M. This twists and bends the terminal output to form a continuous Mobius strip, showcasing the project's integration with the Bevy game engine. Mobius Mode While you are in 3D Mode, you can press the `Super+CTRL+ALT+Up` to increase warp and `Super+CTRL+ALT+Down` to reduce warp. Increase and decrease warp ### Inline 3D Objects This feature allows developers to register 3D assets and anchor them to specific text cells in the terminal. Because they are anchored to the cells, the 3D models move seamlessly as the text scrolls or changes position. Inline 3D. Credit: [orhun/ratty](https://github.com/orhun/ratty?ref=itsfoss.com) To make this work, the project uses a dedicated Ratty Graphics Protocol. This protocol handles the communication between the terminal data and the 3D engine to ensure the models stay synced with the text on your screen. ### Builtin Image Support Ratty also supports the [Kitty Graphics Protocol](https://itsfoss.com/kitty-customization/), which allows it to display standard images directly in the terminal window. This compatibility means that tools like fastfetch or yazi can show real images and icons alongside your text. By supporting this established protocol, Ratty ensures that modern terminal utilities work as expected while still offering its own specialized 3D features. ### Live 2D to 3D Split Pane Drawing Ratty includes a 3D drawing demo that showcases its unique rendering capabilities. This feature uses a split-pane workspace where you can draw on a traditional 2D canvas on the left side of the terminal. 2D to 3D split pane editing. Credit: [orhun/ratty](https://github.com/orhun/ratty?ref=itsfoss.com) As you draw on the flat surface, Ratty instantly generates a live 3D preview of your creation on the right side. The preview rotates in real-time, allowing you to see how your 2D input translates into a 3D object without leaving the terminal environment. ### Interactive Document Mode Ratty also features a document editing mode inspired by TempleOS. This mode allows you to type standard, editable text directly alongside embedded 3D objects. Because these 3D models are animating in real-time on the same screen as your text, the terminal functions more like a spatial document editor than a simple command prompt. It provides a unique way to interact with data where text and 3D assets coexist in the same workspace. ## Installing Ratty The best way to install Ratty is [using Cargo](https://itsfoss.com/install-rust-cargo-ubuntu-linux/), the Rust package manager. It's a Rust application, after all. ``` cargo install ratty ``` For Arch Linux users, there is a package available in the official repositories. You can install it by running: ``` sudo pacman -S ratty ``` If you prefer not to compile from source, prebuilt binaries are available for direct download on the [GitHub releases page](https://github.com/orhun/ratty/releases?ref=itsfoss.com). [Download Ratty](https://github.com/orhun/ratty/releases?ref=itsfoss.com) It is important to note that Ratty requires a GPU to function properly. If you are trying to run it inside a virtual machine, it will not open unless you have configured GPU passthrough settings. ### ⚠️ Troubleshoot I installed Ratty on Arch Linux and noticed it was missing from the application menu. I had to manually create a desktop entry. Here's how you can do the same. Create a file at `~/.local/share/applications/ratty.desktop` with the configuration provided below, the terminal will appear in your app launcher just like any other program. ``` [Desktop Entry] Name=Ratty Comment=A GPU-rendered terminal emulator with inline 3D graphics Exec=env TERM=xterm-kitty ratty Icon=utilities-terminal Type=Application Terminal=false Categories=System;TerminalEmulator; ``` While this manual method worked for me, if you know of an alternate solution or a more official way to handle the menu entry, feel free to mention it in the comments. ## Configuring Ratty Ratty can be configured using a TOML file located at `~/.config/ratty/ratty.toml`. If the directory and file do not exist yet, you can create them using the following commands: ``` mkdir -p ~/.config/ratty cd ~/.config/ratty touch ratty.toml ``` Once you have created the file, you can copy and paste the default configuration template provided by the project. This allows you to customize the behavior and appearance of the terminal to suit your preferences. You can find the default config file for Ratty [here](https://github.com/orhun/ratty/blob/main/config/ratty.toml?ref=itsfoss.com). ## Impressive? Clearly, Ratty is an experimental project focused on pushing the boundaries of terminal development and testing innovative ideas. Because it uses a game engine for rendering, it is currently heavy on system resources. Orhun, Ratty creator, explicitly notes that it is not intended as a "daily driver" for standard productivity and hopes to optimize the performance in the future. The use of 3D sprites and game-like graphics inside a terminal may not appeal to everyone. However, it offers unique possibilities for designers and developers who want to see their assets living directly inside source files or within the terminal workspace. What is your impression of Ratty? Share it in the comments please, ### Fedora Hummingbird Debuts As a Super Hardened Linux Distro URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-hummingbird-images/ Last updated: 2026-05-15T13:00:32.000Z Seeing that we are in a time when new Linux exploits seem to be popping up every few weeks, many projects have had to take preventive measures to tackle the growing threat. Red Hat looks like the latest to act on this front. Fedora's [recent announcement](https://fedoramagazine.org/fedora-hummingbird-linux-taking-the-hummingbird-model-to-the-full-os/?ref=itsfoss.com) introduces **Fedora Hummingbird**, a new rolling release distribution that ships the entire OS as an [OCI image](https://github.com/opencontainers/image-spec?ref=itsfoss.com). It is built on the security-first pipeline behind [Project Hummingbird](https://hummingbird-project.io/?ref=itsfoss.com)'s existing [container catalog](https://catalog-hummingbird.hummingbird-project.io/?ref=itsfoss.com), with the foundational project itself being something Red Hat introduced as an early access program for subscribers back in [November 2025](https://www.redhat.com/en/about/press-releases/red-hat-introduces-project-hummingbird-zero-cve-strategies?ref=itsfoss.com). The main idea behind the project is to ship a catalog of minimal, hardened, distroless container images kept at near-zero CVE status. When a vulnerability gets patched upstream, the build pipeline finds it, rebuilds the affected image, and ships it. Fedora Hummingbird is applying the same logic but to a full-size operating system, using a [Konflux](https://konflux-ci.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com)\-based build pipeline, drawing over 95% of packages from Fedora Rawhide. Whatever Rawhide doesn't have yet gets pulled from upstream, and any fixes made along the way feed back into Fedora. Moreover, Red Hat's Product Security team maintains **a vulnerability feed for each package**, so instead of a generic CVE list, you get a clearer picture of what actually affects your setup. The kernel powering it is the [Always Ready Kernel](https://cki-project.gitlab.io/kernel-ark/?ref=itsfoss.com) (ARK) from the CKI project, which follows mainline Linux and already ships in Fedora. And, to wrap up, **all updates are atomic with rollback support**, the root filesystem is read-only, and writable state stays in `/var` and `/etc`. ## How's it different from Fedora Atomic? If you're already running Silverblue, Kinoite, or any of the other Fedora [Atomic Desktops](https://fedoraproject.org/atomic-desktops/?ref=itsfoss.com), then the "*immutable OS*" moniker might feel familiar to you. But Hummingbird and those are not the same thing. Fedora's existing Atomic Desktops are *rpm-ostree-based* desktop variants built from the standard [Fedora](https://fedoraproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) package set, released on Fedora's regular six-month cycle. They are built for end users who want a stable, immutable desktop experience. Fedora Hummingbird **ships no desktop environment** and is a [rolling release](https://itsfoss.com/rolling-release/) that tracks [Fedora Rawhide](https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/releases/rawhide/?ref=itsfoss.com) directly, built through its own dedicated pipeline where every package carries independent CVE tracking and its own lifecycle. The target here is developers and cloud-native workloads, not the desktop market. ## Download Fedora Hummingbird 🚧 This image is currently experimental and not suitable for production use. The image is [available to download](https://quay.io/repository/hummingbird-community/bootc-os?ref=itsfoss.com) for the *x86\_64* and *aarch64* platforms with **no subscription or registration required**. The project's source code lives on [GitLab](https://gitlab.com/redhat/hummingbird/containers?ref=itsfoss.com), and is open for contributions. The download page also has step-by-step instructions for spinning up a virtual machine. [Fedora Hummingbird](https://quay.io/repository/hummingbird-community/bootc-os?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Dirty Frag Exploit Fixed in Fedora*](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-fully-patches-dirty-frag-exploit/) [Linux 7.0.6 is Out, and It Fully Patches the Dirty Frag ExploitFedora and Pop!\_OS have also pushed fixes. Here’s what changed and how to get patched.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-415.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/dirty-frag-linux-7-0-6-fix-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-fully-patches-dirty-frag-exploit/) ### Your Old Potato PC Might Game Better With This Linux Kernel Patch URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-scheduler-patch-gaming-old-hardware/ Last updated: 2026-05-13T14:12:34.000Z As a gamer, if you have [gamed on Linux](https://itsfoss.com/linux-gaming-guide/) with hardware that's seen better days, there's some work happening in the kernel that's worth keeping an eye on. Linux kernel developer Peter Zijlstra has posted the second version of a patch series called "[sched: Flatten the pick](https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260511113104.563854162@infradead.org/?ref=itsfoss.com)," aimed at fixing gaps in how the Linux scheduler handles cgroup scheduling. Calling it "*a pain in the ar\*e*," he has tracked the issue down to a formula that fragments a task group's total weight across every CPU on the system. On a 64-core machine, Peter says, a [cgroup](https://www.man7.org/linux/man-pages/man7/cgroups.7.html?ref=itsfoss.com) is already down to roughly a *nice 19* task worth of priority per CPU, and at 256 cores, which is not unusual in servers today, the margin gets even tinier. He breaks the rest of the problem into two parts, where the usual fix for the first is to inflate the group weight by the CPU count, but when all of a group's load lands on a single CPU, that weight balloons well past [nice](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nice%5F%28Unix%29?ref=itsfoss.com) \-20 (*priority value of the process*), and the math starts breaking down. The second is how the scheduler picks the next task to run. It currently has to step through multiple cgroup levels to get there; the fix collapses all of that into a single level instead. He ran what he calls *a little experiment*, using an older configuration with an [Intel Core i7-2600K](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/sku/52214/intel-core-i72600k-processor-8m-cache-up-to-3-80-ghz/specifications.html?ref=itsfoss.com) and **AMD Radeon RX 580**, loading up [Shadows: Awakening](https://www.gog.com/en/game/shadows%5Fawakening?ref=itsfoss.com) from GOG through Lutris, using GE-Proton10-34 and Steam Runtime 3 (sniper). To properly stress the setup, he threw 8 [spinner processes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busy%5Fwaiting?ref=itsfoss.com) at it alongside the game, one per CPU thread, and watched it go from playable to "*almost unplayable, as in proper terrible*." He then restarted it with a shorter scheduler time slice set to one-tenth of the default via `chrt` and recorded both sessions using [MangoHud](https://github.com/flightlessmango/Mangohud?ref=itsfoss.com). This is what he got. 👇 | Metric | Default slice | Shorter slice | | ------------------- | ------------- | ------------- | | FPS min | 3.8 | 20.6 | | FPS avg | 48.0 | 57.2 | | FPS max | 87.4 | 80.3 | | Frame time min (ms) | 9.4 | 8.4 | | Frame time avg (ms) | 34.5 | 19.5 | | Frame time max (ms) | 107.4 | 37.2 | Closing the proposal, Peter said that he has *not compared to a kernel without flat on, just wanted to run non trivial workloads and play with slice to make sure everything 'works.'* ## Should you be excited? If you game on Linux, especially on older hardware, this kind of fix can be beneficial. The stress test Peter ran is not that far from what happens in normal use. Discord, a web browser with a dozen tabs, a system update running in the background. They all compete for [CPU time](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CPU%5Ftime?ref=itsfoss.com) the same way those spinner processes did. And while his test rig is old, the scheduler problem is not limited to old hardware. High core counts make the weight fragmentation issue worse, not better. If this lands, modern rigs with 16 or more cores could see gains too. You should also know that **this has not made it into the mainline Linux kernel yet**. The patch series still needs review from the concerned kernel maintainers. It will almost certainly go through some revisions before it lands in a kernel release. *Via:* [Phoronix](https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-Flatten-The-Pick?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Linux 7.0.6 is Out, and It Fully Patches the Dirty Frag Exploit URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-fully-patches-dirty-frag-exploit/ Last updated: 2026-06-15T06:41:45.000Z [Dirty Frag](https://itsfoss.com/news/dirty-frag-linux-exploit/) has been the talk of the town (*at least in Linux and open source circles*) recently. The LPE was inadvertently exposed to the public, catching the Linux project and the various distros off guard. Thankfully, a proper patch is now out, landing in **Linux 7.0.6** and **Linux 6.18.29 LTS**. [Fedora](https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/update-to-fix-dirtyfrag-available/190864?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Pop!\_OS](https://system76.com/blog/post/linux-zero-day-dirty-frag-and-copy-fail-vulnerability-fixes-released?ref=itsfoss.com) have already pushed their own fixes too. ## What's the fix? The patch, authored by [Hyunwoo Kim](https://github.com/V4bel?ref=itsfoss.com), the same researcher who found and disclosed Dirty Frag, addresses [CVE-2026-43500](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-43500&ref=itsfoss.com), which now carries **a CVSS score of 7.8 HIGH** over on the [National Vulnerability Database](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-43500?ref=itsfoss.com). The root cause traces back to a 2019 commit that left two packet types unaccounted for in the [rxrpc](https://docs.kernel.org/networking/rxrpc.html?ref=itsfoss.com) handling path, ones with pages fed in through `splice()` and ones with fragment chains attached. The kernel did not treat either as shared memory, so it skipped making a safe copy and decrypted them in place. That left a window for a local attacker to reach in from userspace and tamper with those pages while decryption was happening, which is enough to get [root](https://www.baeldung.com/linux/root-user-directory-access?ref=itsfoss.com). The fix extends the existing check in two rxrpc functions to also catch those two cases, so they get copied to a private buffer before decryption like they should have been all along. Linus Torvalds merged it [on May 10](https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=aa54b1d27fe0c2b78e664a34fd0fdf7cd1960d71&ref=itsfoss.com), Linux 7.0.6 was out the following day, and the 6.18.29 LTS kernel got it too. You can get the tarball for 7.0.6 over at [kernel.org](https://www.kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). This is intended for those who have the skill to install it manually, and if you are on an Ubuntu-based distro, [we have a guide](https://itsfoss.com/upgrade-linux-kernel-ubuntu/) on how to do that. Just keep in mind that **this is a risky process to go through**; only do so if you have backed up your data. [Linux Kernel 7.0.6](https://www.kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## For Fedora and Pop!\_OS users Both distros had fixes out before 7.0.6 was officially released. ### Fedora Fedora kernel maintainer [Justin Forbes](https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/u/jforbes?ref=itsfoss.com) announced earlier that the fix was already being pushed to the stable branch. **Fedora 43 and Fedora 44 get it with the 7.0.4 kernel**, and **Fedora 42 users with 6.19.14-101**. Justin also says that they skipped an update to 7.0.5 for F43 and F44, as the fix was already implemented in their 7.0.4 builds. To get it on my **Fedora Workstation 43** setup, I first ran this command to get a list of any available updates: ``` sudo dnf update ``` ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/fedora-workstation-43-dirty-frag-patch-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/fedora-workstation-43-dirty-frag-patch-2.png) **Getting the patched kernel on Fedora Workstation 43.* After verifying that I was getting the patched⁣ `x86_64 7.0.4-100.fc43` kernel, I ran the following command to get the upgrade and pressed "*Y*" when prompted: 📋 Linux kernel 7.0.6 is rolling out for Fedora 43, so update to that! ``` sudo dnf upgrade ``` ### Pop!\_OS For people running the [LTS](https://itsfoss.com/long-term-support-lts/) releases of Pop!\_OS, [22.04](https://itsfoss.com/news/pop-os-22-04-release/) and [24.04](https://itsfoss.com/news/pop-os-24-04-review/), System76 has released kernel updates covering both Dirty Frag CVEs. The `esp4` and `esp6` modules tied to the second CVE were patched and are said to be safe to re-enable. For *rxrpc*, they went with disabling the module rather than patching it and are holding off on re-enabling it. You can get the fixes by running: ``` sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade ``` Remember to reboot after the above is done running with: ``` sudo reboot ``` For further reading, [our earlier Dirty Frag coverage](https://itsfoss.com/news/dirty-frag-linux-exploit/) has the full scoop on the exploit and the temporary workarounds from before the fix was available. ### In a Big Move to Linux Security, Debian Makes Reproducible Builds Mandatory URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/debian-makes-reproducible-builds-mandatory/ Last updated: 2026-05-11T14:58:27.000Z Debian's release team has made [reproducible builds](https://reproducible-builds.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) a hard requirement for the Debian 14 "*Forky*" cycle. Since May 9, the project's migration software has blocked any package failing a reproducibility check from entering testing. If a package already in testing breaks reproducibility later, it gets blocked too. [Paul Gevers](https://wiki.debian.org/PaulGevers?ref=itsfoss.com) from the release team shared the news on the [debian-devel-announce](https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2026/05/msg00001.html?ref=itsfoss.com) mailing list over the weekend. ## What are reproducible builds? Not rocket science, for starters. When a package is built reproducibly, compiling the same source code in the same environment always produces the exact same binary every single time. That might sound like it should just be how things work by default, but in practice it often isn't. 😅 The culprits are usually mundane. A timestamp baked into the binary, a build ID generated on the fly, files written to the archive in whatever order the filesystem felt like. None of it changes what the software actually does, but it means two builds of the same source won't match. That gap has security implications. If binaries don't need to match their source, there's room for something to be slipped in at the build stage without touching the code at all. Reproducible builds cut that off. **Anyone can independently rebuild a package and verify the result against what Debian actually ships**. [Debian](https://www.debian.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) has been working on this alongside the Reproducible Builds project (*linked earlier*) for years, steadily pushing reproducibility rates across the archive. The setup at [reproduce.debian.net](https://reproduce.debian.net/?ref=itsfoss.com) has been running continuous rebuilds and tracking results throughout the forky cycle. ## What does this mean? ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/all-debian-reproducible-packages-chart-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/all-debian-reproducible-packages-chart-2.png) **Tracking reproducibility rates for 'all' on Debian's* [**forky branch*](https://reproduce.debian.net/all/forky.html?ref=itsfoss.com)**.* Currently, **98.29%** of architecture-independent packages in Forky reproduce successfully, with **23,731 passing** and 414 still flagged as 'bad' for not being reproducible. That 414 figure will only get smaller as the block on non-reproducible migrations takes effect going forward. **For you, the user**, this translates into a stronger guarantee that what you install from Debian "Forky" actually matches the published source code. No wondering whether something crept in between the source and the binary you are running. And that verification isn't limited to Debian's own infrastructure either. **Independent rebuilders can check it too**, which is kind of the whole point. Maintainers, meanwhile, have been reminded that cleanly migrating a package is the uploader's responsibility. If a package is blocked because of [autopkgtest](https://wiki.debian.org/autopkgtest?ref=itsfoss.com) regressions in reverse dependencies, the expectation is that the uploader files the appropriate release-critical bugs. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Linux is Getting a Kill Switch!*](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-killswitch-proposal/) [Linux is Getting a Kill Switch!This AI-assisted patch would let admins disable vulnerable kernel functions until a proper fix ships.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-412.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-killswitch-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-killswitch-proposal/) ### Linux is Getting a Kill Switch! URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-killswitch-proposal/ Last updated: 2026-05-11T08:28:34.000Z Sasha Levin, NVIDIA engineer and co-maintainer of the stable and long-term support kernel trees, has proposed [a new patch](https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260507070547.2268452-1-sashal@kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) that adds a mechanism called ***killswitch*** to the Linux kernel. It's pitched as a way for system administrators to disable a vulnerable kernel function on a running system, and the timing of it isn't a coincidence either. The patch follows the rising risk of Linux [Privilege Escalation](https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/privilege-escalation?ref=itsfoss.com) (LPE) vulnerabilities like [Copy Fail](https://itsfoss.com/news/copy-fail-linux-exploit/) and [Dirty Frag](https://itsfoss.com/news/dirty-frag-linux-exploit/). ## What is it? ![this cropped screenshot shows a post by sasha levin on the linux kernel mailing list regarding his killswitch proposal](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/linux-kernel-killswitch-proposal.png) The Linux kernel is built out of many thousands of small functions, each handling a specific job, like processing a network packet, opening a file, or talking to a USB device. When a security flaw shows up in one of these functions, the proper fix is to patch the code and ship a new kernel. What killswitch entails is a more "***must exterminate***" approach, where the admin gives the kernel a function name and a return value. From that point on, the function still gets called by whatever was calling it, but it just hands back that value and exits. The actual code inside never runs. In practice, that means a single line at the terminal: ``` echo "engage af_alg_sendmsg -1" \ > /sys/kernel/security/killswitch/control ``` After this, every program trying to send data through [AF\_ALG](https://www.chronox.de/libkcapi/html/ch01s02.html?ref=itsfoss.com) (*the kernel cryptography interface Copy Fail also exploited*) gets an error back. Whatever bug sat in `af_alg_sendmsg` is now unreachable because the function never actually executes. The effect kicks in across every CPU core immediately, and it lasts until the admin disengages it or the system reboots. Engaging anything requires root privileges. There's also a boot parameter version `killswitch=fn1=val,fn2=val,...`, for cases where **an operator needs to apply the mitigation across a whole fleet of machines** through the bootloader. Sasha points at AF\_ALG, [ksmbd](https://docs.kernel.org/filesystems/smb/ksmbd.html?ref=itsfoss.com), [nftables](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nftables?ref=itsfoss.com), [vsock](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man7/vsock.7.html?ref=itsfoss.com), and [ax25](https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/v6.0/networking/ax25.html?ref=itsfoss.com) as good candidates for this patch, saying that: > For most users, the cost of "this socket family stops working for the day" is > much smaller than the cost of running a known vulnerable kernel until the fix > land. ## Any risks? The biggest catch is that **killswitch doesn't fix anything**. It just stops the function from running. Anything in [userspace](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User%5Fspace%5Fand%5Fkernel%5Fspace?ref=itsfoss.com) that depends on that function stops working too, for as long as the killswitch stays engaged. **Engaging it also taints the kernel**, which is its way of marking that the running code isn't pure upstream Linux anymore. A new flag (*H, bit 20*) gets set the moment any killswitch is active, and it persists across disengage all the way to the next reboot. Any crash that happens afterward carries an *H* in its banner, which acts as a signal to the Linux maintainers [triaging the bug](https://www.atlassian.com/agile/software-development/bug-triage?ref=itsfoss.com) that the image was modified. The patch also dedicates a whole section called "*Choosing the right target*," warning operators not to pick the wrong function. Someone on Reddit [has described](https://www.reddit.com/r/cybersecurity/comments/1t9bn66/comment/ol0wa6u/?ref=itsfoss.com) this as "*a security feature that may be worse than the vulnerability*," and many people agree with that sentiment. ## AI was involved There's one more thing worth flagging. At the bottom of the patch, just above the diff, sits an `Assisted-by: Claude:claude-opus-4-7` line, marking it as one Sasha put together with help from Anthropic's AI assistant. That isn't a one-off. The `Assisted-by` tag itself comes from [a kernel policy](https://lwn.net/Articles/1031473/?ref=itsfoss.com), which Sasha had a hand in shaping. It lays out how AI-assisted contributions should be attributed in commit messages, alongside configuration files for tools like Claude, Copilot, and Cursor. It also fits a wider pattern. Greg Kroah-Hartman has been running [his own AI fuzzer](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-ai-fuzzing/) against the kernel, and the first bugs it surfaced were in *ksmbd*, which is one of the subsystems Sasha specifically called out as a killswitch candidate. As things stand, killswitch is just a patch on the *Linux Kernel Mailing List*, **not merged into mainline, and not in any released kernel or distro**. Whether it lands and in what form depends on the upcoming review cycle. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*A Clanker is Being Used to Carry Out AI Fuzzing in Linux*](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-ai-fuzzing/) [Is a Clanker Being Used to Carry Out AI Fuzzing in the Linux Kernel?Greg Kroah-Hartman appears to be running AI-assisted fuzzing on the kernel. Don’t outrage yet, as this may not be a bad thing.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-411.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/clanker-ai-fuzzing-tool-linux-kernel-banner-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-ai-fuzzing/) ### Restriced by the West, Huawei's Open Source HarmonyOS Now Powers 55 Million Devices URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/harmony-os-rises-china/ Last updated: 2026-05-11T06:34:49.000Z In recent times, Huawei has been China's best-standing answer to Apple's monopoly over the personal tech market. Smartphones, laptops, tablets, they do it all and they do it at a level on-par with the best companies currently working. This is not a dynamic that has been around forever, but a more recent shift as China has been seeing a huge surge in the usage of domestic software, such as operating systems and databases. The credit is given to a steady improvement in the smoothness and ease of usage of these technologies. Yu Chengdong, Huawei’s Executive Director reported that as of the end of March 2026, [HarmonyOS has been on more than 55 million devices](https://www.huaweicentral.com/huawei-harmonyos-6-crosses-55-million-devices/?ref=itsfoss.com), adding 23 million in just under six months, which is a massive number for sure. Market giants who wish to maintain their monopoly have every reason to be worried about the competition. ## What makes it a popular choice? ![HarmonyOS](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/harmony-os.webp) The reason for such popularity and wide usage of HarmonyOS can be seen through the improvements it has made to its operating system in its latest release, [HarmonyOS 6](https://developer.huawei.com/consumer/en/doc/harmonyos-releases/os-new-feature-600?ref=itsfoss.com), such as: - Fluid animations that make the phone feel smoother, such as bringing the lighting and glass-like UI elements. - Measurable performance improvement made by Ark engine (the APIs that handle multimedia and graphics, especially gaming and video), and giving a better battery life. - Latest AI assistance tools, including scheduling and camera features that configure depth and focus in one touch. - AI-driven StarShield Security Architecture to improve security with added focus on anti-scam features and privacy improvements. - Wider native adaptations of third-party apps. - Huawei's growing range of affordable and feature rich mobile devices These are only some of the elements that HarmonyOS and Huawei owe their success to. But what does it mean for the open-source community? ## How does it impact FOSS communities? HarmonyOS is based on [OpenHarmony](https://www.openharmony.cn/?ref=itsfoss.com), an [open source mobile operating system](https://itsfoss.com/open-source-alternatives-android/) base that is similar to Android's [AOSP](https://source.android.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) but independent from it. This mass adoption of HarmonyOS encourages more contributions to the OpenHarmony kernel, showing growth in related projects as well, such as [EulerOS](https://www.openeuler.org/en/?ref=itsfoss.com). The catch, however, is that HarmonyOS still functions on a lot of proprietary layers, including the aforementioned Ark compiler and the UI elements. Added to that, the Chinese documentation makes it inaccessible to a large chunk of the world population. Some people are critical of rather unusual activities, such as [Huawei spamming open source projects](https://www.webpronews.com/huawei-spams-open-source-projects-to-push-harmonyos/?ref=itsfoss.com), urging them to use HarmonyOS. Critics see it as intrusive, while others find it acceptable as they're only using whatever means they can to bring more apps and services into the fold of their OS. ## A new challenger? A new contender challenging the Apple/Google duopoly is actually a good news for the consumers, especially with more affordable devices, as it keeps all makers involved on their toes. While this benchmark of 55 million devices indicates that there is scope beyond iOS and Android in the mobile operating system domains. Of course, this success is tightly coupled to the awesome Huawei hardware. Let me know what your thoughts are on Huawei's milestone in the comments. Cheers! ### I Moved My Photos from OneDrive to Ente Photos, and I'm Not Going Back URL: https://itsfoss.com/moving-from-onedrive-to-ente-photos/ Last updated: 2026-05-10T13:34:05.000Z Backing up photos and videos is something most people think about only after losing something they can't get back. Local storage is still the most secure option, as long as the files are encrypted and access to the storage medium is under your control. The catch is that **local storage doesn't help much when you need to pull up a file on the go**. Being away from home and needing quick access to a specific photo or video is the kind of situation it fails to handle. Services from big tech players like [Google Photos](https://photos.google.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Microsoft OneDrive](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/onedrive/online-cloud-storage?ref=itsfoss.com) fill that gap well enough, and for a while, OneDrive was my go-to. But, seeing how aggressively Microsoft has pushed its [Copilot](https://copilot.microsoft.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) offering across its product lineup, I thought to myself, '*it won't be long before* [*some new Copilot-powered feature*](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/get-started-with-copilot-in-onedrive-7fc81e10-e0cf-4da8-af2e-9876a2770e5d?ref=itsfoss.com) *is rolled out that messes around with images and videos*.' That's why I went searching for new options. Initially, [Proton Drive](https://go.getproton.me/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=44&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=itsfoss.com) (*partner link*) looked like an option, but I wanted something outside the Proton ecosystem, so I ended up on [Ente Photos](https://ente.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). ## What is Ente Photos? ![screenshot of ente that shows the welcome page, asking the user to upload their first photo or import their folders](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/ente-welcome.png) **Btw, that's Ducky, Ente's mascot.* It is **an open source, end-to-end encrypted photo storage service** that was started in 2020\. The goal, as the Ente team puts it, is to help people preserve their memories with privacy without relying on services that treat your data as a resource to be mined. Beyond Photos, they also offer [Auth](https://itsfoss.com/news/ente-auth/), a cross-platform two-factor authentication app that backs up your 2FA secrets in an encrypted format, and [Locker](https://ente.com/locker/?ref=itsfoss.com), which is aimed at storing sensitive documents and files securely. We got the chance to speak with [Vishnu Mohandas](https://itsfoss.com/news/vishnu-ente-founder-interview/), the founder of Ente, back in 2024, where he told us about his vision for building a privacy-respecting alternative to the likes of Google Photos and iCloud Photos. Quite some time has passed since, and I finally got around to trying it out and, in the process, moved away from yet another [Big Tech](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big%5FTech?ref=itsfoss.com) service. ## I made the switch Before I could do anything, I had to get my files from OneDrive, and boy **does Microsoft keep things painfully slow there**. Downloading files from the web version of OneDrive meant it would zip the folders first, then begin the download process. That wouldn't have worked for me, as **I had over 200 GB of files to download**. ![the file manager of windows 11 is shown here, with many folders, all of them show a green checkmark, on the bottom-right, the onedrive app's backup progress interface is visible](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/onedrive-folder-windows-11.png) To fix the painfully slow downloads, I had to install the [OneDrive client](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/onedrive/download?ref=itsfoss.com) on Windows 11 and configure it to keep a local copy of the files on my device. This got me my files much faster than the website, and the download was complete in a few hours. These were a mix of different file types, most of which ended up on an external hard disk, with the photos and videos kept separate for the move to Ente Photos. **Moving on to the migration**, I already had an Ente account, so I logged in and picked the 200 GB paid plan, which cost me ***₹4788 annually***. Keep in mind that Ente charges in USD/EUR globally, so what you end up paying in your local currency will depend on conversion rates and your payment method. There is also **a free tier that offers 10 GB of storage permanently**, which is a good way to test things out before committing. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/ente-photos-linux-plan-selection.png) ![the login screen for ente photos' linux client is shown here, there is a space to enter the email address](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/ente-photos-linux-logging-in.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/ente-photos-linux-downloads.png) **From left: You will find the Ente Photos INR prices, the login screen, and the Linux packages.* After everything was set, I started exploring [the Linux client](https://ente.com/download/?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=Download-,Linux) on my Fedora Workstation daily driver. The sidebar menu showed me how much storage quota I had (*200 GB ofc*), along with buttons to access uncategorized content, hidden content, the trash, my account, any watched folders, a tool to free up space, and the preferences menu. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/ente-photos-linux-sidebar-menu-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/ente-photos-linux-sidebar-menu-2.png) **The sidebar menu on the Ente Photos Linux client.* The preferences menu had options to change the interface language, set the theme between *System*, *Light*, and *Dark*, and enable [the Machine Learning feature](https://ente.com/ml/?ref=itsfoss.com), which **lets Ente Photos run on-device processing for face recognition** and other ML-powered features. There were also options to make the client run at startup, point it to a custom domain for self-hosted setups, and configure the app lock. **I then began the file uploads**, which took a very long time. There were 21,000+ items to be uploaded, and that happened mostly because **Ente Photos encrypted the files on-device before sending them to the servers**, which adds overhead that services like OneDrive simply don't have to deal with. *It is the price you pay for actual end-to-end encryption, and honestly, a fair one.* 🤷 ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/ente-photos-linux-file-upload-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/ente-photos-linux-file-upload-2.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/ente-photos-linux-file-upload-3.png) **The file upload flow on the Linux client of Ente Photos.* Though, **I did miss the folder-based organization that OneDrive had**. As a general-purpose cloud storage service, OneDrive lets you build out a full folder and subfolder hierarchy for any type of file, whereas Ente's offering focuses more on photos and videos. It did ask me during the initial upload whether I wanted separate albums, but I mistakenly went with the single album option (*as you see above*). ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/ente-photos-linux-file-upload-progress-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/ente-photos-linux-file-upload-progress-2.png) **The file upload progress tracking works well.* **Tracking active uploads** was working as expected. Ente Photos shows a dedicated interface element in the bottom-right corner that, when clicked, breaks down everything: currently uploading files, successful uploads, ignored uploads where matching files were already found, unsupported files, and failed uploads. ![screenshot of the ente photos linux client showing the file downloading feature, with the button for it on the top-right, and a downloads progress interface element on the bottom-left](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/ente-photos-linux-file-downloads.png) I could also **select multiple images and videos to share them as a link** with others, favorite them, fix the timestamps, edit the location, download them, archive them, hide them, or even delete them. I used the download option, and it worked as expected, with a slightly slow processing time because I was connected to a VPN. Overall, **the Linux client didn't disappoint**, and doesn't feel like an afterthought. It feels like something that was built for the platform. ## The mobile app I then moved to testing [the Android app](https://ente.com/download/?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=Mobile-,Android,-Play%20Store) for Ente Photos on **an Android 16-powered smartphone**, and the experience over there was on par with [the OneDrive client](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.skydrive&ref=itsfoss.com). Or even better, I would say, as the interface didn't feel overwhelming or jampacked. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/ente-photos-android-app-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/ente-photos-android-app-2.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/ente-photos-android-app-3.jpg) I just had to configure which folders I needed backed up, and Ente Photos did the rest. It just runs silently in the background, backing up as new content is added, and there's even an option to configure so that only new content is backed up, preventing any unnecessary clutter from ending up on your cloud storage. There's also a private sharing option, which **lets you generate end-to-end encrypted links to any album**, which recipients can open without requiring an Ente account (*if creating a public link*). *You can also password-protect the link and set it to expire after a certain period of time.* ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/ente-photos-android-app-4.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/ente-photos-android-app-5.jpg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/ente-photos-android-app-6.png) The mobile app also has **a handy search function** (*even the Linux client had that; I forgot to test it lol*) and the machine learning features, which are disabled by default, so **you are always in control** of whether Ente runs any on-device processing on your photos. As of writing this, the mobile app has been extremely reliable in my day-to-day use, and its memories feature is like the cherry on top, giving me a nice trip down memory lane every now and then. ## But keep this in mind… [Ente Technologies, Inc.](https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/ente-technologies?ref=itsfoss.com) is incorporated in the United States, **its servers are located in Europe**, and its Indian operations run through a subsidiary registered in Bangalore. They operate in three different regions, with three different sets of rules to follow. In practice, that means **Ente can be compelled by authorities in any of those regions to hand over account metadata**, things like your identity, billing information, and access logs. Your files are a different matter entirely. [End-to-end encryption](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End-to-end%5Fencryption?ref=itsfoss.com) (E2EE) means the files are encrypted on your device before they ever reach the servers, **so not even Ente can read them**. For me, that is what the switch ultimately came down to. ### After Ubuntu, Now Fedora is Jumping Onto the AI Bandwagon With Dedicated AI Developer Desktops URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-ai-developer-desktops/ Last updated: 2026-05-15T04:29:43.000Z It is getting harder for Linux distributions to stay neutral on AI. Between enterprise-grade solutions like [RHEL AI](https://www.redhat.com/en/products/ai/enterprise-linux-ai?ref=itsfoss.com) and the steady rise of [local inference tools](https://itsfoss.com/local-ai-image-tools/), the pressure to take a position has been building for a while. Canonical recently made theirs clear, [moving Ubuntu toward a local-first AI approach](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-is-getting-ai/) built around open-weight models and open source inference tooling, keeping everything on-device rather than routing it through a cloud subscription. Now, Fedora [has voted on](https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/fedora-council-meeting-2026-05-06-innovation-lifecycle-policy-f44-interviews-and-ai-desktop/190575?ref=itsfoss.com) an initiative called ***Fedora AI Developer Desktop*** that [will spawn](https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/fedora-ai-developer-desktop-objective/184941?ref=itsfoss.com) AI-flavored [Fedora Atomic Desktops](https://fedoraproject.org/atomic-desktops/?ref=itsfoss.com). 📣 Two council members ****have retracted their vote**, and [a revised proposal is in the works](https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/fedora-ai-developer-desktop-objective/184941/183?ref=itsfoss.com). ## So Fedora and AI, huh? ![a cropped screenshot of a discourse post by gordon messmer, a member of the fedora packaging team](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/fedora-ai-developer-desktop-proposal.png) The proposal came from contributor [Gordon Messmer](https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/u/gordonmessmer/summary?ref=itsfoss.com) from the packaging team at the end of March, and the [Fedora Council](https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/council/?ref=itsfoss.com) has since voted on it with **a unanimous +6**. Currently, a lazy consensus period is the last thing standing before it is fully official, with [Jef Spaleta](https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/u/jspaleta/summary?ref=itsfoss.com), the Fedora Project Leader, acting as the Executive Sponsor (*to keep things moving*). The goal here is **to make AI development on Fedora less painful by introducing better tooling and packaging**. It also aims to offer a smoother experience for users running AI applications and a dedicated space for developers to get their work in front of people who might actually use it. Also worth knowing is that **this initiative is not about adding AI tools to Fedora's existing lineup** of [Editions](https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Editions?ref=itsfoss.com) or system images. Moreover, none of the resulting images will come pre-configured to connect to remote AI services or monitor how you use your system. On the technical side, the proposal calls for building an LTS kernel to provide a more stable foundation, alongside bundling user-friendly tools like [Goose CLI](https://github.com/aaif-goose/goose?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Podman Desktop](https://podman-desktop.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) to cover common AI backend workflows. As for **the images this initiative will deliver**, there are three planned. The base image, targeting accelerated AI/ML workloads without any proprietary components, will be published as a [Fedora Spin](https://fedoraproject.org/spins/?ref=itsfoss.com). Two [Fedora Remixes](https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Remix?ref=itsfoss.com) follow, one with **CUDA runtime support** and one with the **full CUDA toolkit**, the latter of which has some licensing issues that the project will have to tackle. And before you ask, the developers are planning for **a Fedora 45 release timeline** for those, which is a few months away in October. ## Why though? [Fedora](https://fedoraproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) has a habit of being first. Wayland as default, PipeWire, and Flatpak all landed in Fedora before they became the norm across the broader Linux ecosystem. Sitting out the AI wave entirely would be a strange departure from that track record, and probably not a wise one. Jef, the project leader, has already [laid out his rationale](https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/fedora-ai-developer-desktop-objective/184941/70?ref=itsfoss.com), arguing that **AI-assisted development is already normalizing upstream**. Fedora, he argues, is better off being in that conversation, pushing toward local-first and more ethical tooling, than watching from the sidelines while others set the direction. However, **not everyone is on board**. [Fernando F. Mancera](https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/u/ffmancera/summary?ref=itsfoss.com), a long-time Fedora contributor, withdrew from the project entirely in response, writing "*I do not think we can move this forward in a community way. The present situation in Fedora is clearly not for me*." There are many such disagreements in the thread, ranging from concerns about chasing an AI hype cycle to deeper objections around the NVIDIA/CUDA components and whether the community was brought along properly. Where Fedora is headed is not that much of a stretch, as the Linux kernel already [allows AI-assisted contributions](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-ai-coding-assistants-policy/), with an "*Assisted-by*" tag and clear human accountability as the guardrails. And Ubuntu's AI roadmap, as you already know, is moving in the same local-first direction. But whether the project can pull this off cleanly while keeping community expectations and its own philosophy intact remains to be seen. ### Good Job Dell and Lenovo! Hope Others Follow Along URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/lvfs-finally-has-premier-sponsors/ Last updated: 2026-05-22T09:29:43.000Z Only last week, we were talking about how **LVFS**, the firmware update service for Linux, [had turned up the heat](https://itsfoss.com/news/lvfs-consumption-quota/) on vendors who didn't contribute their fair share. To tackle that, the project has been going through **a phased restrictions rollout** that includes things like introducing fair-use download utilization graphs and removing detailed per-firmware analytics. *But that obviously wouldn't solve their lack of funding.* Luckily, two vendors have stepped up. [Lenovo](https://www.lenovo.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Dell](https://linux.dell.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) have both **signed on as *Premier* sponsors for LVFS**, each putting in **$100,000 a year** to help fund the project going forward. ![this picture shows the may 2026 sponsors, the premier sponsors include dell and lenovo, the startup sponsors are framework and open source firmware foundation, and the engineering support sponsors are the linux foundation and red hat](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/lvfs-sponsors-may-2026.png) They are also the first to reach this tier. Before now, only [Framework Computer](https://frame.work/?ref=itsfoss.com) and the [Open Source Firmware Foundation](https://opensourcefirmware.foundation/?ref=itsfoss.com) were on as *Startup* sponsors, contributing $10,000 a year. *Premier is the highest level of financial commitment any vendor can make to the project.* This update [was announced](https://blogs.gnome.org/hughsie/2026/05/06/lvfs-sponsorship-announcement/?ref=itsfoss.com) yesterday, with [the LVFS homepage](https://fwupd.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) already reflecting the update. Between the two of them, that's **$200,000 a year** going into a project that had been running almost entirely on the goodwill of the Linux Foundation and Red Hat. [Richard Hughes](https://hughsie.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), the lone full-time developer at LVFS, wrapped up the announcement by saying: > With the huge industry support from Lenovo and Dell (and our existing sponsors of Framework, OSFF, and of course both the Linux Foundation and Red Hat) we can build this ecosystem stronger and higher than before; we can continue the great work we’ve done long into the future. ## Where's everyone else? ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/gnome-software-lvfs-firmware-upgrades-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/gnome-software-lvfs-firmware-upgrades-2.png) **This is how firmware upgrades are delivered to me on Fedora Workstation, thanks to LVFS.* It's not a coincidence that the first Premier sponsors are also two of the most Linux-invested [OEMs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original%5Fequipment%5Fmanufacturer?ref=itsfoss.com) in the industry. **Lenovo**, one of the largest PC vendors around, [ships Ubuntu](https://ubuntu.com/certified/vendors/Lenovo?ref=itsfoss.com) on laptops, desktops, and workstations worldwide and has **over 700 Ubuntu-certified devices** to its name. **Dell** isn't far behind, with [140+ certified configurations](https://ubuntu.com/certified/vendors/Dell%20Technologies?ref=itsfoss.com) and partnerships with Canonical, Red Hat, and SUSE. These certified devices are the result of Canonical and the OEM's engineers actively collaborating to verify that the hardware runs Ubuntu reliably, covering things like drivers, firmware, and general day-to-day compatibility. Brands that think Linux is some niche thing *are ignorant at best and apathetic at worst*. 🙂 The platform hasn't been that for a long time, and the argument that Linux users don't represent a significant enough market to justify any investment stopped making sense years ago. The vendors still treating LVFS like a free service they have no obligation to support should probably pay attention to what comes next. API access gets cut for non-Startup vendors in August. Automated upload limits follow in December. 📋 Now, HP has [joined up as a Premier sponsor](https://blogs.gnome.org/hughsie/2026/05/20/lvfs-sponsorship-announcement-hp/?ref=itsfoss.com). A colleague of mine [has a separate coverage](https://itsfoss.com/news/hp-supports-lvfs/) if you want to learn more. ### Dirty Frag is a New Linux Exploit That Grants Root, and There's No Proper Patch Yet URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/dirty-frag-linux-exploit/ Last updated: 2026-05-09T06:33:20.000Z It has not been a week since we came across [Copy Fail](https://itsfoss.com/news/copy-fail-linux-exploit/), the exploit that took advantage of an old logic flaw to escalate a local user to root, giving them all kinds of harmful access over a system they shouldn't have. A security researcher, [Hyunwoo Kim](https://github.com/V4bel?ref=itsfoss.com) (*v4bel*), [has reported](https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/05/07/8?ref=itsfoss.com) a new Linux kernel privilege escalation threat. This one is called **Dirty Frag**, and the disclosure of it [has not gone as planned](https://github.com/V4bel/dirtyfrag/blob/master/assets/write-up.md?ref=itsfoss.com). Hyunwoo had set a five-day embargo after submitting details to the [linux-distros](https://www.openwall.com/lists/linux-distros/?ref=itsfoss.com) mailing list, but an unnamed third party published the exploit publicly the same day, and that was that. **A working exploit is now out in the open**; most distros have no patch, and the `algif_aead` blacklist you may have applied for Copy Fail does nothing against this. ## What is Dirty Frag? Like Copy Fail, [Dirty Frag](https://github.com/V4bel/dirtyfrag?ref=itsfoss.com) modifies the in-memory copy of a system file without touching the version on disk. Every subsequent read of that file sees the corrupted copy, and nothing on the filesystem looks wrong. Dirty Frag does this through two separate flaws. The first, `xfrm-ESP Page-Cache Write` ([CVE-2026-43284](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-43284&ref=itsfoss.com)), targets `/usr/bin/su`, replacing its in-memory copy with one that hands out a root shell. The second, `RxRPC Page-Cache Write`([CVE-2026-43500](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-43500&ref=itsfoss.com)), goes after `/etc/passwd` and empties the root password field. [PAM](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux%5FPAM?ref=itsfoss.com) accepts the blank entry and lets a root login through. More importantly, **they are chained because neither works on every system alone**. The first needs a user namespace, which some [Ubuntu AppArmor](https://ubuntu.com/server/docs/how-to/security/apparmor/?ref=itsfoss.com) setups block. The second does not have that requirement, but the `rxrpc.ko` module it relies on is absent from most distros' default builds. Ubuntu is one of the few that does ship it, though. Together, the two cover every major distro. ## What can you do? Most distros have nothing out yet, perhaps except **AlmaLinux**, which is one step ahead of the others with [patched kernels already in its testing repository](https://almalinux.org/blog/2026-05-07-dirty-frag/?ref=itsfoss.com). For everyone else, the immediate option is blacklisting the three modules involved: ``` sh -c "printf 'install esp4 /bin/false\ninstall esp6 /bin/false\ninstall rxrpc /bin/false\n' > /etc/modprobe.d/dirtyfrag.conf; rmmod esp4 esp6 rxrpc 2>/dev/null; echo 3 > /proc/sys/vm/drop_caches; true" ``` Doing so also clears the page cache, getting rid of any tampering that may have already happened. Hyunwoo also recommends **updating the kernel and rebooting** as soon as your distro has a patch out. Update: Canonical has some [mitigation guidelines for Ubuntu users](https://canonical.com/blog/dirty-frag-linux-vulnerability-fixes-available?ref=itsfoss.com). ### FOSS Weekly #26.19: Ubuntu Under Attack, Linux Exploitation Ongoing, Upgrading to 26.04, Linux on PS5 and More URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-19/ Last updated: 2026-05-07T13:12:03.000Z Let me start with two not so positive news. Ubuntu suffered a cyber attack for almost a week. Don't panick. It was a DDoS attack and makes a website unavailable by flooding the server with traffic. The ubuntu.com website, Snap store, Launchpad, and several other Canonical-owned services went offline or became unreliable. If you had trouble running snap install commands or pulling from a PPA last week, you now know why. But that was not the end of it. Today, the [official Twitter account of Ubuntu was compromised to send out crypto scam](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-twitter-compromised/). It seems like the misery keeps on piling for Ubuntu. That's not the only unpleasant news for Linux users this week. There is/was a new Linux exploit by the name of "Copy Fail". It's a form of local privilege escalation. Nothing to worry as a desktop Linux user. Just keep your system updated that will also update your kernel to patch this vulnerability. More [detail on copy fail can be found in this article](https://itsfoss.com/news/copy-fail-linux-exploit/). [Should You Be Worried About The Copy Fail Linux Exploit?It’s been patched, but cloud and container users should update sooner than later.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-406.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/copy-fail-linux-exploit-banner-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/copy-fail-linux-exploit/) "Two" many negative news? Let me share something positive then. The Dutch government [is building its own code hosting platform](https://itsfoss.com/news/netherlands-forgejo-migration/) on Forgejo, and the soft launch already has four ministries, several municipalities, and the Electoral Council's vote-counting software on it. Another positive news. The people who actually build software on top of web standards rarely get to influence those standards because showing up to IETF, W3C, and ISO working groups takes time and money that independent maintainers don't have. Germany's Sovereign Tech Agency is running [a paid pilot program](https://itsfoss.com/news/sovereign-tech-standards-program/) to fix that. That's nice, right? Now let's talk about our favorite topic. Microsoft getting caught with its pants down. Here's the big news. VS Code [was crediting Copilot for commits](https://itsfoss.com/news/vs-code-credits-copilot-for-human-work/) written entirely by humans, including on machines where Copilot had been explicitly disabled. The culprit was a single pull request that had changed a default setting without any release note or user-facing notification. Another news on Micerosoft, and this one is not negative. On the 45th birthday of DOS, Microsoft open sourced its original code [under MIT-licensed](https://itsfoss.com/news/ms-dos-early-code-open-sourced/). Once upon a time, Microsoft paid just under $100,000 for DOS, and that move made them billions. Open sourcing the code won't change a thing but it's a good thing from computing history point of view. **Here are other highlights of this edition of FOSS Weekly:** - Linux running on PS5 (anyone can follow the process to achieve that) - An awesome terminal based file manager - New HWE ISOs from Linux Mint - Information on a paid program for standards development. - And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes! ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About A passionate community doesn't automatically produce maintainers willing to do release engineering every six months. Ubuntu's official flavour list shrank with 26.04, and [the argument Rolan makes](https://itsfoss.com/opinion/ubuntu-official-flavours-shrinking/) is that this is a correction worth making. [Ubuntu’s Official Flavour List Is Shrinking, And That’s Not a Bad ThingThere are fewer official flavors with 26.04 LTS version. Is it alarming?![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-407.png)It's FOSSRoland Taylor![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/ubuntu-disappearing.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/opinion/ubuntu-official-flavours-shrinking/) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings Linux Mint is stretching its release cycle out to December 2026, which is fine for existing users but leaves a gap for people trying to install on very new hardware. The [HWE ISOs solve that](https://itsfoss.com/linux-mint-hwe-images/). Here's [everything you need to get started with Flatpak](https://itsfoss.com/flatpak-guide/). What it is, how to install it on major distros, adding Flathub, and the essential commands for installing, updating, removing, and cleaning up unused runtimes. Since we are discussing Flatpaks, here are some [tools to help improve your Flatpak experience](https://itsfoss.com/flatpak-tips-tweaks/). If you are new, you should know these [important things about the root user in Linux](https://itsfoss.com/root-user-ubuntu/). ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner Someone [ported Linux to the PS5](https://itsfoss.com/news/run-linux-on-ps5/), got Steam running, played GTA V with ray tracing, and published the whole thing on [GitHub](https://github.com/ps5-linux/ps5-linux-loader?ref=itsfoss.com). [Someone Turned a PS5 Into a Linux Gaming PC, and It Actually WorksIt runs Linux, plays Steam games, and only time will tell how long before Sony DMCAs it.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-402.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-on-ps5-banner-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/run-linux-on-ps5/) An It's FOSS reader has [created an interesting multiplayer music trivia party game](https://github.com/mholzi/beatify?ref=itsfoss.com) that runs on Home Assistant. So if you have smart speakers in your home automation system built on Home Assistant, you can turn them into a game show. [GitHub - mholzi/beatify: 🎵 Music year-guessing party game for Home Assistant — scan a QR code, hear a song, guess the year. Runs on Music Assistant, Sonos & Alexa speakers.🎵 Music year-guessing party game for Home Assistant — scan a QR code, hear a song, guess the year. Runs on Music Assistant, Sonos & Alexa speakers. - mholzi/beatify![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/pinned-octocat-093da3e6fa40-33.svg)GitHubmholzi![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/c956a879-13b1-43a3-9eb0-8021e14ce251)](https://github.com/mholzi/beatify?ref=itsfoss.com) Tired of AI fluff and misinformation in your Google feed? Get real, trusted Linux content. Add It’s FOSS as your preferred source and see our reliable Linux and open-source stories highlighted in your Discover feed and search results. [Add It's FOSS as preferred source on Google (if you use it) ](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=itsfoss.com&ref=itsfoss.com) ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights [Ptyxis](https://flathub.org/en/apps/app.devsuite.Ptyxis?ref=itsfoss.com) has replaced GNOME Terminal as the default in Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and Fedora, and [there's plenty of reasons for it](https://itsfoss.com/ptyxis-terminal-features/). [7 Features I Like in Ptyxis (The New Default Ubuntu Terminal)After using it for a while, I understood why Ubntu and Fedora opted for Ptyxis as their new default terminal.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-403.png)It's FOSSSreenath![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/new-Features-in-new-terminal.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/ptyxis-terminal-features/) ## 📽️ Videos for You And I [demonstrate how to upgrade to Ubuntu 26.04 LTS from 24.04](https://youtu.be/0Vul6ZkM%5Fjw?ref=itsfoss.com) or even an unsupported version like 24.10\. I also answer common questions in the latest video. [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🎟️ Event alert: Lomiri Tech Meet in Netherlands If you are in or around the Netherlands, are a student, and would be interested in an open source mobile development hackathon, then you are in luck. The [Lomiri Tech Meeting](https://itsfoss.com/news/lomiri-tech-meeting/) is happening on May 16. ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip In Brave Browser, you can press `CTRL + Space` to access the *Quick Commands* in the address bar. When you are in, type the action you want and press Enter. You can try things like *new tab*, *new split*, *new private window*, etc. 0:00 /0:17 1× [](https://t43217012.p.clickup-attachments.com/t43217012/da09f1e7-b651-4c93-b93b-141e46671d4b/copy-link-to-highlight-firefox.png?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse Do you know [your way around Linux directories](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/linux-directory-structure-puzzle/)? [Linux Directory Structure: PuzzleThe Linux directory structure is fascinating and an important thing to know about. Take a guess to solve this puzzle!![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-404.png)It's FOSSAnkush Das![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-directories-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/linux-directory-structure-puzzle/) I just cannot pull myself away from customizing my Linux setup. 🥲 ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/MEMES27-1.png) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On April 30, 1993, [CERN](https://home.cern/?ref=itsfoss.com) issued an official document that put the [World Wide Web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World%5FWide%5FWeb?ref=itsfoss.com) software and protocols into the public domain. This was a pivotal moment in technology history, as it ensured that the Web would be an open standard that anyone could use, build upon, and distribute without paying licensing fees or royalties. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: Ask.com has reached its demise, and it has [gotten our resident FOSSers talking](https://itsfoss.community/t/every-great-search-must-come-to-an-end/15655?ref=itsfoss.com). There's another interesting thread talking about [AI back in the day](https://itsfoss.community/t/ai-back-in-the-day/15648?ref=itsfoss.com). ### Yazi is the Terminal-based File Manager I Didn't Know I Needed URL: https://itsfoss.com/yazi/ Last updated: 2026-05-12T02:32:16.000Z There are two kinds of Linux users. Those who live in the comfort of GUI and those who live in the adventurous world of terminal. I am neither of the two. I prefer the comfort of GUI and I jump into the terminal when required or when I am in the mood to explore something. This article is the result of one such adventure where I tried a file manager in the terminal. Yes! A file explorer in the terminal. If you are surprised, let me tell you that there are [several terminal-based file managers](https://itsfoss.com/terminal-file-managers/) available since forever. Instead of the usual ls and cd commands combination, you browse and interact the files in a slightly more comfortable way with these tools. I explored one such file explorer called Yazi and it impressed me enough to cover it here on It's FOSS. I even made a video on it. You may watch the video or read the article, whichever you prefer. [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## What is Yazi, again? Yazi is a terminal-based file manager packed with features. The first time I used it, I honestly wondered why I hadn’t started earlier. For those curious, it’s written in Rust. I am not sure if you'll love it or hate it for that 😉 0:00 /0:32 1× Yazi File Manager Here’s what stands out in Yazi: - Full asynchronous support; CPU tasks are spread across multiple threads - Built-in support for multiple image protocols - Built-in code highlighting and image encoding - Scrollable previews - Powerful file search and manipulation tools I'll show my experience with Yazi and its features that I explored. Honestly, if you spend plenty of time in the terminal, you won't even feel the need of opening the graphical file manager like Nautilus or Nemo. But first, let's see how to install it first. ## Installing Yazi on Linux Yazi is available in the official repositories of Arch Linux, Void Linux, OpenSUSE Tumbleweed, and more. On Arch Linux, install it along with dependencies and tools that will make the full use of Yazi: ```bash sudo pacman -S yazi ffmpeg 7zip jq poppler fd ripgrep fzf zoxide resvg imagemagick ``` Ubuntu users can install the Snap version: ```bash sudo snap install yazi --classic ``` If your distribution doesn’t provide Yazi in its repositories, use the official binary release. Don't forget to install additional packages that give Yazi all those powerful features. ```bash sudo apt install ffmpeg 7zip jq poppler-utils fd-find ripgrep fzf zoxide imagemagick ``` After that, you can download the official binary, give it [execute permission](https://linuxhandbook.com/linux-file-permissions/?ref=itsfoss.com), and run it. [Download Yazi](https://github.com/sxyazi/yazi/releases?ref=itsfoss.com) 🚧 Since this is a terminal tool, you should be comfortable using the terminal and commands. I won't explain each step or command in detail; I presume you would already know these things. ### Post install setup After installing Yazi, add a small wrapper script so you can cd into the directory you were browsing when quitting Yazi. Open your `~/.bashrc` or `~/.zshrc` and add: ```bash function y() { local tmp="$(mktemp -t "yazi-cwd.XXXXXX")" cwd command yazi "$@" --cwd-file="$tmp" IFS= read -r -d '' cwd < "$tmp" [ "$cwd" != "$PWD" ] && [ -d "$cwd" ] && builtin cd -- "$cwd" rm -f -- "$tmp" } ``` Save the file and restart your shell. Now you can launch Yazi just by typing `y`. ## Features that make Yazi cool Let’s look at the features that make Yazi stand out. ### The cd magic In the previous section, we added a wrapper function so you can open Yazi with y. But here’s the interesting part. When you’re inside Yazi, navigate to any directory and press q. You’ll quit Yazi and automatically cd into that directory in your terminal. 0:00 /0:16 1× Entering directories in terminal while using Yazi file manager. Don’t want to change directories? Press Q instead. You’ll exit Yazi and stay in the original directory. ### Get image and file previews If you installed the required dependencies, Yazi can preview most file types in a dedicated pane on the right side. It even provides proper syntax highlighting for code files. If your terminal supports image protocols, such as [Kitty or Ghostty](https://itsfoss.com/comparison/ghostty-vs-kitty/), you can preview images directly in the sidebar. 0:00 /0:09 1× A small clip showing image preview in Yazi You can also preview the contents of tar and zip archives without extracting them. Below is a small screenshot showing the Yazi file manager previewing contents of an archive file. It shows what are the files residing inside an archive file like tar or zip. ![This is a small screenshot showing the Yazi file manager previewing contents of an archive file. It shows what are the files residing inside an archive file like tar or zip.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/yazi-preview-inside-archive.png) Archive Preview Previewing a text file? Press J (Shift + j) to scroll down. Press K (Shift + k) to scroll up. 0:00 /0:19 1× A small clip showing file preview scroll in Yazi file manager. ### Switch to directories by searching for it [Changing directories](https://linuxhandbook.com/cd-command-examples/?ref=itsfoss.com) in Yazi becomes fast once you know the right key combination. Press `g` followed by `space`. A small launcher will appear. Enter an absolute or relative path; your choice. As you type, Yazi suggests matching directories. 0:00 /0:29 1× A small clip showing entering into directories in Yazi file manager. ### Powerful file search Yazi supports two search methods; one using `fd` and another using `ripgrep`. Press `s` to search files by name. This uses `fd`, a [modern alternative](https://itsfoss.com/legacy-linux-commands-alternatives/) to the traditional [find command](https://linuxhandbook.com/find-command-examples/?ref=itsfoss.com). 0:00 /0:23 1× A small clip showing the working of `fd` search. To search by file content, press **S**. This uses `ripgrep`, a modern replacement for [grep command](https://linuxhandbook.com/grep-command-examples/?ref=itsfoss.com). You can cancel a search anytime with `Ctrl+s`. 0:00 /0:18 1× A small clip showing the working of `ripgrep` search in Yazi file manager. ### Bulk rename files with a breeze Renaming multiple files doesn’t get easier than this. First, select files using the **Space** key. A selected file stays selected even if you change directories. You can select files from anywhere in your system. Once done, press `r`. Yazi will open all selected filenames in your default [terminal text editor](https://itsfoss.com/command-line-text-editors-linux/) `$EDITOR`. Edit the names as needed. Just be careful not to alter directory paths if you selected files across different folders. When you’re done, save and exit. [In Vim](https://itsfoss.com/how-to-exit-vim/), that’s `:wq`. That’s it. All selected files are renamed instantly. A small clip showing renaming files in Yazi file manager. ### The fuzzy search and zoxide Yazi includes a [fuzzy search mode](https://itsfoss.com/fuzzy-file-search-linux/) powered by `fzf`. In a directory with many files and can’t remember the exact name? Press `z`. Start typing something close to the filename and Yazi will narrow it down. A small clip showing the working of fzf search in Yazi file manager. If you use `zoxide` instead of the [traditional cd command](https://linuxhandbook.com/cd-command-examples/?ref=itsfoss.com), you’ll like this even more. Press **Z** to jump to directories tracked by `zoxide`. Just make sure `zoxide` is properly set up first. ### A multi tabbed interface Yazi supports tabs. Press **t** to open a new tab. Each tab gets a number. Switch between them using the associated number keys. A small clip showing creating and switching tabs. To close a tab, press `Ctrl+C`. ## It has more to offer These are just some of the features I found most useful. Since Yazi is a file manager, it naturally supports standard operations like copy, paste, and path handling. It also includes a visual mode for file selection and an interactive file open menu similar to an “Open With” context menu. Feeling lost among keybindings? **Press F1 for a full in-app help view.** Once you find what you need, press ESC to return.o ## Do you find it useful? I’ve been slowly building a full TUI workflow; Helix as my editor, [Glow to preview Markdown](https://itsfoss.com/glow-cli-tool-markdown/), and now Yazi fills the last missing piece as my file manager. I don’t expect to move away from a GUI setup this much, but Yazi makes that thought achievable. It fits naturally into the way I work. If you like exploring TUI tools, give it a try and see if this is something you would like to use on a regular basis. Do share your experience in the comments. ### After Days of DDoS, Now Ubuntu's Twitter Account Seems to be Compromised URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-twitter-compromised/ Last updated: 2026-05-07T07:33:31.000Z It seems like Ubuntu cannot catch a break. Their entire web infrastructure was under continued DDoS attack for 5 days. Which seemed to be over now. But the misery is not. A few hours ago, there was a (now deleted) [tweet](https://x.com/i/status/2052206690687201550?ref=itsfoss.com) from Ubuntu's official Twitter account. It announced the availability of Ubuntu's newest AI agent. At first glance, it looked legit until you dug deeper. ## Ubuntu's official Twitter account was compromised ![A csreenshot of the compromised tweet | Courtesy Cyber Kendra](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/ubuntu-ai-tweet.webp) By the time I could take screenshots, the tweet was deleted. Thankfully, [good folks at Cyber Kendra had covered it](https://www.cyberkendra.com/2026/05/ubuntus-x-account-appears-hijacked-to.html?ref=itsfoss.com). The tweet looks legit, right? At least it plays with the human psyche. It talks about AI, which relates to [Ubuntu's recent AI move](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-is-getting-ai/). This could trick many people who might believe that this is a legit next step in the AI direction. It was mentioned to be built on Solana and the account was also tagged. Solana is a legit open-source blockchain platform for digital transactions and decentralized applications (read crypto payments). This is why the next line mentions buzzwords like Blockchain and decentralized. Blockchain also relates to crypto so this was more like a build up for crypto that would come later. The so-called agent is called Numbat and the main image shows the Numbat animal with orange as its primary color. "Numbat" is also part of Ubuntu 24.04 codename Noble Numbat. And then the displayed URL is ai-ubuntu.com which is similar to ai.ubuntu.com although ai subdomain doesn't exist on Ubuntu but it is enough to trick unsuspecting people. Mind that it was not a single tweet; it was a thread (a series of nested tweets) and the replies were closed. So even if someone discovered the scam, they wouldn't have been able to alert others in the replies. So, fake AI branding, Ubuntu's Numbat name, Solana tags, blockchain buzzwords, and a near-identical URL to quietly build false trust and thus guiding unsuspecting users step by step into a crypto scam before they realize the deception. The next step of deception came when the link was clicked. ## The crypto trap Like most of the briefly compromised accounts, this tweet also tried to lure people into a crypto scam. It was not evident immediately unless you clicked on the given URL. And boy that URL looks like a typical Canonical webpage. ![Fake Ubuntu AI agent webpage](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/fake-ubuntu-ai-webpage.webp) The phishing page looks identical to a typical Ubuntu web page It is not impossible to get fooled by the clever webpage if you are not paying attention. Your guards would have been down because you clicked a link shared by official Ubuntu account. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/fake-ubuntu-ai-webpage-2.webp) The rest of the page had links to actual Ubuntu project and thus making it look even more legit. It was only when you clicked the "Check eligibility" or "Explore Ubuntu AI" buttons, the deception was evident. It asked you to add your crypto wallet. ![Fake Ubuntu AI website asking to add crypto wallet](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/fake-ubuntu-webpage-crypto-wallet-scam.webp) Fake Ubuntu AI website asking to add crypto wallet Why would you do that? Because just before the buttons, there is a text that says: > Early ecosystem participants may qualify for future $UM allocations. Snapshot approaching. This compromised tweet just adds to the pile of misery Canonical had been suffering of late and it didn't happen in isolation. ## The DDoS attack that crumbled Canonical's web assets In case you didn't know, Ubuntu was suffering from a large scale [DDoS attack](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/ddos/what-is-a-ddos-attack/?ref=itsfoss.com). Ubuntu's websites went down for about five days last week but they seem to be back now. Starting April 30, Canonical's web services faced what the company described as a "sustained, cross-border" attack. The ubuntu.com website, Snap store, Launchpad, and several other Canonical-owned services went offline or became unreliable. The attack lasted until around May 5, when services were gradually restored. At the time of writing this, [Canonical's official status page](https://status.canonical.com/?ref=itsfoss.com#/) shows everything fully operational. Let's hope it stays that way. Note that DDoS attacks make a website unavailable by flooding the server with traffic. It didn't compromise the servers. So, your Ubuntu installation, package updates (APT repositories are mirrored across the world and kept working), ISO downloads, and the Ubuntu operating system itself was not impacted. Your system was never at risk. Although, if you had trouble running snap install commands or pulling from a PPA last week, you now know why. Canonical has not released a detailed post-incident report yet. A Pro-Iran hacker group called 313 reportedly claimed responsibility, but this has not been confirmed by Canonical. ## Are both incidents are connected? The hacker group 313 has announced that they have ended the DDoS attacks. They have not mentioned anything about compromised tweet. ![Telegram messages announcing the end of Ubuntu DDoS attack](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/ubuntu-ddos-attack-end.webp) Telegram messages announcing the end of Ubuntu DDoS attack | Courtesy [Brian Lunduke](https://x.com/LundukeJournal/status/2052031558719005173?ref=itsfoss.com) Now, ai-ubuntu.com was registered with a Hong Kong based registrar, but that doesn't mean the attackers were based in Hong Kong. ![Whois data for the ai-ubuntu.com website](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/ai-ubuntu-whois-data.png) Whois data for the scam ai-ubuntu.com website One thing to note here is that many organizations as well as individual accounts often use third-party tools to manage and schedule their tweets. It is also possible that the compromise came from such a third-party Twitter tool. This could also be a human slip up and their social media manager's account might have compromised. It is really up to Canonical to investigate and find out the root cause. We can only make guesses. ### This $85 PCB is Giving Old Google Home Mini Devices a Second Life URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/micimike-home-mini-pcb-replacement/ Last updated: 2026-05-07T04:32:25.000Z The [Google Home Mini](https://www.bestbuy.com/site/home-mini-1st-generation-smart-speaker-with-google-assistant-chalk/6082194.p?ref=itsfoss.com) launched in 2017 as Google's smallest, cheapest smart speaker. Millions were sold, handed out, and given away as promotional gifts. Many of them still work, but it being in the last phase of its lifecycle means that while it still functions for basic tasks, it doesn't have any kind of customizability or local processing capabilities. The hardware was fine for the time but has become less relevant in Google's lineup over time, with the [Nest Mini](https://store.google.com/product/google%5Fnest%5Fmini?ref=itsfoss.com), its successor, also discontinued. And more recently, there's been talk of [new Gemini-powered smart speakers](https://9to5google.com/2026/05/03/google-gemini-smart-speakers-third-party-walmart/?ref=itsfoss.com). But what if you could bring your Home Mini (*1st Generation*) device **up to 2026 standards with local processing** by paying only $85? Tired of AI fluff and misinformation in your Google feed? Get real, trusted Linux content. Add It’s FOSS as your preferred source and see our reliable Linux and open-source stories highlighted in your Discover feed and search results. [Add us as preferred source on Google ](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=itsfoss.com&ref=itsfoss.com) ## 📝 MiciMike Home Mini PCB: Key Specifications Two chips do the heavy lifting on this board. You get an [Espressif ESP32-S3](https://www.espressif.com/en/products/socs/esp32-s3?ref=itsfoss.com) as the main processor, paired with an[XMOS XU316](https://www.xmos.com/download/XU316-1024-xcore%5Fai-Datasheet%282%5F0%5F0%29.pdf/?ref=itsfoss.com) chip dedicated entirely to audio. The Espressif unit brings 8 MB of PSRAM and 16 MB of flash to the table, while the XMOS one carries 4 MB of its own. The ESP32-S3 covers Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and wake word detection via [microWakeWord](https://github.com/OHF-Voice/micro-wake-word?ref=itsfoss.com), with none of the voice data leaving your device. Audio cleanup falls to the XU316, which runs through two on-board microphones to scrub out noise and echo before anything gets processed. And **the Home Mini's original speaker still works**, which can be plugged back in via the included FPC cable. For software, [ESPHome](https://esphome.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) is already preinstalled, ready to work with Home Assistant's [Assist](https://www.home-assistant.io/voice%5Fcontrol/?ref=itsfoss.com), [Music Assistant](https://www.music-assistant.io/?ref=itsfoss.com), and [Snapcast](https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/snapcast/?ref=itsfoss.com). A cloud LLM can also be dropped in as the conversation agent if you want one, but the whole thing runs fine without it. ![against a mixed blue/yellow background, both sides of the micimike home mini pcb board are shown, showing it installed inside a home mini 1st gen enclosure](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/micimike-home-mini-pcb-board-views.png) **Both sides of the MiciMike Home Mini PCB.* Plus, the mute button on the device makes a physical disconnection at the hardware level, following what the original Home Mini did. You will likewise find four [SK6812 RGB LEDs](https://www.amazon.com/BTF-LIGHTING-Individually-Addressable-Flexible-Non-Waterproof/dp/B079ZW1265?ref=itsfoss.com) (*for reference*) sitting in the same positions, acting as status indicators. Here are **the full specs** for you to go through: - **Main processor:** ESP32-S3 (*dual-core Xtensa LX7, 240 MHz*), 8 MB PSRAM, 16 MB flash. - **Audio processor:** XMOS XU316, 4 MB flash. - **Microphones:** 2× MEMS (*placed in the same location as the Home Mini*) - **LEDs:** 4× SK6812 RGB - **PCB:** 4-layer, 72 × 70 mm, HASL lead-free. - **Connectivity:** Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz) and Bluetooth 5.0 LE. - **License:** [CERN-OHL-S v2](https://spdx.org/licenses/CERN-OHL-S-2.0.html?ref=itsfoss.com) ## Get Yours At **$85**, the MiciMike board is available on [Crowd Supply](https://www.crowdsupply.com/micimike-rev-devices/micimike-home-mini-drop-in-pcb?ref=itsfoss.com), with orders estimated to ship around **October 1, 2026**. US shipping is free, but international buyers must pay an additional $12. The company behind it is the [Ireland](https://core.cro.ie/e-commerce/company/5715834?ref=itsfoss.com)\-based [MiciMike ReV Devices](https://micimike.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), led by ***Imre László***, who has put up the schematics, PCB design files, and the Bill of Materials on [GitHub](https://github.com/iMike78/home-mini-v1-drop-in-pcb?ref=itsfoss.com). The boards themselves are manufactured by [Elecrow](https://www.elecrow.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), a Shenzhen-based outfit behind a range of DIY and maker-focused hardware that we have covered [a fair bit](https://itsfoss.com/crowpanel-rotary-display-review/). Before you go, know that there are plans for **a drop-in replacement PCB for the Nest Mini**. You can read about it on the [official website](https://micimike.com/gen2.html?ref=itsfoss.com). [MiciMike Home Mini PCB (Crowd Supply)](https://www.crowdsupply.com/micimike-rev-devices/micimike-home-mini-drop-in-pcb?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **👉 Related project you can explore**: AsteriodOS is giving new life to old smartwatches. [8 Years Later, Linux-based AsteroidOS 2.0 is Here to Add New Life to Your Old SmartwatchThe AsteroidOS 2.0 release aims to provide a stable, beautiful base for people who want an open smartwatch today, and an interesting project for developers who want to experiment, learn and contribute.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-405.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/AsteroidOS.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/news/asteroidos-2-release/) ### LibreOffice Questions Whether Euro-Office is Truly Sovereign URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/tdf-calls-out-euro-office/ Last updated: 2026-05-07T02:42:42.000Z Before we dive into the topic at hand, you should know that [Euro-Office](https://itsfoss.com/news/onlyoffice-forked/) is a new European productivity project by Nextcloud and IONOS, which was forked from ONLYOFFICE. It is a self-hosted, web-based office suite built for organizations and governments that want collaborative document editing on their own infrastructure. A big part of it is **to move away from an office suite with ties to Russia**, which has triggered concerns over digital sovereignty. Following that, **The Document Foundation** (TDF), the nonprofit behind LibreOffice, [had put forward a question](https://blog.documentfoundation.org/blog/2026/04/01/euro-office/?ref=itsfoss.com), asking **what document format this suite would use as its native format**. They have received **no reply** and have put out [a thank-you post](https://blog.documentfoundation.org/blog/2026/05/05/thank-you-on-behalf-of-odf/?ref=itsfoss.com) to ODF contributors while taking a dig at Euro-Office's silence. ## TDF isn't happy Toward the end of March, TDF published [an open letter to European citizens](https://blog.documentfoundation.org/blog/2026/03/31/open-letter-to-european-citizens/?ref=itsfoss.com) arguing that digital sovereignty is not as simple as switching office software vendors. Real sovereignty, TDF said, requires open document formats, open fonts, and continuity of expertise, none of which come automatically with a vendor switch. Then came the issue of OOXML versus ODF. [OOXML](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office%5FOpen%5FXML?ref=itsfoss.com), the format used by Microsoft Office, is designed and controlled entirely by Microsoft. Any office suite that defaults to OOXML compatibility is still structurally dependent on decisions made in the U.S., regardless of where it is hosted. [ODF](https://www.oasis-open.org/committees/tc%5Fhome.php?wg%5Fabbrev=office&ref=itsfoss.com), the Open Document Format, **is what TDF wants Euro-Office to commit to instead**. It is an ISO standard, developed openly without a single company controlling it. They also noted that Euro-Office's launch press release made no mention of ODF as a native format and asked publicly whether it would be the default for documents created and shared between European public bodies. ## What does this mean? Euro-Office's [GitHub](https://github.com/Euro-Office?ref=itsfoss.com) does list ODF formats alongside DOCX, PPTX, and XLSX, so it's not like they've excluded open formats entirely. But their [FAQ](https://github.com/Euro-Office?ref=itsfoss.com#faq) frames the whole thing around "***great MS compatibility***," which is a problem. Supporting a format and making it your native default are two different things. The distinction is relevant for any European institution that actually wants to break the dependency on Microsoft rather than just move it to a different server rack. Whether Euro-Office addresses this directly or keeps quiet, TDF's question is now out there. And given that Germany has already [mandated ODF by law](https://itsfoss.com/news/germany-digital-stack-mandate/), it's not a question that's going away anytime soon. ### Should You Be Worried About The Copy Fail Linux Exploit? URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/copy-fail-linux-exploit/ Last updated: 2026-05-06T13:10:24.000Z 📋 TLDR: \- A 9-year-old bug was discovered recently. \- The vulnerability is already patched in the Linux kernel. \- Normal users could gain root access by running a small Python script. \- Not much of a bother for regular desktop Linux users who keep their systems updated. \- Could be problematic for cloud servers and containers if the kernel is not updated. A logic flaw that sat quietly in the Linux kernel since 2017 has finally been [found and disclosed](https://xint.io/blog/copy-fail-linux-distributions?ref=itsfoss.com). For a brief window, it let any unprivileged local user on a Linux system escalate to [root](https://itsfoss.com/root-user-ubuntu/#:~:text=the%20root%20user-,What%20is%20root%20user%3F,-Why%20is%20it) with a script smaller than most config files. The flaw is in a kernel subsystem that lets regular programs tap into built-in cryptographic functions. By feeding it file data in a specific way, an attacker can get the kernel to quietly overwrite 4 bytes of any file's in-memory copy. The actual file on disk stays intact the whole time, so any tool checking file integrity will see nothing wrong. The exploit is just **a 732-byte Python script** that doesn't require any additional dependencies or compilation. The vulnerability is tracked as [CVE-2026-31431](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-31431&ref=itsfoss.com), goes by the name "***Copy Fail***," and was discovered by researchers at [Theori](https://theori.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) using their AI security research tool, [Xint Code](https://xint.io/products/xint-code?ref=itsfoss.com). The security researchers tested it on **Ubuntu 24.04 LTS**, **Amazon Linux 2023**, **RHEL 10.1**, and **SUSE 16**, getting root on all four with the exact same script each time. They had reported the issue to the Linux kernel security team on March 23, received acknowledgment the next day, and had a patch proposed and reviewed by March 25\. The fix [was committed to mainline](https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/a664bf3d603dc3bdcf9ae47cc21e0daec706d7a5?ref=itsfoss.com) on April 1, with the CVE assigned on April 22, and public disclosure following on April 29 (*linked earlier*). ## Who needs to worry, and who doesn't? ![this picture shows six categories with different risk ratings for various linux setups](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/copy-fail-risk-tiers.png) According to the [Copy Fail](https://copy.fail/?ref=itsfoss.com) website hosted by Theori, the risk level varies quite a bit depending on how you run Linux. At the top are **multi-tenant Linux hosts**, Kubernetes and container clusters, CI runners and build farms, and cloud SaaS environments running user-supplied code. These all get a "*High*" risk rating. Containers and cloud workloads are especially exposed because the Linux page cache, the part of memory this exploit corrupts, is shared across the entire host, container boundaries included. A compromised container can take down the whole node, and a bad pull request run on a shared CI runner could hand an attacker root on that machine. **Standard Linux servers** where only the team running it has shell access get a "*Medium*" rating, whereas **personal desktops and laptops** are at the bottom with a "*Lower*" risk rating. Copy Fail needs local code execution to work, so it won't get anyone in remotely by itself. If malware is already running on your machine, this could be used to escalate to root, but that's a bigger problem either way. To fix this, patching the kernel is the way. Most major distros have updates out or on the way. If patching isn't immediately possible, Theori recommends blacklisting the `algif_aead` kernel module as a stopgap: ``` echo "install algif_aead /bin/false" > /etc/modprobe.d/disable-algif-aead.conf rmmod algif_aead 2>/dev/null ``` As of writing, [Microsoft has noted](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2026/05/01/cve-2026-31431-copy-fail-vulnerability-enables-linux-root-privilege-escalation/?ref=itsfoss.com) that exploitation remained "*limited and primarily observed in proof-of-concept testing*," so there's no confirmed mass-scale campaign just yet. That said, [CISA](https://www.cisa.gov/?ref=itsfoss.com), the US cybersecurity agency, has added Copy Fail to its [Known Exploited Vulnerabilities](https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?ref=itsfoss.com) (KEV) catalog, ordering US federal agencies [to patch their Linux systems](https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2026/05/01/cisa-adds-one-known-exploited-vulnerability-catalog?ref=itsfoss.com) by May 15. It also urged other organizations to treat it as a priority regardless of whether the federal deadline applies to them. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*VS Code Was Adding Copilot as a Git Co-Author Without Telling Anyone*](https://itsfoss.com/news/vs-code-credits-copilot-for-human-work/) [Typical Microsoft! Turns Out VS Code Was Adding Copilot as a Git Co-Author Without Telling AnyoneMicrosoft reversed the change after developers found the AI attribution line appearing even with Copilot disabled.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-397.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/vs-code-copilot-co-author-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/vs-code-credits-copilot-for-human-work/) ### Go Away Microsoft! The Netherlands is Quietly Building Its Own GitHub Replacement URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/netherlands-forgejo-migration/ Last updated: 2026-05-06T06:28:18.000Z Back in November 2025, [Jan Vlug](https://janvlug.org/blog/about/?ref=itsfoss.com), a software engineer who writes for the Dutch government's developer portal, put out [a detailed blog](https://developer.overheid.nl/blog/2025/11/11/git-forge-overheid?ref=itsfoss.com) recommending which [Git forge](https://itsfoss.com/github-alternatives/) the Netherlands should adopt for its governmental source code hosting needs. His post came at a time when the [Ministry of the Interior](https://www.government.nl/ministries/ministry-of-the-interior-and-kingdom-relations?ref=itsfoss.com) (BZK) was already setting up a dedicated Git instance, and the platform decision was still open. Currently, **the Dutch government's code is spread across GitHub and GitLab**, neither of which is under government oversight. [GitHub](https://github.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) got ruled out first because it's proprietary software, which directly conflicts with the government's own policy of preferring open source when options are equally suitable. [GitLab](https://about.gitlab.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) made it further in the evaluation but didn't survive it either. The issue was its [open-core model](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-core%5Fmodel?ref=itsfoss.com), where the *Community Edition* is genuinely free software but the *Enterprise Edition* is not. ## The solution ![this cropped screenshot of the forgejo official website shows a bunch of text and buttons on the left, on the right is the project's squirrel mascot](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/forgejo-webpage-cropped.png) [Forgejo](https://forgejo.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) came out on top due to its **fully free and open source nature**. Licensed under GPLv3+ and governed by [Codeberg e.V.](https://codeberg.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), a democratic nonprofit, it has no enterprise tier, proprietary upsell, or vendor lock-in problems. On April 24, 2026, ***code.overheid.nl*** had its [soft launch](https://www.nldigitalgovernment.nl/news/soft-launch-for-government-open-source-code-platform/?ref=itsfoss.com), with developer advocate [Tom Ootes](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tootes/?ref=itsfoss.com) writing about it on [developer.overheid.nl](https://developer.overheid.nl/blog/2026/04/24/we-gaan-samen-code-overheid-bouwen?ref=itsfoss.com). He framed it as **a collective project** to build something together rather than ship something finished. The platform is **a self-hosted Forgejo instance**, running on Dutch government infrastructure managed by [SSC-ICT](https://www.ssc-ict.nl/?ref=itsfoss.com) (DAWO). It's **free for all government organizations** and is built around the following goals. Open source development with proper Git tooling, including pull requests, issue tracking, and code reviews; government-wide collaboration to reduce duplicate development across agencies; and sovereignty through full control over the hosting environment. As mentioned earlier, **this initiative is still in the pilot phase**, with the rollout being kept deliberately gradual. Not every government organization can sign up yet, and the idea is to build it alongside the developers who will actually use it, with early participants encouraged to file issues and open pull requests on the platform itself. ## What's already in? ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/netherlands-forgejo-repos.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/netherlands-forgejo-organizations.png) **I had to translate the repos page to see what was in there.* The platform [is live](https://code.overheid.nl/?ref=itsfoss.com) and **already hosts some content**. The most notable presence is [Kiesraad](https://english.kiesraad.nl/?ref=itsfoss.com), the Dutch Electoral Council, which has pushed several election-related repositories including [Abacus](https://code.overheid.nl/Kiesraad/Abacus?ref=itsfoss.com), the software used for vote counting and seat distribution, and [e-KS](https://code.overheid.nl/Kiesraad/e-KS?ref=itsfoss.com), an electronic candidate nomination system. The Ministry of the Interior (BZK) has the [DAWO](https://code.overheid.nl/MinBZK/DAWO?ref=itsfoss.com) project (*their digital autonomous workplace initiative*) on there, along with a [DigiD](https://code.overheid.nl/MinBZK/woo-besluit-broncode-digid?ref=itsfoss.com) source code release published under a freedom of information ruling. **On the organization side**, the list of who has joined since the April 24 soft launch is telling. Multiple national ministries are already on the platform: [Finance](https://code.overheid.nl/MinFin?ref=itsfoss.com), [Foreign Affairs](https://code.overheid.nl/MinBZ?ref=itsfoss.com), [Agriculture](https://code.overheid.nl/MinLVVN?ref=itsfoss.com), and [Interior](https://code.overheid.nl/MinBZK?ref=itsfoss.com). Several major municipalities have also signed up, including [The Hague](https://code.overheid.nl/GemDenHaag?ref=itsfoss.com), [Utrecht](https://code.overheid.nl/GemUtrecht?ref=itsfoss.com), [Leiden](https://code.overheid.nl/GemLeiden?ref=itsfoss.com), and [Arnhem](https://code.overheid.nl/GemArnhem?ref=itsfoss.com). For a platform still in pilot with no formal launch announcement, that's a fairly significant roster. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*A Mobile Dev Hackathon is Coming to the Netherlands*](https://itsfoss.com/news/lomiri-tech-meeting/) [A Free Open Source Mobile Dev Hackathon Is Coming to the Netherlands on May 16OS-SCi’s Lomiri Tech Meeting includes keynotes, free books, and a new bounty program reveal.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-399.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/lomiri-tech-meeting-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/lomiri-tech-meeting/) ### Typical Microsoft! Turns Out VS Code Was Adding Copilot as a Git Co-Author Without Telling Anyone URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/vs-code-credits-copilot-for-human-work/ Last updated: 2026-05-05T10:35:42.000Z [VS Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) has been quietly appending a `Co-authored-by: Copilot` line to users' git commits, including ones written entirely without [Copilot](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/overview?ref=itsfoss.com)'s involvement. The culprit behind this, `git.addAICoAuthor`, is a feature that was introduced in [VS Code 1.110](https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1%5F110?ref=itsfoss.com) back in March. It is designed to tag commits with a Copilot co-author trailer when AI-generated code is involved, and it launched with `off` as the default. *So far good, right?* 🙂 That changed in April, when [Courtney Webster](https://github.com/cwebster-99?ref=itsfoss.com), a Product Manager at Microsoft, submitted [a pull request](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/pull/310226?ref=itsfoss.com) that changed one thing, the default value of `git.addAICoAuthor` [from *off* to *all*](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/pull/310226/commits/cfcebf4e9925a66a04988efc9e59ac7ea4c61dbd?ref=itsfoss.com). The PR was reviewed and merged by VS Code team member [Dmitriy Vasyura](https://github.com/dmitrivMS?ref=itsfoss.com) on April 16, without a release note or any kind of user-facing notification. ![a github screenshot that shows a merged pull request titled, "enabling ai co author by default"](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/enable-copoilot-by-default-vscode.png) The `all` setting is the broadest option available for `git.addAICoAuthor`, which added the Copilot trailer to every commit involving any AI interaction, including inline completions. With the default flipped to `all`, anyone who had not manually configured the setting **was suddenly getting Copilot credited in their git history**. Things got messier from there. Developers [reported](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/pull/310226?ref=itsfoss.com#issuecomment-4322105211) that the credit info (*trailer*) was appearing even with `chat.disableAIFeatures` set to `true`. The [trailer](https://git-scm.com/docs/git-interpret-trailers?ref=itsfoss.com) is also appended after the commit finalizes, not appearing in VS Code's commit message editor beforehand, so there was no window to catch and remove it before it showed up in git history. One developer replaced Copilot's generated commit message [with one they wrote themselves](https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/194075?ref=itsfoss.com), committed, and still found the Copilot co-author line sitting in their log. But fret not, as [the fix has been delivered](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/commit/d6c8e297aaca24517348fc1af11517a49e544320?ref=itsfoss.com). ## The Fix ![a small screenshot that shows an apology post by dmitriy vasyura who had enabled copilot attribution by default on vscode](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/dmitriy-vasyura-apology-over-copilot.png) **Dmitriy's apology over on* [**HackerNews*](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47991835&ref=itsfoss.com)**.* Dmitriy, the VS Code team member who merged the original PR, came forward on [Hacker News](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47991835&ref=itsfoss.com) over the weekend under the username *dmitriv*, specifically to address the fallout. Identifying himself as the person who approved the change, Dmitriy said that he was sorry for mistakenly turning on this feature by default without sufficient scrutiny. Also clarifying the following before the conspiracy theories started emerging: > There was no ill intent by evil corporation, but rather a desire to support functionality that some customers expect of VS Code w.r.t. AI-generated code. As folks mentioned here - many similar tools do this as well. The fix, now live on VS Code's GitHub repo as [PR #313931](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/pull/313931?ref=itsfoss.com), reverts `git.addAICoAuthor` back to `off` by default and corrects the detection issue that caused the trailer to appear even when Copilot was not in use. You can expect this change to land with the upcoming **VS Code 1.119 release**. *Via:* [*The Register*](https://www.theregister.com/2026/05/04/microsoft%5Freverses%5Fai%5Fcredit%5Fgrab/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### A Free Open Source Mobile Dev Hackathon is Coming to the Netherlands on May 16 URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/lomiri-tech-meeting/ Last updated: 2026-05-06T06:28:33.000Z OpenSource Science B.V., better known as [OS-SCi](https://os-sci.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), is a Netherlands-based institution that has a pretty specific focus. To train the next generation of developers exclusively on Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). They run bachelor's programs, modular courses, and student projects with [partners](https://os-sci.com/partner-organisations?ref=itsfoss.com) that include [LPI](https://www.lpi.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), [UBports](https://ubports.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), the [Rust Foundation](https://rustfoundation.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), and the [Python Institute](https://pythoninstitute.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). If the outfit still sounds unfamiliar, you are not alone. **OS-SCi doesn't get a lot of coverage, even in FOSS circles**. They are primarily education-focused, operating out of their Tilburg headquarters and working with universities to integrate open source into formal curricula. They also run [FOSSTech](https://fosstech.os-sci.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), a separate arm that delivers open source IT solutions to organizations. So it's not purely a school; there's a consultancy side to them too. All that context matters, because OS-SCi is about to [host something](https://os-sci.com/blog/our-blog-posts-1/codefest-190?ref=itsfoss.com) that might interest quite a few of you. ✋ OS-SCi refers to this event interchangeably as "**Lomiri Tech Meeting*," "**Lomiri CodeFest*," and "**Lomiri Hackathon*" across their own websites. We use "**Lomiri Tech Meeting*" throughout this article. As always, independently verify event details and the organizer before attending. ## Lomiri Tech Meeting ![cropped screenshot of the lomiri tech meeting registration page on os-sci's website](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/lomiri-tech-meeting-registration-page.png) The Lomiri Tech Meeting is a two-day, free hackathon aimed at students who want to get hands-on with open source mobile development. The focus is building apps for [Lomiri](https://lomiri.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Ubuntu Touch](https://www.ubuntu-touch.io/?ref=itsfoss.com), the mobile OS maintained by UBports. Two keynote speakers are confirmed. [Mike Gabriel](https://fosstodon.org/@sunweaver?ref=itsfoss.com), the project leader behind Lomiri's user interface, will be speaking. So will [Erik Mols](https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-mols-63b3285/?ref=itsfoss.com), who will use the event to announce the ***Lomiri Bounty Program***, a new initiative that would offer students real-world incentives to contribute to the Ubuntu Touch ecosystem. Every student who attends will be given **free copies of Lomiri App Development Level 1 and Level 2**. These are from a three-volume series that covers the platform's foundational concepts along with advanced procedures. Beyond the keynotes and books, the event is built around hands-on app development sessions guided by experts. The goal here seems to be that attendees leave having actually built something and not just sat through some presentations. ## Event Details and Registration The Lomiri Tech Meeting is open to students of all experience levels and will run from **May 16 to 17, 2026**, kicking off at 10:00 AM each day and wrapping up at 4:00 PM on the 17th. The venue is OS-SCi's headquarters at Spoorlaan 400, Tilburg, Netherlands. You can find it on [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/13703483763?ref=itsfoss.com#map=17/51.559394/5.085726) and [Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Spoorlaan+400,+5038+CG+Tilburg,+Netherlands/@51.5602278,5.0840263,19z/?ref=itsfoss.com). It sits very close to Tilburg's [main train station](https://www.ns.nl/en/featured/destinations/tilburg?ref=itsfoss.com) (*Station Tilburg*), which makes it fairly straightforward to reach by rail. The building also appears to have **some level of wheelchair accessibility**, but I recommend confirming that directly with OS-SCi before making travel arrangements. You can register for free on the [official event page](https://os-sci.com/event/lomiri-tech-meeting-24/register?ref=itsfoss.com). [Register Now!](https://os-sci.com/event/lomiri-tech-meeting-24/register?ref=itsfoss.com) ### What Are Linux Mint HWE ISOs and Do You Actually Need One? URL: https://itsfoss.com/linux-mint-hwe-images/ Last updated: 2026-05-04T12:17:12.000Z Earlier this year, the Linux Mint project announced [a significant shift](https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=4991&ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=for%20most%20users.-,Longer%20Development%20Cycle,-If%20we%20look) in how it shipped releases, hinting at a longer cycle. Project lead Clement Lefebvre had pointed out that the existing pattern of a new release every six months, on top of maintaining [LMDE](https://linuxmint.com/download%5Flmde.php?ref=itsfoss.com), was leaving the team spending more time on testing and release management than on actual development. By [March 2026](https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=5019&ref=itsfoss.com), a decision had been made, with **Linux Mint 23 now targeted for a Christmas 2026 release**, making it the longest gap between major releases the project has seen. The next release will be based on [Ubuntu 26.04 LTS](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-04-lts/), will drop the long-used Ubiquity installer in favor of the live installer from LMDE, and ship with **a functional Wayland session**. But the thing is, a longer wait works fine for existing users on a supported install. The problem is anyone trying to install Mint on very new hardware, where [Linux 6.14](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-6-14/) in the January ISO may not have the support they need. To tackle that, the developers have introduced [a new ISO](https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=5022&ref=itsfoss.com) that looks to improve compatibility with newer hardware. ## What's happening? ![a cropped screenshot of the hwe isos page on linux mint's official website](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/05/linux-mint-hwe-iso-portal.png) Linux Mint has published HWE ISO images for [Linux Mint 22.3](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-mint-22-3-release/), where HWE stands for *Hardware Enablement*, and these are distinct from the regular Mint 22.3 ISOs. These ISOs ship with [Linux kernel 6.17](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-6-17/) instead of Linux 6.14 the original images came with. **Don't think that these are new releases**; rather, the HWE bit ensures that you get support for newer hardware, while the underlying system remains Linux Mint 22.3 in every way, fully put through the Mint team's QA process. The team also plans to keep this up, publishing fresh HWE ISOs each time a newer kernel lands in the package base. So the waiting period until Mint 23 in December should not leave new hardware users without a compatible release. **For context on how kernels work in the 22.x series**: the LTS kernel at 6.8 is what Mint 22 and 22.1 came with, while Mint 22.2 and 22.3 moved to the HWE track, starting at 6.14 and now sitting at 6.17\. Either way, both tracks get security updates and are actively looked after. If you are already running an up-to-date Linux Mint 22.3 install, you are likely already on kernel 6.17 and do not need to touch the HWE ISO. The images are primarily useful at the installation stage, for machines where the regular ISO will not boot or install cleanly due to hardware compatibility concerns. ## Who's this for? Very new laptops and desktops with components that require a kernel newer than 6.14 will need the HWE ISOs. Of course, if the regular ISO works fine on your machine, then there is no reason to look at the HWE version. There is also **an important caveat worth flagging** before you reach for one. The Linux Mint folks specifically call out NVIDIA, Broadcom, and VirtualBox users as instances where things can get complicated since proprietary and third-party modules can run into compatibility problems on newer kernels. The HWE ISOs are listed on [a dedicated page](https://www.linuxmint.com/hwe.php?ref=itsfoss.com), which currently shows the Linux Mint 22.3 HWE ISO with Linux 6.17\. The page includes an extensive list of mirror links across *North America*, *Europe*, *Asia*, *Africa*, and *South America*, so a fast download source should not be hard to find. [Linux Mint HWE ISOs](https://www.linuxmint.com/hwe.php?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Ubuntu’s Official Flavour List Is Shrinking, And That’s Not a Bad Thing URL: https://itsfoss.com/opinion/ubuntu-official-flavours-shrinking/ Last updated: 2026-05-02T15:32:53.000Z Choice is one of the hallmarks of Linux, to the point that both “distro fever” and “distro fatigue” are alive in equal measure. Historically, Ubuntu has also been known the same. Different stroke for the wide range of folks who make Ubuntu their Linux home. Many of us see this wide selection of choices as a plus, and with good reason: we get to pick and choose our exact experience and tailor it to our needs. [Ubuntu’s flavour ecosystem](https://itsfoss.com/which-ubuntu-install/) has long reflected this ethos rather well: Don't want GNOME? Use Kubuntu. Need something lighter? You can choose Xubuntu or Lubuntu. Need something more specialised? Take your pick of Edubuntu, Ubuntu Studio, and others. On paper, it’s the Linux philosophy of choice perfected. But there comes a point where adding more official flavours stops feeling like a strength, and starts raising a more uncomfortable question: how many of these options still make sense as *official* Ubuntu projects? Because fewer official flavours is healthier than keeping an inflated list of under-resourced projects alive just for the sake of it. We need less *scattering*, and more ***mattering***. ## Choice itself isn’t the problem: clarity is ![A screenshot of the official Ubuntu flavors page, showing the available flavours](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/image-50.png) There are currently 10 official flavours listed on the "Ubuntu flavors" page Before I continue, it’s important for me to clarify one thing: I’m not arguing against choice itself. I’m making a case for greater clarity. Choice properly \*applied\*, not just translated to availability. After all, choice is one of the very reasons we *choose* Linux over other options. We want the ecosystem within the ecosystem, and we’d be lost without this flexibility. Ubuntu is still arguably the best-known Linux distribution outside the Linux community itself. For many people, it is the first distro they hear of, the first one they search for, and often the first one they install. That visibility matters, and it can carry almost anything to a higher echelon just by association. It also means Ubuntu has a different responsibility from smaller, newer, and more niche projects. #### Without meaning, choice gets noisy It’s important to understand that the problem isn’t that Ubuntu offers different flavours overall, but that some of these choices can be difficult to justify, maintain, and uniquely define over time. A newcomer landing on the [Ubuntu Flavours page](https://ubuntu.com/desktop/flavors?ref=itsfoss.com) isn’t thinking about packaging work, release engineering, or maintainer burnout. They’re thinking something much simpler: ***Which one am I supposed to choose?*** The more crowded that menu becomes, the more likely it is that the answer starts to feel murky, especially if the defining characteristics of any particular flavour are harder to distinguish from another. This doesn’t mean that Ubuntu should strip away all variety and become a one-size-fits-all distro. That would only violate the key foundation that’s made Ubuntu successful in the first place. What it does mean, is that the official choices should “Just make sense” overall. ## “Official” carries a greater set of expectations When most users hear the word “official”, it introduces connotations and ideas that can’t (or at least shouldn’t) be easily ignored. This is where the conversation becomes less about desktop preferences and default apps, and more about polish, user experience, and sustainability. An “official” Ubuntu flavour isn’t just a remix with its own logo and download page. Ubuntu’s own [”RecognizedFlavors” wiki page](https://wiki.ubuntu.com/RecognizedFlavors?ref=itsfoss.com) makes it clear that recognised flavours are expected to have maintainers, participate in the official release cycle, follow QA coordination and bug tracking, and must have developers with the right access and experience to help keep things working across the release cycle. That’s a lot more than building a custom ISO that some people might like. #### Being blessed with “official status" is not a free ride ![A screenshot of the official Kubuntu website](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/image-51.png) The official Kubuntu website ([https://kubuntu.org/](https://kubuntu.org/?ref=itsfoss.com)) The same page also makes it clear that Canonical does **not** simply take care of everything for these official flavours. There are limits around testing, upgrades, packages outside the main Ubuntu images, along with broader support obligations. So while flavours benefit from the wider Ubuntu base, being official still comes with a real maintenance burden. This matters because community resources aren’t infinite, no matter how large or passionate the community. There are only so many developers, packagers, testers, documenters, and maintainers actually doing the work that makes a distro possible, and some actually devote their time and investment to multiple projects at a time. Every additional official flavour draws from this limited pool of active contributors, and demands a greater collective attention. Therefore, it’s about way more than just giving end users more options. It’s another project (or set of projects) that needs ongoing attention, another arena for upstreams to pay attention to, another release that needs to be kept healthy, and another experience that has to reflect the image of Ubuntu well. Once you look at it that way, just adding more flavours sounds way less appealing without adding the robust backing needed to make them possible. ## Passion and enthusiasm don’t automatically become maintenance ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/image-52.png) Ubuntu GNOME is no more, despite providing a purer GNOME experience (image source: [Wikimedia](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ubuntu%5FGnome%5F17.04.png?ref=itsfoss.com), [CC0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en?ref=itsfoss.com)) One of the harder realities in open source is that a passionate user base does not automatically become a strong maintainer base. That’s not an indictment against users either; most people are genuinely better positioned to be good users than contributors, maintainers, packagers, developers, testers, documenters, or advocates. Even in dedicated communities, not everyone has the skills, time, or financial stability to support a project in those ways. This remains true when we talk about Ubuntu flavours as well. A current example is [Ubuntu MATE](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/ubuntu-mate-seeking-maintainers/79264?ref=itsfoss.com). In March 2026, project [lead Martin Wimpress said his involvement in the project was coming to a close](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-mate-leadership-crisis/) and asked for new maintainers to step up in his stead. Ubuntu MATE still has a clear identity and a loyal community, but loyalty isn’t the same thing as leadership or maintainership. The frank reality is that if too few people are able to carry the technical and organisational burden, even a respected official flavour can start to feel the strain. That tension is visible in the current release cycle too, with the [Ubuntu 26.04 LTS release notes](https://documentation.ubuntu.com/release-notes/26.04/?ref=itsfoss.com) linking nine official flavour release-note pages rather than ten. Why? Because Ubuntu MATE is missing from the list. It’s not just Ubuntu MATE either: the [Lubuntu](https://lubuntu.me/lubuntu-25-10-questing-quokka-released/?ref=itsfoss.com) team has openly said it has less development manpower than before, while [Ubuntu Unity](https://ubuntuunity.org/downloads/?ref=itsfoss.com) says 26.04 is a regular release because key milestones were missed. All told, the broader point is clear: adding more official flavours doesn’t magically create more maintainers. It just spreads limited labour across more projects, and as Ubuntu continues to spread its wings even further, that labour is not getting any lighter. ## Some flavours clearly earn their place ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/image-53.png) [Ubuntu Studio](https://ubuntustudio.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) has long proven itself a worthy offering Another key point to acknowledge here is that not every flavour adds the same kind of value for users. Some have a very clear reason to exist, such as providing a streamlined experience for a popular desktop environment that would otherwise be diminished by mixing it into a standard Ubuntu desktop base. A few examples of these include Kubuntu (for KDE Plasma), Xubuntu (for XFCE), and Lubuntu (for LXDE). Edubuntu and Ubuntu Studio serve a different kind of need, but both clearly establish themselves as necessary based on their defined purposes. Strong purpose at the core matters because maintaining a flavour isn’t getting easier. Ubuntu’s flavour teams must keep up with the parent distro’s changes and innovations, including installer changes, release engineering, and core infrastructural changes whether to the OS itself or to build systems and other “backroom” aspects of the distro. So while the loss of convenience for some users can be understandably frustrating, it’s important to remember that it’s a balance of choice versus the reality of making these choices possible. And this is really the distinction Ubuntu as a whole is forced to care about: not whether a flavour *can* exist at all, but whether it still makes sense for it to become (and remain) official long term. ## Ubuntu can’t be the lab for everything Ubuntu has often served as a proving ground for the Linux desktop as a whole. To some degree, other distributions have caught up and even surpassed it in many ways (take Fedora, for instance), but this doesn’t change the fact that the historical framing still holds strong. Ubuntu-based efforts have helped push things forward on the Linux desktop more than once, and projects like KDE Neon have shown how the Ubuntu base can be a solid foundation for showcasing where a desktop stack is heading. This history of experimentation and iteration without compromising stability and quality has been key to Ubuntu’s success, and is one of the reasons Ubuntu has been chosen as the base for projects like Mint, Zorin and others. ### There must be boundaries Ubuntu itself can’t be the long-term official home for *every* experiment, budding desktop environment, or project that once felt promising but no longer has the momentum or community investment to justify and sustain its titular brand. At some point, definition, focus, and purpose must take precedent over ideas and good intentions. Ubuntu has long positioned itself around usability, polish, and accessibility, and the legacy must mean something in the long run. “Linux for human beings” only works as an ethos if official experiences carrying the Ubuntu name are a true reflection of that very concept. A poorly maintained, lagging, or half-broken flavour isn't a sign of openness. It's a sign that the core idea may not be enough to carry the weight of its own success. ## A smaller official line-up can actually be a stronger one I don’t see Ubuntu’s shrinking official flavour list as bad news. If anything, it I see it like as a difficult, but necessary correction (just don’t call me Thanos, I *don’t* think he was right). A leaner, better-focused, better-supported line-up of official flavours is healthier than an extensive list held together by fatigue and goodwill. It’s better for users, because the choices are clearer and more likely to be finely polished. It’s better for maintainers, because their efforts aren’t being spread quite so thin. Most importantly, it’s better for Ubuntu as a whole, because Ubuntu is as much a product and a brand as it is an idea. Besides, this is Linux, and there will always be remixes, spins, experiments, and community projects that blow our minds with what’s possible, even if they don’t always last as long as others. Choice isn’t going away, nor should it. But the *official* Ubuntu flavour list will only be better off *not* being the umbrella for everything. ### Microsoft Marks 45 Years of DOS by Open-Sourcing Its Oldest-Known Source Code URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/ms-dos-early-code-open-sourced/ Last updated: 2026-04-30T15:43:47.000Z Before Microsoft became the company that shipped Windows to corporate desks around the world, it had to start somewhere. That somewhere was a scrappy little operating system written by one guy at [Seattle Computer Products](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle%5FComputer%5FProducts?ref=itsfoss.com). [Tim Paterson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim%5FPaterson?ref=itsfoss.com) built what he initially called [QDOS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/86-DOS?ref=itsfoss.com), short for *Quick and Dirty Operating System*, in 1980\. Intel's 8086 chip was out, but [CP/M](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CP/M?ref=itsfoss.com), the dominant OS of the time, had no 8086 support. He wrote something to fill that gap, modeling the CP/M API so existing software would run on it. Microsoft bought the rights to [86-DOS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/86-DOS?ref=itsfoss.com) for just under $100,000, shipped it to IBM as **PC DOS 1.0** in August 1981, and retained the rights to sell the same OS to other PC manufacturers as MS-DOS. That single deal set Microsoft on the path to dominating personal computing for the next two decades. ## Fast forward to now ![a cropped screenshot that shows paterson listings on github with a picture of tim paterson visible in the middle](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/Screenshot-From-2026-04-30-14-44-23.png) On April 28, the 45th anniversary of 86-DOS 1.00, Microsoft published [a blog post](https://opensource.microsoft.com/blog/2026/04/28/continuing-the-story-of-early-dos-development/?ref=itsfoss.com) announcing that **the earliest known DOS source code is now publicly available on GitHub**, under the MIT license. And the story behind it is an interesting one. Tim did not hand over a tidy source archive; instead, what he kept were physical assembler printouts and stacks of continuous-feed paper from 1981 that he had held onto over the decades. Getting those into usable shape took effort, with historians [Yufeng Gao](https://thebrokenpipe.com/blog/86-dos-0-11-from-scratch/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Rich Cini](http://cini.classiccmp.org/recoveryblog.htm?ref=itsfoss.com) having to locate, scan, and transcribe the DOS-related portions into compilable code. What's included are the 86-DOS 1.00 kernel, several development snapshots of the PC-DOS 1.00 kernel, utilities like [CHKDSK](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/chkdsk?ref=itsfoss.com), and the assembler Paterson used to write the OS itself. ## Who's this for? Honestly, **seeing Microsoft open up old code is not that surprising anymore**. [6502 BASIC](https://itsfoss.com/news/basic-6502-open-source/) went open source in September 2025\. [MS-DOS 4.0](https://opensource.microsoft.com/blog/2024/04/25/open-sourcing-ms-dos-4-0/?ref=itsfoss.com) in 2024\. [MS-DOS 1.25 and 2.0](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/commandline/re-open-sourcing-ms-dos-1-25-and-2-0/?ref=itsfoss.com) back in 2018\. There is a clear pattern at this point. If you are into [retro computing](https://itsfoss.com/tag/retro/) or low-level systems work, this is genuinely worth digging into. The source code is compilable, and you will need a copy of Seattle Computer Products' ASM assembler, which you can pull from any 86-DOS or early MS-DOS release. The [GitHub](https://github.com/DOS-History/Paterson-Listings?ref=itsfoss.com) repository's *README* has the necessary steps for you to follow. [DOS 1.00](https://github.com/DOS-History/Paterson-Listings?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Someone Turned a PS5 Into a Linux Gaming PC*](https://itsfoss.com/news/run-linux-on-ps5/) [Someone Turned a PS5 Into a Linux Gaming PC, and It Actually WorksIt runs Linux, plays Steam games, and only time will tell how long before Sony DMCAs it.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-395.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-on-ps5-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/run-linux-on-ps5/) ### FOSS Weekly #26.18: Ubuntu's AI Move, New Entry in Home Directory, New Ubuntu Terminal, Fedora 44 Release and More Linux Stuff URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-18/ Last updated: 2026-04-30T13:07:21.000Z The big news is that Linux distros are getting [a standard *Projects* folder](https://itsfoss.com/news/new-projects-directory-linux/) alongside *Documents*, *Music*, and *Downloads*. Most people already create one manually, but now it's official, and apps can start using it as a default location too. So it's more than just 'mkdir Projects", it has actual use. Although, I am curious what kind of icon this new Projects directoy will get 😄 **Here are other highlights of this edition of FOSS Weekly:** - Firefox quietly using Brave's ad blocker. - A series of new Ubuntu releases. - Warp terminal going open source. - Hackers hijacking a package and publishing it to PyPI. - And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes! ## 📰 Linux and Open Source News Firefox 149 [has quietly shipped](https://itsfoss.com/news/firefox-ships-brave-adblock-engine/) Brave's open source adblock-rust engine with no mention in the release notes. It's disabled by default with no UI, but can be enabled via about:config. MinIO's GitHub repo has been archived again after going into maintenance mode last year. If you're running it in production, then [it is time for a change](https://itsfoss.com/news/minio-moves-away-from-open-source/). [Ubuntu 26.04 LTS "*Resolute Raccoon*"](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-04-lts/) is out. You get GNOME 50, Linux kernel 7.0, Wayland-only, five new default apps, deb packages back in App Center, and post-quantum crypto out of the box. It's flavors have also gotten releases, and we have already checked out what [Kubuntu 26.04](https://itsfoss.com/news/kubuntu-26-04-lts/) and [Lubuntu 26.04](https://itsfoss.com/news/lubuntu-26-04-lts/) offer. A flaw in Elementary Data's GitHub Actions workflow let an attacker push [a backdoored version](https://itsfoss.com/news/elementary-data-cli-hijack/) to PyPI in under ten minutes. If you have elementary-data 0.23.3 installed, you got work to do. LVFS, the service behind Linux firmware updates, has one full-time developer and no security team. Vendors consuming millions of downloads without contributing now face download quotas and feature restrictions [until they sponsor the project](https://itsfoss.com/news/lvfs-consumption-quota/). [Fedora 44](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-44-release/) is out after a two-week delay. It is powered by Linux 6.19, includes GNOME 50 and Plasma 6.6, has NTSYNC for better Windows game performance, and a completely refreshed Games Lab spin. In related news, [Microsoft might be looking to rebase Azure Linux on Fedora](https://itsfoss.com/news/azure-linux-fedora-rebase-speculation/). In an interesting development, AI-focused [Warp terminal is now open source](https://itsfoss.com/news/warp-goes-open-source/). Good to see them finally making the right decision. [Good News! AI-first Warp Terminal is Now Open SourceYears after the idea was first floated, Warp’s dual MIT and AGPL-licensed code is finally on GitHub.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-391.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/warp-open-source.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/news/warp-goes-open-source/) ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About [AI is coming to Ubuntu](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-is-getting-ai/), and Canonical's approach is local-first with open-weight models delivered via snaps. [Ubuntu is Going Big on AI (But Not The Copilot Kind You Dread)Canonical’s plan favors local inference and open models over cloud-dependent AI services.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-390.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/ubuntu-ai-roadmap-banner-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-is-getting-ai/) There is a petition asking for a native Linux version of a 3D architectural modeling program Rhino 3D. If you can, please sign it. This may result in bringing a mainstream app to Linux, which may help grow Linux adoption. [Rhino 3D natively for Linux - Online petitionAs the ultra long thread in the McNeel Discourse Forum shows, we (the Rhino user base) have a strong need for Rhino running natively on Linux. Please subschribe to this petition to collect the number of people interest and show McNeel this is a relevant part in their business strategy.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-6.png)openPetition![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/default_petition.jpg)](https://www.openpetition.org/us/petition/online/rhino-3d-natively-for-linux?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings [GSConnect](https://itsfoss.com/gsconnect/) is the GNOME extension that brings KDE Connect to your desktop, letting you share files, sync notifications, use your phone as a trackpad, and mount Android folders over Wi-Fi. Forgot your Ubuntu root password? You can boot into recovery mode, [use the dpkg repair option](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-reset-lost-root-password/) to get a root shell, and reset it with `passwd`. Work only on systems with a root password set. If you are using KDE, check out [lesser known features in Konsole terminal](https://itsfoss.com/konsole-terminal-tweaks/). ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner [LeafKVM](https://itsfoss.com/news/leafkvm-crowdfunding/) is an open source KVM-over-IP device in a CNC aluminum case, built on Rust and Buildroot. [Will You Pay $119 For This Open Source KVM Built on Rust and Buildroot?The LeafKVM packs a 2.4-inch touchscreen, Wi-Fi 5, and PoE into a CNC aluminum box.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-392.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/leafkvm-banner-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/leafkvm-crowdfunding/) Tired of AI fluff and misinformation in your Google feed? Get real, trusted Linux content. Add It’s FOSS as your preferred source and see our reliable Linux and open-source stories highlighted in your Discover feed and search results. [Add It's FOSS as preferred source on Google (if you use it) ](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=itsfoss.com&ref=itsfoss.com) ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights [WSL9x](https://itsfoss.com/news/wsl9x-overview/) is a project that does the opposite of what you'd expect. Instead of running Linux apps on Windows, it runs a modern Linux kernel 6.19 inside Windows 95, 98, or ME [Microsoft Has WSL, But This Developer Built One for Windows 95WSL9x lets you run a modern Linux kernel 6.19 inside Windows 9x without needing virtualization.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-393.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/wsl9x-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/wsl9x-overview/) An It's FOSS reader [shared a project he made that shows a map of where your computer is connects](https://github.com/olalie/tapmap?ref=itsfoss.com). If you are into networking or just plain curious, you could give it a try. [GitHub - olalie/tapmap: See where your computer connects and what stands out on a live world map.See where your computer connects and what stands out on a live world map. - olalie/tapmap![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/pinned-octocat-093da3e6fa40-32.svg)GitHubolalie![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/tapmap)](https://github.com/olalie/tapmap?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 📽️ Videos for You [Resharing the terminal customization video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffmm80%5FCii4&ref=itsfoss.com) for the new readers. It's a detailed, step by step tutorial on how to make your terminal look as beautiful as the ones you see in our screenshots. [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip You can use the [Vitals](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/1460/vitals/?ref=itsfoss.com) GNOME Shell extension to add more system monitor readings to the GNOME top panel. Click on Vitals in the top panel, and select the values you want in the panel. Deselect the ones you don't need to hide them from the panel. Do note that the hidden ones are still visible when you are in the drop-down view. Hidden or not, these values are all still accessible in the dropdown view of the extension. 0:00 /0:33 1× [](https://t43217012.p.clickup-attachments.com/t43217012/da09f1e7-b651-4c93-b93b-141e46671d4b/copy-link-to-highlight-firefox.png?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse Test your Linux command line knowledge [in this fun quiz](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/guess-the-errors/). [Guess the Errors With These Linux CommandsPut your Linux command line knowledge to some test.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-396.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/command-error-guess-quiz-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/guess-the-errors/) This is just Microsoft thing 👇 ![Microsoft data privacy issue](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/microsoft-privacy-meme.jpg) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On [May 2, 1983](https://www.computerhistory.org/tdih/may/2/?ref=itsfoss.com), Microsoft introduced its two-button [Microsoft Mouse](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft%5FMouse?ref=itsfoss.com) alongside the new Microsoft Word processor. Despite manufacturing around 100,000 units for IBM and IBM-compatible PCs, the company sold only 5,000 before eventually finding success with a much-improved version. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: Pro FOSSer Dan [is in a limbo](https://itsfoss.community/t/why-ubuntu-sucks-a-lot-of-the-time/15637?ref=itsfoss.com) where an update broke file thumbnails on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. And I am working on a complete overhaul of the It's FOSS Plus portal. Stay tuned for that. ### 7 Features I Like in Ptyxis (The New Default Ubuntu Terminal) URL: https://itsfoss.com/ptyxis-terminal-features/ Last updated: 2026-04-30T12:33:09.000Z Ptyxis is a modern terminal emulator built with GTK4 and libadwaita. It provides a cohesive look for the GNOME desktop, making it feel like a natural part of the system. The application was specifically developed to meet the needs of modern software development workflows. In my opinion, its standout feature is the seamless container support for tools like [Podman](https://linuxhandbook.com/courses/podman/?ref=itsfoss.com), [Distrobox](https://itsfoss.com/distrobox/), and Toolbox. [Ptyxis](https://gitlab.gnome.org/chergert/ptyxis?ref=itsfoss.com) is rapidly gaining popularity across the Linux community. It has already become the default terminal for many modern distributions, including Fedora and the upcoming Ubuntu releases. As I have been using it for some months now, let me share some of my favorite features in this new terminal. I hope you like them as much as I do. 📋 The screenshots in this article uses customized prompt. The default Ptyxis terminal doesn't look like this. You can get the [config file on our GitHub repo](https://github.com/itsfoss/desktop-customization?ref=itsfoss.com) or watch this [video tutorial on terminal customization](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffmm80%5FCii4&ref=itsfoss.com). ## Tabs and Overview The first thing you notice when opening Ptyxis is the tabs and overview system. While other emulators like GNOME Terminal or [Kitty](https://itsfoss.com/kitty-customization/) use a standard tab bar, Ptyxis introduces a visual tab selector that feels very similar to the GNOME Activities overview. ![A screenshot showing the tabs overview in Ptyxis terminal emulator.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/tab-overview-ptyxis.png) Tabs Overview If you have multiple tabs open, you can simply click the Show open tabs button in the top-right of the title bar. ![Click on the show open tabs button on the top-right of the title bar to open the Tab overview in Ptyxis terminal emulator.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/click-on-overview-button.png) Click on Tab Overview (Show open tabs) button This opens an interface where each tab displays its title alongside a small preview, making it easy to see exactly what is running before you click back into a full view. The flexibility here is excellent because you can drag and drop tabs in the overview to rearrange them. Rearrange tabs by drag and drop You can also pin important tabs to keep them visible at the top of the list at all times. Pin tabs in overview My favorite feature, however, is the ability to easily custom name your tabs and search through them later. By right-clicking a tab in the overview and selecting "Set title," you can choose to either prepend a name to the default process or create a completely custom title. Renaming a tab in Ptyxis Once your tabs are named, you can use the search button in the top-left of the title bar to find exactly what you need. This is incredibly helpful when you are managing a large number of active sessions simultaneously. Search for Tabs in overview 📋 When you have multiple terminal sessions, the tab and overview feature helps a great deal in finding the right tab in the same application interface. ## Color Schemes A standout feature of Ptyxis is the support for a wide range of preset color schemes. You can access these options by opening the preferences window through the three-dots menu in the top-right of the title bar. ![Open the Preferences window of the Ptyxis terminal emulator from the three dots menu button in the top-right of the title bar.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/open-preferences.png) Open Preferences Once inside the Appearance tab, click on the "Show all palettes" option to see the full list. The interface provides a neat preview for each selection, and your chosen theme is applied immediately. All color schemes in Ptyxis terminal. In my opinion, the way these colors adapt is impressive. The scheme is applied intelligently to the tab bar as well, ensuring the entire terminal maintains a cohesive and professional look. Among the vast list of options, I have a few specific favorites that I think look incredible. Omni, Pixiefloss, and Tomorrow Night, Ubuntu are all excellent choices that provide a very modern feel. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/omni.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/pixiefloss.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/tomorrow-night.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/ubuntu.png) Themes applied in the order: Omni, Pixiefloss, Tomorrow Night, Ubuntu 📋 It's not just the dark and light mode. That's too simplistic. You have plenty of color themes to choose from. ## Scrollback Search The ability to search through what appears on your screen is a massive help during long sessions. While tools like grep are great for text files, you often need to find specific information directly within the shell scrollback. For example, if you have displayed a massive log file using the cat command, you can quickly find what you need without re-running the command. By pressing `SHIFT + CTRL + F`, a search interface opens at the bottom of the terminal. ![The scrollback search interface in the Ptyxis terminal emulator.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/scrollback-search-interface.png) Scrollback Search Interface The extra search filters provides better matching. You can choose to match case, match whole words, or even use regular expressions to narrow down your results. ![Search criterias in Ptyxis terminal emulator, including match case, match whole words, and use regular expressions.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/scrollback-search-criteria.png) Scrollback Search Criteria The interface includes simple navigation buttons to move up and down through your search matches. This makes it incredibly easy to jump between different instances of a term within a long output. Searching in the Scrollback contents 📋 This has been a struggle in standard terminals. Finding text that has been displayed on the screen earlier is a good productivity booster for me. ## Container Support This is the flagship feature of Ptyxis. The terminal works directly with container technologies like Podman, Distrobox, and Toolbox to make your development workflow much smoother. If your system has containers using these platforms, Ptyxis detects them automatically and provides a dedicated way to access them. You can simply click the dropdown button in the top-left of the title bar and select a specific container from the list to launch it instantly. Enter a container using Dropdown menu The `ptyxis-agent` coordinates with your system to handle the discovery and management of these environments. For example, if you are using Distrobox, Ptyxis will execute the proper run commands for you behind the scenes. 📋 The lack of Docker integration is surely a letdown. While you can still run [Docker CLI commands](https://linuxhandbook.com/essential-docker-commands/?ref=itsfoss.com) manually, the terminal will not detect them automatically or allow you to enter them through the UI like it does for Podman. No matter how good Podman is, Docker is still omnipresent. I am lowkey disappointed that it cannot detect docker containers. ## Profiles Okay. This is not new. Almost all modern terminals support the profile feature and yet I think that profiles are the most underrated feature that many people often ignore. How do they help? Let's say you [want to try a new shell like ZSH](https://linuxhandbook.com/why-zsh/?ref=itsfoss.com), you can create a specific profile for it instead of changing your entire system shell. You could also create a dedicated profile for a terminal multiplexer like [Zellij](https://zellij.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com). ![A list of custom profiles created in Ptyxis terminal. The screenshot shows the profiles page in preferences, that list all profiles available.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/custom-profiles-in-ptyxis.png) Custom Profiles Ptyxis has excellent support for profile creation and management. You can find these options in the Profile section of the Preferences window. By default, you will only see an Untitled Profile, but you can use the Add Profile button to create something new. The profile creation dialog is vast and offers many different options. ![Click on the Add Profile button to create a new custom profile in Ptyxis.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/click-on-add-profiles-button.png) Click on Add Profile button You can set specific color schemes, choose a custom shell, or even assign a default container to a profile. For example, I can create a profile that automatically opens my Ubuntu Distrobox container every time I launch it. Once your profiles are set up, you can set one as the default for all future terminals. Alternatively, you can quickly switch between your different profiles using the dropdown menu in the title bar. 💡 I suggest that you do not alter the default profile. This will be very beneficial if you ever mess up a configuration and need to restore the original behavior. ## Context Awareness Ptyxis can intelligently identify your current context, such as active root privileged windows or [SSH connections](https://itsfoss.com/set-up-ssh-ubuntu/). This provides immediate visual feedback about the environment you are working in. For example, if you run a command using [sudo](https://itsfoss.com/sudo-tips/), the title bar of the terminal turns red to notify you of the changed privilege level. If you log in as the root user, the title bar remains red until you finally log out. 0:00 /0:11 1× Ptyxis titlebar color change for previlieged windows. 📋 In my opinion, this is an excellent communication method for the user. it provides a clear warning about the caution needed while interacting with the terminal in a high-privilege state. ## Some hidden gems Apart from the major features I mentioned above, Ptyxis also has a few more tiny functions that deserve attention. The Shortcuts option in the Preferences window allows you to alter existing keyboard combinations or add new ones for various terminal actions. The Shortcuts page in the Preferences window allow you to change the existing shortcuts or add new shortcuts to various terminal actions. An advanced addition is the Terminal Inspector. This tool allows you to monitor exactly what is running in the terminal at any given moment, which is a massive advantage for developers. Ptyxis terminal inspector You can use the inspector to track underlying shell processes, monitor mouse pointer locations, and even peek at OSC (Operating System Command) hyperlinks. It is a specialized feature that makes debugging terminal-based applications much easier than before. ## I can see why Ubuntu and Fedora made it default Ptyxis is a good upgrade from the classic GNOME Terminal. While the container integration might not be for everyone, the app has significantly improved many day-to-day features that improve the overall experience. What do you think about this new terminal emulator? Will you use it as your main terminal, or are you sticking with your current favorite? Share your opinions in the comments section! ### Someone Turned a PS5 Into a Linux Gaming PC, and It Actually Works URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/run-linux-on-ps5/ Last updated: 2026-04-30T10:11:42.000Z Linux gaming has been on a great trajectory these past few years. [Proton](https://github.com/valvesoftware/proton?ref=itsfoss.com) turned a massive chunk of the Steam library into playable Linux titles thanks to [Wine](https://www.winehq.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) as its backbone, and purpose-built Linux gaming consoles are now a product category that actually exists. We recently covered the [Playnix Console](https://itsfoss.com/news/playnix-linux-console/), a $1,179 Linux gaming machine from the EmuDeck team that ships with a custom Arch-based OS and boots straight into Steam's gaming mode. Today, we have a project that lets you run a Linux-powered operating system on Sony's [PlayStation 5](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/ps5/?ref=itsfoss.com) console. ## Running Linux on a PS5? ![screenshot of ubuntu 26.04 lts running on a playstation 5](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/playstation-5-running-ubuntu.jpg) **Sourced from Andy Nguyen.* [Andy Nguyen](https://x.com/theflow0?ref=itsfoss.com), the developer behind this, first posted about him running Linux on the PS5 [back in March](https://xcancel.com/theflow0/status/2030011206040256841?ref=itsfoss.com), where he demonstrated playing [GTA V Enhanced](https://www.rockstargames.com/gta-v?ref=itsfoss.com) with Ray Tracing enabled. More recently, [he posted](https://xcancel.com/theflow0/status/2049255768428347566?ref=itsfoss.com) that his project "**ps5-linux**" was live on [GitHub](https://github.com/ps5-linux/ps5-linux-loader?ref=itsfoss.com), allowing gamers to turn their PS5 (*non-slim*) devices into a fully functioning Linux gaming PC. You see, **the PS5 does not run a Linux kernel**. Sony's operating system is built on a heavily modified version of [FreeBSD](https://www.freebsd.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), which is a separate Unix-like OS altogether. What ps5-linux delivers is **a genuine Linux port**, not some tweak on top of what was already there. In terms of what you actually get, **it's a full desktop Linux environment**. The PS5's 8-core, 16-thread CPU can be pushed to 3.5 GHz, the GPU to 2.23 GHz, and HDMI video output goes up to 4K at 60Hz. Steam runs on it, providing you with access to PC games and settings that Sony's own OS doesn't offer. There are some gaps though; **the PS5's onboard Bluetooth and networking hardware currently have no Linux driver support**. You'll need a USB Ethernet or WLAN adapter for internet access and a Bluetooth dongle if you want to use [a DualSense controller](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/accessories/dualsense-wireless-controller/?ref=itsfoss.com) wirelessly. **It's also not a persistent install** as the console's internal SSD is left completely untouched, so bricking your PS5 isn't really a concern. The trade-off is having to re-run the exploit from scratch on every single reboot. > I ported Linux to the PS5 and turned it into a Steam Machine. Running GTA 5 Enhanced with Ray Tracing. 🤯 [pic.twitter.com/aMbT0PQ1dS](https://t.co/aMbT0PQ1dS?ref=itsfoss.com) > > — Andy Nguyen (@theflow0) [March 6, 2026](https://twitter.com/theflow0/status/2030011206040256841?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=itsfoss.com) ## Want to install it? It works on PS5 (*non-slim*) consoles only. Devices running firmware 3.xx (*3.00, 3.10, 3.20, 3.21*) are supported but without M.2 SSD support. If you are on firmware 4.xx (*4.00, 4.02, 4.03, 4.50, 4.51*), you get the full package, including the ability to dedicate an M.2 SSD to Linux. And you can run the following Linux distributions: - **Arch Linux (*with Sway*)** - **Ubuntu 24.04 LTS** - **Ubuntu 26.04 LTS** - **Alpine Linux 3.21** Apart from that, you will have to follow [the instructions](https://github.com/ps5-linux/ps5-linux-loader?ref=itsfoss.com#installation) closely and make use of the [PS5 Linux Image Builder](https://github.com/ps5-linux/ps5-linux-image?ref=itsfoss.com) to get a Linux OS installed on your PlayStation 5 device. Andy also has [a Discord server](https://discord.com/invite/PeMGVB7BAm?ref=itsfoss.com) set up for people who can do a kernel exploit on his project and help him hack drivers. ## Some thoughts Is it practical? Not really. Using the exploit means starting the whole process over, and Sony will almost certainly [DMCA](https://www.copyright.gov/dmca/?ref=itsfoss.com) the repos or employ some other legal mechanism at some point. But someone built a full Linux port for a console that was never meant to run it, got [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) working on it, and **put it all out for free**. The Linux community has always been more interested in proving something is possible than in whether it's convenient, and this project is exactly that. ### Sovereign Tech Agency Opens Paid Standards Program for Open Source Maintainers URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/sovereign-tech-standards-program/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T15:58:01.000Z The Sovereign Tech Agency has launched a new pilot program called [Sovereign Tech Standards](https://www.sovereign.tech/news/join-sovereign-tech-standards-network?ref=itsfoss.com), and it will be paying open source maintainers to get involved in the processes that actually shape how the internet works. As a pilot program, it is going to support maintainers to actively participate in standards development at the [Internet Engineering Task Force](https://www.ietf.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) (IETF), the [World Wide Web Consortium](https://www.w3.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) (W3C), and the [International Organization for Standardization](https://www.iso.org/home.html?ref=itsfoss.com) (ISO). The problem they are trying to tackle here is of ***access***. Participation in bodies like IETF, W3C, and ISO is relatively open, but the reality is different. Attending meetings, keeping up with working group discussions, and contributing meaningfully takes a lot of investment, both in terms of time and money. ![a wide picture that shows a cropped screenshot of the sovereign tech standards webpage with some user interface elements visible](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/sovereign-tech-standards-webpage.png) Large tech companies are said to be sending people to these meetings as a routine business investment, but most independent open source maintainers simply do not have the time, resources, or sustained capacity to do the same. **Why is this an issue?** Maintainers are the people who actually build software on top of these standards, and they know better than anyone where the specs fall apart in practice. So, wouldn't it be reasonable to directly involve such talent with the standards themselves? [Sovereign Tech Agency](https://www.sovereign.tech/?ref=itsfoss.com) ran a survey among maintainers who had worked with such standards and found that many of them relied on the specifications in their day-to-day work. Yet very few could afford to take part in their development in the long term. During 2026's pilot run, **up to ten maintainers will be selected** for a cohort running from mid-June 2026 through June 2027\. They will need to put in around **ten hours a week on standards work** at IETF, W3C, or ISO. Every one of the selected developers will get **a monthly stipend between €4,800 and €5,200**, with things like [SDO](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standards%5Forganization?ref=itsfoss.com) participation fees, travel to in-person meetings, and onboarding covered. ## How to apply? To be eligible, you need to be an active maintainer of an open source project whose work is related to standards at IETF, W3C, or ISO in some way. Prior experience with standards bodies is not required, and there are **no geographic restrictions** either. The selection panel scores applications on how foundational the relevant standard is, what you are planning to work on, whether your perspective is missing from that working group, and your background as a maintainer. You should [go for it](https://ats.talentadore.com/apply/sovereign-tech-standards/mXw0q0?ref=itsfoss.com) if you meet those requirements. [Apply Now](https://ats.talentadore.com/apply/sovereign-tech-standards/mXw0q0?ref=itsfoss.com) Applications are open now and close on May 19, 2026, at 11:59 PM CEST. Review and selection will happen during May 2026, with the applicants being notified in June 2026. The program itself is set to kick off at the end of **June 2026**. You can also find some additional information on the program's [official page](https://www.sovereign.tech/programs/standards?ref=itsfoss.com). [Sovereign Tech Standards | Sovereign Tech AgencyBreadcrumbs list![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-5.png)Sovereign Tech Agency![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/STA-Opengraph-Image.png)](https://www.sovereign.tech/programs/standards?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Good News! AI-first Warp Terminal is Now Open Source URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/warp-goes-open-source/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T11:37:38.000Z [Warp](https://www.warp.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com) has open-sourced its terminal client. The code is now on GitHub, and the company [wants the community involved](https://www.warp.dev/blog/warp-is-now-open-source?ref=itsfoss.com) in building it out going forward, but the contribution model looks nothing like you would expect from an open source project. They say that the main bottleneck in development right now is no longer writing code **but the human-led tasks** such as deciding on features and verifying the behavior of a piece of software. They are looking towards [agents](https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/ai-agents?ref=itsfoss.com) to handle the implementation, while human contributors focus on ideas, spec work, and review. The developers are now confident enough that Oz-generated code, guided by their own rules and verification processes, puts contributors in a good position to get features right. If you didn't know, [Oz](https://www.warp.dev/oz?ref=itsfoss.com) is Warp's cloud agent orchestration platform, announced earlier this year, which lets you run multiple coding agents in parallel in the cloud with full visibility and control over what they're doing. Announcing this move, [Zach Lloyd](https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachlloyd/?ref=itsfoss.com), the CEO of Warp, added that: > Open-sourcing is fundamentally coming from our desire to build a successful business. We are competing with other highly funded, closed-source competitors, and we think opening and providing the resources for the community to improve Warp is a smart way for us to accelerate product development. 📋 Now compare the above with [what Cal.com recently did](https://itsfoss.com/news/cal-com-goes-proprietary/). As a refresher, [Warp](https://www.warp.dev/?utm%5Fsource=its%5Ffoss&utm%5Fmedium=display&utm%5Fcampaign=linux%5Flaunch) (*partner link*) is a modern terminal and agentic development environment built in Rust. It runs on **Linux**, **Windows**, and **macOS**, with a block-based command interface and built-in support for AI coding agents like Claude Code, Codex, and Gemini CLI. ## Get the sauce ![a cropped screenshot of the readme section of warp's github repository that shows a colorful banner and some text](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/warp-github-repo-banner.png) The client codebase is now live at [github.com/warpdotdev/warp](https://github.com/warpdotdev/warp?ref=itsfoss.com), and the licensing is split depending on the component. The UI framework, consisting of `warpui_core` and `warpui` crates, is under the [MIT license](https://opensource.org/license/mit?ref=itsfoss.com), while the rest of the codebase is under [AGPLv3](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.en.html?ref=itsfoss.com). [Warp (GitHub)](https://github.com/warpdotdev/warp?ref=itsfoss.com) [OpenAI](https://openai.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is the founding sponsor of the repository, and the agentic contribution workflows are powered by GPT models. Keep in mind that other coding agents are welcome too, but Warp would rather you use Oz, which already has the right context and checks baked in for this workflow. Warp is also **expanding open source model support** with this announcement, bringing in [Kimi](https://www.kimi.com/en?ref=itsfoss.com), [MiniMax](https://www.minimax.io/?ref=itsfoss.com), and [Qwen](https://qwen.ai/home?ref=itsfoss.com), plus a new *"auto (open)*" routing option that selects the best open model for a given task. A settings file for programmatic control and easier portability across devices is shipping too. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Ubuntu is Betting on AI*](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-is-getting-ai/) [Ubuntu is Going Big on AI (But Not The Copilot Kind You Dread)Canonical’s plan favors local inference and open models over cloud-dependent AI services.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-389.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/ubuntu-ai-roadmap-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-is-getting-ai/) ### LVFS Has Turned Up the Heat on Vendors Who Won't Contribute URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/lvfs-consumption-quota/ Last updated: 2026-04-28T17:43:08.000Z The Linux Vendor Firmware Service, or [LVFS](https://fwupd.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), is what makes firmware updates on Linux *not a nightmare*. Hardware vendors upload their [firmware](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firmware?ref=itsfoss.com) directly to it, and users get those updates delivered through [fwupd](https://github.com/fwupd/fwupd?ref=itsfoss.com) and tools like [GNOME Software](https://apps.gnome.org/Software/?ref=itsfoss.com). According to official estimates, **the project has shipped over 140 million updates from 150 vendors** and is a requirement for most consumer-facing [Original Equipment Manufacturers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original%5Fequipment%5Fmanufacturer?ref=itsfoss.com) (OEMs), [Original Design Manufacturers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original%5Fdesign%5Fmanufacturer?ref=itsfoss.com) (ODMs), and [Independent BIOS Vendors](https://support.lenovo.com/in/en/product%5Fsecurity/ps500065?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=Independent%20BIOS%20vendors%20%28IBVs%29%20are%20software%20development%20firms%20that%20specialize%20in%20developing%20the%20customized%20BIOS%20firmware%20that%20is%20loaded%20into%20the%20PCs%20of%20original%20equipment%20manufacturers) (IBVs). But the project is moving towards a dilemma that most open source projects of its scale eventually face. To be a sustainable undertaking in the long term. 🗓📈 ## They need support ![this is an image of the lvfs dashboard with demo uploaded firmware data visible](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/lvfs-dashboard.png) **Just a placeholder image of the LVFS dashboard.* Right now, the [Linux Foundation](https://www.linuxfoundation.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) covers all of LVFS' hosting costs, and [Red Hat](https://www.redhat.com/en?ref=itsfoss.com) funds [Richard Hughes](https://hughsie.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), the project's only full-time developer. Richard, along with a bunch of part-time contributors, **keep over 20,000 firmware files in circulation**. Their sustainability plan flags **some key issues** that come with being this understaffed. The project has no dedicated security response team, its sole maintainer has no backup, and the volume of critical work keeps growing with no one new stepping in to help. **Security vulnerabilities get handled on a best-effort basis** (*yikes* ☠️), and very few companies are supporting fwupd core or the LVFS web service. You could call it [a tragedy of the commons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy%5Fof%5Fthe%5Fcommons?ref=itsfoss.com) where everyone depends on it, but almost no one is paying for it. The plan was published in [August 2025](https://blogs.gnome.org/hughsie/2025/08/08/lvfs-sustainability-plan/?ref=itsfoss.com), and LVFS has been **rolling out restrictions in phases** since then. April 2025 already brought in fair-use download utilization graphs to vendor pages. Fair use upload tracking came in July, and sponsorship tiers opened up in August 2025. The April 2026 phase kicked in at the start of this month and has been live for nearly four weeks now. Any firmware page where a vendor is crossing 50,000 monthly downloads now shows an *overquota* warning. ![a tiny screenshot that showcases lvfs' new overquota warning](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/lvfs-overquota-warning.png) **Courtesy of Richard Hughes.* Vendors below the "*Startup*" sponsorship level have also lost access to detailed per-firmware analytics. In August, custom LVFS API access will be cut for non-Startup vendors, with automated upload limits following in December. ## How can you help? ![a table that shows the premier, startup, and associate sponsorship tiers for the lvfs project](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/lvfs-sponsorship-tiers.png) LVFS is looking for vendors who use its infrastructure to pitch in. Presently, **only two hold *Startup* sponsor status**: [Framework Computer](https://frame.work/?ref=itsfoss.com) and the [Open Source Firmware Foundation](https://opensourcefirmware.foundation/?ref=itsfoss.com). What they actually need is either two full-time software engineers or **$400,000** to fund the hires through the Linux Foundation, plus a separate **$30,000** for hosting. The sponsorship tiers are as follows: - **Premier:** $100,000 per year - **Startup:** $10,000 per year (*under 99 employees*) - **Associate:** Free, but only available to registered non-profits, academic institutions, and government entities. Both *Premier* and *Startup* tiers require an [LF Silver Membership](https://www.linuxfoundation.org/hubfs/lf%5Fmem%5Fbenefits%5F0010625.pdf?ref=itsfoss.com) (*page 28*) on top of the listed fees. There is **no free option for commercial hardware vendors**. Alternatively, vendors can contribute a full-time engineer to work on LVFS or fwupd directly. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Will You Pay $119 For An Open Source KVM?*](https://itsfoss.com/news/leafkvm-crowdfunding/) [Will You Pay $119 For This Open Source KVM Built on Rust and Buildroot?The LeafKVM packs a 2.4-inch touchscreen, Wi-Fi 5, and PoE into a CNC aluminum box.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-388.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/leafkvm-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/leafkvm-crowdfunding/) ### Hackers Hijacked a GitHub Actions Workflow to Push Malicious Code to PyPI URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/elementary-data-cli-hijack/ Last updated: 2026-04-28T16:42:38.000Z We have been routinely seeing open source projects getting hit by malicious actors with varying degrees of sophistication. Developers are often left scrambling to push out fixes in such situations. As to why they get targeted, their attack surface is wide, maintainer bandwidth is limited, and one bad package can quietly reach thousands of users before anyone even notices. When something slips through, developers have to yank releases, rotate credentials, and piece together what got out. We now have a similar situation where Elementary Data's [OSS Python CLI was compromised](https://www.elementary-data.com/post/security-incident-report-malicious-release-of-elementary-oss-python-cli-v0-23-3?ref=itsfoss.com). And if you had the affected version installed, then you have some cleanup to do. ## How it happened The attack came down to a flaw in one of Elementary's [GitHub Actions](https://github.com/features/actions?ref=itsfoss.com) workflows. It was set up in a way where text from a PR comment could be passed directly into a shell command, so whatever the comment said, the runner would execute it. At 22:10 UTC on April 24, the attacker posted a malicious comment on a pull request. The workflow ran it as code, handing over access to the runner's secrets, including the PyPI publish token and the *GITHUB\_TOKEN*. With those in hand, they created the branches and pull requests needed to stage a release, then kicked off Elementary's release workflow. By 22:20 UTC, `elementary-data 0.23.3` was live on PyPI. A malicious Docker image was pushed four minutes later. ## Who got hit Only users who installed [elementary-data 0.23.3](https://github.com/elementary-data/elementary/releases/tag/v0.23.3?ref=itsfoss.com) (*now removed*) from [PyPI](https://pypi.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) are affected, as well as anyone who pulled the compromised [Docker](https://www.docker.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) image during the attack window. However, Elementary Cloud is unaffected, the Elementary `dbt` package is unaffected, and every other version of the CLI is unaffected. That said, if you were running 0.23.3, the exposure is serious. The malware had access to anything the environment could reach. ## The remedy First check your installed version first: ``` pip show elementary-data | grep Version ``` If it shows 0.23.3, get rid of it and install the clean version: ``` pip uninstall elementary-data ``` ``` pip install elementary-data==0.23.4 ``` Update your requirements files and lockfiles to reflect that too. You should also check for a marker file the malware leaves behind. If it's there, the payload ran on that machine: - **Linux/macOS:** `/tmp/.trinny-security-update` - **Windows:** `%TEMP%\.trinny-security-update` If you find it, rotate every credential that environment had access to, and get your security team looking for any suspicious activity on those credentials. On their end, Elementary has already pulled 0.23.3 from PyPI, GitHub, and the [Docker registry](https://hub.docker.com/%5F/registry?ref=itsfoss.com) on April 25. They also decommissioned the compromised workflow, audited the rest of their *GitHub Actions* for the same type of vulnerability, regenerated all affected secrets, and moved to [OIDC authentication](https://openid.net/developers/how-connect-works/?ref=itsfoss.com). They are currently working with an [Israeli](https://www.theguardian.com/world/israel?ref=itsfoss.com) [cybersecurity firm](https://www.wiz.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) to conduct an investigation and step up their protection against such attacks going forward. ### After 2 Weeks of Delay, Fedora 44 is Finally Here! URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-44-release/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T10:32:39.000Z The [Fedora Project](https://fedoraproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) has had an interesting journey since its inception in November 2003\. It started as a community-backed effort spun off from Red Hat Linux, which [Red Hat](https://www.redhat.com/en?ref=itsfoss.com) had decided to retire in favor of its commercial Enterprise Linux product. Rather than leave the community without a home, Red Hat partnered with contributors to launch Fedora as **an open, community-driven distribution** that would push new technologies forward. That upstream-first philosophy has held ever since. Fedora consistently ships things before most other distributions dare to, from [Wayland](https://wayland.freedesktop.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) adoption to newer compiler toolchains, often serving as the real-world test bed for what eventually becomes [Red Hat Enterprise Linux](https://www.redhat.com/en/technologies/linux-platforms/enterprise-linux?ref=itsfoss.com). Of course it is not limited to that; its various flavors serve all kinds of users, starting from desktop users to server administrators, hobbyist tinkerers, and anyone running containerized workloads at scale. Now, to the topic at hand, [a new Fedora release](https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Releases/44/ChangeSet?ref=itsfoss.com) has landed, and as always, we must check out what it offers. [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## ⭐ Fedora 44: What's New? ![fedora workstation 43 is shown in this screenshot with the system details page and the quick settings open](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/fedora-44-workstation-2.png) The release ships with [Linux kernel 6.19](https://itsfoss.com/news/kernel-6-19-release/), which introduces expanded hardware support, and some noteworthy improvements for gaming that we will talk about later. Both desktop variants, *Workstation* and *KDE Plasma Desktop*, arrive with **fresh wallpapers**, as is tradition with every Fedora release. Workstation gets **GNOME 50**, which finalizes the removal of X11 from GDM and promotes variable refresh rate and fractional scaling to stable status. KDE Plasma Desktop bumps up to **Plasma 6.6**, which introduces a post-install setup wizard and swaps out SDDM for the new [Plasma Login Manager](https://invent.kde.org/plasma/plasma-login-manager?ref=itsfoss.com) as the default across all KDE variants. ![fedora kde plasma desktop 43 is shown here with its app launcher and about this system page open](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/fedora-44-kde-plasma-desktop-4.png) Beyond the desktops, this release brings meaningful improvements to gaming through the NTSYNC kernel module, a reworked Games Lab spin, a freshly updated GNU toolchain, and a range of language runtime upgrades. *There's quite a bit packed in here!* 😃 ## GNOME 50 ![a screenshot that shows fedora 44 workstation running gnome 50 with some app windows open for terminal, file manager, and the appearance menu](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/fedora-44-workstation-gnome-50.png) [GNOME 50](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-50-release/) is the flagship desktop for Fedora Workstation 44, and it comes with a major change that has been a long time coming. **X11 has been fully removed from GDM.** The plan was originally to do this in GNOME 49, but a last-minute bug had caused it to be pulled back. Then there are the two features, variable refresh rate and fractional scaling, that have been sitting behind experimental flags for an awkwardly long time are now stable. If you have a high refresh rate display and have been holding off, then this Fedora release is the right time to try them out. Additionally, the Files app (*Nautilus*) picks up case-insensitive path completion in the location bar and switches to GNOME's sandboxed Glycin library for more efficient loading of image thumbnails. ## KDE Plasma 6.6 ![a screenshot that shows fedora 44 kde plasma desktop running plasma 6.6 with some app windows open for system monitor, spectacle, and the accessibility page in system settings](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/fedora-44-kde-plasma-desktop-plasma-6-6-1.png) [KDE Plasma 6.6](https://itsfoss.com/news/kde-plasma-6-6-release/) powers Fedora KDE Plasma Desktop 44 in this release, with improvements like **OCR support in Spectacle**, the screenshot tool. You can now pull text directly out of a screenshot, which can be a genuinely useful thing to have when you are copying error messages or text from images. Accessibility sees a solid round of additions too. There is a new on-screen keyboard called [Plasma Keyboard](https://invent.kde.org/plasma/plasma-keyboard/?ref=itsfoss.com), a grayscale filter in the *Color Blindness Correction* settings, and the Zoom and Magnifier tool gains a new tracking mode that keeps the pointer centered. The release also adds the ability to save your current desktop layout as a custom global theme, ambient light sensor support for automatic brightness adjustment, and **Wi-Fi QR code scanning** from the system tray's *Networks* widget. *But wait, there are more KDE-related changes!* ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/fedora-44-kde-plasma-desktop-login-manager.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/fedora-44-kde-plasma-desktop-setup-1-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/fedora-44-kde-plasma-desktop-setup-2-1.png) **From left to right, we have the login screen and Plasma Setup on Fedora KDE Plasma Desktop 44.* All Fedora KDE variants now include [Plasma Setup](https://invent.kde.org/plasma/plasma-setup?ref=itsfoss.com), a post-install wizard that handles account creation and initial configuration separately from the OS installer, and [Anaconda](https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Anaconda?ref=itsfoss.com) (*the installer*) has been updated to skip the setup stages that would otherwise overlap with it. The other notable change for KDE users is the switch from SDDM to [Plasma Login Manager](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-44-plasma-login-manager/) (PLM) as the login manager, making Fedora 44 the first distribution to ship it by default. ## Gaming is Better Now ![a screenshot of fedora 44 games lab with the application launcher open showing many games in a list on the left, and on the right are three games that are running: super tux, crack attack!, and fish fillets - next generation](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/fedora-44-games-lab.png) **The revamped Games Lab.* Installing [Wine](https://www.winehq.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), or open source game launchers (*e.g., Lutris and Heroic Games Launcher*) on Fedora 44 now quietly pulls in the [NTSYNC kernel module](https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Changes/NTSYNC-Contained?ref=itsfoss.com) as a recommended dependency. NTSYNC handles thread synchronization at the kernel level, which takes a chunk of work off Wine and [Proton](https://github.com/valvesoftware/proton?ref=itsfoss.com)'s plate. The result is **better Windows game (*and software*) compatibility and a performance bump in many titles**, with no configuration work required from your side. The [Games Lab](https://fedoraproject.org/labs/games/?ref=itsfoss.com) spin also gets a proper refresh. Xfce is out, KDE Plasma is in, specifically for the better Wayland support it brings to gaming workloads. If you didn't know, this is one of Fedora's curated offerings that brings together **a decent spread of open source games** across genres like turn-based strategy, puzzles, and first-person shooters. ## Toolchain Upgrades Fedora 44 also brings a pack of toolchain and language runtime updates, keeping it well-positioned as a development platform: - PHP 8.5 - LLVM 22 - CMake 4.0 - Golang 1.26 - Ansible 13 (*Core 2.20*) - Ruby 4.0 (*up from Ruby 3.4 in Fedora 43*). - MariaDB 11.8 as the new distribution default *(up from 10.11*). - GNU Toolchain: GCC 16.1, glibc 2.43, binutils 2.46, gdb 16.3. ## 📥 Download or upgrade to Fedora 44 This release of Fedora is offered for [Workstation](https://fedoraproject.org/workstation/download/?ref=news.itsfoss.com), [KDE Plasma Desktop](https://fedoraproject.org/kde/download/?ref=news.itsfoss.com), [Server](https://fedoraproject.org/server/?ref=itsfoss.com), [IoT](https://fedoraproject.org/iot/?ref=itsfoss.com), and the various [spins](https://fedoraproject.org/spins?ref=news.itsfoss.com). You can either pick a relevant ISO from one of those or visit the [official website](https://fedoraproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) for an overview of this release. [Fedora 44](https://fedoraproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) **Existing Fedora users** can upgrade through their software center. Open [Software](https://apps.gnome.org/Software/?ref=news.itsfoss.com) (*Workstation*) or [Discover](https://apps.kde.org/discover/?ref=news.itsfoss.com) (*KDE Plasma*) and look for the upgrade notification banner to begin the process. Users of other Fedora spins need to upgrade using DNF. We have a [dedicated Fedora upgrade guide](https://itsfoss.com/upgrade-fedora-version/) to help you. ### Linux is Getting a New Default Folder in Your Home Directory URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/new-projects-directory-linux/ Last updated: 2026-04-28T14:27:06.000Z If you are using a [rolling release distro](https://itsfoss.com/rolling-release/) like Arch, you might have noticed that your home directory now has a new member, a new folder called "Projects". For as long as I remember, Linux has always had a set of default folders under the home directory. Usually they are Documents, Music, Pictures, Videos and Downloads. Templates, Desktop and Public folders are also there. Now we have a new addition in the form of "Projects". ## Projects directory for your ...well...projects ![New Projects directory in Linux](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/projects-dir-nautilus-1.png) The purpose of the Projects directory is simple. It gives you a place to keep your project files, the kind of files that do not necessarily go in Documents, Music, Pictures and Videos. For example, your coding projects, your 3D printing and CAD projects etc. ## **Why it is more than 'just another directory'** The addition of a standard Projects directory is not just about keeping your home folder organized. It has bigger implications. For starters, it gives applications a predictable place to store project-related files. Just like image-related apps often default to the Pictures folder and video tools save into Videos, development tools, CAD software, hardware design suites applications could use Projects as their natural default. This can also improve interoperability between tools. An IDE could offer to create repositories in Projects by default. Build tools could assume a sensible project workspace, and installation guides or README instructions could refer to a common location instead of telling users to create arbitrary folders like `~/dev`, `~/code`, or `~/projects`. Sandboxed applications such as Flatpak apps may also benefit because a standardized location is easier to recognize and grant permissions for. Not to forget, backup tools, synchronization services could treat the Projects directory as a meaningful category of data, same as Documents or Pictures. In other words, this is not 'just another directory'. It provides better desktop workflows. A small standardization like this may quietly improve usability across the Linux desktop over time. ## This was an 11-year-old "request" And interestingly, this isn’t a brand new idea. The concept has existed for over a decade. Actually, the [request to include a standard Projects directory](https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/xdg/xdg-user-dirs/-/work%5Fitems/3?ref=itsfoss.com) was created in 2014\. The reasoning from the original request still holds up today: > Currently XDG user dirs does not specify a directory for environments of projects. For software projects these usually include source code, version control, compiled binaries, test artefacts and downloaded dependencies. As they are much more than downloads and usually kept indefinitely, they do not fit in there. The benefit of defining a projects folder would be that when writing a README or install script for a project, one could automatically download the source to the user defined location, set up the build environment and install from there. Like [several instances in the recent past](https://itsfoss.com/news/wayland-session-management/), GNOME/Freedesktop/KDE are paying attention to decades-old requests and implementing some of them. 💡 Don't like the new Projects directory? Just delete it. The xdg-user-dirs utility will not try to create it again. The default location for this directory will be moved to your home directory. Power users, who want more control, can edit the `~/.config/user-dirs.dirs` configuration file and modify it to control what goes where. ## The road ahead for this change This new standard directory change came with the release of xdg-user-dirs version 0.20\. As I mentioned earlier, people using rolling release distros might already have this change. You can see a screenshot of EndeavorOS: ![New projects directory in terminal](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/projects-dir-terminal-1.png) As GNOME contributor [Matthias notes](https://blog.tenstral.net/2026/04/hello-projects-directory.html?ref=itsfoss.com), support for GLib will be added in the coming months so that Flatpak, desktops and applications can make use of the Projects directory. ## I am looking forward to it. You? I have always created a `dev` directory in my home directory. This is where my coding related project files are located. It's better than keeping them under Documents because technically, these are not documents. I think that I am not the only one who does this. I guess most of us have a `projects` or `dev` directory under Home. Including a standard Projects directory is a good move. Not only does it remove the guesswork about where to keep such files, various applications can also take advantage of this new directory. It may look like a small addition, but standardizing something many Linux users already do can improve workflows, application behavior, and even documentation over time. For a simple extra folder, “Projects” could have surprisingly large impact. ### Ubuntu is Going Big on AI (But Not The Copilot Kind You Dread) URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-is-getting-ai/ Last updated: 2026-04-28T10:15:48.000Z AI has been creeping into everything, and the Linux ecosystem is no exception. Over the last couple of years, local AI has gone from a niche curiosity to something people can actually run on their machines. On the user side, tools like [Ollama](https://itsfoss.com/ollama/) and [LM Studio](https://itsfoss.com/lm-studio-linux/) have made it surprisingly straightforward to pull open-weight models and run them locally without requiring a cloud subscription. For enterprises, solutions like [RHEL AI](https://www.redhat.com/en/products/ai/enterprise-linux-ai?ref=itsfoss.com) and [SUSE Linux Enterprise Server](https://www.suse.com/products/server/?ref=itsfoss.com) have been catering to organizations that want AI woven into their infrastructure. Now, it looks like [Canonical](https://canonical.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is jumping onto the bandwagon, [as Ubuntu moves towards AI](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/the-future-of-ai-in-ubuntu/81130?ref=itsfoss.com), and before you start calling it *Ubuslop* or something along those lines, understand how they are going about this. ## What's happening? ![cropped screenshot that shows a discourse forum post by a jnsgruk (jon seager) laying out the ubuntu ai roadmap](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/jon-seager-ubuntu-ai-roadmap.png) [Jon Seager](https://jnsgr.uk/?ref=itsfoss.com), VP of Engineering at Canonical, has published a post on Ubuntu Discourse laying out the company's AI roadmap. The short version is that **AI is coming to Ubuntu**; it will be **local-first**, and it will be built around **open-weight models** and **open source tooling**. He laid out a framework distinguishing between two kinds of AI features, *implicit* and *explicit*. Implicit AI is about making existing OS features smarter in the background without requiring users to learn anything new or interact with anything that looks like AI. He gave the examples of speech-to-text and text-to-speech, both of which can be improved using local [inference](https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/ai-inference?ref=itsfoss.com) with open source inference tools and open weight models, running entirely on-device. Explicit AI features are a different story. These are the more obviously AI-centric, agentic workflows that could automate troubleshooting, create documents or applications, and run scheduled maintenance on a fleet of machines. Jon also gave everyone a look at what it could look like in practice: > Imagine being able to ask your Linux machine to troubleshoot a Wi-Fi connection issue, or to stand up an open source software forge that’s pre-configured, secured, and reachable over TLS. > One could easily imagine using such a capability as a gateway for controlling your Linux machine from other devices through a variety of mediums - be that a mobile app, text messaging, voice commands or otherwise. The delivery mechanism for all of this is [inference snaps](https://jnsgr.uk/2026/01/developing-with-ai-on-ubuntu/?ref=itsfoss.com#inference-snaps). Rather than asking users to wrangle separate tools, sift through [Hugging Face](https://huggingface.co/?ref=itsfoss.com), and figure out which model format works on their hardware, Canonical wants a simple `snap install` to handle everything, with hardware-optimized builds served based on your silicon. And since [snaps](https://snapcraft.io/docs/?ref=itsfoss.com) carry the same [confinement](https://snapcraft.io/docs/explanation/security/snap-confinement/?ref=itsfoss.com) rules as everything else in the ecosystem, the models are sandboxed and cannot freely reach into your files or data. ## Makes sense, I guess? The local inference approach is what makes this worth paying attention to. The default is not a cloud call to some API that logs your prompts and charges you per token. It runs on your hardware, stays there, and **does not require signing up for anything**. Of course, **cloud and external services are still an option**, but only as a fallback for people who specifically need them, not the assumed path. That is a bigger deal than it sounds, btw. Most AI integration announcements from [Big Tech](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big%5FTech?ref=itsfoss.com) players start from the opposite assumption—*cloud first, local maybe someday*. ## Should you be worried? When Linux and AI are mentioned in the same breath, your mind might naturally draw a comparison to Microsoft's infamous [Copilot](https://copilot.microsoft.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) offering, where the default experience is cloud, the model is proprietary, and half the features quietly require a Microsoft account. What Jon is proposing keeps the user-facing, agentic stuff strictly opt-in. The implicit features would run quietly in the background and improve things you already use. Nobody is bolting a chatbot sidebar into GNOME and calling it a "*productivity feature*." But, as things go with roadmaps, decisions shift under pressure and user expectations change over time. I suggest keeping a close watch on how things develop for the rest of the year. ### Microsoft Might Be Rebasing Azure on Fedora Linux URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/azure-linux-fedora-rebase-speculation/ Last updated: 2026-04-28T09:41:46.000Z Microsoft's in-house Linux distribution, [Azure Linux](https://github.com/microsoft/azurelinux?ref=itsfoss.com), may be heading for a significant overhaul. According to a [recent report](https://www.phoronix.com/news/MS-Azure-Linux-Fedora-Based?ref=itsfoss.com), the Big Tech giant is reportedly exploring the idea of rebasing Azure Linux on [Fedora](https://fedoraproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), which would be a notable shift in how the distribution is built and maintained. Azure Linux, which longtime followers of the Linux space may know better as [CBL-Mariner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azure%5FLinux?ref=itsfoss.com), has been Microsoft's internal Linux OS powering Azure services, WSL, Azure Local, and more since 2020. It is already [RPM](https://rpm.org/?ref=itsfoss.com)\-based, so a move toward Fedora would not be a complete departure from its existing foundation, but it would represent a serious overhaul. ![a cropped screenshot of the fedora eln sig meeting on april 21 that shows conversation between neal gompa and yaakov selkowitz](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/excerpt-from-eln-sig-meeting-april-21-2026.png) **The conversation between Neal Gompa (conan\_kudo) and Yaakov Selkowitz (yselkowitz).* It all came to light from the recent [Fedora ELN SIG](https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/SIGs/ELN?ref=itsfoss.com) meeting on [April 21](https://meetbot.fedoraproject.org/meeting-1%5Fmatrix%5Ffedoraproject-org/2026-04-21/eln.2026-04-21-16.00.log.html?ref=itsfoss.com). During a discussion about [a proposed Fedora change](https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/f45-change-proposal-build-x86-64-v3-packages-systemwide/187943?ref=itsfoss.com) to build x86-64-v3 packages for Fedora 45, it was pointed out that [Microsoft](https://www.microsoft.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is one of the driving forces behind this proposal. The change proposal was put forward jointly by [Kyle Gospodnetich](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylegospo/?ref=itsfoss.com), a Linux engineer at Microsoft, alongside Lleyton Gray and Owen Zimmerman of Fyra Labs. Microsoft's interest appears to be tied to Azure Linux's need for x86-64-v3 performance gains, which is part of what is driving the rebase idea. [Fyra Labs](https://fyralabs.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), which is reportedly launching its own cloud service and wants x86-64-v3 support for Fedora and [Ultramarine Linux](https://ultramarine-linux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), is also co-authoring the proposal. It is worth noting that the x86-64-v3 change proposal still needs to be approved by the Fedora Engineering Steering Committee (FESCo) before anything moves forward. There had also been talk of **forking the whole distribution to achieve this**, but Microsoft was steered toward working within the Fedora ecosystem instead. On the surface, all of this sounds promising. As [a Redditor pointed out](https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/1svdqcd/comment/oi7er6f/?ref=itsfoss.com), since Fedora is effectively upstream [Red Hat Enterprise Linux](https://www.redhat.com/en/technologies/linux-platforms/enterprise-linux?ref=itsfoss.com), the move makes logical sense on paper. That said, Microsoft has a history of open source commitments that lose steam over time. If they can properly follow through here, contribute meaningfully to Fedora, and not treat it as a one-way resource tap, this could genuinely be good for the ecosystem. All of that is ***a big if***, but it is worth watching closely. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Ubuntu 26.04 LTS is Here*](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-04-lts/) [The Awesome New Ubuntu 26.04 LTS is HereApp replacements aside, there are quite a few interface upgrades worth knowing about too!![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-387.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/ubuntu-26-04-lts-release-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-04-lts/) ### MinIO Is Done With Open Source, What Are Your Options? URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/minio-moves-away-from-open-source/ Last updated: 2026-04-27T11:27:40.000Z The MinIO [GitHub](https://github.com/minio/minio?ref=itsfoss.com) repository was recently archived on April 25, 2026\. But the thing is, it had been archived before, [back in February](https://www.reddit.com/r/selfhosted/comments/1r3zkg7/minio%5Fgithub%5Frepository%5Fofficially%5Farchived/?ref=itsfoss.com), then briefly unarchived, and now it's locked again. Whether MinIO flips the switch again is anyone's guess, but it doesn't really matter at this point. The message has been clear ever since they put the project [in maintenance mode](https://github.com/minio/minio/commit/27742d469462e1561c776f88ca7a1f26816d69e2?ref=itsfoss.com). [MinIO](https://www.min.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) is one of the most widely used self-hosted object storage solutions out there. It is S3-compatible, lightweight, and runs as a single binary, integrating with pretty much everything in the cloud-native stack. It's the kind of project you deploy once and forget about. Unless something breaks or a massive shift happens, like the move away from open source. Then you're left scrambling for alternatives. ## How we got here This didn't happen overnight. MinIO has been walking away from its open source community for well over a year. It started in May 2025, when MinIO shipped [a breaking release](https://github.com/minio/minio/releases/tag/RELEASE.2025-05-24T17-08-30Z?ref=itsfoss.com) that [removed most management features](https://github.com/community-scripts/ProxmoxVE/issues/4787?ref=itsfoss.com) from the community edition's web UI, along with external IDP logins via LDAP and OIDC, moving them to their enterprise product. Then in [October 2025](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45665452&ref=itsfoss.com), MinIO stopped publishing Docker images and pre-built binaries for the community edition entirely. Users who needed to patch a CVE that dropped the same month couldn't just pull an updated image and had to build from source instead. By December 3, 2025, the other shoe dropped when [Harshavardhana](https://www.linkedin.com/in/y4m4b4/?ref=itsfoss.com), the co-founder of MinIO, pushed a commit to the repo's README, declaring maintenance mode (*linked earlier*). And then the repo was first archived in February 2026 and again in April 2026. ## What replaces it If you're running MinIO in production today, your existing deployment still works. But you are on software that will get **no new features**, **no compatibility updates**, and **no guaranteed security patches**. MinIO's official stance is to redirect people towards their proprietary [AIStor](https://www.min.io/product/aistor?ref=itsfoss.com) solution, but that's a hard pass for anyone who prefers to stay open source. You don't need to go down that path. Here are the three open source alternatives worth looking at. 👇 ### SeaweedFS ![cropped screenshot of the seaweedfs github repository](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/seaweedfs.png) [SeaweedFS](https://github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs?ref=itsfoss.com) is a distributed storage system written in Go, built around Facebook's Haystack architecture and a few other systems. It handles S3-compatible object storage alongside blobs and files. Its main advantage is its O(1) disk seek time that performs regardless of how many objects you store, making it particularly strong when dealing with billions of small files. Before you ask, it is **Apache 2.0-licensed**, production-ready, and the closest thing to a drop-in MinIO replacement available right now. [SeaweedFS](https://github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Garage ![cropped screenshot of the garage webpage](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/garage.png) [Garage](https://garagehq.deuxfleurs.fr/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a Rust-based object storage system built by [Deuxfleurs](https://deuxfleurs.fr/?ref=itsfoss.com), a French small-scale self-hosting service provider. It's designed specifically for geo-distributed deployments on modest hardware; think multiple physical locations rather than a single high-performance data center. It is small enough to run on various hardware, is simple to operate, and is well-suited for self-hosters and small organizations running storage across multiple physical locations. Not only that, but it is available under the **AGPLv3** license. [Garage](https://garagehq.deuxfleurs.fr/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### RustFS ![cropped screenshot of the rustfs webpage](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/rustfs.png) [RustFS](https://github.com/rustfs/rustfs?ref=itsfoss.com) is the newest player in this space, written in Rust and released under the **Apache 2.0 license**. It positions itself as a direct MinIO successor, claims 2.3x faster performance than MinIO for small object payloads, includes a management console out of the box, and supports migration from existing MinIO deployments. The catch here is that **it's still in alpha**. Still worth keeping on your radar if you are planning a migration over the coming months, but you could also take a gamble on it if you like taking risks. [RustFS](https://github.com/rustfs/rustfs?ref=itsfoss.com) In the end, MinIO's pivot to enterprise-only commercial software is its call to make. The open source community, for its part, is moving on. ### Firefox Has Quietly Integrated Brave's Adblock Engine URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/firefox-ships-brave-adblock-engine/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T11:12:27.000Z Back in March, [Firefox 149](https://www.firefox.com/en-US/firefox/149.0/releasenotes/?ref=itsfoss.com) was released with many changes, like a free built-in VPN, a *Split View* that allows the loading of two pages side by side, and the XDG portal file picker as the new default on Linux. However, an interesting addition had gone mostly unnoticed until now. ## Firefox has Some Brave in it now ![this picture shows a closed bug on mozilla's bugzilla instance, titled "add a prototype rich content blocking engine"](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/firefox-adblock-rust-patch.png) [Shivan Kaul Sahib](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shivankaulsahib/?ref=itsfoss.com), the VP of Privacy and Security at [Brave](https://brave.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), has put out [a blog post](https://shivankaul.com/blog/firefox-bundles-adblock-rust?ref=itsfoss.com) about something that didn't make it into the Firefox 149 release notes at all. The browser now ships [adblock-rust](https://github.com/brave/adblock-rust?ref=itsfoss.com), **Brave's open source Rust-based ad and tracker blocking engine**. The change landed via Bugzilla [Bug 2013888](https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show%5Fbug.cgi?id=2013888&ref=itsfoss.com), which was filed and handled by Mozilla engineer [Benjamin VanderSloot](https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-vandersloot/?ref=itsfoss.com). The bug is titled "*Add a prototype rich content blocking engine,*" and keeps the engine disabled by default with no user interface or filter lists included. For informational purposes, [adblock-rust](https://github.com/brave/adblock-rust?ref=itsfoss.com) is the engine behind Brave's native content blocker (*aka ad blocker*). It is written in **Rust** and licensed under **MPL-2.0**, handling network request blocking, cosmetic filtering, and features a [uBlock Origin](https://github.com/gorhill/ublock?ref=itsfoss.com)\-compatible filter list syntax. Shivan also mentions that [Waterfox](https://www.waterfox.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), the popular Firefox fork, [has adopted adblock-rust](https://github.com/BrowserWorks/waterfox/issues/4182?ref=itsfoss.com), building directly upon Firefox's own implementation. ## Want to test it? Before starting, head to [Enhanced Tracking Protection](https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/enhanced-tracking-protection-firefox-desktop?ref=itsfoss.com)'s shield icon in the address bar and turn it off for the website you will be testing this with. This way, adblock-rust is doing the work, not Firefox's existing feature. 🚧 I suggest testing this experimental feature on a throwaway installation of Firefox. Now open a new tab and go to `about:config`. Accept the warning when it shows up. Search for `privacy.trackingprotection.content.protection.enabled` and set it to "***true***" by clicking on the toggle. 👇 ![firefox screenshot that shows the about:config page with this search result: privacy.trackingprotection.content.protection.enabled](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/firefox-adblock-rust-config-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/firefox-adblock-rust-config-2.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/firefox-adblock-rust-config-3.png) Next, search for `privacy.trackingprotection.content.protection.test_list_urls`, click on the "Edit" button, and paste the following value to add the [EasyList](https://easylist.to/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [EasyPrivacy](https://github.com/easylist/easylist/tree/master/easyprivacy?ref=itsfoss.com) filter lists to Firefox: `https://easylist.to/easylist/easylist.txt|https://easylist.to/easylist/easyprivacy.txt` Remember to click on the blue-colored "*Save*" button before moving on. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/firefox-adblock-rust-demo-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/firefox-adblock-rust-demo-2.png) **Left: advertisement shown; Right: advertisement blocked* Now visit a site with known ads, like [Yahoo](https://www.yahoo.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) (*as I did above*). If it's working, ad slots will still render in the page layout, but the actual ad content will be blocked. In my test, the banner on Yahoo came up showing only the text "*Advertisement*" with the advert bit stripped out. Support independent Linux journalism! If you think we are doing a good job at helping people use Linux on their personal computers, support us by opting for Plus membership. Here's what you get with It's FOSS Plus membership: ✅ 5 Free eBooks on Linux, Docker and Bash ✅ Ad-free reading experience ✅ Badges in the comment section and forum ✅ Support creation of educational Linux materials [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ### Will You Pay $119 For This Open Source KVM Built on Rust and Buildroot? URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/leafkvm-crowdfunding/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T11:10:15.000Z KVM devices let you remotely control a computer by capturing its display output and emulating a keyboard and mouse without having a [hypervisor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypervisor?ref=itsfoss.com) in the mix. They are an important tool in a sysadmin's inventory. Take a KVM-over-IP device, for instance; it operates independently of the target machine's OS and network stack, letting you reach a system that is stuck in BIOS, frozen mid-boot, or completely offline. That kind of access is crucial, and an open source device that delivers it without breaking the bank is rarer still. The [LeafKVM](https://kvm.rs/?ref=itsfoss.com) is trying to be just that. ## 📝 LeafKVM: Key Specifications Packed inside a CNC-milled aluminum enclosure, which also doubles as a passive cooling heatsink, the LeafKVM is powered by a [Rockchip RV1126B](https://rockchip.fr/RV1126B%20datasheet%20V1.3.pdf?ref=itsfoss.com) SoC with **a quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU** and **512 MB of DDR3 RAM**. Video capture is handled by a [Lontium LT6911C](https://cdn.semikey.com/upload/pdfs/3e/6f/3e6f71240856fcdc6775603f8beeddfe.pdf?ref=itsfoss.com) CSI video bridge, and storage comes via a microSD slot. There's also **a 2.4-inch IPS capacitive touchscreen**, which lets you configure networking, preview the HDMI input, manage USB emulation, and check device status without needing a separate computer. For the software, it runs a clean [Buildroot 2026.02 LTS](https://buildroot.org/download.html?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=Stable-,2026.02.x,-June%202026)\-based Linux system, with **a Rust backend** handling everything from the video pipeline to networking and USB emulation. The touchscreen UI is built on [Slint](https://slint.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com), and the web frontend is **a GPL-2.0 fork** of the [JetKVM](https://github.com/jetkvm?ref=itsfoss.com) project. OTA firmware updates are a few clicks away from the web dashboard and [Tailscale VPN](https://itsfoss.com/tailscale-raspberry-pi-ssh/) integration is also on board. Since the LeafKVM presents itself as a standard USB keyboard, mouse, and mass storage device to the target machine, it works with pretty much anything that supports those, including **Linux**, **Windows**, **macOS**, **BSD**, and BIOS/UEFI screens. *You don't need to bother with drivers, as it is all plug-and-play!* 🚀 The obvious audience for this device are IT engineers and server operators who want hands-off management after a one-time physical setup. Robotics and embedded developers working with headless hardware can get a lot out of it too, since it removes the need to haul a monitor and keyboard to wherever the hardware lives. And since the LeafKVM captures and streams HDMI video with under 100 ms latency at up to 4K/30fps or 1080p/90fps, it **also works as a wireless video relay** for camera setups where you want to preview a feed remotely on a tablet or laptop. ![against a mixed green/orange/yellow background, there are two pictures of the leafkvm that shows the internal layout from two angles, there is a green pcb visible in both of those, with various ports and board items strewn about](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/leafkvm-internal-views.png) As for the ports and other doodads, they include: - **Ports:** 1× HDMI *(up to 4K@30fps*), 2× USB Type-C, and 1× USB Type-A. - **Networking:** Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 5 dual-band (*433 Mbps*), and 100 Mbps RJ45 Ethernet (*with IEEE 802.3af PoE support*). - **Weight:** 195 g (*6.9 Oz*) - **Size:** 90 × 65 × 25 mm (3.54 × 2.56 × 0.98 in) - **Power:** USB Type‑C: 5 V / 1 A (*both ports*) and PoE (*IEEE 802.3af 37-57 V*) ## Get Yours At a price tag of **$119**, the LeafKVM is available on [Crowd Supply](https://www.crowdsupply.com/leafkvm/leafkvm?ref=itsfoss.com), with units shipping mid-January 2027 if the funding goal is reached. Keep in mind that while shipping is free for buyers in the U.S., the rest of us will have to fork over **an additional $12**. As of writing, 82%, that is, **$8,222 of the $10,000 goal**, had been reached thanks to 36 backers. With 40+ days remaining, I am sure that they will reach the funding goal sooner than later. [LeafKVM (Crowd Supply)](https://www.crowdsupply.com/leafkvm/leafkvm?ref=itsfoss.com) If you are looking for the schematics or the source code for the software, you can keep an eye out on the project's [GitHub](https://github.com/leafkvm?ref=itsfoss.com). It is set to host the full firmware source, build recipes, and hardware schematics before units ship. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*A Linux Gaming Console Appears*](https://itsfoss.com/news/playnix-linux-console/) [The People Who Put Emulators on Your Steam Deck Now Want to Sell You a Linux ConsoleThe Playnix Console is a €1,179 Linux-powered gaming machine with an RX 9060 XT inside.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-383.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/playnix-console-banner-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/playnix-linux-console/) ### 5 Reasons to Upgrade to Ubuntu 26.04 (and 3 Reasons to Stay Away) URL: https://itsfoss.com/opinion/ubuntu-26-04-upgrade-or-not/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T00:36:09.000Z [Ubuntu 26.04](https://documentation.ubuntu.com/release-notes/26.04/?ref=itsfoss.com), the much anticipated LTS upgrade to 25.10 and 24.04, is here. [This release](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-26-04-release-features/) promises to be one of the more daring and potentially revolutionary releases in quite some time, delivering on many much-awaited features, and laying the foundation for the next generation of Ubuntu and its derivatives. Still, this release is bound to be one of the most controversial, in that it's got quite a lot of good, but to some, a little bit of "bad". To be fair, how you see it is largely a matter of perspective. In this article, we'll look at 5 of the reasons you should consider upgrading to Ubuntu 26.04, and 3 reasons you might want to sit this one out, or even consider if it's time to set sail for other shores. ## Reasons to upgrade [LTS releases](https://itsfoss.com/long-term-support-lts/) are popular among many users, from the casual everyday user, to hardcore developers and creators. Even some gamers feel at home on these releases, and the reasons for all categories of user are typically the same: stability, reliability, and the promise that future updates will bring the best tested elements of the future back to the refuge of the past. That said, LTS releases also often bring a balanced blend to this island of stability by introducing a well-tested, but relatively fresh tech stack. So [what's new in Ubuntu 26.04](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-26-04-release-features/)? Let's have a look. ### 1\. Linux kernel 7.0 One of the highlights of Ubuntu 26.04 is that it ships with [Linux kernel 7.0](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-7-0-release/), which brings a much newer hardware and driver stack than version 6.8 in Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. While kernel version numbers aren't typically especially significant, newer kernels still matter because they bring improved compatibility with newer hardware and give Ubuntu a stronger foundation for the years ahead. No doubt, Linux kernel 7.0 does exactly this in some critical areas. For instance, this release improves support for newer Intel and NVIDIA systems, with full support for Intel's Core Ultra Xe2 integrated graphics and Arc Battlemage GPUs, plus NVIDIA Dynamic Boost enabled by default on supported laptops. NVIDIA users have even more reason to rejoice, in that Ubuntu 26.04 improves suspend and resume behaviour with the proprietary NVIDIA driver. AMD and ARM users aren't left out either, thanks to broadened compatibility for ARM64 desktop systems that boot via UEFI, and initial support for Snapdragon X Elite devices in the new generic ARM64 Desktop ISO. Also in this LTS are a few practical platform-level improvements around reliability and responsiveness. Crash dumps are now enabled by default on both desktop and server installations, making it easier to diagnose serious failures, while the old `linux-lowlatency` package has been retired in favour of tuning low-latency behaviour on the generic kernel at boot time. ### 2\. GNOME 50: HDR & VRR improvements, robust parental controls, smoother NVIDIA experience, and more ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/image-12.png) Ubuntu 26.04 comes hot on the heels of [GNOME 50](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-50-release/), bringing [a wave of important refinements](https://release.gnome.org/50/?ref=itsfoss.com) that should be noticeable in everyday use. First up, GNOME 50 builds on the HDR groundwork introduced in GNOME 48 with further colour-management improvements and, at long last, HDR screen sharing support. That should be welcome news for creators, because accurate colour handling matters in professional photography, video, and design work. It also helps modern games to look as intended on supported hardware. Additionally, GNOME 50 improves both [Variable Refresh Rate (VRR)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable%5Frefresh%5Frate?ref=itsfoss.com) and fractional scaling, with bug fixes, stability work, and various user-experience improvements. Some of these features were once treated as experimental across various distributions, but GNOME 50 now enables them by default, making for a smoother out of the box experience. Rounding out the display improvements, NVIDIA users also have reason to be optimistic. GNOME 50 includes workarounds for NVIDIA driver quirks aimed at reducing stutter and frame-timing issues, which should make window animations and general desktop fluidity feel smoother on affected systems. GNOME 50 also adds a low-latency cursor path while VRR is active, helping the pointer stay responsive even when an application is running below the monitor’s maximum refresh rate. #### Accessibility and parental controls ![A screenshot of the GNOME Accessibility settings panel showing the Reduce Motion option toggled on](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/image-13.png) GNOME's accessibility setttings now has a Reduce Motion option GNOME 50 brings some important accessibility improvements. [Orca](https://orca.gnome.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), the GNOME screen reader, now has a significantly improved preferences window, global settings, automatic language switching for web content and app UI, better Braille support, and Mouse Review support in Wayland sessions. Also new is a new Reduced Motion option in Accessibility settings, which tones down interface animations to reduce discomfort and distraction. That should come as a real relief for users with vestibular issues or motion sensitivity. For now, the biggest wins will be in GNOME and libadwaita-based apps, while broader support across other toolkits and desktops will take a little more time to mature. Parents moving to Ubuntu 26.04 will also benefit from much stronger parental controls. GNOME 50 now allows parents and guardians to monitor screen time, set limits for child accounts, define bedtime schedules, and automatically lock the screen once those limits are reached. Time can also be extended when needed. On top of that, GNOME has laid the backend foundations for web filtering, though the user-facing components needed for this part are still to come in a future update. ### 3\. Better gaming potential with NTSYNC ![A lightly coloured game controller sitting on a dark desk](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/pexels-roberto-458115675-15592023.jpg) [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) / [Roberto](https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-of-a-game-console-15592023/?ref=itsfoss.com) This one is sure to be exciting for the growing number of users choosing to switch to Ubuntu (among other distros), as their home for gaming. NTSYNC is a Linux kernel driver that emulates key Windows NT synchronization primitives directly in the Linux kernel. Wine and Proton can use it to provide a faster, more accurate implementation of these operations in a way that Windows applications expect. So why does this matter so much for gaming? The answer is simple: modern games often rely heavily on multithreading, which means they constantly need to coordinate tasks and wait on synchronization objects efficiently. Handling these operations entirely in user space can add overhead and make it harder to match Windows behaviour precisely. By providing a kernel-level interface for these synchronization primitives, NTSYNC improves performance potential and helps deliver behaviour that is closer to what many Windows games and applications expect under Wine and Proton. In some cases, performance has even been shown to be better on Linux than when running the same game natively on Windows. 💡 ****Want to learn more about NTSYNC?** Read [our breakdown](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-gaming-boost-driver/) to get a better understanding of how this tech improves Linux gaming. ### 4\. Security Center and better Snap privacy controls ![A screenshot of the new Security Center on Ubuntu, showing the default setting with apps not required to request permissions](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/image-11.png) The new Security Center lets you choose whether apps need to request permission before accessing files Users upgrading from Ubuntu 24.04 will find the new [Security Center](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-security-center-near-stable/) and its experimental permissions prompting system for Snap apps. First introduced in 24.10, the Security Center is a critical part of the 26.04 LTS. Traditionally, Snap permissions have been handled mostly through interfaces, which define broad access to system resources. With the new prompting system, Ubuntu gains a more granular permissions layer by using [AppArmor](https://apparmor.net/?ref=itsfoss.com) to mediate access at the system-call level, even for applications that were not specifically written to support this behaviour. In its current form, the feature focuses on Home directory, camera, and microphone permissions, giving users more direct control over which locations and features Snap applications can access, and for how long. It's worth noting that Canonical still describes this feature as experimental, and says the Security Center will expand over time with additional prompting options and other desktop security controls. Ubuntu does have a [history of backporting](https://documentation.ubuntu.com/project/SRU/howto/introduction-to-sru/?ref=itsfoss.com) key desktop features over the life of an LTS release, so 26.04 may well benefit from further refinements in this area over its lifetime. ### 5\. Dual-booting with Windows is finally less painful ![The Ubuntu and Windows icons sitting on a split backdrop with purple and blue backgrounds respectively](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/Ubuntu-And-Windows.png) Ubuntu and Windows playing well together at last? Yes In recent years, thanks to the ever increasing convolution of Windows, dual-booting Ubuntu alongside Windows has become a far more fragile and awkward affair than it really should be, especially on modern machines protected by [BitLocker](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/bitlocker-drive-encryption-76b92ac9-1040-48d6-9f5f-d14b3c5fa178?ref=itsfoss.com). Ubuntu 26.04 helps smooth this out, carrying forward recent installer improvements that help Ubuntu get along more comfortably with BitLocker-based Windows systems. Most importantly, Ubuntu can now be installed alongside existing BitLocker partitions when enough unallocated space is available, or when a large enough partition can be resized safely. The new installer also makes encrypted Ubuntu installs and other advanced options available in dual-boot scenarios — a significant quality-of-life improvement for users who still need to run Windows on the same machine. ## Reasons not to upgrade As mentioned earlier, there are some real reasons you may want to sit this release out, and some users may find these reason to consider sticking with an older release for a little while longer, or even changing distros altogether. ### 1\. Sudo replaced with sudo-rs ![A terminal window showing the output of sudo --version, which gives sudo-rs 0.2.8 (taken on Ubuntu 25.10)](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/Screenshot-From-2026-04-11-10-31-47--Edit-.png) Things aren't quite as they seem `sudo-rs` is a Rust implementation of the `su` and `sudo` commands. This is definitely one of the more controversial changes, technically introduced in 25.10, that will land for LTS-only users upgrading to 26.04\. It's pretty easy to understand the logic here: these are critical security components, and Rust is generally considered a safer language for security-sensitive software. Still, replacing something as deeply trusted as `sudo` understandably makes some people uneasy. To be fair, this caution isn't unreasonable. Even though most common use cases should work without issue, `sudo-rs` isn't yet a 100% compatible replacement. Sure, for everyday desktop users, the differences are likely to be invisible. For system administrators and power users however, there's a risk of some older scripts or applications encountering problems. It's a smaller risk, but still a genuine concern, and may be reason enough to wait until the situation settles. Read about the [difference between classic sudo and rust-based sudo](https://itsfoss.com/sudo-vs-sudo-rs/). [sudo vs sudo-rs: What You Need to Knowsudo-rs is poised to take over. Here’s what you should know about sudo-rs as a sudo user.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-386.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/sudo-rs-2.png)](https://itsfoss.com/sudo-vs-sudo-rs/) ### 2\. No more X11 session for Ubuntu’s default GNOME desktop GNOME on Ubuntu is now effectively Wayland-only ([as of 25.10](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/ubuntu-25-10-drops-support-for-gnome-on-xorg?ref=itsfoss.com)), meaning the classic “Ubuntu on Xorg” session is no longer available at login. Users upgrading from 24.04 will need to be aware of this if looking to remain on Xorg. Granted, in practice, this will only affect users who *specifically* use GNOME on X11 and/or still depend on Xorg features and or hardware quirks that Wayland doesn't handle yet (or at all). Most others likely won't even notice the change and can just keep using Ubuntu as normal. Alternative desktop environments aren't affected, though. If you install something like XFCE, LXQt, or OpenWM, GDM can still show those sessions at the login screen. This may change in future releases, but at least 26.04 is marked safe for X11 users who aren't yet ready to move on. Just, not for GNOME. ### 3\. Too many changes under-the-hood in one go ![A photo of a person surrounded by chemical formulas and holding their head with their eyes closed, expressing confusion and overwhelm](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/pexels-silverkblack-22690749.jpg) System admins and power users might feel a little like this [Photo](https://www.pexels.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) / [Vitaly Gariev](https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-in-eyeglasses-holding-his-head-next-to-blackboard-with-math-equations-22690749/?ref=itsfoss.com) Simply put, Ubuntu 26.04 brings a lot of low-level change at once, especially for LTS users, and this alone may be enough reason for some folks to hold off for a while. For instance, this release switches to Dracut as the default initramfs system, removes `apt-key`, drops support for `cgroup` v1, and is marked as the last Ubuntu release with support for System V service scripts in `systemd`. While many desktop users won't notice the difference, some on older systems, custom setups, or long-lived admin habits, may be at greater risk of something unexpectedly breaking. For cautious users, this may be one of those releases that is better adopted after at least one or more point releases. ## Will you be upgrading or sitting this one out? Ubuntu 26.04 is surely one of the more interesting LTS releases in quite some time. It brings some genuinely exciting improvements, especially for newer hardware, gaming, and some modernization on a few rough edges. At the same time, it does ask advanced users to accept a fair bit of change under the hood, and of course, not everyone will be comfortable making the leap right away. For some, Ubuntu 26.04 will be an easy yes. For others, it may be the kind of release best approached with caution, and perhaps a good backup plan. Either way, one thing is clear: this LTS is sure to give us a whole lot to talk about. ### Lubuntu 26.04 LTS Ships LXQt 2.3, and Keeps Wayland on the Backburner URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/lubuntu-26-04-lts/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T00:18:46.000Z [Lubuntu](https://lubuntu.me/?ref=itsfoss.com) is an official [Ubuntu flavor](https://ubuntu.com/desktop/flavors?ref=itsfoss.com) that uses LXQt as its default desktop environment. It is one of the lighter options in the Ubuntu family, built around keeping resource usage low without stripping out the things people actually need from a desktop, and part of what makes it appealing is its approach to hardware. [LXQt](https://lxqt-project.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) has a noticeably lower memory footprint compared to heavier environments like GNOME or Plasma, which makes Lubuntu a reasonable choice for people running older or low-spec machines. And now, the project has reached its 30th release with Lubuntu 26.04 LTS "*Resolute Raccoon*." ## Lubuntu 26.04 LTS: What's New? ![this screenshot of lubuntu 26.04 lts shows the app launcher on the left and the fastfetch output on the right](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/lubuntu-26-04-fastfetch-output.png) Well, for starters, Lubuntu 26.04 LTS ships **Linux kernel 7.0**, a major jump from the 6.8 kernel in the previous LTS. We have [dedicated coverage](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-7-0-release/) on it, but the relevant bits are as follows. 👇 There's expanded temperature monitoring for Intel Arc GPUs, full audio support for the upcoming Intel Nova Lake CPUs, early AMD Zen 6 performance profiling groundwork, and XFS getting a self-healing daemon for metadata failures. Being an LTS, this Lubuntu release **gets updates and security patches until April 2029**. [LXQt 2.3](https://lxqt-project.org/release/2025/11/05/release-lxqt-2-3-0/?ref=itsfoss.com) ships as the default environment here. The *Desktop Switcher* in LXQt Panel now works with Wayland compositors that support the `ext-workspaces-v1` protocol, covering [labwc](https://github.com/labwc/labwc?ref=itsfoss.com) and [niri](https://github.com/niri-wm/niri?ref=itsfoss.com). Similarly, PCManFM-Qt gets a "*Safely Remove*" option in the side pane context menu, QTerminal adds emoji flag support, and the *Archiver* gains [LZ4](https://github.com/lz4/lz4?ref=itsfoss.com) support. Power management also picks up an option to turn off the monitor for Wayland sessions on KWin, niri, and Hyprland. ![this picture shows the desktop view of lubuntu 26.04 lts with the app launcher and file manager open](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/lubuntu-26-04-desktop-view.png) A **Wayland session is not on the ISO** as the team could not get it ready in time. Though they do mention that it may come as a PPA later and that they will announce it if that happens. This release also adds full support for **Intel Core Ultra Xe2** integrated graphics and **Intel Arc B580** and **B570** "*Battlemage*" discrete GPUs, and VA-API hardware-accelerated video encoding and decoding is enabled by default for Intel and AMD users. There's **some rustification in this release** too, as [sudo-rs](https://itsfoss.com/sudo-vs-sudo-rs/) takes over as the default sudo utility, and [rust-coreutils](https://github.com/uutils/coreutils?ref=itsfoss.com) replaces GNU coreutils as the default for common command-line tools. We wrap this up with the updated stack of applications and toolingL - [APT 3.2](https://itsfoss.com/news/apt-3-2-release/) - Firefox 149 (*Snap*) - LibreOffice 26.2 - FeatherPad 1.6.3 - VLC 3.0.23 - Discover 6.6.3 (*app store*) ## 📥 Download Lubuntu 26.04 LTS If you liked what this LTS release offers, then you can go to Lubuntu's [official website](https://lubuntu.me/downloads/?ref=itsfoss.com) to download the ISO for this release. Alternatively, you can also visit the Ubuntu [release portal](https://cdimage.ubuntu.com/lubuntu/releases/resolute/?ref=itsfoss.com) to get the same. [Lubuntu 26.04 LTS](https://lubuntu.me/downloads/?ref=itsfoss.com) **For existing users**, the Lubuntu team has provided [an upgrade guide](https://manual.lubuntu.me/stable/D/upgrading.html?ref=itsfoss.com) that will take you through the process to get Lubuntu 26.04 LTS. ### Kubuntu 26.04 LTS Drops X11 Support and Goes All in On Wayland URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/kubuntu-26-04-lts/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T00:18:29.000Z [Kubuntu](https://kubuntu.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is one of the longest-running [Ubuntu flavors](https://ubuntu.com/desktop/flavors?ref=itsfoss.com) and also one of the more sensible ones to recommend. It ships the [KDE Plasma](https://kde.org/plasma-desktop/?ref=itsfoss.com) desktop on top of an Ubuntu base and is maintained by a volunteer team that tracks the KDE release cycle closely and works to get the latest Plasma builds into each release. If you want the KDE experience without leaving the Ubuntu ecosystem, Kubuntu is the cleanest way to get there. Anyhow, with Ubuntu 26.04 LTS officially out, Kubuntu 26.04 LTS is also here alongside it, and here's what this release has to offer. ## Kubuntu 26.04 LTS: What's Fresh? ![in this screenshot of kubuntu 26.04 lts, a fastfetch output is shown on the right, the app launcher is shown on the left](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/kubuntu-26-04-fastfetch-output.png) Same as its Ubuntu base, this Kubuntu release is powered by [Linux kernel 7.0](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-7-0-release/), which comes in as a notable hardware support and storage upgrade over the kernel that shipped with [Kubuntu 24.04 LTS](https://itsfoss.com/news/kubuntu-24-04/). Intel Arc users get considerably more detailed temperature data through the hardware monitoring interface, now covering memory controller, PCIe, and individual VRAM channel readings rather than just a single GPU core temperature. XFS picks up an autonomous self-healing daemon that watches for metadata failures and I/O errors in real time and kicks off repairs without taking the filesystem offline. Rust support also officially moves from experimental to stable in this kernel. ![a desktop view screenshot of kubuntu 26.04 lts with the about this system page open](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/kubuntu-26-04-plasma-6-6.png) For the desktop environment, [Plasma 6.6](https://itsfoss.com/news/kde-plasma-6-6-release/) is included, which offers many improvements. You get OCR functionality in Spectacle, the screenshot tool, Plasma Setup, a first-run wizard that handles user account creation, and virtual desktops can now be set to appear only on your primary screen. Then there's **the removal of the X11 session**, which is not installed by default and will not be supported by the Kubuntu team going forward. **Wayland is now the only officially supported session**, and the `plasma-session-x11` package remains available in the Ubuntu archive for anyone who needs it. A few other changes from the Ubuntu base that are also worth knowing about. [sudo-rs](https://itsfoss.com/sudo-vs-sudo-rs/), the Rust rewrite of the classic sudo tool, is now the default sudo provider in this release. The [NTSYNC kernel driver](https://docs.kernel.org/userspace-api/ntsync.html?ref=itsfoss.com) is included too. It handles WinNT sync primitive emulation at the kernel level rather than pushing that work into user space, which **improves performance for Windows games** running through [Wine](https://www.winehq.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) or [Proton](https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Proton?ref=itsfoss.com). NVIDIA laptop users get [Dynamic Boost](https://download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Linux-x86%5F64/570.133.07/README/dynamicboost.html?ref=itsfoss.com) enabled by default, which shifts power automatically between the CPU and GPU based on what the workload demands. You also get **a set of updated applications and tooling**: - [APT 3.2](https://itsfoss.com/news/apt-3-2-release/) - Qt 6.10.2 - Firefox 149 (*Snap*) - LibreOffice 26.2.2 - KDE Frameworks 6.24.0 - KDE Applications 25.12.3 ## 📥 Get Kubuntu 26.04 LTS You will find this Kubuntu LTS release on the [official website](https://kubuntu.org/download/?ref=itsfoss.com) and on the Ubuntu [release portal](https://cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/releases/resolute/?ref=itsfoss.com). Existing users can follow the [upgrade guide for 24.04](https://help.ubuntu.com/community/NobleUpgrades/Kubuntu?ref=itsfoss.com) to get the release. [Kubuntu 26.04 LTS](https://kubuntu.org/download/?ref=itsfoss.com) If you face any issues, you can ask for help in [our forum](https://itsfoss.community/?ref=itsfoss.com) or the [Kubuntu forum](https://www.kubuntuforums.net/?ref=itsfoss.com). ### The Awesome New Ubuntu 26.04 LTS is Here URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-04-lts/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T00:16:11.000Z [Ubuntu](https://ubuntu.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) doesn't need much of an introduction. It has been a reliable starter distro for people finding their way into Linux for years, and for good reasons as well. It installs without drama, runs on most hardware, and the surrounding community is large enough that almost any problem you run into has already been solved and documented somewhere. **I ran it as my daily driver for a while**, a few years ago, and the experience was just what I needed at the time. It was fast, familiar for someone coming from Winslop, and stable enough that I wasn't stuck fixing issues every other day. My experience with Ubuntu was what made me go further into the world of Linux and open source, and I still recommend it to anyone who asks me for a distro suggestion. With that said, let's dive into the Ubuntu 26.04 LTS "*Resolute Raccoon*" release right away! 🚀 ## ⭐ Ubuntu 26.04 LTS: What's New? ![a screenshot of ubuntu 26.04 lts' desktop with a fastfetch output being visible on the top-right](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/ubuntu-26-04-fastfetch-output.png) [**Fastfetch*](https://itsfoss.com/fine-control-fastfetch/) *output of Ubuntu 26.04 LTS.* Powered by [Linux kernel 7.0](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-7-0-release/), Ubuntu 26.04 LTS comes with **five years of standard security and maintenance updates** from [Canonical](https://canonical.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), keeping it covered through to **April 2031**. **If that's not enough**, [Ubuntu Pro](https://ubuntu.com/pro?ref=itsfoss.com) stretches that to 10 years of security maintenance across the full Ubuntu archive, taking coverage to **April 2036**. ## New Boot Animation When you boot up, you're greeted by a fresh animation that takes cues from the default [raccoon-themed wallpaper](https://ubuntu.com/blog/unmasking-the-resolute-raccoon?ref=itsfoss.com), with a circular arrangement of sharp lines fanning out like sun rays as the system loads. It flows smoothly and looks clean, in my opinion. If you have a decently specced machine with Ubuntu on an SSD, though, you'll most likely miss it entirely. Which is just fine. ## GNOME 50 ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/ubuntu-26-04-gnome-50-a.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/ubuntu-26-04-gnome-50-b.png) **This is how GNOME 50 looks on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS!* Ubuntu 26.04 LTS ships with [GNOME 50](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-50-release/), making it a four-step jump of major versions from [GNOME 46](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-46-release/) that came with [Ubuntu 24.04 LTS](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-24-04-lts/). That is not a small gap, and you will feel it in the day-to-day desktop experience. Then there's the matter of **X11 being gone from GDM**. With this release, **GNOME now runs exclusively on Wayland**, and there's no session option to go back. Similarly, fractional scaling and variable refresh rate have both graduated out of experimental status and are now stable. The shell also picks up some **quality-of-life changes**. A power mode indicator shows up in the top bar whenever you're running outside the default profile, so it's visible at a glance, and the volume slider now locks to 100% when over-amplification is on. A couple of long-standing annoyances are fixed too, including deleted default folders reappearing on reboot and a privacy issue where password text was leaking into IM pre-edit fields. **The new folder icons on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS.* The [Yaru](https://github.com/ubuntu/yaru?ref=itsfoss.com) icon theme also gets a notable refresh in this release. Folder icons have been redesigned with a wider, shorter shape and a more three-dimensional look, complete with depth shading and styled emblems for special folders like *Music* and *Downloads*. The *Desktop* folder icon has been brought in line too, dropping its old desktop-styled motif for a design that looks like a folder. And, when you change your system's accent color, you will notice that folders now fully adopt whatever color you pick rather than just taking on a light shade. ## Improved App Suite ![some of the new apps on ubuntu 26.04 lts: ptyxis (terminal), loupe (image viewer), and showtime (video player) are shown in this picture](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/ubuntu-26-04-new-apps.png) **From left to right, we have Ptyxis, Loupe, and Showtime.* Ubuntu 26.04 LTS ships **five new default applications**, replacing tools that have been part of the Ubuntu desktop for years. [Ptyxis](https://gitlab.gnome.org/chergert/ptyxis?ref=itsfoss.com) is now the default terminal, taking over from GNOME Terminal. [Loupe](https://apps.gnome.org/Loupe/?ref=itsfoss.com) replaces Eye of GNOME as the image viewer. [Papers](https://apps.gnome.org/Papers/?ref=itsfoss.com) is the new document viewer in place of Evince, and [Showtime](https://apps.gnome.org/Showtime/?ref=itsfoss.com) now handles video playback in place of Totem. Finally, we have [Resources](https://apps.gnome.org/Resources/?ref=itsfoss.com), which replaces the System Monitor and Power Statistics apps as a one-stop dashboard for all your system metrics needs. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/ubuntu-26-04-app-center.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/ubuntu-26-04-security-center.png) **App Center on the left, Security Center on the right.* Then there's the [App Center](https://github.com/ubuntu/app-center?ref=itsfoss.com), which was updated with several practical additions. In-progress installs are now visible, snap management has improved across the board, and you can now **manage third-party DEB packages directly** through it. The [Security Center](https://github.com/canonical/desktop-security-center?ref=itsfoss.com) is growing into a proper control panel for system security. It now has **an experimental permissions prompting feature**, which was first seen in [Ubuntu 24.10](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-24-10/), giving you more granular control over how snapped applications access your *Home* directory. It's still experimental and not enabled by default, but it's there if you want to try it. Several **bundled applications have also been updated**, and these include [Firefox 149](https://www.firefox.com/en-US/firefox/149.0/releasenotes/?ref=itsfoss.com), [LibreOffice 25.8](https://itsfoss.com/news/libreoffice-25-8-release/), [Thunderbird 140](https://blog.thunderbird.net/2025/07/welcome-to-thunderbird-140-eclipse/?ref=itsfoss.com), and [GIMP 3.0](https://itsfoss.com/news/gimp-3-release/). Also, if you remember from earlier this year, [the Software & Updates app is no longer pre-installed](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-software-and-updates-removal/) on fresh installs of Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and later. This was done in a bid to prevent users from getting exposed to features that were deemed too "*dangerous or too complex for normal users*." ## Security Buffs TPM-backed [full disk encryption](https://documentation.ubuntu.com/security/security-features/storage/encryption-full-disk/?ref=itsfoss.com) has moved from experimental to being generally available in Ubuntu 26.04 LTS. Previous releases had this behind a flag, but this time around, Canonical has finally addressed what was holding it back. These are things like recovery key handling during firmware updates being more predictable, documented hardware incompatibilities being clearly flagged, and storage configuration requirements being spelled out. **Post-quantum cryptography support** is also included via [OpenSSH 10.2](https://www.openssh.org/txt/release-10.2?ref=itsfoss.com). The hybrid key exchange algorithm `mlkem768x25519-sha256` is on by default, and DSA support has been dropped entirely. With this in place, you don't need to configure anything; it works out of the box. ## Other Improvements Wrapping this up, here are some other changes that are worth mentioning: - **NVIDIA Dynamic Boost** is enabled by default on supported laptops. - **JPEG XL is now supported** out of the box, with no additional packages needed. - The **new NTSYNC driver** is included, offering better performance with Windows games running on Wine and Proton. - Full support for **Intel Core Ultra Xe2** integrated graphics and **Intel Arc B580** and **B570** "*Battlemage*" discrete GPUs. - There is now **an official ARM64 desktop ISO** that targets VMs, ACPI + EFI platforms, and Snapdragon-based Windows on ARM devices. If you want to see the new features in action, we have a [video on our YouTube channel for you](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rBpfr7CXJQ&ref=itsfoss.com). ## 📥 Download Ubuntu 26.04 LTS This Ubuntu LTS release is available for download from the [official website](https://ubuntu.com/download/desktop?ref=itsfoss.com) (*for desktop*) and the [releases portal](https://releases.ubuntu.com/resolute/?ref=itsfoss.com) (*for all variants*). [Ubuntu 26.04 LTS](https://ubuntu.com/download/desktop?ref=itsfoss.com) **Existing users** can refer to our [Ubuntu upgrade guide](https://itsfoss.com/upgrade-ubuntu-to-newer-version/) for instructions on how to get this release through the upgrade process. While that guide was made for an older Ubuntu LTS release, the steps should still be relevant. ### FOSS Weekly #26.17: Ubuntu 26.04 Release, Firefox Controversy, Positive News on Age-verification and More Linux Stuff URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-17/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T15:21:15.000Z Ubuntu 26.04 is releasing today. As a long-term support release, it will be supported till at least 2031, making it an important upgrade for many users. Curious about what’s new? I’ve [covered the key features and changes in this major release](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-26-04-release-features/). If you’re currently on Ubuntu 24.04 or even 25.10, you probably have a few questions about upgrading. Should you do it now? Is it worth it? I’ve [addressed those in a dedicated article](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-26-04-faq/). On a related note, Fedora 44 faced another delay but is now expected to release tomorrow, April 24. **Here are other highlights of this edition of FOSS Weekly:** - A young Polish developer fixing 20 year old Linux bug. - A new privacy-first cloud service. - Russian CPUs being dropped from Linux. - And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes! ## 📰 Linux and Open Source News Linux 7.1 is [dropping support for Baikal SoCs](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-baikal-cpu-support-removal/), the Russian ARM-based processors that were intended to give Russian state enterprises a domestic alternative to Intel and AMD. Cal.com, the open source Calendly alternative, [has gone closed source](https://itsfoss.com/news/cal-com-goes-proprietary/). The stated reason is that AI can now scan public repos and find exploitable vulnerabilities far faster than before. A 20-year-old bug in the Enlightenment E16 window manager, introduced in 2006, was found and fixed this month by [a 21-year-old graduate student](https://itsfoss.com/news/kamila-enlightenment-e16-bug/) who daily drives the 1999-era window manager. MZLA Technologies, the Mozilla subsidiary behind Thunderbird, [has launched Thunderbolt](https://itsfoss.com/news/thunderbolt-launch/), an open source, self-hostable AI client aimed at organizations that can't send sensitive data to third-party AI services. Elsewhere in the world of Mozilla, Firefox's new mascot Kit [generated more drama than any browser mascot](https://itsfoss.com/news/mozillas-firefox-mascot-gender-controversy/) should've. A Reddit post used they/them pronouns to introduce the cartoon Firefox character; someone noticed a few weeks later, and the predictable cycle followed. And some positive news. After months of advocacy by System76, [Colorado's age verification bill is set for an amendment to exclude open source](https://itsfoss.com/news/colorado-age-attestation-bill-open-source-exemption/). At least that's what it looks like for now. ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About If you're already using Tuta for email and calendar and have been wondering where the cloud storage was, [it's now in closed beta](https://itsfoss.com/news/tuta-drive-closed-beta/). Tuta Drive uses the same post-quantum hybrid encryption as the rest of the suite, is hosted in Germany, and is zero-knowledge by design. Is the OS-level age verification all about protecting children? Theena does not think so and [expresses his opinions in this article](https://itsfoss.com/opinion/age-verification-tobacco-moment/). [Won’t Somebody Think of the Children? Why Big Tech’s ‘Tobacco Moment’ Isn’t What It SeemsAs regulators rush to “protect children,” we risk creating something worse. A more centralized, identity-driven, and surveilled internet that strengthens Big Tech instead of challenging it.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-385.png)It's FOSSTheena Kumaragurunathan![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/computer-screen.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/opinion/age-verification-tobacco-moment/) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings [Chapter 7](https://itsfoss.com/copy-files-directory-linux/) of our Terminal Basics series covers everything you need to know about the `cp` command for copying single files, multiple files, renaming during a copy, using `-r` for directories, and handling overwrites safely with `-n` and `-i`. If your Linux Mint desktop feels a bit plain and you have RAM to spare, we have covered [nine Cinnamon extensions and built-in effects](https://itsfoss.com/linux-mint-window-effects/) worth trying for anyone who wants to make the desktop feel a bit more alive. Compiling [your own kernel](https://itsfoss.com/compile-linux-kernel/) sounds intimidating, but it's mostly a long sequence of well-defined steps. The journey involves fetching and verifying the source, configuring with `menuconfig`, building and installing modules, headers, and the kernel itself. Markdown has become essential. From Git repositories to AI skills to personal knowledge base, [knowing the basics of Markdown helps a lot](https://itsfoss.com/markdown-guide/). ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner Linux gamers rejoice! A [gaming console](https://itsfoss.com/news/playnix-linux-console/) has been announced that runs an Arch-based distro. [The People Who Put Emulators on Your Steam Deck Now Want to Sell You a Linux ConsoleThe Playnix Console is a €1,179 Linux-powered gaming machine with an RX 9060 XT inside.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-380.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/playnix-console-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/playnix-linux-console/) Tired of AI fluff and misinformation in your Google feed? Get real, trusted Linux content. Add It’s FOSS as your preferred source and see our reliable Linux and open-source stories highlighted in your Discover feed and search results. [Add It's FOSS as preferred source on Google (if you use it) ](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=itsfoss.com&ref=itsfoss.com) ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights Managing a handful of containers from the terminal is fine until it isn't. [Pods](https://itsfoss.com/pods-container-management/) is a clean Adwaita-native GUI for Podman and Docker that handles the everyday tasks. [This Simple GUI Tool Takes the Pain Out of Docker and PodmanA polished, libadwaita-based container manager that now works with both Podman and Docker.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-381.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/pods-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/pods-container-management/) ## 📽️ Videos for You And I share the new features in Ubuntu 26.04 in this video along with my opinions on (some of) them. Please [watch it here](https://youtu.be/-rBpfr7CXJQ?ref=itsfoss.com). [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip In many Linux terminal emulators like GNOME Terminal, Ptyxis, etc. You can press `CTRL+SHIFT+F` to open a search interface for going through your scrollback history. This typically contains options for *matchcase*, *whole words*, and *regular expressions*. ![linux terminal scrollback history](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/scrollback-history-search.png) [](https://t43217012.p.clickup-attachments.com/t43217012/da09f1e7-b651-4c93-b93b-141e46671d4b/copy-link-to-highlight-firefox.png?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse Take your container knowledge for a test with [this members-only puzzle](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/container-crossword/). [Crossword: What’s in the Container?Containers are fun… until they’re in a crossword. 🧩Test your Docker IQ and see if you can solve this without running docker --help in panic mode.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-382.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/container-crossword-2.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/container-crossword/) Who said that? Let me enlighten you. 🧐 ![windows 11 switch to linux meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/memes-11.jpeg) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On April 21, 1988, [Tandy Corporation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tandy%5FCorporation?ref=itsfoss.com) announced it would clone IBM's PS/2, which was made possible only because IBM had opened up the license to its proprietary MCA bus patents after years of trying to lock competitors out. The [PS/2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM%5FPS/2?ref=itsfoss.com) was IBM's attempt to retake control of the PC market it had accidentally given away by publishing open hardware specs in 1981\. It failed completely. Within four years IBM was a minor player in its own market, and by 2005 it had exited PC manufacturing entirely, selling the division to Lenovo. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: FOSSers [are deliberating](https://itsfoss.community/t/great-news-for-laptop-purchasers/15593?ref=itsfoss.com) whether CAMM2 memory will be the next thing in computer hardware. ### Things You Should Know About Ubuntu 26.04 URL: https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-26-04-faq/ Last updated: 2026-04-28T09:44:16.000Z Ubuntu 26.04 is releasing today. It is natural to have questions about a new release, specially for beginners. I have tried to answer those frequently asked questions about Ubuntu 26.04 here. I hope it helps clear your doubts if you had any. And if you still have questions, feel free to ask in the comment section below. ## What are the system requirements for Ubuntu 26.04? Ubuntu 26.04 requires a 2 GHz dual core processor or better, a minimum of 6 GB RAM and at least 25 GB of free disk space. These stats for the default GNOME version. KDE and Xfce flavors may work with 4 GB RAM. If you are dual booting it with Windows, you should at least give it 50 GB or even 100 GB. 25 GB will be filled way too soon. ## How long will Ubuntu 26.04 be supported? It is a long-term support (LTS) release and like any LTS release, it will be supported for five years. Which means that Ubuntu 26.04 will get security and maintenance updates until April 2031\. Flavors get supported for three years only. You can enable Ubuntu Pro, free for personal use, and get extended support for five more years. This will give you just security and maintenance updates; new features and software versions will mostly not be available. There is also the option for legacy add-on for Ubuntu Pro that will add five more years to extend the life. These extensions are suitable for people who do not seek new features as much and happy to have a computer that works for most of their day to day need of browsing internet, manage photos and document etc. ## There are other options in "Ubuntu 26.04"? [Ubuntu has various flavors](https://itsfoss.com/which-ubuntu-install/) based on the desktop environments they provide. [Kubuntu](https://kubuntu.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is with KDE, [Lubuntu](https://lubuntu.me/?ref=itsfoss.com) is with LXQt, [Xubuntu](https://xubuntu.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is with Xfce desktop. I hope you are familiar with the concept of [desktop environments](https://itsfoss.com/what-is-desktop-environment/). This is what determines how your Linux system looks by default. ## Where can I download Ubuntu 26.04? You can get the ISO image of Ubuntu 26.04 GNOME from [its website](https://ubuntu.com/download/desktop?ref=itsfoss.com). You have both direct download and torrent options. Other official flavors will be available on their official websites. Note: if you don't see the option to download Ubuntu 26.04, you can get it from the [daily build page.](https://releases.ubuntu.com/resolute/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## Can I download Ubuntu 26.04 via torrent? Yes. you can. If you have an inconsistent or slow internet, you can download Ubuntu ISO image via torrent as well. Just go to the Ubuntu download page and look for alternative downloads. Scroll down a bit and you’ll see the torrent options. ## How can I install Ubuntu 26.04? Just like any other version. You download the ISO, make a live USB and use it to install Ubuntu on your system. You can dual boot it as well. The detailed steps are demonstrated in our [Ubuntu installation guide](https://itsfoss.com/install-ubuntu/). ## Can I install KDE or some other desktop environment on Ubuntu 26.04? Yes, you can. Linux gives you the flexibility to install the desktop environment of your choice. However, I recommend that if you have a fresh Ubuntu install where you don't have important data, it is better to install the official flavor instead. This is because some times, desktop environment elements conflict with each other. So if you want KDE, go for Kubuntu. ## I am already using Ubuntu. Can I upgrade to Ubuntu 26.04? Yes. Ubuntu allows you to upgrade from one version to the next or one [long-term support](https://itsfoss.com/long-term-support-lts/) (LTS) version to next. If you are already using Ubuntu 24.04 LTS or 25.10, you will have the option to upgrade to Ubuntu 26.04 LTS. If you are using Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, you'll have to upgrade to 24.04 LTS first and then upgrade to 26.04\. [How to Upgrade to Ubuntu 24.04 LTSThis tutorial demonstrates the steps for upgrading to Ubuntu 24.04 from 22.04\. You can use the same steps to upgrade from any other supported Ubuntu version.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-384.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/upgrade-to-24-04.png)](https://itsfoss.com/upgrade-ubuntu-version/) Please [check your Ubuntu version](https://itsfoss.com/how-to-know-ubuntu-unity-version/). If you are using any version other than 22.04, 24.04 or 25.10, chances are that it has reached end of life. A fresh install will make more sense. ## Why don't I see the upgrade to 26.04 option? A new Ubuntu release is gradually rolled out to users. You'll see it eventually, just keep your system upgraded. If you cannot wait, you can force update manager to look for "development release" and that should give you the option to upgrade to 26.04 immediately. ## Should I wait or upgrade to Ubuntu 26.04 right away? In my experience, a new Ubuntu release often brings up bugs and issues that have gone unnoticed in the testing phase. If you easily get annoyed and don't want to troubleshoot, I would advise upgrading for a few week from the release. If you want to take it even more slow and comfortable, you can wait till the first point release of Ubuntu 26.04.1\. Most of the discovered bugs are fixed by then. ## Do I need to back up before upgrade? Upgrading from existing Ubuntu version to new version is generally safe. In my 17 years of Ubuntu usage, I have never experienced a broken system while upgrading it. That said, it is not impossible to encounter issues. It's rare but rare events do happen. So, if you have important data, make a backup with timeshift or simply copy the data on an external disk. Before upgrading, if these things have not been backed up, I copy most of the contents from the home directory to [my SanDisk external SSD](https://amzn.to/4dMg7hi?ref=itsfoss.com) (partner Amazon link) shown in the picture below. SSD with USB 3 or Thunderbolt have very good copying speed. ![My SandDisk external SSD](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/sandisk-external-ssd-.webp) SanDIsk external SSD ([Amazon link](https://amzn.to/4dMg7hi?ref=itsfoss.com)) ## Should I upgrade to 26.04 or do a fresh install? That is up to your technical abilities and convenience. Personally, I feel that a fresh install works better, specially if you have been upgrading to newer versions for the past several versions. Still try the upgrade first and if you feel it is sluggish, you can go for a fresh install. Remember that you'll lose your data on the disk if you go for a fresh install. So, please make a backup of your important data on an external disk. ## If I upgrade to Ubuntu 26.04 can I downgrade to 25.10 or 24.04? No, you cannot. While upgrading to the newer version is easy, there is no option to downgrade. If you want to go back to Ubuntu 24.04 or 25.10, you’ll have to do a fresh install of the desired version. ## Should I be concerned about Wayland only Ubuntu 26.04? That is really up to you. If you are using a software that is important to your workflow and that software does not support Wayland, then you will have issues. While it is still possible to install the legacy Xorg [display server ](https://itsfoss.com/display-server/)on KDE, GNOME 50 has completely removed Xorg support. As far as I know, you cannot use Xorg on GNOME 50 or higher anymore. So, please check which applications are essential for your workflow and then check from their website or forum to verify if they support Wayland or not. Make a decision accordingly if you have to keep on using 24.04 or switch to 26.04. ## How do I know if Ubuntu 26.04 supports all my wifi and printer drivers? While a newer version brings newer kernel that supports more hardware, it is not unheard to encounter wifi connectivity issues. A good approach here would be to create a live USB of Ubuntu 26.04 and boot into the live OS. If the live session encounters WiFi, graphics or printer issues, it is likely that you might face it when you install or upgrade to Ubuntu 26.04\. The issues can be fixed too, but it will require some time and effort in troubleshooting. ## More questions? I have tried to answer the common doubts an Ubuntu beginner usually have about a new release. This is coming from seventeen years of using Ubuntu and fourteen years of running this website. But then I am not a beginner anymore and I may not be able to think of all the questions a new Ubuntu user might have. So, if you still have doubts, please ask them in the comments and I'll try to help you out. ### Microsoft Has WSL, But This Developer Built One for Windows 95 URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/wsl9x-overview/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T11:43:16.000Z [Linux](https://www.kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) has had a quiet takeover of computing. It powers all of the world's [top 500 supercomputers](https://www.top500.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Android](https://www.android.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), which runs on billions of smartphones. It has also found its way into places that have nothing to do with traditional computing. Smart TVs run some variant of it. Cars run it. If something has a processor and a purpose, there is a good chance Linux is involved somewhere. Over the years, we have also seen some interesting experiments involving Linux and Windows together. [loss32](https://itsfoss.com/loss32-distro/) runs an entire desktop as Win32 software under Wine, and Microsoft's [WSL](https://itsfoss.com/wsl/) has made Linux a part of Windows 10 and beyond. Now, [Hailey](https://social.hails.org/@hailey?ref=itsfoss.com), an open source developer, has taken that idea and [turned it around](https://social.hails.org/@hailey/116446826733136456?ref=itsfoss.com). Instead of Linux hosting Windows apps, she has made [Windows 9x](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows%5F9x?ref=itsfoss.com) host Linux. ## WSL9x: Overview ⭐ ![on a windows 95 system, wsl9x is showcased via many ms dos prompt windows 95](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/wsl9x-on-windows-95.png) **Via Hailey on* [**Codeberg*](https://codeberg.org/hails/wsl9x?ref=itsfoss.com)**.* The project brings a Linux subsystem to Windows 9x, covering 95, 98, and ME, with [Linux kernel 6.19](https://itsfoss.com/news/kernel-6-19-release/) running alongside the Windows 9x kernel, letting both operate on the same machine at the same time. As for how it works, a patched kernel from Hailey's `win9x-um-6.19` branch sits at the core, which is compiled using the User Mode Linux architecture and loaded at a fixed base address of `0xd0000000`. A [VxD](https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/glossary/what-is-vdd/?ref=itsfoss.com) (*virtual device driver*) handles initialization, loads the kernel off disk and manages the event loop for page faults and syscalls. Since Win9x lacks the right interrupt table support for the standard Linux syscall interrupt, WSL9x reroutes those calls through the fault handler instead. Rounding it all out is `wsl.com`, a small 16-bit DOS program that pipes the terminal output from Linux back to whatever MS-DOS prompt window you ran it from (*as shown in the screenshot above*). In her Mastodon post (*linked above*), Hailey pointed out that WSL9x **requires no hardware virtualization**, and that it can run on hardware as old as the i486\. The same architecture that you might remember is [being dropped from the Linux kernel](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-i486-cpu-support-removal/). ## Get WSL9x 📥 [WSL9x](https://codeberg.org/hails/wsl9x?ref=itsfoss.com) doesn't ship a pre-built binary, so **you'll need to build it from source** and deploy it on a Windows 9x system (*95, 98, or ME*). The source code and build instructions are on [Codeberg](https://codeberg.org/hails/wsl9x?ref=itsfoss.com). [WSL9x](https://codeberg.org/hails/wsl9x?ref=itsfoss.com) --- 💬 *Do you think that this is something that you would play around with? Or is just a gimmick?* ### A Linux Hardware Maker is Convincing Colorado to Leave Open Source Alone URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/colorado-age-attestation-bill-open-source-exemption/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T12:04:26.000Z Carl Richell, the founder of [System76](https://system76.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), has shared that Colorado's Age Attestation Bill (SB26-051) is **set to be amended to exclude open source software** from its requirements. The [proposed amendment](https://fosstodon.org/@carlrichell/116442974622287951?ref=itsfoss.com) would exclude open source operating systems and apps, code repositories like GitHub and GitLab, and containers like Docker and Podman. We covered this bill [back in February](https://itsfoss.com/news/colorado-age-attestation-bill/), when it made no such distinction. Carl has been [working directly](https://x.com/carlrichell/status/2031125624711164182?ref=itsfoss.com) with Colorado Senator [Matt Ball](https://leg.colorado.gov/legislators/matt-ball?ref=itsfoss.com), the bill's co-author, to push for these exclusions since then, and it looks like his efforts are paying off. ![this tiny picture shows a post by carl richell talking about the amended colorado age attestation bill](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/carl-richell-age-attestation-amendment.png) **Carl Richell via* [**Fosstodon*](https://fosstodon.org/@carlrichell/116442974622287951?ref=itsfoss.com)**.* When [Neal Gompa](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ngompa?ref=itsfoss.com) (*of Fedora fame*) [followed up](https://fosstodon.org/@neal@social.gompa.me/116442983713330769?ref=itsfoss.com), asking whether there was any outreach to California and New York over their age verification bills, Carl replied by saying that the community now has **a template to take the fight elsewhere**. And that the next step is a letter to Colorado representatives to pass the bill with the amendments in place, and then adapting that letter for other states while working with the open source community to raise awareness. Before any of that, though, **Carl has to testify**. 🏛️ He's scheduled to appear before lawmakers today, on April 23, and is asking the community for backup. He's specifically looking for stories where kids have built or made things thanks to having unhindered access to open source software. You can share them on the Fosstodon post linked above or [DM him directly](https://fosstodon.org/@carlrichell?ref=itsfoss.com). As for [the bill itself](https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/SB26-051?ref=itsfoss.com), it passed the Colorado Senate 28-7 back in March and is currently waiting on a House vote. ## Speaking up helps! All this is proof that speaking up against something detrimental and fighting for your rights does work if there's enough noise and disruption surrounding it. And while users of Linux distros and other open source platforms in Colorado will hopefully breathe a sigh of relief, those in the other states are still at risk of being affected by age verification laws. *Maybe Carl's template is something you could apply in your state?* 😉 And then there's also the [proposed federal bill](https://itsfoss.com/news/os-level-age-verification-across-us/) pushing for OS-level age verification across the US, with no exemptions for open source, potentially overriding any state-level exclusions. ### The People Who Put Emulators on Your Steam Deck Now Want to Sell You a Linux Console URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/playnix-linux-console/ Last updated: 2026-04-30T07:29:53.000Z Before we get into the console, we must know some background information. [EmuDeck](https://www.emudeck.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is an installation script that simplifies setting up emulators on the [Steam Deck](https://store.steampowered.com/steamdeck?ref=itsfoss.com) and other SteamOS devices. It handles emulator configuration, hotkeys, and most of the tedious setup work that retro gaming on Linux would otherwise involve. Back in 2024, the project lead, [Dragoon Dorise](https://github.com/dragoonDorise?ref=itsfoss.com), launched [an IndieGoGo campaign](https://x.com/EmuDeck/status/1829172047559397518?ref=itsfoss.com) for **EmuDeck Machines**, a pair of Linux mini PCs built for couch gaming in a Dreamcast-inspired 3D-printed case. The idea was to make hardware as approachable as EmuDeck had made software. But **it never shipped**. Funding fell short of what manufacturing required, and the project quietly died. Now, EmuDeck is rejoining the gaming hardware space with a Linux-powered gaming console that looks a lot like an [Xbox Series S](https://www.xbox.com/en-US/consoles/xbox-series-s?ref=itsfoss.com). # Playnix Console: For Linux Gamers ![against a mixed green/blue background, two pictures of the playnix console are shown, on the left is the front view, on the right is the rear view](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/playnix-front-rear-views.png) The Playnix Console is powered by a six-core [AMD Ryzen 5 5500](https://www.amd.com/en/support/downloads/drivers.html/processors/ryzen/ryzen-5000-series/amd-ryzen-5-5500.html?ref=itsfoss.com), which is running at 3.6 GHz and has a 65W TDP. Graphics duties are handled by an [AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT](https://www.amd.com/en/products/graphics/desktops/radeon/9000-series/amd-radeon-rx-9060xt.html?ref=itsfoss.com). It is an RDNA4 card with 32 compute units, 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM, and a 150W TDP. For the memory, **16GB of DDR4-3200** in dual-channel configuration is on offer, and given how absurd RAM prices have been lately, this seems like a sensible call over packing in more at added cost. Cooling is handled by [Noctua](https://www.noctua.at/en?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Thermalright](https://www.thermalright.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) fans, with claims that **the console stays around 65 °C during 4K gaming** while maintaining quiet operation. **What makes it a Linux gaming console** is that it ships with **PlaynixOS**, a custom Arch Linux-based distro developed by Playnix that boots straight into Steam's gaming mode, with updates being handled in the background. Of course, if that doesn't suit your gaming needs, you can swap it out for other Linux-powered or proprietary OSes like Bazzite, Nobara Linux, SteamOS, and Windows. As for what kind of games you can play on it, the official text points out that **4K 60 FPS** at *High* settings using FSR or XeSS presets is possible in a resource-heavy title like **CyberPunk 2077**. The Playnix team has also created [Playnix KB](https://kb.playnix.io/?ref=itsfoss.com), a portal that lets the community share game settings and tweaks for maximizing performance across different titles. It's already populated with many popular games, and updated information should come in as more people get their hands on the console. The **rest of the specifications** include: - **Storage:** 1x 512 GB NVMe and 1x empty NVMe slot. - **Ports:** 2x USB 3.0 + 4x USB 2.0 + 1x USB C 3.1 + 1x Gigabit Ethernet + 1x HDMI 2.1 (*HDR 4K 120hz and 8K 60hz support*), 1x DisplayPort 2.1 (*with HDR 4K 120hz and 8K 60hz support*). - **Connectivity:** WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5. - **Power:** Unnamed Flex ATX 600W PSU. All of the above is enclosed in **a 3D-printed case** that encourages user repairability, as much of the internal components like the CPU, GPU, RAM, etc. can be repaired or upgraded, provided they fit inside the case. Its measurements are 320 x 247 x 64 mm / 12.6 x 9.7 x 2.5 inches. ## Want Yours? Batch #1 and #2 are already sold out, and at the time of writing, #3 was up for order with a **$1,179** price tag, which doesn't include shipping. These devices come with **a 2-year warranty** that covers repairs and replacement. You can get yours by visiting the [official store](https://playnix.io/1-11-playnix-console.html?ref=itsfoss.com). [Playnix Console](https://playnix.io/1-11-playnix-console.html?ref=itsfoss.com) ### This Simple GUI Tool Takes the Pain Out of Docker and Podman URL: https://itsfoss.com/pods-container-management/ Last updated: 2026-04-20T14:14:45.000Z If you've spent any time poking around [the self-hosting world](https://itsfoss.com/self-hosting-starting-projects/), you've likely come across [containers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Containerization%5F%28computing%29?ref=itsfoss.com). They let you run software in isolated environments that carry their own dependencies, keeping things clean and predictable without the extra weight of a full [virtual machine](https://itsfoss.com/virtual-machine/). That's made them a staple for everything from running a home media server to deploying production applications. Spin one up, use it, and tear it down. The host machine stays clean all the way through. [Docker](https://linuxhandbook.com/courses/docker/?ref=itsfoss.com) is where most people start, and for good reason. It has the ecosystem, the documentation, and years of community knowledge behind it. [Podman](https://linuxhandbook.com/courses/podman/?ref=itsfoss.com) is Red Hat's alternative, largely compatible with [Docker](https://www.docker.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) on the command line but without a daemon running in the background, and it runs containers as a regular user rather than root. Now **managing containers can be a handful** if you have got a bunch of them running, and this is where **Pods** comes in. It is built in Rust and uses libadwaita for its interface, following GNOME's design principles closely. From a single window, you can pull and build images, create containers and pods, start and stop them in bulk, view logs, monitor processes, inspect details, and clean things up when you're done. With [Pods 3.0](https://github.com/marhkb/pods/releases/tag/v3.0.0?ref=itsfoss.com), the entire backend was rebuilt **to support multiple container engines**, with experimental Docker support being the first addition to come out of that change. I took this release for a test run to see how it performed. ## Pods: Easy Container Management ![a welcome screen on pods that is titled, "welcome to pods" with a "new connection" button below](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/pods-welcome-page.png) I ran Pods on a [Fedora Workstation 43](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-43-release/) system, which already had [Podman](https://podman.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) pre-installed. Do keep in mind that I had no prior experience with containers going into this, so I stuck to simple images like [PodmanHello](https://github.com/containers/PodmanHello?ref=itsfoss.com), [nginx](https://hub.docker.com/%5F/nginx?ref=itsfoss.com), and [BusyBox](https://hub.docker.com/%5F/busybox?ref=itsfoss.com) to get a feel for how the app handled the basics. After enabling the Podman socket, I launched Pods and **set up a new connection**. Two URLs were already pre-selected, the *Podman Unix Socket* and the *Docker Unix Socket*, with the option to point to a custom URL if needed. I gave the connection a name and a color, and Pods quickly populated with the available containers. ![pods app new connection configuration for podman and docker](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/pods-podman-docker-connection.png) From there, **I could see the telemetry of any running containers**, along with options to kill, restart, start/stop, pause, and delete them. I tested the start/stop toggle with nginx, and it worked without a hitch. I even double-checked that by running the `podman ps` command before and after I had used the start/stop toggle, and the results were positive. Pods was able to start and stop a container without much fuss. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/pods-container-running.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/pods-cointainer-stopping-1.png) **Starting and stopping containers using Pods.* I did notice that freshly pulled containers came with long, jargony names by default. That was easy enough to sort out though, **as Pods lets you rename them directly** from the interface. *You can click on the pen icon near a container's name to do so!* And in cases where I had pulled something by mistake or just didn't need a container around anymore, I could delete it just as quickly using the delete button. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/pods-rename-container.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/pods-cointainer-deletion.png) **Renaming and deleting containers using Pods.* Pods also let me **batch manage containers** through a "*Multi-Selection*" mode, which surfaces the same kill, restart, start/stop, pause, and delete options but across multiple containers at once. This can come in handy when you have several containers you want to act on without going through each one individually. You will find this mode in the top bar menu; just click on the checkmark button. ![mutli-selection demo of pods is shown here, where three containers are selected, with options to kill, restart, start/stop, pause, and delete the selected containers](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/pods-container-multi-selection.png) I could even **create pods**, which are groups of containers that share the same network and resources, but I stuck to focusing on containers for this one. I went into the *Images* page to see what options were on offer. Here, I could see each image's properties, like its ID, when it was created, how much storage it was using, and what command it had. I could also inspect the image properties in structured text for a more detailed look under the hood, browse through the history of the image, and check the repository tags it was associated with. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/pods-image-management.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/pods-image-inspection-1.png) **Image management in Pods.* Finally, I checked out the ***Prune Stopped Containers*** option, which lets you bulk remove containers that are no longer running. It even shows a calendar view to set a cutoff time, so you can prune only containers that stopped before a specific date rather than wiping everything at once. ![screenshot of pods that shows the prune stopped containers menu with a prune until button and a calendar view to tweak its configuration](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/pods-prune-stopped-containers.png) You can find it via a dedicated button in the top bar that looks like an eraser. ## Get Started If you think Pods would be a good fit for your workflow, then you can install it from [Flathub](https://flathub.org/en/apps/com.github.marhkb.Pods?ref=itsfoss.com), or, alternatively, by running the following command: ``` flatpak install flathub com.github.marhkb.Pods ``` If you prefer building from source, then you can visit the project's [GitHub](https://github.com/marhkb/pods?ref=itsfoss.com) repository. [Pods (Flathub)](https://flathub.org/en/apps/com.github.marhkb.Pods?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Thunderbolt Wants to Do for AI Clients What Thunderbird Did for Email URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/thunderbolt-launch/ Last updated: 2026-04-19T12:08:58.000Z MZLA Technologies Corporation, the Mozilla Foundation subsidiary behind [Thunderbird](https://thunderbird.net/?ref=itsfoss.com), has announced [Thunderbolt](https://www.thunderbolt.io/announcing-thunderbolt?ref=itsfoss.com), an open source, self-hostable AI client for organizations that want to run AI on their own infrastructure. The project is funded through investment from [Mozilla](https://www.mozilla.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and is **a standalone product**, separate from Thunderbird, built by a different team within MZLA that's focused on enterprise AI products. Offered under **Mozilla Public License 2.0**, Thunderbolt offers an AI workspace where users can interact with AI through chat, search, and research, connect to enterprise data, and choose the models and tools that fit their needs. It runs natively on **Linux**, **Windows**, **macOS**, **iOS**, and **Android**, with a web client also being made available. ## A thing to note… You should know that **Thunderbolt ships with telemetry on by default**. According to the project's [telemetry documentation](https://github.com/thunderbird/thunderbolt/blob/main/TELEMETRY.md?ref=itsfoss.com) on GitHub, it uses [PostHog](https://posthog.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) to collect usage data covering chat activity, model selections, settings changes, and location information. This can be switched off in settings, and the project states no [personally identifiable information](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal%5Fdata?ref=itsfoss.com) (PII) is collected without explicit consent. ## Who is it for? The **intended audience** for this could be organizations with strict data residency or compliance requirements. So think healthcare providers, legal firms, and financial institutions that cannot afford sensitive internal data flowing through third-party AI services. As for its competition, Thunderbolt is a direct challenge to [Microsoft Copilot](https://copilot.microsoft.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), [ChatGPT Enterprise](https://chatgpt.com/business/enterprise/?ref=itsfoss.com), and [Claude Enterprise](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/9797531-what-is-the-enterprise-plan?ref=itsfoss.com). In the open source space, it sits alongside tools like [Open WebUI](https://openwebui.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [LibreChat](https://www.librechat.ai/?ref=itsfoss.com), both of which offer [self-hosted AI frontends](https://itsfoss.com/ollama-web-ui-tools/). Announcing Thunderbolt, the CEO of MZLA Technologies Corporation, [Ryan Sipes](https://ryanleesipes.me/?ref=itsfoss.com), added that: > AI is too important to outsource. With Thunderbolt, we’re giving organizations a sovereign AI client that allows them to decide how AI fits into their workflows – on their infrastructure, with their data, and on their terms. ## What can you expect? ![this multi-colored (white, yellow, purple, pink) banner shows some screenshots of thunderbolt running on a laptop and smartphone](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/thunderbolt-marketing-banner.png) Thunderbolt **connects to frontier models** from Anthropic, OpenAI, and Mistral, handles local inference through [Ollama](https://itsfoss.com/ollama/), and accepts custom providers, with the workspace offering *Chat* and *Search* modes. It can also handle **scheduled work**, pulling together briefings, tracking topics over time, or kicking off actions when set conditions are met. deepset's [Haystack](https://haystack.deepset.ai/?ref=itsfoss.com) integration ties the client into enterprise agent and [RAG](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrieval-augmented%5Fgeneration?ref=itsfoss.com) pipelines within the same architecture, whereas [MCP](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) (Model Context Protocol) support is in preview, and [ACP](https://agentcommunicationprotocol.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com) (Agent Client Protocol) is in active development with an [April 2026 target](https://github.com/thunderbird/thunderbolt/blob/main/docs/roadmap.md?ref=itsfoss.com). ## How to get it? You can get started with Thunderbolt by visiting [thunderbolt.io](https://www.thunderbolt.io/?ref=itsfoss.com). Organizations interested in enterprise deployment, professional support, or custom development [can get in touch with the team](https://www.thunderbolt.io/contact?ref=itsfoss.com). As for the source code, it lives on [GitHub](https://github.com/Thunderbird/thunderbolt?ref=itsfoss.com). [Thunderbolt](https://www.thunderbolt.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) Other than that, the [FAQ](https://github.com/thunderbird/thunderbolt/blob/main/docs/faq.md?ref=itsfoss.com) does mention that a **Thunderbolt version for regular users** is on the cards, but there's no release date for it yet. ### Mozilla’s New Firefox Mascot ‘Kit’ Triggers Online Backlash Over Pronouns URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/mozillas-firefox-mascot-gender-controversy/ Last updated: 2026-04-19T09:07:16.000Z It started with one thing. I don’t know why… but somehow, it turned into a debate no one expected. I could not help taking a walk in Linkin Park ;) Okay. Back to serious stuff. Weird but serious stuff. So, last month, Mozilla unveiled the new Firefox mascot, named Kit. That's a cute-looking macot, by the way. ![Kit, Mozilla Firefox's new mascot](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/mozilla-firefox-new-mascot-kit.jpg) Mozilla [shared a post](https://www.reddit.com/r/firefox/comments/1rsrjle/you%5Fmay%5Fhave%5Fnoticed%5Fsomeone%5Fnew%5Fin%5Ffirefox%5Flets/?ref=itsfoss.com) in their official subreddit. A couple of weeks later, someone noticed the use of'pronouns in that post and all hell broke loose. What was supposed to bring "warmth and familiarity", brought heated arguments and boycott threats. ![Mzolla Firefox new mascot announcement](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/mozilla-kit-announcement-reddit-1.webp) As you can see above, instead of "it", they/them was used in that post, potentially indicating the assignment of non-binary gender identity to them. More on this in the later section of this article. > Hi everyone, if you’ve been poking around our recent updates, you might have noticed a new mascot showing up a little more intentionally. We figured it’s time to introduce them properly. Meet Kit. And before you ask, Kit is neither fox nor red panda, they’re a firefox of course. The discussion gained traction around April 11, when [Brian Lunduke highlighted](https://x.com/LundukeJournal/status/2042698874540720217?ref=itsfoss.com) the pronoun usage and thus bringing the topic into wider debate. > Meet “Kit”. The Firefox Web browser’s new, non-binary mascot. > > Yes. You read that right. > > Non-binary. With “They/Them” pronouns. > > Because, of course [@Mozilla](https://twitter.com/mozilla?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=itsfoss.com) had to inject “pronouns”, and “gender identity” politics into a web browser. [pic.twitter.com/wPnpCcDfy0](https://t.co/wPnpCcDfy0?ref=itsfoss.com) > > — The Lunduke Journal (@LundukeJournal) [April 10, 2026](https://twitter.com/LundukeJournal/status/2042698874540720217?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=itsfoss.com) ## How the Internet Reacted (Predictably) As you can imagine, the internet reacted really well, being "very accepting and non-controversial". If you don't believe me, you're right. I've missed April's fool by a huge margin to even consider making that joke. ### The “Woke” Debate and Boycott Calls The outrage was very evident on X (Twitter) and Reddit. Some people immediately jumped ship, posting screenshots of them uninstalling Firefox. ![Firefox uninstall over Kit](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/kit_uninstall-2.png) ![Firefox uninstall over Kit (2)](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/kit_uninstall.png) Some posted about how it is all a part of the "rainbow" agenda, and how they're trying to infuse politics into something that has no need for it. ![Claiming Kit to be "rainbow" agenda](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/kit_rainbow.png) Some people started posting about using the "male lion" browser, Brave. ![Bigotry on display, claiming Brave as a "male" browser](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/kit_misogyny.png) The word "woke" was used in almost every other tweet, claiming that it was being spread like a virus. There was a smaller faction of the critics that brought up a few points of criticism about Firefox's past. The co-founder [Brendan Eich had made a significant contribution to a cause in California that sought to ban same-sex marriages](https://archive.nytimes.com/bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/04/04/why-mozillas-chief-had-to-resign/?ref=itsfoss.com) (he then proceeded to resign after the outrage, and founded Brave). ![Brendan Eich controversy](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/kit_brendan.png) Other than that, their AI integration, and the CEO's statements in favor of censorship in 2020 were also brought up. ![Mozilla CEO's censorship controversy](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/kit_censorship.png) ### Counter-Reactions: “Why Does This Even Matter?” The other side consists more of indifference than support, the most frequent point being that it doesn't matter what pronouns a cartoon fox mascot uses, that the outrage was misplaced and irrelevant to everyday usage of the browser. ![Indifference to the gender identity of Kit](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/kit_irrelevant.png) The word "snowflake" was thrown around from both the sides, but more to emphasize how a part of the internet was offended by something very harmless. ![Snowflakes being thrown from both sides about Kit's identity](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/kit_snowflake.png) While some users spoke of inclusion of a large faction of people, and brownie points for spreading awareness, other users claimed alienation of "half of the population". ![Users claiming Kit's gender is alienating users](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/kit_alienation.png) On a different note completely, a part of the internet went all in with the jokes, my personal favorite as a physics student being that it is only obvious that Firefox is non-binary considering their codename "Quantum", in which a particle exists in two states at the same time. !["Quantum" joke about Kit's identity](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/kit_quantum.png) It goes without saying that there were plenty of "what does the fox say?" jokes. ![Memes about Kit's gender claim](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/kit_meme.png) ## The Reality: Is Kit Even Non-Binary? The important point to remember through all of this, however, is that Mozilla did not really claim that Kit was non-binary, but only referred to Kit with "they" later in the [article](https://blog.mozilla.org/en/firefox/meet-kit/?ref=itsfoss.com). ![The article never claimed Kit was non-binary](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/kit_not-specified.png) You don't have to rely on a tweet for the reference. If you read the branding guideline from Mozilla, it [clearly mentions this about Kit](https://brand.mozilla.com/d/5UkPdpbtt8LS/visual-elements?ref=itsfoss.com#/-/mascot-1:~:text=Kit%20%28he,%EF%BB%BF): > Kit (he/she/they/them/it) is the user’s constant companion. Wherever they choose to roam, Kit will accompany and guide them with clever, playful encouragement and support — giving the user the confidence to run free. Basically, Kit has no gender. Or, should I say it has whatever gender you prefer. Perhaps the person who posted from Mozilla's official account prefered the 'they/them' pronoun? Personally, I would prefer calling it "it" because it rhymes with "kit". ## Final Thoughts: Much Ado About Nothing? So what’s the takeaway? A mascot meant to feel friendly ended up triggering a familiar internet cycle:-interpretation, outrage, and counter-outrage. Whether you see it as inclusion, overreach, or simply irrelevant, one thing is clear; even a cartoon fox isn’t safe from becoming a debate. What do you think? Overreaction or valid concern? ### Won’t Somebody Think of the Children? Why Big Tech’s ‘Tobacco Moment’ Isn’t What It Seems URL: https://itsfoss.com/opinion/age-verification-tobacco-moment/ Last updated: 2026-04-19T07:27:33.000Z In Los Angeles this March, a jury did something US courts have long refused to do: [it treated the feed itself as the harm.](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/26/jury-finds-meta-youtube-liable-for-social-media-addiction-what-we-know?ref=itsfoss.com) It felt like vindication, victory even, to those of us who are critical of big tech's outsized influence on every aspect of our lives. But there is need for cautious optimism, caution even, instead of celebration. Jurors found Meta and Google negligent for the way Instagram and YouTube are designed; not for any particular piece of content (the 20‑year‑old plaintiff, identified as Kaley/KGM), happened to see on them. They awarded her $6 million in compensatory and punitive damages and explicitly described these platforms as deliberately addictive “machines” that harmed her mental health. This is more than a sympathetic jury and a moving story. It is the first time a US jury has effectively treated major social platforms as defective consumer products whose design – infinite scroll, notifications, algorithmic recommendations – can be a “substantial factor” in harming young users. In doing so, the case skirted the traditional shield of [Section 230](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section%5F230?ref=itsfoss.com) by focusing not on user‑generated content, but on product design and failure to warn. For critics of big tech, and [I am one of them](https://itsfoss.com/news/digital-content-ownership-illusion/), that sounds like justice delayed finally arriving. I was happy. Briefly. But if we are not careful, the legal and policy response to this [*big tobacco moment*](https://www.bbc.com/audio/play/w3ct8gl2?ref=itsfoss.com) will harden the already [rapidly enshitified internet we already have](https://www.channel4.com/news/enshitification-and-how-big-tech-is-making-the-internet-worse-for-everyone-cory-doctorow?ref=itsfoss.com): centralized, identity‑hungry, and surveillance driven. These are precisely the conditions that made these products so powerful in the first place. ## From Bad Content to Bad Machines For nearly three decades, legal debates about platforms have orbited around content: who is responsible for extremist propaganda, self‑harm photos, misinformation. Section 230 in the US enshrined the idea that platforms are not publishers of third‑party speech. Even when courts and regulators pushed, they pushed on content moderation, not on the underlying machine. The Kaley verdict is a reorientation of this conversation. Jurors heard company documents and expert testimony describing Instagram and YouTube as *addiction machines*” designed to maximize engagement, time‑on‑site and data extraction from children who were never supposed to be there in the first place. They found negligence not only in failing to keep under‑13s off the platforms, but in failing to warn about the risks of the core design itself. This shift from “we hosted bad content” to “we built a dangerous machine” matters. It opens the door to product‑liability style reasoning that could travel, in principle, to other design patterns: streaks, loot-boxes, recommendation systems, dark patterns in on-boarding. It also resonates with developments outside the US, where the [EU’s Digital Services Act](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/digital-services-act?ref=itsfoss.com) is already scrutinizing *addictive design* at the level of interface and recommender algorithms. Earlier this year, the European Commission issued preliminary findings that TikTok’s reliance on infinite scroll and weak “screen time breaks” breaches its duty to mitigate addictive design risks under the DSA, and [told the company](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-preliminarily-finds-tiktoks-addictive-design-breach-digital-services-act?ref=itsfoss.com) to change “the basic design of its service”. But if the machine is on trial, the question becomes: *what kind of machine do we build next?* ## “Addiction” as Legal Story and Medical Dispute In both law and media, the Kaley verdict has been framed as proof that social media is simply addictive and toxic to teens. The courtroom narrative is clean: a straight line can be drawn: a vulnerable child to the manipulative machine. The scientific picture is messier. On one side, the 2026 World Happiness Report carries a chapter by Jonathan Haidt and Zachary Rausch arguing that there is now “overwhelming evidence” that social media is harming adolescents at a scale large enough to shift population‑level mental health, drawing on seven lines of evidence ranging from cross‑sectional studies to natural experiments. The [authors argue that ordinary use](https://doi.org/10.18724/WHR-G490-BG86?ref=itsfoss.com) – often five or more hours a day – functions as a product safety failure, especially for girls. > We further argue that when these lines of evidence are considered alongside the timing, scope, and cross-national trends in adolescent well-being and mental health, they can help answer a second question: was the rapid adoption of always-available social media by adolescents in the early 2010s a substantial contributor to the population-level increases in mental illness that emerged by the mid 2010s in many Western nations? We call this the “historical trends question”. We draw on our findings about the vast scale of harm uncovered while answering the product safety question to argue that the answer to the historical trends question is “yes”. On the other, another chapter in the same report, by Helliwell and colleagues, emphasizes that the relationship between youth well-being and internet use is more nuanced: some types of online activity (communication, learning, content creation) correlate with higher life satisfaction, while heavy social media and gaming correlate with lower well-being, particularly at extreme usage levels and in English‑speaking countries. They [caution that youth well-being trends cannot be reduced](https://doi.org/10.18724/whr-db0f-2b39?ref=itsfoss.com) to a single cause. In other words: there is strong evidence of risk and harm, but causality, dose, and mechanism are still contested. ## Safety as a Pretext for More Surveillance Politicians around the world have not waited for the science to settle. They have moved quickly to *do something* about youth and social media – and the measures they are choosing tell us a lot about the political economy of the internet they are entrenching. In Australia, [*world‑first social media age restrictions*](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyp9d3ddqyo?ref=itsfoss.com) now require major platforms – Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, Snapchat, Threads, Reddit, Kick, Twitch – to take “reasonable steps” to prevent under‑16s from having accounts, backed by fines of up to A$49.5 million for non‑compliance. In practice, they are [expected to deploy multiple *age assurance* technologies](https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/industry-regulation/social-media-age-restrictions?ref=itsfoss.com): ID checks, facial or voice analysis, behavioral age inference. Children and parents themselves are not fined; the pressure is entirely on platforms to ramp up identity and behavioral surveillance in order to demonstrate diligence. In the US, [California’s Digital Age Assurance Act](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill%5Fid=202520260AB1043&ref=itsfoss.com) pushes the same logic down into the operating system itself. From January 2027, OS vendors are required to collect an age or age bracket at account setup and expose it via an API so that app stores and online services can query a system‑level *age signal*. The law is written broadly enough that free and open‑source operating systems – Debian, Fedora, BSDs, Pop!\_OS – are, on paper, on the hook alongside Apple and Microsoft. [System76’s CEO, writing about this wave of laws in Colorado and California, warns that the effect is to turn OS vendors into identity brokers and gatekeepers, and to “encourage children to lie” about their age for fear of being confined to a “nerfed internet”](https://blog.system76.com/post/system76-on-age-verification?ref=itsfoss.com) Layer these developments on top of each other and a pattern emerges: [won't somebody please think of the children? ](https://theconversation.com/wont-somebody-think-of-the-children-five-reasons-why-drug-panics-are-counterproductive-50078?ref=itsfoss.com) We've heard this moral argument before: with [video games](https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1166785.pdf?ref=itsfoss.com), [heavy metal](https://doi.org/10.1558/pomh.v6i1/2.5?ref=itsfoss.com), [rap](https://carleton.scholaris.ca/items/325c3565-49a4-4f03-8515-6c91bde60bb6?ref=itsfoss.com). What happens next is history rhyming: - pushing age‑verification and age‑bracketing ever deeper into the stack – from app sign-up forms, to OS APIs, to network‑level checks; - incentivising large platforms and OS vendors to collect, infer, and share more information about who we are and how old we are; - creating compliance burdens that small, de-centralized, or non‑profit projects can barely navigate, effectively nudging regulators and industry towards a small club of compliant, centralized providers. Safety becomes the moral language through which a more identity‑locked, surveilled, and centralized internet is made to feel inevitable. ## Regulators Discover “Addictive Design” – But For Whom? The EU’s preliminary findings on TikTok’s *addictive design* under the DSA are a good example of this ambivalence. On one level, it is encouraging to see regulators finally target infinite scroll, frictionless autoplay, and weak *screen time* nudges as systemic risks requiring product changes, not simply more content moderation. The Commission is, at least in principle, saying: design patterns that exploit compulsive behavior and harm children can be unlawful. This is a good start. Unfortunately that's where the good news ends. Notice who is legible to this kind of regulation. The DSA presumes large, centralized platforms with access to vast behavioral data, capable of implementing complex risk‑assessment and age‑assurance regimes. The Australian and Californian laws do the same. A federated social network run by a school, a youth center, or a community collective cannot cheaply plug into this machinery. A small FOSS OS project has neither the lawyers nor the telemetry to play at this table. The risk is that *addiction design* becomes another compliance rubric that only the biggest players can afford to satisfy, while everyone else is either chilled out of existence or forced to rely on the same proprietary identity infrastructure. ## The Missing Imagination: Community‑Run, Free and Open Alternatives The saddest thing about this moment is how narrow the mainstream imagination of alternatives remains. The policy menu is filled with bans, curfews, and ID checks for the same extractive platforms. There is little serious talk of changing the infrastructure. Yet we know from both history and present practice that other models are possible. Schools and libraries have run moderated online communities for decades. Federated platforms like Mastodon and Matrix, for all their flaws, show that it is possible to have social networks that are not controlled by a single profit‑maximizing entity. Community‑run game servers, forums, and fan communities have long been youth‑driven spaces with their own norms of care and accountability. My first years on the internet, circa 2001-2003, was spent in such forums. Social media trampled such online communities during their first decade. A genuinely emancipatory response to the Kaley verdict would start from a different question: given that these products have now been recognized, in court, as dangerous by design, how do we: - treat them like other dangerous consumer products – with warnings, design constraints, and liability – without making bio-metric and behavioral surveillance the price of entry to the digital world; - redirect public money, regulation, and cultural attention towards building non‑exploitative, commons‑based digital spaces for young people; - lower the barriers for schools, municipalities, youth groups, and co‑ops to run their own FOSS‑based platforms, with public funding and legal safe harbors, rather than locking them into corporate clouds that must, by their nature, maximize engagement. This is where free and open source software is not just a licensing detail but a political stance. An internet where young people’s social lives unfold on community‑run, auditable, forkable software – hosted by institutions that have a duty of care, not a duty to shareholders – is not a Utopian fantasy. It is not merely a design choice. It is a political choice. ## Builders, Regulators, and the Rest of Us For those who build technology, the Kaley verdict is a warning shot: *engagement* is no longer a neutral metric. If a design pattern is optimized to keep a 10‑year‑old scrolling past bedtime, courts may increasingly treat that as a defect, not an achievement. Engineers, designers, and product managers now have to think like people who might one day be cross‑examined about why they shipped this infinite scroll, this notification scheme, this recommender. For regulators, the temptation will be to double down on what already feels familiar: more age gates, more identity checks, more compliance dashboards for big platforms and OS vendors. It is politically safer to demand better seat-belts from the existing car companies than to fund buses, bike lanes, or public trains. But if all we do is wrap the same addictive machines in ever tighter rings of surveillance and control, we will have saved some children from some harms at the price of deepening structural dependence on the very firms whose incentives created the crisis. The LA jury has told us, in the blunt language of damages and negligence, that the machine is the problem. The real task now is to ensure that the fix is not simply a more paternalistic, more identity‑hungry version of the same machine, but an opening for something else: community‑run, free and open infrastructures where young people can be online without being harvested. That is a harder story to tell in a courtroom. But it is the story the rest of us – parents, educators, coders, writers, legislators – will have to write. ### 21-year-old Polish Woman Fixed a 20-year-old Linux Bug! URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/kamila-enlightenment-e16-bug/ Last updated: 2026-04-20T02:42:57.000Z Okay, not a Linux bug in the kernel, but one that has existed in the Enlightenment window manager E16 since 2006, when Kamila Szewczyk was barely a year old. Kamila, now a 21-year-old graduate student at Saarland University in Germany, daily drives a window manager that predates most of her classmates. That alone is a fun fact. But what makes it remarkable is that she didn't just use it, she dug into its decades-old codebase, found a bug that had been hiding there since 2006, and fixed it. ## What is Enlightenment E16, again? ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/desktop-e16-2.png) Kamila's Enlightenment E16 desktop For the uninitiated, [Enlightenment](https://www.enlightenment.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a window manager for Linux, the software responsible for drawing and managing the windows on your screen. It first appeared in 1997, making it older than a significant portion of today's Linux user base. E16, the version Kamila uses, arrived in 1999 and quickly gained a reputation for being highly customizable and visually impressive, at a time when most Linux desktops were far more utilitarian. Enlightenment is not as well known as [KDE or GNOME](https://itsfoss.com/comparison/kde-vs-gnome/), and even [LXDE](http://www.lxde.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) has broader name recognition today. But it has a small, dedicated following and can be found in niche distributions like Pentoo or Bodhi Linux. Bodhi actually uses Moksha, a fork of Enlightenment, as its default desktop. Over time, the Enlightenment team began a complete rewrite of the project using a new modular framework called EFL (Enlightenment Foundation Libraries). That rewrite took over a decade and eventually became E17, released in December 2012\. E17 evolved from a simple window manager into a full desktop shell with modern compositing and improved hardware support. But not everyone followed. A portion of the community stuck with E16, continuing to maintain and develop it independently. It reached the 1.0 milestone and, as of 2024, the latest release is version 1.0.30\. It is very much alive, just quietly so. Kamila is part of that quiet community. ## The accidental bug discovery She wasn't hunting for bugs. She was doing something mundane; preparing lecture slides for a course she teaches as a graduate student. She had a couple of PDFs typeset in LaTeX, opened one of them in Atril, a document viewer, and her entire desktop froze. It wasn't a one-off glitch. The freeze was reproducible, which is both frustrating and, for a developer, oddly exciting. A reproducible bug is a bug you can actually chase down. So she did. After digging through the codebase, Kamila traced the freeze back to the way E16 handled overly long file names. When a window title was too long and needed to be truncated, the algorithm responsible for doing so had no iteration limit. So it would spin indefinitely, locking up the desktop entirely. The bug had been sitting there, dormant, since 2006, waiting probably for exactly the right set of circumstances to surface. She patched it and the fix is [available on her blog](https://iczelia.net/posts/e16-20-year-old-bug/?ref=itsfoss.com). I hope she made a pull request to the original codebase as well. [Fixing a 20-year-old bug in Enlightenment E16.The editor in chief of this blog was born in 2004\. She uses the 1997 window manager, \*Enlightenment E16\*, daily. In this article, I describe the process of fixing a show-stopping, rare bug that dates back to 2006 in the codebase. Surprisingly, the issue has roots in a faulty implementation of Newton’s algorithm!![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/favicon-29.ico)Kamila SzewczykKamila Szewczyk![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/desktop-e16-1.jpg)](https://iczelia.net/posts/e16-20-year-old-bug/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## Why this story matters On the surface, this is a niche story about an obscure window manager that most Linux users have never touched. But look a little closer and it is something more than that. Kamila was born in 2004\. The bug she fixed was already in existence when she turned two. She grew up, went to university, became a graduate student and a teacher and the bug just sat there, in a codebase maintained by a handful of enthusiasts, waiting. It took someone who actually uses E16 as a daily driver to finally stumble onto it and care enough to fix it. That is the true open source spirit. Not a big company, not a bounty program, not a CVE filing. Just a person, their computer, a frozen desktop, and the curiosity to figure out why. There are people who have been maintaining this codebase for decades. There are people who still use it. And every now and then, one of those users catches something no one else did and quietly makes the software a little better before moving on with their day. That's not a small thing. That's the whole point. Source: [The Register](https://www.theregister.com/2026/04/15/enlightenment%5Fe16%5Fbug%5Fpatched/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Cal.com Goes Close Source Because "AI Can Easily Exploit Open Source Software" URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/cal-com-goes-proprietary/ Last updated: 2026-04-17T11:33:20.000Z AI has been a mixed bag for the open source world. Some developers are using it to [write faster](https://itsfoss.com/vibe-coding-editors/), catch bugs, and review patches more efficiently. Others are watching the same tools [get turned against](https://itsfoss.com/news/curl-closes-bug-bounty-program/) the codebases they maintain. [Cal.com](https://cal.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), a popular open source scheduling platform and one of the more well-known self-hostable alternatives to [Calendly](https://calendly.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), has found itself in the second camp. After five years as an open source project, the company [has announced](https://cal.com/blog/cal-com-goes-closed-source-why?ref=itsfoss.com) that it is switching to **a closed-source model**, citing the growing threat of AI-powered vulnerability scanning. ## What happened? The co-founder of Cal.com, [Bailey Pumfleet](https://www.linkedin.com/in/baileypumfleet/?ref=itsfoss.com), has addressed why they went down this path, saying that **AI has changed what it takes to exploit an application**. Earlier, finding vulnerabilities meant real expertise and some serious time investment. But today, an AI model can be directed towards a public repo and do the same job systematically without needing much manual labor. He also cited a specific case to back this up, where AI tooling reportedly found a 27-year-old vulnerability in the BSD kernel and had working exploits ready within hours. 📋 I think Bailey has misattributed the above occurence, as the 27-year-old bug was found in OpenBSD, thanks to [Claude Mythos](https://red.anthropic.com/2026/mythos-preview/?ref=itsfoss.com), and has since been patched. *But, yeah, closed source it is.* 😅 Another thing worth knowing is that **the production codebase had already been drifting away from what was publicly available**. Core systems like authentication and data handling had both gone through significant rewrites, making the public repo and what actually runs in production two fairly different things by the time this announcement came. ## Does it make sense? Cal.com isn't wrong that AI can be used to hunt for vulnerabilities in open source code. That's documented and real. But the provided argument treats AI purely as an attacker's tool, which is a selective reading of the situation. Take the [Linux kernel](https://www.kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), for example. We recently covered how Greg Kroah-Hartman, the Linux stable kernel maintainer, has been running [what looks like AI-assisted fuzzing](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-ai-fuzzing/) on the kernel through a branch he calls "*clanker*," using it to identify bugs and patch them proactively. There's even [an official policy](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-ai-coding-assistants-policy/) in place that governs the use of such AI tools for contributions. Then there's the older argument that [closing your source doesn't actually make you more secure](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security%5Fthrough%5Fobscurity?ref=itsfoss.com). It just means fewer eyes on the code. Open source projects benefit from anyone, anywhere, being able to spot and report problems. [Heartbleed](https://heartbleed.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Log4Shell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Log4Shell?ref=itsfoss.com) were both found by external researchers precisely because the code was auditable. This just shows us that a private codebase doesn't prevent vulnerabilities; it just reduces the chances of catching them before someone with bad intentions does. ## What's next? ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/cal-diy-webpage.png) For self-hosters and developers, [Cal.diy](https://www.cal.diy/?ref=itsfoss.com) is what's on offer. It's available now under the **MIT license**, with the documentation covering installation via Docker, Vercel, Railway, Render, and a handful of other platforms. The project is described as "***strictly recommended for personal, non-production use***," with a "***use at your own risk***" disclaimer throughout. It is community-maintained, with no official backing from Cal.com. Feature-wise, Cal.diy covers the personal scheduling essentials like *event types*, *calendar integrations*, *video conferencing*, *webhooks*, and *API access*. But **a fair bit is missing**. *Teams*, *Organizations*, *SAML SSO*, *SCIM directory sync*, *Workflows*, *Routing Forms*, and the *Insights Dashboard* are all absent from the community edition. If you're running Cal.com for anything commercial, the Cal.diy documentation steers you back to the paid product pretty explicitly, saying that "*for any commercial and enterprise-ready scheduling infrastructure, use Cal.com*." All of that made me wonder, **whether AI was the catalyst or the perfect scapegoat for a closed-source transition**. Anyway, I like yapping like this every so often; don't mind me. ### Russian Baikal CPUs Are Losing Their Place in the Linux Kernel URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-baikal-cpu-support-removal/ Last updated: 2026-04-17T07:21:05.000Z Support for Russian Baikal CPUs is being pulled from the [Linux kernel](https://www.kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). Work has begun in the Linux 7.1 cycle to remove driver code and device tree bindings for *Baikal SoC* hardware, with more patches already lined up to follow. The first removal came with the ATA pull for Linux 7.1-rc1, [merged by Linus Torvalds](https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=5a69195686d5b874ac5a4c7f809ecb75fbc535ef&ref=itsfoss.com) on April 15\. It dropped the *Baikal bt1-ahci DT* binding and stripped Baikal-specific code from the `ahci_dwc` driver, with the ATA maintainer, [Niklas Cassel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/niklas-cassel-b2a10a98/?ref=itsfoss.com), noting that upstreaming for the SoC "*is not going to be finalized*." ![this picture shows the linux kernel archive mirror with baikal as the searched term and a list of changes related to it shown below in a numbered list](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/linux-kernel-archive-mirror-baikal.png) **You can browse the* [**LKML*](https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/?q=baikal&ref=itsfoss.com) *for tracking Baikal's removal.* Furthermore, **the code had been sitting unmaintained for some time now**. [Serge Semin](https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-Compliance-Requirements?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=Serge%20Semin%20was%20one%20of,to%20the%20Linux%20kernel%20community.), who contributed the bulk of Baikal's kernel support over the years, was among roughly a dozen Russian developers removed from the kernel *MAINTAINERS* file [in 2024](https://itsfoss.com/news/russian-linux-maintainers-geopolitics/). With no one left to maintain it and the hardware itself rare even within Russia, there appears to be no rationale for keeping the code around. ## Some background info The Baikal line of CPUs is the work of [Baikal Electronics](https://www.baikalelectronics.ru/?ref=itsfoss.com), which was founded in January 2012 as a spinoff of [T-Platforms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-Platforms?ref=itsfoss.com), a Russian supercomputer company. It started with a MIPS-based chip for embedded applications, then pivoted to [ARM](https://www.arm.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) for its later processors, all manufactured at [TSMC](https://www.tsmc.com/english?ref=itsfoss.com). The plan was to supply Russian state-owned enterprises with domestically produced CPUs as an alternative to Intel and AMD. But Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine ended that. Sanctions cut off TSMC access, 150,000 Baikal-M units already manufactured were seized in Taiwan, and ARM production licenses were lost. The company filed for bankruptcy in [August 2023](https://wccftech.com/end-of-road-for-russian-cpu-manufacturer-baikal-as-company-declares-bankruptcy/?ref=itsfoss.com). It did not stay down. By the end of 2024, Baikal had shipped [a total of 85,000 processors since its founding](https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/cpus/russias-baikal-has-produced-85-000-of-its-cpus-since-2012-aims-for-more?ref=itsfoss.com) and began serial production of the Baikal-U1000, a RISC-V microcontroller, [in September 2025](https://www.cnews.ru/news/line/2025-09-22%5Fkompaniya%5Fbajkal%5Felektroniks?ref=itsfoss.com) (*in Russian*). The [current lineup](https://www.baikalelectronics.ru/products/?ref=itsfoss.com) consists of the Baikal-T (MIPS), Baikal-M and Baikal-S (ARM), and the Baikal-U (RISC-V). Those already running Linux on Baikal hardware will need to stay on [Linux 6.18 LTS](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-6-18/) or earlier, as newer kernel versions are dropping the support. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*The Linux Kernel is Finally Letting Go of i486 CPU Support*](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-i486-cpu-support-removal/) [The Linux Kernel is Finally Letting Go of i486 CPU SupportThe support remained in the Linux kernel all these years after every other major platform dropped it.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-378.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/i486-support-linux-kernel-eol-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-i486-cpu-support-removal/) ### Privacy Email Service Tuta Now Also Has Cloud Storage with Quantum-Resistant Encryption URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/tuta-drive-closed-beta/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T18:03:51.000Z Privacy in 2026 is a bit of a joke. Governments have turned surveillance into standard operating procedure, and [Big Tech](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big%5FTech?ref=itsfoss.com) companies treat your personal data like a *free-for-all buffet*, helping themselves, then selling the leftovers to [data brokers](https://www.npr.org/2026/03/25/nx-s1-5752369/ice-surveillance-data-brokers-congress-anthropic?ref=itsfoss.com) who do the same. That's pushed people toward privacy-first alternatives, and quite a few companies have stepped up to meet that demand. [Tuta](https://tuta.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is one of the more recognizable names in that space, offering encrypted [mail](https://tuta.com/secure-email?ref=itsfoss.com) and [calendar](https://tuta.com/calendar?ref=itsfoss.com) services to over 10 million users worldwide. Now, the company is looking to round out its ecosystem with the one piece that's been missing, ***an encrypted cloud storage solution***. ## A haven for your files? Tuta first laid the groundwork for this [back in July 2023](https://tuta.com/blog/pqdrive-project?ref=itsfoss.com), when it announced the PQDrive project with backing from the German government. The initiative had received **€1.5 million in funding** through the [KMU-innovativ](https://www.forschung-it-sicherheit-kommunikationssysteme.de/projekte/pqdrive?ref=itsfoss.com) program, a grant scheme that supports small and medium enterprises in research and development. The goal was clear from the very beginning. It was to build **a cloud storage service secured with post-quantum encryption**, not just conventional algorithms. To get there, Tuta partnered with the [University of Wuppertal](https://www.uni-wuppertal.de/en/?ref=itsfoss.com), which handled key research tasks including testing cryptographic algorithms and figuring out how to deduplicate encrypted data without punching holes in the security model. All that effort has now produced a product ready for real-world testing. Starting today, **Tuta Drive enters closed beta**, with select users receiving early access to put it through its paces ahead of a public release. It is an end-to-end encrypted cloud storage service that fits directly into Tuta's existing ecosystem alongside mail and calendar. Everything you store gets encrypted without any action needed on your end, and the zero-knowledge architecture means Tuta has no technical ability to read your files or share them with anyone else. The encryption underpinning Drive is the same [TutaCrypt](https://tuta.com/blog/post-quantum-cryptography?ref=itsfoss.com) protocol Tuta already uses for its mail service. It combines classical and quantum-resistant algorithms in a hybrid approach, so even if a quantum computer cracks one layer down the line, it still has to contend with the other. And, the service is hosted in Germany, which **brings strict GDPR protections** into play on top of the technical safeguards. [Arne Möhle](https://www.linkedin.com/in/arne-m/?ref=itsfoss.com), CEO of Tuta, announced this by commenting that: > With Tuta Drive, we are taking the next step towards offering a full private digital workspace. > > Today, more than ten million citizens and businesses, including journalists, whistleblowers and activists use Tuta Mail as an alternative to insecure email offered by mainstream providers. > > Adding an encrypted cloud storage to Tuta will enable them to also store their files securely. ## Test run We were given **early access** to the closed beta ahead of its rollout today, and here's a look at what Tuta Drive is like right now. The interface is minimal, which is fine. You get **a familiar sidebar and a top bar** that shows you the server connection status and houses quick-switch buttons for *Mail*, *Contacts*, *Calendar*, and *Drive*. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/tuta-drive-new-upload-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/tuta-drive-new-upload-2.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/tuta-drive-new-upload-3.png) **Uploading new files on Tuta Drive.* First, I uploaded two videos to see how Tuta Drive would handle them. Here, the upload speeds were noticeably slow when connected over a VPN, though that's more or less expected. Without an active VPN connection, file uploads were fast. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/tuta-drive-file-move-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/tuta-drive-file-move-2.png) **Tuta Drive makes it easy to move any uploaded files.* Moving those files to a new folder afterward was straightforward using the "*Move*" option from the right-click context menu. Drag and drop works too, and I could manually select specific files without any issues. Cut and paste for moving files around also worked well. When uploading multiple files at once, a progress list appears, which is handy. The one catch is that you can't scroll through it to check which file is currently being processed, which was a bummer. ![screenshot of tuta drive closed beta showing a long upload progress list on the right](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/tuta-drive-file-upload-progress.png) **Files are shown with appropriate icons** depending on type, so images, videos, and audio all get their own visual treatment. Folders display a cat emoji where the folder size info should probably appear, which looks like a work-in-progress placeholder more than anything else. ![many different file types are shown in this screenshot of tuta drive closed beta](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/tuta-drive-multiple-file-types.png) If you upload something by mistake or decide a file isn't worth keeping, you can delete it promptly either from the right-click context menu or by hitting `Delete` on your keyboard. The "*Trash*" page then gives you the choice to either restore it if it was a wrong call or permanently delete it if you're sure. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/tuta-drive-file-deletion.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/tuta-drive-trash-page.png) **Deleting files from Tuta Drive.* That said, **folder uploads aren't supported yet**, and the **keyboard shortcut support is lacking**. `Ctrl+A` to select everything in a folder, for instance, does nothing. No search tool either; those are the kinds of gaps that user feedback tends to sort out quickly. Seeing that this is a closed beta, I am confident that the Tuta folks will listen to what people say about their newest offering and act accordingly. --- 💬 *Would you give Tuta Drive a shot, or are you too committed to Proton Drive or other cloud solutions to even look its way?* ### FOSS Weekly #26.16: Kernel 7.0, Essential Terminal Tips, France Linux Move, New Age Verification Bill and More URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-16/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T14:00:09.000Z The big new, and it’s good, is coming from France. The government’s digital agency [DINUM is moving its workstations from Windows to Linux](https://itsfoss.com/news/france-government-linux-switch/), with every French ministry required to submit a plan by Autumn 2026 to reduce dependence on non-European software. Another major update, and not a pleasant one, is coming from the United States. A [federal bill is now being discussed that proposes OS-level age verification](https://itsfoss.com/news/os-level-age-verification-across-us/). Until now, this was limited to a handful of states, but this could expand it nationwide. Two very different directions. Both worth paying attention to. **Here are other highlights of this edition of FOSS Weekly:** - A new Linux kernel release. - France replacing Windows with Linux. - Microsoft locking out open source developers. - And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes! - This edition of FOSS Weekly is supported by [Aiven](https://fandf.co/425tMJ3?ref=itsfoss.com). [Aiven just launched](https://fandf.co/425tMJ3?ref=itsfoss.com) a permanent free tier for OpenSearch, offering a fully managed, persistent playground for your projects. With 4GB RAM and 20GB storage, it’s specifically engineered for the memory-heavy demands of AI: support for k-NN indexing, vector search, and RAG pipelines. No credit card required and no trial limits. What else can you ask for? [Deploy your cluster today ](https://fandf.co/425tMJ3?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 📰 Linux and Open Source News VeraCrypt, WireGuard, and Windscribe all had [their Windows Hardware Program developer accounts suspended](https://itsfoss.com/news/microsoft-locks-out-open-source-developers/), cutting off their ability to ship signed driver updates for Windows. Two related kernel AI stories this week. First, Linux has shipped [an official AI coding assistants policy](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-ai-coding-assistants-policy/) where AI help is allowed, but every patch needs a human accountable for it. Second, Greg Kroah-Hartman has been running what looks like [an AI-assisted fuzzer](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-ai-fuzzing/) on the kernel in a branch he calls "*clanker*." A Valve contractor has put together [a fix for the VRAM mismanagement problem](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-amd-gpu-vram-fix/) that's been hitting Linux gamers on AMD GPUs with 8GB or less. A bug report filed in 2005 asking for per-screen virtual desktops in KDE [has finally been addressed](https://itsfoss.com/news/kde-plasma-per-screen-virtual-desktops/). The feature lets each monitor show a different virtual desktop independently rather than all switching together. [Linux 7.0](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-7-0-release/) landed this week with a wide spread of improvements. Intel gets Nova Lake audio and better Arc GPU temperature reporting. AMD gets early Zen 6 performance profiling support and GPU groundwork for future hardware. ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About Session has lost all its paid developers and is running on volunteers. Donations are keeping the infrastructure alive until July 8, but development is effectively frozen unless they reach their [$1 million donation goal](https://itsfoss.com/news/session-call-for-donations/). ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings Not everyone is a command line fan, but if you do spend some time in the terminal, [these tips and shortcuts will save you plenty of time](https://itsfoss.com/linux-command-tricks/) and make you more efficient. And if you are absolutely new to Linux, it [helps to start with the basics first](https://itsfoss.com/basic-terminal-tips-ubuntu/). Not commands, but the kind of foundational things that make your early terminal experience far less confusing. Moving from basics to everyday usability, we now have a [beginner-friendly guide to taking screenshots in Linux Mint](https://itsfoss.com/take-screenshots-linux-mint/). It covers the built-in GUI tool, keyboard shortcuts, and even how to set up custom delayed screenshots. Once you get comfortable with the essentials, you might start exploring distributions more deeply. But not [all rolling release distros](https://itsfoss.com/best-rolling-release-distros/) are made equal. Arch gives you everything and expects you to handle it. Manjaro smooths the edges. Void is independent and leans stable. Gentoo compiles everything. Which one would you go for? And somewhere along that journey, you’ll inevitably hit the classic fork in the road: [Vim or nano](https://itsfoss.com/comparison/vim-vs-nano/). Nano works exactly like you'd expect a text editor to work, with controls visible on screen. Vim, on the other hand, runs on modes, muscle memory, and a learning curve that takes real commitment. [What is Shebang in Linux Shell Scripting?The seemingly insignificant #! characters at the beginning of a shell script has a major significance on how your script will be executed.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/Linux-Handbook-New-Logo-8.png)Linux HandbookAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/shebang-linux.webp)](https://linuxhandbook.com/shebang/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 📚 Linux eBook bundle (ending this week) No Starch Press needs no introduction. They have published some of the best books on Linux. And they are running an ebook bundle deal on Humble Bundle. I highly recommend [checking it out and getting the bundle](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/NGG7EO?ref=itsfoss.com). Plus, part of your purchase supports Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). [Humble Tech Book Bundle: Linux, the Good Stuff by No StarchUnlock new levels of freedom and creativity when you use Linux—master the ins and outs of Linux today and help support charity!![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/03df0490a53d595fd930f9fff52038366d60a05d-13.png)Humble Bundle![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/48696d483e3949395286460bb7e8bdc8215da389.png)](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/NGG7EO?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner At some point every homelab stops being manageable by memory alone. Our [roundup of dashboard tools](https://itsfoss.com/homelab-dashboard/) is the answer to that. [9 Dashboard Tools to Manage Your Homelab EffectivelySee which server is running what services with the help of a dashboard tool for your homelab.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-375.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Kumar![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/tools-for-homelab-server-4.png)](https://itsfoss.com/homelab-dashboard/) Tired of AI fluff and misinformation in your Google feed? Get real, trusted Linux content. Add It’s FOSS as your preferred source and see our reliable Linux and open-source stories highlighted in your Discover feed and search results. [Add It's FOSS as preferred source on Google (if you use it) ](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=itsfoss.com&ref=itsfoss.com) ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights [Yantr](https://yantr.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a self-hosted app store for your homelab that runs as a single Docker container on top of whatever OS you're already using. [Yantr — Homelab App StoreA homelab app store for your own hardware. Access the most popular self-hosted server apps — Ollama, Nextcloud, Jellyfin, and more — with a single Docker Compose command. No OS replacement, no lock-in.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/banner.png)](https://yantr.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 📽️ Videos for You Fedora 44 got delayed, [but you can check out what's new](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az62iZ045-Y&ref=itsfoss.com)! [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip Firefox has a native color picker called [Eyedropper](https://www.firefox.com/en-US/features/eyedropper/?ref=itsfoss.com) that helps you know the exact hex color code of a specific color on a webpage. It is available inside `Menu -> More Tools -> Eyedropper`. ![firefox eyedropper tool](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/pick-color-using-toolbar-button.png) You can also right-click on an empty place in the toolbar and select "*Customize Toolbar...*" Here, drag and drop the "*Developer*" tool to the toolbar. Now, you can access the Eyedropper from this button as well. [](https://t43217012.p.clickup-attachments.com/t43217012/da09f1e7-b651-4c93-b93b-141e46671d4b/copy-link-to-highlight-firefox.png?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse A new fun quiz where you have to [guess the fake distros that do not exist](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/guess-fake-distros/). [Can You Identify The Fake Linux Distros From The Real Ones?With over 300+ Linix distros, it is never easy to remember all of them. Still, you can make a guess and see if you can identify some fake distros in this fun quiz.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-377.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/find-fake-distros.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/guess-fake-distros/) Oops, let me hide my pile of trash. 🫠 ![messy home directory linux meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/home-directory-files-meme.jpg) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On [April 16, 1959](https://www.computerhistory.org/tdih/april/16/?ref=itsfoss.com), John McCarthy gave the first public presentation of LISP at MIT. The list-processing language he built from scratch became the foundation of artificial intelligence programming and introduced concepts like garbage collection still used today. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: One of our regular FOSSers has posted about [Hardware Freedom Day 2026](https://itsfoss.community/t/happy-hardware-freedom-day-2026/15579?ref=itsfoss.com); are you celebrating? ### Can You Identify The Fake Linux Distros From The Real Ones? URL: https://itsfoss.com/quiz/guess-fake-distros/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T13:26:07.000Z Not all distros are created equal. In fact, not all distros are created at all. This quiz is simple. You'll be presented with a few Linux distros and their details. The twist is that they might not be a real thing. They could just be a fragment of my imagination. Of course, this is valid only at the time when I created this quiz. The way we move in Linux world, there could be some new distros coming up right after I publish this quiz 😃 _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Oh No! Now A Federal Bill Wants OS-Level Age Verification for Everyone in the USA URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/os-level-age-verification-across-us/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T12:11:30.000Z The U.S. has been quietly building up a set of state-level laws that push operating system providers into the [age verification plague](https://itsfoss.com/news/age-verification-pandemic/). California's [AB 1043](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill%5Fid=202520260AB1043&ref=itsfoss.com), signed in October 2025, requires OS providers to collect age data at account setup and pipe it to apps through a real-time API. It kicks in on January 1, 2027. Colorado is working on something nearly identical. [SB26-051](https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/SB26-051?ref=itsfoss.com) (*which we covered* [*when it was still a proposal*](https://itsfoss.com/news/colorado-age-attestation-bill/)) passed the state Senate 28-7 on March 3, 2026, and is now waiting on a House vote to become law there too. However, these are just state-level laws. A new federal bill, [H.R.8250](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8250?ref=itsfoss.com), introduced on April 13, 2026, by Rep. [Josh Gottheimer](https://www.congress.gov/member/josh-gottheimer/G000583?ref=itsfoss.com), with Rep. [Elise M. Stefanik](https://www.congress.gov/member/elise-stefanik/S001196?ref=itsfoss.com) signing on as cosponsor, has us intrigued. ![a cropped screenshot of the congress.gov website that shows the proposed h.r.8250 bill](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/parents-decide-act-bill.png) The official title of the bill reads, "***To require operating system providers to verify the age of any user of an operating system, and for other purposes***." But that's a mouthful; the short version is "***Parents Decide Act***." If you go by the full title, the bill is pretty self-explanatory; **it is going to require every operating system provider to verify the age of its user** who wants to use their OS, and vaguely enough, for any "*other purposes*." It has been referred to the [House Committee on Energy and Commerce](https://energycommerce.house.gov/?ref=itsfoss.com) and currently sits at step one (*Introduced*) of five in the legislative process. No bill text has been published; there's no summary, no subject tags, and no related bills attached to it. That means right now, the only thing formally known about H.R.8250 is its title, its sponsors, and where it got sent. *But wait, do you…* 👇 ## Want more details? ![this cropped screenshot shows a blog titled, "release: gottheimer announces bipartisan "parents decide act" to protect kids online."](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/parents-decide-act-announcement.png) Gottheimer's office published [a press release](https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/release-gottheimer-announces-bipartisan-parents-decide-act-to-protect-kids-online?ref=itsfoss.com) on April 2, 2026, announcing the bill 11 days before it was formally introduced. That press release [was unavailable for a while](https://web.archive.org/web/20260415193715/https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/release-gottheimer-announces-bipartisan-parents-decide-act-to-protect-kids-online), but it is now back up. According to the announcement, the bill would require OS developers to verify user age at device setup, allow parents to set content controls right there, and have those settings flow through to apps and platforms on the device. [Apple](https://www.apple.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Google](https://www.google.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) were the companies Gottheimer named as the intended targets, with the framing centered entirely around phones and tablets. But here's where **it gets interesting for anyone outside the Apple and Google ecosystem**. Gottheimer's press release framed this entirely around commercial mobile platforms. The official bill title, as you saw earlier, does not. If the bill text matches the breadth of that title, **Linux distributions and other open source operating platforms would sit squarely within its scope**. And a federal bill passing would mean one nationwide compliance requirement replacing the current state-by-state situation. The representative also **voiced support for several groups**, which include the likes of: - [Meta Parents Network](https://familycenter.meta.com/resources/?ref=itsfoss.com) - [Common Sense Media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) - [FairPlay](https://fairplayforkids.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) Evidently, **things are getting more absurd with each passing day**, and I can't wait for the day when access to anything electronic is locked behind a gate, guarded by the most decent and righteous upholders of the law. /s --- 💬 *If you are looking for a conversation surrounding this,* [*our forum*](https://itsfoss.community/t/age-verification-on-operating-systems/15583?ref=itsfoss.com) *is the place to be!* ### A PHP Dev Just Solved a 20+ Year-Old KDE Plasma Problem No One Else Would URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/kde-plasma-per-screen-virtual-desktops/ Last updated: 2026-04-15T09:18:02.000Z Back in 2005, [a bug report](https://bugs.kde.org/show%5Fbug.cgi?id=107302&ref=itsfoss.com) was filed by Kjetil Kjernsmo, then running [KDE 3.3.2](https://kde.org/announcements/1-2-3/3.3.2/?ref=itsfoss.com) on Debian Stable. He wanted the ability to have each connected screen show a different virtual desktop independently, rather than having all displays switch as one unit. Over the years, **over 15 duplicate reports piled onto the original** as more people ran into the same wall. And that's not a surprise, because multi-monitor setups have become increasingly common. The technical reason why this issue stayed open this long comes down to [X11](https://www.x.org/wiki/?ref=itsfoss.com). Implementing it there would have required violating the [EWMH](https://specifications.freedesktop.org/wm/1.5/?ref=itsfoss.com) specification, which has no concept of multiple virtual desktops being active at the same time. The [KWin](https://invent.kde.org/plasma/kwin?ref=itsfoss.com) maintainer Martin Flöser had said as much in 2013, **effectively ruling it out for the entire KDE 4.x series**. The only realistic path was through [Wayland](https://wayland.freedesktop.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), and that path needed someone willing to actually walk it. Someone finally did. The feature has now landed in KWin's [master branch](https://invent.kde.org/plasma/kwin/-/merge%5Frequests/8602?ref=itsfoss.com) and is set for a **Plasma 6.7** introduction. ## How was this accomplished? **Video courtesy of Hynek Schlindenbuch.* The merge request was opened by [Hynek Schlindenbuch](https://invent.kde.org/schlndh?ref=itsfoss.com), a developer with no prior KDE contributions. Each screen now **independently tracks which virtual desktop it is showing**. Any desktop can appear on any screen, and the same one can be shown on multiple screens at once. Windows belong to a specific screen, even if they visually span two, and can be assigned to one or more virtual desktops. A window stays visible when its screen is showing one of those desktops. Keyboard shortcuts only switch the desktop on the currently active screen, not across all of them at once. Unlike [Hyprland](https://itsfoss.com/hyprland/), switching to a desktop does not pull focus to that desktop's screen. Hynek made that choice deliberately. `VirtualDesktopManager` tracks the current desktop separately for each output, and switching all screens together remains the default, with per-output switching available as an opt-in via settings. Keep in mind that **this fix is Wayland only**. X11 was left out intentionally since it relies on the EWMH protocol, and with X11 support being dropped in Plasma 6.8 anyway, that is a less significant shortcoming than it sounds. **If you were curious about Hynek**, he is a full-time PHP programmer with over six years of experience. His C++ background going into this project was minimal, and he had no experience with [Qt](https://www.qt.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) or [CMake](https://cmake.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and had only set up KDE Plasma on an old laptop a few months before opening the merge request. The motivation for this was his plan to move to Wayland for fractional scaling support, but the missing per-screen desktop functionality was blocking his switch to [Plasma](https://kde.org/plasma-desktop/?ref=itsfoss.com). See how a lone open source developer's initiative changes things for the rest of us? 🙃 ### An Open Source Dev Has Put Together a Fix for AMD GPU's VRAM Mismanagement on Linux URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-amd-gpu-vram-fix/ Last updated: 2026-04-13T14:24:02.000Z [Natalie Vock](https://pixelcluster.github.io/about/?ref=itsfoss.com) (*pixelcluster*), a developer who works on low-level Linux code and as an independent contractor for [Valve](https://www.valvesoftware.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), has published a fix for a VRAM management problem that has been making life difficult for Linux gamers on AMD GPUs with 8GB of VRAM or less. She has put together a combination of kernel patches and userspace utilities that stop background apps from stealing VRAM away from whatever game you're playing. The underlying issue is that when VRAM runs out, the kernel driver has no way to tell which memory matters more. A game and a browser tab look identical from the driver's perspective, so when something has to give, game memory often takes the hit. It then ends up in [GTT](https://docs.kernel.org/gpu/amdgpu/amdgpu-glossary.html?ref=itsfoss.com#term-GTT), a chunk of system RAM that the GPU can access, but over the PCIe bus rather than directly. The fix is built on the [dmem cgroup controller](https://lore.kernel.org/dri-devel/20250106-shaggy-solid-dogfish-e88ebc@houat/?ref=itsfoss.com) that she co-developed with [Maarten Lankhorst](https://github.com/mlankhorst?ref=itsfoss.com) from Intel and [Maxime Ripard](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mripard/?ref=itsfoss.com) from Red Hat. It is already in the mainline Linux kernel, and it lets the driver treat foreground apps as higher priority when handing out VRAM. **That alone was not enough, though**. Natalie has also written six kernel patches to fix a specific gap where VRAM pressure would cause new memory allocations to skip those protections entirely and end up in GTT anyway. Two userspace utilities handle the rest: [dmemcg-booster](https://gitlab.steamos.cloud/holo/dmemcg-booster?ref=itsfoss.com) sets up the groundwork so the kernel protections actually activate, and a fork of KDE Plasma's [Foreground Booster](https://invent.kde.org/libraries/kcgroups/-/tree/work/davidre/foreground-booster-qt6?ref=itsfoss.com) keeps track of which app is in the foreground so it gets first dibs on VRAM. ## What this means for Linux gamers Instead of performance slowly degrading over a session, games should now hold steady for as long as their own VRAM usage stays within budget. Natalie notes that most modern titles tend to stay within 8GB, so owners of 8GB GPUs should be in a much better spot with today's games. While this applies to any GPU running the `amdgpu` driver, Intel GPUs on the `xe` driver have the necessary kernel support too, though real-world testing there is still pending. Additionally, the developer has submitted [a patch](https://lore.kernel.org/dri-devel/20260410081322.5577-1-natalie.vock@gmx.de/?ref=itsfoss.com) for [nouveau](https://nouveau.freedesktop.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), the open source NVIDIA driver. ## How to get it 🚧 The developer warns that things could break if you install the patches. Proceed with caution on general use of production machines. The six kernel patches **are not in the mainline kernel**, so getting them requires some extra steps depending on your setup. [CachyOS](https://cachyos.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) users on ***Linux 7.0rc7-2*** or later are already covered. On other [Arch-based distros](https://itsfoss.com/arch-based-linux-distros/), both utilities are in the AUR. For the kernel side, you can either pull the CachyOS kernel package from the repository or install `linux-dmemcg` from the AUR, which compiles Natalie's [development branch](https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/pixelcluster/kernel/?ref=itsfoss.com). The six patch files are also linked directly in the [announcement blog](https://pixelcluster.github.io/VRAM-Mgmt-fixed/?ref=itsfoss.com) for anyone who wants to apply them to a custom kernel build. For those not on an Arch-based system, the realistic options are applying the patches manually to a self-compiled kernel or waiting for your distro to pick them up. Natalie has said her post will be updated if and when the work gets packaged by other distributions. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*The Linux 7.0 Release is Here!*](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-7-0-release/) [Linux Kernel 7.0 is Out With Improvements Across the Board for Intel, AMD, and StorageFrom Nova Lake audio to autonomous XFS repairs and Zen 6 prep, this release covers a lot of ground.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-374.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-kernel-7-0-release-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-7-0-release/) ### AI Code Gets Approved in the Linux Kernel… But With Strings Attached URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-ai-coding-assistants-policy/ Last updated: 2026-04-13T11:39:00.000Z The [Linux](https://www.kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) kernel project has spent quite some time navigating the use of AI tools, and the response usually has been somewhere between "*figure it out yourself*" and "*we'll get back to you*." Late last year, at the 2025 Maintainers Summit, [Sasha Levin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sasha-levin-9861662?ref=itsfoss.com) pushed for some documented consensus, and [what came out of it](https://lwn.net/Articles/1049830/?ref=itsfoss.com) was human accountability for patches being non-negotiable, purely machine-generated submissions not being welcome, and tool use being disclosed. He promised to put something in writing without committing to enforce it, and that work [has now shipped](https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/master/Documentation/process/coding-assistants.rst?ref=itsfoss.com) with [Linux 7.0](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-7-0-release/). ## What is it? ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/linux-ai-coding-assistants-policy-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/linux-ai-coding-assistants-policy-2.png) **Linux's* [**AI coding assistants*](https://docs.kernel.org/process/coding-assistants.html?ref=itsfoss.com) *policy.* The new document is called [AI Coding Assistants](https://docs.kernel.org/process/coding-assistants.html?ref=itsfoss.com) and lives in the kernel's process docs alongside the rest of the contribution guidelines. The short version is that AI-assisted contributions still need to comply with [GPL-2.0-only](https://spdx.org/licenses/GPL-2.0-only.html?ref=itsfoss.com); AI agents cannot add `Signed-off-by` tags; and patches that had AI help should carry an "*Assisted-by*" tag. The [Developer Certificate of Origin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developer%5FCertificate%5Fof%5FOrigin?ref=itsfoss.com) (DCO) is an important aspect that exists, so there is **a human accountable for every patch**. AI assistance does not change that hard requirement. Basically, the human submitter reviews everything the AI produced, confirms it meets licensing requirements, and puts their own name on it with an appropriate mention that AI was used. The *Assisted-by* tag format is `Assisted-by: AGENT_NAME:MODEL_VERSION [TOOL1] [TOOL2]`; for scenarios where either single or multiple tools were used. The document gives `Assisted-by: Claude:claude-3-opus coccinelle sparse` as an example. Back then, **Linus was not even convinced a dedicated tag was necessary** and suggested the changelog body would do the job. But now, the kernel community seems to have settled on the tag anyway. ## It's already in use We covered this [earlier in the week](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-ai-fuzzing/), but Greg Kroah-Hartman (GKH) seems to have had AI-assisted fuzzing running in his kernel tree for a while now, in a branch called "*clanker*." He started with the ksmbd and SMB code, found some potential issues, and submitted fixes with a note telling reviewers to verify everything independently before trusting any of it. **That is just about the workflow the new policy was written around**. AI surfaces issues, a human with decades of kernel experience decides what is real, writes the fix, and takes responsibility. GKH being the one doing it is not a surprise given he is the stable kernel maintainer and has probably dealt with more bad patches than the others. Other projects have gone in a different direction. Gentoo [banned AI-generated contributions entirely](https://itsfoss.com/news/gentoo-linux-bans-ai-code/) in 2024, with its council citing copyright risk, code quality, and ethical concerns. NetBSD's [commit guidelines](https://www.netbsd.org/developers/commit-guidelines.html?ref=itsfoss.com) put LLM-generated code in the "*tainted code*" category, requiring written approval from the core developers before any of it goes in. In contrast, **Linux is not banning anything**. Whether that turns out to be the sensible call or just a lenient one will depend on how seriously people actually take the "*a human reviewed this*" part. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Is a Clanker Being Used in Linux Development?*](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-ai-fuzzing/) [Is a Clanker Being Used to Carry Out AI Fuzzing in the Linux Kernel?Greg Kroah-Hartman appears to be running AI-assisted fuzzing on the kernel. Don’t outrage yet, as this may not be a bad thing.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-373.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/clanker-ai-fuzzing-tool-linux-kernel-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-ai-fuzzing/) ### Linux Kernel 7.0 is Out With Improvements Across the Board for Intel, AMD, and Storage URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-7-0-release/ Last updated: 2026-04-13T04:08:07.000Z The development of the Linux kernel moves fast, and the 7.0 release is no exception. Around the same time as this release, a patch queued for Linux 7.1 has kicked off what will eventually be [the end of i486 CPU support](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-i486-cpu-support-removal/) in the kernel. But that's a story for another time. For now, let's focus on what Linux 7.0 brings to the table. Head penguin, Linus Torvalds, had the [following words to say regarding the release](https://lkml.org/lkml/2026/4/12/604?ref=itsfoss.com): > The last week of the release continued the same "lots of small fixes" trend, but it all really does seem pretty benign, so I've tagged the final 7.0 and pushed it out. > > I suspect it's a lot of AI tool use that will keep finding corner cases for us for a while, so this may be the "new normal" at least for a while. Only time will tell. This coverage is based on the detailed reporting from [Phoronix](https://www.phoronix.com/review/linux-7-features-changes?ref=itsfoss.com). ## Linux Kernel 7.0: What's New? The release is here, and before getting into the improvements, there is one thing worth getting out of the way first. This is not a [long-term support](https://itsfoss.com/long-term-support-lts/) release. If your priority is stability and extended maintenance, this is not the kernel to land on. Instead, you could opt for [Linux kernel 6.18](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-6-18/), which is supported **until December 2028**. ## Intel Upgrades [Linux 6.19](https://itsfoss.com/news/kernel-6-19-release/) already added audio support for Intel Nova Lake S, but the standard [Nova Lake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova%5FLake%5F%28microprocessor%29?ref=itsfoss.com) (NVL) variant was left out. That's fixed in 7.0, and the difference between the two in terms of specs is mainly in core count (*4 vs. 2*). [Intel Arc](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/details/discrete-gpus/arc.html?ref=itsfoss.com) users get something useful too. The Xe driver now exposes a lot more temperature data through the [HWMON](https://docs.kernel.org/hwmon/?ref=itsfoss.com) interface. Previously you got a single GPU core reading; now you get shutdown, critical, and max temperature limits, plus memory controller, PCIe, and individual vRAM channel temperatures. Also for [Panther Lake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panther%5FLake%5F%28microprocessor%29?ref=itsfoss.com), GSC firmware loading and Protected Xe Path (PXP) support are in. And lastly, Diamond Rapids (*the upcoming Xeon successor to Granite Rapids*) gets **NTB driver support**, which handles high-speed data transfers between separate systems over PCIe. It is expected to be helpful for distributed storage and cluster setups. ## AMD Refinements While the [Zen 6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen%5F6?ref=itsfoss.com) series of CPUs are still a while out, the kernel is already getting ready for it. Linux 7.0 merges perf events and metrics support for AMD Zen 6, covering performance counters for branch prediction, L1 and L2 cache activity, TLB activity, and uncore events like UMC command activity. All of that is mainly useful for developers and admins doing performance profiling ahead of launch, and not something the average user will notice. For virtualization, [KVM](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kernel-based%5FVirtual%5FMachine?ref=itsfoss.com) picks up support for **AMD ERAPS** (*Enhanced Return Address Predictor Security*), a Zen 5 security feature. In VM scenarios, this bumps the *Return Stack Buffer* from 32 to 64 entries, letting guests make full use of the larger RSB. AMD is also laying the groundwork for next-gen GPU hardware in 7.0, enabling new graphics IP blocks for what looks like an upcoming [RDNA 4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RDNA%5F4?ref=itsfoss.com) successor and another [RDNA 3.5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RDNA%5F3?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=RDNA%203.5%20Optimizations) variant. There are also hints of deeper NPU integration with future Radeon hardware, but AMD hasn't announced anything yet, so exact product details remain a mystery for now. ## Better Storage Handling [XFS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XFS?ref=itsfoss.com) gets one of the more interesting additions this release called **autonomous self-healing**. A new `xfs_healer` daemon, managed by *systemd*, watches for metadata failures and I/O errors in real time and triggers repairs automatically while the filesystem stays mounted. [Btrfs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Btrfs?ref=itsfoss.com) picks up direct I/O support for block sizes larger than the kernel page size, falling back to buffered I/O when the data profile has duplication. There's also an experimental remap-tree feature, which introduces a translation layer for logical block addresses that lets the filesystem handle relocations and copy-on-write operations without physically moving or rewriting blocks. [EXT4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ext4?ref=itsfoss.com) sees better write performance for concurrent direct I/O writes to multiple files by deferring the splitting of unwritten extents to I/O completion. It also avoids unnecessary cache invalidation and forced ordered writes when appending with delayed allocation. ### Miscellaneous Changes Wrapping up this section, we have some other notable changes that made it into this release: - RISC-V gains **user-space control-flow integrity** (CFI) support. - **WiFi 8 Ultra-High Reliability** (UHR) groundwork lands in the networking stack. - Security bug report documentation gets an overhaul **to help AI tools** send more actionable reports. - **Rust support is officially no longer experimental**, with the kernel team formally declaring it is here to stay. - ASUS motherboards, including the Pro WS TRX50-SAGE WIFI A and ROG MAXIMUS X HERO, now have **working sensor support**. ## Installing Linux Kernel 7.0 As always, those on [rolling distros](https://itsfoss.com/rolling-release/) like **Arch Linux** and other distros like **Fedora** and [its derivatives](https://itsfoss.com/best-fedora-linux-distributions/) will get this new release very soon. For others on distros like Debian, Linux Mint, Ubuntu, MX Linux, etc. You will most likely not receive this upgrade. If that doesn't work for you, then you could always [install the latest mainline Linux kernel](https://itsfoss.com/upgrade-linux-kernel-ubuntu/) on your Ubuntu setup. And, this goes without saying, *this is risky*. If you end up borking your system, we are not to blame for it. [Linux Kernel 7.0](https://www.kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### How to Take Screenshots in Linux Mint [Beginner's Tip] URL: https://itsfoss.com/take-screenshots-linux-mint/ Last updated: 2026-04-12T11:51:12.000Z Linux Mint is known for being simple and beginner friendly. It works out of the box with most essential features ready to use, so you don’t have to spend time setting things up. One such basic task is taking screenshots, and Mint makes it very easy even if you are completely new to Linux. In this beginner's guide, we will look at the built-in screenshot tool in Linux Mint and the keyboard shortcuts you can use right away. 📋 This article is part of the Linux Mint beginner's tutorial series. ## The GUI screenshot tool that you don't want to miss Linux Mint provides a simple graphical interface for those who prefer a GUI solution for taking screenshots. Beyond the basic options, the tool also includes a few useful features. Let’s take a look at them next. First, open the Screenshot tool by searching for it in the start menu. ![In the Linux Mint Start menu, search for Screenshot and open the Screenshot tool.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/search-and-open-screenshot-tool.png) Open Screenshot Tool 💡 You can pin the Screenshot app to the taskbar for quick access. The interface is simple and easy to understand. There are three main options: - Capture Screen: Takes a screenshot of the entire screen - Capture Window: Captures the active window - Capture Selection: Lets you select a specific area using left-click and drag to capture. ![Linux Mint GNOME Screenshot Utility Interface.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/screenshot-tool-gui-interface.png) Screenshot Tool Interface After choosing the method, click the **Take Screenshot** button at the top left of the window. ### Show mouse cursor in screenshot In the Screenshot tool, you will find an option called **Show Pointer**. Enable this if you want the mouse pointer to be visible in your screenshots. ![Show Pointer option in GNOME Screenshot Utility in Linux Mint.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/show-pointer-option-mint-screenshot.png) Show Pointer ### Take screenshot with a delay You can also set a small delay before taking a screenshot. 🚧 This does not apply to keyboard shortcuts by default. In the Screenshot tool, enter a value in seconds under the **Delay in Seconds** option. ![Add a delay to taking screenshot in Linux Mint.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/add-a-delay-mint-screenshot.png) Add a Delay to Screenshot Once set, the tool will wait for the specified time before capturing the screenshot when using the GUI. For example, if you set it to 5 seconds, the screenshot will be taken after a 5 second delay. 💡 One common use case for delay is capturing the mouse cursor in window or area screenshots. Without a delay, the screenshot is taken instantly, so you do not get time to move the cursor from the Screenshot tool to the target application or position it properly. ## Using keyboard shortcuts If you prefer not to open a GUI app every time you take a screenshot, that is not a problem. Linux Mint provides keyboard shortcuts that let you quickly capture the screen in different ways. ### Take the screenshot of entire screen You can press the `PrtScr` key on your keyboard to capture the entire screen. After taking the screenshot, you will be prompted to either save it with a name or copy it to the clipboard. This works well for basic use. However, this can feel limited if you only want to capture a small part of the screen. The good news is that Linux Mint also provides an easy way to do that. ### Take the screenshot of an area To take the screenshot of a specific area, use the `Shift + PrtScr` shortcut. Your screen will dim slightly and the cursor will change to a plus sign. Click, hold, and drag to select the area you want to capture. Once you release the mouse button, you can choose to copy the screenshot or save it. 🚧 Keep in mind that you cannot adjust the selection after releasing the click, so make sure to select the area carefully. ### Take screenshot of a window Sometimes, you may want to capture only the currently active window. While you can do this using the area selection method, using a shortcut is much more convenient. Press `Alt + PrtScr` to take a screenshot of the active window. There are a few things to keep in mind. If a menu is open inside the window, like a top menu or a right-click context menu, this shortcut may not work. 🚧 In my case, I was not able to use any of the screenshot shortcuts if the window in focus has a menu opened. In this case, you need to set a delay to take the screenshot, which we will see in a later section. Also, if a dialog box is open, the tool will capture whichever window is active at that moment, whether it is the main window or the dialog. ### Record the screen Many people do not realize that Linux Mint also includes a built-in screen recorder. It is not visible in the menus, so it is easy to miss. Press `Shift + Ctrl + Alt + R` to start recording your screen. Use the same key when a recording is active to stop recording. This is a basic tool, so do not expect features like those in dedicated applications such as OBS Studio or SimpleScreenRecorder. It simply records your entire screen. When you stop the recording, the video file is saved in the Videos folder inside your Home directory. ## Custom Shortcuts In the previous section, we saw that the GUI tool offers options like delay and showing the mouse pointer, which are not available with the default keyboard shortcuts. However, this does not mean you are limited. In Linux Mint, you can create custom shortcuts to include these actions as well. ### The screenshot options Before setting up custom screenshot shortcuts, it helps to understand the available options. Linux Mint uses the GNOME Screenshot tool for both the GUI and keyboard based screenshots. GNOME Screenshot provides several useful options, along with many more that you can explore in its man page. - `gnome-screenshot -w`: Take the screenshot of current active window. - `gnome-screenshot -a`: Take the screenshot of a select region by click and drag. - `gnome-screenshot -d 5`: Add a 5 second delay before taking a screenshot of the entire screen. - `gnome-screenshot -d 5 -p`: Apply a 5 second delay and include pointer in the screenshot. - `gnome-screenshot -d 5 -a`, `gnome-screenshot -d 5 -w`: Take screenshot of select area/window respectively with a 5 second delay. ### Setting custom screenshot shortcuts Search for and open **Keyboard** from the start menu. ![Search for keyboard in Start Menu and open the Keyboard application from the list.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/open-keyboard-application-from-start-menu.png) Open Keyboard Application Go to the **Shortcuts** tab and then select **Custom Shortcuts**. Click on the **Add custom shortcut** button. ![In the shortcuts tab of Keyboard application, go to Custom Shortcut and select the Add custom shortcut button.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/shortcuts-tab-custom-shortcuts.png) Add Custom Shortcut Now, enter a name for the shortcut. For example, you can use "*Take screenshot of an area with a delay*" in the **Name** field. ![Add a name for the shortcut in the name field and add a command that you want to execute when the key is pressed.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/add-command-to-take-screenshot-with-delay-1.png) Enter name and command In the command field, enter the required command. For example, use `gnome-screenshot -d 5 -a`, and then click the **Add** button. The command will now be listed. To assign a shortcut, select it under *Keyboard shortcuts* and click on the **Unassigned** option in the *Keyboard bindings* section. 0:00 /0:13 1× Add the keybinding to the custom command. You will be prompted to press a key combination. Press the shortcut you want to use. You can repeat the same steps to create and assign shortcuts for other commands based on your needs. ## Other screenshot tools Sometimes, basic screenshots are not enough. You may want to annotate an image or add borders and other adjustments. These are image editing features, and they are not available in the default Screenshot tool in Linux Mint. For such needs, you can use third party screenshot tools that offer more control and customization. We have a separate article that covers [screenshot tools you can use](https://itsfoss.com/take-screenshot-linux/) in more detail. You can refer to it to find options that suit different needs and use cases. [Best Tools For Taking and Editing Screenshots in LinuxHere are several ways you can take screenshots and edit the screenshots by adding text, arrows etc. Instructions and mentioned screenshot tools are valid for Ubuntu and other major Linux distributions.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-333.png)It's FOSSAnkush Das![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/Taking-Screenshots-in-Linux.png)](https://itsfoss.com/take-screenshot-linux/) As a quick note, [Flameshot](https://itsfoss.com/flameshot/) and [Ksnip](https://itsfoss.com/news/ksnip-experience/) are two good screenshot tools you can use for editing and customization. You can also use Gradia that also provides basic editing. Did you find it useful? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. ### Privacy Messenger Session Is Staring Down a 90-Day Countdown to Obscurity URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/session-call-for-donations/ Last updated: 2026-04-10T18:24:23.000Z If you care about privacy and don't take too well to governments and [Big Tech](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big%5FTech?ref=itsfoss.com) companies snooping on your messages, then [Session](https://getsession.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) has probably come up at some point. It's a free, open source, end-to-end encrypted messaging app that doesn't ask for your phone number or email to sign up. Messages are routed through an onion network rather than a central server, and the combination of no-metadata messaging, anonymous sign-up, and decentralized architecture has earned it a loyal following among privacy-conscious users. Unfortunately, the project has sent out [a mayday call](https://x.com/session%5Fapp/status/2042047514749342020?ref=itsfoss.com) as it risks closure. ## A call for help > Your donations have helped, and the Session Technology Foundation (STF) has received enough funding to support critical operations for 90 days. > > This means that Session will remain available on the app stores and essential services (such as the file server and push notification… > > — Session (@session\_app) [April 9, 2026](https://twitter.com/session%5Fapp/status/2042047514749342020?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=itsfoss.com) The [Session Technology Foundation](https://session.foundation/?ref=itsfoss.com) (STF) sent out what can only be described as a distress signal, announcing that the app's survival is now in serious peril. The day it was posted on was also the last working day for all paid staff and developers at the STF. From that point on, **Session is being kept running entirely by volunteers**. The donations that they received earlier are enough to keep critical infrastructure online until **July 8**, but not nearly enough to retain a development team. With nobody left on payroll, development has been paused. Due to that, introducing new features is off the table, existing bugs will most likely go unaddressed, and the STF says **new releases are unlikely during this period**. Session co-founder [Chris McCabe](https://x.com/Cryptic%5Fcm?ref=itsfoss.com) had already flagged the trouble coming. In [a personal appeal](https://getsession.org/blog/a-personal-appeal-from-cofounder-of-session-chris-mccabe?ref=itsfoss.com) published earlier in March, he wrote that the organizations safeguarding Session had faced many challenges over the years and that the project's very survival was now at risk. He had concluded by appealing that: > The project is on a path to self-sustainability, but the future is fragile. If every Session user contributed just one dollar, it would go a long way towards Session reaching sustainability. If you've ever considered donating, now is the time to act. The above didn't accomplish enough to change the outcome, so the Session folks had to sound the alarm. The foundation says **it needs $1 million** to complete the work still in progress. That includes [Protocol v2](https://getsession.org/blog/session-protocol-v2?ref=itsfoss.com), which adds forward secrecy (PFS), post-quantum cryptography, and improved device management, as well as [Session Pro](https://getsession.org/session-pro-beta?ref=itsfoss.com), a subscription tier intended to put the project on a self-sustaining footing. If that goal is hit, the STF says **it hopes Session could stand on its own** without needing to go back to the community for more. As of writing, **$65,000 of that $1 million has been raised**. Anyone who wants to see this privacy-focused messaging app survive, especially at a time when surveillance is only getting worse, can donate at [getsession.org/donate](https://getsession.org/donate?ref=itsfoss.com). [Save Session](https://getsession.org/donate?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Session's Other Co-Founder Thinks You Don't Need to Ditch WhatsApp*](https://itsfoss.com/news/session-co-founder-interview/) [Session’s Co-Founder Thinks You Don’t Need to Ditch WhatsApp CompletelyKee Jefferys on why privacy messaging should be an option, not a replacement.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-371.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/interview-with-kee-jeffrys-2.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/session-co-founder-interview/) ### Good News! France Starts Plan to Replace Windows With Linux on Government Desktops URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/france-government-linux-switch/ Last updated: 2026-04-10T15:21:07.000Z France's national digital directorate, DINUM, [has announced](https://www.numerique.gouv.fr/sinformer/espace-presse/souverainete-numerique-reduction-dependances-extra-europeennes/?ref=itsfoss.com) (*in French*) **it is moving its workstations from Windows to Linux**. The announcement came out of an interministerial seminar held on April 8, organised jointly by the *Directorate General for Enterprise* (DGE), the *National Agency for Information Systems Security* (ANSSI), and the *State Procurement Directorate* (DAE). The Linux switch is not the only move on the table. France's national health insurance body, [CNAM](https://www.ameli.fr/?ref=itsfoss.com), is migrating **80,000 of its agents to a set of homegrown tools**: [Tchap](https://element.io/en/case-studies/tchap?ref=itsfoss.com) for messaging, *Visio* for video calls (*more on this later*), and [France transfert](https://francetransfert.numerique.gouv.fr/upload?ref=itsfoss.com) for file transfers. The country's national health data platform is also set to move to a sovereign solution by the end of 2026. Beyond the immediate moves, the seminar laid out a broader plan. [DINUM](https://www.numerique.gouv.fr/numerique-etat/dinum/?ref=itsfoss.com) **will coordinate an interministerial effort** built around forming coalitions between ministries, public operators, and private sector players, with interoperability standards at the core (*the Open Interop and* [*Open Buro*](https://openburo.eu/?ref=itsfoss.com) *initiatives are specifically named*). Every French ministry, including public operators, **will be required to submit its own non-European software reduction plan by Autumn 2026**. The plan is expected to cover things like workstations, collaboration tools, antivirus, AI, databases, virtualization, and network equipment. A first set of "*Industrial Digital Meetings*" is planned for June 2026, where public-private coalitions are expected to be formalized. Speaking on this initiative, [Anne Le Hénanff](https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-le-h%C3%A9nanff-7505a26b/?ref=itsfoss.com), Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs, added that (*translated from French*): > Digital sovereignty is not optional — it is a strategic necessity. Europe must equip itself with the means to match its ambitions, and France is leading by example by accelerating the shift to sovereign, interoperable, and sustainable solutions. > By reducing our dependence on non-European solutions, the State sends a clear message: that of a public authority taking back control of its technological choices in service of its digital sovereignty. You might remember, [a few months earlier](https://itsfoss.com/news/france-ditches-microsoft-teams-and-zoom/), France set out on a similar path for video conferencing. The country mandated that every government department switch to [Visio](https://lasuite.numerique.gouv.fr/produits/visio?ref=itsfoss.com), its homegrown, MIT-licensed alternative to Teams and Zoom **by 2027**. Part of the broader *La Suite Numérique initiative*, it had already been tested with 40,000 users across departments before the mandate was announced. So this move looks like an even more promising one, and we shall keep an eye on how this pans out. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*ONLYOFFICE Gets Forked*](https://itsfoss.com/news/onlyoffice-forked/) [ONLYOFFICE Gets Forked as “Made in Europe”, Sparks Licensing and Trust DebateEuro-Office is a new European fork of ONLYOFFICE. Here’s why it was created, what it changes, and why it’s already controversial.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-372.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/euro-office-1.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/news/onlyoffice-forked/) ### Is a Clanker Being Used to Carry Out AI Fuzzing in the Linux Kernel? URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-ai-fuzzing/ Last updated: 2026-04-10T11:16:50.000Z With the rise of AI and humanoid robots, the word "[*Clanker*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clanker?ref=itsfoss.com)" is being used to describe such solutions, and rightly so. In their current state, these are quite primitive, and while they can act like something resembling human intelligence, they still can't match what nature cooked up. Now that terminology has made its way into the [Linux kernel](https://www.kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) thanks to [Greg Kroah-Hartman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg%5FKroah-Hartman?ref=itsfoss.com) (GKH), the Linux stable kernel maintainer and the closest thing the project has to a second-in-command. He has been [quietly running](https://www.phoronix.com/news/Greg-KH-Clanker-Linux-Bugs?ref=itsfoss.com) what looks like **an AI-assisted fuzzing tool** on the kernel that lives in a branch called "[clanker](https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/gregkh/gregkh.git/log/?h=clanker&ref=itsfoss.com)" on his working kernel tree. Before you ask, [fuzzing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuzzing?ref=itsfoss.com) is a method of automated software testing that bombards code with unexpected, malformed, or random inputs to trigger crashes, memory errors, and other misbehavior. It is a critical line of defense for a massive codebase like Linux. ## How it started ![a post by greg kroah-hartman that lays out how he is excercising using some new fuzzing tols](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/gkh-linux-kernel-ai-fuzzing.png) It began with the *ksmbd* and *SMB* code. GKH filed [a three-patch series](https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/2026040644-brussels-dab-6f99@gregkh/?ref=itsfoss.com) after running his new tooling against it, describing the motivation quite simply. He picked that code because it was easy to set up and test locally with [virtual machines](https://itsfoss.com/virtual-machine/). What the fuzzer flagged were potential problems specific to scenarios involving an "*untrusted*" client. The three fixes that came out of it addressed an `EaNameLength` validation gap in `smb2_get_ea()`, a missing bounds check that required three sub-authorities before reading `sub_auth[2]`, and a `mechToken` memory leak that occurred when [SPNEGO](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPNEGO?ref=itsfoss.com) decode fails after token allocation. GKH was very direct about the nature of the patches, telling reviewers: "*please don't trust them at all and verify that I'm not just making this all up before accepting them*." ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/gkh-linux-kernel-clanker-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/gkh-linux-kernel-clanker-2.png) **These pictures show the Clanker* [**T1000*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-1000?ref=itsfoss.com) *in operation.* It does not stop there. The clanker branch has since accumulated patches across a wide range of subsystems, including USB, HID, WiFi, LoongArch, networking, and more. ## Who is GKH? If you are not well versed with the kernel world, GKH is one of the most influential people in Linux development. He has been maintaining the stable kernel branch for quite a while now, which means every long-term support kernel that powers servers, smartphones, embedded devices, and pretty much everything else running Linux passes through his hands. He also wrote [Linux Kernel in a Nutshell](http://www.kroah.com/lkn/?ref=itsfoss.com) back in 2006, which is freely available under a *Creative Commons* license. It remains one of the more approachable references for anyone trying to understand kernel configuration and building, and it is long overdue for a new edition (*hint hint*). ## Linus has been thinking about this too Speaking at [Open Source Summit Japan](https://www.zdnet.com/article/linus-torvalds-ai-tool-maintaining-linux-code/?ref=itsfoss.com) last year, Linus Torvalds said the upcoming [Linux Kernel Maintainer Summit](https://events.linuxfoundation.org/linux-kernel-maintainer-summit/?ref=itsfoss.com) will address "*expanding our tooling and our policies when it comes to using AI for tooling*." He also mentioned running **an internal AI experiment** where the tool reviewed a merge he had objected to. The AI not only agreed with his objections but found additional issues to fix. Linus called that a good sign, while asserting that he is "*much less interested in AI for writing code*" and **more interested in AI as a tool for maintenance, patch checking, and code review**. ## AI should assist, not replace There is an important distinction worth making here. What GKH appears to be doing here is **not having AI write kernel code**. The fuzzer surfaces potential bugs; a human with decades of kernel experience reviews them, writes the actual fixes, and takes responsibility for what gets submitted. If that's the case, then this is the sensible approach, and it mirrors what other open source projects have been formalizing. LLVM, for instance, adopted a "[*human in the loop*](https://itsfoss.com/news/llvm-ai-policy/)" AI policy earlier this year, requiring contributors to review and understand everything they submit, regardless of how it was created. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Greg Kroah-Hartman Bestowed With The European Open Source Award*](https://itsfoss.com/news/greg-kroah-hartman-european-open-source-award/) [Linux’s Second-in-Command Greg Kroah-Hartman Bestowed With The European Open Source AwardLinux kernel maintainer honored at Brussels ceremony for decades of critical infrastructure work.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-370.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/greg-kroah-hartman-awarded.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/greg-kroah-hartman-european-open-source-award/) ### Microsoft Locked Out VeraCrypt, WireGuard, and Windscribe from Pushing Windows Updates URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/microsoft-locks-out-open-source-developers/ Last updated: 2026-04-10T04:41:56.000Z Microsoft has had a complicated relationship with the open source world. VSCode, TypeScript, and .NET are all projects it created, and its acquisition of [GitHub](https://github.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) put it in charge of the world's largest code hosting platform. But it is also the same company that **bakes telemetry into Windows by default** and has been **aggressively pushing Copilot AI** into every corner of its software. That last part especially has been nudging a growing number of people toward [open alternatives](https://itsfoss.com/windows-like-linux-distributions/). And now, a wave of developer account suspensions has given some open source developers a new headache. ## What's happening? ![this photo shows a forum post by mounir idrassi talking about the unfair suspension of their microsoft account that was used to sign windows drivers and the bootloader](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/veracrypt-forum-post-microsoft-suspension.png) Microsoft rolled out [mandatory account verification](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/hardware-dev-center/action-required-account-verification-for-windows-hardware-program-begins-october/4455452?ref=itsfoss.com) for all partners enrolled in the [Windows Hardware Program](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/dashboard/hardware-program-register?ref=itsfoss.com) who had not completed verification since April 2024\. The requirement kicked in on **October 16, 2025**, giving partners 30 days from notification to verify their identity with a government-issued ID. Plus, that ID has to match the name of the [Partner Center](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/dashboard/?ref=itsfoss.com) primary contact. Miss the deadline or fail verification, and your account gets suspended with no further submissions allowed. This matters because signing **Windows kernel drivers requires one of these accounts**. Without it, developers cannot push driver-signed updates for Windows, and Windows will flag unsigned drivers, blocking them from loading at the kernel level. Three major open source projects found this out the hard way. [VeraCrypt](https://veracrypt.jp/en/Home.html?ref=itsfoss.com), [WireGuard](https://www.wireguard.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), and [Windscribe](https://windscribe.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) all had their developer accounts suspended, cutting off their ability to ship updates on Windows. > It appears [@Microsoft](https://twitter.com/Microsoft?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=itsfoss.com) is actively suspending developer accounts with no warning or reason of various security tools like VeraCrypt, WireGuard and also Windscribe. We've had this VERIFIED account for 8+ years to sign our drivers. > > We've been trying to resolve this for over a… [https://t.co/iwkryuwKuO](https://t.co/iwkryuwKuO?ref=itsfoss.com) [pic.twitter.com/7VcnAQIbnP](https://t.co/7VcnAQIbnP?ref=itsfoss.com) > > — Windscribe (@windscribecom) [April 8, 2026](https://twitter.com/windscribecom/status/2041929519628443943?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=itsfoss.com) VeraCrypt developer [Mounir Idrassi](https://sourceforge.net/u/idrassi/profile/?ref=itsfoss.com) was the first to go public. In a [SourceForge forum post](https://sourceforge.net/p/veracrypt/discussion/general/thread/9620d7a4b3/?ref=itsfoss.com), he wrote that Microsoft had terminated his account with no prior warning, no explanation, and no option to appeal. Repeated attempts to reach Microsoft through official channels got him nothing but automated replies. The suspension hit his day job too, not just VeraCrypt. WireGuard creator Jason Donenfeld hit the same wall a couple of weeks later, when he went to certify a new WireGuard kernel driver for Windows and found his account showing as access restricted. He eventually tracked down a Microsoft appeals process, but it carried a 60-day response window. Windscribe's situation **was arguably the messiest**. The company says it had held a verified *Partner Center* account for over eight years and spent more than a month trying to sort things out before going public. Moreover, once an account is suspended, Partner Center blocks users from opening a support ticket directly. ## What now? This eventually got Microsoft's attention as [Scott Hanselman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanselman/?ref=itsfoss.com), VP and Member of Technical Staff at Microsoft and GitHub [stepped in on X](https://x.com/shanselman/status/2041974122083971328?ref=itsfoss.com) to say the accounts would be fixed. He pointed to the October 2025 blog post (*linked earlier*) and said the company had been sending emails to affected partners since then. Scott confirmed he had personally reached out to both Mounir and Jason to get their accounts unblocked, and that fixes were already in progress. Anyway, **this doesn't look good**, and leaving developers of critical security software without recourse for weeks only erodes trust. But, in the end, this won't really affect a behemoth like [Microsoft](https://www.microsoft.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), who has a dominating hold on the operating system market. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Proton Workspace and Meet launched as alternatives to Big Tech offerings*](https://itsfoss.com/news/proton-workspace-launch/) [Proton Launches Workspace and Meet, Takes Aim at Google and MicrosoftThese two launches ought to keep Big Tech on their toes.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-366.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/proton-workspace-meet-launch-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/proton-workspace-launch/) ### FOSS Weekly #26.15: Rollback in apt, bad USB detection, Glass UI in KDE, Linux Kernel dropping older processor support and more URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-15/ Last updated: 2026-04-09T14:03:03.000Z Linus Torvalds created two of the most widely used tools in modern computing: the Linux kernel and Git. Git, of course, is a version control system primarily used by programmers. But Theena makes a [strong case](https://itsfoss.com/opinion/git-plain-text-writing/) that Git and plain text are the best tools a *writer* can use. Not just for backup but for building a writing practice that is truly their own.. At its core, the argument is about breaking free from platform dependency, long-term preservation, and treating your body of work as something worth designing around rather than just storing somewhere convenient. [Git Isn’t Just for Developers. It Might Be the Best Writing Tool EverPlain Text, Git, and the Long Afterlife of Written Work.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-369.png)It's FOSSTheena Kumaragurunathan![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/writing-with-git.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/opinion/git-plain-text-writing/) **Here are other highlights of this edition of FOSS Weekly:** - sudo tips and tweaks. - Apt's new version has useful features. - Opera GX arriving as a gaming browser for Linux. - A Linux driver proposal to catch malicious USB devices. - And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes! Tired of AI fluff and misinformation in your Google feed? Get real, trusted Linux content. Add It’s FOSS as your preferred source and see our reliable Linux and open-source stories highlighted in your Discover feed and search results. [Add It's FOSS as preferred source on Google (if you use it) ](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=itsfoss.com&ref=itsfoss.com) ## 📰 Linux and Open Source News Not open source software but [Opera GX](https://www.opera.com/gx?ref=itsfoss.com), the gaming-focused Chromium browser that's been on Windows and macOS for years, has finally landed on Linux. Sourav [took the early access build for a spin](https://itsfoss.com/news/opera-gx-on-linux/) and tested the features it's known for, like GX Control for capping RAM and CPU usage while gaming and GX Cleaner for cleaning up junk data. The Linux kernel is finally dropping i486 support, queued for Linux 7.1\. The [first patch](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-i486-cpu-support-removal/) removes the relevant Kconfig build options, with a fuller cleanup covering 80 files and over 14,000 lines of legacy code still to follow. Proton [has launched two new things](https://itsfoss.com/news/proton-workspace-launch/): Proton Workspace, a bundled suite of all their services aimed at businesses looking for a privacy-first alternative to Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, and Proton Meet, an end-to-end encrypted video conferencing tool using the open source MLS protocol. A proposal [has been submitted](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-driver-proposal-malicious-hid-devices/) to the Linux kernel mailing list for a new HID driver called `hid-omg-detect` that passively monitors USB keyboard-like devices for suspicious behavior. Another proposal, but for Fedora [was recently struck down](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-per-user-environment-variables-proposal/). It looked to move per-user environment variable management from shell RC files into systemd. Remember the glass UI from the Windows 7 era? [KDE is considering bringing back the older classic Oxygen and Air themes](https://itsfoss.com/news/kde-plasma-oxygen-air-comeback/). These themes will be optional, of course. Anthropic, the company behind Claude AI, has [donated $1.5 million to Apache Software Foundation](https://itsfoss.com/news/anthropic-apache-software-foundation-donation/). The donation aims to secure the open source stack AI tools depend on. ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About Firefox has been losing ground for a decade, and Mozilla is trying something new. A built-in VPN and a growing set of AI features. Roland's piece looks at [whether either of those things is likely to actually work](https://itsfoss.com/opinion/firefox-survival-with-vpn-ai/). [Can Free VPN and AI Save Firefox From Decline?Mozilla is betting on free VPN and AI to revive Firefox browser. Can this bold strategy bring users back or is it too late already?![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-368.png)It's FOSSRoland Taylor![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/firefox-superhero.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/opinion/firefox-survival-with-vpn-ai/) [Puter](https://itsfoss.com/news/puter-os/), the open source browser-based desktop OS, [has added ONLYOFFICE to its app marketplace](https://itsfoss.com/news/puter-office-integration/), giving it a full office suite covering documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and PDF editing. YOUR support keeps us going, keeps us resisting the established media and big tech, keeps us independent. And ****it costs less than a McDonald's Happy Meal** a month. Support us via Plus membership and additionally, you: ✅ Get 5 FREE eBooks on Linux, Docker and Bash ✅ Enjoy an ad-free reading experience ✅ Flaunt badges in the comment section and forum ✅ Help creation of educational Linux materials for everyone [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings Not many people know that sudo command's behavior can be tweaked as well. [Here are a few sudo tweaks](https://itsfoss.com/sudo-tips/). [Tennis](https://itsfoss.com/tennis-csv-tool/) is a Zig-written terminal tool that renders CSV files as clean, color-coded tables with solid borders and auto-detected themes. [APT package manager's latest version 3.2 has a rollback feature](https://itsfoss.com/news/apt-3-2-release/). Sourav briefly tested it. [I Tried Apt Command’s New Rollback Feature — Here’s How It WentThe new history commands let you undo, redo, or roll back package installs, upgrades, and removals.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-367.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/apt-3-2-release-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/apt-3-2-release/) ## 📚 Linux eBook bundle (don't miss) No Starch Press needs no introduction. They have published some of the best books on Linux. And they are running an ebook bundle deal on Humble Bundle. I highly recommend [checking it out and getting the bundle](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/NGG7EO?ref=itsfoss.com). Plus, part of your purchase supports Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). [Humble Tech Book Bundle: Linux, the Good Stuff by No StarchUnlock new levels of freedom and creativity when you use Linux—master the ins and outs of Linux today and help support charity!![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/03df0490a53d595fd930f9fff52038366d60a05d-13.png)Humble Bundle![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/48696d483e3949395286460bb7e8bdc8215da389.png)](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/NGG7EO?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner The Linux kernel dropped i486 support and [added GD-ROM driver support](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-draeamcast-gd-rom-support/) for the Sega Dreamcast in the same breath. [Even in 2026, Linux Is Still Adding Support for Sega Dreamcast’s GD-ROM from the ’90sLinux continues to surprise. Linux kernel saw a new patch that adds support for Sega Dreamcast’s GD-ROM, a ’90s-era console technology that refuses to fade away.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-364.png)It's FOSSPulkit Chandak![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/sega-dreamcast-gd-rom-linux-driver.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-draeamcast-gd-rom-support/) ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights [Hideout](https://github.com/trikko/hideout?ref=itsfoss.com) is a minimal GTK4/Adwaita desktop app for file encryption and decryption, powered by GnuPG. [GitHub - trikko/hideout: Hideout is a minimal and secure desktop application for file encryption and decryption, powered by GnuPG.Hideout is a minimal and secure desktop application for file encryption and decryption, powered by GnuPG. - trikko/hideout![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/pinned-octocat-093da3e6fa40-31.svg)GitHubtrikko![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/hideout)](https://github.com/trikko/hideout?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 📽️ Videos for You Here are [some Linux terminal tricks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shvnnzy-R5M&ref=itsfoss.com) to save you time. [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip You can copy a file in [Nautilus](https://itsfoss.com/nautilus-tips-tweaks/) by pressing `*Ctrl+C*`, then press `Ctrl+M` to paste it as a [symbolic link](https://cambass.medium.com/understanding-symlinks-and-a-common-use-case-for-linux-4013cd0e695d?ref=itsfoss.com) instead of an actual copy. This is a handy way to create a symlink without ever needing to open a terminal! 0:00 /0:15 1× [](https://t43217012.p.clickup-attachments.com/t43217012/da09f1e7-b651-4c93-b93b-141e46671d4b/copy-link-to-highlight-firefox.png?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse In this members-only crossword, you will have to name systemd's `ctl` commands. [Boo-lean Logic: Cyber Boogeymen CrosswordA fun Linux crossword puzzle featuring systemd ctl commands like systemctl and journalctl. Perfect for testing and improving your Linux skills.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-365.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/crossword-1.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/systemd-crossword/) An appropriate meme on the OS-level age verification topic. ![age verification and linux distro maintainers meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/age-verification-meme.png) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On [April 8, 1991](https://www.computerhistory.org/tdih/april/8/?ref=itsfoss.com), a small team at [Sun Microsystems](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun%5FMicrosystems?ref=itsfoss.com) quietly relocated to work in secret on a project codenamed "[*Oak*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak%5F%28programming%5Flanguage%29?ref=itsfoss.com)", a programming language that would eventually be renamed [Java](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java%5F%28software%5Fplatform%29?ref=itsfoss.com) and go on to become one of the most widely used languages in the world, powering everything from Android apps to enterprise software. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: A FOSSer is wondering if anyone has ever [jailbroken a Kindle for KOReader use](https://itsfoss.community/t/anyone-ever-jailbreak-a-kindle-for-koreader-thoughts/15537?ref=itsfoss.com). ### I Tried Apt Command's New Rollback Feature — Here’s How It Went URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/apt-3-2-release/ Last updated: 2026-04-09T10:22:48.000Z [APT](https://itsfoss.com/apt-command-guide/), or *Advanced Package Tool*, is the package manager on Debian and its derivatives like *Ubuntu*, *Linux Mint*, and *elementary OS*. On these, if you want to install something, remove it, or update the whole system, you do it via APT. It has been around for decades, and if you are on a [Debian-based distro](https://itsfoss.com/debian-based-distros/), then you have almost certainly used it without giving it much thought. That said, it has seen active development in the last couple of years. We covered the [APT 3.0](https://itsfoss.com/news/apt-3-release/) release this time last year, which kicked off the 3.x series with a colorful new output format, the [Solver3](https://blog.jak-linux.org/2024/05/14/solver3/?ref=itsfoss.com) dependency resolver, a switch from GnuTLS/GnuPG to OpenSSL, and Sequoia for cryptographic operations. The 3.1.x cycle that followed has now closed out with [APT 3.2](https://tracker.debian.org/media/packages/a/apt/changelog-3.2.0?ref=itsfoss.com) **as the stable release**, and it brings some notable changes with it. ## What do you get with Apt 3.2? ![a terminal window that shows the output to apt --help, we have the version numbers, a brief description of apt, and a list of the most used apt commands](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/apt-3-2-help-command.png) The biggest additions with this release are **transaction history with rollback support**, **some new commands**, and per-repository package filtering. APT now keeps a log of every package install, upgrade, and removal. You can view the full list with `apt history-list`, which shows all past operations with an ID assigned to each. To see exactly what packages were affected in a specific operation, you can use `apt history-info `. From there, `apt history-undo ` **can be used to reverse a specific operation**, reinstalling removed packages or removing installed ones as needed. If you **undo something mistakenly** and want it back, run `apt history-redo ` to reapply it. For cases where you want to revert everything back to the state at a particular point, `apt history-rollback ` does that by undoing all operations that happened after the specified ID. Use this with care, as it makes a permanent change. `apt why` and `apt why-not` are another set of new additions that let you trace the dependency chain behind a package. Run `apt why ` and APT will tell you exactly what pulled it onto your system. Run `apt why-not ` and it will tell you why it is not installed. Similarly, `Include` and `Exclude` are two new options that let you limit which packages APT uses from a specific repository. Include restricts a repo to only the packages you specify, and Exclude removes specific packages from a repo entirely. Solver3, which shipped as opt-in with APT 3.0, **is now on by default**. It also gains the ability to upgrade packages by source package, so all binaries from the same source are upgraded together. Additionally, your system will no longer go to sleep while `dpkg` is running mid-install and JSONL performance counter logging is also in, though that is mostly useful for developers. If all of that's got you interested, then you can try Apt 3.2 on a [Debian Sid](https://wiki.debian.org/DebianUnstable?ref=itsfoss.com) installation as I did below or wait for the [Ubuntu 26.04 LTS](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-26-04-release-features/) release, which is reportedly shipping it. ## How to use rollback on Apt? **I almost got lost in the labyrinth of Vim, unable to exit.* After installing some new programs using APT, I tested a few commands to see how rollback and redoing transactions worked. First, I ran `sudo apt history-list` in the terminal and entered my password to authorize the command. The output was a list of APT transactions that included the preparatory work I had done to switch to Debian Sid from Stable, as well as the two install commands to get [Vim](https://itsfoss.com/tag/vim/) and [Nala](https://itsfoss.com/nala/) installed. Next, I ran `sudo apt history-info 4`, the number being the ID of the transaction, and I was shown all the key details related to it, such as the start/end time, requested by which user, the command used, and packages changed. After that, I ran `sudo apt history-undo 4` to revert the Vim installation and `sudo apt history-redo 4` to restore the installation; both of these commands worked as advertised. Finally, I tested `sudo apt history-rollback 3` to get rid of Nala, and the process was just about the same as before, with me being asked to confirm changes by typing "*Y*". **When I tried to run `apt history-redo` for this one, the execution failed as expected.** --- 💬 *Do these new additions look useful to you? Can't be bothered? Let me know below!* ### Anthropic Just Handed Apache $1.5M to Secure the Open Source Stack AI Depends On URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/anthropic-apache-software-foundation-donation/ Last updated: 2026-04-08T14:35:47.000Z [Anthropic](https://www.anthropic.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) has handed the [Apache Software Foundation](https://apache.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) (ASF) **a $1.5 million donation**. The money is earmarked for build and security infrastructure, project services, and community support. If you have used the internet today, you have almost certainly touched something the ASF maintains. Some of its projects like ***Kafka***, ***Spark***, ***Cassandra***, the ***Apache HTTP Server***, are not some niche tools, but a critical part of the modern IT infrastructure. **The ASF does not sell anything**. It [runs on donations](https://apache.org/foundation/sponsorship?ref=itsfoss.com), and without sustained funding, the infrastructure behind all of that software does not maintain itself. Anthropic's framing for the donation is essentially that AI runs on this stuff and someone has to fund it. As AI development moves forward more quickly, the open source foundations underneath it need to be in good shape to keep up. On the topic, [Ruth Suehle](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruthsuehle/?ref=itsfoss.com), President of the Apache Software Foundation, added that: > Open source software is the foundation of modern digital life — largely in ways the average person is completely unaware of — and ASF projects are a critical part of that. When it works, nobody notices, and that’s exactly the goal. > But that kind of reliability isn’t a given. It is the result of sustained investment in neutral, community-governed infrastructure by each part of the ecosystem. Support like Anthropic’s helps ensure long-term strength, independence, and security of the systems that keep the world running. Similarly, [Vitaly Gudanets](https://www.linkedin.com/in/vitaly-gudanets-877377/?ref=itsfoss.com), Chief Information Security Officer at Anthropic, said that: > AI is accelerating rapidly, but it’s built on decades of open source infrastructure that must remain stable, secure, and independent. Supporting the Apache Software Foundation is a direct investment in the resilience and integrity of the systems that modern AI — and the broader software ecosystem — depend on. ## Some thoughts You might remember Anthropic was [part of a similar donation campaign back in March](https://itsfoss.com/news/ai-companies-fund-open-source-security/), when the Linux Foundation announced **$12.5 million in grants to strengthen open source software security**. Anthropic was one of seven contributors to that pool, alongside AWS, Google, Google DeepMind, GitHub, Microsoft, and OpenAI. That funding was managed by *Alpha-Omega* and the *Open Source Security Foundation* (OpenSSF), with the goal of helping open source maintainers deal with the growing flood of AI-generated vulnerability reports they simply do not have the bandwidth to handle. It is great to see open source receiving monetary support, but the smaller players who are equally important in the ecosystem **also need to be supported better**. Big donations like this tend to flow toward well-established foundations, while the countless smaller projects that hold up just as much critical infrastructure [quietly struggle for resources](https://itsfoss.com/news/open-source-developers-are-exhausted/). ### PyTorch Foundation Expands Its Open Source AI Portfolio With Helion and Safetensors URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/pytorch-foundation-expands-with-helion-safetensors/ Last updated: 2026-04-08T09:23:57.000Z The [PyTorch Foundation](https://pytorch.org/join/?ref=itsfoss.com) has taken on two new projects: [Helion](https://helionlang.com/index.html?ref=itsfoss.com), a tool for writing machine learning kernels contributed by **Meta**, and [Safetensors](https://huggingface.co/docs/safetensors/index?ref=itsfoss.com), a secure model file format contributed by **Hugging Face**. Both were announced at [PyTorch Conference Europe](https://events.linuxfoundation.org/pytorch-conference-europe/?ref=itsfoss.com) in Paris, and the two now join [DeepSpeed](https://www.deepspeed.ai/?ref=itsfoss.com), [Ray](https://www.ray.io/?ref=itsfoss.com), [vLLM](https://vllm.ai/?ref=itsfoss.com), and [PyTorch](https://pytorch.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) itself as [foundation-hosted projects](https://pytorch.org/projects/?ref=itsfoss.com). Moreover, the foundation has confirmed that [ExecuTorch](https://executorch.ai/?ref=itsfoss.com), Meta's solution for running PyTorch models on edge and on-device environments, is being merged into PyTorch Core. If you were looking for the ***why***, it is fairly straightforward. Both moves come as AI teams increasingly focus on getting models into production rather than just training them. Running kernels efficiently across different hardware and keeping model files safe to load are two problems the ecosystem has been dealing with for a while. Talking about Helion joining up, [Matt White](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdwdata/?ref=itsfoss.com), the CTO of the PyTorch Foundation, added that: > Helion gives engineers a much more productive path to writing high-performance kernels, including autotuning across hundreds of candidate implementations for a single kernel. > > As part of the PyTorch Foundation community, this project strengthens the foundation for an open AI stack that is more portable and significantly easier for the community to build on. Luc Georges, Chief Open Source Officer, [Hugging Face](https://itsfoss.com/hugging-face/) echoed similar excitement: > Safetensors joining the PyTorch Foundation is an important step towards using a safe serialization format everywhere by default. The new ecosystem and exposure the library will gain from this move will solidify its security guarantees and usability. Safetensors is a well-established project, adopted by the ecosystem at large, but we're still convinced we're at the very beginning of its lifecycle: the coming months will see significant growth, and we couldn't think of a better home for that next chapter than the PyTorch Foundation. ## What does this mean? The PyTorch Foundation is a Linux Foundation-hosted organization that **acts as the vendor-neutral home for PyTorch** and a growing set of open source AI projects. The main goal here is to keep governance and technical direction community-driven rather than tied to any single company's whims. The [Linux Foundation](https://www.linuxfoundation.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is the broader stewardship body behind **over 1,000 open source projects**, covering everything from the **Linux kernel** and **Kubernetes** to [OpenSSF](https://openssf.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). The PyTorch Foundation sits under that umbrella, giving its projects access to LF's governance infrastructure and oversight. **Helion** comes in as a tool that makes writing the low-level code that runs AI models on GPUs significantly less painful. It handles a lot of the tedious groundwork automatically, and finds the best configuration for your hardware on its own. Whereas **Safetensors** is a file format for storing and sharing AI model weights that doesn't come with the security baggage of older formats. ### Glass UI Is Making a Comeback on Linux Thanks to KDE Contributors URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/kde-plasma-oxygen-air-comeback/ Last updated: 2026-04-08T10:33:09.000Z KDE Plasma's two classic themes, ***Oxygen*** and ***Air***, are [making a comeback](https://filipfila.wordpress.com/2026/04/05/halfway-there-to-6-7-updates-on-oxygen-and-air/?ref=itsfoss.com). A group of KDE contributors is actively restoring both ahead of the **Plasma 6.7** release, which is scheduled for June 16, 2026. Both themes **trace their roots back to the KDE 4 era**. Oxygen shipped as the default theme from [KDE 4.0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KDE%5FPlasma%5F4?ref=itsfoss.com), defined by its dark tones and glassy aesthetic. It held that spot until **KDE 4.3**, when Air took over as the default, bringing a lighter look built around transparency and white as its base color. While Oxygen stuck around into the Plasma 5 and 6 eras, it did so in an increasingly broken condition, and Air eventually got dropped from [Plasma](https://kde.org/plasma-desktop/?ref=itsfoss.com) entirely. Now, both are getting a second shot thanks to the restoration effort led by KDE contributor [Filip Fila](https://filipfila.wordpress.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), alongside the original Oxygen designer [Nuno Pinheiro](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuno%5FPinheiro%5F%28artist%29?ref=itsfoss.com) and several other KDE developers. On the Oxygen side, **the panel has been fully reworked** and is now orientation-aware, so vertical panels actually behave correctly. A minimized window indicator and a proper switch design were both missing entirely and have now been added. Similarly, adaptive opacity is now supported and enabled by default, and the color scheme bug that was causing readability issues in widgets like [System Monitor](https://apps.kde.org/plasma-systemmonitor/?ref=itsfoss.com) has been fixed. Air needed its transparency restored to match its original KDE 4 character. That is done now, with blur added behind widgets, improving readability and visual appeal in the process. The panel has also been reworked, a new header and footer design has been added, and Air now has its own switch SVGs. **Why now after all this time?** Well, KDE's 30th anniversary coincides with the Plasma 6.7 release, and the people behind this want to ship these historically significant themes for the occasion. As of writing, 26 of 40 checklist items have been completed (*linked below*), with some pending work including gradient banding fixes in Oxygen, missing SVGs for checkmarks, radio buttons, toolbar, and menubar items across both themes, and a timer [SVG](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SVG?ref=itsfoss.com) for Air. And if you want to see what that progress looks like, continue reading! 😬 ## How do these compare to Breeze? ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/kde-plasma-breeze.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/kde-plasma-oxygen.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/kde-plasma-air-1.png) **From left to right, we have Breeze, Oxygen, and Air.* I checked out how Plasma's default [Breeze](https://invent.kde.org/plasma/breeze?ref=itsfoss.com) theme compared to Oxygen and Air on a [KDE Neon](https://neon.kde.org/index?ref=itsfoss.com) setup, and I must say, **things are looking promising**. The themes have things like the panel styling, widget backgrounds, and the new switch designs in place. I specifically took a look at the panel and widgets, and these looked very clean, feeling like they belonged in the modern Plasma experience, which is not something you would expect from themes this old. *One thing worth noting is that the icons stayed as Breeze regardless of which Plasma Style I picked.* **As for the difference between these**, Breeze is flat by design. Minimal, no frills, gets out of your way kind. Oxygen and Air are not like that, bringing visible depth and some bling to the desktop, but in different ways. While Air leans hard into transparency, making panels and widgets look light and barely there, Oxygen goes the other direction with darker gradients and more visual weight across the board. Personally, **I prefer Oxygen** as it looks a lot like Windows 7's [Aero](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows%5FAero?ref=itsfoss.com), which I quite liked back in the day. ## You can try these out too! ![this screenshot shows the way to install custom themes on a kde plasma system, there are two app windows visible here, one is a file manager window, the other is the plasma style menu under system settings](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/kde-plasma-oxygen-air-themes-installation.png) First, you have to download the files for [Oxygen](https://filipfila.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/oxygen-1.zip?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Air](https://filipfila.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/air.zip?ref=itsfoss.com) on a KDE Plasma-equipped system. Next, you have to go into `System Settings > Appearance > Colors & Themes > Plasma Style`. Here, click on "*Install from File...*" and select a theme file to install it. Repeat for the other one, then select whichever theme you want and hit "*Apply*" on the bottom-right. [Oxygen Theme](https://filipfila.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/oxygen-1.zip?ref=itsfoss.com) [Air Theme](https://filipfila.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/air.zip?ref=itsfoss.com) If you want to stay in sync with the development of these, you can keep an eye out on the [GitLab issue tracker](https://invent.kde.org/plasma/oxygen/-/work%5Fitems/1?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Telegram group](https://t.me/OxygenSquared?ref=itsfoss.com) for this project. ### Online Open Source OS Puter Becomes More Awesome With Office Offering URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/puter-office-integration/ Last updated: 2026-04-07T11:58:49.000Z If you did not know already, Puter is an operating system that runs inside a web browser. It is open source and you can self-host it if you like. It has everything you would expect in a desktop. A file system, app store, text editor, IDE, video player, etc. The video below shows it in action. See, how somooth it is. Why not give it a try [yourself here](https://puter.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). ## Puter has proper office tools now As you can see in the video above, Puter has a text editor which is capable of taking notes. But it is not enough for rich text format and proper documents. Now, they are offering ONLYOFFICE in their app center. The open source ONLYOFFICE is a collaborative productivity suite like MS Office 365\. ![Puter markeplace](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/puter-marketplace.webp) Puter Marketplace now offers office tools With this integration, you also get spreadhseet, pdf editor and presentation tools. This make the online browser based desktop operating system more capable and complete than ever. ## Like Nextcloud but with filesystem If you ever used Nextcloud, you know that the cloud storage also has office integration with ONLYOFFICE and Collabora (sort of LibreOffice online). The difference I see here is that Puter gives you the entire filesystem, not just cloud storage and productivity tools. This is excellent for people who prefer the comfort of a desktop like environment in the cloud. ![File explorer in Puter](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/puter-file-explorer.webp) File explorer in Puter ## Experiencing the office experience in online OS I have used ONLYOFFICE in Nextcloud in the past. I have noticed that it does take a bit of time to load the application in both Puter and Nextcloud. Sure, we cannot expect a full office app to open in a jiffy like a text editor. These applications take longer to start, even on local desktop system. It takes pretty much the same in Puter. ![ONLYOFFICE word processor running in Puter OS running in browser](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/puter-only-office-wored-doc.webp) Creating the document was smooth. The in-built grammar checker worked well too. For some reason, the Save button on the top interface did not work. The print and open and other buttons were working fine and so did the keyboard shortcut. Not a dealbreaker but something worth mentioning. I am sure the Puter team will fix it in the next iteration. Since I didn't have any complicated word document with macros and images, I uploaded a csv file with 1000 rows and opened it in ONLYOFFICE. I was expecting it to take some time to load and struggle but it did not. Obviously, that's a good thing. I recorded it in a video so that you can see if yourself if it takes too long or lags while moving down the sheet. I also created a simple presentation slide. Unsurprisingly again, it went smoothly. ONLYOFFICE actually works quite well in a web browser. That is their USP, afterall. The entire ONLYOFFICE integration gives Puter the complete desktop OS features. After all, [ONLYOFFICE also has PDF editor](https://apps.puter.com/app/pdf-editor?ref=itsfoss.com) and [diagram app](https://apps.puter.com/app/diagram?ref=itsfoss.com) (Visio alternative). All your office needs are sorted, that too in a web browser. ## Many more apps at your disposal [Puter Marketplace](https://apps.puter.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) (app store) has many more applications that you can explore and use as per your requirement. From games to coding to AI, there are plenty of options. ![Puter Marketplace](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/puter-marketplace-screenshot.webp) We had covered Puter last summer. In less than a year, Puter has grown and created an ecosystem that is admirable. I was skeptical of the actual, real-world usage of an online operating system that lives in a web browser but it seems there is demand for such a thing. Good to see an open source project filling up this demand. If you are coming across Puter OS for the first time, you should know that the files you uploaded or created will be available as long as the browser session is not deleted. But if you want to save them for longer period, you can create an account with Puter. If you see a good use of Puter in your workflow or it could help your team (if you have one), you can also self-host it or pay to Puter for their managed hosting. [Explore Puter](https://puter.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Opera GX on Linux is for Gamers Who Put Stickers on Their Laptop URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/opera-gx-on-linux/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T04:45:51.000Z I have been gaming (*not to be confused with gambling* ☠️) for quite some time now. In that time, I have seen my fair share of gaming-centric platforms, storefronts, and applications, ranging from the genuinely useful to the elaborate solutions to problems that nobody really had. [Opera](https://www.opera.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a name that never fully disappeared from my mind because it has been consistent in delivering a browsing experience that many people prefer. I used it for a while, mostly for the free built-in VPN, before eventually moving to [Firefox](https://www.firefox.com/en-US/?ref=itsfoss.com) when I felt it was time for a change. However, they also have a gaming-focused browser called **Opera GX**, which has been available on Windows and macOS for some time now. Earlier this year, we got word that [a Linux port](https://itsfoss.com/news/opera-gx-linux-announcement/) was in the works, and [it did eventually arrive](https://blogs.opera.com/news/2026/03/opera-gx-lands-on-linux/?ref=itsfoss.com). Curious about **what took them so long**, I asked [Maciej Kocemba](https://www.linkedin.com/in/maciejkocemba/?ref=itsfoss.com), Product Director at Opera GX, and he had this to add: > Bringing Opera GX to Linux has been a priority for us for some time now, especially since we've seen such public support among the community. One group even launched an online petition that collected several hundred signatures, which was pretty cool to see. > With gaming on Linux growing so fast right now, this is the perfect moment for us to bring a browser designed for gamers to a platform that values customization and control as much as we do. We’re so happy to finally make it available to this community of users, and we're eager to see how they'll take advantage of the GX features they’ve been waiting for. That got me hyped enough to see for myself what a gaming browser actually feels like and whether there was anything a regular browser couldn't already do. ✋ ****Non-FOSS Warning!** The application mentioned here ****is not open source**. It has been covered because it's available for Linux. ## A Gamer's Browser? ![this is the about page of opera gx on linux that shows a bunch of information related to the release and the system it is being run in](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/opera-gx-linux-about-page.png) I took Opera GX for a run on a [Nobara Linux 43](https://nobaraproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) setup, using an Early Access version to test it across various scenarios ranging from general browsing to playing YouTube content to running internet speed tests. On first launch, the browser asked me if I wanted to send telemetry; I declined and moved on to **the initial setup**. It asked me to pick a theme, and I went with the default *GX Classic* since it felt more Opera than the rest. It then asked whether I wanted background music that reacts to my browsing, sound effects for in-browser actions, and keyboard sounds as I typed. I left all of these at their defaults since, honestly, they went right over my head (*don't call me a boomer pls*). ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/opera-gx-linux-onboarding-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/opera-gx-linux-onboarding-2.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/opera-gx-linux-onboarding-3.png) **Opera GX on Linux new user onboarding.* I could also enable a bunch of **sidebar integrations** for Telegram, X, Instagram, and so on, but I left those turned off. Opera GX even asked me to import data from another web browser, but it failed to detect [Vivaldi](https://vivaldi.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), which was already installed. The next step involved me **manually turning on the ad blocker** (*and later the block trackers option*), but the other two features, GX Control and GX Cleaner, were toggled on by default. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/opera-gx-linux-onboarding-4.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/opera-gx-linux-onboarding-5.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/opera-gx-linux-onboarding-6.png) **Opera GX on Linux new user onboarding continued.* I also had to disable [Opera AI](https://www.opera.com/features/opera-ai?ref=itsfoss.com) from the hamburger menu, as I didn’t need it. What did catch my eye, though, were the many pre-installed sponsored speed dials I had to clear out. And, to little surprise, **the default search engine was set to Google**, but that is changeable from the *Settings* menu. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/opera-gx-linux-ad-blocker-options.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/opera-gx-linux-sponsored-speed-dials.png) **On the left are the toggles to configure the ad blocker and Opera AI. On the right are the sponsored speed dials.* Interestingly, while the ad blocker does work, it fails to show data on how many ads and trackers were blocked when I clicked on the widget for it in the top bar (*the shield-looking icon*). ![a screenshot of opera gx on linux that shows a youtube video being played, with the ad blocker widget visible on the top-right with missing data on blocked ads and trackers (just says 0)](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/opera-gx-linux-ad-blocker.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/opera-gx-linux-privacy-security-settings.png) **Left: The ad blocker widget. Right: The Privacy and Security settings.* I headed into the *Privacy and Security* section of the settings and found **quite a few things enabled by default**: automatic sending of crash reports, fetching images for suggested news sources, displaying promotional notifications, and receiving promotional speed dials, bookmarks, and campaigns. Not great for anyone who takes their privacy seriously and just doesn't want to be bombarded with spammy notifications and speed dial suggestions. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/opera-gx-linux-gx-control-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/opera-gx-linux-gx-control-2.png) **A demo of GX Control on Linux.* I then fired up [Arc Raiders](https://arcraiders.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) and tried my hand at [GX Control](https://www.opera.com/gx/features/gx-control?ref=itsfoss.com). It is Opera GX's built-in resource management panel that lets you cap how much RAM, CPU, and network bandwidth the browser can use with **individual toggles and sliders for each limiter.** It worked as advertised and even threw up warnings when I set the limits too low. ![this screnshot shows the gx cleaner feature of opera gx on linux on the left, with various options to toggle, the most notable ones are the three presets: min, med, and max](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/opera-gx-linux-gx-cleaner.png) **GX Cleaner in action.* Similarly, [GX Cleaner](https://www.opera.com/gx/features/gx-cleaner?ref=itsfoss.com) is the browser's built-in browser cleanup tool that clears out cache, cookies, history, tabs, downloads, and more. It has handy presets, *MIN*, *MED*, and *MAX*, that control how deep the sweep goes, ranging from a light clear of recent temporary files all the way to a full wipe of just about everything. It worked as expected during my use. **A few things that I skipped testing** were the stuff most browsers have like bookmarks and extensions, the latter of which Opera GX supports from [the Opera catalog](https://addons.opera.com/en/extensions/?ref=itsfoss.com). Then there are the other GX-specific bits, account sync for carrying your data across devices, and the sidebar webapps for [Twitch](https://www.twitch.tv/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [ChatGPT](https://chatgpt.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), which let you keep a stream or an AI assistant open without leaving your current tab. [GX Mods](https://www.opera.com/gx/features/mods?ref=itsfoss.com) is also there, **giving you access to over 10,000 community-made themes, sounds, shaders, and UI tweaks**, though you will need an Opera account to get into it. ## Wasted? Depends. For someone like me who tends to close any unnecessary apps running in the background before launching a game, **I don't see much use for a gaming browser**. For casual browsing tasks, the occasional *Alt+Tab* to a regular browser does just fine, and the Steam overlay's built-in browser is handy too (*albeit very barebones*). That said, if you are the kind of person who RGBs everything in sight and already has a riced-out Linux setup, Opera GX could be a decent addition to the collection. Just go through the default settings before you do anything else. A lot of what's enabled out of the box won't sit well with most Linux users. You can grab the *DEB* and *RPM* binaries for Opera GX from the [official website](https://www.opera.com/gx?ref=itsfoss.com). Additionally, there's also [Snap](https://snapcraft.io/opera-gx?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Flatpak](https://flathub.org/en/apps/com.opera.opera-gx?ref=itsfoss.com) packages available. [Opera GX on Linux](https://www.opera.com/gx?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Even in 2026, Linux Is Still Adding Support for Sega Dreamcast’s GD-ROM from the '90s URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-draeamcast-gd-rom-support/ Last updated: 2026-04-06T16:44:12.000Z Another morning, another moderately (but pleasantly) surprising move in the Linux development storyline. In the big 2026, Linux is definitively fixing its support for the GD-ROM driver, which is used by Sega Dreamcast. ![Sega Dreamcast](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/image-8.png) ## Sega what? For context, Sega Dreamcast is a gaming console made by Sega and released in 1999\. At the time, Sega came up with a proprietary disc format called GD-ROM, which could store more data than a normal, everyday CD-ROM disc. This gave Sega an edge in their game storage as well as performance. Even though it had to take on a giant opponent, the PlayStation 2, Sega did well with its Dreamcast. It had a robust set of titles to start with, like "Jet Set Radio," "Phantasy Star Online," "Crazy Taxi," "Sonic Adventure," and "Soul Calibur." It had equally robust hardware, with a unique controller and a proper arcade feel that the people got attached to. The Dreamcast still, however, maintains a cult following, with [new titles being developed for it even now](https://gamerant.com/the-darkness-sega-dreamcast/?ref=itsfoss.com). ## The power of open source community The unsurprisingly brilliant part of all this is the endurance that open source development has always shown, and still shows. The arrival of support for something that was fresh almost 27 years ago now, with only an infinitesimal part of the community asking for it is not a minor feat, it is a testament to the core philosophies of FOSS. The beautiful cornerstone principle of open source software is that it exists mostly and purely because the developers want good software to exist. There are no bounds to the whimsy and personal gratification that they can bring. It has been known that Linux gives a second life to old hardware, making it usable when the software that it came with has already discarded the possibilities. Posts about revival of old hardware with Linux to make them into something usable, like servers or media centers or so on are very commonplace on platforms like Reddit. That extends not only to personal computers, as we can see, but also specialized hardware, like the Sega Dreamcast. Even though there have been some recently drastic support drops on Linux, such as the [abandonment of support for floppy disks](https://itsfoss.com/end-of-floppy-disk-in-linux/), or the plan of dropping support for i486 processors starting from Linux 7.1, the extension of support for old technology is not an old phenomenon for Linux. The shift is perspective comes when you realize that even though these things are dropped from the main kernel, there are versions of Linux still on the internet, and still being actively supported that keep the "obsolete" hardware going. ## Linux for the retro future Linux has a rich community for retro gaming, with entire distributions like [RetroArch](https://www.retroarch.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) dedicated to it. There are simulators for all kinds of old gaming consoles and platforms, and most of the old controllers and even their cheap generic rip-offs are mostly supported by Linux. Combined with cheap (debatable?) hardware like the Raspberry Pi and the distribution [RetroPie](https://retropie.org.uk/?ref=itsfoss.com), you can really make a platform for yourself. All-in-all, it is always a good day in Linux-land when we get more support for more enthusiast-oriented projects and hardware. To not let worthy old hardware die out is the greatest emotional and technical gift that its users can receive and well, Linux provides. Cheers 🥂 ### The Linux Kernel is Finally Letting Go of i486 CPU Support URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-i486-cpu-support-removal/ Last updated: 2026-04-06T13:44:36.000Z Plenty of CPU architectures have come and gone over the last few decades. The [x86](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86?ref=itsfoss.com) family alone has seen a long line of chips rise to prominence and fade away as newer generations took over. The [i486](https://timeline.intel.com/1989/meet-the-i486?ref=itsfoss.com) is one such chip, and it has been holding on in the [Linux kernel](https://www.kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) far longer than most people expected. It was launched in 1989 as Intel's answer to what came next after the [i386](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I386?ref=itsfoss.com). It was faster, smarter, and arrived right as personal computers were making their way from offices into living rooms. For many people, a 486-powered PC was their first computer. By the early 1990s, the chip was everywhere. It was so dominant that AMD, Cyrix, and IBM all jumped in with their own compatible versions to grab a slice of the market. Intel kept producing the i486 well past its prime too, with embedded versions rolling off the line until 2007. **Most major platforms dropped i486 support a long time ago**. Microsoft's last operating systems to officially support it were Windows 98 and Windows NT 4.0\. The Linux kernel, however, has kept the lights on for i486 users well into the 2020s. But that is now changing. 😅 ## What's happening? Back in [April 2025](https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/20250425084216.3913608-1-mingo@kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), kernel maintainer [Ingo Molnár](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingo%5FMoln%C3%A1r?ref=itsfoss.com) posted an RFC patch series to the Linux Kernel Mailing List, proposing to raise the minimum supported x86-32 CPU. The new floor would require chips with both a [Time Stamp Counter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time%5FStamp%5FCounter?ref=itsfoss.com) (TSC) and CMPXCHG8B (CX8) instruction support. Anything short of that, including the i486 and some early Pentium variants, would be out. Prior to that, Linus Torvalds had already made his position clear on the mailing list, saying that: > I really get the feeling that it's time to leave i486 support behind. There's zero real reason for anybody to waste one second of development effort on this kind of issue. Ingo's RFC had covered a fair amount of ground. The full cleanup would touch 80 files and remove over 14,000 lines of legacy code, including the entire [math-emu](https://github.com/torvalds/linux/tree/master/include/math-emu?ref=itsfoss.com) software floating-point emulation library. Now, [the first of those patches](https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/tip/tip.git/commit/?h=x86/platform&id=8b793a92d862c89055daa97ffa61a6929cf732f9&ref=itsfoss.com) removes the `CONFIG_M486`, `CONFIG_M486SX`, and `CONFIG_MELAN` Kconfig build options. It has been committed and **is queued for Linux 7.1**. Once it lands, **building a Linux kernel image for i486-class hardware will no longer be possible**. Ingo noted in the commit that no mainstream x86 32-bit distribution has shipped an *M486=y* kernel package in some time, so the real-world impact on active users should be close to zero. ## Unsupported but not unusable If you have an i486 machine tucked away somewhere, **it is not suddenly useless**. Older kernel releases will continue to run on the hardware just fine. Yes, those older kernels are not getting security patches. But if you are keeping a decades-old machine around for historical or educational purposes, it will not be your daily driver. Just keep it off the internet, pair it with an older [LTS](https://itsfoss.com/long-term-support-lts/) kernel, and it will do what you need it to do without much fuss. ### I Found A Terminal Tool That Makes CSV Files Look Stunning URL: https://itsfoss.com/tennis-csv-tool/ Last updated: 2026-04-06T10:50:25.000Z You can totally read CSV files in the terminal. After all, it's a text file. You can use cat and then parse it with the column command. ![Displaying csv file in table format with cat and column commands](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/csv-column-display.webp) Usual way: Displaying csv file in tabular format with cat and column commands That works. No doubt. But it is hard to scan and certainly not easy to follow. I came across a tool that made CSV files look surprisingly beautiful in the terminal. ![Default view of a CSV file with Tennis](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/tennis_plain_csv.png) New way: Beautiful colors, table headers and borders That looks gorgeous, isn't it? That is the magic of Tennis. No, not the sport, but a terminal tool I recently discovered. ## Meet Tennis: CSV file viewing for terminal junkies Okay... cheesy heading but clearly these kinds of tools are more suitable for people who spend considerable time in the terminal. Normal people would just use an office tool or simple text editor for viewing CSV file. But a terminal dweller would prefer something that doesn't force him to come out of the terminal. [Tennis](https://github.com/gurgeous/tennis?ref=itsfoss.com) does that. Written in [Zig](https://ziglang.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), displays the CSV files gorgeously in a tabular way, with options for a lot of customization and stylization. ![Screenshot shared on Tennis GitHub repo](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/tennis-repo-screenshot.webp) Screenshot shared on Tennis GitHub repo You don't necessarily need to customize it, as it automatically picks nice colors to match the terminal. As you can see, clean, solid borders and playful colors are visible right upfront. 📋 As you can see in the [GitHub repo of Tennis](https://github.com/gurgeous/tennis?ref=itsfoss.com), Claude is mentioned as a contributor. Clearly, the developer has used AI assistance in creating this tool. ## Things you can do with Tennis Let me show you various styling options available in this tool. ### Row numbering You can enable the numbering of rows on Tennis using a simple *\-n* flag at the end of the command: ``` tennis samplecsv.csv -n ``` ![Numbered Tennis CSV file](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/tennis_numbered.png) This can be useful when dealing with larger files, or files where the order becomes relevant. ### Adding a title You can add a title to the printed CSV file on the terminal, with a *\-t* argument, followed by a string that is the title itself: ``` tennis samplecsv.csv -t "Personal List of Historically Significant Songs" ``` ![CSV file with added title](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/tennis_title.png) The title is displayed in an extra row on top. Simple enough. ### Table width You can set a maximum width to the entire table (useful if you want the CSV file not to occupy the entire width of the window). To do so, use the *\-w* tag, followed by an integer that will display the maximum number of characters that you want the table to occupy. ``` tennis samplecsv.csv -w 60 ``` ![Displaying a CSV file with a maximum table width](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/tennis_width.png) As you can see, compared to the previous images, this table has shrunk much more. The width of the table is now 60 characters, no more. ### Changing the delimiter The default character that separates values in a CSV file is (obviously) a comma. But sometimes that isn't the case with your file, and it could be another character like a semicolon or a $, it could pretty much be anything as long as the number of columns is the same for every row present. To print a CSV file with a "+" for a delimiter instead, the command would be: ``` tennis samplecsv.csv -d + ``` ![Tennis for CSV file for a different delimiter](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/tennis_different-delimiter.png) As you can see, the change of the delimiter can be well specified and incorporated into the command. ### Color modes By default, as mentioned in the GitHub page, Tennis likes to be colorful. But you can change that, depending on the *\--color* flag. It can be on, off or auto (which mostly means on). ``` tennis samplecsv.csv --color off ``` ![Tennis print with colors off](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/tennis_color-off.png) Here's what it looks like with the colors turned off. ### Digits after decimal Sometimes CSV files involve numbers that are long floats, being high precision with a lot of digits after a decimal point. While printing it out, if you don't wish to see all of them, but only to a certain extent, you use the *\--digits* flag: ``` tennis samplecsv.csv --digits 3 ``` ![CSV file with number of digits after decimal limited](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/tennis_digits-limited.png) As you can see on the CSV file printed with cat, the rating numbers have a lot of digits after the decimal points, all more than 3\. But specifying the numbers caused Tennis to shorten it down. ### Themes Tennis usually picks the theme from the colors being used in the terminal to gauge if it is a dark or a light theme, but you can change that manually with the *\--theme* flag. Since I have already been using the dark theme, let's see what the light theme looks like: ![Tennis light theme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/tennis_light-theme.png) Doesn't look like much at all in a terminal with the dark theme, which means it is indeed working! The accepted values are dark, light and auto (which again, gauges the theme based on your terminal colors). ### Vanilla mode In the vanilla mode, any sort of numerical formatting is abolished entirely from the printing of the CSV file. As you can see in the images above, rather annoyingly, the year appears with a comma after the first number because the CSV file is wrongly assuming that that is a common sort of number and not a year. But if I do it with the *\--vanilla* flag: ``` tennis samplecsv.csv --vanilla ``` ![Tennis usage with numerical formatting off](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/tennis_vanilla.png) The numerical formatting of the last row is turned off. This will work similarly with any other sort of numbers you might have in your CSV file. ### Quick commands (you are more likley to use) Here's the most frequently used options I found with Tennis: ``` tennis file.csv # basic view tennis file.csv -n # row numbers tennis file.csv -t "Title" tennis file.csv -w 60 tennis file.csv --color off ``` ## I tried it on a large file To check how Tennis handles larger files, I tried it on a CSV file with 10,000 rows. There was no stutter or long gap to process the command, which will obviously vary from system to system, but it doesn't seem like there is much of a hiccup in the way of its effectiveness even for larger files. That's just my experience. You are free to explore on your system. ## Not everything worked as expected 🚧 Not all the features listed on the GitHub page work. While Tennis looks impressive, not everything works as advertised yet. Some [features listed on GitHub](https://github.com/gurgeous/tennis?tab=readme-ov-file&ref=itsfoss.com#options) simply didn’t work in my testing, even after trying multiple installation methods. For example, there is a *\--peek* flag, which is supposed to give an overview of the entire file, with the size, shape and other stats. A *\--zebra* flag is supposed to give it an extra layer of alternated themed coloring. There are *\--reverse* and *\--shuffle* flags to change the order of rows, and *\--head* and *\--tail* flags to print the only first few or last few rows respectively. There are still more, but again, unfortunately, they do not work. ## Getting started with Tennis Tennis can be installed in three different ways, one is to build from source (obviously), second to download the executable and place it in one of the directories in your PATH (which is the easiest one), and lastly using the brew command (which can indeed be easier if you have [homebrew installed on your system](https://itsfoss.com/homebrew-linux/)). The instructions for all are listed [here](https://github.com/gurgeous/tennis?tab=readme-ov-file&ref=itsfoss.com#installation). I suggest [getting the tar.gz file from the release page](https://github.com/gurgeous/tennis/releases?ref=itsfoss.com), extracting it and then using the provided executable in the extracted folder. There is no Flatpak or Snap or other packages available for now. ## Final thoughts While the features listed in the help page work really well, all the features listed on the website do not, and that discrepancy is a little disappointing, but something that we hope gets fixed in the future. So altogether, it is a good tool for printing your CSV files in an engaging way, to make them more pleasing to look at. While a terminal lover find such tools attractive, it could also be helpful in cases where you are reviewing exported data from a script or you have to deal with csv files on servers. If you try Tennis, don't forget to share the experience in the comment section. ### A New Linux Kernel Driver Wants to Catch Malicious USB Devices in the Act URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-driver-proposal-malicious-hid-devices/ Last updated: 2026-04-06T07:35:58.000Z A patch [has been submitted](https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/20260404133746.80914-1-zybo1000@gmail.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) to the Linux kernel mailing list proposing a new [HID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human%5Finterface%5Fdevice?ref=itsfoss.com) driver that would passively monitor USB keyboard-like devices and flag the ones that look like they're up to no good. The driver is called ***hid-omg-detect***, and it was proposed by Zubeyr Almaho. The way it works is fairly clever. Rather than blocking anything outright, **the module sits quietly in the background and scores incoming HID devices** based on three signals. Keystroke timing entropy, plug-and-type latency, and USB descriptor fingerprinting. The idea here is that a real human typing on a real keyboard behaves very differently from a device that was purpose-built to inject keystrokes the moment it's plugged in. If a device's score crosses a configured threshold, the module fires off a kernel warning and points toward [USBGuard](https://usbguard.github.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) as a userspace tool to actually do the blocking. Zubeyr adds that the driver itself does not interfere with, delay, or modify any HID input events. This is already the second revision of the patch. The first pass got feedback on things like global state management and logging inside spinlock-held regions, all of which have been addressed in v2. ## Is there a real threat? The short answer is yes. The proposal explicitly calls out two threats, **BadUSB** and **O.MG**; both are worth knowing about. [BadUSB](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BadUSB?ref=itsfoss.com) is the broader class of attack that was **first disclosed back in 2014** by security researchers. It works by reprogramming the firmware on a USB device to impersonate a keyboard. The operating system sees it as a perfectly normal input device, trusts it completely, and lets it do whatever its payload tells it to, be it open terminals, download malware, or exfiltrate data. The [O.MG Cable](https://shop.hak5.org/products/omg-cable?ref=itsfoss.com) takes the same idea and hides it inside something that looks exactly like a regular USB cable. There's a tiny implant built into the connector that can inject keystrokes, log them, spoof USB identifiers to dodge detection, and be controlled remotely over WiFi. Neither of these are making the headlines as often as they once did, **but that doesn't mean the threat has gone away**. Such tools have only gotten more refined and accessible, and malicious actors in 2026 are not getting any less creative or aggressive. However, there's a big '*but*' (*not that you pervert*) here. This is only a proposal, and while it looks good on the surface, the kernel maintainers have the final say in whether this makes it into [Linux](https://www.kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). Via: [Phoronix](https://www.phoronix.com/news/hid-omg-detect-Malicious-HID?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Can Free VPN and AI Save Firefox From Decline? URL: https://itsfoss.com/opinion/firefox-survival-with-vpn-ai/ Last updated: 2026-04-05T04:54:35.000Z It's no secret that [Firefox has been steadily losing ground over the past decade](https://itsfoss.com/news/firefox-decline/) or so. Despite efforts to revitalize this once beloved titan of the internet, the market share just hasn't returned, and Mozilla's recent choices haven't been helping the cause. That being said, Mozilla hasn't given up, and after many false starts, it seems like current leadership is ready to give it a go at regaining ground. The recently introduced [built-in Firefox VPN](https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/built-in-vpn?ref=itsfoss.com) feature is an example of this, as are the (admittedly controversial) AI-powered enhancements recently shipped in recent releases. But are these enough to give Firefox a real chance to claw its way back to the top, or at least make it relevant enough to survive? Let's talk about it, and see where things might be headed for our favourite red panda. ## Is Firefox really dying? ![A screenshot of the latest browser stats from Statcounter](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/image.png) Firefox isn't faring so well on stat counter in recent years Since we’re asking whether Firefox can be resurrected, it shouldn’t come as a shock that, by the numbers, Firefox is not in a particularly good place. Since the launch of Google Chrome, Firefox has gradually, and then more rapidly, fallen from its former position to the point where it now accounts for just 2.29% of global browser market share, [according to Statcounter](https://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share?ref=itsfoss.com). That’s down from 7.97% in 2016 (which is still quite minimal), a drop of roughly 5.7 percentage points in the last decade alone. Of course, a low market share does not mean an open-source project is literally “dying”. But Firefox is not just a project. It is also a product, and as a product, it has an incentive not just to exist or survive, but to thrive. Right now, the long-term trend suggests it is doing neither especially well. ## What happened to Firefox's popularity anyway? ![A screenshot of the about dialog from Firefox 149](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/image-1-1.png) Firefox is still getting regular release despite the falling market share It’s easy to snigger and say “Chrome happened, heh!” but that wouldn’t do the whole story justice. It’s unfair to say that the resignation of former Mozilla CEO Brendan Eich in 2014 and the subsequent creation of Brave is responsible for Firefox’s decline, even if that episode is sometimes cited as one more nail in the Firefox coffin. Instead, the reality is a bit more complicated, and it’s worth paying attention to before we answer the questions posed by our overall premise. For starters, Firefox has reinvented itself a bit too often in a relatively short timeframe, and unfortunately, these reinventions have at times blindsided loyal users. From Australis to Quantum/Photon, and [later Proton](https://itsfoss.com/news/firefox-89-release/), Mozilla has seemed to be in a relentless search for a new Firefox aesthetic. On the surface, no pun intended, this may not seem like a big deal, because after all, “a UI is just another coat of paint”, right? 💡 ****Did you know?** Firefox is gearing up for yet another interface change. You can learn all about it in our [coverage on Firefox Nova](https://itsfoss.com/news/firefox-nova-leak/). ### The problem with change is friction ![A photo of a person stuck under a bunch of boxes](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/pexels-cottonbro-4553182.jpg) Too many changes in a short time can leave users feeling overwhelmed [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) / [cottonbro studio](https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-cardboard-boxes-on-brown-wooden-floor-4553182/?ref=itsfoss.com) Every change is another experience for users to get used to, and adjusting to change brings friction. The more change, the more friction, and the more friction the greater the frustration. Eventually, users get tired and move on. By contrast, Chrome and most of Firefox’s major competitors have remained comparatively stable in their core look and feel over time, which reduces the friction users feel when moving from one version to the next. Furthermore, Firefox lost its legacy extension system and full browser theming in 2017, and before that, the standout Panorama tab groups feature in 2016\. You can see the Firefox 57 transition point in Mozilla’s own [release notes](https://www.firefox.com/en-US/firefox/57.0/releasenotes/?ref=itsfoss.com). Simply put, Firefox suffers from a war of its own attrition. So the question then becomes can its new features heal the scars the old wounds left behind? ## Why the new VPN matters, if they get it right ![Mozilla VPN](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/mozilla-vpn.webp) Of all the moves Mozilla has been making in Firefox recently, this one perhaps has the greatest potential to be the sleeper hit Firefox has needed for a long time. After all, Mozilla has long positioned itself as a champion of privacy and security, and Firefox still retains a stronger reputation for privacy than many of its mainstream rivals. Unlike AI features, which many users may ignore, distrust, or actively avoid, built-in privacy tools solve a problem people already understand. That said, Mozilla needs to be careful not to make some of the same obvious mistakes that have hurt other browsers in the past. Just as importantly, it needs to resist the temptation to keep this feature restricted to only a select few in the long run. ### Don’t give us a glorified proxy ![A screenshot from the Opera VPN page](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/image-2.png) Opera VPN has come under fire in the past for not being a true VPN service Opera [tried this](https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2016/04/22/opera-browser-vpn-proxy/?ref=itsfoss.com), and to my knowledge, it is still essentially that, despite carrying the name of a VPN. If Mozilla is serious about this effort, then it needs to make sure that what it is calling a VPN actually delivers on what the term implies. If this is going to matter, it cannot feel like a half-step, a marketing hook, or a dressed-up proxy with a more fashionable label. It needs to be useful, *absolutely* trustworthy (a very hard sell), and accessible enough that ordinary users can feel the benefit without having to decode the fine print first. ### It needs to be for everyone, or it shouldn’t exist at all ![A silhouette of 5 person posing in front of a sunset sky while standing on what appears to be a hill](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/pexels-olha-ruskykh-6455058.jpg) [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) / [Olha Ruskykh](https://www.pexels.com/photo/silhouette-of-people-standing-on-mountain-under-gray-clouds-6455058/?ref=itsfoss.com) That stance may sound a little hardline, but it is the stance Firefox needs if Mozilla truly intends to make this feature matter on the global stage. A privacy feature cannot meaningfully strengthen Firefox’s position if large parts of the world are excluded from using it. The world is not limited to the US, UK, Europe, and Canada. It never was. If Mozilla is going to introduce a feature like this, it needs to be available worldwide, or it risks sending the message that a large subset of highly connected users, many of whom also contribute to the open-source technologies that make these features possible, do not matter enough to be included. Mozilla, of all companies, needs to prove that this is not its position. ## AI: Not for everyone, but maybe enough for some ![A screenshot of the AI Controls in Firefox preferences](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/image-3.png) The AI settings in Firefox Preferences show Mozilla is leaning heavily towards local solutions It's important to understand the approach Mozilla is taking here, since this is an area where things often get framed through sensationalism rather than reality. Yes, Mozilla is adding AI features to Firefox, and at a fairly brisk pace. However, these features are still optional, though Mozilla choosing to make them opt-out rather than opt-in might leave a bad taste in some users' mouths. Mozilla’s current [AI controls](https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/firefox-ai-controls?ref=itsfoss.com) are part of that wider balancing act. That being said, some users not only won't mind these features, but may sincerely expect them to be present in any modern browser, and be disappointed without them. After all, there's a very real market for the likes of Microsoft's Copilot and Google's Gemini: casual users who aren't too deeply concerned how something works so much as whether they can use it or not. ### Striking the balance ![A screenshot of the marketing for Firefox, showing the line "Control without complexity" and a number of images and associated points](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/image-4.png) Mozilla is trying to market Firefox with a more balanced approach, but will it work? The key here isn't so much about whether Mozilla/Firefox should abandon AI altogether. It's clearly a direction Mozilla is dead set on exploring, even as privacy concerns continue to dominate the conversation. The real trick is to find a way for these features to exist while also doing something genuinely useful. Poor article summaries and gimmicky integrations are just not going to win many people over, certainly not in the long run. But on-device tools that provide translations, help users conduct better research, navigate their browsing history more intelligently, or just generally get real work done faster **without sending their data off into the void?** Now that's a story most people can confidently get behind. That's where Mozilla may have a real opening. Sure, AI isn't likely to be the thing that single-handedly "saves" Firefox, even if done "right". Yet, if it's handled carefully, it could help Firefox feel current, capable, and competitive to the kinds of users who now expect these conveniences to exist. ## Counterpoint: What about the competition? Is everyone doing it? ![A screenshot of Vivaldi showing the "keep browsing human" announcement post](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/image-5.png) Vivaldi is known for its bells and whistles. AI isn't one of them No, and if we're looking at benchmarks of success, this really matters. For example, Vivaldi, the "spiritual successor" to the pre-Chromium-clone Opera, has firmly chosen not to integrate generative AI features into the browser. They've been quite explicit about this stance with their "[keep browsing human](https://vivaldi.com/blog/keep-exploring/?ref=itsfoss.com)" messaging. In a world where it seems every major browser vendor is diving in head-first, this is a bold decision that helps Vivaldi stand apart from a market increasingly saturated by the same talking points and "checklist features" that feel like mere buzzword copycatting. This is also one of the reasons why Firefox forks like Waterfox and others have continued to hold solid, faithful communities. Truthfully, Firefox has often been chosen because it's *not* like the crowd: it's not Chrome, it's not a clone (it still uses its own [Gecko engine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gecko%5F%28software%29?ref=itsfoss.com)), and it's the one major browser that has historically dared to remain not only independent but substantively different. So while some users won't mind a little assistance here and there, the Firefox faithful may be more likely to be the ones turned off by the "AI everywhere" trend that's taken over the internet. For those users, restraint can be a selling point in itself. ### What this means for Firefox ![A screenshot from Firefox.com showing "Fast to switch. Easy to settle in."](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/image-6.png) Mozilla is clearly trying to keep the Firefox brand relevant and alive. Will these new efforts be enough? What Mozilla is pursuing here is still quite the gamble. They're playing the fine line between the privacy-focused legacy of Firefox and the "assisted future" that the world is headed towards. It may look like the right way forward for some, but might very well be a death knell to others. Mozilla may believe in striking a balance by keeping these features flexible, optional, and in some cases locally driven. The problem is that balance is hard to achieve, and even harder to effectively communicate. So Firefox's real challenge isn't just adding new features. It's in convincing people that it still knows where to draw the line. If Mozilla gets that balance right, Firefox may come across as modern without feeling overstuffed. If they get it wrong, it risks alienating users who just wanted a browser with boundaries. ## The secret benefit of drawing attention ![A photo of a loudspeaker with an orange base, white hand, and white flange with a silver rim, sitting on a lightly coloured stool](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/pexels-mikhail-nilov-8846035.jpg) "AI", "privacy", and "VPN" sure are great ways to stir up conversation, if this is the aim [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) / [Mikhail Nilov](https://www.pexels.com/photo/loudspeaker-on-top-of-wooden-chair-8846035/?ref=itsfoss.com) It would be remiss of me to close out without addressing the one thing that this new strategy by Mozilla may be most succeeding at: getting us to talk about Firefox again. Sure, not all the talk around Mozilla's recent decisions has been positive, and if we're being fair, they have given us some reasons for pause. However, if there's one thing attention does well, it's getting people to see what all the fuss is about, even if they're otherwise not sold or even all that interested. Maybe that's what Mozilla is angling for with Firefox after all - and if they can manage to stick the landing, all this increased attention and coverage might just be the key to getting new (and old) users to try this new flavour of Firefox ice cream and find that we like it. ## Is it all enough? ![A screenshot from firefox.com showing more of the new branding for Firefox](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/image-7.png) Will the new features keep up with the ambitious branding and fresh energy? Frankly, it's a bit too early to tell, though the reality is that trends can often be shifted by the most unexpected winds of change. No one expected Chromebooks to become a success, until they were. At one time, no one saw smartphones coming, now they're everywhere. What drove those trends? Tiny, seemingly innocuous factors, and simple, seemingly unimportant features. The same can happen with Firefox and its ambitions to recapture its position in the hearts and minds of users around the world. Could the new VPN and more, but cleverly handled AI integration be the secret sauce to push things over the line? Only time will tell, but maybe, there's a chance this time. ### Git Isn’t Just for Developers. It Might Be the Best Writing Tool Ever URL: https://itsfoss.com/opinion/git-plain-text-writing/ Last updated: 2026-04-04T06:49:42.000Z In 2019, I watched a fellow writer almost lose her life’s work. We were working in an advertising agency. Like most writers who end up in advertising, we were both secretly working on our novels. One afternoon, after lunch, I noticed her pacing around the office, rifling through her bag, checking every desk. Her irritation quickly turned into panic. Her pen drive was missing. Hours later, on the verge of tears, she told us why this particular pen drive mattered: it held the only copy of her manuscript. My first reaction was disbelief. *Only copy?* No emailed draft to herself, no Google Drive or Dropbox, no backup anywhere? The answer was simple: she hadn’t thought about it. Relative tech illiteracy had put an entire novel at the mercy of a misplaced USB stick. My reaction was part heartbreak, part annoyance, and part dread. That night I sat down to audit my own practice—how I recorded, recalled, and stored my work. At the time, the *source of truth* for my fiction was a single folder on Dropbox, with dozens of subdirectories by project. All the manuscripts were ‎`.doc` or ‎`.docx`. I took regular backups of that folder, zipped them, and emailed them to myself with dates and times in the subject line. If something went wrong, I could theoretically roll back to a recent version. On paper, that sounded reasonable. In my body, it felt wrong. I couldn’t articulate why, but I knew “not losing everything” was not the same as “leaving behind a studio that someone else could actually use.” A few weeks later, on a whim, I decided to relearn programming after almost twenty years. Maybe, I thought, programming in 2019 would be kinder than it had been in 2001. The first lesson on [The Odin Project](https://www.theodinproject.com/lessons/foundations-git-basics?ref=itsfoss.com) was on Git. I went through it expecting boilerplate developer lore and came out with something else: a way to resolve the unease I had been carrying about my writing. Git didn’t just promise safety from catastrophic loss; it offered a way to keep a living, navigable history of my writing. It suggested that my studio didn’t have to be a pile of files. It could be a time machine instead. I remember feeling irritated that night: [why was Git not being taught to writers? ](https://itsfoss.com/news/version-control-writers/) ## The Timelessness of Plain Text [Sociologist Kieran Healy wrote a guide for “plain people”](https://plain-text.co/?ref=itsfoss.com) on using plain text to produce serious work. Neither he nor I are the first non‑programmers to come to this realization, and hopefully not the last: plain text is the least glamorous, most important infrastructure upon which I build my work. I use the word *infrastructure* intentionally: plain text forms the substrate that underlies, connects, and outlives higher-level applications. For people like you and me---whether we are writers or not---choosing to work with plain text is a political choice about memory and power, not a mere nerdy preference about file types. It has been over six years since I moved all my writing to plain text and Git. Before that, my life’s work sat in one folder, spread over a handful of ‎`.doc` and ‎`.docx` files. Now, plain text is the lifeblood of everything I write—a choice to live closer to the infrastructure layer where I retain power over time, interoperability, and preservation. The alternative is renting them from whoever owns the fancy app. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-14.46.10-1.png) An extract of the writer's git commit history ****©** Theena Kumaragurunathan ## Why does this matter? In my last two columns, [I spoke about how Emacs interfaces with my work:](https://itsfoss.com/opinion/emacs-the-ux-ideal/) and using it for [writing my next novel ](https://itsfoss.com/opinion/emacs-the-ux-ideal-part-deux/); put simply, why I choose to work on Emacs in the age of AI tools. None of my Emacs-fu would be possible without plain text and Git sitting underneath. Most of us are told that platforms will take care of our work. “Save to cloud” is the default. Drafts live in Google Docs, outlines in Notion, images in someone else’s “Photos,” notes in an app that syncs through servers we don’t control. It feels safe because it is convenient. It feels like progress: softer interfaces, smarter features, less friction. The cost is deliberately obfuscated. You pay it when the app changes its business model and the export button slips behind a subscription. You pay it when comments you believed were part of the record are actually trapped inside an interface that will be sunsetted in ten years. You pay it when a future collaborator has to sign up for a dead service—if that’s even possible—just to open a reference document. You pay it when your own older drafts become psychologically “far away,” not because you are ashamed of them, but because the path to them runs through expired logins and abandoned software. A repository of written work hosted entirely on proprietary, cloud‑bound software is a studio that dies when the companies behind it do—or when they decide that their future no longer includes you. If you want your studio to outlive you, you cannot outsource its memory to platforms that see your work as a data source, a training set, or a metric. You need materials and tools that privilege longevity over lock‑in. ## The Studio as a Text Forest ![Showing my writing studip built on git](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-12.21.01-1.webp) Plain text works because it is not sexy. It is not “disruptive.” Good. That is precisely why it is so important. A text file is one of the most durable digital objects we have. It has remained readable, without elaborate translation, across decades of hardware, operating systems, and software ecosystems. It is trivial to convert into other formats: PDF, EPUB, HTML, printed book, subtitles. It compresses well. It plays well with search. It fails gracefully. When I began moving my practice into plain text, I was not thinking about posterity. I was thinking about control. I wanted to pick up my work on any machine and carry on. I wanted to stop worrying that an update to a writing app would quietly rearrange my files. I wanted my drafts to be mine, not licensed to me through someone else’s interface. The result is a studio structured less like a warehouse of finished products and more like a forest of living documents. Each project—work‑in‑progress novels, screenplays, this very series of essays, research trails—lives in its own directory inside a single mono‑repo for all my writing. Inside each directory are text files that do one thing each: a chapter, a scene, a note, a log of cuts and revisions. The structure is legible at a glance. You don’t need me to draw a diagram or sell you a course. Anyone who knows how to open a folder can navigate it. This is not nostalgia for a simpler computing era. It is about lowering the barrier for future humans—future me, future collaborators, future scholars, future strangers—to enter the work without first having to resurrect my software stack. Plain text gives us a chance to build archives with the same openness as a box of annotated manuscripts, without the paper slowly turning to dust. But text alone is not enough. A studio that outlives the writer needs a memory of how the work changed. ## Version Control as Time Machine and Conversation [Linus Torvalds](https://itsfoss.com/linus-torvalds-facts/) probably never intended Git for use by writers. And perhaps that is why I view it as almost possessing magical powers. You see, with Git I can talk to my future self, and my future self can talk to my past self. In software, version control lets teams collaborate on code without stepping on each other’s toes. In a solo writing practice, it becomes something else: a time machine, a ledger of decisions, a slow, ongoing conversation between different iterations of the writer. Every time I hit a significant point in a project—adding a chapter, making a painful cut, restructuring a section—I make a commit. I write a short message explaining what I did and why. Over months and years, these messages accumulate into a meta-narrative: not the story itself, but a veritable documentary of how my stories came to be. When I open the log of a book or a long essay, I can scroll through those messages and see the ghost of my own thinking. I see the point where I abandoned a subplot, the week I rewrote an ending three times, the day I split a single swelling document into a modular structure that finally made sense. It is humbling and reassuring in equal measure: it shows me that good writing isn't a result of strokes of inspiration but sitting down consistently to wrangle my writing brain. At some point, selected manuscripts from this mono‑repo will be made publicly available under a Creative Commons license. When that happens, I will not just be publishing a final text. I will be publishing its making. A reader in another part of the world, years from now, will be able to trace how a scene evolved. A young writer will see that the book they admire was once a mess. A collaborator will be able to fork the repo, experiment with adaptations, translations, or critical editions, and perhaps send those changes back. Version control turns my writing studio into something that can be forked, studied, and extended, not just consumed. This stands in stark contrast to the way most digital platforms treat creative work today: as a stream of “content” to be scraped, remixed anonymously into generic output, and resurfaced as something merely “like” you. When your drafts live inside a proprietary system, you are not only dependent on that system to access them; you are also feeding an apparatus whose incentives diverge sharply from your own. A Git repository of plain‑text work, mirrored in places you control, is not magically immune to scraping. Mine has been private from the moment I created it, and it will remain so until I am ready to open parts of it on an instance whose values align with my own. Even then, determined actors can copy anything that is accessible. The point is not perfect protection. The point is to design for humans first: to make the work legible and usable to future people on terms that you have thought about, instead of leaving everything at the mercy of opaque platforms. ## Designing for the Long Afterlife What does it mean, practically, to design a studio that outlives you? It does not mean embalming your work in an imaginary final state. The texts we now call “classical” did not survive because someone froze them. They survived because people kept copying, translating, annotating, arguing with them. [They survived because they were malleable, not because they were pristine.](https://medium.com/theena-kumaragurunathan/culture-has-always-been-open-87b89a282de7?ref=itsfoss.com) If I want my work to have any chance at a similar afterlife—not in scale, but in spirit—I need to make it easy for future people to touch it. For me, that means: - The core materials of my work live in plain text, organized in a directory structure that makes sense without me. - The history of that work is kept in Git, with commit messages written for humans, not machines. - The repositories I want to be accessible are published under licenses that explicitly permit study, remixing, and adaptation. - The studio is mirrored in more than one place, including at least one I self‑host, so its existence is not tied to a single company’s fortunes. Notice what this does not require. It does not forbid me from using GUI tools, publishing platforms, or even proprietary software where necessary. I am not pretending to live in a bunker with only a terminal and a text editor. I am saying that the source of truth for my work is kept somewhere that does not depend on the goodwill of companies for whom my creative life is just another asset. This is not an overnight migration. It took me years to get from a single Dropbox folder of ‎`.docx` files to my current setup. The important part was the direction of travel. Every project I started in plain text, every journal I kept as a folder of files instead of a locked‑down app, every book I moved into a Git repo rather than an opaque project bundle, was a step toward a studio that a future human could actually enter. ## A Quiet Resistance to Big Tech's Power We are entering an era where large AI systems are trained on whatever they can scrape. The default fate of most creative work is to be swallowed, blurred, and regurgitated as undifferentiated “content.” It becomes harder to tell where a particular voice begins and the training data ends. As more of the public web fills with machine‑generated sludge, it becomes harder for human readers to find specific, intentional work without passing through the filters of a few large intermediaries. A self‑hosted, plain‑text, version‑controlled studio will not stop any of this by itself. But it is a form of quiet resistance. [And at this point in our collective history, where the same infrastructures that mediate our creative lives are entangled with surveillance, automated propaganda, and the machinery of war, even small acts of refusal matter.](https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/03/weasel-words-openais-pentagon-deal-wont-stop-ai-powered-surveillance?ref=itsfoss.com) Moving a novel into plain text will not topple a platform. Hosting your own Git server will not end a conflict. But these choices shape who ultimately has their hands on the levers of our personal and collective memories. ### Proton Launches Workspace and Meet, Takes Aim at Google and Microsoft URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/proton-workspace-launch/ Last updated: 2026-04-03T11:28:22.000Z If you are a regular reader of ours, then you know that [Proton](https://proton.me/?ref=itsfoss.com) is one of the privacy-focused services we usually vouch for. I have been using their various services personally for quite a while now, and I can confidently say that they know what they are doing. Of course, I am just a random person on the internet yapping about how good it is. If you haven't ever tried their offerings, then you can decide for yourself, as they have launched **two new services** that could make your move away from [Big Tech](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big%5FTech?ref=itsfoss.com) easier. ## Two Big Launches ![a purple-colored banner that shows the various proton services included in proton workspace](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/proton-workspace-banner.jpeg) [Proton Workspace](https://proton.me/business/blog/proton-workspace?ref=itsfoss.com) is a comprehensive suite that **pulls all of Proton's services together under one roof**, aimed at businesses and teams that want a privacy-first alternative to [Google Workspace](https://workspace.google.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Microsoft 365](https://www.office.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). It brings together [Mail](http://proton.go2cloud.org/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=15&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=news.itsfoss.com), [Calendar](https://proton.me/calendar?ref=itsfoss.com), [Drive](https://go.getproton.me/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=44&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=itsfoss.com), [Docs](https://proton.me/drive/docs?ref=itsfoss.com), [Sheets](https://proton.me/drive/sheets?ref=itsfoss.com), [VPN](https://protonvpn.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoreqM-1%5FRNuz53y%5FQPqJ-3Eqfh14Rs2Yn%5FpxKHLyantwjzb5gWZ&ref=itsfoss.com), [Pass](https://go.getproton.me/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=38&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=itsfoss.com), [Lumo](https://lumo.proton.me/?ref=itsfoss.com), and the newly launched **Proton Meet** (*more on it later*). Businesses (*both small and big*) that want Proton's full suite without having to manage a separate subscription for every service and team member can go for this. **As an added bonus**, being on a Swiss platform means the US government can't compel Proton to hand over your data the way it can with Google or Microsoft under the [CLOUD Act](https://www.justice.gov/criminal/cloud-act-resources?ref=itsfoss.com). 📋 The URLs for some Proton services above are partner links. ![the three pricing tiers for proton workspace is shown here, with workspace standard ($12.99 per user per month annually), workspace premium ($19.99 per user per month annually), and enterprise (contact sales team) listed](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/proton-workspace-pricing.png) If Proton Workspace interests you, then you can opt for [one of the two paid plans](https://proton.me/business/plans?ref=itsfoss.com). ***Workspace Standard***, at **$12.99/month per user** on an annual plan or **$14.99/month per user** if you pay monthly, gets you Mail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Meet, VPN, and Pass. It also includes 1 TB of storage per user and support for up to 15 custom email domains. **Workspace Premium** bumps that up to 3 TB of storage per user, 20 custom email domains, higher Meet capacity (*250 participants vs. 100 on Standard*), access to Lumo, and email data retention policies at **$19.99/month per user** annually or **$24.99/month per user** on a monthly plan. Large organizations can also reach out to Proton directly for a specially tailored ***Enterprise*** plan, and if you are already a [Proton Business Suite](https://proton.me/business?ref=itsfoss.com) member, then you **get a free upgrade to Workspace Standard**. [Proton Workspace](https://proton.me/business/plans?ref=itsfoss.com) ![a purple-colored banner that shows a demo of proton meet with many participants in a video call](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/proton-meet-banner.png) On the other hand, [Proton Meet](https://proton.me/business/blog/introducing-proton-meet?ref=itsfoss.com) is their new end-to-end encrypted video conferencing tool, and it goes up directly against the likes of [Zoom](https://www.zoom.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Google Meet](https://meet.google.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). Every call, including audio, video, screen shares, and chat, is encrypted using the open source [Messaging Layer Security](https://messaginglayersecurity.rocks/?ref=itsfoss.com) (MLS) protocol. Thanks to that, not even Proton can see what goes on in your meetings, and there are no logs either. ![the three pricing tiers for proton meet is shown here, with meet professional ($7.99 per user per month annually), workspace standard ($12.99 per user per month annually), and workspace premium ($19.99 per user per month annually) listed](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/proton-meet-pricing-1.png) As for the pricing, the ***Free*** tier lets anyone host calls with up to 50 participants for up to an hour **without requiring a Proton account**. For more headroom, the ***Meet Professional*** plan costs **$7.99/user/month** and raises the participant cap to 100, with meeting durations of up to 24 hours. Teams that want Meet bundled with the rest of Proton's suite can opt for *Workspace Standard* or *Premium* instead, which is the better deal if you are already switching over from Google or Microsoft. You have many options to use Meet. It is available on the [Web](https://meet.proton.me/?ref=itsfoss.com), but also ships with native apps for **Linux** (*yeah, you read that right*), **Android**, **Windows**, **macOS**, and **iOS**. [Proton Meet](https://meet.proton.me/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### FOSS Weekly #26.14: Open Source Office Drama, Ubuntu MATE Troubles, Conky With Ease, Session Management in Wayland and More Linux Stuff URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-14/ Last updated: 2026-04-03T06:19:57.000Z The open source office space has turned unusually dramatic this week, with multiple conflicts unfolding at the same time. First, there is a new entrant called Euro-Office. While it is being presented as a European alternative, it is essentially a fork of ONLYOFFICE. That has not gone down well. [ONLYOFFICE has accused Nextcloud of violating its license](https://itsfoss.com/news/onlyoffice-forked/), turning what could have been a routine fork into a full-blown controversy. And then there is the situation around LibreOffice. The Document Foundation, the organization behind LibreOffice, has [removed all Collabora developers and partners from its membership](https://itsfoss.com/news/document-foundation-collabora-feud/). This is a significant move, considering Collabora builds the online version of LibreOffice and has long been one of its biggest contributors. Both stories point to a larger pattern. Even in open source, where collaboration is the default expectation, disagreements over governance, licensing, and control can quickly escalate. It is shaping up to be an interesting and important moment for the future of open source office suites. **Here are other highlights of this edition of FOSS Weekly:** - GNOME dropping Google Drive support. - A major Wayland bug finally being addressed. - Systemd's sysext feature for immutable distros - Ubuntu 26.10 potentially having a controversial change. - And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes! - This edition of FOSS Weekly is supported by [GroupOffice](https://www.group-office.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). Tired of paying Microsoft tax? Group Office is a powerful open-source alternative to Microsoft 365\. You get email, calendar, CRM, and project management in one self-hosted suite. Own your data. [Explore Group Office here](https://www.group-office.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). [Learn more ](https://www.group-office.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 📰 Linux and Open Source News GNOME 50 [ships without Google Drive integration](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-drops-google-drive-support/), and it turns out it's been effectively dead for a while. The library powering it, libgdata, went without a maintainer for four years, got archived after no one answered a 2022 call for help, and was the last thing keeping a CVE-ridden deprecated library in the stack. Ubuntu 26.04 [is bringing deb packages back](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-04-deb-in-app-center/) into the App Center properly. You can test out [the beta release](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-04-lts-beta/) for it right now if you can't wait for the stable release. Nextcloud and IONOS [have forked ONLYOFFICE](https://itsfoss.com/news/onlyoffice-forked/) into a project called Euro-Office, citing concerns about its Russian development team, opaque contribution process, and the trust issues that come with the current geopolitical situation. A Canonical engineer [has proposed stripping down GRUB significantly](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-10-grub-overhaul/) for Ubuntu 26.10's Secure Boot signed builds. The cuts would remove filesystem support for Btrfs, XFS, ZFS, and HFS+, along with LVM, most RAID modes, LUKS encryption, and image format support. [Archinstall 4.0](https://itsfoss.com/news/arch-installer-4-0-release/) swaps out its curses-based interface for Textual, making the whole installation flow noticeably cleaner and more responsive. Ubuntu MATE founder Martin Wimpress has announced [he's looking for someone to take over the project](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-mate-leadership-crisis/). Says he no longer has the time or passion for the project and is looking to hand it over to contributors who do. Wayland [has finally gotten session management](https://itsfoss.com/news/wayland-session-management/). The xdg-session-management protocol was merged into wayland-protocols after sitting as an open pull request for six years. [After 6 Years, One of Wayland’s Most Annoying Problems is Finally Getting FixedThe new xdg-session-management protocol finally brings session saving and restoration to Wayland, eliminating a long-standing annoyance for Linux users and paving the way for a smoother desktop experience.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-356.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/happy-linux-user-1.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/news/wayland-session-management/) ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About Ubuntu 26.04 LTS [has raised its minimum RAM requirement](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-04-minimum-ram-requirement/) for the desktop install to 6 GB, up from 4 GB in 24.04\. Windows 11 minimum RAM requirement suggest only 4GB. But the truth is not in the number on the paper. [Ubuntu 26.04 LTS Requires More RAM Than Windows 11?Canonical has raised the minimum RAM requirement to 6 GB, while Windows 11 still sits at 4 GB. But that’s only a number and it doesn’t tell the real story.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-362.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/ubuntu-ram-requirement-update-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-04-minimum-ram-requirement/) The Document Foundation [has published an open letter to European citizens](https://blog.documentfoundation.org/blog/2026/03/31/open-letter-to-european-citizens/?ref=itsfoss.com) arguing that the current shift toward digital sovereignty is only meaningful if Europe actually understands what sovereignty requires. YOUR support keeps us going, keeps us resisting the established media and big tech, keeps us independent. And ****it costs less than a McDonald's Happy Meal** a month. Support us via Plus membership and additionally, you: ✅ Get 5 FREE eBooks on Linux, Docker and Bash ✅ Enjoy an ad-free reading experience ✅ Flaunt badges in the comment section and forum ✅ Help creation of educational Linux materials for everyone [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings If you've ever hit a "Read-only file system" error while trying to install a troubleshooting tool on Fedora Silverblue or another immutable distro, [systemd-sysext](https://itsfoss.com/systemd-sysext/) is worth knowing about. We now have a [detailed comparison of LibreOffice and ONLYOFFICE](https://itsfoss.com/comparison/libreoffice-vs-onlyoffice/) covering the full suite: word processors, spreadsheets, presentations, PDF editing, format support, and online availability. If Markdown feels a bit limited for serious documentation work but LaTeX feels like overkill, [AsciiDoc](https://itsfoss.com/asciidoc-guide/) sits nicely in between. Our guide covers what it is, and why you might prefer it over other text formats. You can [use conky](https://itsfoss.com/conky-gui-ubuntu-1304/) to get system details as well as make your desktop look beautiful. ## 📚 Linux eBook bundle (don't miss) No Starch Press needs no introduction. They have published some of the best books on Linux. And they are running an ebook bundle deal on Humble Bundle. I highly recommend [checking it out and getting the bundle](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/NGG7EO?ref=itsfoss.com). Plus, part of your purchase supports Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). [Humble Tech Book Bundle: Linux, the Good Stuff by No StarchUnlock new levels of freedom and creativity when you use Linux—master the ins and outs of Linux today and help support charity!![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/03df0490a53d595fd930f9fff52038366d60a05d-13.png)Humble Bundle![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/48696d483e3949395286460bb7e8bdc8215da389.png)](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/NGG7EO?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner PINE64 has revealed the [PineTime Pro](https://itsfoss.com/news/pinetime-pro-early-look/), the long-awaited follow-up to its open source smartwatch. [After 5 Years, PineTime Gets a Major Upgrade with AMOLED, GPS, and MoreThe original PineTime stays, but its followup is a different thing entirely.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-357.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/pinetime-pro-pre-launch-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/pinetime-pro-early-look/) ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights [Nocturne](https://github.com/Jeffser/Nocturne?ref=itsfoss.com) is a new Adwaita-styled music player for GNOME that works as a Navidrome/Subsonic client. The interesting part is that it doesn't just connect to an existing Navidrome instance; it can also install and manage its own. ## 📽️ Videos for You Archinstall 4.0 is here. Want to see what's changed in video format? Checkout the [latest video on YouTube](https://youtu.be/PETXfHZccPU?ref=itsfoss.com). [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip GNOME comes with a dark panel by default. To switch it to a light panel, you can use the command: `gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface color-scheme 'prefer-light'` This will make the panel bright, too bright. If you don't like it, you can revert to the dark panel with: `gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface color-scheme 'prefer-dark'` ![gnome ](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/bright-gnome-panel.png) [](https://t43217012.p.clickup-attachments.com/t43217012/da09f1e7-b651-4c93-b93b-141e46671d4b/copy-link-to-highlight-firefox.png?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse Think you know your chmod from your chown? This [quick quiz](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/linux-file-permissions/) tests your knowledge of Linux file permissions. [Linux File Permission QuizThe Linux file permission is an important concept to know about. Test your knowledge.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-358.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/file-permission-quiz-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/linux-file-permissions/) **Meme of the Week**: Is this what they call divine intervention? 😶‍🌫️ ![arch linux divine intervention meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/04/meme.png) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On [March 31, 1939](https://www.computerhistory.org/tdih/march/31/?ref=itsfoss.com), Harvard and IBM signed an agreement to build the [Mark I](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard%5FMark%5FI?ref=itsfoss.com), one of the first machines that could automatically run complex calculations without human intervention. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: A long-time FOSSer [has posted their experience](https://itsfoss.community/t/hyprland-versus-cosmic-my-experience/15511?ref=itsfoss.com) switching from Hyprland to COSMIC. ### LibreOffice Drama: TDF Removes Collabora Developers in One Sweep URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/document-foundation-collabora-feud/ Last updated: 2026-04-02T13:40:47.000Z TDF's [Membership Committee](https://www.documentfoundation.org/mc/?ref=itsfoss.com) has removed all [Collabora](https://www.collabora.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) staff and partners from membership in one move, covering **over 30 developers**. This includes, per Collabora's [own count](https://www.collaboraonline.com/blog/tdf-ejects-its-core-developers/?ref=itsfoss.com), **seven of LibreOffice's all-time top ten core committers who are still active**. To make things more complicated, this is only the latest in a series of departures. Several of TDF's original founders have already stopped being members over recent years, and of the remaining active founders, three of the last four are now paid TDF staff who aren't writing core code. And it doesn't stop there. Collabora takes aim at a series of governance decisions [it considers indefensible](https://community.documentfoundation.org/t/vote-adopt-version-1-of-community-bylaws/13472/4?ref=itsfoss.com). Board appointments, it says, **favored non-technical staff over experienced contributors**, and the revival of shelved online code now puts TDF in direct competition with its own biggest contributor. Then there are the legal proceedings against former volunteer board members, which were reportedly bankrolled by donor money, and trademark complaints directed at contributors while others are misusing the LibreOffice name freely without any pushback. This comes from [Michael Meeks](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-meeks-8a6b2151/?ref=itsfoss.com), CEO of Collabora Productivity and one of the founders of [The Document Foundation](https://www.documentfoundation.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). He published this on April 1, and before you ask, no, **it's not an April Fool's joke**. As for what Collabora plans to do next, Meeks has laid out plans for **a new, lighter Collabora Office product**, rebuilt from a cleaner base with less legacy code baggage and a web-based toolkit. Apart from that, their [Classic](https://www.collaboraonline.com/collabora-office-classic/?ref=itsfoss.com) product is not going away, with support set to continue for the foreseeable future. On their future relationship with [LibreOffice](https://www.libreoffice.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), Michael adds: > We will continue to make contributions to LibreOffice where that makes sense (if we are welcome to), but it clearly no longer makes much sense to continue investing heavily in building what remains of TDF’s community and product for them – while being excluded from its governance. > In this regard, we seem to be back where we were fifteen years ago. Meanwhile TDF continues to hire developers, sells LibreOffice and starts to act more like a staff-controlled collective than a Free Software project. Collabora is also calling for developers to get involved in this new endeavor. If you have the relevant skills, you can head to their [community page](https://collaboraonline.github.io/post/communicate/?ref=itsfoss.com). ## The response The Document Foundation's [official reply](https://blog.documentfoundation.org/blog/2026/04/01/comment-about-collabora-blog-post/?ref=itsfoss.com) came from [Italo Vignoli](https://www.linkedin.com/in/italovignoli/?ref=itsfoss.com), a founder Collabora lists as having already exited TDF membership. He has kept it short, confirming that **the removals happened**, pointing to TDF's recently adopted [Community Bylaws](https://community.documentfoundation.org/t/vote-adopt-version-1-of-community-bylaws/13472?ref=itsfoss.com) as the basis. Those bylaws include a clause requiring anyone affiliated with a company in an active legal dispute with TDF to step down from membership. The stated rationale is that **past situations saw people put their employer's interests ahead of the foundation's**, and the clause exists to stop that happening again. The specifics of the legal dispute between TDF and Collabora are not mentioned by either party. On Collabora's plans and the wider fallout, the post keeps things brief, laying out that this kind of split is not unheard of in the world of FLOSS, and nothing in the [MPL](https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/MPL/?ref=itsfoss.com) license stops Collabora from building whatever it wants. TDF also makes clear that **a membership revocation is not a ban from contributing**, with the project remaining open to anyone, and expects Collabora to keep contributing "*when the time comes*." --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*ONLYOFFICE gets forked*](https://itsfoss.com/news/onlyoffice-forked/) [ONLYOFFICE Gets Forked as “Made in Europe”, Sparks Licensing and Trust DebateEuro-Office is a new European fork of ONLYOFFICE. Here’s why it was created, what it changes, and why it’s already controversial.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-359.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/euro-office.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/news/onlyoffice-forked/) ### Proposal to Centralize Per-User Environment Variables Under Systemd in Fedora Rejected URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-per-user-environment-variables-proposal/ Last updated: 2026-04-02T12:18:35.000Z A contributor named Faeiz Mahrus [put forward a change proposal](https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Changes/UseSystemdForManagingPerUserEnvironmentVariables?ref=itsfoss.com) for **Fedora 45** that would change how per-user [environment variables](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Environment%5Fvariables?ref=itsfoss.com) are managed on the system. Right now, Fedora handles this through shell-specific RC files: `~/.bashrc` for Bash users, `~/.zshrc` for Zsh users. These files are responsible for things like adding `~/.local/bin` and `~/bin` to your `$PATH`, which is the list of directories your system searches when you run a command. The problem Faeiz pointed to was that Fedora ships a number of alternative shells ([*Fish*](https://itsfoss.com/fish-shell-features/)*,* [*Nushell*](https://itsfoss.com/nushell/)*,* [*Xonsh*](https://itsfoss.com/xonsh-shell/)*, and* [*Dash*](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Dash?ref=itsfoss.com) *among them*), **but none of those have packaged RC files that do the same job**. So if you switch your default shell to Fish, any scripts or programs you've installed in `~/.local/bin` suddenly stop being found by the system. They're still there, but your shell doesn't know where to look for them. The proposed fix was to move this responsibility to [systemd](https://systemd.io/?ref=itsfoss.com)'s `environment-generator` functionality, using drop-in configuration files placed in the `/etc/skel/.config/environment.d/` directory. Since systemd manages user sessions on [Fedora](https://fedoraproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), the idea was that it could apply these environment variables to all user processes regardless of which shell you're running. One config file would cover all shells, with no per-shell fixing required. ## The vote The proposal [went to the FESCo for a vote](https://pagure.io/fesco/issue/3582?ref=itsfoss.com), and it came back with six votes against and three abstentions. The key objection was that **the proposal didn't adequately account for environments where systemd isn't running**. Committee member [Neal Gompa](https://pagure.io/user/ngompa?ref=itsfoss.com) (*ngompa*) voted against it, pointing out that [containers](https://linuxhandbook.com/courses/proxmox/proxmox-create-container/?ref=itsfoss.com) don't guarantee systemd is present, which would make the change quietly disruptive for anyone running Fedora-based container images. [Kevin Fenzi](https://pagure.io/user/kevin?ref=itsfoss.com) (*kevin*), another member, said that the proposal wasn't convincing enough yet. If you didn't know, [FESCo](https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/fesco/?ref=itsfoss.com), or the ***Fedora Engineering and Steering Committee***, is the governing body that reviews and approves all significant proposed changes to Fedora Linux before they land in a release. Contributors submit change proposals, FESCo members deliberate, and the committee votes on whether a proposal is ready to ship, needs revision, or should be turned away. It is essentially the gatekeeper for what makes it into a Fedora release. While the FESCo has marked the ticket as rejected, they haven't fully shut the door on the idea. Committee member [Michel Lind](https://pagure.io/user/salimma?ref=itsfoss.com) (*salimma*) noted in the closing comment that **the proposal owner is welcome to resubmit** once the gaps around systemd-less environments are addressed and more concrete configuration examples are provided. Via: [Phoronix](https://www.phoronix.com/news/Fedora-Rejects-systemd-Feature?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Fedora project leader suggests using Apple's age verification API*](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-leader-suggests-age-verification-api/) [Fedora Project Leader Suggests Linux Distros Could Adopt Apple’s Age Verification APIHe thinks a cross-distro API standard can be a practical solution to tackle age verification.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-360.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/fedora-apple-age-verification-api-banner-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-leader-suggests-age-verification-api/) ### Arch Installer Goes 4.0 With a New Face and Fewer 'Curses' URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/arch-installer-4-0-release/ Last updated: 2026-04-01T12:36:51.000Z Arch Linux needs no introduction around here. It is the distro people flock to for its no-nonsense, [rolling release](https://itsfoss.com/rolling-release/) approach and, of course, the right to say "*I use Arch, btw*" at every given opportunity. Setting it up used to mean having the wiki open in one window and a terminal in another, hoping you didn't miss a step. [Arch Installer](https://github.com/archlinux/archinstall?ref=itsfoss.com) (*archinstall*) changed that. It is Arch's official guided installer that is bundled with the live ISO. It takes you through the whole process, from disk partitioning to desktop environment selection, without requiring you to memorize yet another command. I have used it while installing an [Arch-based distro](https://itsfoss.com/arch-based-linux-distros/) in the past ([*Omarchy*](https://itsfoss.com/news/omarchy/)), and it was quite reliable. The developers have now introduced **Arch Installer 4.0**, and it is a major overhaul. ## What to expect? **Video courtesy of* [**Sreenath*](https://itsfoss.com/author/sreenath/)**.* We begin with the most obvious change, where Arch Installer has ditched [curses](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curses%5F%28programming%5Flibrary%29?ref=itsfoss.com), the old C library powering most terminal interfaces you've come across, in favor of [Textual](https://textual.textualize.io/?ref=itsfoss.com), a Python TUI framework by [Textualize.io](https://www.textualize.io/?ref=itsfoss.com). This brings a cleaner look, and menus [are now async](https://github.com/archlinux/archinstall/pull/4308?ref=itsfoss.com) too, with the installer running as a single persistent *Textual* app throughout rather than spinning up a new instance for each selection. This means the user interface won't freeze or stall between selections while the installer is doing work in the background. Moving on, you can now set up a firewall during installation, with [firewalld](https://firewalld.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) available right from the menu. GRUB also picks up [Unified Kernel Image](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Unified%5Fkernel%5Fimage?ref=itsfoss.com) (UKI) menu entry support. A Btrfs bug that had the installer choking on partitions with no mountpoints assigned [has been fixed](https://github.com/archlinux/archinstall/pull/3992?ref=itsfoss.com) too. On the translation front, **Galician and Nepali are in as new languages**, and a good chunk of the existing ones, Italian, Japanese, Turkish, Hungarian, Ukrainian, Czech, Finnish, Spanish, and Hindi included, have been refreshed. Worth noting too is that [Arch Installer 4.1](https://github.com/archlinux/archinstall/releases/tag/4.1?ref=itsfoss.com) has already arrived shortly after, and it drops the NVIDIA proprietary driver option since [nvidia-dkms is no longer in the Arch repos](https://itsfoss.com/news/arch-linux-old-nvidia-gpu-issue/). ## Closing words You can grab the latest [Arch Linux](https://archlinux.org/download/?ref=itsfoss.com) ISO to try the new installer or update an existing live ISO by running `pacman -Syu`. For the full changelog, head to the [releases page](https://github.com/archlinux/archinstall/releases/tag/4.0?ref=itsfoss.com) on GitHub. [Arch Linux](https://archlinux.org/download/?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [Wayland’s most annoying bug is getting fixed](https://itsfoss.com/news/wayland-session-management/) [After 6 Years, One of Wayland’s Most Annoying Problems is Finally Getting FixedThe new xdg-session-management protocol finally brings session saving and restoration to Wayland, eliminating a long-standing annoyance for Linux users and paving the way for a smoother desktop experience.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-355.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/happy-linux-user.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/news/wayland-session-management/) ### GNOME 50 Drops Google Drive Integration (For a Valid Reason) URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-drops-google-drive-support/ Last updated: 2026-04-01T11:55:10.000Z Almost two weeks ago, someone on GNOME's Discourse forum asked whether the missing [Google Drive](https://workspace.google.com/products/drive/?ref=itsfoss.com) support in GNOME 50 [was a bug or a deliberate decision](https://discourse.gnome.org/t/google-drive-in-gnome-50/34417?ref=itsfoss.com). GNOME developer [Emmanuele Bassi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ebassi/?ref=itsfoss.com) replied, confirming that **Drive was no longer supported**. He went on saying that [libgdata](https://gitlab.gnome.org/Archive/libgdata?ref=itsfoss.com), the library that coordinates communication between GNOME apps and Google's APIs, **has gone without a maintainer for nearly four years**. Furthermore, GVFS dropped [its libgdata dependency](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gvfs/-/merge%5Frequests/266?ref=itsfoss.com) about ten months ago, and [GNOME Online Accounts](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-online-accounts?ref=itsfoss.com) now [checks for that](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-online-accounts/-/merge%5Frequests/384?ref=itsfoss.com) before offering the [Files](https://apps.gnome.org/Nautilus/?ref=itsfoss.com) toggle under its Google provider settings at all. Emmanuele suggested that anyone wanting to restore the feature should reach out to the [GVFS](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gvfs?ref=itsfoss.com) maintainer. Chiming in on this, [Michael Catanzaro](https://blogs.gnome.org/mcatanzaro/?ref=itsfoss.com), another GNOME developer, said that **libgdata has since been archived on GitLab** (*linked above*), leaving nothing to even contribute to at this point. Further explaining that: > GNOME had already disabled this functionality years ago, but distros sometimes move slowly. If Fedora had disabled it sooner, then perhaps users would have noticed the problem before the project was archived rather than after. Oh well. Back in [December 2022](https://discourse.gnome.org/t/call-for-help-with-libgdata/13047?ref=itsfoss.com), Catanzaro had already put out a public call for someone to take over libgdata, warning that the integrations depending on it would eventually stop working if nobody did. That was over three years ago, and nobody ever stepped up. The issue was not just libgdata itself. It was the only remaining reason [libsoup2](https://wiki.gnome.org/Projects/libsoup?ref=itsfoss.com) was still present in the GNOME stack, **at a time when libsoup2 was already being phased out ahead of the GNOME 44 release**. Currently, Debian's security tracker [lists many open CVEs](https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/source-package/libsoup2.4?ref=itsfoss.com) against it, covering everything from HTTP request smuggling to authentication flaws. Keeping libgdata around meant keeping all of those spicy vulnerabilities around too. ## A long shot, but… I like to be [delulu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delulu?ref=itsfoss.com) every so often, and I think that **maybe Google could officially step in?** Assigning a developer or two to bring back Drive support could get things rolling; I am aware that they don't have any shortage of talent after all. Plus, they are already known to be [supporters of open source](https://opensource.google/projects?ref=itsfoss.com). Seeing their [recent f\*ckups](https://itsfoss.com/news/android-developer-verification/), this could be a good win for both their PR team and GNOME users who rely on such support. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [GNOME 50 is here, but ditches X11](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-50-release/) [GNOME 50 is Here, and X11 is Finally GoneThere’s a lot this release offers, but a few changes stand out.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-354.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/gnome-50-release-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-50-release/) ### ONLYOFFICE Gets Forked as "Made in Europe", Sparks Licensing and Trust Debate URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/onlyoffice-forked/ Last updated: 2026-04-01T03:35:20.000Z There is a new open source office suite. It’s called [Euro-Office](https://github.com/Euro-Office?ref=itsfoss.com). As the name suggests, it is a European effort and is primarily meant for European organizations and governments. Before you get too excited, let me clarify that it is not your typical office suite like LibreOffice that you install on desktop systems. It is designed more for providing collaborative document portals for organizations. In other words, it’s an online office suite that can be deployed within an organization and accessed via the web. It can also be integrated into other products, like Nextcloud to provide document editing capabilities. The project has been initiated by Nextcloud and IONOS. [Nextcloud](https://nextcloud.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a well-known open source collaboration platform, and [IONOS](https://www.ionos.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is primarily a server infrastructure provider. ## What's the issue with ONLYOFFICE? Well, Euro-Office is a fork of ONLYOFFICE, and they are not happy about it. You see, open source ONLYOFFICE’s main business revolves around offering its collaborative product to enterprises and organizations. They do provide offline desktop applications for individuals, but their primary focus remains on the enterprise segment. And to be fair, they have built a solid product. It works very well with Microsoft Office file formats, which is often the biggest pain point for many users. Another similar open source project is Collabora Online, which offers an online collaborative version of LibreOffice. However, ONLYOFFICE’s better compatibility with popular formats like DOCX, PPTX, and XLSX makes it a compelling choice. The issue arises from the fact that ONLYOFFICE originated in Russia and is largely developed by Russian developers. Due to the geopolitical situation, the company has moved operations to Latvia. A European fork could potentially push them to the sidelines. This isn’t speculation. The intent is [clearly stated on the Euro-Office GitHub repository](https://github.com/Euro-Office?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=ONLYOFFICE%20is,government): > ONLYOFFICE is a Russian company (despite many attempts to hide this), and nearly all developers reside in Russia. Open Source is a global effort, but current political situation makes collaboration hard and trust difficult to earn. Especially when development is not transparent and open. A lot of users and customers require software that is not potentially influenced or controlled by the Russian government. They have also [accused ONLYOFFICE of discouraging code contributions](https://github.com/Euro-Office?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=Contributing%20is%20impossible%20or%20greatly%20discouraged%2E%20ONLYOFFICE%20typically%20does%20not%20review%20or%20accept%20pull%20requests%2E%20Build%20instructions%20are%20unreliable%2C%20outdated%20or%20just%20plain%20broken) and lacking transparency. So, Euro-Office aims to offer the same base software but with a “Made in Europe” label. ONLYOFFICE is understandably unhappy with this fork. A European alternative offering essentially the same product could impact their business significantly. ONLYOFFICE has [accused Euro-Office of violating the GNU Affero General Public License v3 (AGPLv3)](https://www.onlyoffice.com/blog/2026/03/onlyoffice-flags-license-violations-in-euro-office-project-by-nextcloud-and-ionos?ref=itsfoss.com), stating: > ***Any argument that a modified or derivative version of the software may be distributed under a “pure” AGPLv3 license, excluding the additional conditions imposed pursuant to Section 7, is legally unfounded.*** > ***The right to create and distribute derivative works arises solely from the license grant. Such a grant is conditional and indivisible. Accordingly, any derivative work based on the original ONLYOFFICE code may be created and distributed only in compliance with all applicable license terms, including the additional conditions.*** > ***The creation of a derivative work does not give rise to an independent licensing regime free from the conditions under which the original code was obtained.*** ## Conclusion ONLYOFFICE integration is already available in Nextcloud and many other collaboration platforms. These platforms want to offer an office suite that works seamlessly with popular Microsoft file formats. By forking ONLYOFFICE, they no longer have to rely on it. Instead, they can build and control their own “Made in Europe” solution. This could make it easier for them to offer their platforms to government administrations and organizations with strict data sovereignty requirements. ***So, who's side are you on? ONLYOFFICE or Euro-Office?*** ### LibreOffice vs ONLYOFFICE - Which One Is Right For You? URL: https://itsfoss.com/comparison/libreoffice-vs-onlyoffice/ Last updated: 2026-03-31T10:32:41.000Z When it comes to open-source office suites, we're not short on options, despite what it may seem at first glance. Yet, without a doubt, two names stand head and shoulders above all others. [LibreOffice](https://libreoffice.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [ONLYOFFICE](https://onlyoffice.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) sit unchallenged as the most popular office solutions built and distributed on open principles. Both are solid in their own rights, and both have loyal communities that swear by them and no others. But between the two, which one is right for *you*? In this article, we'll have a closer look at both office suites, with a friendly comparison of their strengths and weaknesses and what makes them truly unique, especially compared to each other. By the end, you'll be better equipped to choose which one you'd prefer, if you so desire. ## A note on testing methodology For the sake of fairness, both office suites were tested on the same system running Ubuntu 25.10, and represent the latest available release of either suite at the time of writing. For LibreOffice, that's 25.8.4.2, and for ONLYOFFICE, 9.3.1.8. My test system is fairly powerful, though no longer cutting-edge: an MSI GE76 Raider with an 11th Gen Intel Core i7, 64GB of RAM, and NVIDIA RTX 3060 graphics. Most of the screenshots and hands-on impressions in this article were taken in a KDE Plasma 6 (on Wayland). However, GNOME is my usual desktop environment, so some real-world impressions described here also reflect longer-term use there. I'll briefly touch on online/self-hosting availability, since both office suites have web-based solutions available, but a full review of either suite's web versions isn't covered in this article. 🗒️ As always with software like this, your experience may differ depending on your hardware, desktop environment, graphics stack, and workflow. ## Meet the "contenders" ![Plain, bold white text "LibreOffice" and "ONLYOFFICE" on a stylized purple background with a dividing white line](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/VS.png) No office suites were hurt in the making of this "showdown" It's highly likely that you're already familiar with either one of these two, but even so, it's still good to get a little insight and history of each one. LibreOffice is technically the older of the two, though the office suite that became ONLYOFFICE was in fact first released in the same year that LibreOffice was forked. ### LibreOffice: the unbeatable survivor ![A screenshot of the LibreOffice about dialog showing the version number](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/Screenshot-From-2026-02-04-09-57-54.png) LibreOffice 25.8.4.2 running on Ubuntu 25.10 Consisting of 6 major applications, Writer, Impress, Calc, Draw, Base, and Math, LibreOffice is the phoenix that [arose from the ashes](https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/images/1/19/GS7415-OpenSourceStandardsDoc.pdf?ref=itsfoss.com#%5B%7B%22num%22%3A12%2C%22gen%22%3A0%7D%2C%7B%22name%22%3A%22XYZ%22%7D%2C51%2C691.139%2C0%5D) of the once famous OpenOffice.org (now [Apache OpenOffice](https://www.openoffice.org/?ref=itsfoss.com)), after Oracle's acquisition of Sun Microsystems in January 2010 put OpenOffice.org development in danger of being discontinued. The Document Foundation chose the name LibreOffice after they were unable to acquire the OpenOffice.org trademark, and the organization took over the mission to continue developing OpenOffice.org as an open-source effort (itself born out of the StarOffice source code, [released](https://www.openoffice.org/FAQs/faq-overview.html?ref=itsfoss.com#1) on October 13, 2000). LibreOffice and The Document Foundation continue on today as more than a legacy, but a living legend among the wider open-source community, constantly adding new features, improving compatibility with other office suites, and even bringing new life to older file formats, through the [Document Liberation Project](https://www.documentliberation.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). [Download LibreOffice](https://www.libreoffice.org/download/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### ONLYOFFICE: The valiant newcomer ![A screenshot of ONLYOFFICE showing the about dialog with the version number](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-45.png) ONLYOFFICE 9.3.1.8 running on Ubuntu 25.10 Technically the younger of the two, ONLYOFFICE began life in 2010 as TeamLab, a platform for internal collaboration, before its evolution into the broader office suite that was later rebranded as ONLYOFFICE in 2014\. On the desktop, ONLYOFFICE is built around four main editors: Documents, Spreadsheets, Presentations, and PDFs. With this background in mind, it's easy to see why ONLYOFFICE stands out as the chief of online collaboration among open-source office suites. ![A screenshot of the cloud connection dialog in ONLYOFFICE, showing all the possible cloud providers you can connect to](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-34.png) ONLYOFFICE handily puts cloud connectivity right at your fingertips Its robust sharing and interoperability features make it a perfect solution for collaborative work in distributed teams, or for one individual working across multiple devices and locations. [Download ONLYOFFICE](https://onlyoffice.com/download-desktop?ref=itsfoss.com) ## Office format compatibility ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/formats.png) File formats are not just a matter of taste. They can define the limits of what a document can store and preserve, affecting everything from formatting and formulas to comments, transitions, and animation compatibility between office suites. While there is real value in choosing open, well-documented formats, there is still a critical need for compatibility with the dominant player in the field: Microsoft Office. Both LibreOffice and ONLYOFFICE offer strong support for Microsoft Office document formats, but there are some notable differences in the breadth and consistency of that support. If cross-platform compatibility is important to you, or you work in an environment where Microsoft formats are a requirement, those differences can easily become a deciding factor. Beyond this, these suites differ significantly in their format focus, with ONLYOFFICE focusing on more traditional, modern formats, while LibreOffice preserves support for numerous legacy formats from many other office suites and applications. ### LibreOffice: All-in on ODF, with growing support for other formats ![A screenshot of the LibreOffice Load/Save settings, showing the option to choose the default format for saving documents](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-17-1-1-1.png) LibreOffice lets you choose the default format for its main editors Being developed under The Document Foundation, one of the strongest champions of the [Open Document Format (ODF)](https://www.oasis-open.org/committees/tc%5Fhome.php?wg%5Fabbrev=office&ref=itsfoss.com), it should come as no surprise that LibreOffice uses these formats natively across all of its applications. Writer uses Open Document Text (ODT), Impress uses Open Document Presentation (ODP), Calc uses Open Document Spreadsheet (ODS), and so on. In theory, these formats can be opened in any office suite that supports this open standard and preserve full functionality. Unfortunately, the reality tends to be disappointing in practice. Even though ODF is an open standard and well documented, many office suites still lack full support for its more complex features. The result is that increased data loss in other applications is real — from broken formatting, to altered layouts, to wholly unsupported features. Ironically, because LibreOffice also offers broad support for both the Office Open XML (OOXML) formats, and older Microsoft document formats, these can sometimes provide a smoother experience for collaboration across different office suites. You can even make these formats the default for some LibreOffice applications. In other words, LibreOffice may be most faithful to ODF, but Microsoft’s formats often remain the practical choice for interoperability. 💡 ****Special note:** With Microsoft Publisher [going defunct in October](https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/microsoft-publisher-will-no-longer-be-supported-after-october-2026-ee6302a2-4bc7-4841-babf-8e9be3acbfd7?ref=itsfoss.com), it's good to know LibreOffice supports these files as well. ### **ONLYOFFICE: Native support for Microsoft Office formats** ![A screenshot of ONLYOFFICE in the opening screen](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-49.png) ONLYOFFICE was designed from the ground up around Microsoft formats Unlike LibreOffice, ONLYOFFICE was deliberately built around [the Office Open XML (OOXML) format](https://ecma-international.org/publications-and-standards/standards/ecma-376/?ref=itsfoss.com), the standard used by Microsoft Office. ONLYOFFICE not only uses DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX for its default outputs, [but also as the internal translation](https://api.onlyoffice.com/docs/docs-api/get-started/how-it-works/opening-file/?ref=itsfoss.com) of other formats. In practice, this typically translates to ONLYOFFICE having strong compatibility with documents generated in Microsoft Office, especially text documents. Yet, while this deeper compatibility is a plus on one end, it does come with an unexpected tradeoff. Particularly, ODF documents, while supported, do sometimes fail to convert cleanly, which I've found to result in a loss of formatting or other issues. So, while it's nice to have greater interoperability with Microsoft Office, you might want to reconsider if you're planning to exchange complex documents between ONLYOFFICE and LibreOffice. Another difference between the two is that ONLYOFFICE doesn't offer the depth of legacy format support available with LibreOffice. To be fair, this won't matter much to the average user, since most documents created in the last twenty years or so were likely saved in formats that are well supported across modern office suites. However, if you're trying to recover or work with files from older or less common apps, such as [AbiWord](https://gitlab.gnome.org/World/AbiWord?ref=itsfoss.com) or Microsoft Publisher, you'll be out to sea. ONLYOFFICE [specifically targets](https://helpcenter.onlyoffice.com/docs/userguides/document%5Feditor/supportedformats.aspx?ref=itsfoss.com) widely used formats and a narrower set of alternatives. ## User interface comparison No doubt, this is one area where these two office suites couldn't be more different. For starters, ONLYOFFICE is designed to more closely resemble the more popular and familiar Microsoft Office-style "Ribbon" interface, which was first introduced in Office 2007\. LibreOffice on the other hand, has long defaulted to a more traditional interface of toolbars and sidebars, before introducing its own "Ribbon-like" interface, along with a selection of others that sit somewhere in between. Beyond this superficial difference, they use different toolkits for their interfaces, with LibreOffice using its own "VCL" toolkit, and ONLYOFFICE being built on Qt5 and web technologies. ### LibreOffice: Highly versatile, unfairly maligned ![A screenshot of the home screen in a clean install of LibreOffice](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-2.png) The home screen in LibreOffice LibreOffice is notorious for its interface, but unfortunately it's because many find it to be somewhat "outdated". To be fair, this is really a mostly matter of taste. LibreOffice interface paradigm emphasises practicality, functionality, and reliability over visual appeal, and its interface is a reflection of this. It hails from a time when applications were judged equally by *how much* they could do, versus how easily you could get it done. As a result, the interface can seem a little crowded to some users and perhaps even a little confusing, but LibreOffice overcomes this challenge by presenting users with even more functionality: ![A screenshot of the user interface preference in LibreOffice Writer](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-3.png) Switching interface styles in LibreOffice Writer Not only does LibreOffice let you choose between interface styles, it lets you choose styles on as per-application or global basis, so you have the most appropriate UI for your individual needs. ### ONLYOFFICE: Familiar for Microsoft Office denizens ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-40.png) Unlike LibreOffice, which has largely retained the more traditional UI or earlier iterations, ONLYOFFICE aims to more closely resemble MS Office in both appearance and functionality. The first thing you'll notice when you open ONLYOFFICE is its modern aesthetic, which extends to the use of the interface style that was introduced and popularized with Microsoft Office. Despite being the more "modern" choice, the ONLYOFFICE UI can be a little confusing if you're more used to the "classic", "traditional" interfaces common in office suites of the past. For instance, you might find yourself wondering whether to choose "Home", "File" or "ONLYOFFICE" from the toolbar when trying to open a file. Granted, once you're used to it, any interface becomes second nature, but I personally did find this redundancy to be a minor source of confusion. ## Handling documents (word processing) No office suite is worth even mentioning without a solid word processor, so it makes sense this component is arguably the most mature between these two. ### LibreOffice Writer: The underrated juggernaut ![A screenshot of LibreOffice writer showcasing a document about Nextcloud](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-6-1.png) LibreOffice Writer running in KDE Plasma 6 As the subtitle suggests, LibreOffice Writer is often overlooked for just how powerful it really is. Perhaps my bias is showing here, since Writer is by far my word processor of choice whether for business or writing sci-fi novels. Writer comes with features you probably never knew you needed, and even more potential thanks to its extensibility. Beyond the standard formatting features, Writer features spell-checking with custom dictionaries, grammar checking, a highly intuitive and versatile styling system, collaborative editing features (including comments, change tracking) and support for complex layouts. Writer also allows you to set a printable background image for your document's pages, something which both Microsoft Office and ONLYOFFICE lack. As someone who sometimes needs to produce branded documents for clients, this is must-have feature that I have yet to find in any other document/word processor. This feature differs from the watermark feature found in other similar applications, a feature writer also possesses. ### ONLYOFFICE Documents: Familiar, focused, and collaboration-friendly ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/image-17.png) As the "new kid on the block," ONLYOFFICE Documents may not feel quite as deep or immediately distinctive as LibreOffice Writer at first glance, but it makes up for this with its own slew of helpful features. It supports real-time collaboration, plugins for additional functionality, including spellchecking options, fillable forms, and a range of export and conversion options, including Markdown and HTML. Beyond the expected formatting, styling, and layout tools, ONLYOFFICE Documents puts a strong emphasis on practical compatibility and teamwork. Its featureset and styling choices, even down to the decision not to include the aforementioned page background image support, are all choices to ensure fidelity of OOXML documents. Its design suits writers who prefer a more focused writing space, with muted icons and tools that only activate when you need them. Where LibreOffice Writer often feels like everything plus the kitchen sink, ONLYOFFICE Documents feels quite streamlined. It doesn't try to overwhelm you with too many paths to the same result, and for many users that simplicity can be a strength. ## The presentation experience ![A screenshot of LibreOffice Impress and ONLYOFFICE Presentations running side by side. LibreOffice is showing a presentation for Fedora Badges design's Outreachy 2023 internship. ONLYOFFICE Presentations is showing a presentation from the Creative Freedom Summit in 2024.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-36.png) LibreOffice Impress (background) and ONLYOFFICE Presentations (foreground) running side by side. Two very different approaches to a common goal: building beautiful presentations with open-source tools. Between the two suites, their approach to presentations is roughly similar, but each edges the other out in different ways, depending on what your priority is. To put it simple, if you're looking for an interface closer to what you'll get in Microsoft's PowerPoint, ONLYOFFICE Presentations is definitely the winner here. However, if you're looking for a more featureful experience, then LibreOffice Impress is arguably the stronger contender. Let's take a closer look below. ### LibreOffice Impress: Mature, robust, yet a little rough ![A screenshot of LibreOffice Impress with a presenation for Fedora Badges design during the Outreachy 2023 internship](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-35.png) LibreOffice Impress lives up to its name, with an **impressive* set of features As far as presentation tools go, LibreOffice Impress stands out as one of the more mature options available, featuring much of the standard functionality you'd expect, including complex animations, transitions, and support for multiple master slides and layouts. It's quite comparable to the more well known Powerpoint, but it has long stood out on its own merits, even offering features other presentation editors still don't have. Additionally, it features a polished Presenter Console, and smooth, [live presentation editing](https://help.libreoffice.org/latest/en-US/text/simpress/01/06080000.html?ref=itsfoss.com), two features crucial for professional presenation work. One example is its impressive 3D transitions, which remain a distinctive and surprisingly effective way to add a little more visual life to a presentation. Impress also supports rich text editing, embedded spreadsheets and charts, videos, and other additions on top of the standard, basic featureset. In my experience over many years of usage, Impress handles both PPT and PPTX files quite well, even up to and including most animations and transitions. Even rich media tends to translate well both on import and export. ![The presenter console in LibreOffice Impress, showing a presentation called "Business Week 2026: Building back bigger". The background is a closeup shot of candy in various colours.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-18-1.png) The LibreOffice Impress presenter console Despite its maturity, Impress can still feel held back in two important ways: familiarity and responsiveness. Users who prefer a more traditional interface may feel right at home, but those more familiar with Microsoft's PowerPoint or similar editors may find the layout a little overwhelming at first. While the learning curve isn't severe, it can take some adjustment for newcomers. The other issue that some users may encounter with Impress is its performance. In my own experience using LibreOffice across different operating systems and hardware over many years, Impress has consistently been a little sluggish when editing text, or working with larger presentations. Its 3D transitions have also historically not always fared as well on certain graphics drivers. ### ONLYOFFICE Presentations: Effectively interesting ![A screenshot of ONLYOFIFFCE Presentations showing a presentation called "Creative Freedom: Luxury or Lifeline"](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-19.png) It's like looking at an open-source PowerPoint, but better As the newer player of the two, ONLYOFFICE Presentations is not quite as mature as LibreOffice Impress, but it's still quite impressive in its own right. Designed to more closely resemble PowerPoint in both appearance and functionality, it offers a more familiar interface for users who are already accustomed to Microsoft’s presentation workflow. It supports animations, slide transitions, embedded GIFs, and other rich media content, while Slide Master support was added more recently in version 8.1. Where ONLYOFFICE Presentations truly stands apart is in its real-time collaborative editing features. From comments to chatting, these features standout front and center in the editor, and make sense for modern workflows where multiple individuals may often be tasked with working together in distributed teams. Additionally, its Presenter View features an intuitive annotation menu. This is a standout feature that even Impress lacks, and for anyone who regularly gives presentations, it could be the decision maker overall. Unfortunately, there's no live presentation editing, unlike with Impress and PowerPoint. ![A screenshot of the Presenter View window in ONLYOFFICE Presentations, showing the annotation menu](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-20.png) The dedicated annotation menu in ONLYOFFICE Presentations is a must-have feature for interactive presentations In general, ONLYOFFICE Presentations keeps things simple. Its tools are laid out in a way that feels approachable and easy to understand, which is ideal for users who want to work quickly without digging through layers of controls. Power users may still notice the absence of some of the deeper animation and transition options available in editors like Impress, but for many people, that trade-off will feel perfectly reasonable. ## Spreadsheets ![A screenshot of the test file (a periodic table sheet) in Microsoft Excel 365](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-41.png) Test file opened and rendered in Microsoft Excel (365) Both these office suites provide robust spreadsheet editors, though their differences are notable when working with complex files. Personally, my rule of thumb with just about any app is to work within its constraints, but when you're working with files that you don't control or you need certain advanced features, certain differences become non-negotiables. ![A screenshot of Excel 365 showing the pair of charts used in the test file](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-42.png) The test file in Excel 365, showing the charts In testing these two with a complex spreadsheet, certain non-negotiables do begin to surface quite quickly. If you're someone who works heavily with spreadsheets, this is one area where the comparison could be "make or break". ### LibreOffice Calc: The underrated workhorse ![A screenshot of LibreOffice calc showing a periodic table test file in XLSX format](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-19-1.png) Calc rendered my test file relatively well, but dropped some background colours LibreOffice Calc handled the test file reasonably well overall. Both of the charts rendered *almost* correctly, plotting along the axes accurately. That said, the chart colours weren't preserved, instead defaulting to a generic blue. ![A screenshot of Calc showing the test file with both charts rendered. The axes and data rendered correctly, and all plot points are accurately replicated. However, chart colours got reduced to blue.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-43-1.png) The test file in Calc, showing the charts In the lookup sheet, the atomic mass field was displayed with an extra decimal place, and some cell background colours were lost, with cells that appeared blue in Excel and ONLYOFFICE showing up with a white background instead. Individually, these may seem like fairly small issues. In larger spreadsheets, however, especially those with multiple charts, visual cues, or more elaborate lookup tables, they can begin to add up. Even so, Calc still came across as the more dependable of the two in this particular test. ### ONLYOFFICE Spreadsheets: Still has some ways to go ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-44.png) ONLYOFFICE Spreadsheets also managed to open the test file, but with more noticeable rendering problems. Some cells were stretched vertically because the editor chose to wrap overflowing text, which affected the overall layout. The lookup table itself worked correctly, aside from a small rendering bug in the horizontal dividing line beneath the fourth cell. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/image-20.png) The bigger problem was chart fidelity. The first chart rendered with badly skewed axes, while the second failed to display any data at all. Formula results, however, remained consistent, and the more complex calculations I tested still worked as expected. 🗒️ ****A note on macros:** It wasn't possible to test macros in this hands-on review. However, LibreOffice does offer limited support for Microsoft VBA macros, while ONLYOFFICE takes a totally different approach, relying on its own JavaScript-based macro system. If you depend heavily on VBA-driven spreadsheets, it's best to test your own files carefully before settling on either suite. ## PDF editing Full disclosure: I generally use Inkscape and LibreOffice to *produce* my PDFs. When I need to edit, I just export and replace the original file most of the time. This is probably what most of us do. However, there's still a very real [need for editing PDFs](https://itsfoss.com/pdf-editors-linux/) for which you don't have the source files, and in that case, you need something more purpose-built for the cause. So how do these two stack up? Well, while both office suites support PDF editing out the box, the experience between the two couldn't be more different. I'll touch on both of these experiences in more detail below. ### LibreOffice Draw: The odd child in the family ![A screenshot of LibreOffice Draw showing a PDF file being edited](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-51.png) Editing a PDF in LibreOffice Draw [LibreOffice's PDF editing solution is Draw](https://itsfoss.com/edit-pdf-files-ubuntu-linux/), an interesting blend of a lightweight desktop publishing solution, a diagramming tool, and a vector drawing editor. It doesn't fit neatly into any one category, but this is perhaps its greatest strength. It can be used for creating and editing PDF documents with complex graphics, flowcharts, and simple illustrations, and is great for handling page layouts. It's one of the most flexible tools in the suite, but its development pace tends to be slower. Unlike some other PDF editors, Draw isn't well suited for creating or editing long-form text, so if you're authoring such documents, I'd recommend using Writer and exporting to PDF over attempting to edit directly in Draw. Also, while this may be a matter of opinion, its interface and workflow can feel a little clunky when compared to more specialised software in this field, such as [Inkscape](https://inkscape.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), but once you get past the differences, Draw makes up for it with a breadth of utility that can sometimes be underestimated. ### ONLYOFFICE PDF: "Just right" – at least for text ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/image-21.png) At first glance, ONLYOFFICE PDF appears to be just another word processor, which, I have to say, I found to be a major plus, as there is distinctive lack of Adobe Acrobat-style PDF editors, not only on Linux, but generally. Where things get even more interesting is the inclusion of different "modes", which automatically activate depending on the nature of the PDF document. If you start a new file in ONLYOFFICE PDF, it functions solely like a word processor. However, if you open a PDF generated in another application, like Inkscape for example, it functions like a more traditional PDF editor, presenting the PDF's contents as objects rather than a flowing text document. I found this versatility refreshing compared to LibreOffice Draw, but with no clear way to manually switch between these modes on the fly, it leaves a bit to be desired. Perhaps this functionality will improve with time, but for now, it can be a source of some minor confusion. ## Unique features and apps between the suites ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-21.png) It's true that both these office suites are comprehensive in their own rights, but each one has unique features that set them apart from each other and even above other free and open-source office suites in some respects. After all, it's not just familiar interfaces and file format support that users care about. ### LibreOffice: Base, Math LibreOffice includes two additional applications not typically found in most office suites: Base and Math. They don't get nearly as much attention as the main three (or Draw, for that matter), but they're still an important part of what establishes LibreOffice as one of the of the most popular office suites (open-source or not). Of the two, LibreOffice Math is least associated with traditional office work at first glance. Even so, all these apps help set LibreOffice apart, not just from ONLYOFFICE, but from office suites as a whole. #### LibreOffice Base ![A screenshot of LibreOffice Base with a simple database opened](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-4.png) LibreOffice Base running in KDE Plasma 6 Base is LibreOffice’s database application, and while desktop database tools aren't as visible as they once were, it remains surprisingly relevant. What makes Base truly interesting is its flexibility. It can create embedded databases using HSQLDB or Firebird, or connect to a range of external database systems, including MySQL, Postgres, and others, through standard connectors. Unlike Microsoft Access, Base also a cross-platform tool, and not tied to any Windows-centric libraries or engines. In practical terms, this means that Base can work equally well as a small, standalone database tool, or as a graphical frontend for other, external data sources. It can even use spreadsheets and other file-based sources, adding to its versatility and usefulness in mixed office environments. #### LibreOffice Math ![A screenshot of LibreOffice Math showing a fraction consisting of 1 of 3 - (4*5)](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-46-1.png) I will leave the more complex Maths to the experts Math is LibreOffice’s formula editor, designed for writing mathematical and scientific expressions. It's perhaps the most specialised of the core LibreOffice apps, it's extremely useful for students, educators, researchers, and anyone working with technical documents. Math is best understood as a dedicated tool for building clean, properly formatted equations that can then be inserted into other LibreOffice documents. It isn't flashy, but it fills an important role that many office suites either overlook or handle less directly. ### ONLYOFFICE: Complex AI Integration ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/image-7.png) ONLYOFFICE AI integration is flexible enough to let you use your own locally installed models A recent addition but still quite notable, ONLYOFFICE is the only free, open-source office suite currently available for the desktop with built-in AI integration. While this may not be for everyone, it is quite a useful feature to have on hand. Not only can be used for generating documents, but it can serve as an alternative spelling and grammar checker. ## Online Availability & self-hosting This is one area where these two office suites differ quite a bit in strategy and direction. ONLYOFFICE is built with the web as a core concept, but LibreOffice started, and is still best understood, as a desktop-first office suite. Still, both have solutions for online use, including self-hosted options, but they achieve these ends through very different means. ### LibreOffice: A mixture of efforts ![A screenshot of Collabora Office running on the desktop](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-47-1.png) Collabora Office for the desktop is the same interface as Collabora Online LibreOffice is a huge beast, and the effort to bring it to the web took years of engineering work. Today, the most mature browser-based deployment built on LibreOffice remains a third-party product, [Collabora Online](https://www.collaboraonline.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) (which also powers [Nextcloud Office](https://nextcloud.com/office/?ref=itsfoss.com)). That said, The Document Foundation has recently [reopened work on LibreOffice Online](https://blog.documentfoundation.org/blog/2026/02/24/libreoffice-online-a-fresh-start/?ref=itsfoss.com) after several years of dormancy. Interestingly, this decision has caused a bit of controversy, so it remains to be seen what will become of LibreOffice online in the future. ### ONLYOFFICE: Built with the web in its veins ![A screenshot from within ONLYOFFICE DocSpace](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-48.png) [ONLYOFFICE DocSpace](https://docspace.onlyoffice.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is their online solution Between the two, ONLYOFFICE most certainly takes the crown in this arena, because its online editors are very much a central part of the product line, and it offers both self-hosted community options and commercial server offerings for individuals, teams, and businesses. In other words, online editing isn't a side quest or afterthought for ONLYOFFICE as a project; it's pretty much the gold standard. With this being the case, ONLYOFFICE online feels more like what the product is *meant* to be, and switching between the online and desktop editors is about as close to seamless as you can get. Being designed from the beginning to operate by this modality, ONLYOFFICE doesn't have the same disparity between versions that is evident in LibreOffice's situation. ## Mobile availability ![A screenshot of the homescreens of ONLYOFFICE and Collabora Office, both running on Waydroid, with a blue and purple background.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/Mobile.png) ONLYOFFICE (foreground) and Collabora Office (background) on Waydroid It could be argued that no modern office suite feels complete without some kind of mobile counterpart, at least for Android if not on iOS as well. Both LibreOffice and ONLYOFFICE have a presence on mobile, but the experience differs in both maturity and approach. ONLYOFFICE offers dedicated mobile apps for Android and iOS as a direct part of its wider platform, while LibreOffice’s again serves up a duality of experiences, including an editor built by Collabora. 💡 ****Note:** for the purposes of this article, we won't go into a full review of either app on mobile. This section just serves to give a general overview of what's available for either suite. ### LibreOffice: A little here, a little there ![A screenshot of Collabora Office with the Writer module open, featuring the text "Hello from Collabora Office"](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-39.png) Editing a document in Collabora Office (running on Waydroid) LibreOffice does have a meaningful mobile presence, but it is less direct than ONLYOFFICE’s. Rather than a first-party LibreOffice mobile app in the same sense, mobile editing is most visibly represented through Collabora Office for Android and iOS, which is built on LibreOffice technology and supports document, spreadsheet, and presentation editing on the go. ### ONLYOFFICE: Cohesion preserved throughout ![A screenshot of ONLYOFFICE on Waydroid, editing the welcome document that comes with ONLYOFFICE](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-38.png) ONLYOFFICE editing a text document on Waydroid ONLYOFFICE takes a more straightforward route here. It offers free mobile apps for both Android and iOS, positioning them as part of the same broader product family as its desktop and online editors. That makes its mobile story feel more unified, especially for users who want a more seamless experience across devices. ## Individual quirks ![A photo of a crack on dark ground with a piece of plaster connecting both sides.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/luis-villasmil-jPpHpgWNCKs-unsplash.jpg) Photo by [Luis Villasmil](https://unsplash.com/@villxsmil?utm%5Fsource=unsplash&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcontent=creditCopyText) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/orange-band-aid-on-concrete-surface-crack-jPpHpgWNCKs?utm%5Fsource=unsplash&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcontent=creditCopyText) Of course, no app is without its own quirks and challenges. While both these suites are powerhouses in their own right, shortcomings, unusual behaviours and other issues are to be expected. To be fair, these quirks don't completely take away from the usefulness of either app; they're just things to be aware of that may help you decide which one you'd prefer to use full-time. ### LibreOffice: held back by its toolkit LibreOffice can occasionally feel a little less polished than its feature set deserves. Its interface can feel a little out of place on some platforms due to [the VCL toolkit](https://docs.libreoffice.org/vcl.html?ref=itsfoss.com) emulating native widgets as opposed using the native toolkit to draw them directly. Some users also report VCL choosing the wrong interface for their platform. This can be particularly jarring on Linux, especially when using custom themes, dark mode, or when certain rendering glitches occur. ### ONLYOFFICE: Clean, but still maturing While ONLYOFFICE generally feels cleaner and more streamlined, it's not without its own rough edges. On Linux, some users [have reported issues](https://community.onlyoffice.com/t/desktop-editors-poor-performance-wayland-ubuntu-24-04/9278?ref=itsfoss.com) around Wayland performance, rendering behaviour, and font handling, which can make the desktop editors feel a little less predictable than their polished interface suggests. Furthermore, despite using Qt for some aspects of the interface, most of the ONLYOFFICE UI is built using web technologies, so the "native look" is notably missing. ## Final thoughts: which should you choose? As with any comparison like this, the answer depends on your needs. LibreOffice and ONLYOFFICE are both strong open-source office suites, but they excel in different areas. LibreOffice offers a broader and more traditional suite, with deeper functionality, more specialised tools, and a stronger connection to open formats. ONLYOFFICE feels more streamlined, more familiar to Microsoft Office users, and often more comfortable in collaboration-heavy workflows built around Microsoft's file formats. If you value breadth, flexibility, and open standards, LibreOffice is the stronger choice. If you value familiarity, simplicity, and smoother Office-style compatibility, ONLYOFFICE may be the one for you. Of course, these are just my recommendations, but ultimately, the choice is really yours. ### "I No Longer Have the Passion" Ubuntu MATE Creator Wants to Hand Over Project URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-mate-leadership-crisis/ Last updated: 2026-03-31T06:31:18.000Z Ubuntu MATE creator Martin Wimpress has [announced](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/ubuntu-mate-seeking-maintainers/79264?ref=itsfoss.com) that he no longer has the passion he once had, nor the time, to work on the project: > As another development cycle passes, I find myself lacking the time I once had to work on Ubuntu MATE. And, to be frank, I don’t have the passion for the project that I once had. When I have time to tinker, my interests are elsewhere. He is now looking to handover the project: > I’m interested in handing over the reins to contributors who do have the time and energy to work on Ubuntu MATE. ## What happened? Martin Wimpress created Ubuntu MATE back in 2014\. A fork of the classic GNOME 2, MATE was preferred by people who liked the traditional desktop layout and disliked the newer GNOME 3 design. [Ubuntu MATE](https://ubuntu-mate.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) was made an official Ubuntu flavor in 2015 and soon gained a fairly decent sized user base. Things were going well until they were not. Like many side projects created as a hobby, the passion can fade over time or the work may no longer feel challenging enough. Eventually, Martin decided to step away. Back then, Martin was working at Canonical as an Engineering Director. He no longer works at Canonical, the parent company of Ubuntu. He has also switched to NixOS, which is clearly more interesting and challenging for someone with his technical skills. Martin still makes cool stuff when he gets time. His [GitHub repo](https://github.com/wimpysworld?ref=itsfoss.com) is a proof of that. ## Maintaining a distro takes more effort than most think Lubuntu has struggled with a lack of contributors. The Ubuntu Unity lead also stepped away. Not all distros are just a custom-themed desktop environment on top of a base distro. A well-established project like Ubuntu MATE requires significant time and effort. There is upstream code to track, features to test, and much more. The complexity increases when it is associated as an official flavor of a larger project like Ubuntu. There are standards to follow, quality to maintain, meetings with other Ubuntu flavor developers, strict release schedules, and more. Then there are additional responsibilities like maintaining documentation and managing the community. It may not seem obvious, but these tasks also take a considerable amount of time. I can relate, as we have to do the same for our forum and nearly ten social channels. Another thing is that the MATE desktop itself has not seen as much active development as other mainstream desktop environments like KDE and GNOME. The last MATE release came out two years ago. ![MATE desktop releases](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/mate-desktop-releases.png) This could have resulted in a dwindling userbase for Ubuntu MATE. And if that's the case, then it is surely a demotivating factor for any project. Tired of AI fluff and misinformation in your Google feed? Get real, trusted Linux content. Add It’s FOSS as your preferred source and see our reliable Linux and open-source stories highlighted in your Discover feed and search results. [Add us as preferred source on Google ](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=itsfoss.com&ref=itsfoss.com) ## Is this the end of Ubuntu MATE? For now, there will be no Ubuntu MATE 26.04 LTS release. Ubuntu 24.04 will be here till April 2027\. So we still have a year left before the distro actually becomes unsuable, if it comes to that. Hopefully, someone will step in. As long as MATE desktop is being developed, no matter how slowly, Ubuntu MATE should live on. I mean it's not the first time it has happened that a project lead moved away and someone else filled the spot. Let's hope the same happens with Ubuntu MATE. ### After 5 Years, PineTime Gets a Major Upgrade with AMOLED, GPS, and More URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/pinetime-pro-early-look/ Last updated: 2026-03-30T16:43:05.000Z [PINE64](https://pine64.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) has built a reputation for delivering open source hardware to people who actually care about what runs on their devices. From single-board computers like the [ROCKPro64](https://pine64.org/devices/rockpro64/?ref=itsfoss.com) and the RISC-V powered [STAR64](https://pine64.org/devices/star64/?ref=itsfoss.com) to Linux smartphones like the [PinePhone](https://pine64.org/devices/pinephone/?ref=itsfoss.com), the company has been pretty consistent. One of their offerings is the [PineTime](https://pine64.org/devices/pinetime/?ref=itsfoss.com), which is a compact, inexpensive open source smartwatch that has been around since 2019\. It started as [a community side project](https://pine64.org/2019/10/05/october-update-pinetime-delays-and-shipping-news/?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=on%20the%20PinePhone-,The%20PineTime%C2%A0,-Finally%20some%20truly), inspired partly by the simplicity of the old Pebble, and is priced at around $26.99. Years later, PINE64 has revealed [what comes next](https://pine64.org/2026/03/28/pinetime%5Fmarch%5F2026/?ref=itsfoss.com). Announced at FOSDEM 2026 and detailed in a new blog post, the **PineTime Pro** is the open source smartwatch's next step up. ## PineTime Pro is Coming ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/pine64-pinetime-pro-early-build-1.jpg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/pine64-pinetime-pro-early-build-internals-1.jpg) **Pics courtesy of the PINE64 team.* The PineTime Pro is a significant hardware upgrade over the original, and the spec sheet makes that known right away. At its core is **a dual-core Cortex-M33 SoC**, with an application core running at up to 200 MHz and a separate dedicated Bluetooth core. RAM goes up from the original's 64 KB of SRAM to **800 KB of SRAM** plus **8 MB of PSRAM**. The display jumps from a 240x240 pixel 1.3-inch LCD to **a 410x502 pixel 2.13-inch AMOLED panel** with touch support. **Beyond that**, the Pro comes with GPS, a heart rate sensor with blood oxygen measurement, a 6D IMU, Bluetooth 5.2 with both *Classic* and *Low Energy* support, a microphone, a speaker, and a vibration motor. It also has a digital crown that doubles as a button. External storage is delivered via **8 MB of QSPI flash**, and there is a **4-pin connector** for power, debugging, and programming purposes. Additionally, PINE64 is calling this one the PineTime Pro and not the PineTime 2 for a deliberate reason. **The original is not being discontinued** as it is still doing well. The Pro is meant to sit alongside it as a more capable option, not replace it. If the original PineTime was built to be approachable, the Pro is built for those who want to push things further. On the software side, developers from both [InfiniTime](https://infinitime.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Wasp-OS](https://wasp-os.readthedocs.io/en/latest/?ref=itsfoss.com) are involved, with the groundwork for it already being laid. The extra hardware headroom also means features that were never realistic on the original could actually happen here. ## When to expect? As for where things stand right now, **it is early**. The first two watch prototypes arrived toward the end of 2025, but a non-functional SWD port made loading and debugging software harder than expected. A second batch showed up just before [FOSDEM 2026](https://fosdem.org/2026/?ref=itsfoss.com) but ran into a flash memory issue, which meant the demo at the event had to run on a development board rather than the actual watch hardware. A third hardware revision is expected **in early April**, and the team is optimistic this one will finally clear the remaining hurdles. **There is no release date yet**, and PINE64 is not claiming otherwise. But after years of hardware iteration, the PineTime Pro is finally starting to feel like something we might actually one day wear on our wrists. ### Ubuntu 26.04 LTS Requires More RAM Than Windows 11? URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-04-minimum-ram-requirement/ Last updated: 2026-03-30T14:29:38.000Z Ubuntu 26.04 LTS "*Resolute Raccoon*" is not out yet, but its release notes have an [unexpected change](https://documentation.ubuntu.com/release-notes/26.04/?ref=itsfoss.com#requirements-and-compatibility) that missed my eyes completely. [Canonical](https://canonical.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) has **bumped the minimum RAM requirement for Ubuntu Desktop to 6 GB** for this upcoming LTS release. While it is a major shift for [desktop](https://ubuntu.com/download/desktop?ref=itsfoss.com) users, on the server side, things remain far more flexible. Ubuntu Server's [documentation](https://ubuntu.com/server/docs/reference/installation/system-requirements/?ref=itsfoss.com) lists a minimum of 1.5 GB for ISO installs, with a suggested minimum of 3 GB to account for real-world workloads. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/ubuntu-26-04-lts-system-requirements.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/ubuntu-24-04-lts-system-requirements.png) **Ubuntu 26.04 LTS system requirements on the left, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS' on the right.* [Ubuntu 24.04 LTS](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-24-04-lts/), the current long-term support release, lists 4 GB of RAM alongside a 2 GHz dual-core processor and 25 GB of storage as its minimum requirements. Those requirements were carried over to [Ubuntu 25.10](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-25-10-release/) as well. So the jump to 6 GB in 26.04 marks the first time Canonical has raised the desktop RAM ceiling in a while. ## But Windows requires less? Microsoft lists 4GB as the minimum required RAM for [Windows 11](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11-specifications?ref=itsfoss.com), which on paper looks more generous than what [Ubuntu 26.04](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-26-04-release-features/) is asking for. But that number is worth looking at a little more closely, though. ![this screenshot shows a list of system requirements for running windows 11, there are listing for processor, ram, storage, system firmware, tpm, graphics card, and display](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/windows-11-system-requirements.png) I say that because it is also mandatory to have [Trusted Platform Module](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/what-s-a-trusted-platform-module-tpm-705f241d-025d-4470-80c5-4feeb24fa1ee?ref=itsfoss.com) (TPM) version 2.0 to run Windows 11\. If you didn't know (*or care about*), TPM is a dedicated security chip built into your motherboard that handles cryptographic keys used by features like Windows Hello and BitLocker. The thing is, most computers that have shipped with TPM in the past few years (*at least the Windows-focused ones*) **come with at least 8 GB of RAM**, and if you draw a parallel with [how badly 4 GB of RAM performs](https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/1qyp1k2/is%5F4gb%5Fof%5Fram%5Fenough%5Ffor%5Flight%5Ftasks/?ref=itsfoss.com) (*check the comments*) on a Windows 11 install, you will see that the claim sounds *sloppy*. Canonical appears to be taking the more straightforward approach here. Ubuntu with GNOME has been known to be fairly hungry on RAM once you start actually using it. Open a browser, load a handful of tabs, and **the available memory starts to disappear quickly**. The 4 GB figure that covered Ubuntu 24.04 seems closer to a technical floor than a practical ceiling, and moving it to 6 GB in 26.04 reflects that reality more honestly. **The TLDR** is that both operating systems need headroom well above their listed minimums the moment you start doing anything beyond light use; one lists in clearly, while the other doesn't. ## What about systems with 4 GB of RAM? If your machine has 4 GB of RAM, **Ubuntu 26.04 LTS should still be a decent fit**, but if you are a power user who likes to multitask, then [Lubuntu](https://lubuntu.me/?ref=itsfoss.com), the official [Ubuntu flavor](https://ubuntu.com/desktop/flavors?ref=itsfoss.com) can be a better fit for you. It is built on the **LXQt** desktop environment, runs relatively comfortably with a minimum of 1 GB of RAM and 2 GB recommended. Xubuntu is also a good candidate here. For systems where even that is a stretch, opting for a [window manager](https://itsfoss.com/best-window-managers/) like [i3](https://i3wm.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) or [bspwm](https://github.com/baskerville/bspwm?ref=itsfoss.com) instead of a full [desktop environment](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/de-personality-quiz/) will give you a functional Linux setup on hardware that a standard Ubuntu install would likely struggle with. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [Best lightweight Linux distributions](https://itsfoss.com/lightweight-linux-beginners/) [16 Best Lightweight Linux Distributions for Older ComputersDon’t throw your old computer just yet. Use a lightweight Linux distro and revive that decades-old system.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-352.png)It's FOSSAnkush Das![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/light-linux-distros.jpg)](https://itsfoss.com/lightweight-linux-beginners/) ### The One Trick That Made Immutable Linux Easier For Me URL: https://itsfoss.com/systemd-sysext/ Last updated: 2026-03-31T02:44:34.000Z If you’ve recently dipped your toes into the world of [immutable Linux distributions](https://itsfoss.com/immutable-linux-distros/) like [Fedora Silverblue](https://fedoraproject.org/atomic-desktops/silverblue/?ref=itsfoss.com), [openSUSE MicroOS](https://get.opensuse.org/microos/?ref=itsfoss.com), or even the Steam Deck, you'll encounter this issue eventually. You try to perform a basic task, like adding a custom script to `/usr/bin` or creating a global configuration directory, and the terminal throws an error: **Read-only file system.** It’s a frustrating moment. You chose an [immutable OS ](https://itsfoss.com/immutable-distro/)for the stability, the atomic updates, and the "unbreakable" nature of the system. But now you feel like a guest in your own house. The traditional fixes, manually mounting an overlay filesystem or using rpm-ostree to layer packages, either require a reboot or complex manual management. [systemd-sysext](https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/latest/systemd-sysext.html?ref=itsfoss.com) was built specifically to solve this problem. This often-overlooked utility uses OverlayFS under the hood but adds compatibility checking, systemd integration, and a standardized format, allowing you to dynamically merge binaries and libraries into `/usr` at runtime, **without touching the underlying read-only image and without a reboot**. ## Quick Look at Immutability To understand why we need `sysext`, you first have to understand why the Linux world is moving toward immutability. In a traditional "mutable" distribution like [Ubuntu ](https://ubuntu.com/?ref=itsfoss.com)or [Arch](https://archlinux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), the root filesystem is a giant, writable scratchpad. Any process with root privileges can modify any file in `/usr` or `/bin`. While this gives us total freedom, it’s also a major source of system drift. Over time, manual changes, conflicting libraries, and failed package installations make the system unpredictable. Immutable distributions solve this by treating the operating system as a read-only image. When you update the system, you aren't just changing individual files; you are switching to a completely new, pre-verified version of the OS. This makes the system "atomic", it either works perfectly, or it rolls back to the previous version. ## The Problem: Seeing the "Read-Only" Barrier While immutability is great for stability, it’s a nightmare for "on-the-fly" troubleshooting. On a standard system, if I need to see why a network port is blocked, I might quickly install `nmap` or `tcpdump`. On an immutable system, I’m stuck. You can see this in action by trying to manually add a file to your system binaries: ``` sudo touch /usr/bin/test_file ``` ![read only file system](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-52-1.png) Instead of creating a file, you’ll get a rejection message: `touch: cannot touch '/usr/bin/test_file': Read-only file system`. This proves that even with `sudo`, the core of your OS is locked. To add a tool "the official way" (layering), you’d have to run a command like `rpm-ostree install` and then restart your computer. For a quick task, that's a massive interruption. And this "rpm-ostree" is more of a Fedora Silverblue thing, it won't work on non-Fedora atomic distros. ## How System Extensions Actually Work I'd like to think of `systemd-sysext` as a digital "overlay." Instead of fighting the read-only filesystem, we are going to build a small directory structure that contains our tools and tell the system to virtually "merge" it on top of the existing `/usr`. This uses a kernel feature called **OverlayFS**. It takes your base (read-only) system as the "Lower" layer and your extension as the "Upper" layer. The result is a "Merged" view that the user interacts with. To your applications, it looks like the files were there all along. ### Step 1: Building Your First System Extension You don't need complex build systems to create a system extension. At its simplest, a `sysext` is just a directory structure that mirrors the Linux root. Let's build a workspace for a custom tool. First, mirror the Linux filesystem hierarchy: ``` mkdir -p my-tool-ext/usr/bin mkdir -p my-tool-ext/usr/lib/extension-release.d/ ``` ![Creating the base hierarchy.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-53-1.png) Next, let's create a simple test tool. In a real-world scenario, you could drop a compiled binary like `ncdu` or `htop` here, but for this guide, a script works perfectly: ``` echo -e '#!/bin/sh\necho "Sysext is active on Fedora!"' > my-tool-ext/usr/bin/foss-tool chmod +x my-tool-ext/usr/bin/foss-tool ``` ![Creating a custom shell script and setting execution permissions using chmod.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-54-1.png) ### Step 2: The Metadata "Passport" This is the most critical step and where you can get stuck. `systemd-sysext` acts as a gatekeeper. It will not merge an extension unless it knows exactly which OS version the extension is built for. To find out what your system expects, run: `cat /etc/os-release | grep -E '^ID=|^VERSION_ID='` ![Checking Fedora OS release version.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-55-1.png) On my setup, this returns `ID=fedora` and `VERSION_ID=43`. If you are following along, make sure to replace these values with whatever your specific system reports. If you are on Silverblue 39, use those numbers. Now, create the mandatory release file: ``` echo "ID=fedora" > my-tool-ext/usr/lib/extension-release.d/extension-release.my-tool-ext echo "VERSION_ID=43" >> my-tool-ext/usr/lib/extension-release.d/extension-release.my-tool-ext ``` ![Creating extension release metadata file](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-56-1.png) Before we merge anything into the live system, it’s worth double-checking our work. A `systemd-sysext` image is essentially a mirror of your root directory, so the file hierarchy must be exact. You can verify your layout by running: ``` ls -R my-tool-ext ``` ![Verifying sysext directory structure.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-60.png) You should see your binary sitting in `usr/bin` and your metadata 'passport' tucked away in `usr/lib/extension-release.d/`. If these aren't in the right place, the system simply won't know how to 'map' them during the merge. ### Step 3: The "Merge" Moment Now that our extension has its "passport" ready, we move it to the system's extension path and trigger the merge. This is the moment where the read-only barrier is bypassed: ``` sudo cp -r my-tool-ext /var/lib/extensions/ sudo systemd-sysext merge ``` ![Executing the systemd-sysext merge command on Fedora](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-59-1.png) Next, confirm the binary location. The system should see it as a standard system tool: ``` ls -l /usr/bin/foss-tool foss-tool ``` ![Verifying custom binary in usr-bin](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-57-1.png) You can verify the status and run your new tool: ``` systemd-sysext status ``` ![Checking the active systemd-sysext extensions.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-58-1.png) Your system is still technically read-only, but you’ve successfully injected new functionality into it without a single reboot. ## Troubleshooting: When the Merge Fails One of the most common frustrations is seeing the error: `No suitable extensions found (1 ignored due to incompatible image)`. This isn't a bug; it's a safety feature. If your `extension-release` file says you are on Fedora 42 but you actually just upgraded to Fedora 43, `systemd` will block the merge. It does this because libraries often change between versions, and merging an incompatible binary could cause system instability. If you hit this error, simply update your metadata to match your current `os-release` and re-run the merge. ## Reverting Without a Trace The most powerful feature of `systemd-sysext` isn't just how easily it adds tools, it’s how cleanly it removes them. Traditional package management often leaves behind config files or libraries that clutter your system over time. With `sysext`, unmerging is a clean break: ``` sudo systemd-sysext unmerge ``` ![Running systemd-sysext-unmerge for system cleanup.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-61-1.png) If you try to run your tool now, the shell will return a `No such file or directory` error. The overlay has been lifted, and your `/usr` directory is exactly as it was when you first installed the OS. ## Why This Beats the Container Approach A common question is: "Why not just use [Distrobox](https://itsfoss.com/distrobox/)?" Containers are amazing for general applications, but they run in an isolated namespace. If you are trying to debug a kernel issue or analyze hardware peripherals, that isolation can get in the way. `systemd-sysext` puts the tool **directly on the host**. It has the same permissions and visibility as a tool shipped with the OS itself. If you need a tool to "be" the system rather than just "run on" the system, `sysext` is the surgical choice. ## Conclusion The move toward immutable Linux shouldn't feel like a move toward a "locked-down" experience. Tools like `systemd-sysext` prove that we can have our cake and eat it too. We get the security of a read-only core and the flexibility to inject any tool we need instantly. ### After 6 Years, One of Wayland’s Most Annoying Problems is Finally Getting Fixed URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/wayland-session-management/ Last updated: 2026-03-29T10:28:51.000Z There is a [new merge on the Wayland GitLab repo](https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/wayland/wayland-protocols/-/merge%5Frequests/18?ref=itsfoss.com). This new merge (of an old pull request) adds xdg-session-management protocol to Wayland. This is a big development and certainly a feature Linux users will enjoy. As per the brief message in merge request: > For a variety of cases it's desirable to have a method for negotiating the restoration of previously-used states for a client's windows. This helps for e.g., a compositor/client crashing (definitely not due to bugs) or a backgrounded client deciding to temporarily destroy its surfaces in order to conserve resources. > This protocol adds a method for managing such negotiation and is loosely based on the Enlightenment "session recovery" protocol which has been implemented and functional for roughly two years. In simpler words, session recovery is finally coming to Wayland. ## What is the xdg-session-management protocol? Basically, it's a set of rules that is used by your desktop environment and applications for talking to each other for saving and restoring the window state. With this fresh new protocol, written natively for Wayland, the concept of session management existed in the previous X11 [display server](https://itsfoss.com/display-server/) but it is finally coming to Wayland. If you are curious, XDG stands for Cross Desktop Group. The X could have been Xorg or X11 once upon a time. Actually, it's all under the [freedesktop.org](https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/?ref=itsfoss.com) organization that creates standards that work across all desktop environments in Linux. ## What kind of advantages can you expect? I see two major benefits of the session management: ### Restore your windows after a crash or restart You'll be able to restore the previous state and size of an application. This is like the usual "do you want to restore last session" thing you see in web browsers. But this one is for all your apps and windows and works automatically. ### Save the desktop layout This will be interesting as well. Your Linux desktop will be able to remember window positions and sizes across restarts. So if you are meticulous about an organized layout where the terminal is on the left and the browser is on the right, it will be the same even after your system restarts. Note that session survives temporary app closures, too. There is a demo of this protocol with Chromium shared in the video below: ## It took 6 years, but the pull request finally got merged If you look at the repo, you'll notice that the pull request was created on February 17, 2020\. That was six years ago. The pull request was finally merged on March 23, 2026\. Linux users, or should I say Wayland users, waited so long for this feature to arrive. Note that session-management is not a new thing. If you use Xfce desktop with the classic Xorg display, it saves the session. ![Save the session](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/xfce4-session-logout-dialog.png) I think that KDE's KWin window manager already added this new protocol in one of the releases last year. Although I don't recall using it. This change finally fills a gap that has existed ever since Linux distros started moving from X11 to Wayland. Session restore is now being properly implemented for the modern Wayland world. Hopefully, all desktop environments should be able to adopt it easily and Linux users get to enjoy the option of saving and restoring sessions. ### After a Long Time, Ubuntu Shows Some Respect to Deb Packages URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-04-deb-in-app-center/ Last updated: 2026-03-28T11:38:09.000Z For years, many Ubuntu users have felt that traditional .deb packages were being gradually sidelined in favor of the Snap ecosystem. It started quietly. Double-clicking a downloaded `.deb` file would open it in Archive Manager instead of the installer. Then came controversial changes. Apps like Chromium, Thunderbolt and Firefox began [defaulting to Snap packages](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-firefox-snap-default/), even when users tried installing them via the [apt command](https://itsfoss.com/apt-command-guide/) in the terminal. It continued further as Ubuntu introduced its new Snap Store. In Ubuntu 24.04, it ignored `.deb` packages completely. Double-clicking a `.deb` file would open the App Center, but wouldn’t actually install the package and just hang there. That behavior was later reverted after I [highlighted it through It's FOSS](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-24-04-disappointment/). While Canonical’s obsession for Snap isn’t going away anytime soon, there is some good news for debian package lovers. With the upcoming Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, the App Center will begin displaying Debian packages installed from official repositories. Until now, it only showed Snap apps, making it unnecessarily difficult to manage `.deb` packages through the GUI. In fact, uninstalling a `.deb` from the App Center required manually searching for it and navigating to its listing page. This change won’t end the Snap vs Deb debate, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction. ## Manage deb packages from App Center In the new app center, when you click on the "Manage" option from the sidebar, it shows all the installed packages. On this screen, you can use the "Package type" filter to show only the debian packages, or snap or a combined list of both.. ![Manage deb applications from within the AppCenter.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/manage-deb-in-app-center-3.png) Manage Deb Apps in new app center You can sort the packages based on date updated, name, etc. A good little feature. ![Arrange or sort installed deb packages in App Center](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/arrange-installed-deb-packages.png) Arrange Installed Deb Packages Not only that, you can also uninstall Deb packages from the manage view. This is the main feature. Before Snap era, App Center used to show the installed (debian) packages and allowed people to remove them with mouse clicks. ![Uninstall Deb packages from the manage view in App Center](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/uninstall-deb-packages-from-manage-page.png) Uninstall Deb packages from manage view You can now update deb packages using App Center along with Snap updates. ![update to system deb packages inside App Center](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/update-to-system-packages-1.png) Update all packages including deb packages ## Snap continues to enjoy special favors It is no secret that Canonica, Ubuntu's parent company, still prefers their Snap packaging. And thus it is not surprising to see Snap packages having extra features in the App Center than their deb counterparts. For Snap applications, an ‘open’ button is shown on the listing page itself: ![Open Snap application from app listing page.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/open-snap-app-from-listing-1.png) Open Snap App from App page Or, from the managing page: ![Open Snap application from manage section](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/open-snap-application-from-manage-section.png) Open Snap app from manage section On the app listing page of a snap app, a ‘revert’ option added to the drop down. ![Revert update in Snap app page](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/revert-update-in-app-page-1.png) Revert Update in App Page A [merge request](https://github.com/ubuntu/app-center/pull/2057?ref=itsfoss.com) is open to add support for purging app data when uninstalling snaps through the App Center. This is indeed a good thing as it will help people recliam disk space. ## Quick tip: Choosev Deb (or Snap) while searching for packages to install Just so that you know, App Center already lets you search and install deb packages. When you search for an application, there is option shown to choose between the Snap and Deb versions. ![Snap and Deb packages in search separated](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/snap-and-deb-packages-in-search-separated.png) Deb and Snap in Search results Snap still is the first class citizen in the Ubuntu-verse. But it is still good to see the good, old Debian packages getting some space. [Ubuntu 26.04 has many more new features](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-26-04-release-features/) you should definitely check out. [Ubuntu 26.04: Release Date and New FeaturesThe development for Ubuntu 26.04 LTS has started and it’s time to start looking towards the features and changes it is bringing.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-351.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/ubuntu-26-04-features-5.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-26-04-release-features/) *Source: Via* [*OMG! Ubuntu*](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/03/ubuntu-app-center-deb-management?ref=itsfoss.com)*.* ### Ubuntu 26.04 LTS Beta Shows You There's Potential in the Stable Release URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-04-lts-beta/ Last updated: 2026-04-20T12:48:02.000Z For regulars in the open source space, [Ubuntu](https://ubuntu.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is kind of a household name that introduced many to the diverse world of Linux, where you have all kinds of flavors. Want some work done? You have [Fedora](https://www.fedoraproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). Want to earn the rights to say "*I use Arch, btw*," and get work done? You have [Arch Linux](https://archlinux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). We are now weeks away from Ubuntu's next [long-term support release](https://itsfoss.com/long-term-support-lts/), and Canonical have now provided everyone with [a beta build](https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-announce/2026-March/000322.html?ref=itsfoss.com) for testing purposes. Let's see what it delivers. ## Ubuntu 26.04 LTS Beta: A Functional Upgrade ![the desktop view of ubuntu 26.04 lts beta is shown here with the quick settings dropdown visible on the top-right](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/ubuntu-26-04-lts-beta-desktop-view.jpeg) While the beta release offers variants like *Server*, *WSL*, and *Cloud* images, alongside the official [Ubuntu flavors](https://ubuntu.com/desktop/flavors?ref=itsfoss.com), I have only focused on *Desktop* here. We start with the **new boot animation** that looks clean but will be easy to miss if you have a decently powerful system. Powering the release is **Linux 7.0**, whose development is still wrapping up, but it marks a significant jump from the [Linux 6.8](https://itsfoss.com/linux-kernel-6-8-release/) kernel that shipped with [Ubuntu 24.04 LTS](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-24-04-lts/). For the desktop, it ships with [GNOME 50](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-50-release/), which has **finally managed to let go of X11**. 0:00 /0:08 1× The new boot animation. The shell picks up a power mode indicator in the top bar, better screen time controls, and fixes for some long-standing annoyances like deleted default folders reappearing after a reboot. Variable refresh rate and fractional scaling are now stable features and are no longer buried behind an experimental flag. [Resources](https://apps.gnome.org/Resources/?ref=itsfoss.com) replaces [System Monitor](https://apps.gnome.org/SystemMonitor/?ref=itsfoss.com) for hardware monitoring and process management. It is built on *GTK4* and *libadwaita*, so it slots in naturally with the rest of the desktop, and was picked over [Mission Center](https://itsfoss.com/news/mission-center/) largely because of its [stronger accessibility support](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/ubuntu-26-04-lts-the-roadmap/72740/9?ref=itsfoss.com). ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/ubuntu-26-04-lts-beta-gnome-50-resources-app.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/ubuntu-26-04-lts-beta-app-center.png) **GNOME 50 demo and the Resources app on the left; on the right is the App Center.* The [App Center](https://github.com/ubuntu/app-center?ref=itsfoss.com) has also been updated to show and manage [Deb](https://itsfoss.com/install-deb-files-ubuntu/) packages installed from Ubuntu's repositories, not just snaps. You can head over to the *Manage* section to find a new package type filter that lets you view them separately. On the graphics side, [Mesa 26.0](https://docs.mesa3d.org/relnotes/26.0.0.html?ref=itsfoss.com) is on board, bringing **OpenGL 4.6** and **Vulkan 1.4** support along with a broad set of driver improvements across Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA hardware. [Docker Engine 29](https://www.docker.com/blog/docker-engine-version-29/?ref=itsfoss.com) is also included, which makes the [Containerd](https://docs.docker.com/desktop/features/containerd/?ref=itsfoss.com) image store the default for fresh installs and adds experimental [nftables](https://netfilter.org/projects/nftables/?ref=itsfoss.com) firewall backend support. There are more [new features in Ubuntu 26.04 that we have covered here](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-26-04-release-features/). [Ubuntu 26.04: Release Date and New FeaturesThe development for Ubuntu 26.04 LTS has started and it’s time to start looking towards the features and changes it is bringing.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-350.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/ubuntu-26-04-features-4.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-26-04-release-features/) ## Start Testing You can download the beta builds for *x86* systems from the [release portal](https://releases.ubuntu.com/26.04/?ref=itsfoss.com) (*which is also where the stable release will go live*), and for other platforms like ARM64, you will have to visit the [image mirror](https://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/26.04/beta/?ref=itsfoss.com). Stay tuned to here and on [our socials](https://itsfoss.com/#:~:text=Guides%20%F0%9F%93%92-,Social) for more detailed coverage when the stable release comes out! ### Why Ubuntu 26.10 Might Drop ZFS, RAID & Encryption Support From Grub URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-10-grub-overhaul/ Last updated: 2026-03-31T01:43:11.000Z Canonical engineer [Julian Andres Klode](https://github.com/julian-klode?ref=itsfoss.com), who works on Ubuntu's secure boot signing, has put forward a proposal on Ubuntu's [community forums](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/streamlining-secure-boot-for-26-10/79069?ref=itsfoss.com) to significantly cut down the [GRUB](https://www.gnu.org/software/grub/?ref=itsfoss.com) bootloader for the upcoming Ubuntu 26.10. The proposal takes aim at GRUB's parsers, which Julian describes as a "*constant source of security issues*," and proposes cutting a number of features from signed builds to reduce the attack surface in the pre-boot environment. ![a cropped screenshot of a post by julian andres klode on ubuntu's discourse forum that lays out a proposal to remove certain features from grub on ubuntu 26.10](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/ubuntu-26-10-grub-features-removal-proposal.png) **What is meant to get the axe?** On the filesystem side, Btrfs, HFS+, XFS, and ZFS would all be dropped, leaving only ext4, FAT, ISO 9660, and SquashFS for [Snaps](https://snapcraft.io/about?ref=itsfoss.com). Image support would go too, alongside the Apple partition table, LVM, most md-RAID modes (*RAID1 is retained*), and LUKS-encrypted disks. In practice, that means Ubuntu 26.10 systems running [Secure Boot](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/design/device-experiences/oem-secure-boot?ref=itsfoss.com) would need to boot from a plain, unencrypted ext4 partition on a GPT or MBR disk. No ZFS, no Btrfs, no encrypted `/boot`. **Those features would still be available through unsigned GRUB builds, but you'd lose Secure Boot entirely in exchange.** **He pitches this as a meaningful security improvement** and also as a step toward eventually moving to newer boot solutions down the line. Now, here's the catch. If your current setup relied on any of the features being dropped, the [release upgrader](https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubuntu-release-upgrader?ref=itsfoss.com) would block you from moving to Ubuntu 26.10 at all. Those systems would stay on [26.04 LTS](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-26-04-release-features/) by default. ## There's resistance [Neal Gompa](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ngompa/?ref=itsfoss.com), a well-known name in Linux spaces and contributor to Fedora, openSUSE, and several other distributions, pushed back on a couple of points right away. On Btrfs, [he argued that](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/streamlining-secure-boot-for-26-10/79069/2?ref=itsfoss.com) GRUB's driver for it is read-only and actively maintained upstream, and that users running boot-to-snapshot setups depend on it being there. He also disputed Julian's suggestion that native `/boot` RAID setups are uncommon, saying that software [RAID1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard%5FRAID%5Flevels?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=%5B11%5D-,RAID%201,-%5Bedit%5D) is "*incredibly common*," in his experience, and removing it would be a substantial loss, not a minor one. When a community member questioned **whether there was a need to support older systems**. Neal laid out that a large chunk of web hosting, cloud, and VPS environments still don't support [UEFI](https://uefi.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and that plenty of UEFI implementations predating 2017 were too broken to be practically useful. Another Ubuntu community member, [Paddy Landau](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/streamlining-secure-boot-for-26-10/79069/6?ref=itsfoss.com), raised a different concern. Dropping PNG and JPEG support in signed builds would kill [boot menu theming](https://itsfoss.com/customize-grub-linux/), something he's had running on his Ubuntu setup for years. He also questioned the security case, noting that the known vulnerabilities appear to affect GRUB versions before 2.12 and that [TGA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truevision%5FTGA?ref=itsfoss.com) format doesn't carry the same risk. **The sharpest response** came from [Thomas Ward](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/u/teward/summary?ref=itsfoss.com), a Ubuntu Technical Board member, [who stated that](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/streamlining-secure-boot-for-26-10/79069/29?ref=itsfoss.com) Ubuntu's own default installers, including the server installer, set up LVM by default, and LUKS encryption on Ubuntu currently requires LVM. Canonical's own recommended installation configuration would, under this proposal, end up incompatible with Secure Boot on 26.10\. He's asking for a clear, per-feature public justification before anything moves forward and argues that without it, dropping features that users and compliance environments actively depend on is simply not justifiable. And I agree with him. If you can't provide convincing reasons to remove each one of those features, then don't bother proposing it, simple. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Fedora's project leader has suggested something to tackle age verification*](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-leader-suggests-age-verification-api/) [Fedora Project Leader Suggests Linux Distros Could Adopt Apple’s Age Verification APIHe thinks a cross-distro API standard can be a practical solution to tackle age verification.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-348.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/fedora-apple-age-verification-api-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-leader-suggests-age-verification-api/) ### FOSS Weekly #26.13: Age Verification Added in systemd, Systemd forked, Btrfs Subvolumes, New Backup Tool, Yazi Manager and More URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-13/ Last updated: 2026-03-26T14:47:19.000Z Age verification has suddenly become the most heated topic in the Linux world and it’s not slowing down anytime soon. Distributions are already picking sides. Void and [Garuda Linux have outright rejected the idea](https://itsfoss.com/news/garuda-linux-age-verification/). The privacy-focused Android distro [GrapheneOS isn’t entertaining it either](https://itsfoss.com/news/grapheneos-refuses-age-verification/). Meanwhile, [Fedora is exploring whether an Apple-style API could be a compromise](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-leader-suggests-age-verification-api/), though whether that satisfies anyone is another question. Right in the middle of this, [systemd introduced an optional birthDate field](https://itsfoss.com/news/systemd-age-verification/) in its user records. On paper, it’s just metadata. In practice, it could become the foundation for age verification across Linux systemd and that’s exactly why it has triggered such a strong reaction. [Systemd’s New Feature Brings Age Verification Option to LinuxThe optional birthDate field gives other projects a standardized data source for age verification compliance.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-346.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/systemd-age-verification-change-banner-2.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/systemd-age-verification/) What makes this situation more intense is the human side of it. The developer behind the change has found himself at the center of the backlash. In [our exclusive interview](https://itsfoss.com/dylan-taylor-systemd-controversy/), he talks about the intent, the misunderstandings, and what it feels like to suddenly become the focus of one of the community’s most divisive debates. [Inside the Systemd Age Verification Debate: Developer Responds to CriticismA single pull request turned a quiet open source contributor into the unlikely target of one of the Linux community’s most heated controversies. We interacted with Dylan Taylor to hear his side of the story.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-347.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/dylan-taylor-1--1.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/dylan-taylor-systemd-controversy/) And, in true open source fashion, the forks have already begun. A new project, [Liberated systemd](https://itsfoss.com/news/systemd-fork-strips-out-age-verification/), removes the birthDate field entirely. It’s currently more of a statement than a solution, a protest fork rather than something you’d realistically deploy but it shows just how strongly people feel about this direction. This isn’t just another technical discussion. It’s about where Linux draws the line between compliance, privacy, and control. And right now, that line is being tested. **Here are other highlights of this edition of FOSS Weekly:** - LibreOffice donation banner change. - Germany backing the Open Document Format. - Open source tools for improving docker workflow. - Yazi file manager in action. - A new crossword. - And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes! ## 📰 Linux and Open Source News LibreOffice [is adding a donation banner](https://itsfoss.com/news/libreoffice-donation-banner/) to its Start Center in the upcoming 26.8 release. It will sit at the bottom of the screen, showing a short message and an image, and the plan is to display it after each update or once a month. Germany's new Deutschland-Stack, the country's sovereign digital infrastructure framework, [has named ODF and PDF/UA as the only permitted document format](https://itsfoss.com/news/germany-digital-stack-mandate/)s for public administrations at every level, federal, state, and municipal. Canonical has [joined the Rust Foundation as a Gold Member](https://itsfoss.com/news/canonical-joins-rust-foundation/), backing the organization with $150,000 a year. Given that Ubuntu 25.10 already shipped with Rust rewrites of sudo and Coreutils, the move formalizes what was already a clear strategic direction. The Thunderbird team [has launched public roadmaps](https://blog.thunderbird.net/2026/03/introducing-our-public-roadmaps/?ref=itsfoss.com) covering *Desktop*, *Mobile*, and *Services*, all written in non-technical language and organized around goals rather than bug lists. ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About Two versions of the [LiteLLM](https://pypi.org/project/litellm/?ref=itsfoss.com) Python package, 1.82.7 and 1.82.8, were briefly live on PyPI before being pulled [after researchers found a backdoor](https://thehackernews.com/2026/03/teampcp-backdoors-litellm-versions.html?ref=itsfoss.com) planted by the hacker group TeamPCP. The payload harvests SSH keys, cloud credentials, Kubernetes secrets, and environment files. This is another instance where supply chain attacks targeted open source projects. YOUR support keeps us going, keeps us resisting the established media and big tech, keeps us independent. And ****it costs less than a McDonald's Happy Meal** a month. Support us via Plus membership and additionally, you: ✅ Get 5 FREE eBooks on Linux, Docker and Bash ✅ Enjoy an ad-free reading experience ✅ Flaunt badges in the comment section and forum ✅ Help creation of educational Linux materials for everyone [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings If you've ever hit a full root partition while home sits half empty and wished Linux could just borrow space from where it's available, [Btrfs subvolumes are the answer](https://itsfoss.com/btrfs-subvolumes/). Unlike fixed partitions, subvolumes share a single storage pool and draw from the same free space as needed. If you've been meaning to try a shell that doesn't require hours of dotfile tweaking before it feels usable, [Fish is worth a look](https://itsfoss.com/fish-shell-features/). Syntax errors are highlighted in red as you type, commands autocomplete from history, and tab completion pulls descriptions straight from man pages. I ran into an [issue related to appimage and shared my experience in this troubleshooter](https://itsfoss.com/appimage-fuse-issue/). If you use Docker heavily, [these open source tools can help your container workflow](https://linuxhandbook.com/blog/docker-workflow-tools/?ref=itsfoss.com). ## 📚 eBook bundle on AI [Inside this 20+ eBook library](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/0G9K1R?ref=itsfoss.com) (*partner link*), you’ll gain expert insights from practical lessons like RAG-Driven Generative AI and the LLM Engineer's Handbook. Your purchase supports the World Central Kitchen organization. [Humble Tech Book Bundle: LLM and Agentic AI Career Accelerator Bundle by PacktLearn to program your own LLMs lightning-fast! Pay what you want for the hot tech courses like LLM Engineer’s Handbook & help charity!![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/03df0490a53d595fd930f9fff52038366d60a05d-12.png)Humble Bundle![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/25f9e055f9d1130c63be1ff6b3fa5ae7f81c57fa.png)](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/0G9K1R?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner CZ.NIC has launched the [Turris Omnia NG Wired](https://itsfoss.com/news/turris-omnia-ng-wired/), a fanless rack-mountable router running OpenWrt. This is an expansive device and it has come at a time when [non-US made routers are being banned in the United States](https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/fcc-banning-imports-new-chinese-made-routers-citing-security-concerns-2026-03-23/?ref=itsfoss.com). ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights [Vykar](https://itsfoss.com/vykar-open-source-backup-tool/) is a new open source backup tool from the [BorgBase](https://www.borgbase.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) team that does encrypted, deduplicated backups configured through a single YAML file. [Vykar is a New Open Source Backup Tool That’s Faster Than Borg, Restic, and KopiaThe BorgBase team has cooked up a new open source backup client written in Rust.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-342.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/vykar-backup-tool-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/vykar-open-source-backup-tool/) ## 📽️ Videos for You It’s not every day you find a terminal tool that even non power users can enjoy. In this video, I [showcase a terminal-based file manager](https://youtu.be/ePLK-87%5FLe4?ref=itsfoss.com) that makes file navigation and search surprisingly fast. [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip In [Okular](https://okular.kde.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), you can change the highlighting style. Go to `Settings -> Configure Okular`. Here, in the "*Annotations*" tab, select the highlighter you want to tweak. Now, click on the *Edit* button on the right, and under "*Styles*," change the highlighter's name, type, color, and opacity. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/okular-existing-highlight-edit-tip.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/okular-create-new-highlight.png) You can also use the *Add* button to create a new highlight style. Give it a name, configure its appearance and then click on *Ok* and *Apply* to set it. [](https://t43217012.p.clickup-attachments.com/t43217012/da09f1e7-b651-4c93-b93b-141e46671d4b/copy-link-to-highlight-firefox.png?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse A new [crossword](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/systemd-crossword/) after ages; this one will test your knowledge of systemd `ctl` commands. [Boo-lean Logic: Cyber Boogeymen CrosswordA fun Linux crossword puzzle featuring systemd ctl commands like systemctl and journalctl. Perfect for testing and improving your Linux skills.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-343.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/crossword.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/systemd-crossword/) **Meme of the Week**: Brave heroes!🗿 ![linux distro age verification meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/age-verification-meme.png) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On [March 28, 1986](https://www.computerhistory.org/tdih/march/28/?ref=itsfoss.com), computers made their debut in the fight against AIDS. A team at [Roche Laboratories](https://www.roche.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) published a groundbreaking paper in [Science](https://www.science.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) magazine laying out the theoretical basis for the HIV protease molecule, one of the first times computational methods were used to study the virus. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: One of our FOSSers has started [a thread on privacy-focused content creators](https://itsfoss.community/t/privacy-content-creators/15510?ref=itsfoss.com) worth following. If you have any suggestions, be sure to add them! ### Inside the Systemd Age Verification Debate: Developer Responds to Criticism URL: https://itsfoss.com/interview/dylan-taylor-systemd-controversy/ Last updated: 2026-03-26T08:57:07.000Z Dylan M. Taylor is not a household name in the Linux world. At least, he wasn’t until recently. The software engineer and longtime open source contributor has quietly built a respectable track record over the years: writing Python code for the Arch Linux installer, maintaining packages for NixOS, and contributing CI/CD pipelines to various FOSS projects. But a [recent change he made to systemd](https://itsfoss.com/news/systemd-age-verification/) has pushed him into the spotlight, along with a wave of intense debate. At the center of the controversy is a seemingly simple addition Dylan made: an optional `birthDate` field in systemd’s user database. The change, intended to give Linux distributions a lightweight, optional mechanism to comply with [emerging US state laws on age verification](https://itsfoss.com/news/age-verification-pandemic/), was immediately met with fierce resistance from parts of the Linux community. Critics saw it not merely as a technical addition, but as a symbolic capitulation to government overreach. A crack in the philosophical foundation of freedom that Linux is built on. What followed went far beyond civil disagreement. Dylan revealed that he faced harassment, doxxing, death threats, and a flood of hate mail. He was forced to disable issues and pull request tabs across his GitHub repositories. He has [shared his opinions in a blog post](https://dylanmtaylor.com/posts/2026-03-25-my-first-contribution-to-systemd?ref=itsfoss.com) that the change is not "age verification": > A common misconception about this change is that it introduces "age verification" to Linux. It doesn't. None of the PRs I submitted involve ID checks, facial recognition, or third-party verification services. You can enter any value, including January 1st, 1900. So, we interacted with Dylan over email to ask him about the controversy, the code change, and the personal toll it has taken. ### **Q: A lot of backlash isn't about the code change, but about what it represents. Do you (also) think this is the first step toward OS-level surveillance, even if unintended?** A: Moving towards OS-level surveillance is *definitely not the intention.* This field is almost completely inconsequential for surveillance because the signal reported in most cases will be “yes, this user is 18+”. One interesting thought I’ve had is actually that if we strip this signal to websites/apps and do not report an age range at all, but the vast majority of users DO, that actually gives us a more unique and trackable browser fingerprint. Privacy-wise, it’d be wise to “blend in” and always report the most common value. Tor browser thinks this way to make users less fingerprintable. Also, most users have something much more trackable and sensitive on their computer stored in a way that is usually unencrypted: their browser cookies. ### **Q. You say this is "just attestation, not verification" but we know that infrastructure always gets repurposed later. This is where the legit fear lies. Today it's birthDate. Tomorrow could it be location, identity, or verification tokens? I understand that you are providing a workaround but where should we draw the line between compliance and resistance?** A. Funny you mention that, location is **already a field** in userdb. Like birthDate, this field is also trivially nullable, stored locally, and can be set to anything. As long as we are talking about a user self-attesting a date - especially with the ability to enter any value we want - we aren't in the realm of identity tracking. I draw the line at when a third party internet-connected service is doing validation of ID. Let’s be honest though, I strongly believe such a thing isn’t possible on a FOSS operating system environment unless they could control what was bootable on the device at a firmware level, enforce signatures to ensure that you couldn’t boot something unrestricted, remove the ability to be root, and block LD\_PRELOAD so signals couldn’t be faked. There’s probably more ways to circumvent that. What I’m trying to say is real ID verification on Linux would be awfully hard to implement, and I guarantee you, nobody would put up with it. They’d fork to a version that doesn’t have it immediately as a protest. Right now, we’re considering implementing something akin to the date pickers that were ubiquitous when signing up for internet services in the early 2000s where it’s just an honor system. Things like actual ID checks and/or facial scanning + age estimation would be just too incompatible with Linux where we have the freedom to change whatever we want to. ### **Q. Let's be direct. Should FOSS projects adapt to laws they fundamentally disagree with? Because these kinds of laws are certainly in conflict with what a lot of Linux users believe in.** A. Unfortunately, in a lot of cases, the answer is yes – at least for any distribution with corporate backing. The small independent distributions are much more flexible to refuse as a protest. If we ignore regulations entirely, we risk Linux being something that companies are not willing to contribute to, and Linux may be shipped on less hardware. I’m talking about things like Valve and System76 (despite them very vocally hating these laws). That does not help us; it just lowers the quality of software contributions due to less investment in the platform and makes Linux less accessible to the average person. We need Linux and other free operating systems to remain a viable alternative to closed systems. ### **Q. Do you think regulations like these will reshape desktop Linux in the next 5-10 years where we might have "compliant Linux" and "Freedom-first Linux"?** A. Unfortunately, yes, to some degree this is likely. I imagine the split will be mostly along the lines of independent distributions and those with corporate backing. We’re already seeing it as far as which distributions plan on implementing some sort of age verification and which ones are not, and that sucks. I’d rather nobody have to deal with this mess at all, but this is the reality of things now. As I said in the previous response, the corporate-backed distributions really have no choice in the matter. Companies are notoriously risk-adverse, but something like Artix or Devuan? Those are small and independent enough where the individual maintainers may be willing to take on more risk. I was actually thinking about what this would look like if we added it to Calamares and chatting about that with the maintainers before that thread got brigaded by bad actors posting personal information and throwing around insults. I completely support the freedom for the distro maintainers to choose their risk tolerance. If the distribution is based out of Ireland or something (like Linux Mint) without these silly laws in the jurisdiction the developer operates in, I think that we should leave it up to them to make a choice here. If we add a date picker to the installer (and I think we *should*), it has to be built in a way that at build time there is a flag to enable or disable the feature. We can even default it to off, and corporate distributions using Calamares or those not willing to take the risk could flip it on if they need to. That way if maintainers of the distributions do not wish to collect the birth date, they won’t have to, and no forking is required to patch it out. I do strongly feel we need to enable the user to modify their own system as they see fit. ### **Q. Were you surprised by the intensity of the backlash? Did the criticism make you rethink your decision?** A. I understood that the change was not going to be popular, but I was expecting civil discourse and a level-headed response. Things like death threats and harassment are not okay, *especially when it negatively impacts unrelated third parties.* However, the doxxing (and I am NOT just talking about my name, email and resume – that stuff is on my website, and is reasonably public. I don’t commit with a pseudonym and I think it’s reasonable to critique my contributions), hate mail, racism, homophobia, anti-semetism, editing of my photo, turning my profile picture into memes and making fun of my appearance, etc. made me lose a bit of faith in the FOSS community. I’m really disappointed at the reaction. We should do better than this. There are plenty of people I strongly disagree with. Reacting in this manner is childish and uncalled for. If you’re trying to convince someone they are wrong, being aggressive about it and trolling is not exactly compelling. It will make them feel even more justified in some cases. ### **Q. How are you personally dealing with being at the center of a controversy like this?** A. Honestly, not super well. The death threats are extremely unwelcome and trying to get my social security number, phone number, and address taken down from pastebins and anonymous imageboards is not exactly how I planned to spend my time, to put it lightly. I am just trying to filter out the noise and focus on addressing the constructive feedback, but people have been posting my information and harassing me on basically any repo I have on GitHub, in the issues/PR tabs. I’ve had to disable those. I find it disgusting that people are willing to place takeout orders with my information which makes businesses waste food, and it really wasn’t funny sending Mormon missionaries to my house. They pay for their own gas, and that nonsense isn’t fair to them. It’s not fun to see the nasty side of humanity, and people were saying some pretty unhinged stuff to me and about me. Nobody appreciates that. On a positive note, I know a good bit of other maintainers and developers in the Linux community and all of them were super supportive and reached out to see if I was doing okay. I appreciate that. Shoutouts to those of you from the Arch Linux project and Universal Blue/Bazzite who made sure I was doing well. Thank you for that. ### **Q. Would this backlash demotivate you from continuing your contribution to Linux and open source in the future?** A. I still love Linux and free and open source software, and would like to stay involved. Whenever I find something that is personally useful to me and I identify a way I can improve it or add functionality, I love to contribute back to the original authors and the community. It’s great to be able to be involved, and I still plan on doing so. It’s very obvious that those harassing me are a very small but vocal part of the FOSS community and I try to see the better side of people. I would really appreciate if the personal attacks stopped though. It’s childish and unconstructive. ## Closing Thoughts Wherever you stand on age verification laws or Dylan's code change, the response he received is unwarranted. Harassment, doxxing, and death threats have no place in any community, let alone one that prides itself on openness and collaboration. There are more civilized ways to disagree. Dylan's answers reveal the real dilemma: how does an open source ecosystem, built on the principals of freedom and decentralization, respond to legal pressure from the real world? His position is that corporate-backed distributions may have no practical choice. That is rational, even if it is uncomfortable for many to hear. ### Troubleshooting "AppImages require FUSE to run" on Linux URL: https://itsfoss.com/appimage-fuse-issue/ Last updated: 2026-03-26T05:17:30.000Z In my scenario, I had downloaded [VidBee video downloader](https://itsfoss.com/vidbee/) in [AppImage format](https://itsfoss.com/use-appimage-linux/) on my Fedora Linux. It was integrated well with the system with GearLeaver. However, one day, it suddenly stopped opening. I could see the icon in [GNOME search](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-search/) but clicking on it did not do anything. The app was not opening. My instinct was to jump in the terminal, go to the directory where AppImage file for this application was located and run it like a bash file. Yes, that's a legit way to run AppImages from the terminal. And when I did that, it showed me "AppImages require FUSE to run". ``` abhishek@fedora:~/AppImages$ ./vidbee.appimage dlopen(): error loading libfuse.so.2 AppImages require FUSE to run. You might still be able to extract the contents of this AppImage if you run it with the --appimage-extract option. See https://github.com/AppImage/AppImageKit/wiki/FUSE for more information ``` The key part in my case was this line: ``` error loading libfuse.so.2 ``` **It was missing libfuse version 2**. **The solution that worked for me was to install fuse2 lib and dev package.** If you are facing this issue on your system, that's what you have to do. And you must pay attention to the libfuse version it is complaining about. As it turns out there is libfuse2 and libfuse3 and some AppImages use version 2 while some version 3. I'll come to the installation instructions in a moment. ## Understanding the "fuse" confusion The AppImage applications require a software library called Filesystem in Userspace (or FUSE in short). Now, the thing is that most Linux distributions already come with FUSE support. But the version becomes a problem. Recent distro versions have fuse3 installed. And many developers package their applications in AppImage using fuse3\. In my case, [Ghostty terminal](https://itsfoss.com/ghostty-terminal-features/) worked fine as its AppImage needed fuse3 and it was already installed on my Fedora: ![An application requiring fuse2 failed while appimage requiring fuse3 ran successfully](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/appimage-running-with-fuse3-but-not-withfuse2-1.png) Appimage requiring fuse2 failed while appimage requiring fuse3 ran successfully I checked the list of installed applications on Fedora and I was surprised to see that fuse2 was also installed already. As you can see below, package fuse.x86\_64 has version 2.9.9. ``` abhishek@fedora:~/AppImages$ dnf list --installed | grep -i fuse fuse.x86_64 2.9.9-24.fc43 fuse-common.x86_64 3.16.2-5.fc42 624cbc92582d4ecfae4c58749abde4f8 fuse-overlayfs.x86_64 1.13-4.fc43 fuse3.x86_64 3.16.2-5.fc42 624cbc92582d4ecfae4c58749abde4f8 fuse3-libs.x86_64 3.16.2-5.fc42 624cbc92582d4ecfae4c58749abde4f8 glusterfs-fuse.x86_64 11.2-4.fc43 gvfs-fuse.x86_64 1.58.4-1.fc43 updates ``` So, my system had both fuse2 and fuse3 installed and still one AppImage worked (Ghostty) and other (Vidbee) did not. What's even more strange is that the same Videbee AppImage was working a few weeks ago. Anyways, when something like this happens, my gut feel which comes from years of experience is to either reinstall the software library or install the associated development package. And that's what I did here as well and it worked for me. ## Installing fuse2 and fuse2-dev If your system was complaining about libfuse2, you should install libfuse2\. You must know which Linux distro and version you are using here. 🚧 If you are using an Ubuntu-based distribution, your package is named as libfuse2 or libfuse2t64 or libfuse3\. You must never attempt to install a package named fuse which is a different software altogether and installing it may result in a broken system. On Fedora, I installed the following packages that fixed the issue for me: ``` sudo dnf install fuse fuse-d ``` ![Installing fuse in Fedora Linux](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/installing-fuse-fedora.png) As you can see in the screenshot above, it said fuse-2.9.9 was already installed but it also installed fuse-devel and fuse-libs in the process. On **Ubuntu 22.04**, it should be available as `libfuse2`: ``` sudo apt install libfuse2 ``` On Ubuntu 24.04 and newer, use: ``` sudo apt install libfuse2t64 ``` ## Did it help you? I would like to know that. Basically, all you have to do is to pay attention to what missing library and version it is complaining about and install it. There is a [troubleshooting page in the official AppImage documentation](https://docs.appimage.org/user-guide/troubleshooting/fuse.html?ref=itsfoss.com) that you may want to check out. If you are still facing issues with AppImage, please let me know in the comments and I'll try to help you out. ### Fedora Project Leader Suggests Linux Distros Could Adopt Apple's Age Verification API URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-leader-suggests-age-verification-api/ Last updated: 2026-03-25T17:37:54.000Z [Age verification laws](https://itsfoss.com/news/age-verification-pandemic/) don't seem to be stopping. California, Colorado, and Brazil, all have some version of the same requirement where OS providers must collect age data at account setup and expose it to apps through a real-time API. Governments call it child safety, but plenty of people in the open source space call it something else entirely. The reactions have ranged from [protest distros](https://itsfoss.com/news/ageless-linux/) to [a systemd fork](https://itsfoss.com/news/systemd-fork-strips-out-age-verification/) to a BSD project that [straight up banned users](https://itsfoss.com/news/midnightbsd-age-verification/) in affected regions. Now, Fedora's Project Leader [has said something](https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/a-practical-architectural-solution-to-os-level-age-verification-laws/183387/26?ref=itsfoss.com) that might give other Linux distributions a potential way out of this quagmire (*no giggity*). ## What's happening? ![this screenshot shows a long wall of text, depicting what jef spaleta has replied to in a fedora forum thread; it is linked above](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/fedora-project-leader-views-apple-age-verification-api.png) A [wall of text](https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/a-practical-architectural-solution-to-os-level-age-verification-laws/183387/?ref=itsfoss.com) posted on Fedora's Discourse forum proposed a fairly *ambitious* architectural workaround that involved ripping out the networking code, with the original poster asking for feedback on it. The thread went about how you would expect, and after a certain point, [Jef Spaleta](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jspaleta/?ref=itsfoss.com) chimed in with a simpler take. There's no need for workarounds; instead, Linux distros could just adopt the same API [Apple has already built and deployed](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/declaredagerange?ref=itsfoss.com), hooking it into the account setup process. Jef further suggested that the implementation could run entirely locally through a *unix socket* or a *dbus* call, with no data leaving the machine. He backed this up by pointing out that [GNOME](https://www.gnome.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) already ships [parental controls](https://help.gnome.org/gnome-help/parental-controls.html?ref=itsfoss.com) with account creation time controls that can designate an account as restricted and a signal other software can query. The catch is that GNOME built its system around content categories ([OARS](https://hughsie.github.io/oars/?ref=itsfoss.com)) rather than age ranges, which is what the laws specifically describe. Jef thinks that gap exists because the people writing the bills had never heard of OARS and defaulted to age brackets instead. He wrapped up, noting that: > So now its a matter of hopefully, just adopting a standard API, probably the Apple API, so that all Linux OSes can expose a standard parental controls that meets legislated expectations. Its not about being clever, this is a standardization process with legislation as a forcing function. **Keep in mind that Jef used the word "*could*" for a reason though**. This is **one person's viewpoint in a community forum thread**, not a Fedora roadmap commitment or a formal cross-distro proposal. Whether it goes anywhere depends entirely on whether other maintainers decide to treat it as a starting point. And that is not a given. Getting Linux distributions to agree on a shared standard is already a massive ask. Getting them to adopt an Apple API specifically, for laws a big chunk of the community considers overreach, is a hard sell. ### Android-Based GrapheneOS Refuses Age Verification, May Exit Regions That Enforce It URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/grapheneos-refuses-age-verification/ Last updated: 2026-03-25T15:33:00.000Z In a post on [X](https://x.com/GrapheneOS/status/2034957604682621229?ref=itsfoss.com) (*formerly Twitter*), [GrapheneOS](https://grapheneos.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) has made its position on age verification laws clear; **it won't comply, regardless of where the demand comes from**. The team goes on to state that its OS and services will remain available worldwide, with no personal information, identification, or account ever required. And if that means its devices can't be sold in certain regions, then the project is fine with that outcome. > GrapheneOS will remain usable by anyone around the world without requiring personal information, identification or an account. GrapheneOS and our services will remain available internationally. If GrapheneOS devices can't be sold in a region due to their regulations, so be it. > > — GrapheneOS (@GrapheneOS) [March 20, 2026](https://twitter.com/GrapheneOS/status/2034957604682621229?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=itsfoss.com) For context, GrapheneOS is **an open source, privacy and security-focused mobile OS** built on the [Android Open Source Project](https://source.android.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). It is developed by a team of developers under the [GrapheneOS Foundation](https://x.com/GrapheneOS/status/1638648643363258369?ref=itsfoss.com), a Canadian non-profit. This aggressive stance comes at a time when age verification laws have started targeting something much closer to the base than websites or social media—the operating system itself. We have [covered this before](https://itsfoss.com/news/age-verification-pandemic/), but the short version is that age verification laws are spreading fast, and operating systems are now in the crosshairs. Brazil's [Digital ECA](https://www.gov.br/mdh/pt-br/assuntos/noticias/2025/novembro/brasil-apresenta-avancos-em-seguranca-digital-da-infancia-e-lanca-eca-digital-em-ingles-durante-cupula-social-do-g20-na-africa-do-sul/eca-digital-ing-v2.pdf?ref=itsfoss.com) landed first, coming into force on March 17 with fines of up to **R$50 million per violation**. California's [Digital Age Assurance Act](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill%5Fid=202520260AB1043&ref=itsfoss.com) follows on January 1, 2027, requiring every OS provider to collect a user's age at setup and relay it to developers via a real-time API. Colorado has a similar bill in the works, targeting January 2028\. It's **not just the US either**; the UK, Australia, and Singapore are all running their own implementations from the same playbook. For people tired of data harvesting, AI [slopware](https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=slopware&ref=itsfoss.com), and the vendor lock-in baked into proprietary OSes like Windows and macOS, something like GrapheneOS is one of the few alternatives left. ## What about their Motorola collab? Earlier this month, [Motorola](https://www.motorola.com/us/en/homepage?ref=itsfoss.com) and the GrapheneOS Foundation [announced a partnership at MWC 2026](https://itsfoss.com/news/motorola-grapheneos-team-up/). The final product is set to be a Motorola smartphone shipping with GrapheneOS pre-installed, expected sometime in 2027. But this statement by the GrapheneOS team raises an obvious question about that deal. Motorola is a commercial hardware vendor selling devices globally. If it ships a phone running GrapheneOS and that phone lands in a region where age verification is legally mandated at the OS level, **Motorola has a compliance problem even if GrapheneOS does not**. The simplest resolution is also the most obvious one: Motorola just does not sell GrapheneOS-powered devices in those regions. Its regular [Android lineup](https://www.motorola.com/us/en/smartphones?ref=itsfoss.com) continues there, and the GrapheneOS phone ships only in markets where no such law applies. This way, GrapheneOS keeps its no-account policy intact, and Motorola keeps its broader commercial operations running without issue. Whether that is the arrangement they eventually land on is not confirmed. But given how direct GrapheneOS has been, it is difficult to picture any other outcome. ### Garuda Linux Draws a Line on Age Verification as Arch Stays Silent URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/garuda-linux-age-verification/ Last updated: 2026-03-27T04:34:15.000Z [Age verification](https://itsfoss.com/news/age-verification-pandemic/) is sadly here to stay, as the politicians pushing these laws don't seem to care much about what people actually think. Open source projects have been left to deal with the fallout, either by starting compliance work, taking a public stance, or [outright blocking users from affected regions](https://itsfoss.com/news/midnightbsd-age-verification/). [Garuda Linux](https://garudalinux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is one of the latest projects that has had to address this publicly via [an official statement](https://forum.garudalinux.org/t/a-statement-on-age-verification-the-state-of-the-community-discourse/47652?ref=itsfoss.com), answering the age verification question directly. ## Age verification can't touch this ![A statement on age verification & the state of the community discourse Announcements Mar 23 4h post by TNE 2 days ago TNE Garuda Team at 6 2d Will Garuda Linux implement age verification? Garuda Linux will not implement any age verification measures, since Garuda Linux’s legal jurisdictions have no laws mandating age verification: Summary Hey. We have no operations in California. Last time I checked, California law does not (yet) apply where I live, therefore, Garuda Linux will continue to comply with local regulations in Finland and Germany (where the servers are hosted, and the donation funds are held). Each one of the contributors is also expected to comply with their local laws (so for me that would be Austrian law). If California law enforcement has a problem with that, they are free to block Garuda Linux’s Website in California. We have no obligation to do that ourselves. Companies like System76, which sell hardware in California with their OS pre-installed, are however required to comply with this law.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/garuda-linux-age-verification-announcement.png) As it turns out, **the Garuda Linux team is not losing sleep over California or Brazil's laws**. The project's servers are hosted in Finland and Germany, its donation funds are held in Germany, and each contributor is expected to comply with the laws of their own country. For [TNE](https://forum.garudalinux.org/u/tne?ref=itsfoss.com), the Garuda team member who put out the statement, that translates into compliance with Austrian law. They have gone further to express their personal take on the situation with the Linux community hounding distribution maintainers over age verification. The people building these distributions in their spare time **are staring down fines that could financially ruin them as individuals** or jail time if they defy a court order. Some have already been personally attacked for their contributions, and when those attacks got removed, the community turned around and called it censorship. What TNE is trying to say here is that **the anger is real, but it's aimed at the wrong people**. Politicians, local representatives, and the organizations lobbying for these laws are the actual targets worth going after. To make that last bit simpler, it's like you were wronged by someone [breadcrumbing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breadcrumbing?ref=itsfoss.com) you, and you went up in arms to blame the messaging app provider. You have to see who's the party to blame here. ## What's Arch Linux doing? While Garuda is a downstream Arch-based project, the broader Arch family is worth looking at here because the picture there is much messier. [Arch Linux 32](https://archlinux32.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), an independent fork that maintains support for 32-bit x86 systems, has already taken action. The project has blocked access [for people in Brazil](https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/1rwog43/arch%5Flinux%5F32%5Fbit%5Fblocked%5Fin%5Fbrazil%5Fdue%5Fto/?ref=itsfoss.com) due to the [Digital ECA](https://www.gov.br/mdh/pt-br/assuntos/noticias/2025/novembro/brasil-apresenta-avancos-em-seguranca-digital-da-infancia-e-lanca-eca-digital-em-ingles-durante-cupula-social-do-g20-na-africa-do-sul/eca-digital-ing-v2.pdf?ref=itsfoss.com), which came into effect on March 17, 2026. ![Go to archlinux r/archlinux • 2d ago jo53_100 why are the age verification posts being deleted in the arch forums? i can't seem to find any open topic ab systemd or age verification implementation anywhere on the official forums, seems like they are actively deleting the posts... 455 · 84 Comments Section khsh01 • 2d ago There seems to be a lot of internal push within all distro communities regarding this issue and speaking against it. 260 u/Jethro_Tell avatar Jethro_Tell • 2d ago My guess it that regardless of what they do it will be litigated. I’d assume legal counsel has told them discussion in the internet can only hurt. They will have to decide what the will do and what they legally must do and having that conversation in public will make it difficult if/when it goes to court 103](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/redditor-asking-about-arch-forum-post-deletion.png) And what is [Arch Linux](https://archlinux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) doing? Not much, at least publicly. Many on [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/archlinux/comments/1s18g5w/why%5Fare%5Fthe%5Fage%5Fverification%5Fposts%5Fbeing%5Fdeleted/?ref=itsfoss.com) and elsewhere have noticed that posts asking about age verification on the official Arch Linux forums are being deleted. The general sentiment in the thread (*linked above*) points to the fear of legal action as the likely reason behind the removals. The situation has not been much clearer on the [Arch Forums](https://bbs.archlinux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). Someone recently posted [asking for Arch's official stance](https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=312800&ref=itsfoss.com) on the new age verification laws, as their previous post on the same topic had already been deleted. ![Index» Arch Discussion» Official position on these new age verification laws. Pages:1 #1Today 01:20:49 Hairyplotter Member Registered: 2017-03-25 Posts: 7 Since my prior post was deleted (probably because it was in the wrong forum), I am going to ask again. What is the official Arch position on these new laws being passed that require every OS to implement age verification? Personally, I am 100% against this because once a govt. imposed train is in motion, it never stops. Eventually, our computers will want information like names of all users, address, ISP name ect.. Offline #2Today 01:29:38 V1del Forum Moderator Registered: 2012-10-16 Posts: 25,085 It was well detailed why it was deleted, there's no stance (neither for nor against at the current point in time): https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … 0#p2292040 Previous threads have shown that preemptive speculation will spiral out of control and not lead to fruitful discourse, as you will notice there have been lots of threads on this already, official stances will be announced when they've been made. (and most of the actual decision makers do not frequent this board -- this will not be the place were any "official" announcement is made) Last edited by V1del (Today 01:33:46)](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/arch-user-asking-about-official-stance.png) Forum moderator V1del responded by saying the following: > It was well detailed why it was deleted, there's no stance (neither for nor against at the current point in time): [https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php](https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?ref=itsfoss.com) … 0#p2292040 > > Previous threads have shown that preemptive speculation will spiral out of control and not lead to fruitful discourse, as you will notice there have been lots of threads on this already, official stances will be announced when they've been made. (and most of the actual decision makers do not frequent this board – this will not be the place were any "official" announcement is made) So there you have it. **Arch Linux has no official stance**, is actively shutting down community discussions about it, and by a moderator's own admission, the people who would actually make that call are not regulars of the forums. At this point, **age verification laws have done a better job of creating chaos in open source communities than actually protecting any children**. Projects are blocking entire countries, developers are being attacked by their own community, and one of the most influential Linux distributions out there is deleting the conversation entirely. Quite the outcome for legislation that was supposedly about safety. 😑 ### Ubuntu Maker Canonical is Backing Rust Development With $150K/year URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/canonical-joins-rust-foundation/ Last updated: 2026-03-24T10:43:49.000Z [Canonical](https://canonical.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is the company behind [Ubuntu](https://ubuntu.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), one of the most widely used Linux distributions around. Beyond just shipping an OS, the company provides long-term security maintenance and support for a massive portfolio of open source packages, and its products span everything from desktop and server to cloud infrastructure and IoT. It has been pushing [Rust](https://rust-lang.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) into Ubuntu's core for a while now. We covered how [Ubuntu 25.10 replaced sudo with sudo-rs](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-25-10-sudo-rs/), the memory-safe Rust rewrite of the classic tool, and how the same release also [swapped GNU Coreutils with uutils](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-uutils-performance-issues/), its Rust-based equivalent. These were not small changes, as replacing decades-old C tooling at the core of a Linux distribution is a significant bet on a language. Now, Canonical is making that bet formal. The company [has joined](https://canonical.com/blog/canonical-joins-the-rust-foundation-as-a-gold-member?ref=itsfoss.com) the [Rust Foundation](https://rustfoundation.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) as a Gold Member. ## What's happened? ![this cropped screenshot of the rust foundation webpage shows the various memberships tiers whose pricing varies](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/rust-foundation-membership-tiers.png) **The* [**membership tiers*](https://rustfoundation.org/get-involved/?ref=itsfoss.com) *of the Rust Foundation.* By putting **$150,000 a year** behind the organization that stewards the Rust programming language, [Canonical has joined in](https://rustfoundation.org/members/?ref=itsfoss.com) to engage more directly in language and ecosystem governance while also working on improving the Rust developer experience on Ubuntu. [Jon Seager](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jnsgruk/?ref=itsfoss.com), VP Engineering at Canonical, also specifically pointed out [crates.io](https://crates.io/?ref=itsfoss.com), the official Rust package registry, noting their interest in its security implementation and in reducing the number of "*potentially unknown dependencies*." Particularly for use cases involving async support, HTTP handling, and cryptography in regulated environments. With this membership, the company gets some perks like a dedicated representative on the Rust Foundation's [Board of Directors](https://rustfoundation.org/about/?ref=itsfoss.com#board-of-directors), promotion on the Foundation's editorial calendar, and opportunities to collaborate on the Foundation's initiatives. [Dr. Rebecca Rumbul](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-rumbul-96a5441a/?ref=itsfoss.com), Executive Director and CEO of the Rust Foundation, had this to say during the announcement: > Rust has become a foundational technology for building safe and reliable systems, and its continued success depends on strong collaboration between the open source community and the organizations bringing it into production. > > Canonical joining the Rust Foundation as a Gold Member is an important signal of Rust’s growing role in large-scale systems. ## What this means for you? For regular Ubuntu users, not much changes. The Rust-based components already shipping in Ubuntu, like [sudo-rs](https://itsfoss.com/sudo-vs-sudo-rs/), were already in place long before this membership happened. For developers working with Rust on Ubuntu, this is more interesting. Canonical has explicitly stated that improving the Rust developer experience on Ubuntu is a direct goal of this membership. That said, better toolchain support and more up-to-date packages in the Ubuntu repositories would be a natural outcome. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Here's what to expect from Ubuntu 26.04 LTS*](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-26-04-release-features/) [Ubuntu 26.04: Release Date and New FeaturesThe development for Ubuntu 26.04 LTS has started and it’s time to start looking towards the features and changes it is bringing.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-344.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/ubuntu-26-04-features-2.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-26-04-release-features/) ### Want to Learn LLMs and Build AI Agents? Get 23 eBooks for Under $20 URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/llm-and-agentic-ai-bundle/ Last updated: 2026-04-09T10:56:45.000Z LLMs and AI agents are everywhere right now, and if you've been putting off learning this stuff, [Humble Bundle](https://www.humblebundle.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorowAt1YVv7j8gsi-11NBzjIFg0yUz-opNDh5WF6a1cT-DV4qFc&ref=itsfoss.com) has a new [Packt](https://www.packtpub.com/en-us?ref=itsfoss.com) collection that makes it hard to justify waiting any longer. The **LLM and Agentic AI Career Accelerator Bundle** packs 23 eBooks into one library, covering Python basics, deep learning, RAG pipelines, agentic frameworks, Model Context Protocol, and more. You can get in for as little as **$3**, though the full 23-book set unlocks at **$18**. All books come in **PDF** and **ePub** formats, so they'll work on pretty much any device you read on. A portion of your purchase goes to support [World Central Kitchen](https://wck.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), a nonprofit that provides emergency food relief to communities hit by disasters and humanitarian crises around the world. [Get The Deal (partner link)](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/0G9K1R?ref=itsfoss.com) ⏲️ *The last date for the deal is *April 6, 2026*.* 📋 This article contains affiliate links. Please read our [affiliate policy](https://itsfoss.com/affiliate-policy/?ref=news.itsfoss.com) for more information. ## So, What's in The Bundle? ![a cropped screenshot of the llm and agentic ai career accelerator bundle on the humble bundle website](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/llm-and-agentic-ai-bundle.png) The 23 titles here span a good range of topics. Here's a breakdown of what's included. If you're new to this space, **Learn Python Programming, 4E** is where you'd want to start. It gives you the groundwork before you get into the more specialized stuff. **Generative AI Foundations in Python** and **Generative AI with Python and PyTorch, 2E** build on that and get you into actually building generative systems. For core LLM knowledge, **LLM Engineer's Handbook** is one of the more practical titles in the bundle, focused on building and shipping real LLM systems. **LLM Design Patterns** gets into architecture decisions, **LLMs in Enterprise** covers the deployment and organizational side, and **Essential Guide to LLMOps** handles keeping models running reliably once they're out in the world. The agentic AI coverage is solid. **Building Agentic AI Systems** is the most direct entry here, and there are two books specifically on [Model Context Protocol](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/getting-started/intro?ref=itsfoss.com), **Learn Model Context Protocol with Python** and **Learn Model Context Protocol with TypeScript**, which is relevant given how much traction MCP has picked up recently. ![six books from the llm and agentic ai career accelerator bundle are shown here](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/llm-and-agentic-ai-bundle-books-1.png) [RAG](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrieval-augmented%5Fgeneration?ref=itsfoss.com) gets proper attention through **RAG-Driven Generative AI** and **Unlocking Data with Generative AI and RAG**, with **Building Data-Driven Applications with LlamaIndex** covering one of the more popular frameworks for building retrieval pipelines. On the frameworks side, **Generative AI with LangChain, 2E** covers [the widely used orchestration library](https://www.langchain.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), while **Building LLM Powered Applications**, **Building AI Applications with OpenAI APIs, 2E**, and **Azure OpenAI Essentials** take a more applied approach to putting systems together. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/llm-and-agentic-ai-bundle-books-2.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/llm-and-agentic-ai-bundle-books-3.png) The [PyTorch](https://pytorch.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) books, **Machine Learning with PyTorch and Scikit-Learn**, **Mastering PyTorch, 2E**, and **Modern Computer Vision with PyTorch, 2E**, are useful if you want to understand the deep learning side rather than just working at the API level. **Transformers for Natural Language Processing, 3E** covers the architecture behind most modern LLMs, **Mastering NLP from Foundations to LLMs** connects [NLP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural%5Flanguage%5Fprocessing?ref=itsfoss.com) fundamentals to current practice, and **Practical Generative AI with ChatGPT, 2E** is the most accessible title in the bundle for getting hands-on quickly. ### What Do You Get for Your Money? The bundle is spread **across three tiers**. At **$3 you get three books**, **$15 gets you six**, and **$18 unlocks all 23**. **Here's the complete collection.** 👇 | Coloumn 1 | Coloumn 2 | | ------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------- | | LLM Engineer's Handbook | Building Agentic AI Systems | | Generative AI with LangChain, 2E | RAG-Driven Generative AI | | Machine Learning with PyTorch and Scikit-Learn | LLM Design Patterns | | Learn Model Context Protocol with Python | Mastering PyTorch, 2E | | Modern Computer Vision with PyTorch, 2E | Generative AI with Python and PyTorch, 2E | | Practical Generative AI with ChatGPT, 2E | Building LLM Powered Applications | | Transformers for Natural Language Processing, 3E | LLMs in Enterprise | | Unlocking Data with Generative AI and RAG | Azure OpenAI Essentials | | Learn Model Context Protocol with TypeScript | Learn Python Programming, 4E | | Mastering NLP from Foundations to LLMs | Building Data-Driven Applications with LlamaIndex | | Generative AI Foundations in Python | Building AI Applications with OpenAI APIs, 2E | | Essential Guide to LLMOps | | The total retail value across all 23 books is listed at **$925**. Getting everything for $18 is a fairly absurd discount by comparison, and you can adjust the split if you want to give more to the charity. Head over to [Humble Bundle](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/0G9K1R?ref=itsfoss.com) (*partner link*) and grab it before the deal closes on **April 6**. [Get The Deal (partner link)](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/0G9K1R?ref=itsfoss.com) ### LibreOffice is Adding a Donation Banner That Might Annoy Some Users URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/libreoffice-donation-banner/ Last updated: 2026-03-23T16:41:12.000Z [LibreOffice](https://itsfoss.com/libreoffice-tips/) is the go-to for people who want a capable, no-nonsense office suite that does not phone home or push subscriptions in their face. It handles everything from text documents and spreadsheets to presentations and databases, and it does so without asking for money or peddling AI. Needless to say, keeping an open source project of this scale running is not free, even if the software itself is. The developers have now decided to make that point a little more obvious. ## What is it? ![a screenshot of libreoffice that shows a big white-colored test donation banner at the bottom with a bunch of placeholder text, and a placeholder image of a man carrying a red baloon on the right](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/libreoffice-donation-banner-early-version.png) The Document Foundation is adding a donation banner to the LibreOffice [Start Center](https://help.libreoffice.org/26.2/en-US/text/shared/guide/startcenter.html?ref=itsfoss.com), the screen that greets you with recently opened documents when you first launch the app. The banner is planned to occupy roughly the bottom quarter of the Start Center, with a short message on the left and an image on the right side. The image is scaled proportionally to the banner height and is positioned at the right edge, independent of whether the system uses a left-to-right or right-to-left layout. The text also auto-adjusts its font size to fit the available space. As for how often it shows up, **the current implementation is set to display every single time you open LibreOffice**, but the intended schedule is to show it after every successful LibreOffice update or once a month. **Why?**, you ask. Well, **free software is not free to maintain**. [The Document Foundation](https://www.documentfoundation.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is fueled by donations and inconsistent corporate support, and like most open source projects, it is always doing more with less. More donations mean faster development and contributors who can dedicate real time to the project [instead of squeezing it around their day jobs](https://itsfoss.com/news/open-source-developers-are-exhausted/). During my testing of the [master daily builds](https://dev-builds.libreoffice.org/daily/master/current.html?ref=itsfoss.com), the banner appears oversized when the display resolution is set to 1920x1080, and **the overall look and feel are pretty primitive at this stage** with the placeholder text and image. Combined with the existing donate button on the start page that leads to LibreOffice's [donation page](https://www.libreoffice.org/donate/?ref=itsfoss.com), the donation banner should help pull in more monetary contributions. This change has [already been merged](https://gerrit.libreoffice.org/c/core/+/198539?ref=itsfoss.com) and is expected to be included in the upcoming [LibreOffice 26.8](https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/ReleaseNotes/26.8?ref=itsfoss.com) release that is scheduled for an August release. The donation banner will undoubtedly go through a few more stages of refinement before it debuts. Via: [Phoronix](https://www.phoronix.com/news/LibreOffice-26-Donation-Banner?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Open source developers are exhausted*](https://itsfoss.com/news/open-source-developers-are-exhausted/) [Open Source Developers Are Exhausted, Unpaid, and Ready to Walk AwayThe foundation of modern software is cracking under the weight of burnout.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-337.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/open-source-devs-burnout-3.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/open-source-developers-are-exhausted/) ### Someone Forked Systemd to Strip Out Its Age Verification Support URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/systemd-fork-strips-out-age-verification/ Last updated: 2026-03-23T15:10:10.000Z [systemd](https://systemd.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) is the init system and service manager that most major Linux distributions ship with by default. It boots the system, manages services, and has taken on more responsibilities over the years than a lot of people think it should. For some, [running a distro that avoids it entirely is a feature](https://itsfoss.com/systemd-free-distros/). The project's latest move has not helped its reputation among the skeptics. Last week, developers merged a pull request adding a `birthDate` field to its user records, tied to [age verification laws](https://itsfoss.com/news/age-verification-pandemic/) in California, Colorado, and Brazil. Earlier, we covered [what that actually means](https://itsfoss.com/news/systemd-age-verification/), but to recap, the field is optional, can only be set by an administrator, and **systemd itself does nothing with the data**. It is simply a standardized field in the user record file that other projects like `xdg-desktop-portal` can build age verification compliance on top of—distros that do not need it can ignore it entirely. But "*optional*" has not been enough to stop people from treating it as a line being crossed, and now a solo developer has responded the way the open source community usually reacts: *by forking*. ## Liberated as in? ![screenshot of the github repo for liberated systemd. there is a lot of text and interface elements in this](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/liberated-systemd-git-hub-repo.png) [Liberated systemd](https://github.com/Jeffrey-Sardina/systemd?ref=itsfoss.com) is a fork of mainline [systemd](https://github.com/systemd/systemd?ref=itsfoss.com) started by [Jeffrey Seathrún Sardina](https://github.com/Jeffrey-Sardina?ref=itsfoss.com), a machine learning/AI researcher who apparently had enough of where things were heading. The project is straightforward about its purpose; **strip out what it considers surveillance-enabling code**, keep everything else intact, and stay in sync with upstream as it develops. The repository puts it bluntly: > Mass surveillance is bad, actually. So here's a fork of `systemd` with surveillance enablement removed, which will be kept up-to-date with other changes in `systemd/main`. However you use this, or do not, is your choice and yours alone. Compared to mainline systemd, the fork changes [12 files across 5 commits](https://github.com/systemd/systemd/compare/main...Jeffrey-Sardina:systemd:main?ref=itsfoss.com), all focused on scrubbing out everything related to the `birthDate` addition. That means not just the field itself but also the option to set a birth date via `homectl`, the relevant man page entries, display code, and tests. Though, as of writing this, it was [37 commits behind](https://github.com/Jeffrey-Sardina/systemd/compare/main...systemd%3Asystemd%3Amain?ref=itsfoss.com) from systemd, so that is something to keep in mind if you are hoping to implement this on a general-use or production system. Jeffrey also maintains a companion repository, [systemd-suite](https://github.com/Jeffrey-Sardina/systemd-suite?ref=itsfoss.com), which is meant for testing the fork. So, while this is very much a one-person project, there seems to be at least some technical groundwork behind it beyond the `birthDate` revert. ## Some thoughts… Whether *Liberated systemd* becomes anything more than a protest fork is a fair question. It is a one-person project with no releases, and keeping a revert rebased against an actively developed codebase is not a trivial long-term commitment. If you are thinking about building a distro around it right now, you probably should not. But that might not be the point. **Forks like this are meant to ignite conversation** rather than ending up as a significant open source project. If age verification requirements tighten, and given the direction things are headed, that is not a wild assumption, then the community forking its way out of an uncomfortable situation makes sense. And one of these forks might actually make it into some Linux distribution in the near future; who knows? --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Ageless Linux emerges to resist OS-level age verification*](https://itsfoss.com/news/ageless-linux/) [Ageless Linux Emerges to Protest OS-Level Age Verification LawsAnd thankfully, it’s more than just a Linux distro without age verification.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-339.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/ageless-linux-symbol-resistence-2.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/news/ageless-linux/) ### Systemd Crossword: Test Your Knowledge of Linux "ctl Commands" URL: https://itsfoss.com/quiz/systemd-crossword/ Last updated: 2026-03-23T10:51:12.000Z Systemd powers most modern Linux distributions, and with it comes a family of powerful `ctl` commands like `systemctl` . These tools help you manage services, inspect logs, control system time, and dig deep into how your Linux system behaves under the hood. But how well do you really know them? This crossword puzzle is a fun way to test your familiarity with common systemd `ctl` commands. Whether you're a beginner trying to remember commands or an experienced user brushing up your knowledge, this challenge is for you. 🧠 Hint: All answers are related to systemd or its associated `ctl` utilities. 🚧 Some browsers block the JavaScript-based quiz units. ****Disable your ad blocker to enjoy the quizzes and puzzles**. 👉 Got a perfect score? Share it with your Linux friends and challenge them! 👉 Want more puzzles like this? Let us know! --- ## If you are stuck 🫣 We've got you 😄 _This post is for subscribers only._ ### What Are Btrfs Subvolumes? And Why They’re Better Than Traditional Linux Partitions URL: https://itsfoss.com/btrfs-subvolumes/ Last updated: 2026-03-22T15:12:32.000Z For many Linux users, partitioning is the most nerve-wracking part of installation. It’s that moment where you double-check everything, hoping you don’t wipe the wrong drive or end up with a layout you’ll regret later. I like to think of a disk as a cabinet. The fixed “drawers” are partitions, and if one turns out to be too small, fixing it later means resizing, moving things around, and hoping nothing breaks in the process. But what if partitions were not like the fixed drawers? What if they were like those adjustable shelves instead that could adapt as your needs change? That’s exactly what Btrfs subvolumes bring to the table. Subvolumes are one of the most powerful features of [Btrfs file system](https://itsfoss.com/btrfs/) that provides independently mountable directory trees that all share the same underlying disk pool. I am going to discuss this subvolume feature specifically, and why it changes how you think about disk management. And once you get used to them, it's hard to go back. ## The Problem with Traditional Partitioning ![Typical disk layout with separate partitions](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-23.png) While the analogy is okay, let's see the real thing. With a typical [Ext4 setup](https://itsfoss.com/set-write-permission-ext4-partition-ubuntu-linux/), you decide everything upfront. Maybe you give 50GB to `/` and the rest to `/home`. It seems reasonable, until it isn’t. A few months later, your root partition fills up thanks to [Flatpaks](https://flatpak.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), containers, or system updates. Meanwhile, your home partition might still have hundreds of gigabytes sitting unused. The system can’t borrow that space, even if it desperately needs it. That’s the limitation of fixed partitions. Btrfs subvolumes were designed to solve exactly this. ## A Smarter Approach with Subvolumes [Btrfs](https://btrfs.readthedocs.io/en/latest/?ref=itsfoss.com) takes a different approach. Instead of splitting your disk into rigid chunks, it creates a shared storage pool. [Subvolumes](https://btrfs.readthedocs.io/en/latest/Subvolumes.html?ref=itsfoss.com) act like partitions from the outside, you can mount one as root and another as home, but under the hood, they all draw from the same free space. There’s no need to resize anything. If one part of your system needs more storage, it simply uses what’s available. This works because subvolumes are not separate block devices. They are namespaces within a single Btrfs filesystem. You get the organisational benefits of partitions without their rigidity. This flexibility makes a huge difference in everyday use. ## Check If You’re Already Using Btrfs subvolume If you’re on [Fedora](https://fedoraproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) or [openSUSE](https://www.opensuse.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), chances are you’re already using Btrfs. Still, you can confirm your filesystem type with: ``` findmnt -no FSTYPE / ``` ![Fedora uses Btrfs by default](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-24-1.png) And if you are using Btrfs, subvolumes are almost certainly already set up for you. To check your subvolume layout directly: ``` sudo btrfs subvolume list / ``` ![Default Btrfs subvolume layout](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-22-1.png) You’ll likely see entries like `root` and `home`. This is a common “flat layout,” where `root` your **main system ( / ) and** `home` represents your personal files. Even though they appear separate, they’re just different subvolumes sharing the same disk space. You can confirm this by checking how they are mounted using the mount command: ``` mount | grep btrfs ``` ![Subvolumes mounted as root and home](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-25-1.png) This output shows how Btrfs subvolumes are mounted and used by the system. Both root (`/`) and home (`/home`) are coming from the same physical partition. This confirm, no separate partitions are used. ## Snapshots: The Killer Feature of Subvolumes Snapshots are where Btrfs really shines and it's important to understand why. In Btrfs, a snapshot is itself a subvolume. When you take a snapshot, you're asking Btrfs to create a new subvolume that initially shares all the same data as the original, without actually copying anything and it happens almost instantly. Even on large systems, it doesn’t actually copy all your data; it just records the current state. First, create a directory for snapshots: ``` sudo mkdir /snapshots ``` Then take a snapshot of your root subvolume: ``` sudo btrfs subvolume snapshot / /snapshots/before-update ``` ![Creating a system snapshot takes less than a second](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-26-1.png) That’s it. You now have a complete snapshot of your system before making changes. If an update goes wrong, you have a fallback ready. Now verify it: ``` sudo btrfs subvolume list / ``` ![New snapshot appearing in the list](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-28-1-1.png) You see the `snapshots/before-update` listed alongside the `root` and `home` subvolumes because it *is* a subvolume, just one that was born from a snapshot operation. 💡 You can automate snapshot scheduling entirely through subvolumes using a tool like snapper. More on this in some other tutorial. ## How Subvolumes Make Snapshots Efficient: Copy-on-Write In the previous section, I mentioned that Snapshots are nearly instant and take up almost no extra space when first created. This is possible because of how subvolumes use Copy-on-Write (CoW) internally. You see, when two subvolumes, root and its snapshot in our example, share a block of data, neither actually holds a copy. They both point to the same underlying data. Only when one of them *changes* that data, Btrfs writes changes to a different location, updating the pointer for just that subvolume. The other subvolume keeps pointing to the original. This is why: - Snapshots are created almost instantly, even on large systems - A fresh snapshot uses almost no additional disk space - The original data is never lost mid-write if something goes wrong ## Understanding Disk Usage with Subvolumes Disk space reporting can feel a bit confusing with Btrfs. Traditional tools like `df -h` don’t always show the full picture because snapshots share data. For a clearer view, use: ``` sudo btrfs filesystem usage / ``` ![Accurate storage usage including metadata](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-32.png) If your disk seems unexpectedly full, old snapshots are often the reason. Because each snapshot is a subvolume holding references to data, deleting a file in your live system doesn't free space if an older snapshot still holds a reference to it. Cleaning up old snapshot subvolumes is the solution and the process is straightforward: ``` sudo btrfs subvolume delete /snapshots/old-snapshot-name ``` ## The Downsides of Subvolumes Subvolumes aren't without trade-offs. Because every write in a subvolume goes through Copy-on-Write, write-heavy workloads like databases or virtual machine disk images can see a performance penalty. Over time, CoW writes can also lead to fragmentation within subvolumes. For directories inside a subvolume where you want to opt out of CoW behaviour (and therefore lose snapshot coverage for those paths), you can disable it with: ``` chattr +C /var/lib/libvirt/images ``` ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-33-1.png) There’s also some background maintenance, like balancing storage across the pool, but most modern distributions handle this automatically. ## Conclusion As you can see, Btrfs subvolumes change the fundamental model of how storage is organized. Instead of fixed partitions at install time, you define logical boundaries with subvolumes that all share the same pool and can be snapshotted individually instantly. The flexibility, the snapshots, the efficient disk usage that come with Btrfs are due to its subvolumes feature. Shared pool, CoW data sharing, and per-subvolume state tracking, once you understand the workings of subvolumes, you'll start appreciating Btrfs even more. And once you get used to working that way, going back to traditional filesystem will be nearly impossible. I mean this is why Btrfs is the choice of a modern Linux system, right? ### Turris Omnia NG Wired is a Fanless, Rack-Ready OpenWrt Router with Dual 10G Ports URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/turris-omnia-ng-wired/ Last updated: 2026-03-21T10:01:59.000Z Most consumer routers give you a locked-down firmware, a few years of updates if you are lucky, and a web UI that makes you miss the terminal. Routers powered by [OpenWrt](https://openwrt.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) are a breath of fresh air here, as they give users a full Linux system, a proper package manager, support for VPNs, and the freedom to actually configure their network the way they want. [CZ.NIC](https://www.nic.cz/?ref=itsfoss.com), the organization behind the Czech Republic's national domain registry, which also does network security research, has the [Turris](https://www.turris.com/en/?ref=itsfoss.com) line of OpenWrt-powered routers built to offer security, modularity, and long-term support. Late last year, they launched the [Turris Omnia NG](https://itsfoss.com/news/turris-omnia-ng/), a router with Wi-Fi 7, swappable M.2 Wi-Fi modules, and a quad-core ARM processor. Now they are back with the [Turris Omnia NG Wired](https://www.nic.cz/page/4626/turris-omnia-ng-wired-a-quiet-10gbps-router-for-racks-and-beyond-with-an-emphasis-on-security/?ref=itsfoss.com), which does away with the built-in Wi-Fi and is designed for rack-mount installations. ## 📝 Turris Omnia NG Wired: Key Specifications ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/turris-omnia-ng-wired-front.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/turris-omnia-ng-wired-back-1.png) **The front and back views of the Turris Omnia NG Wired.* The Omnia NG Wired runs [Turris OS](https://www.turris.com/en/turris-os/?ref=itsfoss.com), a Linux distribution based on OpenWrt that ships with a web UI for easy router management and handles system updates automatically. On the hardware side, a **quad-core ARMv8 processor running at 2.2 GHz** drives the device, backed by **2 GB of RAM** and **8 GB of eMMC storage**. CZ.NIC went with passive cooling for this one too, so there are no fans or noise to worry about. For connectivity, you get **two 10 Gbps SFP+ ports**, one for WAN, one for LAN, and **four 2.5 Gbps RJ45 ports** for local devices. [Michal Hrušecký](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michalhrusecky/?ref=itsfoss.com), head of hardware development at CZ.NIC, notes that: > In addition to 10G and 2.5G ports, we also considered expandability. Thanks to M.2 slots, you can add NVMe storage or mobile connectivity as a backup, for example. > > This makes Omnia NG Wired a flexible foundation that can be adapted to specific deployments. Additionally, the front panel has a **240x240 px IPS display** for network stats and a D-pad for navigation, and the USB 3.0 ports round things out. If wireless coverage is eventually needed, **a Wi-Fi 6/Wi-Fi 7 upgrade kit** is supposed to be made available separately (*couldn't find its listing*), so the wired-only design is not a permanent constraint. And with CZ.NIC's long-term support promise, **updates to the device will continue well past the 10-year mark**. ## 🛒 Get Yours Prices for the Turris Omnia NG Wired range from **€420 to €499**, depending on the retailer you go for. The [official website](https://www.turris.com/en/products/omnia-NG-wired/?ref=itsfoss.com) lists the authorized sellers who cater to different regions. [Turris Omnia NG Wired](https://www.turris.com/en/products/omnia-NG-wired/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Big Win for Open Source as Germany Backs Open Document Format URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/germany-digital-stack-mandate/ Last updated: 2026-03-21T02:06:09.000Z Germany has strictly standardized its digital document requirements. The [Deutschland-Stack](https://deutschland-stack.gov.de/gesamtbild/?ref=itsfoss.com) (*in Deutsch*), the country's new sovereign digital infrastructure framework, names just two document formats that public administrations are allowed to use: ***ODF*** and ***PDF/UA***. Proprietary document formats from [Microsoft](https://www.microsoft.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) like *.doc*, *.ppt*, and *.xls* are not included. ## What's happening? The framework is published by Germany's [Federal Ministry for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation](https://bmds.bund.de/?ref=itsfoss.com), and it covers every level of public administration in the country, from federal government bodies down to states and municipalities. Also keep in mind that **the rollout of key infrastructure components is targeted for 2028**. [ODF](https://groups.oasis-open.org/communities/tc-community-home2?CommunityKey=4bf06d41-79ad-4c58-9e8e-018dc7d05da8&ref=itsfoss.com), or OpenDocument Format, is an XML-based file format for office documents. It covers text files, spreadsheets, charts, and graphical documents. The standard is maintained by [OASIS](https://groups.oasis-open.org/home?ref=itsfoss.com) and is also an ISO standard ([ISO/IEC 26300](https://www.iso.org/standard/43485.html?ref=itsfoss.com)), which means it is vendor-neutral and not controlled by any single company. [PDF/UA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDF/UA?ref=itsfoss.com), short for PDF/Universal Accessibility, is the ISO accessibility standard for PDF files ([ISO 14289](https://pdfa.org/resource/iso-14289-pdfua/?ref=itsfoss.com)). It lays out specs that make PDF documents readable by assistive technologies like screen readers, making it a sensible choice for a government that has to serve a diverse population. The reasons behind this are not hard to understand. **Vendor lock-in is the obvious one**. When public administrations run on proprietary document formats, they end up dependent on the vendor that controls those formats, with no real way out without significant disruption and cost. The Deutschland-Stack explicitly calls this out, with reducing lock-in effects listed as one of its core goals. The framework also prioritizes use of open source solutions where possible, and explicitly favors sourcing from European providers over foreign alternatives. Speaking on the subject, [Florian Effenberger](https://effenberger.org/en/?ref=itsfoss.com), Executive Director of The Document Foundation, [stated that](https://blog.documentfoundation.org/blog/2026/03/19/germanys-sovereign-digital-stack-mandates-odf/?ref=itsfoss.com): > This is not a recommendation or a preference, it is a mandate. Germany’s decision to anchor ODF at the heart of its national sovereign stack confirms what we have argued for years: open, vendor-neutral document formats are not a niche concern for some technology specialists and FOSS advocates. > > They are a fundamental infrastructure for democratic, interoperable and sovereign public administrations. ## Closing Words Moves like this take time to matter, but they do matter. Governments adopting open standards at this scale sends a clear signal about where things are heading, and it makes the case for interoperable, vendor-neutral infrastructure in a way that no amount of social media preaching can. Germany doing this in a binding, nationwide framework is a meaningful step, and the rest of Europe would benefit if they took note of this. ### Systemd’s New Feature Brings Age Verification Option to Linux URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/systemd-age-verification/ Last updated: 2026-03-20T12:02:28.000Z If you have not been living under a rock, then you most likely know that [age verification](https://itsfoss.com/news/age-verification-pandemic/) has been all over tech news lately, and the conversation surrounding it is a mess with a lot of information and *mis*information flowing around. For people who are trying to understand what's going on, the TLDR is that laws in regions like California, Colorado, and Brazil now require operating systems to report age signals to apps and app stores. [systemd](https://systemd.io/?ref=itsfoss.com), the init system and service manager used by most major Linux distributions, has made a change tied to this whole situation, but it is probably not what you are imagining. ## What's going on? ![this is a screenshot of an accepted merge request on systemd's github repo that is titled: userdb: add birthDate field to JSON user records #40954](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/systemd-add-birthdate-field-merge-request.png) The systemd project [merged a pull request](https://github.com/systemd/systemd/pull/40954?ref=itsfoss.com) adding a new `birthDate` field to the JSON user records managed by userdb in response to the age verification laws of California, Colorado, and Brazil. This is the same record that already holds basic user metadata like `realName`, `emailAddress`, and `location`. The field stores a full date in `YYYY-MM-DD` format and can only be set by administrators, not by users themselves. [Lennart Poettering](https://0pointer.net/blog/?ref=itsfoss.com), the creator of systemd, has clarified that this change is: > An optional field in the userdb JSON object. It's not a policy engine, not an API for apps. We just define the field, so that it's standardized iff people want to store the date there, but it's entirely optional. In simple words, this is something that adds a new, optional field that can then be used by other open source projects like [xdg-desktop-portal](https://github.com/flatpak/xdg-desktop-portal?ref=itsfoss.com) to build age verification compliance on top of, without systemd itself doing anything with the data or making it mandatory to provide. A [merge request](https://github.com/systemd/systemd/pull/41179?ref=itsfoss.com) asking for this change to be repealed was struck down by Lennart, who gave the above-mentioned reasoning behind this, and further noted that **people were misunderstanding what systemd is trying to do here**. So yeah, that is what this change looks like, but this won't be stopping the haters and conspiracy theorists from making wild accusations, of course. Let's see how this develops. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Systemd creator quits Microsoft*](https://itsfoss.com/news/amutable-linux-security/) [Systemd Creator Quits Microsoft to Form His Own Linux-focused Start UpBased in Germany, the company is made up of open source veteran developers.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-335.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/amutable-launch-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/amutable-linux-security/) ### Vykar is a New Open Source Backup Tool That's Faster Than Borg, Restic, and Kopia URL: https://itsfoss.com/vykar-open-source-backup-tool/ Last updated: 2026-03-20T03:48:32.000Z If you want to backup your data on Linux, there's no shortage of reliable options that offer some pretty good functionality. We have [Déjà Dup](https://apps.gnome.org/DejaDup/?ref=itsfoss.com) that handles the basics well if you just want a simple GNOME app that protects your files without much fuss. [Timeshift](https://itsfoss.com/backup-restore-linux-timeshift/) takes a different angle; it snapshots your system so you can roll back after a bad update, though it's not really designed for personal data backups. For users who want more control, [Borg](https://www.borgbackup.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Restic](https://restic.net/?ref=itsfoss.com) have been the standards for years. Both are encrypted, deduplicated, and trusted by a vast community of Linux users. [BorgBase](https://www.borgbase.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), on the other hand, is a managed repository hosting service for Borg and Restic backups that has been around for almost a decade. [Vykar](https://vykar.borgbase.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is their newest project—an open source encrypted backup tool that's worth a look if you're in the market for something new. 🚧 This tool is not recommended for production use by the developers; proceed with care. ## Vykar: Overview ⭐ ![two app windows showcase the vykar backup solution in this picture](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/vykar-desktop-gui.png) Vykar is **an open source, encrypted, deduplicated backup tool written in Rust**, developed by the BorgBase team, and released under the GPL-3.0 license. It draws inspiration from the likes of BorgBackup and [Borgmatic](https://torsion.org/borgmatic/?ref=itsfoss.com) but uses its own repository format, making it incompatible with existing Borg or Restic repositories. The whole thing is configured through a single [YAML](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YAML?ref=itsfoss.com) file where you define your repositories, source directories, encryption settings, and retention policy. **Key features** include: - Scheduling via `vykar daemon`. - Deduplication is doable via FastCDC. - Compression support with LZ4 or Zstandard. - Desktop GUI (`vykar-gui`) with system tray support. - WebDAV server for browsing and restoring snapshots. - Encryption with AES-256-GCM or ChaCha20-Poly1305 (auto-selected), and Argon2id key derivation. - Concurrent multi-client backups, where multiple machines can write to the same backup repository at the same time. The desktop GUI deserves a particular mention. Borg relies on third-party tools like Vorta for a desktop interface, and Restic has Backrest, which is also a community project. Vykar ships its own GUI as a first-party component. It reads directly from `vykar.yaml`, runs backups on demand, and can sit in the system tray running scheduled backups in the background. **As for the performance**, the project's website has put up a comparison of Vykar against Borg, Restic, Rustic, and [Kopia](https://kopia.io/?ref=itsfoss.com), tested against a 49 GiB dataset of 367,000 files. ![there are four charts that show benchmark results for vykar, pitching it against other backup solutions like restic, rustic, borg, and kopia](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/vykar-benchmark.png) 📋 These are benchmarks run and published by the Vykar team, not an independent party. On backup duration, Vykar finished in 61 seconds, Rustic took 313, Borg 268, Restic 138, and Kopia 85\. Restore times follow a similar pattern where Vykar does it in 69 seconds, versus 82 for Rustic, 225 for Borg, 130 for Restic, and 132 for Kopia. CPU efficiency shows the clearest gap. Vykar used 234 CPU seconds for backup, compared to Borg's 250, Restic's 696, Rustic's 728, and Kopia's 428. Memory usage is where the picture gets more interesting. Borg uses just 236 MB during backup versus Vykar's 623 MB. Restic is also lighter at 327 MB. So Vykar is trading some RAM for its speed advantage. This is something to factor in on memory-constrained systems. Repository sizes across all five tools land between 19.7 and 19.9 GB under equivalent Zstd compression settings, so deduplication efficiency is roughly comparable across the board. ## Get Vykar 📥 Before you install, know that Vykar supports four storage backends: the local filesystem, S3-compatible object storage (*any provider works*), SFTP, and a dedicated REST server. The installation itself is a one-liner: ``` curl -fsSL https://vykar.borgbase.com/install.sh | sh ``` Pre-built binaries for **Linux** (*x86\_64 and aarch64, both glibc and musl*), **macOS** (*Apple Silicon*), and **Windows** are also available on the [GitHub releases page](https://github.com/borgbase/vykar/releases?ref=itsfoss.com). From there, you can refer to [the quickstart guide](https://vykar.borgbase.com/quickstart?ref=itsfoss.com) for going through the creation of a config file and initializing the backup process. [Vykar](https://vykar.borgbase.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### FOSS Weekly #26.12: GNOME 50 Release, Fedora for Apple, New Ageless Linux, Manjaro Drama and More URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-12/ Last updated: 2026-03-19T14:18:41.000Z In the previous newsletter, I discussed how [various distros are handling the age verification laws](https://itsfoss.com/news/distros-response-age-verification-laws/). At the end of the article, I speculated that we would see a few existing or new distros coming up with "no age verification" as their unique feature. Guess what? We have a new distro called [Ageless Linux](https://itsfoss.com/news/ageless-linux/) which is created specifically to refuse compliance with OS-level age verification laws. [Ageless Linux Emerges to Protest OS-Level Age Verification LawsAnd thankfully, it’s more than just a Linux distro without age verification.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-334.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/ageless-linux-symbol-resistence-1.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/news/ageless-linux/) But it's more than just a distro; the project also maintains a tracker of [where various distros and organizations stand on age verification](https://agelesslinux.org/distros.html?ref=itsfoss.com) and [a $12 RISC-V hardware project](https://agelesslinux.org/hardware.html?ref=itsfoss.com) aimed at putting non-compliant devices in the hands of schoolchildren. I am glad that it exists. **Here are other highlights of this edition of FOSS Weekly:** - Things you can do Linux but not on Windows - Chrome on ARM Linux (aka Raspberry Pi). - A new web browser for Linux users. - GNOME 50 and Fedora Ashahi releases - And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes! ## 📰 Linux and Open Source News [GNOME 50](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-50-release/) is here and X11 is not. Wayland is all the way in this new release. Upcoming distros like Ubuntu 26.04 and Fedora 44 will have it. Rolling distros like Arch should also get it soon. Google [has officially announced Chrome for ARM64 Linux](https://itsfoss.com/news/chrome-linux-arm-announcement/), with a release targeted for Q2 2026\. That means Raspberry Pi users, Snapdragon laptop owners, and anyone else running ARM hardware will get the Chrome experience on Linux. Although, not open source, Kagi's Orion browser [has made it to Linux](https://itsfoss.com/news/orion-browser-linux-beta-release/) as a public beta, and it's genuinely interesting because it's one of the browsers on the platform not built on Chromium or Firefox's engine. It is based on WebKit and works okayish on GNOME. A significant chunk of the Manjaro team has gone public with the "Manjaro 2.0 Manifesto," signed by 19 members, [calling for the project to separate from its parent company](https://itsfoss.com/news/manjaro-team-strike/) and restructure as a nonprofit. [Fedora Asahi Remix 43 arrives](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-asahi-remix-43-release/) with Mac Pro support. In case you did not know, Asahi is the project bring Linux to Apple's Silicon processors. AI companies like Anthropic, OpenAI, Meta etc have put $12.5M into Open Source Security, managed by Linux Foundation. This is funny in a way. They are putting together a fund to fix the problem their AI tools created in the first place. ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About Google [wants every Android developer to register](https://itsfoss.com/news/android-developer-verification/) using their real identity before their apps will install on certified devices, but not everyone's on board. [Google Says Developer Verification Makes Android Safer. Critics Say It Just Makes Android More ClosedThe line between a secure garden and a locked cage is getting blurry.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-327.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/keep-android-open-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/android-developer-verification/) YOUR support keeps us going, keeps us resisting the established media and tech, keeps us independent. And ****it costs less than a McDonald's Happy Meal**. Opt for the Plus membership to: ✅ Get 5 FREE eBooks on Linux, Docker and Bash ✅ Enjoy an ad-free reading experience ✅ Flaunt badges in the comment section and forum ✅ To support creation of educational Linux materials [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings A [clean beginner's guide to Markdown](https://itsfoss.com/markdown-guide/) covering the core syntax: headings, text formatting, links, images, lists, and block quotes. It comes with a downloadable cheat sheet and a few recommendations for online editors if you want to try it without installing anything. Windows users have been conditioned to ask, "*But can Linux do X?*" This piece by Roland flips it around and [asks what Linux can do that Windows can't](https://itsfoss.com/things-linux-can-window-not/). The answers range from practical (live sessions, moving installs between machines, reviving old hardware) to genuinely impressive (swapping kernels, choosing filesystems, replacing every layer of your stack). ## 📚 eBook bundle on AI [Inside this 20+ eBook library](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/0G9K1R?ref=itsfoss.com), you’ll gain expert insights from practical lessons like Learn Python Programming, 4E and the LLM Engineer's Handbook. These massively efficient tools save you time and effort so you can prioritize other important tasks and systems. Your purchase supports the World Central Kitchen organization. [Humble Tech Book Bundle: LLM and Agentic AI Career Accelerator Bundle by PacktLearn to program your own LLMs lightning-fast! Pay what you want for the hot tech courses like LLM Engineer’s Handbook & help charity!![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/03df0490a53d595fd930f9fff52038366d60a05d-12.png)Humble Bundle![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/25f9e055f9d1130c63be1ff6b3fa5ae7f81c57fa.png)](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/0G9K1R?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner If your Raspberry Pi homelab is freezing up under load, [the default 200 MB swap](https://itsfoss.com/pi-swap-increase/) is probably the first thing worth looking at. [This Simple Change Improved the Performance of My Homelab Running on Raspberry PiMy struggling Raspberry Pi got a performance boost by a small change in the memory configuration.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-328.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Kumar![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/raspberry-pi-swap-space-2.png)](https://itsfoss.com/pi-swap-increase/) ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights If your GNOME top panel has turned into a wall of icons, [Veil](https://itsfoss.com/veil-gnome-extension/) is worth a look. It's a shell extension that lets you hide panel items behind a toggle arrow. [Clean Up Your GNOME Panel With This New ExtensionHide unwanted panel icons automatically with Veil.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-329.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/veil-first-look-banner-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/veil-gnome-extension/) ## 📽️ Videos for You You could move away from Google today if you wanted to, and [DuckDuckGo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eii-YmVVv5M&ref=itsfoss.com) is one of the good ones to consider. [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip In [Nautilus](https://itsfoss.com/nautilus-tips-tweaks/) file manager, you can press `CTRL+F` to start a search in the current directory and `CTRL+SHIFT+F` to search across the other system folders. To go even further, you can add new search locations via the *Search* settings. 0:00 /0:14 1× And, if you use the shortcut `CTRL+ALT+O` after selecting a file or folder, you can go to it's location in the file manager. Do note that this works in the *Search* and *Recent* pages of the file manager. [](https://t43217012.p.clickup-attachments.com/t43217012/da09f1e7-b651-4c93-b93b-141e46671d4b/copy-link-to-highlight-firefox.png?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse Do you know the brain behind Debian? This [Ian Murdock quiz](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/ian-murdock-debian-quiz/) will test your knowledge. [The Ian Murdock (Debian) QuizLove Debian? Love Debian-based distros? But, do you know about the one who started it all? Take this quiz!![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-330.png)It's FOSSAnkush Das![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/ian-murdock-debian.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/ian-murdock-debian-quiz/) **🤣 Meme of the Week**: We must protect it at all costs! ![man page meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/meme210.png) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On [March 17, 1988](https://www.computerhistory.org/tdih/march/17/?ref=itsfoss.com), Apple sued Microsoft for copyright infringement over the look and feel of the Windows GUI. Apple's argument was that Windows borrowed too heavily from the Macintosh interface it had debuted in 1984\. The case dragged on for years before a judge ruled that Apple had only limited rights to the design elements in question. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: One of our regular Pro FOSSers [is having an issue with CUPS](https://itsfoss.community/t/cups-issues-in-antix26-rc1/15485?ref=itsfoss.com) on antiX Linux; can you help? ### Fedora Asahi Remix 43 Arrives with Mac Pro Support and Beats Fedora to a Key Upgrade URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-asahi-remix-43-release/ Last updated: 2026-03-19T12:28:14.000Z [Fedora Asahi Remix](https://fedora-asahi-remix.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a collaboration between the [Fedora Asahi SIG](https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/SIGs/Asahi?ref=itsfoss.com) and the [Asahi Linux](https://asahilinux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) project that has brought Fedora Linux to [Apple Silicon Macs](https://support.apple.com/en-us/116943?ref=itsfoss.com). While I have personally never used it, I have seen its development progress consistently. Each release has closed more hardware gaps, brought the experience closer to what you would expect on native hardware, and stayed in sync with mainline Fedora. Its [latest release](https://fedoramagazine.org/fedora-asahi-remix-43-is-now-available/?ref=itsfoss.com) keeps that momentum going. ## 🆕 Fedora Asahi Remix 43: A Packed Release ![against a white background, fedora asahi remix (in blue) 43 (in red) is written on the left, on the right is the illustration of a apple mac device with the asahi linux logo inside it](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/fedora-asahi-remix-43-banner-2.jpg) **Source:* [**Fedora Magazine*](https://fedoramagazine.org/fedora-asahi-remix-43-is-now-available/?ref=itsfoss.com) Based on [Fedora 43](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-43-release/), this release of Fedora Asahi Remix 43 takes advantage of [Linux kernel 6.17](https://itsfoss.com/linux-kernel-6-17/) and comes with [KDE Plasma 6.6](https://itsfoss.com/news/kde-plasma-6-6-release/) as the desktop environment. The latter is **the flagship desktop** that has introduced quite a few useful upgrades. One of the more practical ones is the OCR support in Spectacle. You can now pull text directly from a screenshot, making it helpful for situations where you need to copy something out of an image or a terminal error you cannot select. Accessibility also sees many additions. Plasma Keyboard is the brand new on-screen keyboard that replaces the older solution, and a grayscale filter has been added to the *Color Blindness Correction* options in *System Settings*. ![a placeholder screenshot of kde plasma 6.6 is shown here with the about this sytem page open on the right](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/plasma-6-6-desktop-view.png) **Just a stand-in image of* [**KDE Plasma 6.6*](https://itsfoss.com/news/kde-plasma-6-6-release/)**.* Beyond that, it also introduces *Plasma Setup*, a first-run wizard that handles user account creation separately from OS installation. This should come in handy for anyone setting up a new machine. A GNOME variant is also available, featuring [GNOME 49](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-49-release/), which comes with new default apps, shell upgrades, and file manager refinements. Both desktop variants benefit from [RPM 6.0](https://rpm.org/releases/6.0.0?ref=itsfoss.com), which delivers some security-focused changes like full fingerprint-based OpenPGP key identification, multiple signatures per package, and OpenPGP v6 support with post-quantum cryptography. Then there is [the inclusion of the DNF5 backend](https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Changes/PackageKit-DNF5?ref=itsfoss.com) that ensures [Plasma Discover](https://apps.kde.org/discover/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [GNOME Software](https://apps.gnome.org/Software/?ref=itsfoss.com) now use the same underlying package management plumbing as everything else on the system. This specific change has yet to arrive on mainline [Fedora](https://www.fedoraproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and is on track for a Fedora 44 debut. **Hardware support also sees work**, with the Mac Pro now being a supported device, and users of M2 Pro and M2 Max-powered MacBooks now getting functional microphones. There's also 120Hz refresh rate support for the MacBook Pro 14 and 16 models. ## 📥 Get Fedora Asahi Remix 43 All you need is **a single command** to get Fedora Asahi Remix installed on your Mac device. But you have to take note that this distro only works on Apple Silicon Macs running at least macOS 13.5 or 14.2. ``` curl https://fedora-asahi-remix.org/install | sh ``` [Fedora Asahi Remix 43](https://fedora-asahi-remix.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) **Existing users**, you will have to follow the upgrade guide for [Fedora KDE Plasma Desktop](https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/quick-docs/upgrading-fedora-new-release/?ref=itsfoss.com#%5Fupgrading%5Fto%5Fthe%5Fnext%5Ffedora%5Fkde%5Frelease) to get this release on your computer. If you are on the GNOME variant, then [you will have to use DNF](https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/quick-docs/upgrading-fedora-offline/?ref=itsfoss.com) to get this release. ### AI Companies Put $12.5M Into Open Source Security to Fix a Problem Their Tools Helped Create URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/ai-companies-fund-open-source-security/ Last updated: 2026-03-19T04:53:00.000Z The Linux Foundation has announced [$12.5 million in grants](https://www.linuxfoundation.org/press/linux-foundation-announces-12.5-million-in-grant-funding-from-leading-organizations-to-advance-open-source-security?ref=itsfoss.com) to strengthen open source software security. The funding will be managed by [Alpha-Omega](https://alpha-omega.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com) and the [Open Source Security Foundation](https://openssf.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) (OpenSSF), two of its security-focused initiatives. The idea behind this move is to tackle the growing problem of AI tools generating security findings (*both legit and hallucination ones*) at a scale open source maintainers simply cannot keep up with. We already know that many open source projects don't have the resources or tooling to handle such a flood of reports. Combined with the other development-related issues they have to tackle, **a project could be in real trouble if they are overwhelmed with AI slop**. Alpha-Omega and OpenSSF plan to work directly with maintainers to make sure whatever security tooling comes out of this is actually practical and fits into how their projects already work. The goal is to help them stay on top of growing security demands without getting completely buried. The AI giants who have pitched in include the likes of: - **Anthropic** - **AWS** - **Google** - **Google DeepMind** - **GitHub** - **Microsoft** - **OpenAI** On this, [Greg Kroah-Hartman](https://itsfoss.com/news/greg-kroah-hartman-european-open-source-award/), Linux Foundation Fellow and Linux kernel maintainer, said: > Grant funding alone is not going to help solve the problem that AI tools are causing today on open source security teams. OpenSSF has the active resources needed to support numerous projects that will help these overworked maintainers with the triage and processing of the increased AI-generated security reports they are currently receiving. ## This is not unfounded Back in [2025](https://itsfoss.com/news/curl-ai-slop/), cURL's bug bounty program on HackerOne got hit with a wave of AI-generated reports. These were not real vulnerability findings, just a vomit of unresearched submissions that people were clearly generating with AI and sending off without actually understanding what they were reporting. [cURL](https://curl.se/?ref=itsfoss.com)'s creator, Daniel Stenberg, initially tried to push back. He warned that anyone submitting AI slop would get publicly named, ridiculed, and banned. That did not really help. By January 2026, the project had already gone through 20 submissions in the first few weeks alone. So, [the cURL bug bounty program was shut down entirely](https://itsfoss.com/news/curl-closes-bug-bounty-program/). I am betting that the developers are putting all this saved effort and time into tackling more productive tasks. 📋 If you didn't know, cURL is an important building block of the modern IT infrastructure used by billions of devices worldwide. Of course **this funding grant does not fully remedy the problem of AI slop** for open source projects, but it is at least a step in the right direction. These deep-pocketed AI giants need to do better, and hopefully this sets a precedent. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Linux Market Share Statistics*](https://itsfoss.com/linux-market-share/) [Linux Market Share Statistics \[March 2026 Report\]Curious to know the latest market share percentage for Linux desktop? You don’t have to do the research; we’ve done it for you. We update this report at the beginning of each month.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-332.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-desktop-market-share-2.jpg)](https://itsfoss.com/linux-market-share/) ### GNOME 50 is Here, and X11 is Finally Gone URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-50-release/ Last updated: 2026-03-19T02:42:27.000Z [GNOME](https://www.gnome.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) has had quite a journey so far, consistently evolving according to the community's needs, gaining both loyal users and ardent haters. Each release has brought steadier foundations, a more coherent design language, and a growing set of applications built around the same visual identity. What it offers is fairly compelling. GNOME is built around a Wayland-first approach, with a consistent design system through [Libadwaita](https://gnome.pages.gitlab.gnome.org/libadwaita/?ref=itsfoss.com), a decent attempt at accessibility, and a core app suite that handles most everyday tasks without much additional configuration. Its latest release, **GNOME 50**, continues on that path with some major changes. ## GNOME 50: What's New? ![against a vibrant blue background, the system details dialog on gnome 50 is visible on the right, showing some key hardware and software information](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/gnome-50-system-details-dialog.png) There is a decent amount packed into this release. On the shell side, there is more control over screen time limits, the top bar now shows a power mode indicator when you are not on the default profile, and a few annoyances around keyboard layouts and folder handling have been addressed. The **removal of X11 from GDM** is the change most people will have an opinion about. It was supposed to happen in [GNOME 49](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-49-release/) but got [pulled back](https://itsfoss.com/news/x11-is-back-in-gnome/) at the last minute due to a bug. GNOME 50 sees it through, and this time it is not coming back. Accessibility also sees some attention, specifically around Orca. The screen reader gets a redesigned preferences window, global settings that no longer need to be saved on a per-app basis, and a new option for reading chat room messages. There is more to this release than that of course, and we will get into the details further below. [](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/09/gnome-49-desktop-system-details.png) ## X11 is Gone ![a terminal window that is showing the output for this command: echo "$XDG_SESSION_TYPE", the term "wayland" is printed due to this](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/gnome-50-wayland-session.png) If you followed the GNOME 49 release, you may remember that [X11 briefly came back](https://itsfoss.com/news/x11-is-back-in-gnome/). The plan had been to disable X11 sessions in GDM by default, but a bug caused GDM to stop detecting `/usr/share/xsessions`, which meant other desktops' X11 sessions would not appear at login. The change was rolled back temporarily with an explicit assurance that GNOME 50 would finish the job. **GDM now runs entirely on Wayland for its own sessions**. X11 support has been removed outright, along with the ability to compile [GDM](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gdm?ref=itsfoss.com) without [Wayland](https://wayland.freedesktop.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) support. Features that depended on [X11](https://x.org/wiki/?ref=itsfoss.com), including XDCMP and the system-wide X server, are also gone. [Desktop environments](https://itsfoss.com/what-is-desktop-environment/) that ship their own X11 sessions can still be launched via a per-user X server, so Plasma, Xfce, and the others are not caught out by this. ## Shell Refinements ![the application launcher on gnome 50 is shown here, i was not sure what other screenshot I could add here lol](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/gnome-50-app-drawer.png) The Shell picks up a mix of new features and reliability fixes. Parents can now extend screen time limits directly from the interface, and screen time tracking has been corrected to work properly when idle inhibitors are active (*i.e. when apps are preventing the system from going idle*). This release also introduces **a non-default power mode indicator in the top bar**, so it is visible at a glance if the system is running in a performance or power-saving mode. The volume slider snaps to 100% when over-amplification is enabled. This should clear up any confusion about where the recommended volume ceiling actually sits during adjustment. A couple of smaller but welcome fixes include default folders that were manually deleted no longer reappearing after a reboot, and password text is no longer exposed in IM pre-edit fields, which was a privacy concern. ## Better Display Handling ![against a blue background, the displays settings menu is showcased here, with the scaling dropdown visible, showing various percentage numbers like 100, 125, 133, 150, 166, and 200](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/gnome-50-display-settings.png) Variable refresh rate and fractional scaling are two settings that have been sitting behind an experimental flag for so long that many users have either forgotten about them or given up on them. **Both are now stable features** in [Mutter](https://mutter.gnome.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), and if you have a high refresh rate display and skipped enabling these before, this is the release to try them properly. HiDPI support has been extended to remote desktop and color management sees meaningful additions too with HDR screen sharing, a new SDR-native color mode, and *wp-color-management v2* protocol support. Discrete GPU detection has been improved which should help multi-GPU setups behave more predictably. For [NVIDIA](https://www.nvidia.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), Mutter has some fixes to handle driver quirks to improve performance on those GPUs. ## Nautilus Buffs ![the nautilus (files) file manager app is shown here with the downloads folder open in the background, showing a few image files with their thumbnails, and in the foreground, the about dialog is open, showing the version info for the app, which is 50.beta](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/gnome-50-nautilus-files-app.png) The [Files](https://apps.gnome.org/Nautilus/?ref=itsfoss.com) (*aka Nautilus*) app sees a significant round of improvements with this release. **Path completion in the location bar is now case-insensitive**, which is a small change that makes the experience noticeably smoother when you are typing quickly and not thinking about capitalization. Thumbnails are now loaded through [Glycin](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/glycin?ref=itsfoss.com), GNOME's sandboxed image loading library, completing a change [that caused missing image thumbnails](https://itsfoss.com/image-thumbnails-missing-gnome/) for some users (*including myself*). Icon caching has been reworked alongside this, and the multi-file properties dialog has been improved. Similarly, image thumbnails in the properties view now display against a checkerboard background, making it easier to see transparency at a glance. ## Accessibility Upgrades ![two app windows are shown here, in the background, the seeing category under the accessibility settings is shown, and in the foreground, the speech setting tab for orca screen reader is shown](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/gnome-50-accessibility-settings.png) [Orca](https://orca.gnome.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) gets a substantial overhaul, where the screen reader gets a redesigned preferences window that is more visually consistent with the rest of the GNOME ecosystem (*it is still GTK3 tho*). More practically, all settings and commands are now global by default, meaning that you don't need to manually save settings on a per-application basis, though doing so is still possible. Additionally, automatic language switching has been added for both web and interface content, and *Browse* mode now works across all document content rather than being limited to web pages. On the platform side, [at-spi2-core](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/at-spi2-core?ref=itsfoss.com) gains the `pointer-moved`, `key-pressed`, and `key-released` signals. These give assistive technologies a cleaner way to track pointer and keyboard input, with the *pointer-moved* signal supported on both X11 and on Wayland when the compositor implements the `org.freedesktop.a11y.PointerLocator` interface. ### Other Changes and Improvements ![gnome 50's dark mode and new wallpapers are showcased here neatly](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/gnome-50-new-wallpapers.png) We conclude this article with a few other notable refinements that include: - As usual, a set of fresh wallpapers is included. - [Loupe](https://apps.gnome.org/Loupe/?ref=itsfoss.com) (*the image viewer*) adds support for XPM and JPEG 2000 formats. - The new session save and restore feature has been postponed to a future release. - GTK 4 has dropped its [Librsvg](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/librsvg?ref=itsfoss.com) dependency as it can now render SVGs natively. - [Calendar](https://apps.gnome.org/Calendar/?ref=itsfoss.com) now shows event attendees in the event editor dialog and supports arrow key navigation in the Month view. The [release notes](https://release.gnome.org/50/?ref=itsfoss.com) contain all the useful information you will need about this release. ## How to Get GNOME 50? If you run a [rolling release](https://itsfoss.com/best-rolling-release-distros/) distribution like Arch Linux, EndeavourOS, and CachyOS, GNOME 50 will arrive as an upgrade as soon as the maintainers are done pushing it to the repos. The upcoming [Ubuntu 26.04 LTS](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-26-04-release-features/) and Fedora Workstation 44 releases will also feature this GNOME release, so be sure to keep an eye out for those. If you are an impatient one, then [GNOME OS](https://os.gnome.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is the most straightforward way to get GNOME 50, though it is not yet [a full-fledged Linux distribution](https://itsfoss.com/news/kde-gnome-official-distro/). [GNOME OS](https://os.gnome.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*What the Ubuntu 26.04 LTS release offers*](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-26-04-release-features/) [Ubuntu 26.04: Release Date and New FeaturesThe development for Ubuntu 26.04 LTS has started and it’s time to start looking towards the features and changes it is bringing.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-326.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/ubuntu-26-04-features-1.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-26-04-release-features/) ### Manjaro Linux Team Goes on Strike, Threatens to Fork the Project URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/manjaro-team-strike/ Last updated: 2026-03-18T10:11:10.000Z [Manjaro](https://manjaro.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) has long been one of the more popular [Arch-based Linux distributions](https://itsfoss.com/arch-based-linux-distros/), known for making Arch Linux more accessible to everyday users. But it has been losing ground for years, both in terms of user trust and active contributors, and the complaints about its direction have only gotten louder. Now, **things have hit a breaking point**, with calls for a fork if the current leadership does not budge. A Manjaro [team member](https://manjaro.org/team?ref=itsfoss.com) going by the handle "*Aragorn*" has published the "[Manjaro 2.0 Manifesto](https://forum.manjaro.org/t/manjaro-2-0-manifesto/186171?ref=itsfoss.com)" on the official Manjaro forum. The post lays out a detailed restructuring plan for the project that **has been signed by 19 team members**, including developers, community managers, moderators, and the company's technical lead. ## Is there any weight behind this? ![Manjaro 2.0 Synopsis This document covers the organizational, technical, management, and other changes we (the Manjaro Team, et al) like to see applied to the Manjaro Project. The goal of this document is to serve as a point of discussion, and ultimately, once a consensus on its contents and written goals has been reached, as a guide for the organizational restructuring of the Manjaro Project. Motivation The Manjaro Project has been declining over the past decade. It managed to sustain a sizable user base, yet it stagnated, lost trust, lost almost all of its contributors, and even became a laughingstock for repeatedly making the same mistakes and never even attempting to address these known issues.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/manjaro-2-0-manifesto-cropped.png) The manifesto opens by stating that **the Manjaro Project has been declining over the past decade**, losing trust and contributors while repeating the same mistakes without ever addressing them. One example cited is the repeated failure to keep TLS certificates current, something volunteers had reportedly already built tooling to fix, only to be ignored. From there, it goes after the core issue directly. Aragorn writes that Philip Müller (*the project lead*) has been running Manjaro as his own personal venture rather than a community effort, keeping a tight hold on access to both the codebase and the infrastructure. Aragorn goes on to say that: > The priorities of the Project leadership do not align with those of the developers and community. The current leadership’s goal is to turn Manjaro into a successful business, and thus far, these attempts have mostly failed. The money situation makes it worse. The manifesto says the company, [Manjaro GmbH & Co KG](https://opencollective.com/manjaro-company?ref=itsfoss.com), has not been funneling any of its funds back into the project and has not pursued outside funding either. **What the team wants is a clean separation**, where the Manjaro Project is spun off from Manjaro GmbH & Co. KG and restructured as a registered nonprofit association under German law ([e.V.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Registered%5Fassociation%5F%28Germany%29?ref=itsfoss.com)). The new structure would distribute ownership equally among members, use transparent voting for major decisions, and assign "*arbiter*" roles to experienced contributors for specific domains. Under the proposal, the nonprofit would get full use of the Manjaro trademark through 2029\. The company keeps the right to use it too, as long as the two don't step on each other's toes. After that initial period, the manifesto nudges the company to declare that **it is willing to hand over full trademark ownership to the nonprofit for €1**. Key assets like the GitHub organizations, the self-hosted GitLab instance, forum, CDN, and the *manjaro.org* domain would all move over to the non-profit as well. **The team has also laid out what would happen if they were ignored**. The "*Our Resolve*" section of the manifesto says that **there are three stages** (*from 0-2*): waiting for a reply, striking and going public, and finally forking or leaving. Within *Stage 1*, there are three phases that control how public the document gets. They skipped *Phase 2* and jumped straight to *Phase 3* a few days ago, moving the manifesto to the public [*Announcements*](https://forum.manjaro.org/c/announcements/11?ref=itsfoss.com) section of the forum and archiving the thread on *archive.org*. If things don't improve, then a forum lockdown is on the table. **Don't think that this is some kind of witch hunt**. One of the Manjaro team members, [Dennis ten Hoove](https://github.com/dennis1248?ref=itsfoss.com), has clarified that the goal of this initiative is not to kick people off the project but to change the leadership and help foster Manjaro as a healthy community-driven project. ## Expect a bumpy transition ![@dennis1248 had sent me a draft proposal for a possible restructuring of Manjaro project in advance via a DM and told me, that it might be formally submitted by the community to me at a later state. With this post here on the internal hub, it now seems that the community has serious intentions to actually found a non-profit association (German Verein/e.V) and push ahead with a split from the company. Before the company was founded, there had already been suggestions and discussions to establish an association or other forms of legal entity to make the Manjaro project more sustainable. Ultimately, the current corporate structure was chosen as the only legal entity, known as the Manjaro GmbH & Co. KG company. The company has already provided significant financial support to the project in the past and has also employed various Manjaro developers on a freelance basis since 2019 using company funds. I have no personal objections on the subject of founding an association to separate the project from the company. However, at this time, I will not be personally involved in any founding processes of this new legal entity. In this regard, association members should not be involved in the company in any way. Any transfers of company assets or infrastructure require close consultation with the company and yet to be established new legal entity, in order to ensure that the interests of both parties are safeguarded as amicably and smoothly as possible. Any actions that could damage the business must be ruled out. To ensure the smooth operation of the company, assets relevant to the company will remain within the company. Finally, I would like to note that any actions or comments that could damage the business or reputation of myself or the company should be refrained from in order to ensure a mutually agreeable process and avoid legal actions.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/philip-m--ller-responds-to-manjaro-2-0-manifesto.png) Philip did break his silence on the matter, saying that **he is fine with an association being formed** but wants no part in setting one up himself. He also made clear that handing over any assets would need to happen on the company's terms and closed with a warning that public statements damaging to either himself or the business could have legal consequences. The protesting team's response was measured, where Aragorn pushed back, pointing out that the manifesto already lets the company continue using the infrastructure for as long as it needs to move its operations elsewhere. [Roman Gilg](https://www.linkedin.com/in/roman-gilg/?ref=itsfoss.com), who signed the manifesto despite being the company's CTO, [put a direct question to Philip](https://forum.manjaro.org/t/manjaro-2-0-manifesto/186171/22?ref=itsfoss.com), asking whether he had any specific objection to the list of assets outlined in the document. Philip went quiet again. After days of silence on that question, Aragorn declared that Philip was stalling and announced the team was skipping *Phase 2* and moving straight to *Phase 3* (*where things stand as of now*). ## What can you do? There's [an active community discussion thread](https://forum.manjaro.org/t/discussions-regarding-the-manjaro-2-0-manifesto/186311?ref=itsfoss.com) with **over 200 replies**, started specifically to accommodate talks surrounding the manifesto. If you have thoughts on what's going wrong with the Manjaro project and what could be done better, you can head over and weigh in. One of the Manjaro old timers, Stefano Capitani, [has recently posted there](https://forum.manjaro.org/t/discussions-regarding-the-manjaro-2-0-manifesto/186311/307?ref=itsfoss.com), sharing his view of the situation: > I have to apologize to all of you. It seems I’ve missed some of the events here. I believe, without fear of contradiction, that I, along with [@guinux](https://forum.manjaro.org/u/guinux?ref=itsfoss.com) , [@oberon](https://forum.manjaro.org/u/oberon?ref=itsfoss.com) , and of course [@philm](https://forum.manjaro.org/u/philm?ref=itsfoss.com), am one of the “old timers” still active, if not as much as before, but still active in Manjaro. > I have to be honest, I feel like I’m having flashbacks because we’ve already had these discussions or “storms” in the past. We’ve always come out stronger, and we’ll come out stronger this time too. **PS:** *You need to be logged in to the Manjaro forum to view user profiles.* --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Ageless Linux Emerges to Protest OS-Level Age Verification Laws*](https://itsfoss.com/news/ageless-linux/) [Ageless Linux Emerges to Protest OS-Level Age Verification LawsAnd thankfully, it’s more than just a Linux distro without age verification.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-331.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/ageless-linux-symbol-resistence.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/news/ageless-linux/) ### Ageless Linux Emerges to Protest OS-Level Age Verification Laws URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/ageless-linux/ Last updated: 2026-03-17T07:30:46.000Z A new Linux distro has appeared. Not surprisinhg. We get new Linux distributions almost every month, sometimes even every week. This one is based on Debian. Again, not surprising. Debian has long been the mother of countless Linux distros. But the interesting part isn’t the base. It’s the reason this distro exists. It was created as a **symbol of resistance**. That’s also not new in the Linux world. Many distros have been born out of disagreement or protest. For example, Void Linux emerged during the [heated systemd controversy](https://itsfoss.com/comparison/systemd-init/), offering a system that avoided systemd entirely. The new distro, called **Ageless Linux**, follows a similar idea. It’s essentially Debian Linux but without age verification. ## Age verification… what? A new trend is quietly spreading across the United States: [**laws that require age verification at the operating system level**](https://itsfoss.com/news/age-verification-pandemic/). It started with **California**, and states like **Colorado, New York, and Illinois** have proposed similar legislation. Reports also suggest that **Brazil may be moving in the same direction**. What makes this development even more interesting is that **Meta, the company behind Facebook, reportedly** [**lobbied heavily for these laws**](https://tboteproject.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). Until now, governments mainly pressured **social media platforms** to verify users’ ages to prevent young children and teenagers from accessing certain services. Meta’s proposal shifts that responsibility. Instead of every app or website verifying a user’s age individually, **the operating system would verify it once**. Then, through an **API exposed by the OS or its app store**, applications could simply ask the system for the user’s age or age category. In other words, your **operating system becomes the age gatekeeper** for every app you install. And that idea has sparked a lot of debate in the tech community especially among **Linux and open-source developers**. ## Why age verification is 'incompatible' with Linux ecosystem? At first glance, age verification sounds reasonable. Governments argue that it helps protect children from harmful online content. But many developers and privacy advocates see serious problems with pushing this responsibility to the operating system. The biggest concern is **privacy**. Linux distributions traditionally collect little to no personal information about users. Unlike Apple and Microsoft, you are not forced to create an online account before using an operating system. Introducing age verification could mean that operating systems must store or process **sensitive identity data**, something many Linux projects have deliberately avoided for decades. Some critics suspect the push is **l**[ess about child safety and more about control](https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/03/rep-finke-was-right-age-gating-isnt-about-kids-its-about-control?ref=itsfoss.com), warning that once operating systems begin verifying identity or age, it becomes easier to expand such systems to regulate broader online activity. Another issue is **security risk**. If operating systems start storing age or identity information, it creates a new type of data that could potentially be misused, leaked, or exploited. Even if only age categories are shared with apps, [it still introduces a form of system-level user profiling](https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/12/10-not-so-hidden-dangers-age-verification?ref=itsfoss.com). There is also a philosophical concern. Many of us in the open-source world believe an operating system should remain a neutral tool, not a platform that enforces identity verification or government regulations. Because of these concerns, some developers and users see OS-level age verification as a step toward **turning operating systems into identity gatekeepers**, which runs against the long-standing Linux ethos of **user freedom and minimal to no data collection**. ## Ageless Linux Unsurprisingly, the [age-verification proposal has raised serious discussions in the open-source world](https://itsfoss.com/news/distros-response-age-verification-laws/). From what it seems, most mainstream distros will enable this feature in one way or another. That includes Debian. I anticipated this situation. I had a feeling that there would be some new distros offering **“no age verification”** as their main feature. That’s precisely what [Ageless Linux](https://agelesslinux.org/index.html?ref=itsfoss.com) has done. ![Ageless Linux](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/ageless-linux.webp) The project positions itself as a statement against OS-level age verification. Instead of building systems that identify and categorize users by age, Ageless Linux sticks to a much simpler idea: an operating system should run software, not act as a digital identity checker. > Ageless Linux is a registered operating system under the definitions established by the California Digital Age Assurance Act (AB 1043, Chapter 675, Statutes of 2025). We are in full, knowing, and intentional noncompliance with the age verification requirements of Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.501(a). In practical terms, Ageless Linux is basically **Debian with the age-verification pieces removed or avoided**. The goal isn’t to reinvent Linux, but to ensure that users who oppose these laws still have a distribution that does not participate in age-verification frameworks. ## More than just another Linux distro actually I am glad that Ageless Linux did not stop at "Debian without age verification". Browsing the website, it seems they are more of a project that stands against age verification. They have a [dedicated page](https://agelesslinux.org/distros.html?ref=itsfoss.com), and hopefully a database in the future, that lists the stance of various distros and organizations on the age verification issue. There is a [page that lists US state laws that require operating system providers to collect age data from users](https://agelesslinux.org/map.html?ref=itsfoss.com). So it’s not just a distro; it’s becoming a **full-fledged portal documenting and opposing age-verification laws**. In addition to that, they also have an ambitious hardware project that is "designed to satisfy every element of the California Digital Age Assurance Act's regulatory scope while deliberately refusing to comply with its requirements." This hardware is basically a $12 RISC-V ARM board. They have named it "[Ageless Device](https://agelesslinux.org/hardware.html?ref=itsfoss.com)" and the aim is to give it to children in schools. And I’m glad they are not restricting themselves to just a distro, but are moving toward becoming a **non-profit organization that educates people about the potential dangers of age verification turning into surveillance infrastructure.** Do check them out. [Ageless Linux](https://agelesslinux.org/index.html?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Not a Firefox Fork! Kagi's Orion Browser Arrives on Linux as a Public Beta URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/orion-browser-linux-beta-release/ Last updated: 2026-03-16T17:51:06.000Z [Kagi](https://kagi.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is best known for its privacy-focused search engine, but the company has been quietly building out a broader ecosystem of tools for people who would rather pay for software than be the product. One of those tools is [Orion](https://orionbrowser.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), a web browser built on [WebKit](https://webkit.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), the same engine that powers Safari, with a strong focus on privacy and customization. Unlike most browsers you will come across on Linux, **Orion is not a Chromium derivative or a Firefox fork**. It is a fresh build that has earned a reputation for being fast, lightweight, and flexible, with [support for extensions](https://orionbrowser.com/extensions?ref=itsfoss.com) from Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. For a long time, that experience was exclusive to macOS and iOS users. But that has changed as Kagi has been working on bringing Orion to Linux. After an alpha phase limited to [Orion+](https://kagi.com/onboarding?p=orion%5Fplan&ref=itsfoss.com) subscribers, the team has opened things up with an early beta build for everyone to try out. 🚧 Orion is not open source software; we covered the application because it's available for Linux. ## Orion for Linux: What to Expect? The Beta build has basic browsing functionality in place, with additional bits like password management, browsing history, Dark Mode, and Focus Mode included. The developers have also addressed a handful of stability issues, including crashes when closing pinned tabs, freezes in *Website* Settings, and a bug that prevented new tabs from being created on fresh installations. That said, [Kagi Sync](https://help.kagi.com/orion/features/syncing-data.html?ref=itsfoss.com) and WebKit Extensions are still in development and not available in this beta, so do not go in expecting the full macOS feature set just yet. ## A Quick Look ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/orion-for-linux-beta-tab-groups.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/orion-for-linux-beta-tab-management-1.png) The user interface feels modern and fits in well with [GNOME](https://www.gnome.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), though the toolbar is a bit cluttered at the top. **Kagi Search is set as the default search engine**, and you will need to log in to your Kagi account to use it or switch to one of the other search engines via the *Settings* menu. **Basic web browsing works for the most part**, but every so often, Orion throws an "*Orion can't open this page*" error without much explanation. More bizarre is what happens when you open a page heavy with ads—Orion randomly launches the file manager. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/orion-for-linux-beta-search-settings.png) ![screenshot of orion browser that shows the "orion can't open this page" error in the middle](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/orion-for-linux-beta-page-load-error.png) Media controls work reasonably well on GNOME, though there were multiple duplicate entries for WebKit in the media panel. The one actually tied to whatever is playing was the last one, labeled "*Playback Stream*." ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/orion-for-linux-beta-media-controls-gnome.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/orion-for-linux-beta-privacy-reports.png) Many other features are either broken or inconsistent at this stage. The sidebar toggle on the top left, *Focus Mode*, the *Share* option, *Page Tweaks*, *Website Settings*, and *Privacy Reports* all fall into that bucket. Some of them do nothing and act as placeholders; others behave unpredictably. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/orion-for-linux-beta-history-page.png) The *History* page, while functional, refuses to open any of the listed webpages when an entry is double-clicked or even launched via the right-click context menu. It also failed to properly list quite a few of the webpages I visited during testing. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/orion-for-linux-beta-password-manager-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/orion-for-linux-beta-password-manager-2.png) The **in-built Password Manager** works well, letting me add new entries with details like the website URL, username, and password. Searching through them is straightforward via the search bar on top, and importing/exporting passwords looks doable (*I didn't test it tho*). ![this screenshot of orion browser shows the quit confirmation dialog, this came up because there was an open window with two tabs in it](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/orion-for-linux-beta-quit-confirmation-1.png) If you have multiple windows and tabs open, Orion will prompt you with a warning to take note of the open content and that it will restore those the next time you launch the browser. This is a handy feature that worked decently during my use. ## Download Orion Browser Beta Kagi provides a [direct download](https://orionbrowser.com/download/oriongtk-early-beta?ref=itsfoss.com) for the Flatpak package of this beta build, which should work on most popular Linux distributions that [have Flatpak configured](https://itsfoss.com/flatpak-guide/). [Orion for Linux](https://orionbrowser.com/download/oriongtk-early-beta?ref=itsfoss.com) If you run into any issues, there is [a dedicated category](https://orionfeedback.org/t/desktop-linux?ref=itsfoss.com) on Orion's [Public Issue Tracker](https://orionfeedback.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) for bug reports and troubleshooting. Additionally, the project's [GitHub](https://github.com/OrionBrowser?ref=itsfoss.com) repository hosts some open-sourced components. As for the stable release, there is no official timeline yet, but with an early beta already out, in a few months time feels like a reasonable estimate. Support independent Linux journalism! If you think we are doing a good job at helping people use Linux on their personal computers, support us by opting for Plus membership. Here's what you get with It's FOSS Plus membership: ✅ 5 Free eBooks on Linux, Docker and Bash ✅ Ad-free reading experience ✅ Badges in the comment section and forum ✅ Support creation of educational Linux materials [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ### Google Says Developer Verification Makes Android Safer. Critics Say It Just Makes Android More Closed URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/android-developer-verification/ Last updated: 2026-03-16T15:40:10.000Z Amidst all the chaos in the world, some significant moves are being orchestrated that could potentially have detrimental effects on [people's privacy](https://itsfoss.com/news/age-verification-pandemic/) and right to choose. Google's [Developer Verification](https://developer.android.com/developer-verification?ref=itsfoss.com) program falls under the latter. Starting September 2026 (*in certain regions*), any app installed on a certified Android device will need to come from a developer who has gone through Google's new verification process. This applies regardless of where the app comes from: the Play Store, a third-party storefront, or a direct APK download. To get verified, developers must register through a dedicated Android Developer Console and provide their legal name, address, email address, and phone number. In some cases, they will also need to upload a government-issued ID. Organizations are additionally required to provide a [D-U-N-S Number](https://www.dnb.com/en-us/smb/duns.html?ref=itsfoss.com), a business identifier issued by Dun & Bradstreet that can take up to 30 business days to obtain. There are **two account tiers on offer**: a ***Full Distribution*** account with a one-time **$25** fee and a free ***Limited Distribution*** account for students and hobbyists that skips the government ID requirement. Installs via ADB and apps deployed through enterprise managed device systems are exempt from the requirements. The requirement goes live in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand first in September, followed by a global rollout from 2027 onward. We covered the initial announcement [back in August 2025](https://itsfoss.com/news/new-android-sideloading-rules/), when the first alarm bells started ringing. But is there any convincing justification behind this? Let's find out. ## Does it make sense? ![Elevating Android's security to keep it open and safe By making Android safer, we're protecting the open environment that allows developers and users to confidently create and connect. Android's new developer verification is an extra layer of security that deters bad actors and makes it harder for them to spread harm. Starting in September 2026, Android will require all apps to be registered by verified developers in order to be installed on certified Android devices.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/google-developer-verification-webpage.png) **The Developer Verification webpage.* Kinda, Google's official position is that **this is a security measure**. The company points to [its own research](https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2025/08/elevating-android-security.html?ref=itsfoss.com) showing that apps from internet sideloading sources are over 50 times more likely to contain malware compared to those distributed through the Play Store. **The core idea is accountability**. Right now, a developer caught distributing malware can be removed from the Play Store and come straight back under a different identity. Developer verification is meant to make that harder by tying app distribution to a verified real-world identity. In theory, repeat offenders would have a harder time cycling through new accounts to keep spreading harmful content, so there's a reasonable argument here. Anonymous distribution channels have historically been where a lot of malware activity takes place. Raising the barrier for bad actors to operate at scale is not, on its face, an unreasonable goal. And for the average Android user who installs apps without thinking much about where they come from, more accountability in the ecosystem is not a bad thing. ## Why it doesn't Take [F-Droid](https://f-droid.org/en/?ref=itsfoss.com), the long-running free and open source Android app repository that has been around for more than 15 years now. It does not build apps in the traditional sense but rather takes publicly available source code, reviews it for compliance with open source principles, compiles it, and distributes it signed with its own cryptographic key. **Under the new rules**, F-Droid has no workable path forward. Compelling volunteer contributors to register their identities with Google runs against what the platform stands for. But claiming those app identifiers on developers' behalf is equally impossible, since that would give F-Droid a kind of exclusive ownership over apps it has no right to own. F-Droid has been clear that if Google goes through this, it [effectively ends the project](https://f-droid.org/en/2025/09/29/google-developer-registration-decree.html?ref=itsfoss.com) as it currently exists. [IzzyOnDroid](https://izzyondroid.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), another third-party storefront that distributes developer-signed APKs also faces the same fate. Enter the [Keep Android Open](https://keepandroidopen.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) initiative. ![Android will become a locked-down platform in 168d 12h 28m 35s Read our open letter opposing the Android Developer Verification program Keep Android Open English | Français | Español | Català | Italiano | Português | Deutsch | Dansk | Suomi | Nederlands | Polski | Čeština | Slovenčina | Ελληνικά | Русский | Українська | Magyar | Türkçe | Қазақша | עברית | العربية | فارسی | Tiếng Việt | ไทย | Indonesia | Tagalog | বাংলা | हिंदी | 简体中文 | 正體中文 | 日本語 | 한국어 In August 2025, Google announced ↗ that as of September 2026, it will no longer be possible to develop apps for the Android platform without first registering centrally with Google. This registration will involve: Paying a fee to Google Agreeing to Google’s Terms and Conditions Providing government identification Uploading evidence of the developer’s private signing key Listing all current and future application identifiers](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/keep-android-open-webpage.png) **The Keep Android Open webpage.* It is a community campaign built around stopping Developer Verification. It's [open letter to Google](https://keepandroidopen.org/open-letter/?ref=itsfoss.com) so far has **56 signatories from 19 countries**, including the **EFF**, **FSF**, **Tor Project**, **Proton**, **KDE**, **LineageOS**, **CryptPad**, **Nextcloud**, **Vivaldi**, and the **Software Freedom Conservancy**. The letter argues that Google is overreaching into distribution channels outside its own store, that mandatory registration creates barriers for independent developers and researchers, and that centralizing developer data with Google raises serious surveillance and government access concerns. **The initiative is also urging developers** to refuse participation in Google's [early access program](https://goo.gle/android-verification-early-access?ref=itsfoss.com) entirely and not to perform identity verification or accept an invitation to the new Android Developer Console, arguing that **without developer buy-in, the verification program simply cannot succeed**. ## What this means for you If a significant number of open source developers and smaller projects choose not to register with Google, or cannot do so because of privacy concerns, where they live, or the structural incompatibility of how their apps are distributed, their apps will simply stop working on [certified Android devices](https://www.android.com/certified/partners/?ref=itsfoss.com). **The expected outcome for you** is a narrower selection of apps and fewer alternatives to what is available on the [Play Store](https://play.google.com/store/?ref=itsfoss.com). There is also a broader principle at stake here. Centralizing all app distribution under Google's registration system hands one corporation the ability to cut off any app on any certified Android device globally. *That kind of consolidated authority over a platform used by billions of people is unsettling.* ***I think*** bad actors will always find new ways to distribute malicious apps. They did before developer verification, and they will after. Then there's [nation-state spyware](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegasus%5F%28spyware%29?ref=itsfoss.com), which operates on a different level entirely, and the developer registration requirement was never going to touch that (*makes you think, huh*). What Google could have leaned into instead is user education with clearer warnings, better guidance, and more effective communication about what a risky install actually looks like. In the end, not everyone can be spoon-fed through this. At some point, it is on the person operating the smartphone to exercise a little judgment. ### 10 Things Linux Can Do That Windows Still Can’t URL: https://itsfoss.com/things-linux-can-window-not/ Last updated: 2026-03-16T06:09:58.000Z We all know [Linux gives us a world of freedoms we couldn't possibly have on Windows](https://itsfoss.com/linux-better-than-windows/), but have you ever stopped to think about that freedom in real, qualitative terms? After all, when most people say they can't switch to Linux, it's usually because of something they just *can't* do without Windows or macOS or Android (which itself is Linux, even if most don't consider it such). So, let's take a closer look at some of the things you can do on/with a Linux system that you just can't typically do on Windows. ## 1\. Live USB/Live session ![The Ubuntu 24.04 welcome screen showing the language selection tab](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/Screenshot_ubuntu24.04-2_2026-03-12_18-08-33.png) Running Ubuntu 24.04 in a live session It goes without saying that this one deserves the #1 spot on this list. After all, for most of us, our first experience with Linux was at the welcome screen of a live session from a USB, SD card, or, in the past, CD or DVD. If you go even further back, some of us (myself included) first got to know Linux through the likes of Damn Small Linux running a live session inside Windows itself. The crazy thing? Live CDs have been a part of the Linux experience [since the early 90s](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live%5FCD?ref=itsfoss.com#Linux), when we still regularly used floppy drives! And yes, live floppies [were a thing](https://lwn.net/Articles/91371/?ref=itsfoss.com), too. In fact, [they still are](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBeE%5Fz4HTwg&ref=itsfoss.com). Not only is there no official way to run Windows as a live session out the box, but Microsoft's own live session solution, Windows To Go, was an enterprise-only solution and has been discontinued. Non-standard solutions exist, but these are on shaky ground in that they rely on creating a Windows install on portable media, which is something Microsoft hasn't sanctioned. ## 2\. Login screen customization ![The GDM login screen showing the author's user account ready for sign-in to a Fedora system](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/Screenshot-from-2026-03-12-18-13-39.png) The GDM login screen comes by default on GNOME-based systems No lie, this one blew me away when I first switched to Linux from Windows. I'd always loved the idea of customising my system's visuals, and the fact I couldn't do this easily on Windows was a source of frustration. So to come from a world where I needed to risk malware or pay a fee just to put a wallpaper on the login screen to the full-scale flexibility of Linux has never stopped being amazing. Not only can you change your wallpaper, but you can change the layout, even swap out the login manager altogether. Don't like the layout and style of [GDM](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gdm?ref=itsfoss.com)? Try [SDDM](https://github.com/sddm/sddm?ref=itsfoss.com) or [LightDM](https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LightDM?ref=itsfoss.com) for greater flexibility, [or even Ly](https://github.com/fairyglade/ly?ref=itsfoss.com), if you prefer something terminal-based. As a matter of fact, you can completely ditch the login manager altogether and boot straight to a TTY or desktop environment if you desire. While you can change your wallpaper on recent releases of Windows, customising your login screen beyond this or changing your login manager altogether is simply not possible. After all, Microsoft wants you to log in with your Microsoft account going forward, so a third-party solution would somehow need to account for this. ## 3\. Changing your desktop environment ![A screenshot of the COSMIC desktop environment running on Ubuntu 24.04](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/Screenshot-from-2026-03-12-19-03-15.png) COSM Desktop running on Ubuntu 24.04 Maybe I shouldn't even say "desktop environment" here, because let's be honest — Linux has way more than just desktop environments for us to play with. We've got a broad selection of window managers (compositors, with the rise of Wayland), desktop environments, desktop-independent panels, docks, you name it. Whether you want to do minimal bling with [Wayfire](https://wayfire.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) or [Hyprland](https://hypr.land/?ref=itsfoss.com), or sink your teeth into something beefy with [Plasma](https://kde.org/plasma-desktop/?ref=itsfoss.com) or [GNOME](https://gnome.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), the choice is yours. You can customise your layout, app selection, software store, launchers, or whatever you like, and you won't be penalised for it, nor do you have to pay a dime or risk giving your data to a company that could go defunct and leave you hanging. Can you change your desktop environment or window manager on Windows? Nope. Sure, you can use third-party tools to achieve some degree of customisation, but these methods are not officially supported and may even violate the operating system's terms of use. Many of these customisations break standard features in Explorer or other parts of the system and can easily fail when Microsoft releases routine updates. ## 4\. Use the system without a GUI ![The Fedora CoreOS login prompt](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/Screenshot-from-2026-03-12-19-04-23.png) Fedora CoreOS is designed to run with no GUI Whether it's booting to the recovery session, running with the login manager disabled, or using a headless install through SSH, there are many ways you can use Linux on real hardware without ever using a graphical interface of any sort. While this option may not appeal to the majority of "average" users, it's still a pretty important distinction. You can use Linux as minimally as you need, even if it's as a temporary solution to bring up your graphical system just as you'd prefer. For instance, this is the standard way to install Arch, by the way, and you can customise just about any distro to function in the same way even after installation. What makes this possible is the fact that what we know as "Linux" is actually a collection of software: the kernel, GNU utilities, init systems, and more. By choosing exactly what combination of software you're using, you can set up a minimal system that requires no graphical components whatsoever and still directly or remotely execute software from the system. It's even possible to set up such a system to display graphics over the network. In the case of Windows (for consumers), this pathway isn't supported whatsoever. If something goes wrong, recovery is typically a graphical affair. Even Safe Mode is primarily designed around this. Running Windows as a text-based operating system just isn't something the average consumer can do. ## 5\. Install it on just about anything ![A close up of someone checking their smartwatch with one hand crossed over the other. Green grass in the background, blurred. The visible hand has red nail polish, with the 4th finger having pink nail polish.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/pexels-karola-g-4379290.jpg) [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) / [www.kaboompics.com](https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-photo-of-a-person-wearing-an-apple-watch-4379290/?ref=itsfoss.com) Linux on a fridge? A toaster? A toothbrush? Yes. And it probably can run Doom, too. The reality is, Linux is so flexible and portable, it can run on just about any device with a processor, even a tiny microcontroller. From the world's most powerful supercomputers to some of the smallest single-board computers and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, Linux has grown to basically power the majority of the digital world. There are even custom distributions for many non-standard devices, from game consoles to smartwatches, and the list just keeps growing. On the contrary, while Windows has spread to some other devices over the years, it's not anywhere near the level of portability we have with Linux. You can't just grab a Windows ARM ISO and install it on a Raspberry Pi. You can't put Windows on a smart fridge either, unless the manufacturer happens to have an existing agreement and collaboration with Microsoft. Plus, since Windows is objectively *not* open-source, the community can't port it on their own. Linux on the other hand, we can take wherever we want, not only because it's open-source but also because it was built with portability in mind. It can easily be stripped down and streamlined to fit just about any hardware. That's a freedom we just don't have with Windows. ## 6\. Move your Linux install between systems ![An office setting with white walls and various computer monitors behind different cubicles, alonig with headsets and other peripherals](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/pexels-pixabay-267507.jpg) [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) / [Pixabay](https://www.pexels.com/photo/gray-wooden-computer-cubicles-inside-room-267507/?ref=itsfoss.com) You might not have ever considered this, but really think about it. Let's say your current laptop or workstation goes down, maybe because the CPU burnt out or the motherboard got damaged, but the SSD is still working just fine. With Windows, it's time to get a new licence. You can certainly recover your files, provided your drive wasn't encrypted, but it's unlikely you're sticking that SSD in another system, booting it up, and continuing on like nothing happened. The bad news is, this is getting even harder with the introduction of mandatory Microsoft accounts attached to your system's TPM chip. With Linux on the other hand, that's actually a pretty common workflow. I know this first-hand, because I've done it with multiple systems in the past. Sure, if you've got proprietary drivers installed, you may need to ensure that you remove them if your hardware differs too strongly, especially in the case of graphics cards. Yet, Linux won't just automatically give up and quit if your drivers don't match your hardware. Instead, it'll choose a fallback method or fail to a command-line interface until you get that sorted out. It's a fascinating experience once you actually try it (or are forced to do it). ## 7\. Customize or even swap your kernel ![A simulated boot screen showing kernels 7.0, 6.2, Real Time Kernel 6.3 and "Custom Build (Performance)" as options](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/CreatedBootScreen.png) A simulated boot screen – perhaps someone wants to make this theme? Imagine one day you wake up and decide you need to swap your kernel for a more optimised workflow. It could go something like this: *"Hmm, let's see here, should I run the Liquorix kernel today or the real-time kernel? How about the mainline kernel? Choices, choices...*" This is one thing long-time Linux users may take for granted, but it's actually a pretty big deal that we can do this in the first place. Again, this is made possible not only by the open-source nature of the kernel but also by the modular nature of most of the distributions we use. As a result of this modular nature, we can swap kernels any time we need to, especially so long as the distribution we're using provides a method for doing this. 🗒️ [Immutable systems](https://itsfoss.com/immutable-linux-distros/) may have different restrictions or methods for changing the kernel. Why might you need a different kernel? Well, it can be for any number of reasons, but typically, it's down to two main needs: better driver support and better performance. Newer kernels typically have broader support for new hardware, but sometimes an older kernel may also be needed for a specific device or quirk. Likewise, performance can vary with different kernel versions and build-time configurations. Needless to say, this isn't something a normal user can do on Windows beyond applying standard updates. Yet on Linux, it's something so normal as to not even feel remarkable. ## 8\. Choose different filesystems during installation ![The "Advanced Features" sceen in the Disk setup screen of the Ubuntu 24.04 installer](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/Screenshot-from-2026-03-12-19-42-12.png) Choosing disk options in the Ubuntu 24.04 installer. The ZFS file system is available as an option. Windows supports a few filesystems for reading/writing files, including the typical FAT and [EXFAT](https://itsfoss.com/format-exfat-linux/) filesystems, NTFS, and more recently, ReFS, which is more used for server environments. However, when it comes time to actually install the system your options are pretty limited. You can install your main system on an NTFS filesystem, and with the exception of the FAT32 EFI partition, that's about it. No other filesystems are supported out the box, and while Windows setup supports loading third-party drivers, this doesn't cleanly open the door to installing Windows on any non-standard filesystems. On the other hand, Linux supports many filesystems by default, and most distros give you the option to install on a much broader selection of them. Most offer at least the option of using [ext4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ext4?ref=itsfoss.com) or [Btrfs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Btrfs?ref=itsfoss.com), with some, such as Fedora, [offering additional options](https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/fedora/f36/install-guide/install/Installing%5FUsing%5FAnaconda/?ref=itsfoss.com), like XFS. In theory, you can even move your Linux install from one filesystem to another, provided you have the knowhow. For instance, [btrfs-convert](https://btrfs.readthedocs.io/en/latest/btrfs-convert.html?ref=itsfoss.com) lets you convert an existing ext2, ext3, or ext4 installation to Btrfs. ## 9\. Revive older hardware ![Damn small Linux showing the settings screen](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w1000/2025/12/image-38.png) Damn Small Linux 2024 is designed specifically to run on older hardware Windows is notorious for its tendency to introduce seemingly unnecessary, forced hardware requirements that stop users from being able to keep using their older hardware, even when testing proves that Windows would run on it just fine. With Windows 11, things have never been worse. Perfectly powerful systems from as recently as 2017 or 2018 are somehow not supported all because of Microsoft's tighter hardware requirements, including requiring a TPM 2.0 chip, Secure Boot, and other platform features that can sometimes just barely edge a system out. It gets worse when you consider the bloat that's been steadily creeping (or pouring) into Windows over the decades. Since users don't have any right to control what's in Windows by default or create their own official "Windows distribution", there's no way around this. Not so with Linux, as many are discovering, and as you may have seen earlier with Linux running live off a floppy disk. In fact, there are [Linux distributions especially built for this very reason](https://itsfoss.com/lightweight-linux-beginners/), such as Puppy Linux and antiX, which the modern [DSL 2024](https://www.damnsmalllinux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is based on. Furthermore, Linux can be compiled specifically for older systems, even those with 32bit processors, unlike Windows, which typically drops older hardware with no way back. ## 10\. Swap parts of your stack, as you wish ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-7.png) We've already talked about how you can swap your desktop environment, login manager, and kernel, but to end off this list, I think we should dig a little deeper. Unlike Windows which basically dictates what your operating system stack is from the ground up and provides few options for change, Linux gives you freedom change pretty much *everything.* For instance, let's say you're running Ubuntu and you really don't like snaps. Solution? Remove snapd. You're probably thinking "But won't snapd just reinstall itself on the next update?", and the answer is no, but even if that were the case, you could block the update by locking the package. You can also change your init system, audio system, display system (betwen X11 and Wayland, and now the various forks of X11 that have popped up since it was all-but-abandoned). Put simply, whatever you don't like about Linux, technically, you can change it. You just have to know how to do it and what to do if something goes wrong along the way. In some cases, there are even scripts that can automate the process for you, or distributions that do exactly what it is you're looking for already. For example, there's Devuan for Debian users who don't want systemd. While unofficial "builds" of Windows exist, such as Tiny 11, most of these taking risk by distributing modified ISOs of Microsoft's intellectual property. It's legally gray at best, but it's pretty much the only option for many users. ## Final thoughts: The narrative needs to flip ![The text "FLIP THE SCRIPT" on a wavy background of pale green and blue hues](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/FlipTheScript.png) That's it. That's the message. I could've kept this list going even longer, but I think the point is clear. While there are legitimate grievances like software that hasn't been ported yet, or challenges with hardware that vendors haven't provided drivers for, the reality is that Linux has a lot going for it if you stop to give it a fair shake. If you've not yet tried Linux, maybe now's a good time to see what all the hype's about (and I don't just mean Hyprland, all though that's [pretty sweet too](https://itsfoss.com/configuring-hyprland/)). There's a lot you can do just fine on Linux that you can't actually do on Windows, or if you can, it's definitely not a walk in the park, whereas for us Linux denizens, it's just another part of daily life. If you ask my advice, I say go for it: see what you've been missing, and you might just get hooked over this side too. ### Good News! Google Chrome on Linux is Getting the Much Awaited Upgrade URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/chrome-linux-arm-announcement/ Last updated: 2026-03-13T12:09:08.000Z Here is the big news. Google plans to bring its flagship Chrome browser for ARM64 Linux devices. The release is set for the second quarter (April-June) of 2026. Which means you should be able to use Google Chrome on Raspberry Pi and other single board computers and laptops with Snapdragon processors. Google highlighted this in the [announcement](https://blog.chromium.org/2026/03/bringing-chrome-to-arm64-linux-devices.html?ref=itsfoss.com): > Launching Chrome for ARM64 Linux devices allows more users to enjoy the seamless integration of Google’s most helpful services into their browser. This move addresses the growing demand for a browsing experience that combines the benefits of the open-source Chromium project with the Google ecosystem of apps and features. ## But there is Chromium available already Many FOSS purists prefer [Chromium over Chrome](https://itsfoss.com/comparison/chrome-vs-chromium/), as it is the open-source project that serves as the foundation for Google Chrome. In fact, many Linux distributions, even on non-ARM devices, ship Chromium as the default browser. However, Chromium is not the same as Chrome. DRM playback support is often limited, Google [account sync typically requires workarounds to function properly](https://www.learningtopi.com/sbc/chromium-sync/?ref=itsfoss.com), and several proprietary features are missing. It is undoubtedly a solid browser, but it doesn’t offer the same level of mainstream convenience and integration that users are accustomed to with Google Chrome. ## Took a real long time due to Google's apathy towards Linux Chromium has been available for ARM devices for years but Google did not care for offering Chrome for Linux users. Emphasizing on Linux because Google quickly released Chrome for Apple's ARM devices in 2020 itself and it was followed by Windows ARM devices in 2024. This is when Chromebook with ARM perocessors have been in existence since 2012\. Google's Chromebook run a cutsomized version of Linux in the form of ChromeOS. And these Chromebooks had Chrome browser. Surely, not much was required for bringing Chrome to Linux ARM devices. ## Thank you, NVIDIA? The announcement blog has an interesting mention of NVIDIA. > Last year, NVIDIA introduced the DGX Spark, an AI supercomputing device that packs its Grace Blackwell architecture into a compact, 1-liter form factor. Google is partnering with NVIDIA to make it easier for DGX Spark users to install Chrome. So, was it NVIDIA who pushed/inspired Google to work on bringing Chrome to Linux ARM devices? Maybe. Source: [Chromium blog](https://blog.chromium.org/2026/03/bringing-chrome-to-arm64-linux-devices.html?ref=itsfoss.com) ### FOSS Weekly #26.11: SUSE for Sale, Firefox Redesign, New-ish Terminal, i3 Customization and More URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-11/ Last updated: 2026-03-12T14:22:52.000Z If rumors and Reuters are to be believed, [SUSE Linux us up for sale again](https://itsfoss.com/news/suse-for-sale-again/). Again because it has changed owners several times in the past. IBM bought Red Hat Linux for $34 billion 6 years ago. It would be interesting to see who grabs SUSE. I hope it's not Microsoft. [Looks Like SUSE Linux is Up For Sale (Again)!And this time it is valued for $6 billion![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-325.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/suse-for-sale.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/news/suse-for-sale-again/) By the way, not seeing new articles from It's FOSS in your feed reader? That's because there is an ongoing issue with the RSS feed as I am migrating to FeedPress. Please bear it with me. **Here are other highlights of this edition of FOSS Weekly:** - EA slowly moving towards Linux. - Firefox's redesign has been leaked. - Linux Mint keyboard shortcut video. - MidnightBSD saying no to age verification. - And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes! ## 📰 Linux and Open Source News EA is hiring an anti-cheat engineer to bring Javelin to ARM64, and tucked into the job listing is [a mention of exploring Linux and Proton support in the future](https://itsfoss.com/news/ea-anti-cheat-expansion-plans/). After ditching Linux for Apex Legends in 2024, it's a surprising turn. But I wouldn't hold my breath on this. Firefox's Proton UI has been around since 2021 and honestly looks it. Leaked internal mockups show [Mozilla is working on something](https://itsfoss.com/news/firefox-nova-leak/) called "Nova," a significant visual overhaul. Tabs, the address bar, and the toolbar are merged into a single floating strip; rounded corners are everywhere; flat grays are out in favor of gradients, and the private window gets a full dark-purple makeover. MidnightBSD [has updated its license](https://itsfoss.com/news/midnightbsd-age-verification/) to bar residents of Brazil and California from using the project, with Colorado, Illinois, and New York on the list if their respective pending age verification bills pass. ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About The age verification laws spreading across US states are making distro maintainers uncomfortable, [and responses are all over the place](https://itsfoss.com/news/distros-response-age-verification-laws/). Ubuntu and Fedora are working on minimal local APIs to tick the compliance box without doing anything too invasive. MidnightBSD is outright banning people from using it (*as mentioned above*). [How Linux and BSD Distros Are Responding to the New Age Verification LawsAge verification laws could change how operating systems work. See how major Linux and BSD distributions are reacting to the new regulations.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-321.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-distros-age-verification-1.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/news/distros-response-age-verification-laws/) YOUR support keeps us going, keeps us resisting the established media and tech, keeps us independent. And ****it costs less than a McDonald's Happy Meal**. Opt for the Plus membership to: ✅ Get 5 FREE eBooks on Linux, Docker and Bash ✅ Enjoy an ad-free reading experience ✅ Flaunt badges in the comment section and forum ✅ To support creation of educational Linux materials [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings [Wordcloud](https://itsfoss.com/wordcloud/) is a Python tool that turns any list of words into a visual word cloud image, right from the terminal. You can feed it a text file, tweak the resolution, swap the font, change the background color, or use a mask image to shape the output around a custom silhouette. Some [practical privacy tips](https://itsfoss.com/improve-privacy/) that don't require a computer science degree or a paranoia spiral. Our article covers the basics well, from securing your email and browser to picking better cloud storage and messaging apps. Ever wanted a desktop that looks like it belongs on [r/unixporn](https://www.reddit.com/r/unixporn/?ref=itsfoss.com)? We have an i[3 customization guide that covers a lot](https://itsfoss.com/i3-customization/), from basic keybindings and color schemes to transparent status bars and per-workspace app assignments. [GSConnect](https://itsfoss.com/gsconnect/) is the GNOME-friendly way to link your Android phone and Linux machine, built on top of [KDE Connect](https://kdeconnect.kde.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). Once paired, you can transfer files, share the clipboard, get phone notifications on your desktop, and use your phone as a remote mouse. ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner Prefer your local AI neatly containerized? This guide shows [how to get Ollama running in Docker](https://itsfoss.com/ollama-docker/). [Setting Up Ollama With Docker \[With NVIDIA GPU\]Learn to run Ollama in Docker container in this tutorial. Yes, Nvidia GPU can also be used in this setup.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-322.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Kumar![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/setup-ollama-with-docker-2.png)](https://itsfoss.com/ollama-docker/) ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights [FRANK OS](https://itsfoss.com/news/frank-os/) is a full desktop operating system, complete with a Start menu, overlapping windows, Alt+Tab switching, and a ZX Spectrum emulator, running on an RP2350 microcontroller. [Foot is a minimal Wayland-native terminal emulator](https://itsfoss.com/foot-terminal/) that focuses on speed and simplicity. A hidden gem worth exploring. Keith Curtis spent a week building what he calls "[Cursor for LibreOffice](https://keithcu.com/wordpress/?p=5060&ref=itsfoss.com)," an AI extension that lives in a sidebar and actually edits your documents. > [Building Cursor for LibreOffice: A Week-Long Journey](https://keithcu.com/wordpress/?p=5060&ref=itsfoss.com) ## 📽️ Videos for You Sharing some of the [essential keyboard shortcuts for Linux Mint](https://youtu.be/w4iER2ADa8k?ref=itsfoss.com), this time in video format. [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip On GNOME, first install [Tiling Shell](https://itsfoss.com/news/tiling-shell-gnome-extension/). Then, when you right-click on the titlebar of a window, you get various tiling options. Do keep in mind that not all apps will support this. ![gnome tiling shell extension window tiling](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/tiling-shell-extension-tile-options.png) [](https://t43217012.p.clickup-attachments.com/t43217012/da09f1e7-b651-4c93-b93b-141e46671d4b/copy-link-to-highlight-firefox.png?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse Match Linux apps with their functions [in this puzzle](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/linux-app-role-match-puzzle/). And yes, fresh new puzzles are coming soon 😄 [Match Linux Apps With Their Roles: PuzzleIdentify popular Linux applications with their logo and match with their intended roles. Simple.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-320.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/app-role-match-4.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/linux-app-role-match-puzzle/) **🤣 Meme of the Week**: Winslop doesn't know what consent means. ![linux and windows update comparision meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/meme271.jpg) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On March 9, 1955, a program called "*Director*" [was demonstrated](https://www.computerhistory.org/tdih/march/08/?ref=itsfoss.com) on MIT's [Whirlwind](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whirlwind%5FI?ref=itsfoss.com) computer—automatically managing system resources while user code ran. It's considered one of the earliest rudimentary operating systems ever created. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: Can you help one of our regular FOSSers [decide whether to keep Secure Boot](https://itsfoss.community/t/secure-boot-or-not/15439?ref=itsfoss.com) enabled or not? ### Looks Like SUSE Linux is Up For Sale (Again)! URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/suse-for-sale-again/ Last updated: 2026-03-12T11:18:45.000Z If [Reuters report is to be believed](https://www.reuters.com/business/eqt-eyes-potential-6-billion-sale-linux-pioneer-suse-sources-say-2026-03-09/?ref=itsfoss.com), SUSE Linux is again up for sale in the market with a price tag of $6 billion. This is about enterprise-oriented SUSE Linux. openSUSE, on the other hand, is community-managed but heavily funded by SUSE. I like to think of SUSE Linux as Red Hat and openSUSE as Fedora. So any decision taken by SUSE Linux impacts openSUSE, more directly than indirectly. We will have to see what direction it takes if SUSE is sold again. Notice how I am reusing the word 'again'? That's because this is not the first time SUSE Linux has been sold. ## Long history of changing hands SUSE was founded in 1992 and provided the distribution along with support and services to enterprises. In fact, it was the first company to market Linux to enterprises. It was first purchased by [Novell in 2004 for $210 millions](https://www.eweek.com/servers/novell-to-buy-suse-linux-for-210-million/?ref=itsfoss.com). Novell did put a lot of effort in popularizing Linux, pitching it against Windows and Apple. They [even ran ads that some veteran Linux users](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtp5gNhBZgo&ref=itsfoss.com) might remember. It was a good run until Attachmate purchased Novell in 2011 for a hefty $2.2 billion. SUSE was part of Novell and thus Attachmate took the ownership of the project. And then in 2014, Micro Focus acquired Attachmate for $2.35 billion and thus once again SUSE saw a new owner. Come 2018 and a private equity group EQT bought Micro Foucs for $2.535 billions. Needless to say, SUSE was part of the deal. Except for the first one, the rest of the deals were for the parent company, not necessarily for SUSE. However, the current report suggests that EQT is only selling SUSE this time for approximately $6 billion. 📜 SUSE launched an IPO in 2021 but [went private again in 2023](https://techcrunch.com/2023/08/18/suse-goes-private-again/?ref=itsfoss.com) under EQT ownership. ## Red Hat went for $34 billions Red Hat is often considered SUSE’s closest competitor, as both primarily focus on enterprise customers. In 2019, [IBM acquired Red Hat for **$34 billion**](https://itsfoss.com/ibm-red-hat-acquisition/), making it one of the largest software acquisitions in history. Since then, Red Hat has become a central pillar of IBM’s hybrid cloud strategy, helping drive growth in areas where IBM had been struggling to maintain momentum. ## Who could buy SUSE? We can only guess, and if it were up to me, here are a few big names that could take advantage of SUSE: - Amazon: Although Amazon has its own Linux distros for deploying AWS internally - IBM: It already has Red Hat in its kitty. Getting SUSE means near monopoly in enterprise Linux. But this could also be blocked by regulators. - Oracle: Oracle has its own Oracle Linux for enterprise. With SUSE, it can expand its business. - Broadcom: They have already gotten VMWare and thus they already have one foot in the enterprise Linux market. With SUSE, they will only consolidate their position. - Microsoft: They have Azure but that's primarily for cloud servers. For a company like Microsoft, $6 billion is not a huge amount. They can expand their enterprise offering with SUSE. These are all guesses. For all we know, an unknown player could enter the scene, or it might not be sold at all. Your turn now. What do you think of SUSE being in the market again. Which company should buy it? ### Foot: The Wayland Terminal Most Linux Users Don’t Know About URL: https://itsfoss.com/foot-terminal/ Last updated: 2026-03-16T08:45:46.000Z There is simply no shortage of [terminals for Linux](https://itsfoss.com/linux-terminal-emulators/). And yet we keep on seeing new terminals coming up almost every year. The regular terminal works but then there are terminals like [Kitty and Ghostty](https://itsfoss.com/comparison/ghostty-vs-kitty/) that provide modern features and customization. In the same regard, foot is also a good terminal worth having a look. It is not a new project. It has been an active player for sevaeral years and yet not many Linux user have heard of it. ## Foot terminal Foot is a fast and lightweight Wayland-native terminal emulator. Older terminal emulators were designed around X11 and later gained Wayland support, while Foot is a terminal emulator designed specifically for Wayland from the beginning. Modern GPU terminals like Kitty or Alacritty instead support both X11 and Wayland as first-class backends. Let me show you some of the features of Foot terminal that provide significant value to the user. ### Sixel image support With the [Sixel image support](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixel?ref=itsfoss.com), terminals can display actual images. Foot supports the sixel protocol and thus you can view real images in it without extra effort. What's the point? Well, if you are using terminal tools like [fastfetch](https://itsfoss.com/fine-control-fastfetch/), you can display real images in terminal instead of the usual ASCII renderings. Look at the image below for example: ![Foot Terminal with Fastfetch logo displayed.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/foot-with-fastfetch-image.webp) Foot Terminal Image Support Also, terminal file managers like Yazi can show image file previews in a preview pane with the image support. ### Scrollback search Imagine you executed a command and it produced a long output. Normally, you cannot search in the command output displayed on the screen. Foot supports scrollback search. If you have a huge scrollback of thousands of lines, the ability to search through it is a game changer. 0:00 /0:32 1× Using the Scrollback search feature. Press `CTRL+SHIFT+R` to search a scrollback history. You will get a search prompt at the bottom-right of your screen. Enter search string and you can see that results are live updating. ### Keyboard-driven URL detection Some terminal output may contain URLs. For example, I use hyperlinks in markdown notes and preview them using [Glow](https://itsfoss.com/glow-cli-tool-markdown/). In this case, I can press the shortcut `CTRL+SHIFT+O` to highlight links. When you press the shortcut, you can see that small alphabetic characters are attached near the links. Press the associated character, and that link is opened in your default web browser. 🗒️ I use Qutebrowser as my main browser. It also follows a similar hyperlink navigation, so everything feels cohesive. You can press the ESC key to quit the URL mode. A clip showing opening links using URL mode in Foot terminal emulator. ### Server-daemon mode In server-daemon mode, one process hosts multiple windows. It offers reduced memory footprint, reduced startup time, etc. But do remember, if the main process crashes, all windows go down with it. To get server mode in Foot, start the foot server along with desktop login. That is, you need to auto-start the command: ```bash foot --server ``` We have a dedicated guide on [how to auto-start applications and commands at desktop login](https://itsfoss.com/manage-startup-applications-ubuntu/). Once done, instead of opening new terminal instances using `foot`, use `footclient`. 💡 You can assign the terminal opening shortcut to the command `footclient`. ### Fallback font configuration The user can configure which fallback font to use. If you use a lot of glyphs in the terminal, you can configure the fallback fonts as per need. Also, it allows you to set one fallback font with a different style and size than another one. ## Installing foot terminal 💡 Foot should be available in the official repositories of most distributions. Please check your distro's package manager. On Ubuntu and Debian-based distros, please use this command: ``` sudo apt install foot ``` On Fedora-based distros, use: ``` sudo dnf install foot ``` On Arch-based distros, use the pacman command: ``` sudo pacman -Syu foot ``` ## Basic foot configuration Foot expects a configuration file at `~/.config/foot/foot.ini`. When you install Foot, a default configuration will be added at `/etc/xdg/foot/foot.ini`. So, you don't need to start from scratch but you still need to do a few things to get started with foot. First, create a config directory for Foot: ```bash mkdir -p ~/.config/foot ``` Now, copy this default configuration to your local config location and start editing. ```bash cp /etc/xdg/foot/foot.ini ~/.config/foot/ nano ~/.config/foot/foot.ini ``` ### How to know about modules You cannot write a configuration if you don't know what modules are available for you to customize. Don't worry! Foot provides a concise description of available modules in a separate man page. Open a terminal and use the command: ```bash man foot.ini ``` Read the page once before starting to configure. ### Options that you may require In this section, we will see some of the useful configuration keys. #### Change the Shell The `shell` option sets a different shell to the Foot Terminal without altering the default system shell. The syntax is `shell = /usr/bin/zsh`. You can use the `which` command to find the path to the shell to use. #### Change Font Changing font is one of the most important parts of any customization. And Foot provides the `font-` variables for the purpose: - `font = IBM Plex Mono:size=14`: Sets the font to **IBM Plex Mono** and sets the size to 14. - `font = Ubuntu Mono:wieght=bold:size=14`: Sets the bold font to Ubuntu Mono and sets the size to 14. - `font = JetBrains Mono:weight=bold:slant:italic:size=14`: set the bold-italic font to JetBrains Mono and size set to 14. #### Include another config Splitting up the configuration will enable you to maintain and modify it easily in a later stage. And this is the best approach for theme customization. For example, let's see how you can set a Catppuccin Mocha theme to the foot terminal. Visit the [Catppuccin Foot theme GitHub repository](https://github.com/catppuccin/foot?ref=itsfoss.com). Go to the `themes/catppuccin-mocha.ini` file and download it using the download button at the top of the page, as shown in the screenshot below. Now, create a directory with the command: ```bash mkdir -p ~/.config/foot/themes/ ``` Paste the downloaded `catppuccin-mocha.ini` file inside this directory. Assuming you have downloaded the file to the `~/Downloads` directory, use the command: ```bash cp ~/Downloads/catppuccin-mocha.ini ~/.config/foot/themes/ ``` Now, we need a little troubleshooting. With the latest update, Foot color schemes need a `[colors-dark]` module, and the Catppuccin comes with `[colors]`. Just open the file: ```bash nano ~/.config/foot/themes/catppuccin-mocha.ini ``` And edit the `[colors]` to `[colors-dark]` and save it. One more step. Open the `foot.ini` config file in your favorite editor: ```bash nano ~/.config/foot/foot.ini ``` Add the below line to the top of the file: ```ini include=~/.config/foot/themes/catppuccin-mocha.ini ``` Also, comment out all the blocks, including and under `[colors]`, `[colors-dark]` inside it the `foot.init` file. That's it. Reopen Foot Terminal and enjoy the new themes. I let you try it and discover more of its features. ### New Steam Release Fixes Proton Games Wrongly Flagged as Unplayable URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/steam-client-march-2026-release/ Last updated: 2026-03-10T13:37:03.000Z Linux gaming has been getting [some wins lately](https://itsfoss.com/news/ea-anti-cheat-expansion-plans/), and while most of it is thanks to the hard work of countless open source contributors and community members, [Microslop](https://itsfoss.com/news/microsoft-angry-over-microslop/), err, Microsoft's unhealthy obsession has also been driving people towards the platform. There is also another side to this, where [developments outside the platform affect it](https://itsfoss.com/news/orange-pi-neo-delayed/). Steam, which is among the key drivers of that growth, has [a new client update](https://steamcommunity.com/games/593110/announcements/detail/524243918833846834?ref=itsfoss.com) that offers many useful upgrades. ## What do you get? ![a linux build of steam is shown here, with the store page behind, listing some games,the highlighted one is called planet zoo, there's also a about steam dialog on the right that shows build info](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/steam-client-march-2026-release.png) The most relevant fixes for Linux users address a bug where Proton games were incorrectly flagged as "***Not valid on current platform***" for users with huge libraries. A related instance of the same bug also affected offline mode specifically, so if you have a large library and have been running into these issues, both cases should now be sorted. Moving on from that, the `/store` chat command has been updated to use the new *Store* trailer player (*the video player that shows game trailers*) instead of the old one. On the library side, **any game demos you have installed that are no longer available will now show a prompt** to uninstall them rather than a play button. Plus, any new demos and free-to-play titles will appear at the top of your recent games list. Steam is also rolling out **opt-in anonymized framerate data collection**, currently in beta with a focus on SteamOS devices. The data is stored without any connection to your Steam account but is tied to the type of hardware you are playing on. [Valve](https://www.valvesoftware.com/en/?ref=itsfoss.com) says this will help improve game compatibility information. ![the review text box of steam is shown here, with the new attach pc specs to this review option highlighted on the right with a green arrow, the tooltip further right shows information about it](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/steam-client-add-specs-to-review.png) Then there are *Reviews*, which are getting a small but useful addition. You can now include your hardware specs when writing or updating a user review on a game's store page, giving your review a bit more context for other gamers. Depending on who you ask, this can either be a privacy headache or a genuinely useful signal for judging how a game runs on hardware similar to yours. Finally, a fix went out for an issue where the game beta/version info was showing the date the beta was assigned to you, rather than the date the actual game build was created. ## How to get Steam? ![this screenshot shows the file manager and app center on a ubuntu 24.04 lts system, showing how the official deb package for steam is installed](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/steam-deb-installation-ubuntu.png) Officially, Valve only provides [DEB packages for Linux](https://store.steampowered.com/about/download.?ref=itsfoss.com), so you can get it installed on Debian, Ubuntu, and [other derivatives](https://itsfoss.com/debian-based-distros/) without any issues. On Ubuntu, you just double-click on the package and click on "*Install*" to get it on your system. There are some unofficial builds out there that do work, and if I had to suggest one, it would be the [RPM Fusion](https://github.com/rpmfusion/steam?ref=itsfoss.com) version of Steam (*available on GNOME Software*). But again, this is not provided by Valve, so verify it before installing. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/about/download.?ref=itsfoss.com) ### MidnightBSD Bans Users in Brazil and California, Warns More Regions Could Follow URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/midnightbsd-age-verification/ Last updated: 2026-03-09T13:13:56.000Z I am of the belief that [age verification laws are multiplying like a virus](https://itsfoss.com/news/age-verification-pandemic/); these have seemingly popped up out of nowhere and are being lobbied for hard by many politicians and lawmakers. Brazil's [Digital Statute of the Child and Adolescent](https://www.gov.br/mdh/pt-br/assuntos/noticias/2025/novembro/brasil-apresenta-avancos-em-seguranca-digital-da-infancia-e-lanca-eca-digital-em-ingles-durante-cupula-social-do-g20-na-africa-do-sul/eca-digital-ing-v2.pdf?ref=itsfoss.com) takes effect on March 17, 2026, and explicitly names operating systems and app stores as entities that must implement age verification. California's [Digital Age Assurance Act](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill%5Fid=202520260AB1043&ref=itsfoss.com) (AB 1043), signed in October 2025 and effective January 1, 2027, requires OS providers to collect age data at account setup and pipe it to every app via a real-time API. Colorado's [Senate Bill 26-051](https://itsfoss.com/news/colorado-age-attestation-bill/), which passed the state Senate [on March 3](https://legiscan.com/CO/bill/SB051/2026?ref=itsfoss.com) with a 28-7 vote, would mandate the same and is currently awaiting a House vote before being set in stone. They say they are doing it to protect the children; I think that is performative. Now we have **a popular open source project outright banning people from using its offering** just because they live in a region that has mandated age verification. ## Age verification excludes ![# $FreeBSD: src/COPYRIGHT,v 1.6.2.1 2006/02/08 09:11:57 ru Exp $ # @(#)COPYRIGHT 8.2 (Berkeley) 3/21/94 The compilation of software known as MidnightBSD is distributed under the following terms: Residents of any countries, states or territories that require age verification for operating systems, are not authorized to use MidnightBSD. This list currently includes Brazil, effective March 17, 2026, California, effective January 1, 2027, and will include Colorado, Illinois and New York provided they pass their currently proposed legislation. We urge users to write their representatives to get these laws repealed or replaced. Copyright (C) 2006-2026 The MidnightBSD Project. All rights reserved.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/midnightbsd-bans-age-verification-regions.png) **A stern disclaimer.* [MidnightBSD](https://www.midnightbsd.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), a FreeBSD-based desktop operating system, has [quietly updated its README](https://github.com/MidnightBSD/src?tab=License-1-ov-file&ref=itsfoss.com) to reflect a new geographic restriction. The project has added a clause that bars residents of any country, state, or territory with OS-level age verification mandates from using MidnightBSD. It is not a blanket ban but is **directly tied to the existence of these laws**, meaning the list grows as more regions pass similar legislation. As it stands right now, it reads: > Residents of any countries, states or territories that require age verification for operating systems, are not authorized to use MidnightBSD. This list currently includes **Brazil**, effective March 17, 2026, **California**, effective January 1, 2027, and will include **Colorado**, **Illinois** and **New York** provided they pass their currently proposed legislation. The project also **urges anyone affected by this restriction to write to their local representatives** and push for these laws to be repealed or replaced. MidnightBSD has been around since 2006, when Lucas Holt forked it from FreeBSD 6.1 to build a desktop-oriented BSD for everyday users. It ships with [Xfce](https://itsfoss.com/customize-xfce/) and its own package manager, [mport](https://github.com/MidnightBSD/mport?ref=itsfoss.com), targeting *i386* and *amd64* hardware. It is a small, community-driven project with no corporate backing. The fines these laws carry, up to $7,500 per minor for intentional violations, are a serious risk for a team this size. I wonder, though, **how this would actually be enforced**; maybe the official website and download mirrors for MidnightBSD will be out of reach for people in those regions. Of course, a tech-savvy crowd who uses MidnightBSD will know how to bypass such an embargo. It **makes you wonder how effective such age verification laws are**. Oh wait, some of these so-called public servants are also [pushing for VPNs to be banned](https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/11/lawmakers-want-ban-vpns-and-they-have-no-idea-what-theyre-doing?ref=itsfoss.com). *Such a nice coincidence*. 🙂 --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*How Linux and BSD Distros Are Responding to the New Age Verification Laws*](https://itsfoss.com/news/distros-response-age-verification-laws/) [How Linux and BSD Distros Are Responding to the New Age Verification LawsAge verification laws could change how operating systems work. See how major Linux and BSD distributions are reacting to the new regulations.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-319.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-distros-age-verification.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/news/distros-response-age-verification-laws/) ### How Linux and BSD Distros Are Responding to the New Age Verification Laws URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/distros-response-age-verification-laws/ Last updated: 2026-03-13T05:07:58.000Z The US states of [California, Colorado and Illinois are passing new age verification laws](https://itsfoss.com/news/age-verification-pandemic/) that require operating systems, including Linux and BSD distributions, to implement age attestation during account setup and provide an API for apps to query user age brackets. This is 'intended to help' apps filter content for minors, but it relies on self-reported ages without mandatory ID checks. Similar proposals exist in New York and Brazil. While enforcement on community-driven distros remains unclear, several have begun addressing the laws through compliance planning, rejection, or exclusion strategies. Here's the situation so far. ## Some distros are planning to comply Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, is [reviewing the legislation with legal counsel](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/ubuntus-response-to-californias-digital-age-assurance-act-ab-1043/77948?ref=itsfoss.com) but has not announced concrete changes yet. Community developer [discussions include proposals for an optional D-Bus interface](https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel/2026-March/043534.html?ref=itsfoss.com) (org.freedesktop.AgeVerification1) to handle age brackets locally without privacy-invasive telemetry, potentially influencing other distros if adopted. Aaron Rainbolt, Ubuntu Community Council Member and contributor to Whonix, said: > We're currently looking into how to implement an API that will comply with the laws while also not being a privacy disaster... elementary OS seems to be relying on Ubuntu's implementation too. Danielle Foré, elementary's lead developer and founder, was also in the same discussion expressing their willingness to address the issue before the law comes into effect. ![elementary OS seems to be relying on Ubuntu's implementation](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/elementary-os-age-verify-discussion.webp) The [Fedora community is exploring non-intrusive implementations](https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/california-age-verification/181968/7?ref=itsfoss.com), such as a local API or an /etc/ file populated during setup to provide age brackets to apps without online verification or data sharing. Former project leader Jef Spaleta mentioned that it is not telemetry but a minimal adjustment to meet legal requirements. ![Fedora devs discussing the age verification](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-5-1.png) System76, Linux system manufacturer and the company behind Pop!OS, [noted that the laws do not mandate robust verification](https://blog.system76.com/post/system76-on-age-verification?ref=itsfoss.com), only self-attestation and warned that non-compliance could lead to restricted app access for users. They are also considering minimal changes to provide age signals, focusing on avoiding unintended consequences like a "nerfed internet." > If there is any solace in these two laws, it’s that they don’t have any real restrictions. There is no actual age verification. Whoever installed the operating system or created the account simply says what age they are. They can lie. They will lie. They’re being encouraged to lie for fear of being restricted to a nerfed internet. ## Some distros are resisting The bold step came from DHH and his Omarchy Linux as it outright rejected compliance, with DHH stating that he had no plans to respond to the "[retarded](https://x.com/dhh/status/2027431829637054478?ref=itsfoss.com)" California law. Adenix GNU/Linux distro has [declared it will not implement age checks](https://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2026/03/msg00022.html?ref=itsfoss.com), aligning with a principled stand against such requirements. ![Age verification law resistance](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/Adenix-gnu-linux-age-verification.webp) MidnightBSD has taken a firm stance against compliance by[ updating its license](https://github.com/MidnightBSD/src?tab=License-1-ov-file&ref=itsfoss.com) to explicitly exclude California residents from using it for desktop purposes starting January 1, 2027\. The project's lead stated this is a temporary measure until a better solution emerges, emphasizing the impracticality of age verification for open-source OSes. ![MidnightBSD age verification stance](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/midnightbsd-age-verification.webp) ## What about the rest? There are no official statements from Linux Mint yet, so any conclusion here is merely speculative. Given its close alignment with Ubuntu, I think it will follow whatever direction Ubuntu takes, possibly adopting the same shared API approach. Arch Linux has remained publicly silent on the issue as well. Some forum discussions briefly appeared in my web search results but [they seem to be removed](https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=312476&ref=itsfoss.com), leaving no clear indication of the project’s stance. SUSE has also not made any public comments so far. Since the legislation originates in the U.S., European-focused distributions like SUSE may not feel immediate pressure to respond. Meanwhile, [discussions in the NixOS community suggest](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/compliance-with-u-s-age-verification-laws/75791?ref=itsfoss.com) that they are waiting to see what larger distributions decide. That is not surprising. Much of the Linux ecosystem ultimately traces back to Debian, Arch, Ubuntu, and Red Hat (Fedora). Whatever technical approach these major players adopt will likely influence dozens of downstream distributions. And we should also see a few existing or new distros coming up with "no age verification" as their unique feature that distinguishes them from the rest. After all, Linux community is known to take a stance, right? ### FRANK OS Turns a Microcontroller Into a Tiny Retro Desktop PC URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/frank-os/ Last updated: 2026-03-07T08:54:36.000Z Microcontrollers are small, low-power chips built to accomplish specific tasks like reading sensors, controlling motors, and responding to inputs. You can find them inside washing machines, TV remotes, medical devices, industrial equipment, and practically anything with a circuit board that is not a fully fledged computer. Because of their limited resources, they typically run either bare-metal firmware or a lightweight real-time operating system (RTOS) like [Zephyr](https://www.zephyrproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) or [Eclipse ThreadX](https://threadx.io/?ref=itsfoss.com). And now, someone has decided that a microcontroller should have a graphical desktop interface. A tinkerer based out of Greece, [Mikhail Matveev](https://github.com/xtremespb?ref=itsfoss.com), has released **FRANK OS**, a desktop operating system built for the [RP2350](https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/rp2350/?ref=itsfoss.com) microcontroller. ## What is FRANK OS? ![the windows 95-style desktop of frank os is shown here with a taskbar at the bottom and some app icon on the left](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/frank-os-desktop-view.png) It is a desktop operating system built on top of [FreeRTOS](https://www.freertos.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), the widely used open source real-time operating system that offers preemptive multitasking, a modest memory footprint, and support for 40+ processor architectures. Building on that base, FRANK OS has its own windowed GUI, shell, filesystem stack, and application runtime in place. The result of that is a system that offers a Windows 95-style desktop with the ability to run ELF applications from SD cards and hard fault recovery in place. The project is licensed under the **GNU General Public License v3.0** and just got its [first stable release](https://github.com/rh1tech/frankos/releases/tag/v1.0?ref=itsfoss.com) a few weeks ago. On paper, the OS targets the [FRANK M2](https://github.com/rh1tech/frank/tree/master/hardware/frank%5Fm2?ref=itsfoss.com) board, which is the developer's own RP2350B-based creation that has DVI output, PS/2 ports, PSRAM, and an SD card slot. Running a windowed desktop on a microcontroller with 520 KB of on-chip SRAM is not a small feat. FRANK OS achieves it by **splitting the workload across the RP2350's two cores**. *Core 0* runs the FreeRTOS scheduler, window manager, input handling, and applications, while *Core 1* is entirely dedicated to real-time DVI scanline rendering via the [DispHSTX](https://github.com/Panda381/DispHSTX?ref=itsfoss.com) driver. Applications are compiled as standalone [ARM ELF](https://developer.arm.com/documentation/dui0041/c/Linker/Image-file-formats/ELF-format?ref=itsfoss.com) binaries and loaded from an SD card. The OS also includes a MOS2 compatibility layer for running [Murmulator OS 2](https://github.com/DnCraptor/murmulator-os2?ref=itsfoss.com) applications. ## What can you expect? ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/frank-os-terminal-music-player.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/frank-os-notepad-digger-game-1.png) **From left to right: FRANK OS' terminal, music player, notepad, and digger game.* Going into greater detail, FRANK OS comes with a proper desktop environment where app windows can overlap, be dragged, resized from edges and corners, minimized, maximized, or closed. The taskbar sits at the bottom of the screen with a *Start* button, buttons for any currently open windows, and a system tray that shows a clock and the volume slider. Additionally, the *Start* menu can scan `/fos/` on the SD card at boot to list applications. The desktop **supports up to 24 shortcuts via the right-click context menu** that stay intact across reboots, and pressing `Alt+Tab` brings up a switcher overlay, letting you cycle through all open windows, including the minimized ones. [PShell](https://github.com/RonIovine/pshell?ref=itsfoss.com) is the built-in shell that runs inside the *Terminal* application. It can handle file operations, editing files with `vi`, a C compiler, and launching MOS2-compatible console applications from the SD card. The Control Panel, accessible via the *Start* menu, has four applets covering background color, system info, mouse settings, and CPU/PSRAM clock frequencies. **On the audio side**, FRANK OS can provide I2S stereo output with 4 concurrent sound channels, MP3 and MOD playback, MIDI/OPL FM synthesis, and even a startup sound. Fret not, the OS also features **nine pre-installed applications** that include: | Coloumn 1 | Coloumn 2 | | --------- | ------------------------ | | Terminal | Notepad | | Solitaire | Minesweeper | | Digger | ZX Spectrum 48K Emulator | | FrankAmp | MMBasic | | PShell | | You will find detailed installation instructions, source code, and documentation on FRANK OS' [GitHub](https://github.com/rh1tech/frankos?ref=itsfoss.com) repository. [FRANK OS](https://github.com/rh1tech/frankos?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*11 Interesting ESP32 Microcontroller Projects*](https://itsfoss.com/esp32-microcontroller-projects/) [11 Interesting ESP32 Microcontroller Projects Beginners Can TryTry your hand at these creative projects!![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-318.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/simple-esp32-projects-banner-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/esp32-microcontroller-projects/) ### Firefox Is Getting a Major Redesign After 5 Years URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/firefox-nova-leak/ Last updated: 2026-03-16T03:35:04.000Z Firefox's Proton design has been around [since 2021](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2021/02/try-firefox-proton-redesign-ubuntu?ref=itsfoss.com), and it is starting to show its age. The interface is flat, uses a lot of gray, and feels very dated in 2026\. You either live with it or you go out of your way to install a theme from the [add-ons store](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/?ref=itsfoss.com). Neither option feels particularly appealing when practically every other mainstream browser and [several Firefox forks](https://itsfoss.com/firefox-based-browsers/), have put real thought into what people expect from a modern web browser. On top of that, its AI*ness* and lack of genuinely user experience-centric additions have been making me wonder whether it is time to move on entirely. But, it looks like there's some hope after all. 📝 Going forward, I’ll be using [sentence case](https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/capitalization/sentence-case?ref=itsfoss.com) for most (**if not all*) of my article headings. This is my attempt to provide you, the readers, with a better reading experience, and many authors have already switched, so why not? ## Firefox "Nova" might be a game-changer ![the new firefox nova redesign is showcased here with rounded corners and a mint green theme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/firefox-nova-leak-mint-green-theme-1.png) **Source: Sören Hentzschel* *Sören Hentzschel*, a full-stack developer, cat dad, and blogger, [has shared something very interesting](https://www.soeren-hentzschel.at/firefox/exklusiv-so-sieht-das-neue-nova-design-von-firefox-aus/?ref=itsfoss.com) (*in Deutsch*) on his personal website. Under the internal project name "***Nova***," Mozilla is working on a significant visual overhaul of Firefox. Sören was the first to put out the internal design mockups, which show a very different version of Firefox than what you and me currently use. The most obvious change is **how rounded everything is**. Tabs, the address bar, and the toolbar no longer sit as separate flat strips—they form a single floating island at the top of the browser. The sidebar toggle and the web content area follow the same rounded design language, and even elements on the new tab page get the same treatment. Flat, solid colors are also going away. Nova brings in subtle gradients across the interface, and the mockups show **a clear lean toward violet as a color accent**. Sören notes that this is likely tied to the active theme or what the user has chosen in the *Appearance* settings. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/firefox-nova-leak-appearance-settings-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/firefox-nova-leak-vertical-tabs-1.png) **On the left is the vertical tab layout; on the right is the 'Appearance' settings menu. (Source: Sören Hentzschel)* That menu, btw, also sees a redesign, where the various options are laid out neatly with rounded corners and possibly a different font for the text. There is also a structural change in how web content is displayed. Rather than sitting flush against the window edges, pages are presented inside a rounded container, visually separated from the other elements of the interface. 📋 You will probably recognize this from [Zen Browser](https://itsfoss.com/news/zen-browser/). The mockups also showcase vertical tabs that already exist on the current build of Firefox, but, again, with a more rounded appearance and a slightly more accessible layout. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/firefox-nova-leak-dark-mode.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/firefox-nova-leak-light-mode.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/firefox-nova-leak-private-window.png) **From left to right: Firefox Nova's dark mode, light mode, and Private Window. (Source: Sören Hentzschel)* Above, the dark mode mockup shows **the split view feature** in action, with two sites open side by side inside their rounded containers. The browser's interface is a black/red gradient, with the tab bar and toolbar housed in a single strip at the top. The light mode mockup shows the browser menu open, which has noticeably rounded corners and floats as a panel rather than being pinned to the toolbar. You can also spot tab groups displayed as colored pills in the tab bar. The private window mockup is the most visually distinct of the three. The entire interface is a dark purple, with large flowing curves and slightly varying shades of purple as the background. ## Stay updated ![mozilla's bugzilla page showing an entry for nova, sections layout, and a comment below shows a figma link added by one of the developers](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/firefox-bugzilla-nova-sections-layout.png) If you want to follow development, Mozilla's [Bugzilla](https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/buglist.cgi?short%5Fdesc=nova&query%5Fformat=advanced&list%5Fid=17875809&short%5Fdesc%5Ftype=allwordssubstr&classification=Client%20Software&classification=Developer%20Infrastructure&classification=Components&classification=Server%20Software&classification=Other&order=Last%20Updated&resolution=---&product=Firefox&ref=itsfoss.com) page has an active set of entries tracking the work surrounding Nova. Going through them, I came across several Figma links that presumably pointed to the actual design files. But none of them were accessible; my best guess is that they were taken down after the leak. Also, there's no official announcement on this from Mozilla, but seeing that the mockups are now out in the wild, we can probably expect one shortly. ## In the meantime, customize it yourself We have a [detailed video on customizing Firefox](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUpbkz5cRLI&ref=itsfoss.com) to give it a lean, minimal but efficient makeover. Perhaps you would want to give it a try before the new, redesigned version is released. ### Age Verification Laws Are Multiplying Like a Virus, and Your Linux Computer Might be Next URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/age-verification-pandemic/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T03:34:09.000Z As of today, about half of all U.S. states have some form of age verification law around. Nine of those [were passed in 2025 alone](https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/12/year-states-chose-surveillance-over-safety-2025-review?ref=itsfoss.com), covering everything from adult content sites to social media platforms to app stores. Right now, California's [Digital Age Assurance Act](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill%5Fid=202520260AB1043&ref=itsfoss.com) (AB 1043) is all the rage right now, which targets not only websites and apps but also operating systems. Come January 1, 2027, every OS provider must collect a user's age at account setup and provide that data to app developers via a real-time API. Colorado is also working on a near-identical bill, [which we covered earlier](https://itsfoss.com/news/our-take-on-age-verification/). The EFF's [year-end review](https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/12/year-states-chose-surveillance-over-safety-2025-review?ref=itsfoss.com) put it more bluntly: 2025 was "***the year states chose surveillance over safety***." The foundation's concern, which I concur with, is, **where does this stop?** Self-reported birthday today, government ID tomorrow? There appears to be no limit to these laws' overreach. 📋 What's next—verify yourself to get access to potable water? ☠️ Governments across the world are pulling out the exact same argument (*protect the children*) to push through laws with consequences that go well beyond keeping a kid off a harmful website. All while attendees of a certain island roam about the world freely. ## It's Not Just the U.S. ![a cropped screenshot of australia's social media ban laws' web portal](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/australia-social-media-ban-law.png) The **UK** moved first [back in 2023](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-safety-act-explainer/online-safety-act-explainer?ref=itsfoss.com). The Online Safety Act's child safety duties went into force in July 2025, where it required platforms to deploy age verification measures, blocking minors from accessing harmful material. **Australia** followed in December 2025 with [a ban on social media accounts](https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/industry-regulation/social-media-age-restrictions?ref=itsfoss.com) for under-16s, requiring age checks for adults to use the platform. It is narrower in scope, targeting platforms rather than app stores or operating systems. **Brazil** has gone further. The [Digital Statute of the Child and Adolescent](https://www.gov.br/mdh/pt-br/assuntos/noticias/2025/novembro/brasil-apresenta-avancos-em-seguranca-digital-da-infancia-e-lanca-eca-digital-em-ingles-durante-cupula-social-do-g20-na-africa-do-sul/eca-digital-ing-v2.pdf?ref=itsfoss.com) comes into effect on March 17, 2026, and it explicitly names operating systems and app stores by definition. ![the poster page of brazil's digital statute of the child and adolescent law is shown here, it is orange in color and has the illustration of a child sitting in front of a laptop and lots of text](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/brazil-digital-statute-child-adolescent.png) Article 12 requires both to implement auditable age verification, expose an age signal via API to third-party apps, and get parental/legal guardian consent before minors can download anything. **Singapore**'s approach skips the OS side of things and goes straight for the app stores themselves. Their [IMDA](https://www.imda.gov.sg/?ref=itsfoss.com) requires the likes of Apple, Google, Huawei, Microsoft, and Samsung [to implement age assurance by March 31, 2026](https://www.mddi.gov.sg/newsroom/mddi-s-response-to-pq-on-update-on-study-on-effectiveness-of-mandating-age-limits-for-social-media-access/?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=Designated%20app%20stores%20are%20expected%20to%20implement%20these%20age%20assurance%20measures%20by%2031%20March%202026.%20At%20the%20outset%2C%20they%20are%20required%20to%20be%20able%20to%20minimally%20ascertain%20whether%20users%20are%20under%2018.). Apple has already gotten it done, rolling out its [Declared Age Range API](https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=f5zj08ey&ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=Apps%20rated%2018%2B%20in%20Australia%2C%20Singapore%2C%20and%20Brazil) on February 24, blocking 18+ apps in Singapore, Australia, and Brazil. As usual, the **EU** is doing its own thing. In October 2025, the Commission introduced [the second version](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-releases-enhanced-second-version-age-verification-blueprint?ref=itsfoss.com) of its age verification blueprint, which is a mobile app that lets users prove they're over 18 without revealing any personal data. It's built on the same technical foundation as the [EU Digital Identity Wallets](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/eudi-wallet-implementation?ref=itsfoss.com) rolling out across member states. Five countries are already in the process of customizing it for their needs: Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, and Spain. ## The Fallout Predictably, the Linux community has not taken this quietly. While there is a bunch of misinformation strewn about, some things are clear. Take **Ubuntu**, for instance. [Aaron Rainbolt](https://github.com/ArrayBolt3?ref=itsfoss.com), an Ubuntu Community Council member, posted on the [Ubuntu mailing list](https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel/2026-March/043510.html?ref=itsfoss.com) raising this issue of age checks with a post titled: > On the unfortunate need for an "age verification" API for legal compliance reasons in some U.S. states ![a wall of text is shown here, this is a post by aaron rainbolt, it is interlinked above, please go through it](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/ubuntu-age-verification-approach.png) In the post, he proposed a [D-Bus interface](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-Bus?ref=itsfoss.com) called `org.freedesktop.AgeVerification1`. Rather than storing raw personal data, it would only expose an age bracket to apps that request it. The goal is a spec loose enough that any distro can implement it however they see fit, while still satisfying what laws like *AB 1043* actually require. Then there's the thread up on **Fedora**'s Discourse, where a user asked whether the developers were aware of California's age verification law. [Jef Spaleta](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jspaleta/?ref=itsfoss.com), Fedora Project Leader, [chimed in](https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/california-age-verification/181968/7?ref=itsfoss.com) with a measured approach, where **no telemetry was required**, and a local API would do the heavy lifting. ![another wall of text that shows a post by jef spaleta, fedora project leader, it is also interlinked above](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/fedora-project-leader-views-age-verification.png) Here, apps would query Fedora for an age bracket, and the OS would provide it. He even suggested it could be as simple as a new file in `/etc/` that would be populated during account creation. As for what people think of this, take the example of a Redditor, who is going as far as [hoarding ISO files for old builds of Linux and Windows](https://www.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/1rl4gzk/how%5Flong%5Fcan%5Fi%5Fuse%5Fan%5Foutdated%5Flinuxwindows/?ref=itsfoss.com) once age verification-equipped versions start rolling out. I am sure many will follow in their footsteps. Lastly, **my take on this situation?** This feels less like coincidence and more like a coordinated move being run under the guise of protecting children's rights. We already know how certain regimes around the world treat those rights. ### FOSS Weekly #26.10: Age Verification in Linux, systemd Troubleshooting Tools, Graphene Phone, Longer Linux LTS Kernels and More URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-10/ Last updated: 2026-03-05T15:01:51.000Z U.S. states keep [passing age-verification laws that sound reasonable until you read the fine print](https://itsfoss.com/news/our-take-on-age-verification/). Colorado, for example, wants operating systems to broadcast age data to every app you install, and California has already passed a similar bill. As governments push age checks deeper into apps and operating systems, what once sounded like a safety measure is starting to feel a lot like surveillance. [Age Verification: Protection Tool or Surveillance in Disguise?As more governments push age checks into our apps and operating systems, the dystopian future doesn’t feel so far off anymore.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-317.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/age-verification-or-survelliance-banner-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/our-take-on-age-verification/) And it’s not just happening in the U.S. Reports suggest Brazil is also moving toward similar regulations. While this model may fit ecosystems like Apple and Microsoft, where operating systems are tightly tied to online accounts, the Linux world works very differently. Yet developers from projects like Fedora and Ubuntu are already discussing how such requirements might affect Linux. We’ll be keeping close eye on how this evolves. Stay tuned. **Here are other highlights of this edition of FOSS Weekly:** - Longer support for certain Linux kernels. - systemd troubleshooting tools - Xfce customization. - Microsoft hates Microslop. - LibreOffice quick tip. - A new consortium to unify the Arm software ecosystem. - And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes! SPONSORED AI coding assistants write code fast but do they pick safe dependencies? This is [where Sonatype Guide comes in](https://fandf.co/4aiQ8fn?ref=itsfoss.com). It connects tools like Cursor, Copilot, and Claude Code to real-time open source intelligence via MCP, so vulnerable packages get flagged before they land in the open source project. Try it here. [Try it here ](https://fandf.co/4aiQ8fn?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 📰 Linux and Open Source News The web's most popular UI library has outgrown Meta's ownership. [React is now part of the Linux Foundation](https://itsfoss.com/news/react-foundation-launch/) with neutral governance and eight platinum members on board. Technical decisions are independent from the board, of course. Arm software got too complex for any one company to handle alone. [CoreCollective just launched](https://itsfoss.com/news/corecollective-launch/) to fix that fragmentation problem. Free membership for anyone building on Arm. AMD, Google, Microsoft and Red Hat are already in. LTS kernel support windows just got extended after being cut to two years back in 2023\. Linux 6.6 and 6.12 now get [four-years of support instead](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-lts-kernel-support-extension/). Greg Kroah-Hartman updated the schedule after discussions with companies and maintainers. AI's RAM appetite [just killed another hardware project](https://itsfoss.com/news/orange-pi-neo-delayed/). Orange Pi and Manjaro spent two years building a Linux gaming handheld, cleared regulatory approvals, and got everything ready to ship. Now it's sitting on ice because DDR5 chip prices are absurd. [Motorola just partnered with the GrapheneOS Foundation](https://itsfoss.com/news/motorola-grapheneos-team-up/), and it was announced at [MWC 2026](https://www.mwcbarcelona.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). The two plan to collaborate on research, software improvements, and new security features in the coming months. If you did not know already, Graphene is an Android distribution that ditches Google's data collection layer entirely and has long been the go-to for anyone serious about privacy. And a funny thing happened this week when [Microsoft locked down its Discord server because people kept on calling it Microslo](https://itsfoss.com/news/microsoft-angry-over-microslop/)p. ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About **Few Linux distributions attract as much criticism as Ubuntu.** From Snap complaints to Canonical decisions, the internet seems to have a long list of reasons to dislike it. But [**Ubuntu may not deserve nearly as much hate as it gets**](https://itsfoss.com/opinion/why-hate-ubuntu/)**.** [Ubuntu Isn’t Perfect… But the Hate It Gets Is Over the TopUbuntu may not be perfect, but the amount of hate it receives from Linux users is often exaggerated. Here’s why the criticism deserves a rethink.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-316.png)It's FOSSRoland Taylor![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/don-t-hate-ubuntu.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/opinion/why-hate-ubuntu/) AI may not need your attention, but us humans do. YOUR support keeps us going. And ****it costs less than a McDonald's Happy Meal**. Opt for the Plus membership to: ✅ Get 5 FREE eBooks on Linux, Docker and Bash ✅ Enjoy an ad-free reading experience ✅ Flaunt badges in the comment section and forum ✅ To support creation of educational Linux materials [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings When stuff breaks on Linux, [systemd already knows what happened](https://itsfoss.com/systemd-troubleshoot-tools/). Systemctl shows which services crashed, journalctl has the error messages, and systemd-analyze tells you what's hogging boot time. Coredumpctl keeps snapshots of apps that died completely. Got an old PC or Raspberry Pi collecting dust? Batocera, Lakka, and RetroPie turn them into [plug-and-play retro consoles](https://itsfoss.com/retro-gaming-console-linux-distros/) via USB or SD card. A quick tip if you love to use LibreOffice. If a document has way too many images and you have to save multiple or all images from it, save it as an HTML document in a new folder. You'll get all the images from the document. Pretty neat 😄 By the way, we are working on a "Linux Mint Starter Pack" series for beginners. I'll share with you when it is done. In the mean time, you can [get familiar with the Linux command line](https://plus.itsfoss.com/courses/terminal-basics/?ref=itsfoss.com). ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner Tired of feeding your photos to Google's AI? [PhotoPrism](https://itsfoss.com/self-hosting-photoprism/) runs locally on Docker, handles face recognition and tagging on your hardware. [What Google Photos? Self-Hosting Photo Storage with PhotoPrism Using Docker in My HomelabPhotoPrism offers one path toward that goal of data ownership. With PhotoPrism, your vacation photos don’t become training data for someone else’s business model. They remain what they actually are, your memories, under your control.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-310.png)It's FOSSBhuwan Mishra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/selfhost-photoprism-2.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/self-hosting-photoprism/) ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights A Czech-based dev built [a data center sim](https://itsfoss.com/data-center-game/) where you rack servers and run cables. No native Linux support but works with some FPS issues [I’m Low-key Hyped for This Data Center Sim (Though It Has No Official Linux Support)There’s a free demo up on Steam right now, and I took it for a spin.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-313.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/data-center-game-review-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/data-center-game/) ## 📽️ Videos for You Xfce can be customized to look (more) beautiful. [This video shows how](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw4dLnMNecE&ref=itsfoss.com): [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip Brave browser allows you to set a shortcut to copy the URL of the current tab. For this, go to `Brave Settings -> System -> Shortcuts`. Here, search for *Copy URL* and add a keybind to it. ![brave browser copy url shortcut](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/copy-url-brave.png) In the screenshot above, `CTRL+SHIFT+C` is added as the shortcut. This overwrites the default inspect function, which it was mapped to earlier. So tread with caution and try to add a non-conflicting shortcut. If your browser does not support this, you can use `CTRL+L` to access the address bar and then `CTRL+C` to copy the URL of the current tab. ## 📚 Don't Miss! Linux eBook bundle Humble Bundle has [brought back the "Linux for Seasoned Admins" ebook bundle offer](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/2RkPDg?ref=itsfoss.com) (partner link). From the classic Linux Pocket Guide and my favorite, Efficient Linux at the Command Line, the bundle also has ebooks on Docker, Ansible, Kubernetes and other devops aspects of Linux. ***And your purchase also supports the Code for America initiative.*** [Best of Humble Bundle - Linux for Seasoned Admins by O’ReillyGet 15 books from O’Reilly on a range of topics, including DevOps, containerization, version control with Git & more! Your purchase helps Code for America.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/03df0490a53d595fd930f9fff52038366d60a05d-11.png)Humble Bundle![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/33f2af4e01a3f3754ee87212f05f3a84b0a6f6ab.png)](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/2RkPDg?ref=itsfoss.com) [](https://t43217012.p.clickup-attachments.com/t43217012/da09f1e7-b651-4c93-b93b-141e46671d4b/copy-link-to-highlight-firefox.png?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse Can you beat this crossword and [become the Daemon Hunter](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/daemon-hunter/)? [Daemon Hunter: Crossword EditionBackground processes, foreground fun! Can you summon all the daemons and solve this Linux crossword?![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-314.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/daemon-hunter-crossword-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/daemon-hunter/) **🤣 Meme of the Week**: The pain is real. 🥲 ![arch gentoo meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/meme121.jpg) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On March 1, 1960, the first LISP Programmer's Manual was released by [John McCarthy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John%5FMcCarthy%5F%28computer%5Fscientist%29?ref=itsfoss.com)'s group at MIT. McCarthy had built a recursive, symbolic language that would go on to become the foundation of AI programming and outlast nearly every other high-level language of its era. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: FOSSers are talking about the upcoming secure boot changes, and [how it might affect those on Linux](https://itsfoss.community/t/secure-boot-changes-in-june/15418?ref=itsfoss.com). ### Good News! EA Is Expanding Its Anti-Cheat to ARM64, and Linux Could Be Next URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/ea-anti-cheat-expansion-plans/ Last updated: 2026-03-05T13:48:25.000Z A listing on [Electronic Arts'](https://www.ea.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) (EA) job portal has us wondering if the game developer finally considers Linux to be a platform *worthy* of their support. EA recently put up a listing for a [Senior Anti-Cheat Engineer, ARM64](https://jobs.ea.com/en%5FUS/careers/JobDetail/Senior-Anti-Cheat-Engineer-ARM64/212781?ref=itsfoss.com), looking for someone to join its SPEAR (*Secure Product Engineering & Anti-Cheat Response*) team. The role is focused on expanding their in-house kernel-level anti-cheat solution, [EA Javelin](https://www.ea.com/security/news/eaac-deep-dive?ref=itsfoss.com), to run natively in [Windows on ARM64](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11arm64?ref=itsfoss.com). The person will be responsible for developing **a native *ARM64* driver for Javelin** and porting the existing solution over from *x86\_64*. Building and maintaining automated test pipelines to validate the anti-cheat on ARM hardware is also part of the job. This makes sense given where the Windows handheld market is heading. ARM-based Windows devices are a growing segment, and as more players game on them, security solutions need to adapt. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/ea-senior-anti-cheat-engineer-job-posting-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/ea-senior-anti-cheat-engineer-job-posting-2.png) **This warped gallery shows some sections of EA's job posting.* **Where's Linux**, you ask? Look at the bottom of the responsibility requirements, and you will see the following: > Chart a path for EA Javelin Anticheat to support additional OS and hardware in the future, such as Linux and Proton. That one line is doing a lot of heavy lifting. It **points to EA at least thinking about bringing Javelin to the Linux kernel and to Proton**. It is clearly a long-term goal rather than an immediate one, as Windows on ARM64 is still *numero uno*. Linux needs no introduction, but if you were thinking what the heck is [Proton](https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Proton?ref=itsfoss.com). It is a compatibility layer developed by [Valve](https://www.valvesoftware.com/en/?ref=itsfoss.com), built on top of [Wine](https://www.winehq.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), that allows Linux users to run Windows games without needing a [Winslop](https://itsfoss.com/news/microsoft-angry-over-microslop/) install. The [Steam Deck](https://store.steampowered.com/steamdeck/?ref=itsfoss.com), Valve's popular Linux-based handheld, relies heavily on it to run the vast majority of its game library. And when you look further, without Proton, many of the games playable on Steam Deck simply would not work on Linux. ## Things Are Looking Up? Linux as a gaming platform has been gaining traction. The Steam Deck put it in the hands of a much wider audience, and the broader desktop Linux community has kept that momentum going. The track record from big publishers, however, has not been great. EA itself pulled Linux and Steam Deck support for Apex Legends [in late 2024](https://itsfoss.com/news/apex-legends-drops-steam-deck/), arguing that the open nature of Linux made it harder to keep cheaters out. Rockstar followed a similar path, with GTA V Online [quietly kicking Linux users](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-players-gta-v-support-dropped/) after rolling out BattlEye. Going back more, [Roblox joined the club in 2023](https://itsfoss.com/news/roblox-linux-end/), when its Hyperion anti-cheat blocked Wine entirely, ending years of unofficial Linux support. But **Linux gaming keeps growing regardless**, and game publishers who want a slice of that market will have to take note. Then there's Sony, which seems to be going backwards, [pulling back from the PC gaming market](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-04/sony-pulls-back-from-playstation-games-on-pc?ref=itsfoss.com) (*paywalled, grr*) for its flagship single-player titles. Anonymous spokespersons from the company have disclosed that titles like [Ghost of Yōtei](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/ghost-of-yotei/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Saros](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/saros/?ref=itsfoss.com) will only be available on the [PlayStation 5](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/ps5/?ref=itsfoss.com) series of consoles. **It is a strange time**. One major publisher is quietly hinting at Linux support in a job listing, while another is seemingly retreating from PC. For Linux gamers, the situation remains mixed, but at least someone is headed in the right direction. --- 💬 *Your thoughts? Is EA serious about Linux support, or is it just not that important to them?* **Suggested Read 📖:** [*AI's RAM Hunger Finds a New Victim in the Orange Pi Neo Linux Handheld*](https://itsfoss.com/news/orange-pi-neo-delayed/) [Sad News! AI’s RAM Hunger Finds a New Victim in the Orange Pi Neo Linux HandheldTwo years of work now sits on a shelf because AI needs the RAM more.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-315.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/orange-pio-neo-delay-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/orange-pi-neo-delayed/) ### Why Linux Users Love to Hate Ubuntu URL: https://itsfoss.com/opinion/why-hate-ubuntu/ Last updated: 2026-03-05T11:37:08.000Z These days, it’s become fashionable to make fun of [Ubuntu](https://ubuntu.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). Whether it’s jokes about Snap packages or criticism of Canonical’s decisions, mocking Ubuntu often feels like the default attitude in parts of the Linux community. To be fair, Canonical has made decisions over the years that have not always been well received, and some of the criticisms of Ubuntu and the direction it’s taken have their own merit. Yet, the derisive way Ubuntu is often talked about online isn’t particularly fair and, frankly, misses the point. Ubuntu didn’t become the “face of Linux” by accident, nor did it gain its popularity and mass appeal (both on the desktop and servers) without real, solid reasons behind it. For many, it is in fact these same reasons that cause them to feel so passionately about the shift in direction since the early days. ## Ubuntu’s speciality: Linux for Human Beings ![A slightly customized Ubuntu desktop with the "About" panel of the system settings open](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/Screenshot-from-2026-03-01-23-20-36-1.png) Ubuntu's simplicity and ease of use have always been its strengths Ubuntu was once widely seen as the easiest Linux distro for beginners and a solid choice for both casual and “power” users alike. Many Linux enthusiasts (myself included) recommended it without hesitation because it was straightforward and opinionated in a way that just felt sensible for regular people. From the time you popped in a live CD, you got a sane, uncomplicated experience that felt like a breath of fresh air compared to Windows, and it made you feel like Linux could actually feel like home. All you had to do was install it, update it when necessary, and get on with your life. The slogan “Linux for human beings” was more than a branding choice. Ubuntu embodied this motto in a very real way by reducing friction for everyday people and never being afraid to match form to function. It hasn’t always lived up to that purpose in ways that everyone agreed with, but the underlying mission has never truly changed, if we’re being fair. Even with the shift towards a more developer-focused ecosystem, it has remained just as easy to download, install, learn the ropes (if you’re new) and get on with your life. Drivers are still a breeze to set up for most hardware. The default themes are still designed with a polished aesthetic taste in mind, and yes, installing apps easily and swiftly is still a major feature. Whether you’re deep in DevOps or a casual desktop user who wants a stable system that doesn’t demand constant babysitting, Ubuntu remains one of the most practical choices in the Linux world. In other words, the memes and tropes are loud and often funny, but reality still begs to differ because Ubuntu still delivers. So why all the hate? What happened to our once beloved flagship among Linux distros? ## From darling to punching bag (and why that happened) ![Snapstore for Ubuntu](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/ubuntu-snapstore.webp) In order to understand why Ubuntu has been falling from its place of overwhelming popularity among Linux users, it’s important to remember that Ubuntu was not just a community effort, as is the case with many other distros. Ubuntu is both a community effort and a product of [Canonical](https://canonical.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), and it’s actually the latter first. While the community has some say in what happens through feedback, bug reports, feature requests, and other standard open-source infrastructure, Canonical ultimately makes the call for what defines Ubuntu as a whole. Like any company, Canonical makes decisions based on factors that aren’t always known or agreed with by the broader public. While many of these decisions have ultimately worked out well, just about as [many have also proven not to work out in the long run](https://itsfoss.com/projects-ditched-by-ubuntu/). This fluctuation between success and well, failure, is a natural part of the product lifecycle for any long-running product. Ubuntu is no exception to this rule. However, from the perspective of the community, many of these decisions started steering Ubuntu in directions that many users found puzzling and, at times, concerning. The backlash didn’t come suddenly, nor did it stem from a single decision. It came from a notable pattern: Ubuntu choosing its own path, even when the broader Linux community preferred a different direction. While this isn’t inherently “bad”, it’s unfortunately created friction within the community. To be fair, some of these decisions, such as introducing Amazon affiliate links during the Unity era, or the decision to keep the Snap Store closed on the backend, haven’t followed the expected ethos of the Linux/open-source world. Furthermore, with the Linux desktop constantly fighting the challenges of “fragmentation”, the decisions to use snaps over Flatpaks for a containerised solution, AppArmor over SELinux, etc, have brought on accusations of ‘NIH’ (Not Invented Here) syndrome. Unfortunately, while Canonical has reversed course on some of its more controversial choices and attempted to show goodwill and engage more collaboratively, the reputation and distrust are unfortunately hard to shake. Yet, in spite of these difficulties, Ubuntu itself has largely settled into a steady state, even becoming, in the eyes of some, “boringly stable”. But whether or not this accusation is fair, it’s a sign that Ubuntu is largely doing its job. A boring desktop is often a reliable desktop, and for most people, especially people trying to work, play, study, or just have a functional computer, reliability beats novelty any day. ## Taking a path less travelled, and yet… ![An Ubuntu desktop showing the GNOME dash and Ubuntu's panel interface](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/Screenshot-from-2026-03-02-14-49-30.png) Ubuntu is often criticised for “driving in its own lane”, but that independence is also why it has remained so relevant and popular. Many of the distros that have taken its crown in the ranks of popularity and ease of use are still Ubuntu derivatives. Even if they look different on the surface, or choose not to include technologies that have become synonymous with Ubuntu, they’re still Ubuntu at heart (like snaps). This isn’t a mistake. Ubuntu is a solid base for the likes of Mint, Zorin, AnduinOS, and others because it’s stable, widely supported, and consistent, even while Canonical is willing to take the heat for making strong platform decisions. Like any other distro, Ubuntu is a reflection of choices and decisions, whether those are made by the community, upstream maintainers, or the entity curating and tying everything together. It represents the collective work of everyone who contributes, packages, and builds. As such, it’s not just “another Canonical product”, even if the influence of a product mindset is evident. That combination of open-source philosophy and community culture, alongside the stability and direction of a commercially stewarded platform, is what makes Ubuntu unique. Ubuntu’s mission is simple: ship something cohesive, make it consistent, and keep it well supported over time. Sure, it’s not always going to please everyone, especially those of us who would prefer a more decentralised decision-making process or more community consensus. But if we’re being honest, it’s also why we so often assume Ubuntu when we’re writing tutorials and install instructions. That’s no accident, either. Ubuntu may not be perfect (no distro is), but it makes enough of the right choices to remain a dependable foundation, not only for users, but for an entire ecosystem built on top of it. ## More than a desktop OS ![A Digital Ocean dashboard screenshot showing information for an Ubuntu-based droplet](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image-1.png) Ubuntu is popular as a server OS, with many platforms offering pre-built images for various applications Ubuntu and its ecosystem are often easy to reduce to the realm of “beginner distro,” but that view is outdated, and I’d even argue it’s never really been true. Granted, I personally started using Ubuntu because I wanted to see what the hype was about where the likes of Compiz, Beryl, and other flashy effects were concerned. Yet, I never even got to try any of the whiz-bang features until I was a few years into my Linux experience, due to hardware limitations. So what kept me here? It was recognising that Ubuntu is so much more than a desktop. Ubuntu is a serious platform across the server space, cloud platforms, and embedded environments and infotainment, and even lives on in the mobile space due to the efforts of [UBPorts](https://ubports.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). Personally, I’ve never run a VPS on any other distro, not because I couldn’t, but because I haven’t found any reason to choose another. Ubuntu just works, and when your mission is to keep servers reliably online and updated for yourself and clients, that’s exactly what you need it to do. Ironically, many of the same reasons Ubuntu gets flack on the desktop are the reasons it’s preferred in development and server spaces today. For instance, using a snap to install and configure a web service like Nextcloud is far simpler than even using a more well-known solution like Docker. Some snaps don’t even require any further configuration beyond setting up basic admin credentials and settings through web-based UI. Ubuntu’s LTS cadence is a lifeline for server stability. Once you’ve successfully deployed a complex server environment, it’s often preferable to keep it “as is” for as long as humanly possible, while still getting the necessary security upgrades and minimal feature changes that you need to keep it up to date. With a Ubuntu LTS, that kind of stability isn’t even a challenge to solve, because there again, it just works. You get the flexibility and familiarity of a Debian-based system, with the freshness and stability that Ubuntu brings to the table. Another important point is that a lot of production environments, containers, tutorials, and automation examples are written with Ubuntu (or Ubuntu-like) systems in mind. By matching what’s common in the field, you spend less time fighting your environment and more time understanding and using the tools you need to get actual work done. ## Giving Snaps a fair shake ![The Ubuntu App Center on the "Explore" tab](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/image.png) Ubuntu's App Center is the default "app store" for snaps While “just getting work done” is one of Ubuntu’s hallmarks, that’s not typically what people think of when they think of snaps, and let’s be honest: snaps are a big part of why Ubuntu gets mocked. This criticism isn’t completely imaginary either. While the tech has come a long way, snaps still have some real-world challenges. But, the same can be said for just about any containerised packaging system. For the sake of fairness, let’s just get some of the remaining issues out of the way. Theming inconsistencies still persist, especially if you are using an app built with a toolkit that your desktop isn’t built on. Snaps still take significantly more storage space than “native” packages, because they often depend on other “foundational” snaps. Also, there’s no open or decentralised software store, so we have to trust Canonical’s stewardship. These are real trade-offs, and it’s only fair to acknowledge them. Usually, the discourse stops right here, as if “Snaps exist” is the same thing as “Ubuntu is unusable.” If I had a dollar for every time I’ve seen someone say “First thing I do is remove snap from the system”, I could end world hunger overnight. Yet, realistically, most people don’t choose an OS to make a statement about packaging decisions. They just want to be able to install what they need, do it quickly, keep it updated, and avoid breaking things in the process. Whether some in the community like them or not, snaps deliver on this promise. By providing a consistent delivery mechanism for newer app releases, a simple rollback method and a clean way to clear app settings and data once an app is removed, snaps reduce dependency stress across different Ubuntu releases. For most types of software they simplify maintenance for developers and users alike. Plus, many of the issues that led to snaps being so heavily disparaged, such as slow startup times and terrible desktop integration, have been massively improved since their introduction, and continue to be improved with time. Besides, even if you absolutely detest snap as a technology, Ubuntu is still flexible enough that you can make your own choices about where you get your apps and what package distribution formats you prefer. Case in point: most of the apps I use on my Ubuntu system today are Flatpaks and native applications, not because I don’t use snaps (I actually use quite a few), but just because that’s how most of the latest versions of the apps I need are currently packaged. ## Why you can safely ignore the noise Many of the arguments against Ubuntu these days are essentially identity- or philosophy- based, not practical positions. For most people, a better question is simply: what do you need your computer to do? Ubuntu is still a strong choice if you’re new to Linux and want something straightforward, different from Windows and macOS, but familiar enough to not be a complete shock to the system. If you’re a developer seeking the friendly environment of a Linux-based workflow, choosing Ubuntu means you’ll have a system that matches the majority of guides and tutorials you’ll encounter online. The same is true if you work in DevOps or system administration. The point is, whether you’re a casual desktop user or a seasoned denizen of SSH terminals, Ubuntu still meets the mark, offering stability, broad app availability, and the ability to Google a problem and find answers quickly. ## Why it’s never going to be for everyone ![A screenshot of the GNOME dash in Ubuntu showing multiple applications running on a virtual desktop](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/Screenshot-from-2026-03-02-15-03-33.png) Not everyone likes Ubuntu, and that's perfectly okay It goes without saying, but Ubuntu can’t be everyone’s cup of tea either, and even some long-time users might find it no longer fits their needs. For instance, if you prefer ultra-minimal systems that let you build everything your own way, or even if you just want to avoid Canonical’s decisions on principle, Ubuntu won’t fit the bill, and that’s perfectly okay. With the move to deliver more core components as snaps, it’s also understandable that some of us might be forced to choose other distros to avoid this fundamental change in direction. What really matters here is that none of this is a matter of a moral judgement, though I’m sure some folks would argue otherwise (and hey, I respect it, even if I disagree). At the end of the day, it’s all about freedom and finding the matching tools to get the job done, whatever that means for you. ## Final thoughts Long story short, Ubuntu often gets the most backlash because it’s one of the most visible and durable targets. It’s a distro many of us have long outgrown, but it’s also the distro where we “cut our teeth” on everything Linux has to offer. It’s no surprise then, that it’s the distro many people now love to dunk on and poke fun at. Love it or hate it though, Ubuntu remains. It’s still quietly doing what many people actually need, still serving its age-old role as many folk’s first foray into Linux, still pushing innovation and momentum across spaces where we need it most, and still helping the collective to gain market share. The work Ubuntu does behind the scenes may not always be exciting, but no doubt, it’s quite invaluable. It doesn’t have to be perfect, and sure, it would be nice to see it reclaim its former glory, even just for a bit of nostalgia. But Ubuntu has earned its place among the Linux giants, and continues to prove itself every day. So maybe, just maybe, it doesn’t deserve our hate. ### Microsoft Locks Down Discord Server Over “Microslop” Posts URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/microsoft-angry-over-microslop/ Last updated: 2026-03-03T16:53:08.000Z Microsoft's official Copilot [Discord](https://discord.com/invite/go-copilot?ref=itsfoss.com) server has descended into chaos after users flooded it with a nickname that has been making the rounds on social media for a while now: ***Microslop***. The term caught on as frustration grew over Microsoft's push to integrate AI into their most popular products like [Windows](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows?ref=itsfoss.com), [Office](https://www.office.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), and [GitHub](https://github.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). Many people now feel that user experience is being traded for bloat, [breach of privacy](https://itsfoss.com/news/microsoft-windows-creepy-ai-move/), and instability in the name of [Copilot](https://copilot.microsoft.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). Abhijith M B from [Windows Latest](https://www.windowslatest.com/2026/03/02/microsoft-gets-tired-of-microslop-bans-the-word-on-its-discord-then-locks-the-server-after-backlash/?ref=itsfoss.com) was the first to catch that the word had been quietly added to the server's auto-moderation blocklist. Any message containing it was silently blocked, with only the sender receiving a notice that their message included a phrase the server moderators considered inappropriate. ![a screenshot that shows a message by someone named intellect, who tried sending this: "is microslop blocked?" on the copilot discord server run by microsoft, their message failed to deliver as the content was blocked by the moderation system of the server](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/microsoft-copilot-discord-server-blocks-microslop.png) **Courtesy of* [**Windows Latest*](https://www.windowslatest.com/2026/03/02/microsoft-gets-tired-of-microslop-bans-the-word-on-its-discord-then-locks-the-server-after-backlash/?ref=itsfoss.com)**.* That discovery, [once posted on X](https://x.com/WindowsLatest/status/2028161757429350564?ref=itsfoss.com), was practically an open invitation. People began testing workarounds almost immediately, and it did not take long before "*Microsl0p*," with a zero in place of the letter "*o*," sailed right through the filter. When I tried joining the server to see how things were unfolding firsthand, I could not. Server invites had been paused, which made things pretty clear for me. ![this screenshot of discord shows that invites to the microsoft copilot server is paused, and urges the user to try again later](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/microsoft-copilot-discord-server-invites-paused.png) Microsoft did eventually respond with an official statement: > The Copilot Discord channel has recently been targeted by spammers attempting to disrupt and overwhelm the space with harmful content not related to Copilot. Initially, this spam consisted of walls of text, so we added temporary filters for select terms to slow this activity. > We have since made the decision to temporarily lock down the server while we work to implement stronger safeguards to protect users from this harmful spam and help ensure the server remains a safe, usable space for the community. *That explains why I wasn't able to join the server.* 😆 **But does banning people, or *spammers* as they claim, actually address the real problem?** Microsoft could also think twice before shoving AI into everything and branding it as everyone's '*companion*,' *'pair programmer*,' or whatever else sounds good in a press release. ### Tired of Google's Tracking? Motorola's GrapheneOS-Powered Phones Are Coming URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/motorola-grapheneos-team-up/ Last updated: 2026-03-03T15:39:49.000Z Motorola just partnered with [the GrapheneOS Foundation](https://motorolanews.com/motorola-three-new-b2b-solutions-at-mwc-2026/?ref=itsfoss.com), and it was announced at [MWC 2026](https://www.mwcbarcelona.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). The two plan to collaborate on research, software improvements, and new security features in the coming months. If you were not familiar, [GrapheneOS](https://grapheneos.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is an open source OS built on the [Android Open Source Project](https://source.android.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). It ditches Google's data collection layer entirely and has long been the go-to for anyone serious about privacy. But, it has been out of reach for most people as it only officially supports Google's [Pixel](https://store.google.com/category/phones?ref=itsfoss.com) line of smartphones. Following this news, a spokesperson at GrapheneOS stated that: > We are thrilled to be partnering with Motorola to bring GrapheneOS’s industry‑leading privacy and security‑focused mobile operating system to their next-generation smartphone. > > This collaboration marks a significant milestone in expanding the reach of GrapheneOS, and we applaud Motorola for taking this meaningful step towards advancing mobile security. ## What to Expect? The obvious outcome is **a Motorola phone shipping with GrapheneOS pre-installed**. The spokesperson's reference to "*next-generation smartphone*" suggests a specific device is already being worked on, even if Motorola isn't ready to show it yet. Official GrapheneOS support for existing Motorola devices is a separate question. Expanding beyond Pixel hardware will take some significant developmental effort, and nothing has been confirmed there. The mention of "*software enhancements*" in the announcement language might be a hint, but a vague one. What this partnership does more immediately is break the Pixel monopoly on GrapheneOS-compatible hardware. **More device options means more people can actually use it**, which is good for the project and good for the wider push toward privacy-respecting smartphones. **If this proves commercially viable**, other manufacturers have little excuse not to follow. A privacy-focused phone is a real need right now, and it beats being in the business of trading user data. Alongside this, Motorola also announced a new enterprise-grade analytics platform and new feature for its [Moto Secure](https://www.motorola.com/we/en/motoverse/moto-secure?ref=itsfoss.com) app that, when enabled, automatically strips metadata from camera images. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*De-Googled Android-based Operating Systems*](https://itsfoss.com/android-distributions-roms/) [5 De-Googled Android-based Operating SystemsConcerned about your privacy or want to give another life to your smartphone? You could consider these Android distributions and custom ROMs.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-308.png)It's FOSSPratham Patel![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/de-googled-android-based-os-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/android-distributions-roms/) ### Age Verification: Protection Tool or Surveillance in Disguise? URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/our-take-on-age-verification/ Last updated: 2026-03-02T17:38:08.000Z When I first played [Cyberpunk 2077](https://www.cyberpunk.net/us/en/?ref=itsfoss.com), its dystopian world was what drew me in. A place where surveillance was part of daily life, and questioning any of the big corpos meant you would probably disappear one night, never to be found again. Years later, in 2026, I am sitting here wondering—this is not fiction, but something that could really happen one day, seeing how things are escalating thanks to a cabal of senile cretins and how quickly rights are being stripped from the general public. You might've already noticed that there's a trend among governments to bring in age verification for deterring children from being exposed to harmful content and people. But the methods deployed to ensure compliance either ask you to fork over extremely sensitive [PII](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal%5Fdata?ref=itsfoss.com) or fill out a form that \* *sternly*\* asks you of your age or age bracket. ## Age Verification, Why? A few days ago, we saw [the U.S. state of Colorado](https://itsfoss.com/news/colorado-age-attestation-bill/) wanting to make operating systems hand over age bracket data to apps. This would work via an API that transmits a user-reported "*age signal*" to verify a person's age range before they use the software. While this is set for a January 1, 2028 adoption, there are a few hurdles it has to cross before it is set in stone. A similarly worded bill has already been passed in California, where the [Digital Age Assurance Act](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill%5Fid=202520260AB1043&ref=itsfoss.com) (AB 1043) was signed into law back in October 2025. Starting in 2027, it mandates that OS providers collect a user's birth date, age, or both at account setup and provide a signal to developers via a real-time API. This effectively forces the computer itself to act as the primary gatekeeper, telling every app you launch exactly which age bracket you fall into. ## The Other Side A federal judge in Virginia [blocked the state](https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/judge-blocks-virginia-law-restricting-social-media-children-2026-02-27/?ref=itsfoss.com) from enforcing its social media age-limit law ([SB 854](https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/SB854/text/SB854?ref=itsfoss.com)) just a few days ago. The judge ruled that the mandate, which forced platforms to verify ages and limit minors to one hour of daily use, violates [First Amendment](https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-1/?ref=itsfoss.com) rights by overextending to both adults and children and leaving out addictive interactive games. Then there's Discord, which tried implementing an age verification system that blew up in its face. It had to [distance itself from Persona](https://fortune.com/2026/02/24/discord-peter-thiel-backed-persona-identity-verification-breach/?ref=itsfoss.com) after a massive backlash over privacy and security, and people were already on edge after a previous breach [exposed nearly 70,000 government IDs](https://discord.com/press-releases/update-on-security-incident-involving-third-party-customer-service?ref=itsfoss.com). The situation has now hit a new low point where researchers have discovered Persona’s code was tied to extensive surveillance checks and global watchlists. Even people over on Reddit are calling out such moves, with a Redditor, [ForeverHuman1354](https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/1ri1eev/resist%5Fage%5Fchecks%5Fnow/?ref=itsfoss.com), putting out a call to resist system-level age verification checks. They point out that even if the law in California doesn't require forking over identification, what's to stop anyone from normalizing doing so in the future? And these age checks could easily be repurposed to identify the user of an app or operating system; not that [Big Tech](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big%5FTech?ref=itsfoss.com) hasn't already done that with their never-ending greed for our data. --- 💬 *Where do you think we’re headed? Is this really about safeguarding children, or are we just living out the plot of an Orwellian horror novel?* ### Sad News! AI's RAM Hunger Finds a New Victim in the Orange Pi Neo Linux Handheld URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/orange-pi-neo-delayed/ Last updated: 2026-03-02T14:26:34.000Z The handheld gaming PC market has grown a lot since Valve launched the [Steam Deck](https://store.steampowered.com/steamdeck/?ref=itsfoss.com) in 2022\. It remains the most popular Linux-powered handheld out there, and for good reason. The Steam Deck is well-built, well-supported, and runs a growing library of games without much fuss. But it is not the only one. The [Lenovo Legion Go S](https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/handheld/legion-go-s/len106g0002?ref=itsfoss.com) launched with SteamOS as an option, and devices like the [AYANEO 3](https://ayaneo.com/product/AYANEO-3?ref=itsfoss.com) have also attracted Linux users looking for Steam Deck alternatives. One such upcoming option is the [Orange Pi Neo](https://neo.manjaro.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), a Linux-first handheld built in collaboration between **Orange Pi** and **Manjaro Linux**. It has been in development for a while, and now it looks like it will stay that way for a bit longer. ## Orange Pi Neo: The Wait Continues ![this green-colored banner shows a orange pi neo linux handheld in the middle, with some informational text strewn about](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/orange-pi-neo-banner.png) The Manjaro team has been posting updates on the [original announcement thread](https://forum.manjaro.org/t/development-q-a-orangepi-neo-01/156450?ref=itsfoss.com) on their forums since early 2024, covering everything from hardware revisions and software improvements to certification progress and Valve's involvement in testing. The latest update [is a short one](https://forum.manjaro.org/t/development-q-a-orangepi-neo-01/156450?ref=itsfoss.com#p-654810-development-log-2026-12). *And not in a good way*. It states that **due to the high prices of DDR5 RAM and SSDs, the project is currently on ice**. The team says they are waiting for a good time to launch the product, but with no particular date mentioned. If you want to understand just how bad things have gotten, last year, a DDR5 chip that cost $6.84 in late September 2025 had climbed to $27.20 by December 1, [nearly a fourfold jump in two months](https://itsfoss.com/news/ai-causes-ram-prices-skyrocket/). AI data centers are eating up memory supply, and manufacturers are happy to oblige since the margins are far better than selling to consumers. That said, it is worth pointing out that **the Manjaro team has not been sitting idle**. The same update notes that the Orange Pi Neo has already cleared both [CE](https://europa.eu/youreurope/business/product-requirements/labels-markings/ce-marking/index%5Fen.htm?ref=itsfoss.com) and [FCC](https://www.fcc.gov/engineering-technology/laboratory-division/general/equipment-authorization?ref=itsfoss.com) certifications, which are the regulatory approvals required to sell an electronic product legally in Europe and the United States, respectively. Moreover, they have continued refining Manjaro Gaming Edition, the new operating system that will ship with the device, to make sure it is in good shape whenever the launch does happen. ## What the Orange Pi Neo Brings to the Table For those unfamiliar with the device, the Orange Pi Neo is built around AMD's [Ryzen 7 7840U](https://www.amd.com/en/products/processors/laptop/ryzen/7000-series/amd-ryzen-7-7840u.html?ref=itsfoss.com) processor and features a 7-inch 1920x1200 display with a 120Hz refresh rate, dual touchpads similar in concept to the Steam Deck's, and Hall effect joysticks with RGB lighting. On the software side, it runs **Manjaro Gaming Edition**, an immutable OS built on top of Manjaro Linux with Plasma as the desktop environment. It boots into SteamUI by default but lets you switch over to a *Desktop* mode when needed. The RAM and SSD pricing situation is not unique to this project. AI data center demand has sent DDR5 prices through the roof over the past few months, and consumer hardware is feeling the brunt. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*AI Craze Just Made Your New PC Build Way More Expensive*](https://itsfoss.com/news/ai-causes-ram-prices-skyrocket/) [AI Craze Just Made Your New PC Build Way More ExpensiveRAM and SSD prices are skyrocketing as manufacturers prioritize AI servers over consumer PCs.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-305.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/ai-hunger-is-hiking-prices-2.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/ai-causes-ram-prices-skyrocket/) ### New to Linux? These 4 systemd Tools Help You Fix Common Issues URL: https://itsfoss.com/systemd-troubleshoot-tools/ Last updated: 2026-03-01T15:38:56.000Z If you’ve spent any time in the Linux community, you know that [**systemd** is a hot topic](https://itsfoss.com/comparison/systemd-init/). Some people love it because it handles everything; others wish it didn't! But here’s the reality: almost every major Linux distribution (like [Ubuntu](https://ubuntu.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), [Fedora,](https://fedoraproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Debian](https://www.debian.org/?ref=itsfoss.com)) uses it today. Think of systemd as the "manager" of your computer. When something goes wrong, like your Wi-Fi won't connect or a creative app keeps crashing, systemd is the one with all the answers. But where to find those answers? systemd has built-in tools that help you troubleshoot issues with your system. If you’re just starting your Linux journey, I recommend exploring the following four tools. 📋 If you are ensure, please [check if your Linux system uses systemd](https://itsfoss.com/check-if-systemd/). ## 1\. Systemctl In Linux, background apps are called **services**. If your system is not accepting SSH connections, you use systemctl to see what’s happening under the hood. I mean, before you try to fix something, you need to know if it's actually broken. ``` sudo systemctl status ssh ``` This is the most important command in a Linux user’s toolkit. When you run it, pay attention to the **Active** line: - **Active (running):** Everything is great! - **Inactive (dead):** The service is off. Maybe it crashed, or maybe you never turned it on. - **Failed:** This is the red flag. systemd will usually give you a "Main PID" (Process ID) and a reason for the failure right there in the terminal. ![Systemctl status output, showing process IDs and recent log events for a running service.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/image-9.png) ### The "turn it off and on again" trick We’ve all heard it: "Have you tried restarting it?" Restart a service in Linux with `systemctl`. - Kickstart a failed one**:** `sudo systemctl start ssh` - Stop a lagging service**:** `sudo systemctl stop ssh` - Reset**:** `sudo systemctl restart ssh` - Disable a service (to speed up boot)**:** `sudo systemctl disable ssh` ## 2\. Journalctl When an app crashes, it doesn't just vanish. It usually screams an error message into the void. [Journalctl is the tool](https://linuxhandbook.com/journalctl-command/?ref=itsfoss.com) that catches those screams and saves them in a "journal" for you to read later. Unlike old-school Linux logs (which were scattered across dozens of text files), systemd keeps everything in one central, encrypted location. ### Filtering the noise If you just type `journalctl`, you’ll see thousands of lines of code, most of it is boring stuff like "System time updated." To be a good detective, you need to filter: ``` journalctl -xe ``` - **\-x**: Adds "catalog" info (it explains the errors in plain English). - **\-e**: Jumps straight to the end of the log so you see the newest stuff first. ![Using the journalctl -xe to jump to the most recent system logs ](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/image-11.png) **Targeting a Specific App:** If you want to check the issue with a specific app, don't read everything, just read the entries for that specific app: ``` journalctl -u ssh ``` ![Filtering system logs for a specific unit using the -u flag](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/image-12.png) **Time Travel:** Did your computer freeze two hours ago? You can ask the journal to show you only that time frame: ``` journalctl --since "2 hours ago" ``` ![Using time filters in journalctl allows you to pinpoint exactly what happened during a system freeze](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/image-13.png) ## 3\. Systemd-analyze Is your computer taking forever to start up? Instead of guessing which app is slowing you down, you can ask **systemd-analyze** to blame the culprit. This tool measures every millisecond of your boot process and tells you exactly which service is holding things up. Run this command to see a ranked list of the slowest-starting apps: ``` systemd-analyze blame ``` You might find that a "Modem Manager" you don't even use is taking 2 minutes to start. This gives you the power to `disable` it and save time every time you turn on your PC. ![The blame command identifies exactly which services are slowing down your Linux boot time](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/image-14.png) Additionally, some apps can't start until other apps are finished. If App A waits for App B, it creates a chain. ``` systemd-analyze critical-chain ``` This shows you the path systemd took to reach your desktop. If one link in the chain is slow, the whole system feels sluggish. You can learn more about [optimizing Linux boot speed](https://itsfoss.com/improve-application-startup-speed-with-preload-in-ubuntu/) in our dedicated guide. ![The critical-chain command reveals the 'relay race' of your system startup.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/image-15.png) 🚧 `systemctl status`, `journalctl`, and `systemd-analyze` are 100% safe. They are "read-only." However, be careful with `sudo systemctl stop`. If you stop a service like `dbus` or `systemd-logind`, your screen might freeze or you might get logged out! ## **4\. Coredumpctl** Sometimes, an app doesn't just have an error, it **crashes** completely. In programmer terms, it "dumped its core." This means the app threw its entire memory onto the floor and quit. **Coredumpctl** is like a forensic investigator. It lets you look at that memory "snapshot" to see what the app was doing right before it died. ### Listing the crashes To see a table of every app that has crashed on your system recently, use: ``` coredumpctl list ``` ![The coredumpctl list command displays a table of recorded application crashes, including time, PID, and executable name.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/image-16.png) ### The "Detective Report" If you see that your favorite app crashed, you can get the full report by using its Process ID (PID) from the list: ``` coredumpctl info [PID] ``` This will show you things like the "Signal" (usually `SIGSEGV`, which means the app tried to touch memory it wasn't allowed to) and a "Stack Trace" (the last few functions the app ran). 💡 Some distributions (like minimal Debian installs) might not have `coredumpctl` installed by default. You can usually get it by running `sudo apt install systemd-coredump`. ## Conclusion By using these systemd tools, you’ve moved past the "I'll just reboot and hope for the best" stage. You can now see the status of your apps, read their logs, speed up your boot time, and investigate crashes like a seasoned Linux user. Next time something feels "off" on your Linux machine, don't panic. Just remember: systemctl for the status, journalctl for the logs, systemd-analyze for the speed, and coredumpctl for the crash. ### I'm Low-key Hyped for This Data Center Sim (Though It Has No Official Linux Support) URL: https://itsfoss.com/data-center-game/ Last updated: 2026-02-28T17:15:55.000Z The demand for data centers worldwide has shot up in recent years, with **the blind rush for AI being a big reason** behind it. I, personally, don't think we need AI shoved into every corner of our lives, but certain regimes and organizations seem to think otherwise, and they keep pushing hard for it. So, if hearing all that makes you want to just roll up your sleeves and build one yourself, then this indie game might scratch that itch. 📋 This game is not natively available for Linux. But it does interest me as a Linux user. ## Data Center: A Work in Progress ![the main menu of data center is shown here, with a bunch of menu options on the left for new game, load game, settings, report bug, quit to desktop, and the language switcher](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/data-center-main-menu.jpg) [Data Center](https://store.steampowered.com/app/4170200/Data%5FCenter/?ref=itsfoss.com) is an upcoming simulation game from solo developer Václav Novák, who goes by [Waseku](https://waseku.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) on Steam. He is based in Brno, Czech Republic, and has been building games since 2020 using the Unity engine. The main idea here is that you **build and manage a data center from scratch**. That involves buying racks, servers, and switches; physically placing and stacking your hardware; and then running cables between ports to tie it all together. It lets the player monitor network traffic via colored, sphere-shaped balls that move around in the cables, and any idle network cable connections are easy to spot. You earn money by serving customers according to their requirements and capacity expectations. When you process data successfully, you get money, gain experience to unlock better hardware, and build your reputation to draw in larger clients. ## Worth Playing? Possibly. I played the free demo on a [Nobara Linux](https://nobaraproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) system, and the overall experience was okay*ish*. First, I configured the graphical settings, disabling NVIDIA DLSS and cranking most settings to their highest possible states. When I went into the game, the game was capped at 50 FPS. Turns out VSync was the culprit (*unsurprisingly*), so I disabled it and set a 100 FPS limit. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/data-center-graphics-settings-1.jpg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/data-center-max-fps-vsync-setting.jpg) **The graphical settings I used to play the demo.* **But the performance woes didn't end there**, as throughout gameplay, there were visible drops in the FPS that happened intermittently; the performance graph on the top-right (*for FPS*) shows it well. 👇 Even forcing the use of [Proton Experimental](https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Proton/tree/experimental%5F10.0?ref=itsfoss.com) didn’t seem to help, so I rolled with it. Plus, some reviews of the demo on Steam mention this issue, so it was probably that. The game doesn’t have a proper new player tutorial just yet; it shows some vague objectives, and I had to find my way through the game. The closest thing to an onboarding guide is the *Tutorial* menu found by pressing the `Esc` key. I could read up on how to handle customers, how to configure a server, what kinds of racks and units were available, and a lot more beyond that. ![the tutorial menu for the data center game is shown in this screenshot, there is a lot of text on screen that explains racks/units](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/data-center-tutorial-menu.jpg) Initially, I was lost and placed [patch panels](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patch%5Fpanel?ref=itsfoss.com), [switches](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network%5Fswitch?ref=itsfoss.com), and [servers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Server%5F%28computing%29?ref=itsfoss.com) randomly, without any sense of how these are usually arranged. After a quick web search and closely following what the minuscule object tracker was saying, I was on the correct path. First, I went to the computer at the desk and headed into the shop. Here, I could unlock some starter server hardware for 0 XP and continue building up from there. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/data-center-computer-portal.jpg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/data-center-shop-interface.jpg) **The online shop acts as a one-stop portal for all your server hardware needs.* As you can see, I purchased a few patch panels and racks to start populating my data center. The provided utility cart for transferring items from the shipping bay to the server room is, well, ***jank***. It either keeps any placed items intact or it tosses them off as if it has a mind of its own. Even moving it around is a chore, as it has a habit of clipping below the floor for a quick trip to the underworld. **Placing new racks is another story**. You just pick up a rectangular cardboard box and press `E` to install it over a designated spot on the floor. And to place network switches, patch panels, or servers, a handy yellow-colored outline is shown in the available space on a rack. Wiring all of that up is effortless too. After purchasing 100 meters (🦅 *328 ft*) of CAT6E cable, I was able to connect the server hardware, with some slip-ups that I fixed later during my play. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/data-center-server-config-1.jpg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/data-center-server-config-2.jpg) **Configuring a server for a fictional customer in Data Center.* Onboarding new customers is as simple as connecting a wire from the network switch to the outbound connection panel thingy; I am unsure what that's called. Here, you select a customer, review what they want, and then a small guide pops up on how to get them hooked up. I then turned on the power for the servers and set the IP addresses from the individual control panel to get the connection up. I had to add a few more servers and turn on the network switches before I could serve the customer, "*Bermuda Triangle Backup*" at 40000 IOPS speed. 📋 Hmm, I wonder if they lose all of their customers' data citing mysterious phenomena. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/data-center-borked-cable-management-1.jpg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/data-center-space-expansion.jpg) **Kinda borked cable management on the left; on the right is the server room expansion dialog.* **If you noticed the abysmal cable management job** I did in the video above, then fret not; I have redeemed myself by fixing it (*in the video below*). But before that, you have to know that there are handy cable management loops across the racks and the roof of the server room that make your job easier. You can also increase the space of your server room by purchasing additional space for 1,000 in-game currency per block. *If you see a pile of strewn-about servers, ignore it.* Making use of the aforementioned mounts, I neatly rerouted the Ethernet cabling to clean up the spiderweb-like arrangement I had in place. As you saw, it is fairly easy to do, provided you have some patience and a little obsession with keeping things in proper alignment. Overall, **the game needs a lot of polish before launch**. A proper tutorial would be a good start because right now new players are pretty much left to figure things out on their own. On my wishlist for later upgrades would be multi-storey data centers, a utility cart that actually works without going into a void, and a computer portal that isn't so basic and awkward to use. ## How to Play? A [free demo](https://store.steampowered.com/app/4376050/Data%5FCenter%5FDemo/?ref=itsfoss.com) with some restrictions has been available on Steam for some time now. The game is [planned to launch](https://store.steampowered.com/app/4170200/Data%5FCenter/?ref=itsfoss.com) on **March 31, 2026**, though without any pricing information yet. There is also no mention of an [early access](https://store.steampowered.com/genre/Early%20Access?ref=itsfoss.com) release, so it looks like Václav is aiming for a stable 1.0 release. [Data Center Demo](https://store.steampowered.com/app/4376050/Data%5FCenter%5FDemo/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Your Linux LTS Kernel Will Be Supported Longer Than You Thought URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-lts-kernel-support-extension/ Last updated: 2026-02-28T12:38:55.000Z Greg Kroah-Hartman has updated the projected end-of-life (EOL) dates for several active longterm support kernels [via a commit](https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/docs/kernel/website.git/commit/?id=d04587da86a3464881e0c97aabddd2c271105698&ref=itsfoss.com). The provided reasoning? It was done "*based on lots of discussions with different companies and groups and the other stable kernel maintainer*." The other maintainer is [Sasha Levin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sasha-levin-9861662/?ref=itsfoss.com), who co-maintains these [Linux kernel](https://www.kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) releases alongside Greg. Now, **the updated support schedule** for the currently active LTS kernels looks like this: - **Linux 6.6** now EOLs Dec 2027 *(was Dec 2026)*, giving it a 4-year support window. - **Linux 6.12** now EOLs Dec 2028 *(was Dec 2026)*, also a 4-year window. - **Linux 6.18** now EOLs Dec 2028 *(was Dec 2027)*, at least 3 years of support. ![this is a cropped screenshot which shows support cycles for the longterm releases of linux](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/linux-longterm-release-table.png) **The* [**support schedule*](https://www.kernel.org/releases.html?ref=itsfoss.com) *for your perusal.* Worth noting above is that **Linux 5.10 and 5.15 are both hitting EOL this year in December**, so if your distro is still running either of these, now is a good time to start thinking about a move. If you are not that deep into the kernel rabbit hole, then you need to know that most releases only get about two months of active support before the next one takes over. **LTS releases are the exception here**. They get years of backported security patches and bug fixes without any new features that make it a great choice for desktop, embedded hardware, and servers that need stability over bleeding-edge features. Back in 2023, things were slightly different. At the Open Source Summit Europe event, it was disclosed that [LTS support windows were being cut](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-support/) from six years down to just two. Burnout was cited as the main culprit, as too many contributors were working unpaid and had to handle a flood of bugs generated by fuzzing tools. The change in question here does not undo that decision entirely, but it does push back against the shorter support window, at least for the current batch of LTS kernels. ## What Does This Mean? For most desktop Linux users, this change is barely noticeable. If you're running [Ubuntu](https://itsfoss.com/speed-up-ubuntu-1310/), [Fedora](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-43-release/), or most mainstream distros, the kernel side of things is handled for you. You don't need to keep track of specific releases, your distro does it for you and notifies you when there's an update. But for anyone running **embedded systems, single-board computers, or servers**, moving across kernel versions is tricky, and EOL dates are a big deal. Once a kernel hits EOL, it stops getting security patches. The longer support window is also relevant for hardware vendors and device manufacturers who ship Linux on their products. Certifying against a specific kernel version takes time and resources. Knowing that kernel will be patched until 2028 instead of 2026 changes the math on when an upgrade cycle even needs to start. So the short version is, **if you're a regular user, nothing changes today**. If you depend on a specific LTS kernel for anything critical, you just got more breathing room than you had yesterday. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*What Is Liquorix Kernel? Should You Use It?*](https://itsfoss.com/liquorix-kernel/) [What Is Liquorix Kernel? Should You Use It?In this jargon buster, we explain what is Liquorix kernel, why it is popular among Linux gamers and if there are any real benefits of using it on your regular Linux desktop.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-302.png)It's FOSSNeville Ondara![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/liquorix-kernel-1.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/liquorix-kernel/) ### FOSS Weekly #26.09: Linux Mint Shortcuts, OpenClaw Alternatives, Ladybird's Rust Move, Super Productivity and More URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-09/ Last updated: 2026-02-26T15:00:38.000Z I know not everyone wants to hear about AI all the time. But at this point, it’s impossible to ignore what’s happening. It has been just a year since Anthropic launched Claude Code and the impact has been staggering. In recent months, engineers at Anthropic reportedly stopped writing code manually for large parts of their workflow. Instead, they’ve been shipping feature after feature with AI-assisted development. The velocity is unlike anything we’ve seen before. And the market noticed. Claude’s latest model release this month reportedly wiped out trillions of dollars from IT stocks globally within a single week. Then came another shock. A week later, Anthropic [published a blog post claiming its AI can now modernize legacy COBOL codebases](https://claude.com/blog/how-ai-helps-break-cost-barrier-cobol-modernization?ref=itsfoss.com). IBM’s stock dropped 16% in a single day. Why? Because IBM still generates significant revenue maintaining mainframe systems that power banks, airlines, and critical financial infrastructure. And don’t assume this only affects programmers. This shift touches all of us. A recent research paper showed that [tools like Claude and ChatGPT can de-anonymize your anonymous online identity](https://itsfoss.com/news/ai-online-deanonymization/) with surprising ease. [AI Can Now Easily Unmask Your Secret Online Life (Even If You Use a Fake Name)New study shows smart chatbots can figure out who you really are from just a few posts... and it only costs a couple of dollars.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-304.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/ai-online-deanonymization-1.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/news/ai-online-deanonymization/) The barrier to uncovering digital identities is collapsing. AI isn’t just changing how code is written. It’s changing privacy, security, and the economics of entire industries. But here’s the important part. Every major computing shift felt destabilizing at first; from assembly to high-level languages, from physical servers to the cloud. We’re witnessing the beginning of a new era. And we’re still early. **Here's the highlight of this edition of FOSS Weekly:** - Red Hat open-sourcing a tool. - Some dock options for your system. - Lightweight OpenClaw alternatives. - New KDE Plasma release with many upgrades. - And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes! Humble Bundle has [brought back the "Linux for Seasoned Admins" ebook bundle offer](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/2RkPDg?ref=itsfoss.com) (partner link). From the classic Linux Pocket Guide and my favorite, Efficient Linux at the Command Line, the bundle also has ebooks on Docker, Ansible, Kubernetes and other devops aspects of Linux. And your purchase also supports the Code for America initiative. [Best of Humble Bundle - Linux for Seasoned Admins by O’ReillyGet 15 books from O’Reilly on a range of topics, including DevOps, containerization, version control with Git & more! Your purchase helps Code for America.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/03df0490a53d595fd930f9fff52038366d60a05d-11.png)Humble Bundle![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/33f2af4e01a3f3754ee87212f05f3a84b0a6f6ab.png)](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/2RkPDg?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 📰 Linux and Open Source News Here's a summary of the news this week. Red Hat has [open-sourced a digital sovereignty assessment tool](https://itsfoss.com/news/red-hat-digital-sovereignty-assessment-tool/) under the Apache 2.0 license. It asks 21 questions across 7 domains and scores organizations on a four-level maturity scale. [KDE Plasma 6.6](https://itsfoss.com/news/kde-plasma-6-6-release/) just landed with some practical upgrades. Spectacle now does OCR so you can pull text straight from screenshots, there's a new setup wizard for fresh installs, and WiFi QR code scanning works if you've got a camera. Colorado's pushing a bill that would [force operating system makers to ask users their age at setup](https://itsfoss.com/news/colorado-age-attestation-bill/), then share that info with every app they install. The bill never explains how age gets verified. Anyone could just lie. Independent web browser Ladybird [just ported 25,000 lines of its JavaScript engine from C++ to Rust](https://itsfoss.com/news/ladybird-web-browser-rustification/) in two weeks using Claude Code and Codex AI. The code passed 52,000+ tests with zero failures. Australia's cyber agency [recently open-sourced Azul](https://itsfoss.com/news/azul-malware-analysis-repository/), a malware analysis platform for incident responders. It stores samples indefinitely, automates reverse engineering with reusable plugins, and clusters patterns across malware families. [ONLYOFFICE's latest desktop editor release brings improvements to its PDF editing](https://itsfoss.com/news/onlyoffice-docs-9-3-release/) capabilities among other things. ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About App stores work great until you need real package control. This opinion piece by Roland argues [Linux needs a modern Synaptic replacement](https://itsfoss.com/modern-synaptic-style-package-manager/) for power users, but built with the Wayland security model in mind instead of running everything as root. [Making the Case for a Modern Synaptic-Style Package Manager on LinuxThe Linux desktop has evolved, and it’s high time for the “advanced package manager” experience to evolve with it.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-295.png)It's FOSSRoland Taylor![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/synaptic-modern.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/modern-synaptic-style-package-manager/) AI may not need your attention, but us humans do. YOUR support keeps us going. And ****it costs less than a McDonald's Happy Meal**. Opt for the Plus membership to: ✅ Get 5 FREE eBooks on Linux, Docker and Bash ✅ Enjoy an ad-free reading experience ✅ Flaunt badges in the comment section and forum ✅ To support creation of educational Linux materials [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings Our [comprehensive guide to keyboard shortcuts in Linux Mint](https://itsfoss.com/linux-mint-keyboard-shortcuts/) covers everything from basics like *Super* for the start menu and *Ctrl+Alt+T* for the terminal to workspace management, window tiling, screenshots, and session control. Looking to replace your Linux desktop's default dock? We covered [seven options](https://itsfoss.com/best-linux-docks/) ranging from lightweight Plank to the heavily customizable Latte and the old-school Cairo. Also includes a window manager-friendly pick like Tint2. Linux distros are switching to Wayland by default, but legacy apps still need Xorg, so knowing which display server you're running matters when troubleshooting. [A quick terminal command](https://itsfoss.com/check-wayland-or-xorg/) reveals whether you're on Wayland or X11. ``` echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE ``` ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner OpenClaw's memory hunger kills it on Raspberry Pi and cheap SBCs. Here are [some projects](https://itsfoss.com/openclaw-alternatives/) that remedy it by building an AI agent architecture for constrained hardware. [OpenClaw Alternatives That You Can Run on Raspberry Pi Like DevicesYou don’t need a MacMini for running OpenClaw. These alternative projects can run on SBCs and ESP32 microcontrollers.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-296.png)It's FOSSEdmar Pereira![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/openclaw-alternatives.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/openclaw-alternatives/) ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights To-do apps usually mine your data for ads. [Super Productivity](https://itsfoss.com/super-productivity-android-app/) doesn't collect anything, just asks for notification access. It also offers Jira sync, Pomodoro timers, and time tracking. [A Powerful To-Do App for Android That Collects Absolutely None of Your DataIt handles time tracking, Jira sync, and Pomodoro timers without going after its users’ data.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-297.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/super-productivity-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/super-productivity-android-app/) ## 📽️ Videos for You In the llatest video, I share how [I clean up systemd logs on my Linux systems](https://youtu.be/xRZAt1t0ryM?ref=itsfoss.com), both desktop and servers. [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip In [Linux Mint](https://linuxmint.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) (*Cinnamon desktop*), you can right-click the title of a window and enable "Always on Top" and "Always on Visible Workspace". This ensures that the currently open window stays on your current workspace, and will be above every other app window. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/always-on-top-mint.png) You will also find this on other modern desktop environments like [KDE Plasma](https://itsfoss.com/kde-customization/) and [GNOME](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-tricks-ubuntu/) as well. [](https://t43217012.p.clickup-attachments.com/t43217012/da09f1e7-b651-4c93-b93b-141e46671d4b/copy-link-to-highlight-firefox.png?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse Can you correctly guess these [legendary open source projects](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/crossword-open-source-projects/)? [Guess the Legendary Open Source Projects: CrosswordTime to exercise those grey cells and correctly guess these legendary open source projects that have hugely impacted the tech world we live in.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-298.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/open-source-project-crossword-3.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/crossword-open-source-projects/) **🤣 Meme of the Week**: Oh, how the times change. From Arch Linux to Debian. ![linux meme on bleeding edge vs stability](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/meme212.jpg) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On February 25, 1959, MIT and the U.S. Air Force debuted [APT](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APT%5F%28programming%5Flanguage%29?ref=itsfoss.com) (Automatically Programmed Tool) (*I know you thought about the Linux one*). It was the world’s [first "English-like" programming language](https://www.computerhistory.org/tdih/february/25/?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=The%20APT%20Language%20Is%20Demonstrated) for machinery, effectively birthing [Computer-Aided Manufacturing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer-aided%5Fmanufacturing?ref=itsfoss.com) (CAM). **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: The Apache Software Foundation [is looking for people to present](https://itsfoss.community/t/apache-software-foundation-community-over-code-2026-glasgow-call-for-presentations/15410?ref=itsfoss.com) at Community Over Code 2026 in Glasgow. Are you up for it? If that's not your cup of tea, why not talk with a fellow FOSSer about their [kernel panic issue](https://itsfoss.community/t/kernel-panic-i-panic/15400?ref=itsfoss.com). ### AI Can Now Easily Unmask Your Secret Online Life (Even If You Use a Fake Name) URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/ai-online-deanonymization/ Last updated: 2026-02-26T13:24:11.000Z Imagine this: You're on Reddit, Hacker News, or some forum, posting with a silly username like GamerCat2025 or SecretCoderX. You think you are anonymous, and no one knows you and so you can freely express your thoughts. Well, a [brand-new research paper](https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.16800?ref=itsfoss.com) just blew that idea apart. It's called "Large-scale online deanonymization with LLMs" which is a fancy way of saying "figuring out the real person behind a secret online name". ![Large-scale online deanonymization with LLMs](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/paper.webp) The researchers include people ETH Zurich and, [Anthropic](https://www.anthropic.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) (parent company of Claude), and a research group called [MATS](https://www.matsprogram.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and they proved that today's super-powerful AI chatbots can play detective and unmask people way better than ever before. ## How does it work? Think of the AI as a detective like Hercule Poirot or Sherlock Holmes. Only this detective is super fast and super smart. It has read every single post ever written online. Here's how their system works in simple steps: 1. **Read and spot clues**: The AI looks at your posts and pulls out little hints about you. Things you that are part of your personality. Like it can see that this person talks a lot about coding games in Python, loves Marvel movies, complains about school in Seattle, and types with a certain style. 2. **Search the whole internet**: It quietly checks LinkedIn, Google, other Reddit accounts, etc., to find possible real people who match those clues. 3. **Think hard and double-check**: The AI reasons like "Is this a match? The writing style is the same, the hobbies line up, the timing fits... yep, 90% sure!" The researchers called their method ESRC which stands for Extract clues, Search, Reason, Calibrate how sure they are. No human needed; it's all automatic. ## Pretty (scary) impressive results If you think it's all theory, you are going to be disappointed. On real [Hacker News](https://news.ycombinator.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) users, the AI correctly linked the secret username to the real person 67% of the time, and when it made a guess, it was right 90%. The paper also states that matching the same person's Reddit posts from different years or groups met with 68% success. That's not the scary part. The thing is that it costs only upto $4 to check a person. Anyone with a good chatbot (think future ChatGPT or Claude) could do it. One of the main researchers, Simon Lermen, said it straight: > Could a team of smart investigators figure out who you are from your posts? If yes, these AI agents can likely do the same – and the cost is only going down. ## Private life becomes less private Until now, staying hidden online was pretty easy because it took human experts hours or days. Now? One person (or a bad guy, a bully, a stalker, a company, or even government) can run this on thousands of accounts super fast. This means that someone could find your real name, school, city, or job from just a few comments. Stalkers or bullies could dox you. Companies could secretly link all your accounts and track everything you do. The old idea that "if I use a fake name, I'm safe" doesn't work anymore. It's the end of practical obscurity. Meaning you used to be kind of hidden in practice, but not anymore. Welcome to a new kind of 1984! ### CoreCollective is a New Consortium Bringing the Arm Software Ecosystem Under One Roof URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/corecollective-launch/ Last updated: 2026-02-26T10:56:52.000Z [Arm](http://www.arm.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is one of the most influential names in chip design. Their processor architectures power billions of devices, from smartphones to cloud servers, with a considerable chunk of the developer population working on them. Lately, it seems **the tech industry has been in a collaborative mood**. Just recently, [Meta moved React](https://itsfoss.com/news/react-foundation-launch/) under a dedicated foundation for open, neutral governance. Now, another collective has formed with a similar spirit, but for Arm. ## CoreCollective: Big Names Team Up ![a placeholder screenshot of the corecollective website with a lot of text and header menu items, also i'm tired boss](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/corecollective-website-screenshot.png) [Arm and Linaro](https://newsroom.arm.com/blog/introducing-corecollective?ref=itsfoss.com) have jointly announced [CoreCollective](https://corecollective.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com), a free and open industry consortium focused on furthering the Arm software ecosystem. The goal is to give companies a neutral space to collaborate on shared software challenges. If you didn't know of [Linaro](https://www.linaro.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), it is a UK-based organization that has been around since 2010 with the goal to weave together the fragmented Arm software ecosystem. The result of their hard work is out there, with the most notable one being **Arm64 support in the Linux kernel**. Alongside this launch, the organization is also restructuring. Going forward, it will operate both as the host of CoreCollective for open collaboration and as a fully commercial services provider for companies building products on Arm. The consortium has launched with the following members: | Column 1 | Column 2 | | -------------- | --------- | | AMD | Ampere | | Arm | Canonical | | CIX Technology | Fujitsu | | Google | Graphcore | | Huawei | Linaro | | Microsoft | Qualcomm | | Red Hat | Samsung | | SUSE | | Speaking on this, [Li Gong](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ligongbio/?ref=itsfoss.com), the CEO of Linaro, stated that: > As the ecosystem expands, we must scale our impact. CoreCollective with Arm’s backing removes the financial barrier to entry, making collaboration more inclusive, free and open to anyone to join and participate. > > By running CoreCollective alongside Linaro’s commercial services, we can support more partners in the Arm ecosystem, be it through industry-wide cooperation or tailored, one-to-one service agreements. If you were looking for the ***why***, Arm's reach has expanded well past its mobile roots, now covering AI, cloud, edge, automotive, and client compute. That growth has brought significant software complexity with it, and no single company can maintain full enablement on its own. A diverse group of industry players collaborating under one neutral structure should make it easier to address challenges that apply across the whole stack. ## What Can We Expect? CoreCollective operates through [working groups](https://corecollective.dev/working-groups/?ref=itsfoss.com), each focused on a specific part of the Arm software stack. Seven are confirmed at launch: *Linux Fundamentals*, *Confidential Compute*, *Windows on Arm*, *Android*, *Edge Compute*, *Virtualization*, and *Data Center*. Members can propose new working groups at any time, and groups that wind down eventually get archived. Of course, [membership](https://corecollective.dev/join/?ref=itsfoss.com) **is free**. Any company can join by filling out the CoreCollective [Membership Agreement](https://static.corecollective.dev/assets/CoreCollective+Membership+Agreement+-+v1.0+-+2026-01-27+%284%29.pdf?ref=itsfoss.com) and sending it to the team for countersignature. There are three tiers here, *General Members*, *Sponsoring Members*, and *Individual Members*. All code contributions must use an [OSI-approved license](https://opensource.org/licenses?ref=itsfoss.com) with a *Developer Certificate of Origin* sign-off. Any contributed documentation material falls under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0, with a *Governing Board* handling oversight, and a *Technical Advisory Committee* managing working groups. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*React Is No Longer Meta's Project*](https://itsfoss.com/news/react-foundation-launch/) [React Is No Longer Meta’s Project, It Now Has Its Own FoundationMeta has contributed React, React Native, and JSX to the newly formed React Foundation.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-300.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/react-foundation-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/react-foundation-launch/) ### ONLYOFFICE Docs 9.3 Brings PDF Editor Upgrades With New Signing and Editing Tools URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/onlyoffice-docs-9-3-release/ Last updated: 2026-02-26T12:46:29.000Z [ONLYOFFICE](https://www.onlyoffice.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is an open source office suite that holds its own against the likes of Microsoft Office, with some decent document format compatibility and a self-hosting option for those who prefer to keep their data in-house. The [previous point release](https://itsfoss.com/news/onlyoffice-docs-9-2-release/) brought AI-powered grammar checks, macro recording, and customizable keyboard shortcuts. Now, the developers have pushed out [ONLYOFFICE Docs 9.3](https://www.onlyoffice.com/blog/2026/02/onlyoffice-docs-9-3?ref=itsfoss.com), and it is a fairly substantial update. ## 🆕 ONLYOFFICE Docs 9.3: What's New? Starting with the **Document Editor**, you can now use Multipage View to display pages side by side, which makes reviewing layouts in documents a lot more practical. Comments also got a small but useful upgrade. Now, each user gets a unique color, and the exact start and end points of the comments are shown, so you always know what is being discussed. The **Spreadsheet Editor** gets a handful of welcome additions too. The new *Solver* tool lets you tackle linear optimization problems using the [Simplex](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplex%5Falgorithm?ref=itsfoss.com) method. It is accessible from the *Data* tab. Three regex functions have been added to the formula library: `REGEXTEST`, `REGEXREPLACE`, and `REGEXEXTRACT`, which should make handling complex text data substantially less painful. There is also support for dynamic arrays, where a formula can spill results into neighboring cells automatically. Performance-wise, the initial load time for large spreadsheets (*over 3 MB*) has been improved. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/onlyoffice-docs-9-3-document-comments.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/onlyoffice-docs-9-3-spreadsheets-formulas.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/onlyoffice-docs-9-3-presentations-gif-support.png) **From left to right, the editors are: Document, Spreadsheet, and Presentation.* For **Presentations**, the editor now supports GIF animations in slideshow mode, so you no longer need to rely on video files or external links for showcasing your cat memes and brainrot content. The **PDF Editor** sees the most attention in this release. You can now unlock and edit password-protected PDFs directly, provided you have the password. Link management has been added, letting you insert and edit links to external resources or internal pages, with those links staying active even in the commenting mode. Signature options in PDF forms have expanded too. On top of uploading an image (*now with a background removal option*), users can type a signature using a stylized font or draw one directly on screen using a mouse or touch input. Enterprise users get an additional option to upload a signing certificate through the [Admin Panel](https://helpcenter.onlyoffice.com/docs/installation/docs-cloud-admin-panel.aspx?ref=itsfoss.com), enabling trusted digital signatures on submitted forms. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/onlyoffice-docs-9-3-pdf-signatures.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/onlyoffice-docs-9-3-admin-panel-1.png) **From left to right, the PDF editor and Admin Panel.* Speaking of enterprise, the **Admin Panel** has picked up several new tools. You can now complete final server configuration from a dedicated window, obtain an HTTPS certificate via script, manage and upload custom fonts, upload a license file, and access per-organization metrics from the *Statistics* tab. Across all editors, you can now add hyperlinks to images, shapes, and groups in both documents and spreadsheets. Files can also be saved in the `.md` format, and TSV files can now be opened for viewing. ![Visio document printing in new edition of ONLYOFFICE](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/Diagram-printing-2048x1102.webp) Diagram Viewer comes equipped with a print panel, making it easier to print diagrams with the required parameters. ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors now supports **Box and Dropbox integration**, making it possible to connect these platforms for more convenient file management. ## 📥 Download ONLYOFFICE Docs 9.3 As always, self-hosting users can grab this release from the [official website](https://www.onlyoffice.com/download?ref=news.itsfoss.com), and for the rest of us, the [desktop editors](https://www.onlyoffice.com/desktop?ref=itsfoss.com) should be a good download. Just keep in mind that new releases take some time before they are made available. The [changelog](https://github.com/ONLYOFFICE/DocumentServer/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md?ref=itsfoss.com#930) summarizes all the changes introduced with ONLYOFFICE Docs 9.3. [ONLYOFFICE Docs 9.3](https://www.onlyoffice.com/download?ref=news.itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*6 Best Open Source Alternatives to Microsoft Office for Linux*](https://itsfoss.com/best-free-open-source-alternatives-microsoft-office/) [6 Best Open Source Alternatives to Microsoft Office for LinuxLooking for Microsoft Office on Linux? Here are the best free and open-source alternatives to Microsoft Office for Linux.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-299.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/best-open-source-alternatives-ms-office-2.jpg)](https://itsfoss.com/best-free-open-source-alternatives-microsoft-office/) ### React Is No Longer Meta's Project, It Now Has Its Own Foundation URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/react-foundation-launch/ Last updated: 2026-02-25T16:06:55.000Z The modern web has many critical building blocks, and React is one of those. First open-sourced by Meta in 2013, [React](https://react.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces through reusable components. Its mobile counterpart, [React Native](https://reactnative.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com), brings the same component model to iOS and Android. At this point, we can comfortably say that these projects are not just development tools but an essential part of the web infrastructure. Now, the project has [a new home](https://www.linuxfoundation.org/press/linux-foundation-announces-the-formation-of-the-react-foundation?ref=itsfoss.com) to reflect that. ## Under New Management ![a cropped image tha shows the react foundation website with lots of text in it](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/react-foundation-website-screenshot.png) The [React Foundation](https://react.foundation/?ref=itsfoss.com) has officially launched at the [Linux Foundation Member Summit](https://events.linuxfoundation.org/lf-member-summit/?ref=itsfoss.com) in Napa, California. **React**, **React Native**, and the [JSX](https://facebook.github.io/jsx/?ref=itsfoss.com) specification are no longer Meta's. They are now hosted under[ LF Projects, LLC](https://lfprojects.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), **a subsidiary of the Linux Foundation**, putting React alongside projects like Kubernetes and Node.js under neutral governance. [Seth Webster](https://www.linkedin.com/in/swebster/?ref=itsfoss.com) serves as executive director, and **eight companies have joined as Platinum founding members**: Huawei, Meta, Expo, Software Mansion, Vercel, Callstack, Amazon, and Microsoft. This has been in the works [for a few months](https://react.dev/blog/2025/10/07/introducing-the-react-foundation?ref=itsfoss.com). Back in October 2025, the React team announced their intent to form the foundation. The reasoning was that **React had grown well beyond what any one company should own**. Contributions were coming in from across the industry, and the project had simply outgrown [Meta](https://www.meta.com/?ref=itsfoss.com)'s ownership. Worth taking into consideration is that **React's technical direction will stay independent from the foundation's board**. The people who actually build and maintain React will continue making the calls on that front. As for what the React Foundation does day-to-day, three focus areas are outlined on its website. Funding maintainers is first, with direct financial support going to the developers keeping ecosystem libraries running. Then there's education and resources, which covers tutorials, documentation, and learning content. Lastly, global accessibility to ensure React stays available to developers regardless of where they are. The foundation will also handle React's infrastructure, including [GitHub](https://github.com/facebook/react?ref=itsfoss.com), CI, and trademarks, and will take over organizing React Conf. Announcing this, Seth stated that: > React has become critical digital infrastructure for the modern web and beyond. By establishing the React Foundation under the Linux Foundation, we are ensuring a strong, vibrant React for decades to come – guided by open governance and shared stewardship from the global community that builds with it every day. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Colorado Wants Operating Systems to Tell Every App How Old You Are*](https://itsfoss.com/news/colorado-age-attestation-bill/) [US State Colorado Wants Operating Systems (Including Linux) to Tell Every App How Old You AreA bill with a goal and vague language on how to achieve it.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-294.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/colorado-age-attestation-bill-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/colorado-age-attestation-bill/) ### Someone is Bringing Fedora Linux to Phones (And It’s Not Red Hat) URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-pocketblue-remix-overview/ Last updated: 2026-02-25T14:50:22.000Z The mobile Linux space is [more active than most people realize](https://itsfoss.com/open-source-alternatives-android/). Projects like [postmarketOS](https://postmarketos.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), [Ubuntu Touch](https://www.ubuntu-touch.io/?ref=itsfoss.com), and [KDE Plasma Mobile](https://fedoraproject.org/spins/kde-mobile/?ref=itsfoss.com) have been chipping away at the idea that your phone or tablet has to run something made by Google or Apple. And while none of them are household names yet, they are picking up real interest from power users who want more control over their hardware. Of course, most people stick with [Android](https://www.android.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) or [iOS](https://www.apple.com/os/ios/?ref=itsfoss.com), and that is fine. Both platforms are mature, well-supported, and not going anywhere. But for the ones who want something genuinely open and free of platform lock-in, things are getting better. One such offering is [Fedora Pocketblue Remix](https://pocketblue.github.io/?ref=itsfoss.com), which is a community-powered project that offers [Fedora Atomic](https://www.fedoraproject.org/atomic-desktops/?ref=itsfoss.com) images for mobile devices. 🚧 This piece of software is a work-in-progress, don't risk your daily driver mobile device with this, use a spare! ## Fedora Pocketblue Remix: What's in Store? ![a photo that shows a poco f1 device running fedora pocketblue remix](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/fedora-pocketblue-remix-demo-runefish.jpg) **A* [**Poco F1*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiaomi%5FPocophone%5FF1?ref=itsfoss.com) *device running Fedora Pocketblue Remix. Pic courtesy of* [**Fish*](https://wetdry.world/@runefish/115905527751141646?ref=itsfoss.com) *🐟️ (the lead dev).* Before getting into the project, first let's talk about what Fedora Atomic actually is and why it matters here. Traditional Linux installations are what you might call "[*mutable*](https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/mutable-vs-immutable?ref=itsfoss.com)." You install packages, tweak configs, and over time the system drifts from its original state. That is fine for general use, but it can lead to breakage and makes it harder to reliably recover a broken system. With Fedora Atomic, **the base system is read-only and stays that way**. Updates are applied as complete image swaps rather than individual package changes, similar in concept to how [SteamOS](https://store.steampowered.com/steamos/?ref=itsfoss.com) handles updates on the Steam Deck. If something goes wrong, you can roll back to the previous image. Pocketblue takes this foundation and adapts it for mobile hardware. Under the hood, it uses [OCI](https://opencontainers.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) containers, [OSTree](https://ostreedev.github.io/ostree/?ref=itsfoss.com), and [Bootc](https://github.com/bootc-dev/bootc?ref=itsfoss.com) to build and distribute system images. These are built on top of upstream Fedora Atomic images [Silverblue](https://www.fedoraproject.org/atomic-desktops/silverblue/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Kinoite](https://www.fedoraproject.org/atomic-desktops/kinoite/?ref=itsfoss.com), so this is not a from-scratch derivative. The available images vary slightly by device, **but most supported hardware gets five variants** with different interface options: *GNOME Desktop*, *GNOME Mobile*, *Plasma Desktop*, *Plasma Mobile*, and [*Phosh*](https://phosh.mobi/?ref=itsfoss.com). 📋 The Orange Pi 3 LTS gets one extra option, a TTY image for a headless, no-desktop setup. **As for what's supported**, the current list includes the *Xiaomi Pad 5*, *Xiaomi Pad 6*, *OnePlus 6* and *6T*, *Xiaomi Poco F1*, and the *Orange Pi 3 LTS*. As a side-note, the OnePlus 6/6T and Poco F1 both run on the [Qualcomm SDM845](https://www.qualcomm.com/processors/application-processors/products/sdm845?ref=itsfoss.com) chipset, which has seen strong mainline Linux support over the years thanks to community effort. The source code lives on [GitHub](https://github.com/pocketblue/pocketblue?ref=itsfoss.com), and [the documentation site](https://pocketblue.github.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a useful resource to get Fedora Pocketblue Remix installed on supported devices. There are also [Matrix](https://matrix.to/?ref=itsfoss.com#/#pocketblue:federated.nexus) and [Telegram](https://t.me/fedoramobility?ref=itsfoss.com) communities for support and discussion. [Fedora Pocketblue Remix](https://github.com/pocketblue/pocketblue?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Australia's Cyber Agency Releases Azul, an Open Source Malware Analysis Repository URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/azul-malware-analysis-repository/ Last updated: 2026-02-24T13:39:11.000Z The [Australian Signals Directorate](https://www.cyber.gov.au/?ref=itsfoss.com) (ASD) has released [Azul](https://www.cyber.gov.au/business-government/detecting-responding-to-threats/cyber-security-incident-response/azul-malware-analysis-tool?ref=itsfoss.com), a malware analysis platform built for reverse engineers and incident responders. It is the [first public release](https://australiancybersecuritycentre.github.io/azul/overview/release-notes/?ref=itsfoss.com) of the tool, which is now on ***v9.0.0***. ASD is Australia's signals intelligence agency, which operates under the [Department of Defence](https://www.defence.gov.au/?ref=itsfoss.com). Its Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) handles national cybersecurity guidance and incident response. Keep in mind that Azul is not [a triage tool](https://www.upguard.com/blog/cybersecurity-triage?ref=itsfoss.com) and does not identify whether a file is malicious. Samples should first be flagged using a tool like the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security's [AssemblyLine](https://github.com/CyberCentreCanada/assemblyline?ref=itsfoss.com) before being fed into Azul. ![an azul implementation is showcased here with details of a selected binary visible](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/azul-malware-analysis-tool-demo.png) **This demo image of Azul was sourced from* [**the documentation*](https://australiancybersecuritycentre.github.io/azul/user-guide/malware-analysis/?ref=itsfoss.com)**.* The platform is built using **Python**, **Golang**, and **TypeScript**. It runs on [Kubernetes](https://linuxhandbook.com/courses/kubernetes/?ref=itsfoss.com) via [Helm](https://helm.sh/?ref=itsfoss.com) chart templates, uses [Apache Kafka](https://kafka.apache.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) for event queuing, and stores samples in an [S3](https://aws.amazon.com/s3/?ref=itsfoss.com)\-compatible object store. Monitoring and alerting are supported through [Prometheus](https://prometheus.io/?ref=itsfoss.com), [Loki](https://grafana.com/oss/loki/?ref=itsfoss.com), and [Grafana](https://grafana.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). Azul also ships with a web interface, an HTTP REST API, and a headless client for integration with external systems. It supports [YARA](https://virustotal.github.io/yara/?ref=itsfoss.com) rules, [Snort](https://www.snort.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) signatures, and the [Maco](https://github.com/CybercentreCanada/Maco?ref=itsfoss.com) framework for malware configuration extraction. Malware sample access is controlled via [OpenID Connect](https://openid.net/developers/how-connect-works/?ref=itsfoss.com). ## The Components Azul has three main components. The **malware repository** stores samples with origin metadata, including hostnames, filenames, network details, and timestamps, and is designed to retain everything indefinitely provided ample storage is provided. The **analytical engine** lets teams turn reverse engineering work into reusable plugins that run automatically. When a plugin is updated, it can be re-run against historical samples, which can surface new findings from past incidents. The **clustering suite** uses [OpenSearch](https://opensearch.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) to find patterns across samples, helping analysts identify shared infrastructure, development patterns, and behavioral similarities. It also pulls in data from industry reporting to strengthen those findings. ## The Source Code The source code for Azul can be found on [GitHub](https://github.com/AustralianCyberSecurityCentre/azul?ref=itsfoss.com), licensed under **MIT**. The repository includes a *README* to get you started. Full documentation covering installation and developer guides is hosted on the official [Azul docs portal](https://australiancybersecuritycentre.github.io/azul/?ref=itsfoss.com). [Azul](https://github.com/AustralianCyberSecurityCentre/azul?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Reverse Engineering Linux Distro REMnux Marks 15 Years*](https://itsfoss.com/news/remnux-v8-release/) [Reverse Engineering Linux Distro REMnux Marks 15 Years With Major v8 Release Featuring AI Agent SupportMalware analysis Linux distro gets Ubuntu 24.04 base, a new installer, and many new tools.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-293.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/remnux-v8-release-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/remnux-v8-release/) ### Making the Case for a Modern Synaptic-Style Package Manager on Linux URL: https://itsfoss.com/opinion/modern-synaptic-style-package-manager/ Last updated: 2026-02-24T10:56:24.000Z Desktop Linux is in a better place than it used to be. App stores have made software discovery much simpler, and it’s become normal to install an app without even needing to know what a repository is. We can grab almost any app in seconds (or minutes, depending on your connection), but that convenience comes with a trade-off. We’ve lost some of the fine-grained control that used to be standard on the Linux desktop. Which leads to the bigger question: *Is it time for a new era of Synaptic-style package managers?* ## What made synaptic (and the like) special ![Synaptic lets you see where your packages are coming from at a glance](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-32.png) Synaptic lets you see where your packages are coming from at a glance Most “app stores” focus on the application experience: search, install, remove, update. That is fine when you’re only dealing with everyday desktop apps. But Linux desktops are still built on packages at the system layer. That layer bears responsibility for libraries, utilities, command-line tools, development headers, language runtimes, drivers, and countless little components that aren't built nor behave like “apps”. Even when you install a graphical application from a store, you are often still interacting with that underlying system and its libraries and utilities in some way. That underlying system requires a different kind of tooling than the app store model can provide. Tools like [Synaptic](https://itsfoss.com/synaptic-package-manager/) and YaST didn’t just let you install and remove software. They gave you visibility and control over the mechanics that keep a Linux system healthy over time, including: - Reviewing dependencies realtionships - Cleaning up unused packages that were pulled in automatically - Bulk installs through meta packages and recommended packages - Holding or locking package versions (to prevent unwanted upgrades) - Selecting specific package versions (for downgrades or temporary fixes) - Seeing exactly where software is coming from before you commit to installing it That’s why tools like Synaptic and YaST earned such loyal followings. They didn’t just let you manage apps, they exposed this underlying system. The catch is that many of these older tools were designed around desktop and security assumptions that don't map neatly onto modern Linux desktops. Historically, it was common to run graphical package managers and other administrative tools with elevated privileges. Today, this approach is increasingly discouraged as developers move toward more security-conscious workflows and granular permissions. ## Why the app store model took over ![App stores in Linux](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-34.png) Bazaar is one of the newer Linux app store projects, gaining mass attention across distros Installing new apps can be fun, but managing dependencies and troubleshooting package conflicts is anything *but* fun. That's exactly why the app store model became so popular. It makes software management feel approachable because it narrows the experience down to a few obvious actions: find, install, remove, update. For the average user, that's an immediate win. Most people don't want to think about libraries, depedencies and complex package relationships, or system internals. They want an app, and they want it now. As a means to this end, the app store model *just works*. ### The role of mobile devices ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/ilgmyzin-Xe21OFRpqvk-unsplash.jpg) Photo by [ilgmyzin](https://unsplash.com/@ilgmyzin?utm%5Fsource=unsplash&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcontent=creditCopyText) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/a-pile-of-colorful-dice-Xe21OFRpqvk?utm%5Fsource=unsplash&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcontent=creditCopyText) Mobile platforms helped normalise this approach, in part because their app distribution model reduced (or completely eliminated) dependency complexity on a user-facing level. Mobile apps often ship with everything they need (that the target platform does not already provide), and platform vendors typically enforce strict boundaries. On desktop Linux, things are quite different. Applications typically rely on shared system libraries, and these may not always be included in the base install. All applications that depend on a particular library typically rely on whatever the distro provides in its repos, and pull these in if they're not already installed. This shared model is one of the primary reasons Linux distros can be efficient and cohesive, but it also brings the consequences to software management that aren't always obvious. ### The hidden catch When you install a package, it may pull in dependencies that remain on the system even after you remove it, because the system assumes they may still be useful to other software. Sometimes this is true, but typically, it's just building cruft, and over time, this all adds. Unfortunately, the app store model doesn't usually account for this scenario (not very well, at least). ## Where the app store model falls short ![There's only one action step here: install or remove](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/Screenshot-From-2026-01-31-23-45-00.png) There's only one action step here: install or remove With the app store’s single-click model, there are typically only a few main actions you can take. Outside of the list mentioned before, the only other option is (sometimes) to change the channel or source of an app. The Snap Store, for instance, lets you choose between at least 2 channels for most applications. What's missing here isn't convenience, it’s *depth*. App stores *do* handle dependency ***installation***, because they have to, but most stop it right there. They don't always help you review what was installed automatically, what's now unused, or what can safely be removed. They rarely expose advanced controls like holds, locks, or granular version management (including version pinning or manual downgrades). This, despite these being common troubleshooting steps for when an update causes regressions. They also rarely surface the “non-app” components of a distribution in any useful way. Runtimes, libraries, development packages, optional components, data packages, command-line utilities, and the bits that make a Linux workstation usable for certain roles, typically sit outside the app store mindset. To the average user, these missing features aren't a big deal. If your computer use is browsing, email, documents, and a handful of desktop apps, the app store model is perfect. But the moment you cross into “power user” territory, this model starts to feel like a bit of a dead end, and this is where people get pushed back to the terminal. ## For many, the terminal can't replace a GUI ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/tim-gouw-1K9T5YiZ2WU-unsplash.jpg) Photo by [Tim Gouw](https://unsplash.com/@punttim?utm%5Fsource=unsplash&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcontent=creditCopyText) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/man-wearing-white-top-using-macbook-1K9T5YiZ2WU?utm%5Fsource=unsplash&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcontent=creditCopyText) People often say “power users can just use the terminal,” but this misses the point. Plenty of power users (myself included) prefer a graphical overview for these kinds of system changes, and even non-power users become “power users” the moment they need to troubleshoot a broken update, free disk space, or remove something that dragged in half a desktop environment. A proper GUI (or even TUI to a certain degree) can make these tasks *safer*, not riskier, because it (often) explains why something is installed in plain language, shows dependency chains visually, and cleanly separates simple and advanced actions. The problem isn't that CLI tools like `apt` or `dnf` are bad, far from it. They're just not build for staging and chaining actions together in the same manner. This is where a GUI shines: making system management a guided process, and letting you plan out intended changes before taking action ## Why Synaptic can't simply return "as-is" ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/image-1.png) Synaptic runs under GNOME but isn't always functional, due to Wayland's restrictions Synaptic was built in an era where it was normal to handle system tasks through graphical tools by running them with full elevated privileges. However, modern Linux desktops increasingly avoid this security model, and in a Wayland-first world, running graphical apps as root is pretty much being done away with. While this doesn't mean Synaptic’s capabilities are obsolete, it does mean [it can fail to run smoothly](https://github.com/mvo5/synaptic/issues/15?ref=itsfoss.com) under Wayland. While this issue has been known for some time (since 2017), it hasn't been resolved as yet, and even if Synaptic runs, it doesn't always *work*. What we need is to bring back what Synaptic made possible, but built for the modern desktop. ## My proposition: Bridge the gap We don't need to ditch the app store model whatsoever, I'm saying: let's combine the best of both worlds, and add a second layer that coexists with the newer model: a modern package manager, built for today’s security model, with greater ease-of-use everyday tasks. We just need some key features: ### 1) Use modern, separated privileges Fix Synaptic's greatest flaw by separating the GUI from the core, so the entire app doesn't run as root. Not only would this enhance security, it would enable tasks to be queued up and run in the background. It would also allow a "system overview" mode to exist, without root privileges. ### 2) Sensible safety by design Having direct control over system packages is a precarious power to wield, so a modern package manager needs to take this power into account and make it harder for users to be accidentally reckless by implementing sensible guardrails. Before applying any changes, the package manager should give a clear preview of what those changes will mean. Synaptic and other similar tools already do this, *to an extent.* What's missing is a connection between the list of "packages", be they applications, libraries, or non-code dependencies (data packages), and the actual applications that are more familiar to most end users. A modern, intelligent solution, should make those connections clearer. Perhaps even sprinkle in a lightweight "engine" (yes, AI, but not like you think) that can catch potential conflicts where they may not be obvious. For example, if removing a single, seemingly innocuous package could remove your entire desktop environment, this should be *clearly* stated, with adequate warnings. Will some users ignore this? Probably, but that would be a matter of choice as opposed to a hapless mistake. ### 3) Cleanups that make sense Instead of just listing “auto-installed” dependencies, some kind of simple map of where they came from would help users know what to cleanup and what to keep. Sometimes what seems "auto-installed" to the system might very well be deliberate to the user, and without a clear view of how something got installed, this connection can be missed, especially when package names don't always make sense. ### 4) Undo support (where possible) Synaptic (and others) already keep a history log to help you undo decisions and understand what changed over time. Any new solution should do the same, and allow for snapshots (if possible), rollbacks, and the like. ### 5) Treat System Packages as First-class Citizens ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/image-4.png) Choosing a package version in Synaptic Not every distro is moving to the immutable model, and for those that don't we need a tool that respects the needs of those users. Beyond just dependency management, it needs to enable holds or locks for stability, version selection and downgrades, bulk installs, and (hopefully) lists and scripting for complex automated actions. ### 6) Respect dev packages ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/image-5.png) \-dev packages are equal citizens in Synaptic. A modern package manager needs to maintain this functionality It's common Linux to need -dev packages for various apps and libraries, and it's not only developers who need them. While it's possible to handle their installation with CLI tools, many users don't want to (or need to), even developers who write code themselves. It's just another common Linux task that isn't well covered by most "app stores". ## We need our power back, with sense The Linux desktop has evolved, and it's high time for the “advanced package manager” experience to evolve with it, not to replace the app store model, but to give us our power back, and to remind us what underpins the Linux desktop at the end of the day. Let's keep the friendly software catalogue experience, but when we need to "get our hands dirty" and manage packages in depth, give us "power users" a proper graphical solution that we can work with again. ### Ladybird Browser Just Ported C++ Code to Rust in 2 Weeks Thanks to AI URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/ladybird-web-browser-rustification/ Last updated: 2026-02-24T10:37:04.000Z We are used to seeing web browsers that are either based on [Chromium](https://www.chromium.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) or [Firefox](https://itsfoss.com/firefox-based-browsers/), and many people are fed up of the [duopoly](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duopoly?ref=itsfoss.com)\-like situation here. [Ladybird](https://ladybird.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a breath of fresh air here, being a truly independent browser with its own engine built from scratch. While development has been going on in full swing, we are yet to see an official release as of now. The first alpha release for it is set for release sometime in 2026 for Linux and macOS. Nevertheless, the developers of it have just announced that they are implementing some Rust bits into it. ## What's Happening? ![a screenshot of an early build of ladybird browser running on macos, it shows a fangamer merchandise store listing](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/ladybird-early-build.png) **Placeholder Source:* [**Ladybird*](https://ladybird.org/newsletter/2025-11-30/?ref=itsfoss.com) For a while now, the Ladybird team has been on the lookout for a memory-safe language to eventually replace [C++](https://isocpp.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). [Swift](https://www.swift.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) was considered at one point, but **poor C++ interoperability and limited platform support** outside Apple's ecosystem ruled it out. [Rust](https://rust-lang.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) was actually evaluated and rejected back in 2024\. The reasoning was that it didn't play well with C++-style [object-oriented programming](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object-oriented%5Fprogramming?ref=itsfoss.com), which the web platform relies on heavily. But after another year of searching, the lead developer of Ladybird, [Andreas Kling](https://awesomekling.github.io/about/?ref=itsfoss.com), decided it was time to be pragmatic. The fact that both Firefox and Chromium have already started bringing Rust into their codebases also helped make the case. ## How's it Done? Andreas started with [LibJS](https://github.com/LadybirdBrowser/ladybird/tree/master/Libraries/LibJS?ref=itsfoss.com), Ladybird's JavaScript engine, since its core parts are fairly isolated from the rest of the codebase and already have strong test coverage. Rather than writing Rust code from scratch, he used [Claude Code](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/overview?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Codex](https://openai.com/codex/?ref=itsfoss.com) to do the heavy lifting on the translation. He made it very clear that **human oversight was involved**, with every decision about what to port, in what order, and how the Rust code should be structured coming from him. Post execution, many review passes were performed, pitting different models against each other to catch mistakes. Two weeks later, the port was done. About 25,000 lines of Rust, something Andreas says would have eaten up several months of manual work. The results held up well too, passing over 52,000 [test262](https://github.com/LadybirdBrowser/libjs-test262?ref=itsfoss.com) tests and around 12,000 Ladybird regression tests with no failures and no performance nerfs on any JavaScript benchmarks. He also goes on to add that: > Beyond the test suites, I’ve done extensive testing by browsing the web in a lockstep mode where both the C++ and Rust pipelines run simultaneously, verifying that output is identical for every piece of JavaScript that flows through them. **Rust is not taking over as the project's main focus though**. C++ is still front and center, and the Rust porting work is more of a slow, long-term effort running alongside it. The two will coexist through defined boundaries. Contributors [interested in helping](https://github.com/LadybirdBrowser?ref=itsfoss.com) with the port are also **being asked to coordinate with the core team** first before jumping in. You can go through the [announcement blog](https://ladybird.org/posts/adopting-rust/?ref=itsfoss.com) to get further information on this. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Not Every Browser is Built on Chrome*](https://itsfoss.com/firefox-based-browsers/) [Not Every Browser is Built on Chrome: Explore These Firefox-based OptionsThink all popular browsers out there are Chromium based? Take a look at this Firefox-based options.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-292.png)It's FOSSPulkit Chandak![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/firefox-based-browsers-2.png)](https://itsfoss.com/firefox-based-browsers/) ### Master the Essential Keyboard Shortcuts in Linux Mint to Feel Like a Pro User URL: https://itsfoss.com/linux-mint-keyboard-shortcuts/ Last updated: 2026-02-24T10:20:44.000Z Most people live on the mouse; click, move, repeat. It’s easy, especially on a polished desktop like Linux Mint. But once your fingers learn the shortcuts, the keyboard quietly wins every time. Not only they give you a power user feel, they also make you more productive as you don't have to move the fingers away from the keyboard to grab the mouse. Now, Linux Mint is one of the best distributions for beginner Linux users and you can comfortably use it with the mouse. However, if you want to explore, Linux Mint supports plenty of keyboard shortcuts. In this tutorial, I'll share some essential shortcuts to get you started, followed by some not so common ones. In the end, I will also briefly share how you can set custom shortcuts for all actions. ## Using keyboard shortcuts on Linux Mint Cinnamon Here's a quick look at the keybindings I am going to share in details: | **Linux Mint Keyboard Shortcuts** | **Action** | | --------------------------------------------- | ------------------------ | | **Opening Apps** | | | Open a terminal | CTRL+ALT+T | | Open Home directory in Nemo file manager | SUPER+E | | Open nth item in the task bar | SUPER+Number | | **Utility** | | | Open Notifications view | SUPER+N | | Open calender and events view | SUPER+C | | Run a command in console | ALT+F2 | | **Windows and Workspaces** | | | Active windows overview and selector | CTRL+ALT+Down | | Cycle through open windows | ALT+TAB | | Cycle through windows of specific application | ALT+Backtick (above tab) | | Hide all windows and show desktop | SUPER+D | | Workspace overview and selector | CTRL+ALT+Up | | Switch workspaces | CTRL+ALT+Left/Right | | **Tiling Windows** | | | Tile to the left | SUPER+Left | | Tile to the right | SUPER+Right | | Tile to the top | SUPER+Top | | Tile to the bottom | SUPER+Down | | **Screenshots and Screencast** | | | Take screenshot of the screen | PrtScr | | Take screenshot of an area | SHIFT+PrtScr | | Start or stop screen recording | SHIFT+CTRL+ALT+R | | **Session Control** | | | Access the logout menu | CTRL+ALT+DEL | | Access the reboot/shutdown/suspend menu | CTRL+ALT+END | | Lock screen | CTRL+ALT+L | | Restart Cinnamon desktop | CTRL+ALT+ESC | ### Super Key: Open the start menu This is a well known, probably the most used, shortcut. Press the **Super** key (key with Windows logo on most keyboards) and the Start menu opens instantly. From there, you can search for applications, open settings, or launch recently used programs. 0:00 /0:11 1× A clip showing the opening of start menu using the Super key. ### Open a terminal or file manager These two are most used by me since [terminal](https://itsfoss.com/linux-terminal-emulators/) and [file manager](https://itsfoss.com/file-managers-linux/) are two essential tools in my workflow. To open a terminal, you can use `CTRl + ALT + T`. Press it again and you open multiple windows. 0:00 /0:11 1× A clip showing opening a terminal using shortcut In Linux Mint, [Nemo is the default file manager](https://itsfoss.com/nemo-tweaks/), and you can open your home directory in Nemo using `Super + E`. 0:00 /0:08 1× A clip showing opening a file manager window. 💡 If you are using a lot of pinned apps in the task bar, use the shortcut `SUPER + ` to open the nth item in the task bar. ### Close an application window You do not need to click on the "X" button at the top! Without taking the hands away from the keyboard, you can use `ALT + F4`, where `F4` is the Function key 4. 0:00 /0:09 1× A clip showing closing multiple windows using shortcuts ### Show desktop instantly When your screen is full of open windows and you need a clean view, press `SUPER + D`. Press it once to hide everything. Press it again to bring all windows back. 0:00 /0:07 1× A clip showing window hide and restore ### Show notifications Lots of unread messages? Use the `SUPER + N` shortcut to open the notification section in the panel. 0:00 /0:06 1× A clip showing accessing notifications in panel using shortcuts. ### Switch between windows If you multitask, this section is for you. To switch between open windows, use `ALT + TAB`. 0:00 /0:08 1× A Clip showing window switch If you have more than one window opened for an app, say terminal, use `ALT + backtick` to switch between them without pulling other windows to the view. 0:00 /0:11 1× A clip showing switching windows of one app. ### Use window tiling The Cinnamon desktop of [Linux Mint](https://linuxmint.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is not a [tiling window manager](https://itsfoss.com/tiling-window-manager/) that offers functions like automatic tiling, layouts, etc. But it does give you a set of basic window tiling options. Here are the shortcuts to manage the tiles: | Description | Shortcut | | ------------------------- | ------------- | | Tile Window to the Left | SUPER + Left | | Tile Window to the Right | SUPER + RIGHT | | Tile Window to the Top | SUPER + TOP | | Tile Window to the Bottom | SUPER + DOWN | Apart from this, if you press `SUPER + LEFT/RIGHT` and then press `SUPER + UP`, the window will be tiled on top-left or top-right corner. 0:00 /0:24 1× A clip showing the working of window tiling in Linux Mint Cinnamon desktop. ### Get applications overview You can use the `CTRL + ALT + DOWN` shortcut to get an overview of all open windows,like what the [GNOME Activities overview](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-search/) do. 0:00 /0:08 1× A clip showing windows overview ### Work with Workspaces [Workspaces are well supported in Linux Mint](https://itsfoss.com/workspaces-linux-mint/). By default, you get four workspaces. To get an overview of the workspaces, use `CTRL + ALT + UP`. 0:00 /0:09 1× A clip showing workspace overview in Linux Mint To switch to another workspace, use `CTRL + ALT + Left/Right`. 0:00 /0:12 1× A clip showing switching workspace in Linux Mint ### Lock the screen When you take a break from the session, it is better to lock the system. And in Mint, do this by pressing `CTRL + ALT + L`. 0:00 /0:11 1× A clip showing the lockscreen shortcut in Linux Mint. ### Take screenshots Linux Mint has a decent screenshot utility that offers the basic functionalities, like: - Taking the screenshot of the screen using `PrtScr` key - Taking the screenshot of a selected rectangular area using `SHIFT+PrtScr`. It also offers a screen recording feature. To start recording, press `CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+R`. Once recording is finished, press the same shortcut to stop recording, and the file is saved automatically in the `~/Videos` directory. 0:00 /0:34 1× A clip showing the screenshot shortcuts ### Run a console If you want to run a quick command without opening the terminal, `ALT + F2` is the shortcut. It opens a small dialog box. Enter the command you want and hit enter. 0:00 /0:14 1× A clip showing running a command using the console shortcut. ### Session management shortcuts No need to open the menu and look for power options. Linux Mint has some accessible shortcuts for these tasks: Use `CTRL + ALT + DEL` to get the logout menu. Or use `CTRL + ALT + END` to get the shutdown/reboot/suspend menu. 0:00 /0:13 1× A clip showing the session menu shortcuts 💡 You can use the `CTRL + ALT + ESC` to restart the Cinnamon desktop if something goes wrong or feels laggy. ## Add custom shortcuts in Linux Mint You can always create custom keyboard shortcuts. For example, if you are using a [tenkeyless keyboard from Keychron](https://www.keychron.com/?ref=itsfoss) and you don't have the print screen button, you can create a custom keybinding to initiate the screenshot app. There are more practical uses of custom shortcuts. For example, I use `SUPER + Q` to open the terminal. Also, I keep `SUPER + SHIFT + D` to open Discord. Let's see how you can create custom keyboard shortcuts. First, open the Start menu with the SUPER key and search *keyboard*. ![A screenshot showing Linux Mint start menu. Search for keyboard in the start menu and hit enter on the selection.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/mint-2-search-keyboard-in-start-menu.png) Search for Keyboard Inside the keyboard window, go to ***Shortcuts***. Here, you can see a categorized list of options and respective keyboard shortcuts. ![In the keyboard settings window, go to the Shortcut tab.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/mint-settings-keyboard-shortcut.png) Go to the ****Shortcuts** tab ### Change a shortcut First, let's change an existing keybinding. For this, use the search bar and enter the one you want to change. If a default option for that is available, it will be shown. Like *terminal* in this case. Select the action (Launch terminal) and then under *Keyboard bindings*, click on the *unassigned* option. This will ask you to enter a keyboard shortcut. Press the shortcut of your choice. I will press `SUPER + Q`. All this action is shown in the video clip below: 0:00 /0:18 1× A clip showing an additional shortcut is added to the launch terminal option. That's it. You can now open terminal with either `CTRL + ALT + T` or `SUPER + Q`. ### Create a new keybinding Now, let's see how to assign a keyboard shortcut to a new application. In the same *Keyboard -> Shortcuts* section, select the **Custom Shortcuts** option in the left side bar. Click on **Add a custom shortcut** button. In the new dialog box, enter a name for the shortcut and the command you want to execute. In the above screenshot, you can see that in the `command` section, we used: ``` flatpak run com.discordapp.Discord ``` This is because it is a Flatpak application. If it is an application installed using system package manager like `gedit` or `handbrake`, you can add its name directly. Once added, click on the **Add** button. In the settings, click on **Unassigned** and add a keybinding of your choice. 0:00 /0:27 1× A clip showing adding a custom shortcut to Discord in Keyboard settings. ## Download Linux Mint cheatsheet wallpaper If you want, we have a 4K wallpaper for you. You can set it as desktop background and quickly look at the keyboard shortcuts. It will help you build your muscle memory. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/Linux-Mint-Keyboards-Shortcuts.webp) The 4K resolution wallpaper can be downloaded from the [Proton Drive](https://go.getproton.me/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=44&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=itsfoss.com) link below: [Download Linux Mint cheat sheet wallpaper](https://drive.proton.me/urls/0771VKY3T0?ref=itsfoss.com#zogofDsCpSRA) ## Wrapping up Now you are familiar with the common keyboard shortcuts in Linux Mint. You also learned to create custom keybindings. This list is limited in the sense that there are shortcuts for each applications as well! For example, apps like Nemo File Manager offers its own set of custom keyboards. VS Code has plenty of shortcuts of its own and so does Firefox. Of course, those don not count here. The shortcuts I discussed are primarily at desktop environment level. I hope you enjoy using them as much as I do. By the way, we have a similar article that discusses [essential keyboard shortcuts for Ubuntu](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-shortcuts/), too. ### OpenClaw Alternatives That You Can Run on Raspberry Pi Like Devices URL: https://itsfoss.com/openclaw-alternatives/ Last updated: 2026-08-06T07:01:22.000Z By now, you must have heard about [OpenClaw](https://itsfoss.com/news/clawdbot-fiasco-explained/). It is an excellent project, but it comes with a significant cost: resource hunger. Running it on a Raspberry Pi, an Orange Pi, or any other [single board computer](https://itsfoss.com/raspberry-pi-alternatives/) is technically possible, but it won't give you a good experience. The memory footprint alone can push modest ARM devices into aggressive swap usage, the CPU overhead makes real-time tasks stutter, and startup times become genuinely painful on hardware with a 1.5GHz quad-core doing its best. If your deployment target is a small SBC, OpenClaw simply was not designed with you in mind. The good news is that the ecosystem around lightweight automation and control frameworks has grown considerably since the inception of OpenClaw. There are many more projects trying to achieve the same thing and some of them are crafted around single board computers and ESP32 boards as well. Let me introduce you to such few OpenClaw alternatives that I have come across and found interesting. ## NanoBot ![Nanobot](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/nanobot.webp) [NanoBot](https://github.com/HKUDS/nanobot?ref=itsfoss.com) was built from the ground up at university of Hong Kong with resource-constrained environments as the primary design constraint rather than an afterthought. It delivers core AI agent functionality in roughly 4,000 lines of Python which is 99% smaller than OpenClaw's 430,000+ line codebase. The radical minimalism is intentional. NanoBot positions itself as the research-friendly alternative for people who want to understand how AI agents actually work without drowning in abstraction layers. The developers even run a line-counting script in the repo so that you can easily verify the size claim. Features cover the essential. It has persistent Markdown memory, web search, background agents, scheduled tasks, 11+ LLM providers, and strong messaging platform support, including Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, and Asian platforms like Feishu and QQ. Note that there is no massive plugin marketplace, no browser automation out of the box. 📋 If OpenClaw is the Swiss Army knife trying to do everything, NanoBot is the educational reference implementation that nails the core loop. With 20,000+ GitHub stars, it's become the learning platform that's also production-ready for personal use. [NanoBot on GitHub](https://github.com/HKUDS/nanobot?ref=itsfoss.com) ## PicoClaw ![PicoClaw](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/picoclaw.webp) [PicoClaw](https://picoclaw.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) is an ultra-lightweight OpenClaw alternative written in Go by [Sipeed](https://sipeed.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), a Chinese maker of inexpensive RISC-V and ARM development boards. It uses less than 10 MB of RAM which is 99% smaller than OpenClaw's 1+ GB requirement and boots in under 1 second, compared to OpenClaw's 500+ second startup time on low-end hardware. This si what the developers [claim on its GitHub repo](https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw?tab=readme-ov-file&ref=itsfoss.com). The project specifically targets $10 single-board computers like the [LicheeRV Nano](https://wiki.sipeed.com/hardware/en/lichee/RV%5FNano/1%5Fintro.html?ref=itsfoss.com), a RISC-V SBC with only 256 MB RAM, and ships as a single binary that runs on RISC-V, ARM64, and x86 architectures. It provides AI agent functionality through messaging platforms like Telegram, Discord, QQ, and DingTalk, and supports multiple LLM providers including OpenRouter, Zhipu, Gemini, Claude, GPT, DeepSeek, and Groq. The tool suite includes shell execution, file management, and web search, with voice transcription available through Groq's Whisper API. 📋 It has no WhatsApp support, no browser automation, and no plugin ecosystem yet. But it successfully demonstrates that OpenClaw's core agent architecture can run on hardware that costs one-sixtieth the price of a Mac mini and uses 1% of the memory. [PicoClaw on GitHub](https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw?tab=readme-ov-file&ref=itsfoss.com) ## IronClaw ![IronClaw](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/ironclaw.webp) IronClaw is a security-focused OpenClaw alternative built in Rust by [Near AI](https://near.ai/?ref=itsfoss.com). The project launched with a clear philosophy stated in the repo: "your AI assistant should work for you, not against you." It emphasizes verifiable privacy and transparency through open-source code that anyone can audit. The core security architecture uses WebAssembly sandboxing for tool execution rather than Docker containers. This provides capability-based permissions where tools must explicitly opt into HTTP access, secrets, or calling other tools. Credentials are injected at the host boundary and never exposed to WASM code, with leak detection scanning both requests and responses. The system also implements prompt injection defense through pattern detection, content sanitization, and policy enforcement. IronClaw requires PostgreSQL with the pgvector extension for persistent memory and uses a hybrid search system combining full-text and vector search. It supports multiple channels including REPL, HTTP webhooks, WASM-based Telegram and Slack integrations, and a web gateway with real-time streaming. The project can dynamically build new tools on the fly and supports the Model Context Protocol for additional capabilities. 📋 IronClaw positions itself as the production-ready alternative for users who need OpenClaw functionality but can't compromise on security, particularly for handling sensitive operations like crypto wallets or credentials. [IronClaw on GitHub](https://github.com/nearai/ironclaw?ref=itsfoss.com) ## ZeroClaw ![ZeroClaw](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/zeroclaw.webp) [ZeroClaw](https://github.com/zeroclaw-labs/zeroclaw?ref=itsfoss.com) is a Rust-based OpenClaw alternative positioning itself with the tagline "Zero overhead, Zero compromise." The project compiles to a static binary around 3.4 MB with startup times under 10 milliseconds and memory usage below 5 MB, making it roughly 99% smaller than OpenClaw in resource consumption. The architecture uses Rust's trait system for pluggable components, with the core split into layers for AI providers, channels, and security. It supports over 22 LLM providers including OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, and Mistral, along with messaging platforms like Telegram, Discord, and Slack. Security operates on three tiers: **ReadOnly** for read-only access, **Supervised** with allowlists as the default, and Full access within workspace sandboxing. 📋 The project markets itself as production-ready infrastructure that can run on $10 hardware, comparing favorably against OpenClaw's 500ms startup and 150 MB binary size. [ZeroClaw on GitHub](https://github.com/zeroclaw-labs/zeroclaw?ref=itsfoss.com) ## NullClaw ![NullClaw](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/NullClaw.webp) [NullClaw](https://nullclaw.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a Zig-based OpenClaw alternative that pushes efficiency to its absolute limit. The project compiles to a 678 KB static binary, uses roughly 1 MB of RAM, and boots in under 2 milliseconds on Apple Silicon (under 8ms on low-end hardware). The project ships with 2,843 passing tests, the highest test coverage in the OpenClaw ecosystem. It's MIT licensed with 1,400+ GitHub stars. 📋 Zig is less mainstream than Rust, and the project is in early stage for now. But if you're running on constrained hardware or simply appreciate ruthlessly efficient systems programming, NullClaw could be worth a try. [NullClaw on GitHub](https://github.com/nullclaw/nullclaw?ref=itsfoss.com) ## zclaw ![zclaw](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/zclaw.webp) [zclaw](https://zclaw.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a C-based AI assistant designed to run on ESP32 microcontrollers with a strict firmware size target of 888 KB or less. The project targets ultra-low-cost hardware like the Seeed XIAO ESP32-C3, proving that AI assistants can function on devices that cost just a few dollars. The implementation supports scheduled tasks with timezone awareness, GPIO control for interacting with physical hardware, persistent memory across reboots, and custom tool composition through natural language. Users can chat with their assistant via Telegram or a hosted web relay. The project works with mainstream AI providers including Anthropic, OpenAI, and OpenRouter. Tested targets include ESP32-C3, ESP32-S3, and ESP32-C6, though other ESP32 variants should work with minor configuration adjustments. The project ships with various utility scripts for building, flashing, provisioning credentials, and benchmarking latency through both relay and direct serial paths. Secure mode enables encrypted credential storage in flash memory. 📋 zclaw is slightly different than most other projects here. It is written in C with special focus on ESP32 microcontroller. Embedded electronics enthusiasts will find it interesting. [zclaw on GitHub](https://github.com/tnm/zclaw?ref=itsfoss.com) ## Mimiclaw ![MimiClaw](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/mimiclaw.webp) To some extent, MimiClaw is similar to zclaw. It is a bare-metal implementation of the OpenClaw AI assistant architecture designed for ESP32-S3 microcontrollers. Written entirely in C, it eliminates the need for Linux, Node.js, or any operating system, targeting hardware that costs around five dollars with 16 MB flash and 8 MB PSRAM. The project draws power from USB at half a watt, enabling continuous operation. Users interact with their assistant through Telegram after configuring WiFi credentials, bot tokens, and Anthropic API keys directly in the source code through a secrets header file. The implementation stores memory as plain text files on flash storage, including SOUL.md for personality configuration, USER.md for user preferences, MEMORY.md for persistent knowledge, and dated daily note files. 📋 Perhaps one of the most interesting project. Definitely worth trying if you have ESP32 devices. [Mimiclaw on GitHub](https://github.com/memovai/mimiclaw?ref=itsfoss.com) ## Conclusion Choosing the right framework comes down to honestly assessing your hardware constraints, your tolerance for configuration complexity, and how much of your existing OpenClaw workflow you need to preserve. None of these projects are perfect, but each of them represents an effort to make automation and control software accessible on the kind of hardware that most people can actually afford to deploy at scale. You may also explore tools like [BetterClaw](https://www.betterclaw.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) that offer managed alternatives if you'd rather not take the trouble of self-hosting. This ecosystem of OpenClaw like projects keeps on growing. If you find other such interesting projects, share it with all of us. ### US State Colorado Wants Operating Systems (Including Linux) to Tell Every App How Old You Are URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/colorado-age-attestation-bill/ Last updated: 2026-02-25T06:28:08.000Z Age verification online [is regrettably becoming the norm](https://discord.com/press-releases/discord-launches-teen-by-default-settings-globally?ref=itsfoss.com). Platforms are increasingly asking users to prove their age before accessing certain content or services. That usually means handing over personal data, sometimes even biometric data, to a third-party provider, **then hoping they do not sell it, suffer a breach**, *or both*. Now, the U.S. state of [Colorado](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado?ref=itsfoss.com) is mulling over a bill to implement age reporting for installing apps on computers and mobile devices. ## Age Attestation, What? ![Bill Summary: The bill requires an operating system provider to: Provide an accessible interface at account setup that requires an account holder to indicate the birth date or age of the user of that device to provide a signal regarding the user's age bracket (age signal) to applications available in a covered application store; Provide an application developer (developer) that requests an age signal, with respect to a particular user, the technical ability to call an age signal via a reasonably consistent real-time application programming interface that identifies, at a minimum, the user's age-bracket data; and Send only the minimum amount of information necessary to comply with the bill. An operating system provider shall not share an age signal with a third party for a purpose not required by the bill. The bill requires a developer to request an age signal with respect to a particular user from an operating system provider or a covered application store when the developer's application is downloaded and launched. A developer that receives an age signal is deemed to have knowledge of the age range of the user to whom that age signal pertains across all platforms of the application and points of access of the application. However, if a developer has clear and convincing information that a user's age is different than the age indicated by an age signal, the developer shall use that information as the primary indicator of the user's age range. A developer shall not: Request more information from an operating system provider or a covered application store than is necessary to comply with the bill; or Share an age signal with a third party for a purpose not required by the bill. A person that violates the bill must pay a civil penalty of not more than $2,500 for each minor affected by each negligent violation or not more than $7,500 for each minor affected by each intentional violation. The penalty is assessed and recovered in a civil action brought by the attorney general.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/colorado-age-attestation-bill-summary.png) Senator [Matt Ball](https://leg.colorado.gov/legislators/matt-ball?ref=itsfoss.com) and Representative [Amy Paschal](https://leg.colorado.gov/legislators/amy-paschal?ref=itsfoss.com) presented this bill, ***Age Attestation on Computing Devices*** ([SB26-051](https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/SB26-051?ref=itsfoss.com)), to the Colorado Senate, where it was assigned to the [Business, Labor, and Technology Committee](https://leg.colorado.gov/committees/2026A/senate/BusinessLaborTechnology?ref=itsfoss.com). Currently **only a proposal**, the bill calls for operating system providers like Microsoft, Google, Apple, and Canonical to present an interface during device account setup that asks the account holder (*a person in Colorado*) to specify the birth date/age of the device's user. That age data is then translated into an "*age signal*," which apps can call on via an API when a user downloads or launches them. The bill claims that this refers to non-personally identifiable data taken from a user's birth date or age. The age signal **does not hand over a specific birthdate to developers**. It works in four age ranges — under 13, 13 to under 16, 16 to under 18, and 18 and above. The bill also explicitly states that only the minimum amount of information necessary should be shared. Neither the OS provider nor developers are allowed to pass the age signal to third parties for purposes outside of what the bill requires. On paper, **the fines for violations sound like a serious deterrent**. Up to $2,500 per minor affected for a negligent violation and up to $7,500 per minor for an intentional one. For a platform with millions of minor users, those numbers could stack up fast. But the penalty is only triggered if the state [Attorney General](https://coag.gov/?ref=itsfoss.com) chooses to bring a civil action, which means enforcement is entirely dependent on the political will of whoever holds that office at a given time. Given the [sad state of things](https://itsfoss.com/news/bash-manual-in-epstein-files/) currently, where minors' rights are violated routinely without any accountability or real punishment, these fines sound more like a slap on the wrist than a genuine consequence. 📋 It is also unclear how this rule will apply to operating systems that do not need an online account. ## The Flaws The most immediate problem with SB26-051 is that **it never specifies how age is actually determined**. The bill says account holders must "*indicate*" the birth date or age of the user. That's it; no verification mechanism, no ID check, or anything else is mentioned. Any so-called "*account holder*" could just straight up lie, and the system would take it as is. I understand the need for the moderation of what applications minors install and use. But such legislation can't be a substitute for parental oversight, and when such a thing is imposed, it usually ends up being both ineffective and overreaching. **Personally**, I still think parents' or guardians' oversight (*provided it is grounded*) of what their children consume is the single most important thing that can prevent harmful content from influencing these young minds. If passed, **the bill would take effect on January 1, 2028**. That said, if a [referendum petition](https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/referendumPetitions.html?ref=itsfoss.com) is filed against it within ninety days of the [General Assembly](https://leg.colorado.gov/?ref=itsfoss.com) adjourning, it would go to Colorado voters in November 2026 to decide its fate. ### Serious About Learning Linux? Get 15 O'Reilly Linux and DevOps eBooks for Under $25 URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-seasoned-admins-bundle/ Last updated: 2026-02-22T03:51:08.000Z Most of the internet runs on [Linux](https://www.kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). From cloud servers and containerized apps to CI/CD pipelines and network automation, Linux is the backbone of modern infrastructure. And the people keeping all of it running, [sysadmins](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System%5Fadministrator?ref=itsfoss.com) and [DevOps](https://linuxhandbook.com/courses/linux/?ref=itsfoss.com) engineers, need a broad and constantly updated skill set to stay relevant. If you've been meaning to fill in some gaps or build up those skills from scratch, Humble Bundle has a new offering filled with DevOps-focused books from [O'Reilly](https://www.oreilly.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). Keep in mind a portion of your purchase goes to support [Code for America](https://codeforamerica.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), a nonprofit that uses technology to improve government services for people who need them most. [Get The Deal (partner link)](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/2RkPDg?ref=itsfoss.com) ⏲️ *The last date for the deal is *February 28, 2026*.* 📋 This article contains affiliate links. Please read our [affiliate policy](https://itsfoss.com/affiliate-policy/?ref=news.itsfoss.com) for more information. ## So, What's in The Bundle? [](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/linux-for-professionals-bundle.jpeg) ![a cropped screenshot of the o'reilly linux for seasoned admins bundle on humble bundle's website, a lot of text and three books from the bundle are shown here](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/oreilly-linux-for-seasoned-admins.png) The 15 books here span a good range of topics. Here's a breakdown of what's included. **Linux administration** is covered from a few different angles. **Efficient Linux at the Command Line** focuses on boosting productivity at the shell, which is the kind of thing that pays off every single day. **Learning Modern Linux** takes a broader look at Linux as it's actually used today, including file permissions, application dependency management, and networking. **Practical Linux System Administration** covers the operational side of managing users, storage, setting up [SELinux](https://www.redhat.com/en/topics/linux/what-is-selinux?ref=itsfoss.com), networking, and services on live systems. ![Humble Bundle Linux eBooks](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/humble-bundle-1.webp) The **Linux Pocket Guide** rounds it out as a handy reference for common commands and tasks. On the **DevOps and automation** side, **Python for DevOps** covers using [Python](https://www.python.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) for scripting, automation, and working with infrastructure APIs, which has become a core skill in most DevOps roles. **Ansible: Up and Running** is one of the better introductions to configuration management and automation with [Ansible](https://github.com/ansible/ansible?ref=itsfoss.com), now in its third edition. **Learning GitHub Actions** gets into CI/CD workflows using GitHub's built-in automation platform. For **infrastructure as code**, **Terraform: Up and Running** is widely considered one of the go-to books on provisioning cloud infrastructure. The third edition covers current [Terraform](https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform?ref=itsfoss.com) practices, including modules, state management, and working across multiple providers. ![Humble Bundle Linux ebooks](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/humble-bundle-2.webp) The **containers and orchestration** section is well represented. **Docker: Up & Running** covers building and running containers from the ground up. **Kubernetes: Up and Running** handles orchestration, now in its third edition, with content on workloads, networking, and cluster management. **Security** gets two dedicated titles. **Learning DevSecOps** focuses on integrating security practices into the development and deployment pipeline rather than treating it as an afterthought. **Web Application Security** covers offensive and defensive techniques for securing web applications, with the second edition splitting the curriculum into three parts. Rounding out the bundle, **Network Programmability and Automation** is aimed at network engineers looking to apply DevOps principles to network infrastructure using Python and tools like Ansible. **FastAPI** covers building APIs with the Python [FastAPI](https://fastapi.tiangolo.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) framework, increasingly popular in backend and microservices work. And **Learning Git** is a solid foundation for version control, covering branching, merging, rebasing, and working with remote repositories. ### What Do You Get for Your Money? All 15 books are available in PDF and ePub formats, compatible with computers, smartphones, tablets, and most e-readers. **Here's the complete collection.** 👇 | Column 1 | Column 2 | | ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------ | | Python for DevOps | Practical Linux System Administration | | Efficient Linux at the Command Line | Ansible: Up and Running (3rd Ed.) | | Learning DevSecOps | Docker: Up & Running (3rd Ed.) | | Web Application Security (2nd Ed.) | Linux Pocket Guide (4th Ed.) | | Terraform: Up and Running (3rd Ed.) | FastAPI | | Learning Modern Linux | Network Programmability and Automation (2nd Ed.) | | Kubernetes: Up and Running (3rd Ed.) | Learning Git | | Learning GitHub Actions | | This bundle has **a starting price of $21.80 for all 15 books**. Humble Bundle also lets you adjust the split between the publisher and Code for America, so if you want to throw a bit more toward the charity, that option is there. O'Reilly titles don't come cheap individually, and **the total retail value of this bundle is listed at $789**, so getting all 15 for under $22 is a pretty hefty discount. Head over to [Humble Bundle](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/2RkPDg?ref=itsfoss.com) (*partner link*) and grab the collection before the deal wraps up on February 28. [Get The Deal (partner link)](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/2RkPDg?ref=itsfoss.com) ### A Powerful To-Do App for Android That Collects Absolutely None of Your Data URL: https://itsfoss.com/super-productivity-android-app/ Last updated: 2026-02-21T03:39:03.000Z Earlier last month, I took you all through [an open source diary app](https://itsfoss.com/storypad-open-source-diary-app/) that helped me realize that journaling is a seriously good way to beat the blues. I am still quite inconsistent in doing it, but when I do write, I feel more calm, and feel like some weight was taken off my shoulders. This time, we are focusing on **productivity on the go**; by that, I mean an open source to-do mobile app that handles your tasks, tracks time, and keeps its nose out of your data. ## Super Productivity: Stay Efficient ![a green-colored picture shows a screenshot of super productivity in the center with the welcome dialog visible, the logo for the app is attached below that](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/super-productivity-welcome-dialog.png) [Super Productivity](https://super-productivity.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is **an MIT-licensed open source to-do app** built around the idea that a productivity system should adapt to how you actually work, not the other way around. It is available on *Linux*, *Windows*, *macOS*, *Android*, *iOS*, and as a web app. And **it doesn't only do task management**. It packs in [time boxing](https://super-productivity.com/use-cases/time-boxing/?ref=itsfoss.com), a [Pomodoro timer](https://super-productivity.com/use-cases/pomodoro/?ref=itsfoss.com), and break reminders that nudge you to take rest. You can also attach notes, files, and bookmarks to individual projects and collect personal metrics to see where your routines need tweaking. This to-do app has the following **key features**: - Task planning with sub-tasks, projects, and tags. - Connects with Jira, GitHub, GitLab, Trello, Linear, ClickUp, OpenProject, Azure DevOps, and CalDAV. - Optional sync via Dropbox and WebDAV, with all data stored locally by default. - No user accounts, no registration, and no data collection. 📋 As a side note, we have covered [the desktop version](https://itsfoss.com/super-productivity/) of Super Productivity earlier. ## How Does it Fare? ![a three-part collage that shows a new task being created on super productivity](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/super-productivity-new-task-creation.png) A word before we begin, this one was a quick test that I did over an afternoon, so I might've missed showcasing some features. **Creating a new task is very easy**; you just click on the big plus button and start by giving the task a name. The interface might feel a bit old-fashioned if you are used to big buttons and bright colors, but you will get the hang of it over time. [](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/storypad-onboarding-flow.png) I could set the date and time, configure the notification lead time, and define how long I planned to work on it. ![a two-part collage that shows the various options one has when they select a task on super productivity (on the left) and the menu to configure recurrance for a task (on the right)](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/super-productivity-recurring-task-2.png) Selecting a task brought up a handy menu with a quick due date selector at the top, and below that, toggles to start time tracking, kick off a focus session, mark it done, move it to the top, duplicate it, add subtasks, or delete it. If I wanted **a task to repeat at a set interval**, editing it and selecting the "*Recur*" option did the trick. It opened a detailed config menu where I could tweak the order, time estimate, reminder, and recurring interval. ![a three-part collage that shows the tag creation process (on the left), and what options there are under a task on super productivity (on the right), it shows subtasks, due date, note, attachments, recurrance, and the tag](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/super-productivity-task-tag-note-creation-1.png) **Organizing tasks with tags** is possible by adding it to the title when creating a new task or doing it from the sidebar menu. And if you were wondering whether you can add notes or attachments to a task, you can! I could add quick notes, images, and web URLs to any task, which is handy for keeping relevant context close to the work at hand. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/super-productivity-inbox-sidebar-connections-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/super-productivity-notifications-1.png) **The Inbox view, sidebar menu, connection options, and notifications for Super Productivity.* The *Inbox* view acts as a one-stop dashboard for your current and upcoming tasks. The hamburger menu at the bottom gives quick access to the most important pages, like *Today*, *Inbox*, *Schedule*, *Boards*, *Tags*, and the app settings. You will also find the connections menu (*Issue Provider Panel*) nearby, which is where you connect the app to third-party services. For **timely notifications**, you have to manually grant Super Productivity the notification permission, and that is **the only permission it asks for**, btw (*at least on Android*). ## Install Super Productivity This to-do app is available for both **Android** and **iOS**. You can install the latest release from [F-Droid](https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.superproductivity.superproductivity/?ref=itsfoss.com), the [Play Store](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.superproductivity.superproductivity&ref=itsfoss.com), and the [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/super-productivity/id1482572463?ref=itsfoss.com). The source code lives on [GitHub](https://github.com/super-productivity/super-productivity?ref=itsfoss.com), where you will also find binaries for the desktop version of Super Productivity. There's also [a web app](https://app.super-productivity.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) if you don't prefer installing an app. [Super Productivity](https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.superproductivity.superproductivity/?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*We Ditched ClickUp for Fizzy, An "Open Source" Alternative*](https://itsfoss.com/fizzy-self-hostable-kanban-solution/) [We Ditched ClickUp for Fizzy, An “Open Source” Kanban Board AppIf you’re juggling multiple tasks and want something simpler than Jira or ClickUp, this is worth trying.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-291.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/fizzy-review-banner-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/fizzy-self-hostable-kanban-solution/) ### FOSS Weekly #26.08: KDE Plasma 6.6, Mint Release Schedule Change, ASCII Weather, Firefox Tweaking and More Linux Stuff URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-08/ Last updated: 2026-02-19T14:54:03.000Z You might have noticed that I have not shared new [puzzles and quizzes for some time](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/). Actually, I am not sure if people are enjoying those fun units and thus uncertain about putting in the effort to make them. Personally, I like them and won't hesitate in creating more if I get positive feedback on continuing them. Below is a simple poll. Click on it and vote Yes or No. After a week, if more than 60% people opt for yes, I'll continue the weekly puzzles again 😄 [Vote for Quizzes Here](https://interacty.me/projects/c49d7609353b7d15?ref=itsfoss.com) **Here's the highlight of this edition of FOSS Weekly:** - A new trust-based system to fight AI slop. - Gentoo kickstarts move away from GitHub. - A potential change to Linux Mint's release schedule. - Interview with Session co-founder. - Weather in the terminal with twist. - And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes! Humble Bundle has [brought back the "Linux for Seasoned Admins" ebook bundle offer](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/2RkPDg?ref=itsfoss.com) (partner link). From the classic Linux Pocket Guide and my favorite, Efficient Linux at the Command Line, the bundle also has ebooks on Docker, Ansible, Kubernetes and other devops aspects of Linux. And your purchase also supports the Code for America initiative. [Best of Humble Bundle - Linux for Seasoned Admins by O’ReillyGet 15 books from O’Reilly on a range of topics, including DevOps, containerization, version control with Git & more! Your purchase helps Code for America.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/03df0490a53d595fd930f9fff52038366d60a05d-11.png)Humble Bundle![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/33f2af4e01a3f3754ee87212f05f3a84b0a6f6ab.png)](https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/2RkPDg?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 📰 Linux and Open Source News Here's a summary of the news this week. It turns out shipping Linux Mint every six months doesn't leave much time for actual development. Lead dev says the team spends more time testing and releasing than building features. [Longer release cycles are being considered](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-mint-longer-release-cycle/), plus Wayland support is finally coming. The guy behind Vagrant and Ghostty [just launched Vouch](https://itsfoss.com/news/mitchell-hashimoto-vouch/) to fight AI slop drowning open source projects. Contributors need vouching before submitting code and can accumulate trust across projects. Pretty timely after cURL killed their bug bounty program. REMnux [just released v8](https://itsfoss.com/news/remnux-v8-release/) after 15 years of fighting malware. Built on Ubuntu 24.04 with a new installer, loads of reverse engineering tools, and a MCP server that works with Claude or ChatGPT to automatically run analysis tools and write custom Python scripts. Fed up with Microsoft pushing Copilot everywhere, [Gentoo's ditching GitHub for Codeberg](https://itsfoss.com/news/gentoo-github-switch-begins/). The repository mirror is already live for pull requests, with the rest of their Git infrastructure moving over in the coming months. [AsteroidOS 2.0](https://itsfoss.com/news/asteroidos-2-release/) is here after eight years to give your old smartwatch a second life. Always-on display, heart rate tracking, step counting now built in. [Warp has launched Oz](https://itsfoss.com/news/warp-launches-oz/) to handle the messy infrastructure side of running AI coding agents. These agents can write code across repos, push commits, and open PRs autonomously while your team watches progress through shareable URLs. ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About Session's co-founder reckons [privacy messaging should be an option for when you need it](https://itsfoss.com/news/session-co-founder-interview/), not a full WhatsApp replacement. Governments asked them for user data 17 times last year, got nothing because their decentralized setup ensured there was nothing to hand over. [Session’s Co-Founder Thinks You Don’t Need to Ditch WhatsApp CompletelyKee Jefferys on why privacy messaging should be an option, not a replacement.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-290.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/interview-with-kee-jeffrys-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/session-co-founder-interview/) Not many people and organizations care about desktop Linux users; we do. YOUR support keeps us going. And ****it costs less than a McDonald's Happy Meal**. Opt for the Plus membership to: ✅ Get 5 FREE eBooks on Linux, Docker and Bash ✅ Enjoy an ad-free reading experience ✅ Flaunt badges in the comment section and forum ✅ To support creation of educational Linux materials [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings Debian is called the "[universal operating system](https://itsfoss.com/debian-universal-operating-system/)" because it's been porting to every architecture under the sun since 1995\. Started with m68k workstations, it now runs on everything from old SPARC servers to brand new riscv64 chips. Our in-house novelist [ditched MS Word for Emacs](https://itsfoss.com/emacs-the-ux-ideal-part-deux/) to write his next sci-fi book. Org-Roam handles research notes, LaTeX for manuscripts, Fountain for screenplays. He basically replaced Notion, Overleaf, and Final Draft with one editor that won't slop AI into his work. Tired of wrestling with *find* and *grep*? Our roundup covers [9 GUI search tools for Linux](https://itsfoss.com/linux-gui-search-tools/) that actually work. ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner Murena has teamed up with German hardware maker Volla to launch [a €698 de-Googled tablet](https://itsfoss.com/news/murena-volla-tablet/) running /e/OS. It packs 12GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and a 10,000 mAh battery. Ships to Europe, the US, Canada, and a few other regions. [Murena Teams Up With German Manufacturer to Offer a €698 de-Googled Android TabletFeaturing 12GB of RAM and a 10,000 mAh battery, this collaboration with Volla brings some decent specs to the privacy-first mobile market.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-286.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/murena-volla-tablet-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/murena-volla-tablet/) ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights Want your weather forecast with ASCII animations? [weathr](https://itsfoss.com/weathr/) is a Rust CLI tool that shows animated rain, snow, fog, and day/night cycles in your terminal. [Give Your Weather Report an Animated ASCII Spin in Linux TerminalWho said weather reports have to be boring and I am not even talking about the Maxican Weather![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-287.png)It's FOSSPulkit Chandak![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/ascii-weather-report-linux.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/weathr/) Sabayon Linux's creator is back with [matrixOS](https://itsfoss.com/matrixos/), an immutable Gentoo-based distro. It is built on OSTree with atomic updates and ships with the latest Mesa and NVIDIA drivers. If you frequently download videos from various social media and websites, you'll like this [open source video downloader app](https://itsfoss.com/vidbee/). ## 📽️ Videos for You I shared this [Firefox tweak video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcqvqKShKcM&ref=itsfoss.com) some months ago. It is still worth a look. [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip In [Firefox](https://itsfoss.com/firefox-add-ons/), you can take screenshots of a page or its individual elements and download them as PNGs. While visiting a page, right-click and select "*Take Screenshot*." ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/right-click-and-select-take-screenshot.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/taking-screenshots-firefox.png) Now, you can do three things here: select an item and download it as an image, drag-select an area, or take a screenshot of the entire page. The drag and select action supports scrolling, so you can drag downward and select more areas for the screenshot too! [](https://t43217012.p.clickup-attachments.com/t43217012/da09f1e7-b651-4c93-b93b-141e46671d4b/copy-link-to-highlight-firefox.png?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse Seeing that there's a new KDE Plasma release, [how strong is your grasp on KDE's lore](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/kde-trivia-quiz/)? [KDE Trivia QuizHow much do you know about the KDE project?![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-288.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/KDE-trivia-quiz.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/kde-trivia-quiz/) **🤣 Meme of the Week**: Copilot cannot stop the inevitable. 🙃 ![microsoft copilot meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/copilot-meme.jpg) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On February 19, 1971, [the first warrant to search a computer storage device](https://www.computerhistory.org/tdih/february/19/?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=February%2019%2C%201971-,The%20First%20Warrant%20Is%20Issued%20to%20Search%20a%20Computer%20Storage%20Device,-The%20first%20warrant) was issued in Santa Clara County, California. Targeting stolen proprietary source code stored on punch cards and magnetic drums, it established a landmark legal precedent. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: A new FOSSer has shared [a terminal game](https://itsfoss.community/t/term-rex-chrome-dino-runner-in-terminal-looking-for-debian-ubuntu-packaging-help/15395?ref=itsfoss.com) they are working on. ### This is Probably the Best Video Downloader App (And it is Free and Open Source) URL: https://itsfoss.com/vidbee/ Last updated: 2026-02-19T07:05:36.000Z You come across an interesting video on social media and thought of downloading it so that you can send it to someone or modify it to share it on some other platform. You know, the meme videos? Not every platform allows downloading videos and thus you need a good, reliable [video downloader](https://itsfoss.com/best-download-managers-linux/). And if that's what you want, look no further than VidBee. ## VidBee: Download videos from all over the intern [VidBee](https://vidbee.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) allows you to download videos from YouTube, Facebook, X, Instagram, etc. In fact, it supports over 1,800 websites. ![About page of VidBee video downloader.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/vidbee-about.png) About VidBee It is built on top of popular command line tools like [yt-dlp](https://itsfoss.com/download-youtube-linux/) and ffmpeg. For the interface, it uses the Electron framework. I understand that some people dislike Electron framework as it runs a web browser underneath, but the 'advantage' of this framework is that you get the same interface in all the operating systems. At least, it's an advantage for the developers as they don't have to build the interface separately for Linux, Windows and macOS. The source code for VidBee is available on its GitHub repository. [VidBee on GitHub](https://github.com/nexmoe/VidBee?ref=itsfoss.com) ## Installing VidBee ![Downloading VidBee](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/download-vidbee.webp) VidBee supports Linux, Windows and macOS. You can head over to the [official download page](https://vidbee.org/download/?ref=itsfoss.com) and get the installer file for your operating system. [Download VidBee](https://vidbee.org/download/?ref=itsfoss.com) For Linux users, VidBee provides a [deb file for Ubuntu](https://itsfoss.com/install-deb-files-ubuntu/) and Debian-based distributions, and AppImage file for all the distros in general. Get the AppImage file, give it execute permission and run it. If you are not familiar with the process, please [refer to our AppImage guide](https://itsfoss.com/use-appimage-linux/). 🚧 In Ubuntu, the AppImage file was not opening, even after installing the `libfuse2` package. It might be something to do with the apparmour setup. Also, the deb package installed the app but was failing for me with a SIGTRAP error. I ran it on Fedora and it worked just fine. Do note that the installer size is huge, and as per the project, this is due to the fact that they include all the required dependencies to provide the perfect first-run experience. ![Large installer size for the project details.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/installer-size-huge.png) Large installer size When you first run VidBee, you should see the homepage screen like this. ![VidBee homescreen page.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/vidbee-homescreen.png) VidBee Home Why do you see the "Set up cookies" in a desktop application? There is a good reason for that. ## Optional cookies let you download from website that require login Yes. That's the purpose of the cookies. In my case, I tried downloading a video uploaded to our Vimeo account. Since this video was not publicly available, it showed an error. ![VidBee download error.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/vidbee-sabr-error.png) Download Error Then, I changed the cookie settings to use Firefox as the browser. Firefox is the main browser where I was logged into Vimeo. ![VidBee firefox cookie browser](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/vidbee-firefox-cookie-browser.png) Firefox Cookie Browser And then the download was successful again. ## Downloading videos using VidBee It's a fairly straightforward process. If there is a video playback URL in the clipboard, clicking the **Paste URL** automatically shows the video download options. ![VidBee download a video options](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/vidbee-download-a-video-options.png) Video Download Options You can also download YouTube playlist. Just copy the URL of the playlist and use the playlist tab as shown in the image below: ![VidBee download playlist from the URL](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/vidbee-download-playlist.png) Playlist Download You can also choose to extract only audio from a video file. For that, use the **audio** button as shown in the screenshot below: ![VidBee download audio from video](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/videbee-download-audio-from-video.png) Download Audio VidBee gives you plenty of options while downloading a video from the internet. You can select quality, format, framerate, etc. of the video using the setting button on the top, as shown below: ![VidBee video download options quality](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/vidbee-video-download-options-quality.png) Vide Quality and Format ## Special feature: Downloading videos from RSS feed Some websites like YouTube also provide an RSS feed for the video. You can add that RSS feed in VidBee and it will automatically download the uploaded videos in the future. ![VidBee provide RSS link](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/vidbee-provide-rss-link.png) Download from RSS Feed ## Wrapping Up I know that some people might say why create something like VidBee when yt-dlp already exists. Now, I understand that [yt-dlp](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp?ref=itsfoss.com) is an excellent tool and it's not that difficult to use it. But still, there are many people who stay away from command line tool. GUI applications provide a level of comfort. And in that regard, VidBee does an excellent job. If you are looking for a free video downloader that just works on Linux, Windows or macOS, VidBee is the ideal choice here. ### KDE Plasma 6.6 Turns Spectacle Into an OCR Tool and Ships a New Setup Wizard URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/kde-plasma-6-6-release/ Last updated: 2026-02-18T18:19:08.000Z The beauty of desktop Linux lies in freedom of choice. Here, people can opt for a different distribution, window manager, login manager, file manager, terminal, and desktop environment. [KDE Plasma](https://kde.org/plasma-desktop/?ref=itsfoss.com) is one of the most popular desktop environments out there, known for its extensive customization options and a Windows-like layout that makes it easy for newcomers to settle in. You might remember a few months ago, the KDE developers announced that they would be [sunsetting the Plasma X11 session](https://itsfoss.com/news/kde-plasma-to-drop-x11-support/) with the 6.8 release, opting for **Wayland by default**. We are getting closer to that as [Plasma 6.6](https://kde.org/announcements/plasma/6/6.6.0/?ref=itsfoss.com) has just been released. Let's see what it brings to the table. 🕊️ **This release is dedicated to the memory of* [**Björn Balazs*](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bjbalazs/?ref=itsfoss.com)**, a KDE contributor and privacy advocate who passed away last year.* ## 🆕 KDE Plasma 6.6: What's New? [](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/kde-neon-plasma-6-5-desktop-view.png) ![this screenshot is of kde neon user edition showing a plasma 6.6 desktop with the about this system dialog open](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/plasma-6-6-desktop-view.png) This release has **a focus on practical improvements**, as the changes span accessibility, the user interface, and a handful of workflow upgrades that most people will notice pretty quickly. For starters, [Spectacle](https://apps.kde.org/spectacle/?ref=itsfoss.com) now supports OCR (*reading text*), letting you pull text directly from screenshots. Alongside that, there is a brand-new on-screen keyboard, which replaces the older solution. If your device has a camera, then you can now scan a WiFi QR code to connect to a network. Plasma 6.6 also ships **an optional new login manager**, in case you want to try something different from the default setup. *More details ahead.* 👇 ### Accessibility Improvements **Sourced from KDE.* Spectacle, Plasma's screenshot tool, **can now recognize and extract text** from anything you screenshot. This should be useful when you need to copy text from an image, a document, or an error output in the terminal. Then there's the **new grayscale filter** inside the *Color Blindness Correction* settings in *System Settings*, bringing the total to four filters that cover different types of visual impairment assistance needs. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/plasma-6-6-colorblind-grayscale-filter.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/plasma-6-6-virtual-keyboard.png) **The new grayscale filter (left) and the new on-screen keyboard (right).* The *Zoom and Magnifier* tool gets a new tracking mode too, keeping the pointer always centered on the screen. Rounding all of this out is [Plasma Keyboard](https://invent.kde.org/plasma/plasma-keyboard/?ref=itsfoss.com), KDE's **new on-screen keyboard** that's built for a cleaner navigation experience. ### User Interface Upgrades **Sourced from KDE.* **Suggested Read 📖:** [*How to Properly Theme KDE Plasma*](https://itsfoss.com/properly-theme-kde-plasma/) Plasma 6.6 introduces [Plasma Setup](https://invent.kde.org/plasma/plasma-setup?ref=itsfoss.com), a new first-run wizard that handles user account creation separately from OS installation. KDE says that this can be useful for companies shipping Plasma pre-installed, charities refurbishing machines, or anyone handing off a device. Moving on, animations on high-refresh-rate displays are much smoother with this release, and you **can now set virtual desktops to appear only on your primary screen**. A welcome change for people on multi-monitor setups. There's also the ***optional*** [Plasma Login Manager](https://invent.kde.org/plasma/plasma-login-manager?ref=itsfoss.com), an in-development display manager built natively for Plasma that replaces SDDM. With this, there are plans to offer better multi-monitor, HDR, and virtual keyboard support at the login screen. ### More New Additions ![kde plasma 6.6 system monitor's new process priority setting dialog](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/plasma-6-6-system-monitor-process-priority.png) [System Monitor](https://apps.kde.org/plasma-systemmonitor/?ref=itsfoss.com) now lets you set process priority directly from the app without you needing to run commands in the terminal. Similarly, if your device has a camera, you can **connect to a Wi-Fi network by scanning its QR code** from the *Networks* widget in the [system tray](https://userbase.kde.org/Plasma/SystemTray/en?ref=itsfoss.com). Devices with ambient light sensors can now take advantage of optional automatic screen brightness adjustment, and game controllers can now be used as regular input devices. On the customization side, you can now save your current desktop setup as **a custom global theme**, and there is a new option to adjust the color intensity of app frames for more fine-grained tweaking. ## 📥 How to Get KDE Plasma 6.6? ![a screenshot that shows the konsole terminal with two commands being run, sudo apt update, and sudo apt full-upgrade](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/plasma-6-6-upgrade-process-kde-neon.png) Simple, you gotta install [KDE Neon](https://neon.kde.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), the Ubuntu-based distro that stays near the bleeding edge of KDE software. If you already have it, then you just need to update it with these commands: ``` sudo apt update ``` ``` sudo apt full-upgrade ``` **For others**, they can install a [rolling release](https://itsfoss.com/best-rolling-release-distros/) distro like Arch Linux or EndeavourOS to get the release. If you are feeling spicy, then you could also [build this Plasma release from source](https://kde.org/info/plasma-6.6.0/?ref=itsfoss.com). The KDE folks have a detailed guide for that on their [documentation portal](https://develop.kde.org/docs/getting-started/building/cmake-build/?ref=itsfoss.com). --- 🗨 *Are you going to upgrade to Plasma 6.6? Looking forward* [*to customizing it*](https://itsfoss.com/best-kde-plasma-themes/)*?* ### Think You're Digitally Sovereign? Red Hat Built a Tool to Find Out URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/red-hat-digital-sovereignty-assessment-tool/ Last updated: 2026-02-18T17:08:46.000Z [Red Hat](https://www.redhat.com/en?ref=itsfoss.com) is best known for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), the commercial Linux distribution that quietly runs a significant portion of enterprise and government infrastructure worldwide. They also maintain [Fedora](https://www.fedoraproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), contribute heavily to the Linux kernel, and are the people behind [Ansible](https://github.com/ansible/ansible?ref=itsfoss.com) and [OpenShift](https://www.redhat.com/en/technologies/cloud-computing/openshift?ref=itsfoss.com). Now they have open-sourced a tool to help organizations figure out where they stand when it comes to [digital sovereignty](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2020/651992/EPRS%5FBRI%282020%29651992%5FEN.pdf?ref=itsfoss.com). ## For Digital Sovereignty Assessment ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/red-hat-digital-sovereignty-tool.png) Red Hat has released the ***Digital Sovereignty Readiness Assessment***, a self-service web tool that helps organizations figure out digital sovereignty. It is open source, released under the **Apache 2.0 license**, and available on GitHub (*linked below*). The tool is maintained by Red Hat's [Community of Practice](https://redhat-cop.github.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) (CoP) and **is designed to be vendor-neutral**, making it useful to any organization regardless of what technology stack they run. If you were thinking about privacy, the open source version doesn't collect anything, as all assessment data stays in the browser and is never sent to Red Hat or anywhere else. The assessment **covers seven domains**: *Data Sovereignty*, *Technical Sovereignty*, *Operational Sovereignty*, *Assurance Sovereignty*, *Open Source Strategy*, *Executive Oversight*, and *Managed Services*. It presents 21 questions, takes about 10 to 15 minutes to complete (*if done mindfully*), and scores respondents across a four-level maturity scale: *Foundation*, *Developing*, *Strategic*, and *Advanced*. There are **two easy ways to test it**. The [Red Hat-branded version](https://www.feedback.redhat.com/jfe/form/SV%5F1LGSam42lrM4Ddk?ref=itsfoss.com) is hosted on Red Hat's own infrastructure that conveniently ends with a prompt to [book a consultation](https://www.redhat.com/en/products/digital-sovereignty?ref=itsfoss.com). The other is the self-hostable version that was open-sourced on [GitHub](https://github.com/redhat-cop/viewfinder-upstream?ref=itsfoss.com). ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/red-hat-digital-sovereignty-tool-results-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/red-hat-digital-sovereignty-tool-results-2.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/red-hat-digital-sovereignty-tool-results-3.png) **The result of my dummy test of Red Hat's assessment tool.* [Christopher Jenkins](https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-jenkins-26602025/?ref=itsfoss.com), Senior Principal Chief Architect at Red Hat, has the latter up on his [personal website](https://www.chrisj.co.uk/viewfinder/?ref=itsfoss.com), which is nearly identical but with different themeing and no nudge to contact Red Hat's sales people. **I ran a dummy assessment** on Red Hat's version to see how the tool worked, and it was nice, I guess? I filled out the form with random answers, and the result was a 38% maturity score, with a breakdown of readiness across 7 digital sovereignty domains and some recommended moves I could take to improve the score. I say "*I guess*" because I am not exactly well-versed in what it actually takes for something to comfortably call itself digital sovereignty-compliant. Via: [FOSS Force](https://fossforce.com/2026/02/oh-la-la-red-hat-open-sources-digital-sovereignty-readiness-tool/?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Session's Co-Founder Thinks You Don't Need to Ditch WhatsApp Completely*](https://itsfoss.com/news/session-co-founder-interview/) [Session’s Co-Founder Thinks You Don’t Need to Ditch WhatsApp CompletelyKee Jefferys on why privacy messaging should be an option, not a replacement.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-285.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/interview-with-kee-jeffrys.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/session-co-founder-interview/) ### 8 Years Later, Linux-based AsteroidOS 2.0 is Here to Add New Life to Your Old Smartwatch URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/asteroidos-2-release/ Last updated: 2026-02-18T06:29:51.000Z It's been 8 years... since we last covered [AsteroidOS on It's FOSS](https://itsfoss.com/asteroidos-watch-os/). The promising project kind of stalled, or so I thought, until the recent announcement of AsteroidOS version 2.0 release. I am happy to see the project progress. ## What is AsteroidOS? AsteroidOS is a free, open-source operating system designed specifically for smartwatches. It is a Linux-based OS built as an alternative to proprietary smartwatch platforms like Wear OS (Google) or watchOS (Apple). It's completely community-driven and focuses on user freedom and privacy. Under the hood, AsteroidOS is [built on top of OpenEmbedded](https://wiki.asteroidos.org/index.php/OpenEmbedded?ref=itsfoss.com) and uses Qt/QML for its user interface, along with BlueZ for Bluetooth connectivity. The project is built around three core principles: - Privacy first: No telemetry, no forced cloud services, full user control over data. - Environmental responsibility: Extending the life of existing smartwatches long after manufacturers drop support. - Education & contribution: Helping every interested user become a contributor. With code in QML/Qt, JavaScript, or C, users can modify the OS to suit their preference and need. ## What's new in AsteroidOS 2.0? ![new in AsteroidOS 2.0](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/AsteroidOS-smartwatch.webp) The main new features are **Always-on Display** (the screen stays visible at all times), **Tilt-to-wake** (raise your wrist to wake the screen), and **Palm-to-sleep** (cover the screen to turn it off). These features give AsteroidOS a modern smartwatch experience. Other than that, here are some other features worth looking at. ### New sensors & apps ![Design & usability overhaul in AsteroidOS 2.0](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/asteroidOS-smartwatch-2-features.webp) A dedicated **heart rate monitor** app and **initial step counting support** have been added, along with a **compass app** and **Bluetooth HID and Audio** support. There's also a new Flashlightapp and a game called Diamonds (a twist on the [2048](https://itsfoss.com/2048-game/) concept). ### Design & usability overhaul The old QuickSettings menu has been replaced by a fully redesigned, highly customizable QuickPanel with more toggles, app shortcuts, and a power-off timer. Seven new app **l**auncherstyles have been added, selectable from a new settings page. A **Nightstand mode** lets you use the watch as a bedside clock with a large charging indicator. The watchface gallery now previews faces alongside the selected wallpaper, and both pages received significant performance improvements. New triangulated wallpapers and a reworked animated background round out the visual refresh. ### App improvements Several existing apps have been redesigned. The Weather app is overhauled for better legibility, the Timer app now runs in the background and was optimized for round displays, and the Calculator got an improved button layout. Music volume control was also added. ### System & performance The release brings smoother UI animations through optimized rendering, battery life improvements, and numerous stability fixes. The system font was switched to Noto Sans for better multilingual support, and color emoji was updated to Twemoji. Over 20 new languages were added, bringing the total to 49 supported languages. ### Support for more watches Support is added for 15 new watch models since version 1.0, including multiple Fossil Gen 4/5/6 devices, Huawei Watch 1 & 2, TicWatch Pro 3, OPPO Watch, Polar M600, and more. [This page helps](https://asteroidos.org/watches/features/?ref=itsfoss.com) users see exactly what's supported on their device. ### Other features The Android companion app AsteroidOS Sync gained call detection/display, a new Bluetooth library for better stability, and custom API key support for weather. This sync app basically syncs your watch data in your Android phone. AsteroidOS support is also now added to Gadgetbridge, and new sync clients are now available for SailfishOS and Ubuntu Touch (Telescope). You can read the full release note [here](https://asteroidos.org/news/2-0-release/?ref=itsfoss.com) and watch the video demo of all the new features. I have not tried AsteroidOS personally yet. I have a Galaxy Watch, which doesn't seem to be supported yet. Perhaps in a year or two, when the watch is obsolete and AsteroidOS starts supporting it, I'll give it a try. For now, I am happy to see that this project not only exists but is also seeing active development. ### Why is Debian Called the Universal Operating System, Again? URL: https://itsfoss.com/debian-universal-operating-system/ Last updated: 2026-02-17T16:51:35.000Z In the Linux world, there are a few primary giants that most other distros have historically been built on and one of the chief among these is [Debian](https://www.debian.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). Giants like this may not be quite "household names" outside our (rapidly growing) sphere, but they're among the wise council of elders that most of us are familiar with. Speaking of Debian, you've probably heard by now, it's "The universal operating system". That's an official Debian tagline, and you may have seen it in memes or elsewhere across the web. With just how many distributions are based on Debian, you might have taken a guess as to why. But what does this *really* mean, and why is it still said today? In this article, we'll take a peek into the history of this tagline, and what it means in reality. Plus, I'll answer the question: Does Debian actually live up to this claim? ## History: Why Debian Aimed to Run Everywhere ![The ChromeOS terminal container runs Debian](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/anete-lusina-uQvUByH89MA-unsplash.jpg) The ChromeOS terminal container [runs Debian](https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/developer-library/guides/containers/containers-and-vms/?ref=itsfoss.com) (with some ChromeOS-specific pakcages) To get an idea of where this idea comes from, we need to have a quick look into Debian's history and purpose. As mentioned earlier, the most important detail here is that this isn't a community-driven saying, but part of Debian's own official branding, and it's been a part of its identity for a long time. Debian came into existence early in the Linux timeline. Ian Murdock founded the project in 1993, with the intent of building a distribution openly, in the spirit of Linux and the GNU project. The emphasis from the beginning was for Debian to be carefully maintained and supported, rather than being a haphazard collection of parts or casually abandoned. This motivation is declared even in the Debian Manifesto. ### Porting as a Culture ![Debian has several official and unofficial ports for a vast array of architectures](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/Screenshot-2025-12-31-at-20-44-02-Debian----Ports.png) Debian has several official and unofficial ports for a vast array of architectures (Source: [https://www.debian.org/ports/](https://www.debian.org/ports/?ref=itsfoss.com)) It's worth noting that Linux itself was ported to other platforms early on, so it makes sense that Debian's universal mindset likewise developed early in its life cycle, with a flexible approach to hardware. While some of the more popular operating systems of its time (DOS, Windows, and OS/2) were primarily focused on the x86 PC as a target platform, Debian wasn't afraid to spread a wide tent. Porting Debian became part of Debian's culture early on, with the first porting work beginning in August 1995 to the m68k instruction set. Later, Debian was ported to other platforms, including PowerPC, MIPS, SPARC, and other RISC-style architectures. This mattered at the time, because these platforms weren’t mere curiosities, but the heart of real workstations and servers used across various industries. In other words, Debian hasn't pursued a universal image for the sake of marketing; it's been a part of the Debian culture since almost the beginning. ### A True "Linux For Everyone" ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/pexels-belle-co-99483-1000445.jpg) [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) / [Belle Co](https://www.pexels.com/photo/silhouette-photography-of-group-of-people-jumping-during-golden-time-1000445/?ref=itsfoss.com) Even from early days, Debian has presented itself as broadly usable for everyone, and it still frames itself that way today. Where other major legacy distros, like Red Hat, Gentoo, and Slackware tended to focus on serving specific audiences, Debian remained the domain of users who want their system to be dependable and predictable. Debian's porting efforts are therefore critical to its goal: to be a community project for broad, general-purpose usability across many kinds of machines. ## Has Debian Stayed True To This Slogan? ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/debian-universal-os-1.webp) In many ways, yes: Debian is still a very "universal" operating system. It still has broad support for a number of architectures, and still ships tens of thousands of packages for them. Debian 13 (Trixie) also officially supports the emergent riscv64 architecture, which shows that the project continues to pursue new platforms as they come into relevance. However, in some ways, Debian's universal scope is narrowing, and that is arguably a reasonable trade-off. That said, it's important to understand why this is. It's not that the goal of Debian has changed, but rather the combination of the computing landscape changing over time, and the reality that, like many open-source projects, Debian still depends heavily on volunteer developers. ### Universality is a Monumental Effort ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/pexels-pixabay-532079.jpg) [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) / [Pixabay](https://www.pexels.com/photo/yellow-crane-532079/?ref=itsfoss.com) Even with a vibrant community and support from corporate stakeholders, keeping legacy systems alive indefinitely is not something Debian can realistically promise, especially as upstream projects stop supporting older targets. For example, Debian dropped i386 as a regular architecture as of Debian 13 (Trixie), keeping only legacy support for running 32-bit code on amd64 via multiarch and chroots. This means there is no official kernel and no Debian installer for i386 systems, and users running i386 systems are advised not to upgrade to Trixie. Trixie is also the last release for armel, in the practical sense that it is no longer supported as a regular architecture. Upgrades are possible for certain hardware (or with third-party kernels), but it is expected to be removed in a future release. ### These Are Totally Fair Choices Frankly, this should not affect the majority of users, since most mainstream PCs have been on 64-bit x86 for years. That said, retro-PC enthusiasts (and anyone maintaining older hardware for specific reasons) may have to stick with older Debian releases for full i386 installs, switch to different hardware, or do more hands-on work to keep their preferred setups running. ## Why Distros and Hardware Vendors Still Choose Debian (As a Base) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/pexels-pixabay-268018.jpg) Debian is the rock many others build upon [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) / [Pixabay](https://www.pexels.com/photo/selective-focus-photography-of-cairn-stone-268018/?ref=itsfoss.com) Most of us aren't trying to reinvent the wheel every time we want to do something new. Likewise, distro maintainers and hardware vendors building their own distros for Single Board Computers (SBCs) and other custom hardware don't want to have to start from scratch every time they need a software stack. Debian's predictability and stability offer a solid basis for them to build on, because these qualities are a major part of what makes its universal promise possible. While Debian has a huge catalogue in its repos, it doesn't chase after the "latest and greatest" of software, because what's latest isn't always what's greatest when the goal is to minimise software faults and present a target that can last for a long time. This is why Debian is the basis for such distros as [Raspberry Pi OS](https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/operating-systems/?ref=itsfoss.com) (formerly Raspbian), [Armbian](https://www.armbian.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) (Debian-based images for many SBCs), [DietPi](https://dietpi.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), and even purpose-built projects like Proxmox VE and Tails, as well as Debian-rooted desktop options like [Ubuntu](https://ubuntu.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE)](https://linuxmint.com/download%5Flmde.php?ref=itsfoss.com). Debian also does much of the underlying architectural portability work while keeping the core experience intact, and it has even produced non-Linux ports like Debian GNU/Hurd and, for a time, Debian GNU/kFreeBSD. The common thread is that Debian provides a slower-moving foundation without compromising on usability, and it balances experimentation where necessary. This lets downstreams keep their focus and energy geared towards the extras, like hardware enablement, sensible defaults, and end-user experience, instead of rebuilding the entire stack. ## Final Thoughts ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/lukas-NLSXFjl_nhc-unsplash.jpg) Photo by [Lukas](https://unsplash.com/@lukash?utm%5Fsource=unsplash&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcontent=creditCopyText) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/a-computer-screen-with-a-program-running-on-it-NLSXFjl%5Fnhc?utm%5Fsource=unsplash&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcontent=creditCopyText) I hope you've enjoyed learning about why Debian is called "the universal operating system." It's more than a fun piece of trivia: it's a deeper concept that underpins the very nature of Debian as a project. Debian has earned this label through a consistent mindset and follow-through, with a commitment to broad usability, a culture of portability, and an approach to stability that makes for a dependable base for everything from desktops and servers to downstream distributions and specialised hardware. While Debian’s scope has narrowed in a few places as the industry evolved, it hasn't retreated from this core ideal. It’s a realistic way of keeping the promise alive and meaningful, so Debian can truly remain "the universal operating system". ### Gentoo Takes the First Step to Ditch Microsoft Copilot-Infested GitHub URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/gentoo-github-switch-begins/ Last updated: 2026-02-17T15:05:30.000Z Contributors to Gentoo Linux can now submit pull requests through [Codeberg](https://codeberg.org/gentoo/gentoo?ref=itsfoss.com) instead of [GitHub](https://github.com/gentoo/gentoo?ref=itsfoss.com). The repository mirror is already live (*only the* [*ebuild repo*](https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Ebuild%5Frepository?ref=itsfoss.com)), with more of the project's Git infrastructure planned to follow along [in the coming months](https://www.gentoo.org/news/2026/02/16/codeberg.html?ref=itsfoss.com). The move follows through on plans outlined in Gentoo's 2025 end-of-year review published [earlier this year](https://www.gentoo.org/news/2026/01/05/new-year.html?ref=itsfoss.com), where the team had made it clear that they would be migrating repository mirrors away from GitHub. They provided the following rationale for this change: > Mostly because of the continuous attempts to force [Copilot](https://github.com/features/copilot?ref=itsfoss.com) usage for our repositories, Gentoo currently considers and plans the migration of our repository mirrors and pull request contributions to Codeberg. Developers can now submit pull requests through Codeberg using the [AGit workflow](https://forgejo.org/docs/latest/user/agit-support/?ref=itsfoss.com), which, the project says, **eliminates the need to maintain personal forks of the repository**. Gentoo has also published [detailed instructions](https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Codeberg/Pull%5Frequests?ref=itsfoss.com) on their wiki for contributors making the switch. ## Why Does it Matter? [Version control systems](https://about.gitlab.com/topics/version-control/?ref=itsfoss.com) track changes to code over time, allowing multiple developers to work on the same project without conflicts. These systems maintain a complete history of modifications and enable teams to roll back problematic updates when needed. [Git](https://git-scm.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) has become the dominant version control tool in software development, and many companies and organizations provide Git hosting services with features like pull requests, issue tracking, and continuous integration on top of the core version control functionality. [GitHub](https://github.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) sits at the center of this ecosystem, with the platform hosting millions of repositories and serving as the default choice for many developers. But Microsoft's [acquisition of GitHub](https://news.microsoft.com/announcement/microsoft-acquires-github/?ref=itsfoss.com) in 2018 for $7.5 billion is a move that remains controversial. Gentoo maintains mirrors of its repositories on GitHub **to simplify external contributions**. These mirrors duplicate the contents of Gentoo's primary Git infrastructure, which the project [hosts independently](https://gitweb.gentoo.org/repo/gentoo.git?ref=itsfoss.com). [Codeberg](https://codeberg.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), on the other hand, promises no user tracking or third-party cookies. It runs on [Forgejo](https://forgejo.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and is maintained by a German nonprofit based in Berlin. If you notice, the organizational structure contrasts with GitHub's Big Tech ownership. Ultimately, this provides **an alternative for contributors who prefer not to use GitHub** while the project continues its gradual transition away from the platform. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Top GitHub Alternatives to Host Your Open Source Projects*](https://itsfoss.com/github-alternatives/) [Microsoft GitHub Alternatives to Host Your Open Source ProjectsIf you are looking to migrate from GitHub, here are some of the best alternatives to GitHub for hosting the source code of your open-source project.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-283.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/top-github-alternatives.png)](https://itsfoss.com/github-alternatives/) ### Someone Just Made an Immutable Gentoo-Based Distro Tailored for Gaming URL: https://itsfoss.com/matrixos/ Last updated: 2026-02-17T13:39:48.000Z [Sabayon Linux](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabayon%5FLinux?ref=itsfoss.com) was a Gentoo-based distribution that existed from the mid-2000s until 2019\. It aimed to make Gentoo accessible to regular users without the usual compilation headaches. Created by [Fabio Erculiani](https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabio-erculiani-b154b74/?ref=itsfoss.com), Sabayon offered pre-built binaries through its Entropy package manager. This let users skip the hours of compiling while still getting the Gentoo experience. Now Fabio [has shared](https://www.phoronix.com/news/Sabayon-Linux-To-matrixOS?ref=itsfoss.com) that he's working on a new immutable, atomic Linux distro called **matrixOS**. Like Sabayon, it's also based on Gentoo. 🚧 **The developer warns that this is* ***a hobby project** *specifically created for* [**homelab*](https://itsfoss.com/tag/homelab/) *setups, not for production machines.* ## matrixOS: Overview ⭐ The project's motto is "*emerge once, deploy everywhere*." In Gentoo, [emerge](https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Emerge?ref=itsfoss.com) compiles packages from source on practically every machine you set up. matrixOS remedies this by building once and distributing binaries, so you skip the compilation wait entirely. Plus, it uses [OSTree](https://ostreedev.github.io/ostree/?ref=itsfoss.com) for atomic upgrades. Your system either updates completely or not at all. **The base is read-only**, which prevents accidental breakage. Gaming is also one of its priorities, with the latest [Mesa](https://mesa3d.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [NVIDIA](https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/drivers/?ref=itsfoss.com) drivers handling AMD and NVIDIA GPUs, so graphics work right away without you needing to go looking for drivers. Cooling management is handled by [coolercontrold](https://docs.coolercontrol.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [liquidctl](https://github.com/liquidctl/liquidctl?ref=itsfoss.com), and the filesystem runs btrfs on both `/boot` and `root` with zstd compression. The root partition auto-resizes on first boot and NTFS drives work using the [NTFSPlus](https://itsfoss.com/ntfsplus/) driver. **SecureBoot support is built in** with certificates you can enroll directly in UEFI BIOS or through Shim MOK enrollment at first boot. Looking ahead, the project aims to implement proper CI/CD pipelines and testing workflows, rewrite the core tooling in Go (*replacing the current bash scripts*), and migrate to [bootc](https://bootc-dev.github.io/bootc/?ref=itsfoss.com) or build a wrapper on top of OSTree with [Unified Kernel Image](https://uapi-group.org/specifications/specs/unified%5Fkernel%5Fimage/?ref=itsfoss.com) (UKI) support. ## A Quick Look 😶‍🌫️ ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/matrixos-desktop-view.jpeg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/matrixos-system-details.jpeg) **matrixOS' GNOME implementation looks slick.* Seeing that matrixOS is an experimental distro, I ran it as a virtual machine using [Virtual Machine Manager](https://virt-manager.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). Right away, I found the GNOME interface familiar, but with a Windows-like taskbar at the bottom. I could access pinned apps, notifications, and the quick-settings menu from here, with a handy button on the far-right letting me focus on the desktop when multiple app windows were open. ![this desktop screenshot of matrix shows btop, steam, google chrome, nvidia settings, and the shell extension apps open, displaying against a mixed blue cubical background, and a blurred taskbar at the bottom](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/matrixos-pre-installed-apps.jpeg) **Speaking of apps**, there are plenty of useful ones included, like [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) for gaming, [Btop](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXClWDkOH3Q&ref=itsfoss.com) for system monitoring, [Google Chrome](https://www.google.com/chrome/?ref=itsfoss.com) for browsing, and [gedit](https://itsfoss.com/gedit-tweaks/) for text editing. Classic games like Mahjong and Chess are also pre-installed. Likewise, the distro ships with [Google Antigravity](https://antigravity.google/?ref=itsfoss.com) for AI-assisted coding, and there's built-in support for [GNOME Shell extensions](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-shell-extensions/) if you want to further customize the desktop to your liking. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/matrixos-snap-flatpak-docker-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/matrixos-gnome-software-2.png) **matrixOS gives you many ways to install new apps!* *Flatpak*, *Snap*, and *Docker* **are all pre-configured and ready to use**, so you have multiple options for installing apps. GNOME Software ties it all together with a simple interface for browsing and fetching applications without [you needing to touch the terminal](https://itsfoss.com/no-longer-need-terminal/). ## Grab an Image 📥 matrixOS comes in [three variants](https://images.matrixos.org/index.html?ref=itsfoss.com): *Bedrock*, *GNOME*, and *Server*. Each is available in `raw` for flashing to drives and `qcow2` for running on [virtual machines](https://itsfoss.com/virtual-machine/). The distro **requires UEFI to boot**, so legacy BIOS systems won't work. For logging in, the default password is "*matrix*," and the source code lives on [GitHub](https://github.com/lxnay/matrixos?ref=itsfoss.com) for people interested in contributing or building from source. [matrixOS](https://images.matrixos.org/index.html?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*7 Best Gentoo-Based Linux Distributions*](https://itsfoss.com/gentoo-based-distros/) [7 Best Gentoo-Based Linux DistributionsWant to experience Gentoo but better and easier? These Gentoo-based distributions got your back.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-282.png)It's FOSSAnkush Das![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/gentoo-based-distros-2.png)](https://itsfoss.com/gentoo-based-distros/) ### Give Your Weather Report an Animated ASCII Spin in Linux Terminal URL: https://itsfoss.com/weathr/ Last updated: 2026-02-17T10:26:45.000Z One of the most underrated things that comes with open source projects that isn't talked about enough is the whimsy. The developers make anything they like, unshackled by any bonds of a boring format, and the result of this kind of freedom is a program like weathr. [weathr](https://github.com/veirt/weathr?ref=itsfoss.com) is a CLI tool written in Rust that gives you a full weather report, complete with a general category, temperature, wind speed and precipitation. What separates it from other weather utilities is that it shows you what the weather looks like in ASCII graphics, with a little house and shrubbery, featuring absolutely adorable animations. 0:00 /0:07 1× weathr weathr retrieves the weather data from [Open-Meteo](https://open-meteo.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), and it has several modes and configurations that you can play around with. ## Different animation for different kind of weather 📋 Weathr allows you to simulate a few weather conditions. This lets you see how the terminal would appear if the weather were the same where you are. I understand that monsoon is not a season experience in many parts of the world but let's say it's raining outside. ``` weathr --simulate rain ``` This is what it would look like in weathr: 0:00 /0:04 1× weathr rain simulation I have never experienced snowfall in real but at least I can simulate it ;) ``` weathr --simulate snow ``` 0:00 /0:04 1× weathr snow simulation If not snow, for sure I have witnessed fog in winters: ``` weathr --simulate fog ``` 0:00 /0:06 1× weathr fog simulation There are several more options you can simulate, listed on the help page, which are put into four categories: - **Clear Skies:** clear, partly-cloudy, cloudy, overcast - **Precipitation:** fog, drizzle, rain, freezing-rain, rain-showers - **Snow:** snow, snow-grains, snow-showers - **Storms:** thunderstorm, thunderstorm-hail 💡 There are also frequent passages of airplanes. Glad that they don't make noise ;) ### Different animation for different time of the day Weathr takes care of the time of the day. The daytime animations include the sun, gliding clouds, v-shaped birds, and bright colors. Nighttime comes with animations of the moon, twinkling stars, gliding clouds, and fireflies and shooting stars. To simulate the weather at nighttime, you have to choose a simulation condition first and add an -n flag to signify the time of day: ``` weathr --simulate clear -n ``` 0:00 /0:11 1× weathr nighttime simulation You can simulate any of the weather conditions mentioned before. You can also choose to make the leaves fall as if it was autumn within the window with the -l flag. I guess -l stands for leaves here. ``` weathr --simulate clear -l ``` 0:00 /0:07 1× weathr fall simulation ## Units of your choice There are two broad categories you can choose from, obviously being imperial and metric units: ``` weathr --imperial weathr --metric ``` You can also specify specific units for all the different fields, with the options being: - **Temperature:** celsius, fahrenheit - **Wind Speed:** kmh, ms, mph, kn (knots) - **Precipitation:** mm, inch This can be added to the configuration file at \~/.config/weathr: ``` [units] temperature = "celsius" wind_speed = "kmh" precipitation = "mm" ``` 💡 While the default view gives all the available options, you can choose to hide the location coordinates or the entire heads-up-display (HUD) entirely to only see the ASCII animation: `weathr --hide-location` `weathr --hide-hud` ## Set the location manually and accurately (if you want to) If you run weathr as it is, it will track your public IP and show the weather for that location. Now, we all know that public IP is not an accurate measure of location. And if you [use VPN on your Linux system](https://itsfoss.com/best-vpn-linux/), you won't want to see the weather of Australia when you are in America. The good thing is that weathr allows you to configure your location. It requires some config file editing but that's not overly complicated. First thing first, use a map on your smartphone to get the coordinates of your location. You can also use a website like [GPS Coordinate](https://www.gps-coordinates.net/?ref=itsfoss.com) for this purpose. To start with, for an accurate weather report without being intrusive, weathr takes in the exact coordinates input by the user to provide a weather report. It can be updated in the configuration file for a permanent setting of the location or change of the same. To do it, you need to first create the configuration file using: ``` mkdir -p ~/.config/weathr ``` To enter the location, given that you know your coordinates, access the newly created configuration file at \~/.config/weathr and add the following: ``` [location] # Location coordinates (overridden if auto = true) latitude = 40.7128 longitude = -74.0060 ``` Other than that, you can choose an auto-location option that gets the location from your IP address. ``` weathr --auto-location ``` ## Installing weathr 🚧 ****It is a Rust-based tools so you need to** [****install Cargo first**](https://itsfoss.com/install-rust-cargo-ubuntu-linux/). Cargo is a command-line tool that is used for installing Rust-based utilities from the Rust Package Registry ([Crates](https://crates.io/?ref=itsfoss.com)) or from a locally downloaded Rust program. Installing weathr needs Rust and Cargo, after which you can enter the following commands: ``` git clone https://github.com/veirt/weathr.git cd weathr cargo install --path . ``` If you wish to check the help page for quick peak at the available commands: ``` weathr --help ``` [Get weathr](https://github.com/veirt/weathr?ref=itsfoss.com) 💡 If you liked this nifty tool, perhaps star their GitHub repo. Developers like that. ## Wrapping Up While "necessary" isn't the word that can be used to describe an app like weathr, it still stands as a testament to how fun and innovative open source applications can be. With a minimal system load, weathr adds a touch of delightful playfulness. I mean, we should surely add it to our [list of fun ASCII tools](https://itsfoss.com/ascii-art-linux-terminal/). Please let us know what you think about weathr in the comments, and if you would use it for your daily weathr report needs. Cheers! ### Reverse Engineering Linux Distro REMnux Marks 15 Years With Major v8 Release Featuring AI Agent Support URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/remnux-v8-release/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:14:48.000Z Linux has become [a lucrative target for bad actors](https://itsfoss.com/news/xz-utils-backdoor/), making specialized security tools more essential than ever. [REMnux](https://remnux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a Linux distribution built specifically for such scenarios, helping researchers understand malware. While [Kali Linux](https://www.kali.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is the go-to for penetration testing, REMnux specializes in reverse-engineering and analyzing malware. Both are essential security tools, but they serve different purposes. The [new v8 release](https://zeltser.com/remnux-v8-release?ref=itsfoss.com) brings many improvements, with some [agentic AI](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AI%5Fagent?ref=itsfoss.com) support sprinkled in. ## REMnux v8: What's New? ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/remnux-v8-desktop-view.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/remnux-v8-tools.png) **REMnux v8 desktop view (left) and its tool list (right).* Featuring an [Ubuntu 24.04 LTS](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-24-04-lts-review/) base, REMnux v8 comes with a new [Cast](https://github.com/ekristen/cast?ref=itsfoss.com)\-based installer that is said to be more reliable and better for handling upgrades. **Several new tools** also make it into this release, with additions like [YARA-X](https://github.com/VirusTotal/yara-x?ref=itsfoss.com), which is a Rust rewrite of the popular [YARA](https://github.com/VirusTotal/yara?ref=itsfoss.com) pattern matching tool. [GoReSym](https://github.com/mandiant/GoReSym?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Redress](https://github.com/goretk/redress?ref=itsfoss.com) are here for Go binary analysis, while [Manalyze](https://github.com/JusticeRage/Manalyze?ref=itsfoss.com) and [LIEF](https://lief.re/?ref=itsfoss.com) handle PE, ELF, and MachO file parsing. For Android analysis, there's [APKiD](https://github.com/rednaga/APKiD?ref=itsfoss.com). PDF files get [origamindee](https://github.com/mindee/origamindee?ref=itsfoss.com), and QR codes get [ZBar](https://github.com/mchehab/zbar?ref=itsfoss.com) for decoding. Python malware analysis gains [pyinstxtractor-ng](https://github.com/pyinstxtractor/pyinstxtractor-ng?ref=itsfoss.com) for unpacking PyInstaller executables and [uncompyle6](https://github.com/rocky/python-uncompyle6?ref=itsfoss.com) for decompiling bytecode. [AutoIt-Ripper](https://github.com/nazywam/AutoIt-Ripper?ref=itsfoss.com) handles AutoIt scripts. ## The AI Buff REMnux v8 adds a [new MCP server](https://github.com/REMnux/remnux-mcp-server?ref=itsfoss.com) that connects AI assistants like Claude or ChatGPT to the distro's analysis tools. The MCP server knows which tools work for different file types and how to interpret their output. The AI can automatically run multiple tools in sequence. At standard depth, analyzing a Windows executable triggers about 16 different tools in one go. It plans how to analyze, selects the relevant tools, understands the output, and correlates the results. When standard tools don't work, the AI can write custom Python scripts for things like reconstructing PE files or decoding obfuscated data. [Lenny Zeltser](https://zeltser.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), the creator of REMNux, demonstrated this with real malware samples [on his blog](https://zeltser.com/ai-malware-analysis-remnux?ref=itsfoss.com). In addition, REMnux v8 also ships with [OpenCode](https://opencode.ai/?ref=itsfoss.com), a terminal AI coding assistant that [works with the MCP server](https://docs.remnux.org/discover-the-tools/use+artificial+intelligence?ref=itsfoss.com). There are also AI plugins for tools like [Ghidra](https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Radare2](https://github.com/radareorg/radare2?ref=itsfoss.com). ## Install REMnux v8 The developers provide quite a few ways to get this release of REMnux. The most straightforward way is to import the [virtual appliance](https://docs.remnux.org/install-distro/get-virtual-appliance?ref=itsfoss.com) into the [hypervisor](https://linuxhandbook.com/what-is-hypervisor/?ref=itsfoss.com) of your choice. If that doesn't work for you, you can [install REMnux from scratch](https://docs.remnux.org/install-distro/install-from-scratch?ref=itsfoss.com) on a dedicated system or run it as [a Docker container](https://docs.remnux.org/run-tools-in-containers/remnux-containers?ref=itsfoss.com). The source code for REMnux can be found on [GitHub](https://github.com/REMnux/distro?ref=itsfoss.com). [REMnux v8](https://docs.remnux.org/install-distro/get-virtual-appliance?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Murena Teams Up With German Manufacturer to Offer a €698 de-Googled Android Tablet URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/murena-volla-tablet/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T11:11:23.000Z [Murena](https://murena.com/?sld=5&ref=itsfoss.com) has been in the business of selling de-Googled Android smartphones loaded with /e/OS since 2022\. The French company strips out Google services and offers devices that don't profit from its users' data. On the other side, [Volla](https://volla.online/en/index.php?ref=itsfoss.com) is a German hardware maker known for building repairable, privacy-focused devices. Founded in 2017 by [Dr. Jörg Wurzer](https://www.linkedin.com/in/wurzer/?ref=itsfoss.com), they sell smartphones and a tablet preloaded with [Volla OS](https://github.com/HelloVolla/volla-os-beta-test?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Ubuntu Touch](https://www.ubuntu-touch.io/?ref=itsfoss.com). Now these two have partnered up to offer the ***Murena Volla Tablet***, which combines Volla's hardware with Murena's software. ## Murena Volla Tablet: What's Inside? ![this image with a mixed green background shows the front and back views of the murena volla tablet](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/murena-volla-tablet-green-background.png) **The front and rear views of the Murena Volla Tablet.* The device is powered by a [MediaTek Helio G99](https://www.mediatek.com/products/smartphones/mediatek-helio-g99?ref=itsfoss.com) SoC with **12 GB of RAM**. This is not a flagship chip, but it should be able to handle everyday tasks comfortably. Storage is generous at **512 GB**, and you can **expand it up to 1 TB** using a microSD card. That is plenty of room for apps, files, and media without worrying about running out of space for a long time (*unless you are a hoarder*). Don't worry, I won't make you scroll further. Here are the rest of the specs: - **GPU:** ARM Mali-G57 MC2 - **Display:** 12.6″ 240 ppi QHD. - **Cameras:** 13MP rear camera, 5MP front camera. - **Battery:** 10,000 mAh, non-removable. - **Connectivity:** WiFi 6 - **Cellular:** 2G, 3G, and 4G. **For the software**, the Murena Volla Tablet comes equipped with the **Android 14-based version of /e/OS**. This strips out Google services and replaces them with open source alternatives. You get tracker-free native apps like Mail, Calendar, Maps, and Camera out of the box. [Murena Workspace](https://murena.com/workspace/?ref=itsfoss.com) is also included, offering cloud storage and office tools with 1 GB of free space. If you are **wondering about Android apps**, the [App Lounge](https://doc.e.foundation/app-lounge-main?ref=itsfoss.com) lets you install them from [F-Droid](https://f-droid.org/en/?ref=itsfoss.com), the [Play Store](https://play.google.com/store/?ref=itsfoss.com), and Murena's database of [PWAs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive%5Fweb%5Fapp?ref=itsfoss.com). Each app gets a privacy score from 0 to 10 based on its permissions and trackers, helping you decide what to install. [Gaël Duval](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaelduvalprofile/?ref=itsfoss.com), the CEO of Murena, had a few words to say during the launch: > Our users have long awaited a large-display tablet with /e/OS - one powerful enough to replace a laptop for everyday tasks, especially with keyboard and mouse support. > > Thanks to our partnership with Volla, that wait is over. We're excited to team up with an independent European company that shares our vision: technology should serve people, not the other way around. ## Get the Murena Volla Tablet Priced at **€698** (*excl. shipping*), the Murena Volla Tablet comes with **a 2-year warranty** that covers manufacturing defects. Things like scratches, degrading battery performance, and damage to the device after you throw it at your ex don't count. You should also know that **the availability of this device is limited** to Europe, Hong Kong, Canada, Puerto Rico, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, and the US. [Murena Volla Tablet](https://murena.com/shop/smartphones/brand-new/murena-volla-tablet/?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Looking for Linux Phones? Here are Your Options*](https://itsfoss.com/linux-phones/) [Looking for Linux Phones? Here are Your OptionsLinux phones could be the future to replace Android or iOS, but what are some of your options to give it a try?![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-281.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-phones-ft-2.png)](https://itsfoss.com/linux-phones/) ### Why and How I am Using Emacs for Writing My Next Novel URL: https://itsfoss.com/opinion/emacs-the-ux-ideal-part-deux/ Last updated: 2026-02-15T10:48:57.000Z 0:00 /0:29 1× The author working on his manuscript. The screen is divided between the LaTeX manuscript, its PDF, and the notes in org-mode. ****©** Theena Kumargurunathan, 2026 [In Part I of this article](https://itsfoss.com/emacs-the-ux-ideal/), I alluded to how Emacs' UX has allowed me to create a writing workflow to fit the way I think, write, edit and worldbuild. [In the Age of AI Writing Tools, I Picked Emacs for My Sci-Fi NovelThe venerable text editor feels timeless and timely in the age of AI and enshittification. A novelist argues that it is perhaps because Emacs is the embodiment of FOSS ideals![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-280.png)It's FOSSTheena Kumaragurunathan![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/emacs-as-writing-tool.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/emacs-the-ux-ideal/) But Emacs is more than my tool for thinking and writing: it is also direct inspiration for a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) for my next science fiction novel. Much of the dramatic extrapolations for this BCI came from experience: imaginative extrapolation is easy when the tool itself feels both timeless and futuristic. In part II, I want to use a different route. I will start by tracing a brief historical outline of the philosophical and design choices that has made Emacs a veritable digital habitat for writers like me. In doing so, I've made an effort to ensure that the presentation isn't overly technical---this is in consideration of the fact that both the writer of this piece, and its primary intended audience, are both non-programmers. I will then demonstrate how these decisions directly affect my writing workflow over its different phases. ## A Brief History of the Future Good UX comes from good design. The former is the harvest that comes about from sowing in the latter. Emacs feels timeless to me because it made a simple, stubborn choice early on: let the user shape the tool. Consequently, Emacs users treat the editor less like an *app* and more like a modular Swiss army knife that invites the user to mould it for any text-centric work. This is no accident: Emacs has always given priority to user agency. At the risk of repetition: that stance matters now during the age of AI where big tech is throwing AI into everything ([Microsoft will be updating its venerable Notepad with AI---let that sink in](https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/6/24289707/microsoft-notepad-ai-text-editing-rewrite?ref=itsfoss.com)). Emacs provides building blocks that are plain and durable because it centers everything on text: buffers are workspaces, not just files; modes give those spaces a purpose, while small add‑ons layer in habits writers care about: word counts, spell checks, captures, exports. You don’t have to learn a new app to switch tasks. My experience is usually along the lines of *I wonder if I can do this on Emacs*, and the answer is usually a resounding yes. Emacs also grew carefully, not fashionably. It started on terminals and added a GUI without losing its clarity or diluting its user-centricity. Performance improved step by step, but never at the cost of readability. Support for global writing—Unicode, font choices, clean rendering—arrived without breaking the rhythm seasoned users rely on. This doesn't mean that Emacs is somehow impervious to change. Emacs absorbs new technology by translation, not reinvention. When the world moved to version control, Emacs welcomed it through text and simple interfaces like [Magit](http://https//magit.vc/?ref=itsfoss.com); [what started out as a simple outliner has grown into Emacs' killer feature.](https://orgmode.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) The result of all this malleability is that Emacs is at once my hypertextual ideas and research storage, my studio for brainstorming, and my workshop for crafting the written word. ## Emacs as Hypertextual Ideas and Storage Back when I was writing and notetaking on a word processor like some neanderthal, I would connect distinct word files and sections within these files using MS Word's hyperlinking function. This allowed me to link files and mimic the hypertextuality of the web. This was all well and good until I had dozens of Word documents open. Finding the right one in a cascade of windows was annoying, but the bigger issue was how slow the entire experience would become. Emacs solves this beautifully using Org-Roam and Hyperbole. The former requires unique file IDs in order to create a mini-database of connected nodes---the same functionality that Notion and Obsidian offer. [Org-Roam](https://www.orgroam.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) has become my second brain. Explaining its functionality will require a separate article. In short, it is my personal knowledge management system, the bucket that I vomit ideas into. This vomit-box of ideas are available at a moment's notice. Once the idea begins to take shape, I refine these notes over time, creating change-logs, connections to related notes, etc. Once the research phase begins, Emacs' built-in support for Bibtex lets me cite my research. [Hyperbole](https://www.gnu.org/software/hyperbole/?ref=itsfoss.com) takes a different approach: it allows you to link to files no matter where they are located in your system, specific line numbers in files, create implicit buttons, and automate all these actions in one go. It doesn't require databases. I've only recently started experimenting with it, and so far have been blown away. 📋 Paid software that it replaces: \- Notion \- [Roam Research](http://https//roamresearch.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) FOSS software to pair it with: \- [Zotero](https://itsfoss.com/zotero/) 0:00 /0:36 1× ****The author's note-taking workflow with Org-Roam ©** Theena Kumargurunathan, 2026 ## Emacs as Workshop for the Written Word I am a novelist and a filmmaker. From a workflow standpoint, that means I work heavily with two file-types (or modes in Emacs-speak): LaTeX (for my manuscripts) and Fountain (for screenplays). There is not a single writing environment that can support long-form writing *and* screenwriting. Combine that with its support for note-taking, personal knowledge management, and task management, and you begin to see why Emacs illicits such a strong emotional and cognitive pull. It isn't merely the writing studio I've always wanted; it is an environment for thinking and making. 📋 Paid software that it replaces: \- [Overleaf](https://www.overleaf.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) \- [Final Draft](https://finaldraft.com/all-products?ref=itsfoss.com) FOSS software to pair it with: \- Skim/[Zathura](https://itsfoss.com/zathura-document-viewer/) PDF readers \- [Storyboarder](https://wonderunit.com/storyboarder/?ref=itsfoss.com) ![Emacs every where. The author at work on Emacs. © Theena Kumargurunathan, 2026](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/IMG20260118195638.jpg) ****Emacs every where. The author at work on Emacs. ©** Theena Kumargurunathan, 2026 ## Emacs in the Age of Enshittification The era of [enshittification](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enshittification?ref=itsfoss.com) is upon us. The age of AI is also upon us. These tools seem to suggest that those of us who have spent decades honing our individual craft have wasted our time: *let me write that story you are struggling with*, *let me create the visuals that you are working on*, *let me vibe-code that idea for an app*. Now, more than ever, user agency should be the primary concern of users. Realistically, gaining complete user agency is beyond the majority of users: on phones, on laptops, on tablets most users are happy, most of the time blissfully unaware of the hidden costs---financial or otherwise---of giving up on user agency. Now, more than ever, user agency should be at a premium---especially for creators of all sorts. As a novelist, I've made the decision: this is my life's work, and I will not trust big tech with it. Emacs is many things to me. It is my vomit bucket for ideas. It is my research library for refining ideas. It is my workshop for honing stories, for page and screen. Most of all Emacs is, in the age of slop, my digital oasis. ### Session's Co-Founder Thinks You Don't Need to Ditch WhatsApp Completely URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/session-co-founder-interview/ Last updated: 2026-02-13T09:14:16.000Z The world around us is gradually getting more polarized, with people losing hope that their governments can take them through these turbulent times. As a result, we are seeing more and more people switching to [decentralized social media platforms](https://itsfoss.com/mainstream-social-media-alternaives/). [Session](https://getsession.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is one such service that offers encrypted messaging without requiring a phone number or email address to sign up. Their onion-powered routing system makes use of \~2,000 nodes to ensure the utmost levels of privacy. We spoke with Alexander Linton of the Session Technology Foundation [back in December](https://itsfoss.com/news/alexander-linton-interview/), and now we're talking with Session's Co-Founder, [Kee Jeffrys](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kee-j-090502157/?ref=itsfoss.com), who shares some interesting insights from the technical and founding side of things. ### What Got You into Privacy Tech? While I was studying computer science at university, one of my lecturers briefly mentioned Bitcoin as a real-world application of public key cryptography. That sent me down a rabbit hole. Not because of price, but because of the underlying idea that cryptography could give individuals real control rather than forcing them to trust institutions by default. Around the same time, I started attending crypto meetups and met the people who would later become my co-founders at Session. We were all looking at early decentralized and privacy-focused technologies like [Tor](https://www.torproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), [Bitmessage](https://wiki.bitmessage.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), [Monero](https://www.getmonero.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), and [Zcash](https://z.cash/?ref=itsfoss.com) and asking the same question: **if these ideas work for money and routing traffic, why are most communication tools still centralized and easy to surveil?** I was still thinking about that question. The infrastructure of messaging is extremely delicate. It is typically run by a single company in a single jurisdiction, but it carries journalism, activism, legal work, and our regular private conversations. Our goal was to determine whether it was feasible to create a messaging system that didn't require users to have faith in any particular business, server, or nation. In 2018, about a year and a half into my degree, I began working on Session and postponed my studies to devote all of my time to focus on decentralized and privacy preserving technology, driven by the belief that private communication should not be a luxury only for powerful or rich individuals, or a niche feature for the tech-savvy, but a default for all of us. ### When Did You Know Session was Going to be More Than Just a Proof of Concept? I think it stopped feeling like a proof of concept when we saw people rely on it in situations we never could have simulated. Since founding Session, we started working with a number of digital rights NGOs around the world, talking to them about Session and providing resources to help them use it to protect their comms. In October 2022, as civil unrest was worsening in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, Signal was blocked by the Iranian government. The NGOs we had onboarded to Session then pushed the app to their networks, which **led to a domino effect that ultimately caused our user base to double overnight**. This was one of the moments when we saw our vision materialised. Session helping activists and journalists communicate with freedom. That was when it became clear this was not just an experiment anymore. It was something people could genuinely depend on. ### How Does Session Handle Requests from Governmental Agencies? The [Session Foundation](https://session.foundation/?ref=itsfoss.com) records all information requests from governments and releases an annual *Transparency Report* with aggregated information about those requests and how they were handled. Transparency reports can be found [here](https://session.foundation/transparency-reports?ref=itsfoss.com). The Session Foundation’s response to all requests for personal information of users starts with an explanation that the design of Session prevents the collection of user data and metadata at the network level by the Session Foundation. This **limits the Session Foundation's ability to provide the type of data and metadata typically requested by governments**. The contents of messages in Session are end-to-end encrypted and communicated through a decentralized onion-routed network, which means that there is no way for the contributors working on Session to discover the content of a message nor the IP address and other personal identification information of users sending or receiving messages on Session. Because of these constraints, thus far, all legal requests have resulted in the Session Foundation lacking access to any of the requested data, with the foundation responding to these requests accordingly. For example, between Jan 1 and Dec 2025, **there were 17 requests or inquiries from government agencies**. For all of these requests, the requested data was not available to the Session Foundation, preventing any user data from being shared. ### Session Pro has been in Beta for a While. What's the Timeline for Full Launch and How's the Response Been? Pro Beta features have been completed and are now progressing through quality assurance processes. We will roll out the Pro Beta in two parts. The first release will contain all of the code required for clients to recognize other users as *Pro*. It will also include support for all of the initial [Session Pro Beta](https://getsession.org/session-pro-beta?ref=itsfoss.com) features, such as badges, increased message pinning limits, animated profile images, and the ability for Pro users to send longer messages. Technically, these features are already released — but they are behind feature flags. With this release, these feature flags will be removed, and the features will effectively be ‘*in*’ Session. The second release will be the official beta launch, **as users will immediately be able to purchase Session Pro beta and utilize its additional features**. The first release should be delivered soon; we are working on the final details and testing now. The second release enabling the users to upgrade to Pro will likely come a few weeks after the first release. ### How Would You Persuade a Person to Switch Away from a Mainstream Messaging App Like WhatsApp? I wouldn’t try to overtly try to persuade someone to use Session; ultimately, the choice is up to the individual. **Most people use mainstream messaging apps because that is where their friends, family, and work contacts are**, and that is completely understandable. Most of our daily conversations with family and friends are not secret, but they are still personal. People share emotions, political views, routines, jokes, voice notes, and photos. That kind of communication deserves respect by default. Using Session is not about hiding, it's about ensuring that you aren’t turning your everyday life into data. You shouldn’t be forced to choose between connecting with friends and constantly feeding a central platform with data about who you talk to, when, and how often. For a lot of people, that idea resonates even more than high-stakes security scenarios. What I usually say is that it does not have to be an all-or-nothing switch. Session is not about replacing every conversation you have. It is about having an option that behaves differently when privacy actually matters. I also think it helps to say that switching does not have to be dramatic. You can start by inviting a couple of close people over and see how it feels. Once people experience messaging without phone numbers, ads, or algorithmic pressure, it often just feels calmer and more intentional. ### What Does Session’s 2026 Roadmap Look Like and Any Particular Worries? We have been working on [Session Protocol V2](https://getsession.org/blog/session-protocol-v2?ref=itsfoss.com), **an upgrade that will re-implement perfect forward secrecy, utilize new Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC),** and deliver improved device management features to ensure better visibility and authorization of linked devices. The V2 Session Protocol is still undergoing design, and it will take a significant amount of development resources to finalize and integrate into Session but it is something we plan to release in 2026. For the contributors working on Session, it’s exciting that developing this protocol in the open allows community members, security researchers, and users to give feedback on the proposal, ensuring that the V2 Session Protocol provides maximal security while retaining ease of use. It’s one of the wonders of working with open source tech. Besides the V2 protocol work, we will be releasing the beta of Session Pro, which will be a huge step in making the Session ecosystem truly sustainable. And as always the developers working on Session are continually squashing bugs and adding new features to Session which improve the Session user experience, and this work will continue throughout 2026. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Decentralized, Open Source Alternatives to Mainstream Social Media Platforms*](https://itsfoss.com/mainstream-social-media-alternaives/) [11 Decentralized, Open Source Alternative Social Media PlatformsTired of Big Tech prying on your data and invading your privacy? Here are some open source, decentralized alternate social platforms.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-233.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/decentralized-social-media-platform.png)](https://itsfoss.com/mainstream-social-media-alternaives/) ### Mitchell Hashimoto Launches 'Vouch' to Fight AI Slop in Open Source Ecosystem URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/mitchell-hashimoto-vouch/ Last updated: 2026-02-12T15:54:54.000Z [Mitchell Hashimoto](https://mitchellh.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) from Vagrant, Terraform, HashiCorp, and [Ghostty](https://itsfoss.com/ghostty-terminal-features/) fame has introduced [Vouch](https://github.com/mitchellh/vouch?ref=itsfoss.com), new trust management system for open source projects. With this in place, maintainers **can implement a trust-based system** where contributors must be vouched before submitting code to designated areas. The system also allows blocking bad actors entirely through a denouncement feature and maintains a simple list of approved and blocked contributors for easy management (*stored as a* [*.td*](https://github.com/mitchellh/vouch/blob/main/VOUCHED.example.td?ref=itsfoss.com) *file*). Thanks to this, **vouch lists of other projects can be aggregated to create a network** where open source projects can check if someone is already trusted elsewhere. This means contributors don't need to get vouched separately for every project they want to contribute to. Vouch also has a [GitHub](https://github.com/mitchellh/vouch/tree/main/action?ref=itsfoss.com) integration that can check pull requests and auto-close ones from unvouched users and lets maintainers vouch or denounce people by commenting on issues, and a CLI that can be used to check user status, add people to the vouch list, or denounce them. The [FAQ](https://github.com/mitchellh/vouch/blob/main/FAQ.md?ref=itsfoss.com) for Vouch also clarifies how the vouching itself would work: > There's no reason for getting vouched to be difficult. The primary thing Vouch prevents is low-effort drive-by contributions. For my projects (even this one), you can get vouched by simply introducing yourself in an issue and describing how you'd like to contribute. > Basically: introduce yourself like any normal human social environment, and you're vouched. If you abuse your privilege in the group, then you'll be denounced. > > Ultimately, Vouch does not impose any policy. Policy is up to downstream projects that integrate Vouch. It also clarifies that someone adept in the skills of manipulation and gaslighting (*the technical term is social engineering*) won't be able to trick their way into being able to merge a pull request into a repo, as reviewers would have to do that. Only people with write access to the project can vouch for or denounce contributors. This also means that **vouched users can't vouch for others**, maintaining a clear hierarchy where maintainers keep full control over who gets access. ## AI Slop Begone? By now, you must already know that the plague of [AI slop](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AI%5Fslop?ref=itsfoss.com) has reached the shores of open source and maintainers are drowning in it. These AI-generated contributions look okay at first glance, but reviewing and rejecting them takes more time than just writing proper code would have. Mitchell says this is a recent problem. Before AI tools took off, **you actually had to understand code to submit a pull request**. That barrier kept out most of the garbage. Let me give you an example, [cURL recently killed its bug bounty program](https://itsfoss.com/news/curl-closes-bug-bounty-program/) because they got flooded with AI slop. In one week, they got 7 HackerOne reports in just 16 hours. The maintainers had enough and decided that removing cash rewards was the only way to stop the flood. Vouch tackles the same issue. Instead of reviewing endless junk submissions, maintainers can just build a list of trusted people and only deal with contributions from them. Altogether, this is an excellent project. ### FOSS Weekly #26.07: Kernel 6.19, AI for Real Sysadmin Works, Arch Apps on Ubuntu and More Linux Stuff URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-07/ Last updated: 2026-02-12T14:59:58.000Z [Ubuntu 26.04 development](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-26-04-release-features/) is progressing rapidly. While there are welcome changes, their decision to [remove the classic Software & Updates tool](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-software-and-updates-removal/) from the upcoming release is unpleasant for me. This was the GUI tool that allowed you to manage the repositories. The reasoning is that it is "dangerous or too complex for normal users". I lowkey disagree with that. Your thoughts are welcome. **Here's the highlight of this edition of FOSS Weekly:** - An open source robotic arm. - The final Linux release in the 6.x series. - Tiling window in Ubuntu. - Trying AI for actual sysadmin works. - And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes! ## 📰 Linux and Open Source News Here's a summary of the news this week. [ONLYOFFICE now has an online PDF editor](https://www.onlyoffice.com/pdf-editor?ref=itsfoss.com) that can be used from a web browser. Their desktop application already has the PDF editing ability. [LibreOffice 26.2](https://itsfoss.com/news/libreoffice-26-2-release/) brings faster Calc scrolling, better Excel paste support, and better floating table handling in Writer. You can now import and export Markdown files with clipboard support. XLSX files default to the Excel 2010-365 format. DI.DAY is [a monthly movement to ditch Big Tech](https://itsfoss.com/news/di-day-celebration/), happening on the first Sunday of every month. Launched by Save Social and Chaos Computer Club, the community runs workshops on degoogling phones, installing Linux, and configuring Nextcloud. The next one's on March 1. [Linux kernel 6.19](https://itsfoss.com/news/kernel-6-19-release/) is out. ASUS ROG handhelds get official Armoury driver support, AMD VMs can now run 4096 vCPUs instead of 512, and older Radeon cards use the AMDGPU driver for better performance. [Group-Office 26.0](https://itsfoss.com/news/group-office-26-0-release/) brings Collabora Online to the free tier for real-time document editing. The new *Kanban* board module handles visual workflows, and the *Projects* module gets time approval so managers can review entries before they're finalized. Warp terminal (non-FOSS tool) [launched a Claude like AI agent for its terminal](https://itsfoss.com/news/warp-launches-oz/). Apparently, like Vibe Coding, VibeOps is also a real term, used for AI-assisted DevOps activities. And this is why we will be seeing more AI agents for the terminal workflow. ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About Emacs won over modern AI writing tools [for this novelist's sci-fi project](https://itsfoss.com/emacs-the-ux-ideal/). He spent years fighting with Neovim configs, finally switched and got the novel done. Not many people and organizations care about desktop Linux users; we do. YOUR support keeps us going. And ****it costs less than a McDonald's Happy Meal**. Opt for the Plus membership to: ✅ Get 5 FREE eBooks on Linux, Docker and Bash ✅ Enjoy an ad-free reading experience ✅ Flaunt badges in the comment section and forum ✅ To support creation of educational Linux materials [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings Ubuntu's built-in window tiling got better with the 24.04 release. To improve it further, [we tried a few tricks to further enhance it](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-tiling-windows/). Want to ditch subscription services and own your ebooks? [Self-hosted ebook servers](https://itsfoss.com/self-host-ebook-server-software/) let you organize your library and read from any device. Explore some [amusing Linux commands](https://itsfoss.com/funny-linux-commands/) and have fun in the terminal. ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner Qwen Code [can replace Claude Code for sysadmin task](https://itsfoss.com/qwen-code-sysadmin-tasks/)s without subscriptions if you can install it locally on a high-end system, of course. Bhuwan tested it on a Golang setup, Caddy with multiple local sites, and BorgBackup automation. [I Ditched Claude Code and Now Using Open Source Qwen AI for Real Sysadmin WorkAn AI assistant in the terminal can help you guide through the process, help you move faster with your tasks. I tested Qwen Code and share my findings with you.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-277.png)It's FOSSBhuwan Mishra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/qwen-code-banner-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/qwen-code-sysadmin-tasks/) Seeed Studio has introduced [the reBot Arm B601](https://itsfoss.com/news/seeed-studios-robotic-arm/), open source six-axis robotic arm aimed at students and researchers. Elecrow is running [a user interface design contest](https://www.elecrow.com/crowpanel-squareline-contest.html?ref=itsfoss.com) for the [CrowPanel ESP32 HMI](https://www.elecrow.com/display/esp-hmi-display/esp32-hmi-display.html?ref=itsfoss.com) lineup with $2,400 up for grabs. [Elecrow HMI x SquareLine UI Contest | $2,400 prize poolJoin Elecrow HMI x SquareLine UI Contest and Win $2400 prize pool! Design UI for your CrowPanel using Squareline Vision! Submit your UI by January 15, 2026.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/200px-1.png)Elecrow![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/Elecrow-HMI-SquareLine.webp)](https://www.elecrow.com/crowpanel-squareline-contest.html?ref=itsfoss.com) ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights There is [a better way to manage AppImage files](https://itsfoss.com/appmanager/) on Linux. [This Tool Brings macOS-Style Installer for AppImages on LinuxAppManager offers drag-and-drop AppImage management.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-278.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/appmanager-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/appmanager/) We also ditched ClickUp [for an "open source" alternative](https://itsfoss.com/fizzy-self-hostable-kanban-solution/). ## 📽️ Videos for You There is a neat, safe way to [install Arch User Repository packages in Ubuntu](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok%5FoFKC9iHU&ref=itsfoss.com). That's the topic for this week's video. [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip In [Thunar file manage](https://itsfoss.com/thunar-tweaks/)r, you can switch to a split view by pressing the `F3` key. This is also doable by going into the *View* menu and clicking on "*Split View.*" ![thunar split view](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/get-a-split-view-in-thunar-file-manager.png) [](https://t43217012.p.clickup-attachments.com/t43217012/da09f1e7-b651-4c93-b93b-141e46671d4b/copy-link-to-highlight-firefox.png?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse Spot the differences [in this challenging image puzzle](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/spot-the-differences-image-puzzle/). [Spot The Differences: Image PuzzleTry thinking like Sherlock Holmes to solve this one!![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-279.png)It's FOSSAnkush Das![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/spot-differences-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/spot-the-differences-image-puzzle/) **🤣 Meme of the Week**: But then Linux is only free if you have time ;) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/linux-memes.png) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On February 10, 1996, IBM’s [Deep Blue](https://www.ibm.com/history/deep-blue?ref=itsfoss.com) chess computer defeated world champion [Garry Kasparov](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garry%5FKasparov?ref=itsfoss.com) in the first game of their match, marking the first time a computer ever beat a reigning world champion under tournament conditions. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: Regular FOSSer Paul [has kicked off an interesting conversation](https://itsfoss.community/t/the-use-of-artificielle-intelligence-in-creation-of-images-or-text/15385?ref=itsfoss.com) surrounding AI use in creation of content. ### Linux Mint Wants Fewer Releases Each Year (For Good Reasons) URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-mint-longer-release-cycle/ Last updated: 2026-07-09T09:16:21.000Z [Linux Mint](https://linuxmint.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) might be changing how often it releases new versions. Clement Lefebvre, the project lead, has revealed that the team is thinking about moving away from their current release schedule. Currently, Linux Mint **follows a tight release timeline** where they ship a new release every six months, plus maintain and ship new releases of [Linux Mint Debian Edition](https://linuxmint.com/download%5Flmde.php?ref=itsfoss.com) (LMDE). The problem with this approach, as Clement adds, is that **the developers are spending more time fixing, testing, and releasing instead of developing features**. He further says that they have run out of codenames and that the next Linux Mint release will be based on an LTS release (*presumably Ubuntu 26.04 LTS*). If you were looking for my two cents on this, **I hope they extend their release schedule**, as rushing through things doesn't really help, especially when it is something as important as a widely popular Linux distro used by beginner and power users alike. Clement wrapped up [the announcement](https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=4991&ref=itsfoss.com) by sharing the following: > Stay tuned, we’ll have more information on this. Obviously the codenames strategy doesn’t matter much, but we are very interested in adopting a longer development cycle. 📋 They have decided [on a longer release cycle](https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=5019&ref=itsfoss.com) and a Christmas 2026 release for Linux Mint 23 that will feature a Wayland session. ## Wait, There's More! The development cycle news wasn't the only thing he talked about. There are some notable improvements coming to Linux Mint, and one of them is a big deal for those waiting for [Wayland](https://wayland.freedesktop.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) support. Anyone who is a regular on the [Linux Mint Forums](https://forums.linuxmint.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) will know that there have been reliability issues with it. Clement has had to apologize for how slow and unreliable the forums were last month due to an overwhelming amount of traffic from bots, AI crawlers, and scripts that the server couldn't handle. The team has since upgraded the server with 10x CPU capacity and doubled the bandwidth. They have also implemented better traffic filtering alongside the existing [Sucuri WAF](https://sucuri.net/website-firewall/?ref=itsfoss.com) to keep the bad actors out. They are also working on keyboard layout improvements after learning that some users prefer logical layouts that don't match their physical keyboard and **an entirely new Cinnamon screensaver**. ***This is the final piece before Linux Mint gains full Wayland support.*** You see, the current screensaver only works on X11 as a standalone GTK application. The new one will work on both Wayland and X11, natively rendered by Cinnamon's compositor. This is expected to deliver smoother animations during screen lock and a more integrated look since it will use the same toolkit as the applets, panel, and menus. Plus, there's **a new user administration tool** called `mintsysadm` coming to handle user accounts and details. It'll support home directory encryption during user creation, which was previously only available during OS installation, has webcam support for taking profile pictures, and includes [HiDPI support](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/HiDPI?ref=itsfoss.com) for showing avatars clearly on modern displays. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Ubuntu Ditches The Software and Updates Tool*](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-software-and-updates-removal/) ### VibeOps Folks Rejoice! Warp Launches Oz for Managing AI Coding Agents in the Cloud URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/warp-launches-oz/ Last updated: 2026-02-11T15:22:21.000Z [Warp](https://www.warp.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com) has established itself as a known name in modern developer tooling. The company's terminal application combines traditional command-line functionality with AI-powered features, letting developers write code, debug issues, and manage projects with ease. Yesterday, [they announced Oz](https://www.warp.dev/blog/oz-orchestration-platform-cloud-agents?ref=itsfoss.com), a new service for managing AI coding agents in cloud environments. 🚧 ****Warp is not open source software. It's covered here because it is a software available for Linux.** ## Oz by Warp: What to Expect? At its core, **Oz handles the infrastructure side of running AI coding agents**. Instead of setting up your own systems for sandboxing, monitoring, and coordinating these agents, you get a ready-made platform that does it for you. It is focused on team collaboration. When you configure an environment (*essentially a Docker container linked to your Git repositories*), that setup becomes available to everyone on your team. Each running agent gets [a URL](https://docs.warp.dev/agent-platform/cloud-agents/agent-session-sharing?ref=itsfoss.com) you can share, letting teammates track progress or take over if needed. **What can these agents do you ask?** They can write code spanning multiple repositories, push commits, open pull requests, run tests, and make fixes without requiring constant human supervision. Warp has shared a few examples where they built an automated fraud detector that scans for suspicious Warp account activity three times a day. In another case, a Warp developer used Oz to port the [mermaid.js](https://mermaid.js.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) JavaScript visualization library to Rust by running multiple agents, each handling a different diagram type, and in another, they created an issue triage app that lets engineers review GitHub issues and dispatch agents to tackle them. You can control it through various interfaces. There's a command-line tool, a REST API with SDK libraries, a web dashboard, and integration with [Warp's terminal app](https://app.warp.dev/referral/6N3LPK?ref=news.itsfoss.com) (*partner link*). You can start agents manually or schedule them to run at specific times. The platform also works with [Skills](https://docs.warp.dev/agent-platform/cloud-agents/skills-as-agents?ref=itsfoss.com), which are reusable instruction sets compatible with various coding agent systems. ## Get Started with Oz [Oz](https://www.warp.dev/oz?ref=itsfoss.com) works with any Warp account, **free** or **paid**. Pricing depends on how much AI inference and cloud computing you consume, measured in credits. This month, both new and existing [subscribers](https://www.warp.dev/pricing?ref=itsfoss.com) on the *Build*, *Business*, and *Max* tiers receive 1,000 complimentary credits for cloud-hosted agents. [Oz](https://www.warp.dev/oz?ref=itsfoss.com) Companies wanting to run Oz on their own servers **can opt for self-hosting**, and the web interface at [oz.warp.dev](https://oz.warp.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com) serves as a management console where you can oversee active agents. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*I Ditched Claude Code*](https://itsfoss.com/qwen-code-sysadmin-tasks/) [I Ditched Claude Code and Now Using Open Source Qwen AI for Real Sysadmin WorkAn AI assistant in the terminal can help you guide through the process, help you move faster with your tasks. I tested Qwen Code and share my findings with you.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-275.png)It's FOSSBhuwan Mishra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/qwen-code-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/qwen-code-sysadmin-tasks/) ### Here Are Your Choices for a Self-hosted eBook Server URL: https://itsfoss.com/self-host-ebook-server-software/ Last updated: 2026-02-11T11:03:12.000Z The gradual shift of technology from buying physical hardware to streaming and subscription has left us with [very less ownership of anything](https://itsfoss.com/news/digital-content-ownership-illusion/). It is quite the sad state of affairs, because even if you have paid for something, it is not you anymore who controls is. As a result, more and more [Linux users have been moving towards self-hosting services](https://itsfoss.com/self-hosting-rising/) for their media, ranging from films, software to books. And that's exactly what we're talking about today: the best software to self-host your e-book library. ## What is an eBook server software? If you have a good collection of ebooks in various file formats, you probably organize them in various folders based on the genre, reading state and other critera. An digital library software helps you organize it automatically and beautifully with poper thumbnails, author name and other metadata. But this stays on a single computer. An eBook server software lets you access those ebooks from other devices connected to the server. You can read them via web browser, on a supported reader or download them on your eBook reader device. Some software even allows you to sync your reading progress across devices. Think of it like [media server software](https://itsfoss.com/media-server-software/) but for eBooks. Now, self-hosting any open source software comes with its own set of challenges. Self-hosting ebook server is no different. But this article is not about setting up an eBook server. It's about presenting you with the various options that can be used for your self hosted ebook library. ## 1\. Calibre + Calibre-Web ![Calibre-Web interface](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image.png) Calibre as an e-book reader has been around for a long time (since 2006, to be exact), and has served as a cornerstone of the open source readers catalogue. Its extension, Calibre-Web, takes it to another level where you can self-host your e-books and make your very own server. Although, the interface my feel clanky, nothing beats Calibre in terms of features it offers. Some of its highlight features are: - **Interface:** Full graphical (multilingual) interface and setup, along with an admin interface. - **Supported Formats:** Supports 50+ formats (including audiobooks), so virtually any file you can throw at it will be supported. - **Reader:** In-browser reader for multiple formats (even for audiobooks), with customizable views, advanced searching, rating, etc. - **Library Management:** Full metadata editing (also can be imported from various sources), tagging, organization, even categorized hiding. You can create custom shelves, as well. - **Installation:** Calibre desktop with Calibre-Web on Docker. - **Multi-user:** Multiple users are supported, with a public user registration interface also available. You can even restrict the accessible books and permissions for any user. - **Extra Features:** e-book conversion between 50+ formats, sending e-books to e-readers in one click, syncing with Kobo devices, self-update capacity, extensible via plugins, and much more. If you're looking for a one-stop, future-proof solution for your self-hosted library that will be stable and easy on the resources, you have to look no further. It is elaborate, extensible, and will handle anything you throw at it. [Get Calibre-Web](https://github.com/janeczku/calibre-web?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 2\. Kavita ![Kavita Reader](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-7.png) Kavita is a server that seems oriented more towards comic books and mangas. It has a fast, slick and modern design, focusing on ease of usage. - **Interface:** It has a modern web UI, with dashboards, quick shelves, dark mode, various themes, etc. - **Supported Formats:** PDF, EPUB, Comic book formats such as CBZ, CBR, ZIP, RAR, etc. - **Reader:** There is an online reader that is very feature-rich and customizable. You can control the font, theme, margins, webtoon mode, single paged mode, double-paged mode, and reading direction among other things. It even supports annotation. - **Library Management:** It has powerful metadata scanning (from online sources like ComicInfo) for smart and proper categorization of the e-books. You can have your own custom tags and filters based on your criteria, which you can then bind to the Homepage or side navigation bar. - **Installation:** Single binary or a Docker container. - **Multi-user:** Multiple users are allowed (with reading progress and activity tracking), it gives granular control over the permissions, including age and library restrictions. - **Extra Features:** OPDS integration, there's an API, and possibility of integration with external apps such as Panels. **It also provides a premium tier, Kavita+**, which provides external reviews, personalized recommendations, automatic metadata retrieval and more. For a platform to majorly read comics in a way that also pleases your eyes, Kavita might be your best bet. It delivers simply and stably, and is tailored for an easy experience. [Get Kavita Reader](https://www.kavitareader.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 3\. Komga ![Komga reader](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-35.png) Komga is a media server made primarily for comic books and mangas. It offers ease of usage, a simple interface, and something that works without having to tweak it for hours on end. - **Interface:** It has a clean interface, focusing on series/volume based categorization. It has quite a responsive design, making it a pleasure to use. - **Supported Formats:** CBR, CBZ, ZIP, RAR, PDF. - **Reader:** It has a web reader with page thumbnails, single-page continuous view mode, with configurable reading direction. - **Library Management:** Libraries can be divided by type, collections, read lists, metadata editing from ComicInfo and a file/folder structure is available, as well. - **Installation:** Java application installed mainly via Docker and standalone JAR. - **Multi-user:** User accounts can be made, with library permissions and age restrictions. - **Extra Features:** OPDS feeds, API integration and integration with third-party mobile reading apps. If you want a platform that organizes your comics and mangas with a clean and flexible interface and sharing, Komga is what you're looking for. [Komga Reader](https://komga.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 4\. Atsumeru Atsumeru is focused on manga, webtoons, comics and light novels. It works natively across platforms and gives a smooth reading experience, without requiring too much setup or customization. - **Interface:** It has a web UI as well as a native client for Windows, Linux and MacOS (as well as any NAS device). - **Supported Formats:** CBZ/CBR/ZIP/RAR, images, EPUB for light novels. - **Reader:** It has a webtoon reader and double-paged reader, with changeable themes, dark mode, and the option to switch the reading direction. - **Library Management:** It sorts by categories that can be added either automatically or customized. It fetches metadata from the internet, and can scan through massive libraries very fast. - **Installation:** It has a single Java JAR, plus Docker images. It is quite cross-platform. - **Multi-user:** It allows multiple users with shared libraries. - **Extra Features:** It has an API and offers companion desktop/mobile apps. To read webtoons and manga with native app support and a smooth interface, with cross-platform coherence, especially for mobile-first users. [Atsumeru Reader](https://github.com/Atsumeru-xyz/Atsumeru?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 5\. Ubooquity ![Ubooquity](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/ubooquity.webp) Ubooquity is a lightweight e-book server designed for supporting e-books from folders on any device. It has a simple framework, with instant folder indexing, basic-but-reliable online reading, and other features that are well suited for low-end hardware. - **Interface:** Basic interface but doesn't look dated, and gets the job done. It allows you to browse folders, series and books. There is a separate interface for administration. - **Supported Formats:** CBZ, CBR, EPUB, PDF. - **Reader:** Minimal online reader for comics with page navigation and zoom. - **Library Management:** It has folder‑based libraries. Metadata can be import from sidecar files, Calibre and ComicRack. The indexing is simple with scheduled scans. - **Installation:** JAR as well as Docker images that can run on low-end systems. - **Multi-user:** It lets you create user accounts and set access rights for each shared folder, where the connections can be protected (HTTPS) using your own certificate. There's optional guest support as well. - **Extra Features:** It can save generic files, and works well behind reverse proxies. It is a simple Java home server with a basic web UI and viewer, suited best for low‑power hardware. [Ubooquity Reader](https://vaemendis.net/ubooquity/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 6\. pyShelf ![pyShelf reader](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-37.png) pyShelf is a bare-bones e-book server that indexes your book folders into a searchable catalog. It offers dead-simple scanning, lightweight operation, and downloads without any sort of bloat or configuration required. - **Interface:** Very minimal interface, with title, author and cover. There's a search bar to find books. - **Supported Formats:** EPUB, MOBI. - **Reader:** There's no web reader, the users have to download the books and read them offline on their devices. - **Library Management:** Scans directories and stores basic metadata in SQLite, there's very simple search and sort by title, author or tag. - **Installation:** It is a Python package, so you just have to clone the repository on your server of choice. - **Multi-user:** There's only very basic HTTP access, multiple users have to be done DIY via reverse proxy authentication. For a platform to quickly index and share e-books without the concept of any complexity, pyShelf might be your best bet. [pyShelf Reader](https://github.com/th3r00t/pyShelf?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 7\. BookLore ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-38.png) BookLore is a fresh, Jellyfin-inspired e-book server with great looks and equally great features. It offers beautiful shelves, automatic metadata fetching, family sharing, and in-browser reading that leaves very little to be desired. - **Interface:** Modern Jellyfin-like interface with shelves, rich covers, search bar, statistics, progress bar and so on. It is optimized and well suited for phone and desktop screens. - **Supported Formats:** EPUB, PDF, CBZ/CBR, etc. - **Reader:** In‑browser reader for e-books and comics, with tracking for progress and the ability to resume where you left off. - **Library Management:** It imports metadata from Goodreads/Google Books, and categorizes books in shelves based on genres, authors, series handling, tags and ratings. - **Installation:** It comes as aDocker‑Compose stack (Booklore + MariaDB), pre‑configured images on several self‑hosting platforms - **Multi-user:** There is a provision for user accounts and profiles, suitable for families or small groups. - **Extra Features:** OPDS feeds, Kobo sync integration, email notifications, reading stats and history. BookLore has a modern UI, built‑in reader, metadata fetching, OPDS, and family‑friendly multi‑user design. If you want a feature-rich reader that can do it all, this is your best bet. [BookLore Reader](https://github.com/booklore-app/BookLore?ref=itsfoss.com) ## Conclusion As is usually the case with the variety in any sort of open source software, there's a range of options available. Some focus on functionality, others focus on aesthetics, and some can do it all, offering something for everyone. Self-hosting keeps becoming more and more prevalent as time goes on, with the scarcity of ownership in the modern, subscription-based era of technology. As such, I hope this has been a helpful read for you. Cheers! ### Adios! Says Ubuntu to The Software and Updates Tool URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-software-and-updates-removal/ Last updated: 2026-02-11T09:48:08.000Z Desktop builds of the upcoming [Ubuntu 26.04 LTS](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-26-04-release-features/) won't ship with the Software & Updates application (*software-properties-gtk*) pre-installed. This is the tool that facilitates the managing of software sources and repository settings on an Ubuntu system. It handles [PPAs](https://itsfoss.com/ppa-guide/), lets users switch between different software channels like *main*, *restricted*, *universe*, and *multiverse;* pick faster download mirrors; control automatic update behavior; and manage additional drivers. Now Ubuntu developers are removing it from the desktop image. The package isn't disappearing completely, of course; it just won't be included out of the box. ## Why is It Being Ditched? ![the software and updates tool is shown here with many visible options and pages](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/ubuntu-26-04-software-and-updates.png) **When I fired up* [**the daily build*](https://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/daily-live/current/?ref=itsfoss.com) *for Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, Software & Updates was still around.* Canonical's Jean-Baptiste Lallement [filed a bug report](https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/software-properties/+bug/2140527?ref=itsfoss.com) explaining that several features in Software & Updates are "*dangerous or too complex for normal users*." He adds that the tool lets users disable *main* repositories through the GUI, and accidentally toggling this option could break system updates and software installation. Another problematic thing is said to be the enabling of the *proposed* repository (*where unstable packages live*) by the user. If you were wondering what happens to the [Ubuntu Pro](https://ubuntu.com/pro?ref=itsfoss.com) settings, don't worry; that is being moved to the [Security Center](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-security-center-near-stable/). It is Ubuntu's dedicated app for simplifying access to security features. The CLI tools remain untouched, as the software-properties-common package [is retained](https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/software-properties?ref=itsfoss.com), allowing for command-line based repository management. ## What This Means for Users Upgrading from older Ubuntu versions **won't remove Software & Updates**. Ubuntu doesn't remove packages that were previously included when users upgrade to new releases. Fresh Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and later desktop installations won't have Software & Updates pre-installed, but the package stays in Ubuntu's *main* repository, so installing it takes just one command: ``` sudo apt install software-properties-gtk ``` [Ubuntu flavors](https://itsfoss.com/which-ubuntu-install/) like *Xubuntu*, *Ubuntu MATE*, Ubuntu Budgie, and others can still ship Software & Updates in their default installations. The package remains available for any flavor that wants to include it. Via: [OMG! Ubuntu](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/02/ubuntu-26-04-drops-software-and-updates-gui?ref=itsfoss.com) --- [Explained: Which Ubuntu Version Should I Use?Confused about Ubuntu vs Xubuntu vs Lubuntu vs Kubuntu?? Want to know which Ubuntu flavor you should use? This beginner’s guide helps you decide which Ubuntu should you choose.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-274.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/which-ubuntu-version-to-use-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/which-ubuntu-install/) ### This Tool Brings macOS-Style Installer for AppImages on Linux URL: https://itsfoss.com/appmanager/ Last updated: 2026-02-11T03:36:04.000Z [AppImages](https://itsfoss.com/use-appimage-linux/) are portable Linux applications packaged in a single file that you can download and run without installation. Unlike [DEB](https://itsfoss.com/install-deb-files-ubuntu/) or [RPM](https://itsfoss.com/install-rpm-files-fedora/) packages, **they don't require root access or system-level changes**. You just make the file executable and double-click to run. But here's the catch. AppImages don't actually install on your system in the traditional sense. They exist as standalone executables that you have to manage manually. There's no automatic desktop integration, no system menu entries, and no built-in update mechanism. This way, you are stuck manually making files executable, going through folders to launch apps, and checking for updates yourself. That is where [AppManager](https://github.com/kem-a/AppManager?ref=itsfoss.com) comes in. This is a tool that handles all that tedious legwork for you. ## AppManager: Something For Your AppImages Written in [Vala](https://vala.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com) and built on [GTK 4](https://www.gtk.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) with [Libadwaita](https://gnome.pages.gitlab.gnome.org/libadwaita/?ref=itsfoss.com), AppManager is a tool that brings reliable management for AppImage files on Linux. It supports both *DwarFS* and *SquashFS* AppImage formats, giving you flexibility regardless of how your apps are packaged. The app also offers a macOS-style drag-and-drop installer, maintains an install registry that lists all your AppImages in one place, and lets you search through installed applications from the main view. ### ⭐ Key Features - Optional Automatic Updates - Smart Install Modes - Desktop Integration ### 💻 User Experience On an [Ubuntu 25.10](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-25-10-release/) system, I first had to install AppManager. To do that, I had to make its AppImage file executable by right-clicking on it, going into *Properties*, and choosing "*Executable as Program*." Then, I drag/dropped the AppManager logo into the *Applications* folder, agreed to a disclaimer, installed it, and then launched it. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/appmanager-installation-flow-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/appmanager-installation-flow-2.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/appmanager-installation-flow-3.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/appmanager-installation-flow-4.png) **The installation flow for AppManager.* I downloaded a few AppImage files for popular applications like [Bitwarden](https://bitwarden.com/download/?ref=itsfoss.com), [Krita](https://krita.org/en/download/?ref=itsfoss.com), and [MuseScore Studio](https://musescore.org/en/download?ref=itsfoss.com) to see how AppManager handled them. These were easy to add; I just had to drag-and-drop these into the interface. The video linked above shows it in action. **Any added AppImages are laid out nicely in a list**, though a grid view would also be a welcome addition here, and there are two AppImage source options: [AnyLinux AppImages](https://pkgforge-dev.github.io/Anylinux-AppImages/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Portable Linux Apps](https://portable-linux-apps.github.io//apps.html?ref=itsfoss.com). These can be used to source new AppImages. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/appmanager-appimage-list-sources-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/appmanager-appimage-options.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/appmanager-preferences.png) **The list view, AppImage options, and preferences menu on AppManager.* **Managing each entry is intuitive too**, with options to tweak command line arguments, set environment variables, configure update servers, manually trigger update checks, extract AppImages for faster launches, and remove apps when needed. I could also remove an installed app by right-clicking on its app launcher entry and moving it to the trash folder. The *Preferences* menu offers several useful configuration options for customizing how AppManager behaves. You can set a custom installation directory for new AppImages instead of the default `/home/user/Applications` location, configure the automatic update interval to suit your needs, and configure thumbnail generation. ## ⚙️ Installing AppManager You can get the latest release of AppManager from [GitHub](https://github.com/kem-a/AppManager/releases?ref=itsfoss.com), where there are 64-bit packages for x86\_64 and ARM systems. There are also packages available for those who prefer building from source. [AppManager](https://github.com/kem-a/AppManager/releases?ref=itsfoss.com) If AppManager **shows you an error** saying that "*FUSE is not installed. Some AppImages may fail to run*." Then [you can fix that](https://github.com/AppImage/AppImageKit/wiki/FUSE?ref=itsfoss.com) by running the following commands: ``` sudo add-apt-repository universe sudo apt install libfuse2t64 ``` ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/appmanager-libfuse-dependency-error.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/appmanager-libfuse-dependency-installation.png) And then reboot your computer: ``` sudo reboot ``` If this tool doesn't pique your interest, then there's also [Gear Lever](https://itsfoss.com/news/gear-lever/), which does a good job managing AppImage files on Linux. [Gear Lever: An Open Source Tool To Manage AppImage Apps on LinuxA nifty tool to help manage AppImage files.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-273.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/gearlever-aotw-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/gear-lever/) ### Seeed Studio's Open Source Robotic Arm Promises to Lower the Barrier to Embodied AI URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/seeed-studios-robotic-arm/ Last updated: 2026-02-09T17:45:57.000Z Robotic arms are everywhere in modern manufacturing. From automotive assembly lines to electronics production, **these machines handle repetitive tasks with precision that human hands can't match consistently**. Most run on pre-programmed routines, following the same paths over and over. [Embodied AI](https://www.nvidia.com/en-in/glossary/embodied-ai/?ref=itsfoss.com) is different. It gives robots the ability to learn from their environment and adapt to new situations. Instead of just processing data on screens, these systems interact with the physical world through cameras, sensors, and mechanical limbs. If that's got you intrigued, then you will most likely like this open source DIY robotic arm that's made for learning from [Seeed Studio](https://www.seeedstudio.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). ## reBot Arm B601: A Robotic Limb The motivation behind creating this is said to be the absence of a decent high-precision robot arm that was open source and accessible to students and researchers for their initial entry into robotics and potential industrial applications. A reBot Arm B601 offers **six degrees of freedom** (DoF) plus a gripper. It **can reach up to 650 mm** and **handle payloads of 1.5 kg or more**. The [repeatability](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repeatability?ref=itsfoss.com) sits under 0.2 mm, which puts it in a range where its users can do real precision work. The whole arm weighs around 4 kg and runs on DC 24V. On the software side, Seeed is planning support for ROS1, ROS2, LeRobot, Pinocchio, and Isaac Sim. They are also working on a Python SDK for easier integration. Seeed Studio also mentions that this project was inspired by a handful of open source projects like [ALOHA](https://github.com/tonyzhaozh/aloha?ref=itsfoss.com), [Dummy-Robot](https://github.com/peng-zhihui/Dummy-Robot?ref=itsfoss.com), [OpenArm](https://openarm.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com), [i2RT](https://i2rt.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), [SO-ARM100](https://github.com/TheRobotStudio/SO-ARM100/?ref=itsfoss.com), and [TRLC-DK1](https://github.com/robot-learning-co/trlc-dk1?ref=itsfoss.com). ## Build Yours The project repository is live, but most files are still rolling out. STEP files, the complete bill of materials, and assembly videos are scheduled for **late February 2026**. [ROS2 Humble](https://docs.ros.org/en/humble/index.html?ref=itsfoss.com) integration, [LeRobot](https://github.com/huggingface/lerobot?ref=itsfoss.com) adaptation, and [Isaac Sim](https://developer.nvidia.com/isaac/sim?ref=itsfoss.com) support are all scheduled for March 2026. Once they are live, you will find the necessary software, blueprints, and BOM list in the project's [GitHub](https://github.com/Seeed-Projects/reBot-DevArm/?ref=itsfoss.com) repository. [reBot Arm B601](https://www.seeedstudio.com/SO-ARM101-Low-Cost-AI-Arm-Kit-p-6426.html?ref=itsfoss.com) Via: [Hackster.io](https://www.hackster.io/news/seeed-studio-releases-their-own-affordable-and-open-source-robotic-arm-3403f854a281?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*DI.DAY is a Movement to Encourage People to Ditch Big Tech*](https://itsfoss.com/news/di-day-celebration/) [DI.DAY is a Movement to Encourage People to Ditch Big TechA new day for privacy advocates to look forward to.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-272.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/di-day-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/di-day-celebration/) ### Ghostty vs Kitty: Which Modern Terminal is the Best for Linux Users? URL: https://itsfoss.com/comparison/ghostty-vs-kitty/ Last updated: 2026-02-09T11:22:54.000Z There was once a time when the only thing different about your terminal was which monitor you were running it on. Everything was a CRT, so beyond refresh rates, size, and resolution, specs didn't matter *too* much. But those days are long behind us. Using the terminal and choosing your experience is as fun and fancy as picking which games you'd like in your Steam library. Call us terminal lovers spoiled, but hey, nothing wrong with a little choice, right? In this article, we'll be looking at two of the [most popular terminal emulators](https://itsfoss.com/linux-terminal-emulators/) available, [Ghostty](https://itsfoss.com/ghostty-terminal-features/) and [kitty](https://itsfoss.com/kitty-customization/), in a friendly matchup between the two. We'll examine their features and functionality, quirks, and specialities, and attempt to answer the question: Which one is right for *you*? ## Ghostty or Kitty? ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/12/ghostty-kitty.png) Ghostty (foreground) running [htop](https://itsfoss.com/use-htop/), and kitty (background) running [Calcurse](https://itsfoss.com/calcurse/) 🗒️ The missing window border in kitty screenshots in this article is due to running on GNOME with the Wayland display protocol. The screenshot tool does not capture the window border on kitty windows. Both of these terminal emulators are GPU accelerated, but that's about where their similarities begin and end. Their faithful communities love them fiercely for different sets of reasons, so let's get to know them both in detail. ### Ghostty: Unassuming powerhouse ![Ghostty interface](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/image-60-1.png) Ghostty 1.2.3 running on Ubuntu 25.10 via Arch (by the way) courtesy of Distrobox Written in [Zig](https://ziglang.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and C (Linux GUI only), Ghostty is a modern, high-performance terminal emulator built with responsiveness and customization as core values. It aims to deliver a smooth but lightweight, visually polished experience that's comfortable for everyday use. User-friendliness is one of the standout priorities of this project, with theme switching, intuitive settings, and quality-of-life features for both beginners and power users. Ghostty is relatively new on the scene, being created privately in 2022 and first publicly released in 2024\. That said, it’s quickly gained in popularity, being noted for its performance, a clean UI, and a focus on making advanced features accessible. [Ghostty website](https://ghostty.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### kitty: Clean, lean, terminal emulating machine ![kitty 0.41.1 running on Ubuntu 25.10](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/image-61-1.png) kitty 0.41.1 running on Ubuntu 25.10 kitty is a minimalist, high-performance terminal emulator with a focus on keyboard- and command- driven interaction, and features catered mainly to power users. Written in C and Python, kitty is well established, having been first released in 2017\. kitty is modular and scriptable by design, and includes advanced capabilities including image display, layout management, remote control, and a built-in framework for writing extensions. It's a big hit among many tinkerers and heavy terminal users. [Kitty website](https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## Interface navigation Terminal Emulators aren't usually known for their extensive GUIs. After all, the every reason you open up a terminal emulator in the first place is to escape the land of GUIs and dig deep into the keyboard-driven land of system internals, right? Well, there's still a need for *some* kind of interface navigation, or you could as well jump into a TTY. So where do these two leave us? ### Ghostty: Keyboard-friendly, but familiar ![Ghostty offers a blend of the fresh and familiar](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/image-58-1.png) Ghostty offers a blend of the fresh and familiar With a familiar GTK4 interface on top of a shared, cross-platform backend, Ghostty provides a familiar blend of mouse and keyboard features that fit right into modern workflows. Its interface is designed to be non-intrusive, showing only the features you need until you need something extra. ### kitty: Keyboard driven, mouse capable ![kitty keeps it super clean and minimalist](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/image-59-1.png) kitty keeps it super clean and minimalist If you love keyboard-driven navigation, kitty is perfect for you. Just about everything you can do in kitty is driven by a keyboard combination, from tab management to scrolling. ## Performance: The key factor? Both of these terminal emulators are built with hardware acceleration as a core feature, which typically lends to enhanced performance overall. While there won't be a deep analysis of either app's core stats in this article, I'll at least attempt to give you a fair assessment based on testing them in real-world conditions to see how they stack up. **I ran two main tests:** 1. Resizing performance. 2. Text output speed, using `while true; do date; sleep 0.05; clear; done`. I chose the first because while my system is notably quick to do most things, there's one area where most terminal emulators struggle and at time stutter when I put them to the test: resizing with active updates. A good way to test this is to run an app like htop, or run tail on an active log. As you resize the window you'll usually notice the lag. I chose the second as a fairer test between the two, since kitty debounces rendering when resizing by default. 🗒️ I didn't test startup times since I'm using Ghostty via Arch on Distrobox, due to issues running it directly on Ubuntu. I didn't think it fair to compare the two under these conditions, even if the container overhead is minimal. ### Ghostty: Smooth resizing, slightly faulty static refreshes Ghostty handled my resize and update tests with ease. I used a triple split screen and dual tabs, all running `htop`, which means multiple splits and two tabs running the same constant updates. To make the test a little more taxing, I put on one the Main tab and the other on the I/O tab. Ghostty handled it all like nothing. Not only did the window update smoothly while resizing, but text reflowed as needed with no stuttering, and each section of my split-screen tab showed its dimensions in real time. Tab switching is equally peppy, showing no lag and no performance hits after the fact. During the rapid refresh test, however, I noticed visible flickering. This didn’t appear when running `htop`, and static output tests (such as dumping tens of thousands of lines) completed instantly. The issue only surfaced during very fast, repeated full-screen clears. This could be related to my Nvidia driver setup or another environmental factor rather than Ghostty itself, so I’m cautious about drawing firm conclusions here. ### kitty: Instantaneous reflexes While I didn't test resizing performance with the debounce setting turned off, I did run kitty through the same test with while true; do date; sleep 0.05; clear; done and a number of other mini "stress tests". In each instance, output was smooth and instantaneous, with no apparent frame drops or stuttering whatsoever. To be honest, I was a little bit surprised, as most terminal emulators I've tried start to show signs of "stress" when doing rapid text refreshes. In this instance, kitty definitely pulled ahead, though it could be a driver issue with Ghostty, so I'll reserve judgement there. 📋 I can't give a "verdict" on which of the two is “faster.” Both are highly performant and GPU-accelerated, and they feel quite responsive in daily use. The main differences I observed come down to design choices. ## Tab & window management Both apps support tabs, but the way they're accessed and displayed is quite different between the two. Honestly, for some users, this may be the difference that settles the score on which of the two is the right fit. ### Ghostty: Standard fare GTK4 thumbnail tabs ![Tab management in Ghostty is simple and familiar](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/12/image-18-1.png) Tab management in Ghostty is simple and familiar If you're looking for a more familiar experience, this is where Ghostty "wins" hands-down. Its Linux interface is rather similar to other console apps like GNOME Terminal, Konsole, and [ptyxis](https://gitlab.gnome.org/chergert/ptyxis?ref=itsfoss.com). Rather than breaking paradigms, it uses the familiar GNOME headerbar layout by default, with a plus sign icon to the far left indicating that you can create a new tab. To the right, there's a grid icon that, when clicked, shows all opened tabs in GNOME's standard tab grid view. For those seeking something flashy, it may be a little underwhelming, but for those just looking for something familiar and intuitive, it's a no-brainer. Additionally, Ghostty lets you split tabs in as many ways as you like. This is especially helpful for running commands side-by-side. The only issue is, there seems to be no straightforward way to close any of the split views via the GUI, nor move them to their own tabs. However, you can use CTRL+SHIFT+W on the keyboard, or run `close_surface` from the command palette to a close a split view. ### kitty: Tabs as textures, anyone? Now here's where things get interesting. As mentioned earlier, kitty relies primarily on a keyboard-driven interaction paradigm. It's not for everyone, but its still an efficient way to use applications. When it comes to tab management, it's no different: you'll need to memorize and recall a keyboard shortcut to open tabs. ## **Customization and theming** One way these apps are somewhat aligned is that they both support extensive customization through configuration files and custom themes. It would be impossible to demonstrate the variety of themes each app has, so suffice it to say, there are many between them. So where do they differ? Let's find out. ### Ghostty ![GhosTTY comes with hundreds of themes](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/image-62.png) GhosTTY comes with hundreds of themes ### kitty ![kitty comes with a broad selection of themes in categories](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/Screenshot-From-2025-11-30-18-37-48.png) kitty comes with a broad selection of themes in categories ## **Configuration experience** Both apps use configuration files rather than the preference dialog found in many other terminal emulators. ### Ghostty: Clever defaults, and more Options that you'll know what to do with ![Editing the Ghostty configuration in GNOME Text Editor](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/12/image.png) Editing the Ghostty configuration in GNOME Text Editor Unlike most GUI terminal emulators, Ghostty is designed around a zero configuration principle. This means that users should be able to use it without the need to edit the configuration due to the use of what the developers and community consider to be sane defaults. ![Viewing the default config options in Ghostty](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/12/image-1-1.png) Viewing the default config options in Ghostty Still, beyond themes, users can change many of these defaults, from font settings down to shaders (yes, we're talking graphical shaders here), by following the [option reference](https://ghostty.org/docs/config/reference?ref=itsfoss.com). This level of customization is way beyond anything you'd find in most terminal emulators, and should make power users who love to dig deep quite pleased with the flexibility on offer. 🗒️ The Ghostty project states on their website that GUI configuration tooling is planned for the future, and will coexist with the current text-based configuration system. ### Kitty: Putting you right in the heart of the beast ![Editing the kitty.conf file in kitty](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/12/Screenshot-From-2025-11-30-20-51-42.png) Editing the kitty.conf file in kitty Where most terminal emulators offer just a few simple configuration options or a preference dialog with some tabs and settings, kitty takes you right to the core and lets you customize just about everything you can think of, including framerates. By pressing CTRL + SHIFT + F2, you can open the `kitty.conf` file in your default (CLI) text editor and get right down to the business of editing the config. This file is fully commented, guiding you every step of the way. It's great for power users who like to tweak every possible value until it's *just right*. For a guided overview of how to configure kitty to your heart's delight, you can view the [configuration docs](https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/conf/?ref=itsfoss.com). ## **Extensibility & scripting** Beyond their innate customization options, both of these apps are extensible, though to differing degrees. Ghostty is still in the early stages of its extensibility journey, but whereas kitty lets you deck the halls, the walls, and everything in between. So how do they stack up side by side? ### Ghostty Ghostty's extensibility is still in development, so most of what can actually be done comes down to configuration. You can bind custom actions and add your own entries to the command palette, or you can load post-processing shaders. Otherwise, Ghostty's extensibility is very much a work in progress at this stage. ### kitty ![Choosing a font for kitty with the font kitten](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/image.png) Choosing a font for kitty with the font kitten Between the two, kitty truly takes the extensibility crown, with its versatile system of "kittens", which are built-in mini-tools that extend its functionality. You can also [create your own](https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/kittens/custom/?ref=itsfoss.com). With kittens, you can do everything from loading images (using the kitty graphics protocol) with `kitten icat ...`, to showing differences between files with `kitten diff`. It would take an entire article all its own to cover the fullness of what kittens can do, so if you'd like to read more about this feature I'd recommend reading the [official kitten docs](https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/kittens%5Fintro/?ref=itsfoss.com). As for its remote control interface, kitty can be scripted from within other apps, and allows for tighter security by requiring a password. Even more impressive, kitty lets you lock actions *specifically*, meaning for instance, you could password-protect colour changes, while allowing other actions to be remote controlled freely. ## Final thoughts One thing I try to avoid when discussing software is declaring any particular app as definitively “better.” Every piece of software suits some people perfectly while not working as well for others, depending on their needs, preferences, and workflow. That said, if I had to make a recommendation between the two, ***I'd say Ghostty is definitely the choice if you're looking for GNOME/GTK-native integration and prefer that visual style.*** You'll still get an extensible, keyboard-friendly terminal that doesn't sacrifice familiarity to deliver advanced functionality. On the other hand, kitty is solid choice for those with a more "super-minimalist" minimalist taste, especially in the modern era of tiling managers like Hyprland. Its customization and extensibility options should fit in well with environments pushing the edge of the desktop paradigm. Either way, both terminal emulators are great solutions for power users who need max performance on the CLI, image support and other cutting edge features. Which one will you choose? ### This Lesser-Known Nextcloud Alternative's Latest Release Makes it More Suitable for Small Businesses URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/group-office-26-0-release/ Last updated: 2026-03-09T10:35:56.000Z [Group-Office](https://www.group-office.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is an open source collaboration platform developed by Intermesh, a Netherlands-based company. It brings together email, calendars, file sharing, CRM, and project management under one roof. It works through a web browser and syncs with desktop/mobile apps using standard protocols (*IMAP, CalDAV, CardDAV*). Organizations use it for customer management, support workflows, and team collaboration. Now, the developers have delivered Group-Office 26.0 with [many major additions](https://www.group-office.com/blog/2026/01/groupoffice-26.0-released?ref=itsfoss.com). ## Group-Office 26.0: What to Expect? ![the new kanban feature of group-office is shown in this screenshot](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/group-office-26-0-kanban-board.jpeg) **New Kanban upgrade for Group-Office.* The [Collabora Online](https://www.collaboraonline.com/integrate-collabora-online/?ref=itsfoss.com) integration has been moved from the paid tier to the open source *Community* package. This was made possible due to the partnership with [Collabora](https://www.collaboraonline.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), which has now introduced collaborative document editing for all users. With this, you can edit Microsoft Office and OpenDocument files in your browser, and multiple people can work on the same document at once without needing to rely on external tools. Next up is **the new Kanban module** (*shown above*) that has arrived for easy visual workflow management. You can create boards with custom columns and drag tasks between the various stages as work moves forward. ![the new time approval feature is shown in this screenshot of group-office](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/group-office-26-0-time-approval.jpeg) **The new time approval controls on Group-Office.* **Time approval** is another new addition that has come to the [Projects](https://groupoffice.readthedocs.io/en/6.7/using/projects.html?ref=itsfoss.com) module, which already had time tracking. Managers can review time entries and approve or reject them before they are recorded. In practice, this keeps billable hours accurate and expenses in check. The [Support](https://groupoffice.readthedocs.io/en/latest/using/support.html?ref=itsfoss.com) module has dropped the user account requirement for customers, and support tickets can now be submitted and tracked without making people register first. Then there's **the new Forms module** that has debuted in a beta state. It lets users build custom forms, add questions, assign recipients, and send them via email for feedback or data collection. The data can also be exported to spreadsheets once a form is closed. Wrapping up, three modules were rebuilt with the [GOUI framework](https://goui.io/?ref=itsfoss.com). [Notes](https://groupoffice.readthedocs.io/en/latest/using/notes.html?ref=itsfoss.com), [Bookmarks](https://groupoffice.readthedocs.io/en/latest/using/bookmarks.html?ref=itsfoss.com), and Comments now run on updated code that performs better and stays in tune with newer platform bits. ## Install It ![a cropped screenshot that shows the get started webpage on group-office's official website](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/group-office-hosting-options.png) The Group-Office team provides two ways of getting the application. One is by [self-hosting](https://www.group-office.com/community?ref=itsfoss.com) it on your infrastructure; the other is by signing up for [a paid plan](https://www.group-office.com/pricing-online?ref=itsfoss.com) managed by them. Pricing ranges from **€12/month** for a single user all the way to **€400** for 100 users (*a 30-day free trial is also available*). You can refer to the project's [GitHub](https://github.com/Intermesh/groupoffice?ref=itsfoss.com) repository and [documentation](https://groupoffice.readthedocs.io/en/latest/?ref=itsfoss.com) for the source code and installation instructions. [Group-Office 26.0](https://www.group-office.com/get-started?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*We Ditched ClickUp for Fizzy Kanban Board App*](https://itsfoss.com/fizzy-self-hostable-kanban-solution/) [We Ditched ClickUp for Fizzy, An “Open Source” Kanban Board AppIf you’re juggling multiple tasks and want something simpler than Jira or ClickUp, this is worth trying.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-271.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/fizzy-review-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/fizzy-self-hostable-kanban-solution/) ### Linux Kernel 6.19 Arrives! You Get Intel, AMD Improvements, and ASUS Armoury Support URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/kernel-6-19-release/ Last updated: 2026-02-09T04:34:57.000Z Like how a [canon event](https://www.merriam-webster.com/slang/canon-event?ref=itsfoss.com) must happen, we now have a new Linux release that brings better hardware support, improved peripheral handling, and some news on how development would continue in case the main [torvalds/linux.git](https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/?ref=itsfoss.com) repository was to go away. Needless to say, even if some key people weren't around anymore, or were preoccupied with more urgent matters, the development of Linux wouldn't come to a standstill. Anyhow, no new Linux release goes without Linus Torvalds [having something to add](https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/CAHk-=wh0Fj7yE7iuW8awFCFt53s9T186qNbZX673E+oNCeQSFg@mail.gmail.com/?ref=itsfoss.com): > No big surprises anywhere last week, so 6.19 is out as expected - just as the US prepares to come to a complete standstill later today watching the latest batch of televised commercials. > > The betting man would expect them all to be AI-generated, but maybe some enterprising company decides to buck the trend? Doubtful, but there's always a slight chance. This coverage is based on the detailed reporting from [Phoronix](https://www.phoronix.com/review/linux-619-features-changes?ref=itsfoss.com). ## Linux Kernel 6.19: What's New? This release ushers in [a formal continuity document](https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=102606402f4f5943266160e263c450fdfe4dd981&ref=itsfoss.com) for the kernel project. Basically, it's a plan for what happens if Linus Torvalds' Git repository becomes unavailable for whatever reason. Linux kernel engineer [Dan Williams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/djbw/?ref=itsfoss.com) put this together after discussions at the [2025 Maintainer Summit](https://events.linuxfoundation.org/kubecon-cloudnativecon-north-america/features-add-ons/maintainer-summit/?ref=itsfoss.com) and says the idea is quite straightforward. If the person (*usually Linus)* or people handling the mainline repository can't continue, the project needs a way to move forward quickly. Unlike last time, **Linux 6.19 is not an LTS release**. [Linux kernel 6.18](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-6-18/) remains the 2025 [long-term support release](https://itsfoss.com/long-term-support-lts/) with maintenance upgrades until December 2027. ## Intel Changes Intel's [Trust Domain Extensions](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/developer/tools/trust-domain-extensions/overview.html?ref=itsfoss.com) code received a major rework for KVM. These changes address issues that were causing the confidential computing feature to behave unpredictably in [virtual machines](https://itsfoss.com/why-linux-virtual-machine/). Then there's the **audio support for Intel's upcoming Nova Lake processors**. The kernel's sound drivers can now handle [Nova Lake](https://www.techspot.com/news/111047-intel-confirms-nova-lake-core-ultra-400-cpus.html?ref=itsfoss.com) and Nova Lake S processors without needing much additional config work. Linear Address Space Separation finally lands with this release. [Intel LASS](https://edc.intel.com/content/www/us/en/design/products-and-solutions/processors-and-chipsets/core-ultra-200h-and-200u-series-processors-datasheet-volume-1-of-2/linear-address-space-separation-lass/?ref=itsfoss.com) is meant to tackle specific classes of [side-channel attacks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Side-channel%5Fattack?ref=itsfoss.com) that exploit processor vulnerabilities. Similarly, Intel Xeon 6 processors get better [NUMA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-uniform%5Fmemory%5Faccess?ref=itsfoss.com) handling. Granite Rapids and Clearwater Forest chips now have proper distance calculations when running in [Sub-NUMA Clustering 3](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/developer/articles/technical/fourth-generation-xeon-scalable-family-overview.html?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=from%20the%20nearest.-,Sub%2DNUMA%20Clustering,-Figure%202%20%E2%80%93%20Block) configuration. ## AMD Refinements Virtual machines powered by AMD chips can now handle up to 4096 virtual CPUs with extended x2AVIC support. The previous limit was 512 vCPUs, so this is **a substantial jump for enterprise-grade virtualization workloads**. [AES-GCM encryption](https://medium.com/@pravallikayakkala123/understanding-aes-encryption-and-aes-gcm-mode-an-in-depth-exploration-using-java-e03be85a3faa?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=encryption%20and%20decryption.-,AES/GCM%20Mode,-AES%20can%20be) gets major speed improvements on AMD Zen 3 processors. The optimizations deliver [up to 74% faster performance](https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-6.19-AES-GCM-AVX2-Faster?ref=itsfoss.com) in some cases, with AVX-512 systems also benefiting from the work. Then there's the **Smart Data Cache Injection support** (SDCI), where AMD EPYC 9005 Turin and newer chips **can now inject data from I/O devices directly into L3 cache**, skipping system memory entirely. And, for users of older Radeon graphics cards (*Radeon HD 7000 to RX 300 series*), the [AMDGPU driver](https://docs.kernel.org/gpu/amdgpu/index.html?ref=itsfoss.com) is the default for you. This should result in better performance and Vulkan support through RADV, replacing the legacy Radeon driver. ## Storage Buffs EXT4 gets optimized online defragmentation by using folios instead of buffer heads. The file system now supports block sizes larger than the kernel page size, bringing some welcome performance improvements. NTFS3 can now handle timestamps from before the year 1970\. The driver **switched to signed 64-bit timestamps** after the issue showed up during file system testing, fixing pre-epoch date handling ([*an example*](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/31708622/how-to-represent-dates-before-epoch-as-a-unix-timestamp?ref=itsfoss.com)). F2FS brings performance optimizations across multiple areas, including sysfs, debugfs, and garbage collection. The release also fixes many bugs caught by xfstests and issues related to 16KB page support. ## Better Handheld, Laptop, and Peripheral Support ASUS gaming handheld users will be glad to know (*or not?*) that **the Armoury driver is now supported**, bringing proper hardware control for ROG Ally gaming handhelds and other ASUS [gaming hardware](https://rog.asus.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) under Linux. I said "*not"* earlier because the Windows implementation, [Armoury Crate](https://rog.asus.com/content/armoury-crate/?ref=itsfoss.com), has been a nightmare for many. It is known to trigger antivirus false positives, suffers from security vulnerabilities that can grant system-level access, and refuses to go away even after an uninstall (*basically bloatware*). Moving on, there's now **rapid charge support for Lenovo IdeaPad laptops**, with the driver handling faster USB-C charging. Several [Logitech](https://www.logitech.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) devices get improved support too. The G Pro X Superlight 2 wireless gaming mouse works properly now, along with a new Lightspeed receiver version being included. The G13 gaming keypad also gains mainline support. ### Miscellaneous Changes We end this coverage with an overview of some other notable changes: - Removal of the "*gen\*cide*" [function](https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-6.19-Drops-Genocide?ref=itsfoss.com). - Inclusion of the [Arm MPAM driver](https://www.phoronix.com/news/Arm-MPAM-LInux-6.19?ref=itsfoss.com). - Early GPU support for the Snapdragon X2 Elite. - Parallel CPU hotplugging support for RISC-V chips. - Initial enablement work for 32-bit Loongson CPUs (*LoongArch3*2). - The [Tenstorrent Blackhole](https://tenstorrent.com/en/hardware/blackhole?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Black Sesame](https://www.blacksesame.com/en?ref=itsfoss.com) series of SoCs are now supported. ## Installing Linux Kernel 6.19 For people running [rolling distros](https://itsfoss.com/rolling-release/) like Arch Linux or distros like Fedora and [its derivatives](https://itsfoss.com/best-fedora-linux-distributions/), Linux 6.19 will be available very soon. Those on other distros like Debian, Ubuntu, Linux Mint, MX Linux, etc., could wait for it, but I wouldn't hold my breath on it. There is, however, **a way to get it early**(*linked below*) on such computers, but that involves some manual labor and a knack for risk-taking (*if you nuke your system, we are not to blame* ☠️). [Linux Kernel 6.19](https://www.kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Go Down the Rabbit Hole of Installing Mainline Linux Kernel*](https://itsfoss.com/upgrade-linux-kernel-ubuntu/) [Install the Latest Mainline Linux Kernel Version in UbuntuThis article shows you how to upgrade to the latest Linux kernel in Ubuntu. There are two methods discussed. One is manually installing a new kernel and the other uses a GUI tool providing even easier way.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-237.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/install-mainline-kernel-in-ubuntu-9.png)](https://itsfoss.com/upgrade-linux-kernel-ubuntu/) ### In the Age of AI Writing Tools, I Picked Emacs for My Sci-Fi Novel URL: https://itsfoss.com/opinion/emacs-the-ux-ideal/ Last updated: 2026-02-08T06:24:45.000Z 0:00 /0:00 1× The author's Emacs environment © Theena Kumaragurunathan My next novel, a science fiction story set 500 years in the future, features a sentient artificial being---imagine a [HAL 9000](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HAL%5F9000?ref=itsfoss.com) with a functioning moral compass, or [Skynet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skynet%5F%28Terminator%29?ref=itsfoss.com) without the genocidal nihilism. Users interact with this sentient AI being in a variety of ways: non-tech users interact via voice commands and touch, but more tech-savvy users interact through a [Brain-computer Interface (BCI)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain%E2%80%93computer%5Finterface?ref=itsfoss.com) that enables tactile and vision control. A smaller portion of users still use keyboards, but they are viewed in the same way our current age views typewriters: a quaint artifact of a bygone era. I've been working on this novel since 2013 and one of the most difficult parts of the writing was imagining this BCI. It had to be futuristic but still grounded in technology—not magic. I imagined this BCI to the AI being would be malleable in a way that the software of today generally isn't. I envisioned it would be programmable, that it would come with some sort of scripting language that would allow for the user to continue honing the BCI. Of course, back in 2013 when I began working on the novel, I was writing on word processor like most of my contemporaries. This wouldn't change until 2020, when the pandemic hit. ## Vim in the time of Corona [I've already written about my pandemic fling with Vim ](https://itsfoss.com/news/how-i-started-loving-vim/). To call it a fling is doing Vim/Neovim a disservice: between early 2020 and 2023, Vim (and later Neovim) had convinced me to leave word processors (and proprietary formats) for good. During this period, I moved all my writing away from \*.doc file format to \*.md and eventually \*.tex; I moved my research notes (that had been in \*.txt files accessible via Windows Notepad) to \*.org; I presented my workflow at the annual Neovim conference three times during this period, spanning non-programmer topics like [Writing, Editing and World-building at the Speed of Thought on Vim](https://youtu.be/2ORWaIqyj7k?si=-cHPM08hcr%5FR-x6E&ref=itsfoss.com), and [Vimkipedia: Or How I Built My Second Brain on Vim ](https://youtu.be/q80hXvorl0o?si=GeJhf34QFVPVJNv9&ref=itsfoss.com). I even spent a year during this period working on a Integrated Writing Environment (IWE) based on Neovim's Lazyvim framework which I called [OVIWrite](https://github.com/MiragianCycle/OVIWrite?ref=itsfoss.com) (as in *Oh We Write*). OVIWrite was a pet project, made with the kind of naivety that newcomers have when learning a craft; here I was, a novelist who had dropped out of computer science two decades earlier because he couldn't code, using a programming language and tools to help create the writing tool I had always wanted. It was ridiculous and shouldn't have worked. But it did. ![Find Files OVIWrite.png](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/12/Find-Files-OVIWrite.png) For close to a year, my novel was crafted within this IWE. During that period, much to my shock, I found OVIWrite gaining a user base: there are now close to a dozen users, some of whom, like me hobbyist programmers coming from a variety of non-programming background (I count among its users a lawyer, a philosopher, and a biologist), who use it to get their prose, mostly academic writing, done. Until six months ago, I was merging pull requests and helping some of these users with technical support over email. It's one of the more unexpected and satisfying detours of my life—if I could go back in time and tell the 20-year-old me who dropped out of undergrad computer science, distraught at being told he wasn't smart enough to be a programmer, he would be utterly confused. So why then did I turn my back to (Neo)Vim and head towards the land of Emacs? ## Oh We (Should Be) Writing, Dude As much fun as it was to wrangle Neovim to become a one-stop tool for all my writing needs, I had to face up to a growing realization: all the constant tinkering and tech support (for myself and tiny band of users) was keeping me away from actual writing, and completing of my novel. You know what they say, keep the main thing *the main thing*? Ten years had flown by, and the novel was only around 60% complete. While the Vim and Neovim ecosystems had tools for writers and writing, most of these were either primitive or required constant tinkering to get them to work for me. Orchestrating between plugins written in Vimscript that hadn't been updated in years, neovim plugins written in Lua that were fresh out of the oven, a smorgasbord of plugin managers old and new, and LSP configurations for prose, took time. I am sure if I was a proper programmer, this wouldn't have been the case, but I am not; documentation that would take normal programmer types half a day to understand, would take me days. ## The Lightbulb Moment You will wonder why I didn't go to Emacs in the first place. Reader, I tried. While Vim's keybindings seemed almost natural (it annoys me that modal editing isn't known outside of programming circles), Emacs' keybinding was akin to playing jazz piano. All that changed last year: I had several light bulb moments with Emacs within a week. 1. With Evil, I could bring the best part of Vim into Emacs: its [modal editing](https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/57705/what-is-a-modeless-vs-a-modal-editor?ref=itsfoss.com) 2. While there were Emacs *distros* that existed ([Doom Emacs,](https://github.com/doomemacs/doomemacs?ref=itsfoss.com) [SpaceMacs](https://www.spacemacs.org/?ref=itsfoss.com)), all with support for Evil keybindings, their modular config files were confusing. [Rahul M. Juliato](https://github.com/LionyxML/emacs-kick?ref=itsfoss.com) solved this problem by creating a [kickstarer pack for Neovim migrants,](https://github.com/LionyxML/emacs-kick?ref=itsfoss.com) focusing on Evil keybindings and a single config file 3. I realized elisp was easier to read (and write) than Lua 4. The [dreaded Emacs pinky finger problem](https://irreal.org/blog/?p=12934&ref=itsfoss.com) could be solved easily with a keyboard configuration tool On Oct 15th 2024, I wrote the following on my personal journal: "I think I am finally cracking the mysteries of Emacs" Suddenly, I saw the full glory of Org-mode, Org-Agenda, and Org-Roam. I tried replicating my OVIWrite config on Emacs—it took barely an hour and everything was up and running—and it had PDF and Ebook readers, a built-in browser! Emacs had an extensive eco-system for writers that had been continuously refined and tested over years. And unlike Vim/Neovim, there was already an [emacs config for pure writing.](https://github.com/pprevos/emacs-writing-studio?ref=itsfoss.com) On Oct 16th, I opened my manuscript (in LaTeX) via my brand new Emacs config. ![Gallery Image](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-16-at-15.27.03--2-.jpeg) ![Gallery Image](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-16-at-15.26.54.jpeg) ## One Year Later I understand why Emacs [invokes such naked evangelism](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33060527&ref=itsfoss.com). Emacs' UX is timeless and timely---timeless because it is personal computing at its most personal; timely because---in my case, as a recent convert in the age of AI slop and [enshittification](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enshittification?ref=itsfoss.com)\---it allows me to shut out the noise and write in peace. ## Emacs is as fluid and unique as the minds of its users. This is a strange admission because Emacs, from the outside, comes across as famously esoteric and unwelcoming. It demands a change of mindset, much like jazz requires a rewiring of a musician's brain. But like jazz, this is an illusion: the initial demands hides a simple truth: make a small change to understand me, Emacs tells you, and then you can spend the rest of your life changing me to meet your needs. ## Fiction Begat Life Begat Fiction Which brings me to my fictional world's BCI. This interface to a godlike AI is very much inspired by Emacs. This *neural Emacs* retains the core user experience of Emacs we know today: it is extensible, malleable, and self-documenting software. Since the keyboard is now a curious artifact of times past, cultures in this world have replaced keyboard bindings and keystrokes to thought patterns or *neural gestures*: instead of pressing C-x C-f to find a file, character's brain fires the neural pattern to represent the gesture *I want to find something*, leading to a mini-buffer in mind's eye of the user. Fuzzy file finding and even suggestions would appear in this neural interface. Kill-rings (system clipboards for you non-emacs users) and registers are incredibly powerful: my characters maintain multiple streams of conscious thought simultaneously in distinct buffers. The kill-ring isn't just storing thought; instead it becomes a rich repository of my characters' thoughts that they can recall and manipulate at any time. My fictional version of elisp, which I call *OVIlisp* also benefits from this evolutionary leap. It is a programming language for manipulating thought patterns directly: not only can my characters write functions to transform text but they can also shape how thoughts are captured and expressed. The Emacs doctor function evolves into a personal, on-demand therapist. Emacs Frames and Windows map to different zones of conscious attention. Users could partition mental workspaces into regions dedicated to different tasks. Org-Roam's concept of backlinks would become something far more profound - not just links between notes, but links between thought patterns themselves, resulting in something called "neural knowledge graphs" where each node isn't just a note, but a complete thought pattern that can be recalled and re-experienced. In my fictional world, version control of thought patterns is as normal as TODO lists is in ours. This isn't magic. It's an extrapolation of how I work today. In part 2 of this article, I will go into my Emacs workflow, focusing on the tech stack that enables me to write novels, research notes, film scripts, and yes code, in a single environment. ### We Ditched ClickUp for Fizzy, An "Open Source" Kanban Board App URL: https://itsfoss.com/fizzy-self-hostable-kanban-solution/ Last updated: 2026-07-14T11:21:51.000Z Being able to maintain 100% productivity is fiction that's best reserved for comic books. But there are certain tools and resources that genuinely help. If you asked me, listening to music (*without disturbing others*), using [a Pomodoro timer](https://itsfoss.com/koncentro-app/), and having [solid window tiling](https://itsfoss.com/rise-of-window-tiling/) are some of the essentials. Then there are [Kanban boards](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanban%5Fboard?ref=itsfoss.com), which act as visual tools to help you track tasks as they progress through various states, the most elementary of them being from "*to-do*" to being "*done*." ## Not Our First Rodeo Over the past several years, we tried a number of project management tools. There was [Trello](https://trello.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) in the play ten years ago. Then we had a self-hosted [Nextcloud](https://nextcloud.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) instance for everything. And then we switched to [ClickUp](https://clickup.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) as it provided plenty for free and was suitable for our needs. It had everything that we needed for our collaboration with internal and external contributors. Last year, we made a brief switch to [Huly](https://huly.io/?ref=itsfoss.com), a new open source project management tool, but it was more geared towards software development, so we moved back to ClickUp. Things were comfortable until [Abhishek](https://itsfoss.com/author/abhishek/) was bit by the '*we got to try new things*' bug again. And hence we are trying some new services that help us manage the work related to It's FOSS and [Linux Handbook](https://linuxhandbook.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). This is where [Fizzy](https://www.fizzy.do/?ref=itsfoss.com) comes in. The new tool we are using for task management these days. 🚧 Fizzy is not fully open source, more like source available. They use O'Saasy license that gives you all kinds of permission except offering the product as your own service. ## Fizzy: Kanban for Everyone It is a Rails-based Kanban tracker built by [37signals](https://37signals.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), the folks behind [Basecamp](https://basecamp.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [HEY](https://www.hey.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). Designed to be fast, colorful, and devoid of the bloat found on most [mainstream project management tools](https://zapier.com/blog/free-project-management-software/?ref=itsfoss.com), Fizzy just clicked with us. With this, you get boards, cards, columns, a few handy options, and that's about it. There are **no complicated features**, **no AI bloat**, or analytics dashboards that you will never look at. Though it does feature **a custom license that will rub many the wrong way**. Called the [O'Saasy License Agreement](https://osaasy.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com), it lets you download, modify, and **self-host Fizzy for free**. You can use it for your personal projects, your company, or even tweak the code to fit your needs. What you can't do is **turn around and sell Fizzy as a hosted service to other people**. That right stays with 37signals. ## And We Switched to it From ClickUp While I still check [ClickUp](https://clickup.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) occasionally, as many of my earlier pending tasks are still over there, we at It's FOSS have switched to Fizzy since the beginning of this month. Abhishek was trying it personally for most of January. ### What Works? ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/fizzy-task-dialog-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/fizzy-task-dialog-2.png) **This is how the tasks page looks in Fizzy.* For starters, **creating new tasks and boards is easy**; you just have to click a few well-placed buttons, and you will be set. Access control to these is simple, with an auto-close timer moving any unattended tasks to the "*Not Now*" status when the set time frame is reached. The top menu bar, which is accessible by clicking on the Fizzy logo, **does a good job in presenting all the commonly accessed options** like boards, tasks, and people on the team. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/fizzy-board-settings.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/fizzy-profile-settings.png) **The board and user profile settings on Fizzy.* Browser notifications work well too, at least on the Linux version of [Vivaldi](https://vivaldi.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), where I use it. The **search functionality is a good one too**; it is quick, doesn't mess about, and provides relevant results. ### What Doesn't Work? ![this is a screenshot of a fizzy instance showing the it's foss articles board with many task cards below](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/fizzy-board-view.png) **You could fit two Boeing 747s in the wasted space. /s* The *Home* page and the overall interface **have plenty of wasted space** that could've been used better. Maybe a quick-access sidebar that could house notes, a pomodoro timer, and other productivity-focused niceties. Toward the bottom, the three options to access pinned tasks, the search, and notifications feel tacky at best. While these work, the way they are laid out feels very limited/closed off. Another quirk is whenever I go into the "*Assigned to Me*" page, open a task, and then close it, I am taken back into the board the task was on. **Why is this an issue, you ask?** We usually have many tasks up on the board, and having to retrace my steps to return to the tasks assigned to me is just plain annoying. Then there's **the absence of the ability to set deadlines for tasks**. This is something any Kanban board worth its salt should have. That said, **Fizzy is still evolving**. The good news is that 37signals tends to listen to feedback, so there's room for improvement as the project matures. ## Explore Fizzy You can either [self-host Fizzy on your own server](https://github.com/basecamp/fizzy?ref=itsfoss.com) or opt for [their managed service](https://www.fizzy.do/?ref=itsfoss.com#pricing), which offers everything for free anyways. [Fizzy](https://www.fizzy.do/?ref=itsfoss.com#pricing) Sadly, **there's no importing feature**, so you will have to manually move over data from other services. I intend to do this for my existing tasks over on ClickUp. This is also one of the factors you should weigh in if you want to make the switch for your team and project. If it doesn't fit your need, you can check out [our list of open source alternatives to Trello](https://itsfoss.com/open-source-trello-alternatives/). --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*This Local, Offline Tool is Good for Personal Project Management*](https://itsfoss.com/schedule-kanban-board/) [Away from Cloud: This Local, Offline Tool is Perfect for Personal Project Management on Linux DesktopWe have all been there. You start the week with a massive to-do list, only to feel overwhelmed by Tuesday afternoon. While heavy-duty project management tools exist, sometimes you just need a digital version of “sticky notes on a wall”.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-270.png)It's FOSSNeville Ondara![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/schedule-offline-kanban-board-app-2.png)](https://itsfoss.com/schedule-kanban-board/) ### I Ditched Claude Code and Now Using Open Source Qwen AI for Real Sysadmin Work URL: https://itsfoss.com/qwen-code-sysadmin-tasks/ Last updated: 2026-02-06T08:28:28.000Z Over the past year, I have been experimenting more with AI-powered CLI tools, particularly for day-to-day sysadmin work. The idea is appealing. You describe what you want in plain English and let the tool handle the boring, error-prone parts, including fetching binaries, wiring paths, generating config files, and running sanity checks. [Claude Code](https://claude.com/product/claude-code?ref=itsfoss.com) does this reasonably well, but in my experience, it quickly becomes limiting. You see, **access is gated, a**nd it doesn’t feel like something I can casually drop into a Linux VM or a homelab *without getting a paid subscription*. Privacy is definitely a concern here. What I really wanted was a tool I could treat like any other Linux utility. Install it once, use it when it makes sense, and ignore it when it doesn’t. That’s what led me to [Qwen Code](https://qwenlm.github.io/qwen-code-docs/?ref=itsfoss.com). It positions itself as an open source, general-purpose alternative to Claude Code. I chose it because it's a very good model, can be installed locally and is free to use. 🚧 I ran everything on a clean Linux system, [Ubuntu 25.10](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-25-10-release/), in my case, inside a [virtual machine](https://itsfoss.com/virtual-machine/), and that’s deliberate. When I’m evaluating, I always start in a disposable environment where I can observe its behavior without worrying about collateral damage. This is the same advice I give to anyone trying new automation tools. Treat them like untrusted scripts until they earn your confidence. ## Installing Qwen Code on Linux Qwen Code is distributed as a standard Node.js package. If you’re comfortable with [npm](https://www.npmjs.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), this will feel completely normal. Before installing Qwen Code itself, **make sure Node.js and npm are ready for use**. On a fresh system, I usually install them from the distro packages or via [nvm](https://github.com/nvm-sh/nvm?ref=itsfoss.com), either works fine. Check out the [steps for installing Node on Ubuntu](https://learnubuntu.com/install-node/?ref=itsfoss.com), if you need help with it. Once Node.js and npm are in place, installation is a single command: ```bash npm install -g @qwen-code/qwen-code@latest ``` This installs the ***qwen*** binary globally, making it available system-wide without touching system directories directly. If you’ve installed Node.js and npm through apt or the system repository on your Linux system, you might get this filesystem permission error. > The operation was rejected by your operating system. It is likely you do not have the permission to access this file as the current user. ![Qwen Code CLI installation error without running as a Sudo User](https://linuxhandbook.com/content/images/2026/01/qwen-install-without-sudo.png) **Qwen Code installation error without running as a sudo user.* To resolve it, you will need to run this command as a [sudo user](https://itsfoss.com/sudo-tips/): ```bash sudo npm install -g @qwen-code/qwen-code@latest ``` After installation, verify that the CLI was correctly installed and is [reachable in your $PATH](https://itsfoss.com/add-directory-to-path-linux/) with this command: ```bash qwen --version ``` ![Screenshot of installing Qwen Code CLI via npm in a terminal](https://linuxhandbook.com/content/images/2026/01/qwen-sudo-npm-install.png) **Installing Qwen Code with sudo npm.* For the first time, when you enter the `qwen` command, you'll be prompted to authenticate via your [Qwen](https://qwen.ai/home?ref=itsfoss.com) account. ![Terminal showing Qwen Code CLI requesting authentication when running qwen for the first time](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/CleanShot-2026-01-17-at-16.02.20.png) **Authenticating Qwen Code.* 🚧 While Qwen can be installed and used locally with a tool like [Ollama](https://itsfoss.com/ollama/), I went for the hosted service as my goal was to focus on its usage. ## Test 1: Using Qwen for installing Golang with a single prompt My goal was to perform a fully automated [Go](https://go.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com) installation without manual steps. This was the first real test I ran, because installing Go is a task I have done dozens of times. You have to look up the correct version, grab the right architecture, extract it into the right directory, fix your PATH, and then verify if everything worked. It’s simple, but easy to get wrong when you’re in a hurry. **I started by giving Qwen Code a very plain-English prompt:** > *Install the latest stable Golang on this system, set up the PATH correctly, create a small demo program, compile it, and verify it runs.* Qwen Code didn’t immediately run anything. Instead, it analyzed the system and came back with a clear plan. After I reviewed and approved the plan, Qwen Code executed the steps one by one. ![Installing Golang on Ubuntu 25.04 server with Qwen CLI](https://linuxhandbook.com/content/images/2026/01/qwen_install_golang-1.png) **Qwen Code installling Golang on Ubuntu 25.04 server.* It breaks down requirements into six steps. First, it checks if Golang is already installed. That’s an intelligent decision it makes. I love how it asks for permissions before executing any commands. I could have written these commands myself, but I didn’t have to. ![Terminal showing Qwen Code CLI prompting for approval to run a shell command](https://linuxhandbook.com/content/images/2026/01/qwen-ask-for-yes-no.png) **Qwen Code asking for permissions while trying to run shell command.* On execution of the second step, ***it didn’t perform an intelligent job***. Instead of fixing environment variables, it tried to download the same golang version that I had on my system earlier before. That’s sad! This is where we need to guide these AI tools. ![Terminal showing Qwen Code CLI proposal with instruction to press Esc to cancel](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/CleanShot-2026-01-14-at-11.37.21.png) **Cancelling Qwen Code proposed execution with the escape key.* To cancel the proposed execution at any point, you can press the `Esc` key. After this, I provided an instruction to keep the existing Golang installation and just fix *env* variables. In the next step, it tried to create a sample directory and a sample golang file. ![Qwen Code CLI execution proposal screen with Esc to cancel](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/qwen-create-a-sample-program.png) **Qwen Code trying to create a* *`main.go`* *file with sample code.* **Here are the additional series of steps it took:** 1. ***Running go build*** ![Terminal showing Qwen Code CLI prompting for approval to execute go build](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/qwen-go-build.png) Qwen Code asking permissions for running go build 1. ***Running binary*** ![Terminal showing Qwen Code CLI prompting for approval to execute binary](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/qwen-running-binary.png) Qwen Code asking permissions for running golang binary 1. ***The final success message*** ![Terminal output confirming successful Golang installation on Ubuntu Server using Qwen CLI](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/qwen-go-final-success.png) **Successful installation of Golang on Ubuntu Server using Qwen Code.* From a sysadmin’s perspective, this example shows where the tool shines. It didn’t just install a package. It validated the entire toolchain end to end. That combination of intent, execution, and verification is what turns a one-line prompt into something genuinely useful. Although, you do need to press the `Enter` key half a dozen times. ## Test 2: Installing Caddy and Creating Multiple Local Websites My goal was to install [Caddy](https://caddyserver.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) server, automate its configuration for three websites, create local DNS entries, and verify the final setup. Here's the prompt I used: > *Install Caddy and create three local websites: blog.demo.com, backend.demo.com, and frontend.demo.com. Configure local DNS entries so they resolve on this machine.* This is **an instance where Qwen Code really started to feel useful for day-to-day admin work**. Setting up a web server with multiple virtual hosts isn’t hard, but it’s repetitive, and it touches several parts of the system at once: packages, config files, services, and DNS. These characteristics makes it a good test of whether the tool understands real-world workflows instead of just individual commands. ![Terminal showing Qwen Code outlining steps to install Caddy and generate website configuration files](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/qwen-caddy-goal.png) **Qwen Code's plan to install Caddy and create website configurations.* Again, Qwen Code didn’t execute anything immediately. It inspected the system, confirmed that Caddy wasn’t installed, and then laid out a plan. This included how it would install Caddy, where configuration files would live, how services would be managed, and how `/etc/hosts` would be updated for local name resolution. I don’t know why every time it prefers downloading *tar* packages from the internet instead of downloading them from the apt repository. I cancelled the execution once again with the `Esc` key and provided it another prompt to go the [apt](https://itsfoss.com/apt-command-guide/) route. ![Terminal showing Qwen Code CLI running an automated Caddy installation command](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/qwen-caddy-apt-install.png) Qwen trying to do automated installation of caddy Qwen Code tried twice to use sudo, and gave up on the third attempt to fetch the binary manually. ![Qwen CLI requires elevated permissions to run apt installation on Ubuntu](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/qwen-caddy-two-attempt-to-use-sudo.png) **Qwen Code requiring sudo access.* This time, I ran `qwen` with sudo. A warning for you here, if you have a privacy-oriented setup, review the risk of running sudo with qwen: ```bash sudo qwen ``` It may require you to log in to Qwen again since the user is different. It’s good at resolving dependencies too. Below are the additional steps it performed. 👇 ![Terminal output showing Qwen CLI resolving dependencies while installing an apt package](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/CleanShot-2026-01-14-at-17.00.20-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/CleanShot-2026-01-14-at-17.15.11-1.png) ![Qwen Code CLI shows successful Caddy installation and Caddyfile/site config creation](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-5240f002-523e-4d4e-a509-3caf3cea565b.png) Here’s the final result and setup Qwen came up with. ![Manual verification step using curl to test the configured website](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/qwen-caddy-curl--with-host-headerr.png) **Manual verification via curl.* That’s not bad. But I wanted to navigate [frontend.demo.com](http://frontend.demo.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) and see the frontend webpage, which I was unable to. So, I guided Qwen to accomplish that goal. ![User instructs Qwen Code to re-evaluate generated commands and configuration steps](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/qwen-directly-reach-frontend.png) **Prompting Qwen Code to re-evaluate its outputs.* After going through two rounds of different approaches, it finally came up with something I was expecting. ![Terminal showing Qwen CLI automatically running curl to verify the website is working](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/qwen-caddy-blog-success.png) **Qwen Code doing automated verification via curl.* Then after, I tried to verify the result manually via cURL. ![Screenshot showing curl results for frontend.demo.com website](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/qwen-caddy-final-success-.png) **Running manual verification with curl.* ## Tast 3: Running BorgBackup Backups are one of those things every sysadmin agrees are critical, yet the tooling can be intimidating if you don’t use it every day. [Borg](https://www.borgbackup.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a powerful, fast, and reliable solution that is also very explicit, and forgetting even a single flag can affect the end result in ways you didn’t intend to. That makes it a perfect candidate for testing whether Qwen Code can translate intent into safe, correct, and usable commands. I started with a straightforward request: > *Create a Borg backup of my \~/Pictures folder. Initialize a repository if needed and run a backup.* This time, it checked whether Borg was installed and whether a repository already existed. This is precisely the kind of situational awareness I prefer. Blindly re-initializing a repo would be disastrous. Since Borg was present on my test system, Qwen Code proceeded to initialize the repository. ![Qwen Code CLI sets up BorgBackup and schedules automated backups on a Linux server](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/qwen-borg-1.png) **Qwen Code checking for Borg and creating an automated backup.* I’m impressed how it came up with a command to create backups in the future as well. This **highlighted one of Qwen Code’s biggest strengths**, it turns complex, high-stakes commands into reviewable, step-by-step operations. You still get all the power of Borg, but with a second set of eyes making sure you don’t end up shooting yourself in the foot. ![Screenshot of Qwen CLI doing a successful borg backup of ~/Pictures folder](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/qwen-borg-final-success.png) **Qwen Code doing a successful Borg backup.* ## What Qwen Code gets right After running Qwen Code through several real tasks, a few of its strengths stood out quickly. The biggest one, in my opinion, is that **it reduces cognitive load without reducing control**. I don’t have to remember exact download URLs, obscure flags, or the order of operations for a tool I haven’t touched in ages, but I still see every command before it runs. **It’s exactly what I want from an AI assistant in the terminal**. I found myself learning or being reminded of best practices simply by reviewing its proposed steps. For junior admins, this could be genuinely educational. For experienced ones, it’s a fast refresher that saves time. ## Limitations and things to watch out for The first limitation is that it still depends heavily on the quality of your prompt. Vague requests lead to vague plans. When I was precise about paths, scope, and intent, the results were excellent. **When I was lazy, the tool had to make assumptions, which meant more reviewing on my end**. Another thing to keep in mind is that Qwen Code doesn’t replace understanding your system. You still need to know what [systemctl](https://itsfoss.com/systemctl-command/) does, how DNS resolution works, or why a Borg repository should be encrypted. Qwen Code will explain its choices, but **it won’t protect you from approving something you don’t fully understand**. In that sense, it behaves like a junior admin who follows instructions well but still needs supervision. **I also wouldn’t use it for fully unattended automation or critical production pipelines**. Because it’s designed to pause for confirmation, it’s best suited for interactive workflows, exploratory setup, and one-off tasks. It’s especially useful in scenarios like setting up a new web server, bootstrapping a backup system, or testing a piece of software I haven’t touched in months. Instead of context-switching to a browser, I stay in the terminal and review a concrete plan. Finally, like any AI-assisted tool, it’s only as good as its training and context. It generally follows best practices, **but you should still review security-sensitive changes carefully** especially anything touching networking, authentication, or data storage. From my experience, Qwen Code is best thought of as a powerful assistant. ## Final thoughts: Is Qwen Code a real Claude Code alternative? After working through these examples, **I am comfortable saying that Qwen Code is a genuinely practical alternative to Claude Code**, especially for Linux users and sysadmins. It delivers the core benefit people want from AI in the terminal. It turns intent into correct, reviewable shell commands, without any fees or demanding blind trust. The fact that it’s free lowers the barrier to experimentation even further. If you already live in the terminal and manage Linux systems, Qwen Code is worth trying. It's not a replacement for your existing tooling, but it's a capable assistant. Sometimes that’s exactly what you want, a tool that helps you move faster, without taking control away from you. ### DI.DAY is a Movement to Encourage People to Ditch Big Tech URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/di-day-celebration/ Last updated: 2026-02-10T12:26:28.000Z The rights of people around the world are being eroded, and certain governments and [Big Tech](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big%5FTech?ref=itsfoss.com) organizations are convinced that the public's data is their data. However gloomy things might look right now, there's always a ray of hope. Two community-driven organizations have come together to stand up against such injustices by coming up with a new celebration. ## DI.DAY: What's It All About? ![the digital independence day website banner is shown here, there are elements colored in dark purple, white, black, and yellow in it](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/di-day-website-banner.jpeg) Digital Independence Day, or [DI.DAY](https://di.day/?ref=itsfoss.com) (*in Deutsche*) for short, is a monthly movement that encourages people to ditch Big Tech services and [switch to privacy-respecting alternatives](https://itsfoss.com/improve-privacy/). The initiative was launched at the ***39th Chaos Communication Congress*** (39C3) by [Save Social](https://savesocial.eu/?ref=itsfoss.com) and the [Chaos Computer Club](https://www.ccc.de/en/?ref=itsfoss.com) late last year. German author and satirist [Mark-Uwe Kling](https://marcuwekling.de/en/?ref=itsfoss.com) delivered the [launch speech](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8cTQnB6leI&ref=itsfoss.com), calling on people to reclaim social media and personal communication from corporate monopolies. **What makes DI.DAY different** from other digital rights campaigns is its recurring nature. Instead of being a one-off event, it **happens every first Sunday of the month**. This gives people breathing space to make gradual changes to their digital lives without feeling overwhelmed. The next Digital Independence Day is happening on **March 1, 2026**. Communities across Europe are organizing meetups, workshops, and switch parties to help people make the transition. *You can find any events happening at* [*termine.di.day*](https://termine.di.day/?ref=itsfoss.com)*.* 🗓️ Some groups are hosting "*de-Google your phone*" sessions, while others are running workshops on setting up [Nextcloud](https://termine.di.day/events/2aa44ff2-9b4f-448a-bbbe-454f76498da8?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Linux install](https://termine.di.day/events/883f990e-dd34-4b09-8da4-cf9d3f18cb0b?ref=itsfoss.com) parties. The DI.DAY organizers are also providing [recipes](https://di.day/category/rezepte/?ref=itsfoss.com) to make the process of moving away from Big Tech easier for people who are on the fence about switching. We got to know about this thanks to [Tuta](https://tuta.com/blog/digital-independence-day?ref=itsfoss.com), who have partnered with the Digital Independence Day initiative to encourage Europeans to be more proactive in their digital lives. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Bash Shell Manual is Part of Epstein Files*](https://itsfoss.com/news/bash-manual-in-epstein-files/) [Not Kidding! Bash Shell Manual is Part of Epstein Files 🫣echo “don’t panic”![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-268.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/bash-epstein-files-1.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/news/bash-manual-in-epstein-files/) ### FOSS Weekly #26.06: Bash Manual in Epstein Files, Linux after Linus, Nano like Editors, France Takes on Big Tech and More URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-06/ Last updated: 2026-02-05T11:34:30.000Z I understand that the Epstein Files are an extremely sensitive subject. However, unusual and sometimes unintentionally amusing things can surface even in very serious matters. Some people noticed that the [Epstein Files dump released by the U.S. Department of Justice also included the Bash Reference Manual](https://itsfoss.com/news/bash-manual-in-epstein-files/). This isn’t alarming, as such dumps often contain a wide variety of unrelated files. [Not Kidding! Bash Shell Manual is Part of Epstein Files 🫣echo “don’t panic”![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-261.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/bash-epstein-files.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/news/bash-manual-in-epstein-files/) **Here's the highlight of this edition of FOSS Weekly:** - A new Linux-focused start-up by systemd- creator. - Linux gaming becoming great. - France ditching Teams and Zoom. - Thunar tips for Xfce users. - VS Code not cleaning up its trash. - And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes! - This edition of FOSS Weekly is [supported by Sonatype](https://fandf.co/4jScWFV?ref=itsfoss.com). AI coding assistants agents were built for speed, not security or quality - which is part of why 1 in 4 upgrades recommendations made by AI code assistant are hallucinated. They aren’t open source experts and are often trained on outdated data. This blind spot matters. [Sonatype has identified over 850k malicious components](https://fandf.co/4jScWFV?ref=itsfoss.com) in the wild. Their new tool, Guide, integrates with leading open source intelligence with AI coding assistants to help AI build high quality applications at the point of code generation. Try it for free to avoid turning five lines of code into a security nightmare. [Learn more ](https://fandf.co/4jScWFV?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 📰 Linux and Open Source News Here's a summary of the news this week. VS Code's [Snap version hoards disk space](https://itsfoss.com/news/vscode-snap-disk-space-issue/) by storing deleted files in a hidden trash folder that never clears automatically. Those files also stick around after updates. Switch to the DEB, RPM, or Flatpak version to avoid this. Clawdbot [had to rebrand as Moltbot](https://itsfoss.com/news/clawdbot-fiasco-explained/) after Anthropic's lawyers came calling. Then crypto scammers hijacked the founder's GitHub username. Security researchers are now warning it stores sensitive data in plaintext and is vulnerable to prompt injection attacks. Major Linux gaming projects like Bazzite, Nobara, and ChimeraOS have teamed up to form the [Open Gaming Collective](https://itsfoss.com/news/open-gaming-collective-launch/). They are working together on shared gaming components instead of duplicating efforts. Systemd creator Lennart Poettering left Microsoft [to launch Amutable](https://itsfoss.com/news/amutable-linux-security/), a Berlin-based Linux security startup. The company focuses on building proactive security into systems from the ground up instead of relying on reactive threat detection. France is ditching Microsoft Teams and Zoom for government use. Their new open source platform, Visio, [will replace all non-European videoconferencing software](https://itsfoss.com/news/france-ditches-microsoft-teams-and-zoom/) across departments. It runs on French servers for data sovereignty and claims Zoom-level performance. [Calibre 9.0](https://itsfoss.com/news/calibre-9-0-release/) brings a visual bookshelf view, in-viewer editing for EPUB and AZW3 files, and direct page jumps. Linux users get momentum-based touchpad scrolling. The update also improves EPUB3 metadata handling and SVG export. Greg Kroah-Hartman, one of the people who keeps the Linux kernel stable, [just won the European Open Source award](https://itsfoss.com/news/greg-kroah-hartman-european-open-source-award/). Pretty well deserved for someone maintaining critical infrastructure. Windows PowerToys is getting a [Command Palette Dock](https://itsfoss.com/news/windows-taking-page-from-linux/) that looks suspiciously familiar. The proposed dock gives quick access to pinned extensions and can sit anywhere on screen edges. GNU Hurd, the 36-year-old microkernel project everyone thought was gone, [is actually making progress](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnu-hurd-progress-report/). It compiles 80% of Debian packages, runs major desktop environments, and now supports 64-bit and multi-core. Firefox finally listened and is [adding a kill switch](https://itsfoss.com/news/firefox-ai-features-toggle/) for all the AI stuff people keep complaining about. One toggle nukes everything, or you can pick what stays. ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About For years, the community has wondered about an uncomfortable but inevitable question: [what happens if Linus Torvalds is no longer around](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-continuity-plan/)? That question has finally been answered. [What Happens to Linux After Linus Torvalds? We Finally Have the Answer to This Uncomfortable QuestionThey finally set this in stone.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-260.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-kernel-succession-plan-2.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-continuity-plan/) No corporate backing, no deep pockets. We are average human being with a deep passion for Linux and open source. We rely on your help and support for doing this work. If you love our work, please become a Plus member. ✅ 5 FREE eBooks on Linux, Docker and Bash ✅ Ad-free reading experience ✅ Badges in the comment section and forum ✅ To support creation of educational Linux materials [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings Nano [isn’t the only beginner-friendly](https://itsfoss.com/nano-like-editors/) terminal editor anymore. I hate to say it but Microsoft's Edit is a surprise. [Nano Feels Complicated? Try These 5 Easier Terminal EditorsThe Linux terminal has come a long way from supporting only the keyboard to having software that can be navigated fully using a mouse.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-262.png)It's FOSSPulkit Chandak![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/easy-to-use-termina-based-text-editors.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/nano-like-editors/) Xfce users will want to read this [to improve their Thunar experience](https://itsfoss.com/thunar-tweaks/). Ever wondered [what a cron job in Linux is](https://itsfoss.com/cron-job/)? Decades later, this is still a reliable tool for automatically scheduling tasks. ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner As building a homelab is my goal for 2026, I finally tried [dedicated NAS hardware, a TerraMaster F4-425 Plus](https://itsfoss.com/terramaster-f4-425-plus-review/). It's a solid device that performs very well and stays surprisingly silent. Their software can be more polished, though. [I Tried the TerraMaster F4-425 Plus as My First NAS; Here’s What I Liked (and Didn’t)Thinking about your first NAS, too? Here’s my hands-on TerraMaster F4-425 Plus review covering setup, performance, software, and limitations.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-269.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/terramaster-f4-425-plus-nas-review.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/terramaster-f4-425-plus-review/) Your retro computer doesn't need to languish; [this $69 addition](https://itsfoss.com/news/picoide-crowdfunding-campaign/) can rejuvenate it. ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights [Pulkit](https://itsfoss.com/author/pulkit/) has come up with a "*stoopid*" font, jk, [check it out will you](https://gitlab.com/cd.pulkit/mechaknickers?ref=itsfoss.com)? [Pulkit Chandak / Mechaknickers · GitLabGitLab.com![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/favicon-72a2cad5025aa931d6ea56c3201d1f18e68a8cd39788c7c80d5b2b82aa5143ef.png)GitLab![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/twitter_card-570ddb06edf56a2312253c5872489847a0f385112ddbcd71ccfa1570febab5d2.jpg)](https://gitlab.com/cd.pulkit/mechaknickers?ref=itsfoss.com) Your terminal can be cool if you take note of [this Bash framework](https://itsfoss.com/bash-it-terminal-tool/), that is. Jasper Nuyens from [Linux Belgium](https://www.linuxbe.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) shared his experiment with [AI-generated music made specifically for Linux fans](https://www.thefreelantern.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). It’s an interesting concept and one that really makes you pause and think about how far AI has come in content creation. If you are into terminal-based tools, [explore this download manager](https://github.com/surge-downloader/surge?ref=itsfoss.com) that claims to beat aria2 by 1.4x in speed. ## 📽️ Videos for You In this video, I go down the path of [creating a bootable Windows 11 USB drive on Linux](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5sAAHMBfvM&ref=itsfoss.com). Don't get me wrong. I am not trying to move people away from Linux with such a tutorial. You would be able to help someone make a bootable Windows USB if they asked you to. [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip If you are using [GNOME Boxes](https://itsfoss.com/share-files-gnome-boxes/), then you can send keyboard shortcuts like `CTRL+ALT+F6`, `CTRL+ALT+DEL`, etc., without affecting the host system. Click on the *keyboard* button on the top-right of the GNOME Boxes Guest window. Here, select the required signal from the drop-down menu. This is useful if you want to access a TTY in a guest. ![gnome boxes quick tip](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/send-key-to-guest-boxes.png) [](https://t43217012.p.clickup-attachments.com/t43217012/da09f1e7-b651-4c93-b93b-141e46671d4b/copy-link-to-highlight-firefox.png?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse Which Linux distro [describes you the best](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/distro-personality/)? [Which Linux Distro Are You? \[Fun Quiz\]You are a person, but still, you could match up with a distro.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-267.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/distro-personality-quiz-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/distro-personality/) **🤣 Meme of the Week**: But I like the experience ;) ![Linux users meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/linux-users-meme.jpg) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On February 4, 1943, computer legend Ken Thompson was born, the man who co-created UNIX and built the basic blueprint that almost every modern computer and smartphone still runs on today. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: FOSSers are discussing [the ban on social media for users under 16](https://itsfoss.community/t/ban-on-social-media-for-under-16/15176?ref=itsfoss.com). ### LibreOffice 26.2 is a Maintenance Release That Feels Like a Stable One URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/libreoffice-26-2-release/ Last updated: 2026-02-05T10:34:13.000Z People who aren't fans of their office suite handing over data to feed some deluded AI system opt for [open source alternatives](https://itsfoss.com/best-free-open-source-alternatives-microsoft-office/) with comparable functionality and no snooping to worry about. [LibreOffice](https://www.libreoffice.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is one of those options that has proven itself time and again with its versatility and easy-to-use interface. Heck, it's so good governmental agencies [have been switching to it](https://itsfoss.com/news/denmark-set-to-replace-microsoft/) and [saving some good money](https://itsfoss.com/news/german-state-ditch-microsoft/) as a result. A new point release, [LibreOffice 26.2](https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/ReleaseNotes/26.2?ref=itsfoss.com), has been announced by The Document Foundation that focuses on delivering upgrades across all editors. The folks from [Collabora Productivity](https://www.collaboraonline.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) have contributed over 2,000 commits to this release too. ## 🆕 LibreOffice 26.2: What's New? ![libreoffice 26.2 is shown here with the about dialog open](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/libreoffice-26-2.png) **Writer** gets several pagination and tracking improvements. Floating tables now behave properly with *keep-with-next* and *don't split* paragraph attributes, avoiding awkward page breaks. Similarly, the editor can now split floating tables for better DOCX export, partly deleted paragraphs in *Track Changes* don't clutter numbering list, and auto-caption insertion now works when pasting single images if you have configured it via the AutoCaption Images setting. ![the new paragraph alignment options in libreoffice 26.2 writer](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/libreoffice-26-2-paragraph-properties-dialog.png) Then there are the new "*Start*" and "*End*" paragraph alignments that automatically adapt to text direction. This should be useful for documents that combine left-to-right and right-to-left text. **Calc** has received major performance and format upgrades. Pasting content from Excel is better now thanks to [BIFF12](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/file-formats-that-are-supported-in-excel-0943ff2c-6014-4e8d-aaea-b83d51d46247?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=The%20binary%20file%20format%20%28BIFF12,Excel%202010%20and%20Excel%202007.) clipboard format support, and scrolling in sheets with many hidden columns is noticeably faster too. ![the new connector shapes feature in libreoffice 26.2 calc](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/libreoffice-26-2-calc-connectors.png) Connector shapes are a new addition that help with diagram work within spreadsheets, and the *Remove Duplicates* function and *Reject All Changes* operations both run faster. Additionally, the Excel 2010-365 format is now the default when saving XLSX files. **Impress** adds better audio/video support on Windows, using the [Microsoft Media Foundation](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/medfound/microsoft-media-foundation-sdk?ref=itsfoss.com) integration for providing native playback of common codecs. The *Layouts* panel and *Theme* dialog now use IconView widgets for a cleaner experience. ## Miscellaneous Changes 3D chart performance issues have been fixed, Google Drive authentication has been improved on Windows, and EPUB exports are significantly faster, with a helpful progress bar now being shown. For those who work with *.md* files, **the import and export of Markdown content is now possible**, including clipboard support and the ability to use *ODT*/*DOCX* templates when importing. Graphics and core improvements round out the release. [Skia](https://skia.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) rendering is now the standard on Windows and macOS. SVG files with pattern fills render faster on Linux thanks to backend optimizations. ### ⚙️ How to Install/Upgrade? For most Linux users, [Flathub](https://flathub.org/en/apps/org.libreoffice.LibreOffice?ref=itsfoss.com) supplies this LibreOffice release for quick installations. Those on other platforms can get the appropriate files from the [official website](https://www.libreoffice.org/download/download-libreoffice/?ref=itsfoss.com). [LibreOffice 26.2](https://www.libreoffice.org/download/download-libreoffice/?ref=itsfoss.com) Existing Linux desktop users can wait for the upgrade to be delivered by their distribution or [manually install the tar package](https://www.libreoffice.org/download/download-libreoffice/?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=need%20another%20language%3F-,SDK%20and%20Sourcecode,-Download%20the%20SDK). ### I Tried the TerraMaster F4-425 Plus as My First NAS; Here’s What I Liked (and Didn’t) URL: https://itsfoss.com/terramaster-f4-425-plus-review/ Last updated: 2026-02-05T08:27:37.000Z This is my first dedicated NAS device...well...sort of. I do use a ZimaCube, which is a somewhat similar product, but it isn’t marketed as a traditional NAS in the same way the [TerraMaster F4-425 Plus](https://www.terra-master.com/products/f4-425-plus?ref=itsfoss.com) is. ![TerraMaster F4-425 Plus Front](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/terrramaster-f4-425-plus-front-look.webp) Before going further, a quick disclaimer. I’m not a NAS expert, and I didn’t run synthetic benchmarks for this review. Instead, this is based on hands-on usage and first impressions. In my experience, the real strengths and frustrations of a device only start to surface with regular, day-to-day use over time. That’s when you notice both the pleasant surprises and the small annoyances. With that in mind, my initial impression of the TerraMaster F4-425 Plus has been quite positive. It’s a reasonably sized device that supports both HDDs and SSDs, runs surprisingly quietly, and offers an almost plug-and-play setup experience. Before I share my usage experience, let’s start with the hardware specifications. ## The hardware F4-425 Plus is a slight upgrade to its previous version, F4-425\. It consists of Intel N150 processor, which is a much-needed upgrade from the aging Celeron chips still found in many other NAS devices. This new processor delivers better per-core performance, lower power consumption. Integrated GPU is definitely a plus in the Plus version. ![TerraMaster F4-425 Plus](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/terrramaster-f4-425-plus-back-look.webp) The CPU pairs with 16GB of DDR5 memory. This is generous for the price point and provides headroom for Docker containers, virtual machines, or memory-hungry applications. The "hybrid" designation comes from the storage configuration: four hot-swap bays for 3.5-inch hard drives (or 2.5-inch SATA SSDs) alongside three M.2 NVMe slots. Each M.2 slot supports drives up to 8 TB, though bandwidth caps at PCIe Gen3 x1 speeds, just under 1,000 MB/s per drive. That's more than sufficient for caching, fast scratch volumes, or VM workloads. In theory, you can have 144TB (120TB across the HDD bays plus 24TB of NVMe storage) storage on this Hybrid NAS device. Connectivity is also improved in the new version. Dual 5GbE LAN ports outclass the 2.5GbE in the previous version. You also get four USB ports (one front-facing USB-A, plus two USB-A and one USB-C on the rear), all running at 10 Gbit/s. An HDMI port exists but currently only supports terminal access, no dashboard or media playback. So not as useful as I would want it to be. Build quality is impressive, too. The chassis features thick aluminum construction that's easy to service (four bottom screws, slide off the shell). A single 120mm rear exhaust fan handles cooling, pulling air across the drives while passively cooling the CPU. | Component | Specification | | -------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- | | Processor | Intel N150 Quad-Core (up to 3.6 GHz) | | Memory | 16GB DDR5 (upgradeable to 32GB, non-ECC) | | HDD Bays | 4× 3.5"/2.5" SATA (hot-swappable) | | M.2 Slots | 3× NVMe (PCIe Gen3 x1, up to 8TB each) | | Max Storage Capacity | 144TB (120TB HDD + 24TB NVMe) | | LAN Ports | 2× 5GbE | | USB Ports | 4× USB 10 Gbit/s (1 front Type-A, 2 rear Type-A, 1 rear Type-C) | | Video Output | HDMI (terminal access only) | | Hardware Transcoding | H.264, H.265, MPEG-4, VC-1 | | Cooling | 1× 120mm rear exhaust fan | | Dimensions | 181 × 219 × 150 mm (W × D × H) | In the package, there were tiny stickers that you can put on the HDDs and label them. Helps you recognize them easily when you are pulling the disk bay. Tiny thing but definitely well thought. ## Initial setup The initial setup follows a fairly standard headless approach. I used [Angry IP Scanner to locate the device on my network](https://itsfoss.com/how-to-find-what-devices-are-connected-to-network-in-ubuntu/) and then accessed it by entering the IP address in a web browser. The setup process began with a Terms of Service screen, which appeared before I could proceed to TOS (TerraMaster Operating System). ![TNAS initialization](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/tnas-initialization.webp) From there, the system automatically detected the installed SSDs and configured them into a TRAID setup. ![TRAID merges disks](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/traid-disk-merge-interramaster-nas.webp) In my case, I used SSDs instead of traditional hard drives, as my homelab setup doesn’t include HDDs. At current prices, SSDs cost almost the same as HDDs in lower storage capacities, and I prefer taking advantage of the improved speed. That said, I do understand that HDDs still offer long-term advantages in a NAS environment, particularly for large-scale storage. If prices become more attractive, I may consider adding a couple of HDDs in the future, though that seems unlikely at the moment. ![TerraMaster Storage Pool with TRAID](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/terramaster-storage-pool.webp) Once the storage pool was created, the system proceeded to install TOS, TerraMaster’s proprietary operating system. After setting up user credentials, the NAS was ready for use. ![TNAS TOS interface](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/tnas-interface.webp) TOS interface Within minutes, it appeared as an available network drive on my Linux system, allowing me to start transferring files right away. ![TNAS as seen from other Linux machine](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/tnas-on-local-network-1-1.webp) If you are interested, you can watch the screen recording of the initial setup in the video below. Mind that it is a raw, unedited video that may have unnecessary fiddling around and waiting. Perhaps I'll make a more polished video review later. ## TOS: More capable than its looks TerraMaster's operating system surprised me with its built-in tools. Backup options are comprehensive. [TerraSync](https://www.terra-master.com/pages/terrasync?ref=itsfoss.com) runs on both the NAS and client PCs to automatically synchronize folders. The TerraSync client can be [downloaded from this page](https://support.terra-master.com/download/packages?product=F2-425%20Plus&ref=itsfoss.com). It's weird that they have not put the download links on the main TerraSync webpage. Next, [CloudSync](https://www.terra-master.com/pages/cloudsync?ref=itsfoss.com) mirrors NAS data to cloud storage providers for offsite protection. You get rsync support for NAS-to-NAS replication, scheduled snapshots for point-in-time recovery, and native Time Machine support for Mac users (not that I care). Basically, all the building blocks for a [proper 3-2-1 backup strategy](https://linuxhandbook.com/3-2-1-backup-strategy/?ref=itsfoss.com) are present. ![Terramaster Business Backup Suite](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/terramaster-bbs-backup-topology.webp) Other than that, TOS has its own app store with a few additional applications. Most of them are TerraMaster utilities but there are also [media server software](https://itsfoss.com/media-server-software/) like Emby, Plex and Jellyfin. There is a handy Docker Manager to graphically run and maintain software in Docker containers. ![Terramaster app store](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/terramaster-app-store.webp) TerraMaster App Center TOS also has a Photos app to give you a better experience with your photo collection. You can enable its built-in AI features to automatically tag people, location and characters. This is reasonably good but I would still prefer [Immich](https://immich.app/?ref=itsfoss.com) or PhotoPrism. ![TerraMaster's Photos app with AI features](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/terramaster-photos.webp) Media serving works well, too. I tested Jellyfin and it showed smooth 4K HEVC playback with HDR and AAC 5.1 audio and the CPU hovered under 6% utilization thanks to hardware decoding. ![TerraMaster NAS system resource usage](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/terramaster-nas-system-resource.webp) For advanced users, Docker and Portainer support opens up containerized applications. There is an unofficial, community app store for people looking for more software to install but don't want to use Docker or other containerization tool. ![Terramaster Community App Store](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/terramaster-community-app.webp) TerraMaster Community App Store The rough edges show in details: the resource monitor looks dated, thermal monitoring for multiple NVMe drives requires digging through individual disk menus, and the security advisor while feature-complete isn't beginner-friendly. Everything needed is present; it just requires more clicks and exploration. If they could improve their user interface, make it look more modern, TerraMaster will be unbeatable. Their heart is in the right place as they have think about all the important things to run and manage a NAS, a homelab. It just needs to be more polished, more cohesive. By the way, the default wallpaper does look badass. ![TNAS TOS login](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/tnas-os-login.webp) Default wallpaper looks bad\*\*s ## Performance: Solid numbers for the class F4-425 Plus has dual 5GbE ports which is a good option if you have that kind of infrastructure. I use it over WiFi but at least the high-speed option is present for faster data transfer. When I played 4K media over WiFi, I was expecting the CPU to go crazy. It stayed under 6% to my surprise. Similarly, CPU remained under 60°C even under considerable load, SSDs sat between 41-45°C. The aluminum chassis stays cool to the touch. I was lowkey expecting it to be hot. Power consumption measured under 10W for the NAS hardware. Perhaps it would consume more over heavy load and when all the HDDs are utilized. ✅ TerraMaster F4-425 Plus is surprisingly silent. It hardly makes sound even when the fan is running. It's like those electric vehicles that pass by unnoticeable. Compared to this, my ZimaCube sounds like a jet engine. I have not tested it with HDDs that may make more noise than the SSDs. ## Things that could have been better (but no deal breakers) The F4-425 Plus is a capable and well-built NAS overall, but like any product, it has a few areas where the experience could be better. None of these are deal-breakers, but they did stand out during regular use. ### Could use more modern ports ![Terramaster F4-425 Plus NAS Back](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/Terramaster-F4-425-Plus-back.webp) The F4-425 Plus offers three USB-A ports and a single USB-C port. While USB-A is still very much in use, USB-C has become the default choice for many modern peripherals, especially portable SSDs. When transferring large amounts of data, USB-C is generally more convenient and better suited for higher-speed external storage. Having only one USB-C port slightly limits flexibility, particularly if you regularly work with external drives. Don't get me wrong. The three USB A ports it provides are capable of upto 10 Gbps (in theory) but somehow, I am biased towards USB type C. Additionally, there is no Thunderbolt port. ZimaCube offers Thunderbolt connectivity, which allows for extremely fast direct connections to a (Windows and Mac) computer. While Thunderbolt isn’t essential for everyone, including it would have future-proofed the device. ### Front panel connectivity could be better ![Terramaster F4-425 Plus NAS Front](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/Terramaster-F4-425-Plus-front.webp) On the front of the F4-425 Plus, you’ll find the power button, four drive bays, and a single USB-A port. The only USB-C port is located at the back. This means that when I want to quickly connect a portable SSD, I need to access the rear of the NAS. It’s not a major inconvenience, but a front-facing USB-C port would have made everyday usage more convenient, especially for temporary connections. ### SSD access requires opening the enclosure ![Accessing the SSDs in Terramaster F4-425-Plus](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/terrramaster-f4-425-plus-ssdf-access.webp) This is a relatively minor point, as internal SSDs are not something you’ll be removing frequently. To access the SSDs on the F4-425 Plus, you need to remove the outer metal casing. The process is straightforward, but it does require tools. I like what ZimaCube did. They offer front-accessible SSD bays, which makes upgrades faster and simpler. It would be nice to see a similar approach in future models from TerraMaster. ### TerraMaster mobile app could be more polished ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/terramaster-tnas-mobile-app-1.webp) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/terramaster-tnas-mobile-app.webp) The idea behind TerraMaster’s mobile apps is solid. Being able to access files remotely and back up phone media directly to the NAS is genuinely useful. However, the overall experience could be smoother. The interface feels a bit dated in places, and some actions are not as intuitive as they could be. For instance, selectively uploading files from an Android phone didn’t work as smoothly as expected. While the TNAS app appears in the share menu, file uploads were inconsistent in my testing. Uploading files from within the TNAS app itself does work, but it can feel cumbersome when dealing with large photo or video libraries. With some UI and workflow improvements, this app could be much more pleasant to use. 📋 All these are trivial issue and as you can see, they are not ## Conclusion As I mentioned at the beginning of the article, I am not a NAS expert. I am just a technophile who likes plenty of Linux and open source software and is now keenly interested in [maintaining homelab and self-hosting](https://itsfoss.com/self-hosting-starting-projects/). From what I have experienced with TerraMaster so far, I feel it is an excellent piece of hardware coupled with software that can be greatly improved to give it a top-notch, plug-and-play experience to a wider user. Even at present, its TOS operating system is good enough if you are going to use it primarily as a NAS. Some may not like it, but I liked the flexibility its TRAID provides. If you want the device in a multi-role, you'll have to install a different operating system. ✅ Impressive hardware at affordable price coupled with decent operating system that would suit the needs of anyone looking for a NAS. Advanced users can always install different operating system and enjoy the hardware with more diverse usage. Overall, [TerraMaster F4-425 Plus](https://www.terra-master.com/products/f4-425-plus?ref=itsfoss.com) is an absolute value of money in 2026. [TerraMaster F4-425 Plus on Amazon](https://amzn.to/4awbqpA?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Microsoft's VS Code in Ubuntu's Snap Format Eats Up Disk Space Like Bloatware Even After Removal URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/vscode-snap-disk-space-issue/ Last updated: 2026-02-04T09:04:25.000Z Have you noticed that disk space is filling up fast even when your Linux computer's trash folder is empty? There's a strong possibility that [VS Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is responsible for it. A [not-so-recent issue](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/issues/233649?ref=itsfoss.com) in the Snap version of VS Code has cropped up again, and there's no fix in sight. ## An Absurd Bug When you normally delete a file, it goes into the trash folder, located at `~/.local/share/Trash`. [GNOME](https://www.gnome.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) has supported automated emptying of the trash at selected intervals through its settings for quite some time now. So, let's say you delete trash every seven days. ![this screenshot shows the trash folder in nautilus file manager on a gnome-equipped system](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/file-trash-removal-timer.png) Now, with [the Snap version of VS Code](https://snapcraft.io/code?ref=itsfoss.com), any files or folders deleted using the `Delete` key in VS Code are being sent to the Snap's own trash folder, which is located at: ``` ~/snap/code/current/.local/share/Trash ``` **You see the problem now?** This pesky folder is not cleared automatically, and this is not how deleted content should be handled. Especially when the deleted files are placed this deep inside a directory tree, hidden away from the user's eye. ***There's more.*** The `current` directory mentioned above corresponds to the version of VS Code that's installed on your system. Now, if you update to a new version of VS Code, **the residuals of the old version will still be present** on your computer in a separate folder. *See for yourself.* 👇 ![terminal output that shows the leftover trash in the snap folder for vs code](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/ubuntu-vscode-trash-different-inode-means-duplicate-1.png) *This drives up the unnecessary bloat in your system even more!* The bug itself was reported all the way back in November 2024, and the issue is still present for current Snap versions of VS Code and even [VSCodium](https://itsfoss.com/vscodium/). ## What Can You Do? If this issue is bothering you, then you can remove the Snap version and install the [DEB](https://itsfoss.com/install-visual-studio-code-ubuntu/#:~:text=Method%202%3A%20Using%20the%20.deb/.rpm%20packages) or [RPM](https://itsfoss.com/install-vs-code-fedora/) version of VS Code. There's also an [unofficial Flatpak version](https://flathub.org/en/apps/com.visualstudio.code?ref=itsfoss.com) if you prefer that packaging. 📋 Deleting the Snap version of VS Code also deletes all of its associated junk files. Some [Arch distributions](https://itsfoss.com/arch-based-linux-distros/), like Manjaro Linux, come with [Snapd](https://github.com/canonical/snapd?ref=itsfoss.com) installed by default. If you are one of the people who used the Snap version of VS Code, then you can also try the open source build of VS Code (Code - OSS), which is available in the [Arch Linux repository](https://archlinux.org/packages/extra/x86%5F64/code/?ref=itsfoss.com). Source: [How to Geek](https://www.howtogeek.com/visual-studio-code-is-eating-up-hundreds-of-gigabytes-on-linux/?ref=itsfoss.com). --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*GNU's Very Own Kernel Project Hurd is Anything But Dead*](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnu-hurd-progress-report/) [36 Years in Making, GNU’s Very Own Kernel Project Hurd is Anything But DeadBetter late than never!![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-259.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/gnu-hurd-progress-report.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnu-hurd-progress-report/) ### Not Kidding! Bash Shell Manual is Part of Epstein Files 🫣 URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/bash-manual-in-epstein-files/ Last updated: 2026-02-04T06:11:14.000Z When I first [saw a tweet about the Bash Reference Manual being part of Epstein files](https://x.com/LundukeJournal/status/2018807023249629652?ref=itsfoss.com), I simply thought of it as a joke. > The BASH Reference Manual is part of The Epstein Files. > > Seriously. The BASH scripting language. In the Epstein Files.[https://t.co/Bm6ndDw4iq](https://t.co/Bm6ndDw4iq?ref=itsfoss.com) [pic.twitter.com/9Hw6nLdYsc](https://t.co/9Hw6nLdYsc?ref=itsfoss.com) > > — The Lunduke Journal (@LundukeJournal) [February 3, 2026](https://twitter.com/LundukeJournal/status/2018807023249629652?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=itsfoss.com) And then there were more tweets. As a Linux user and an open source enthusiast, I was curious and I had to find out if there was any truth in it. The truth is that indeed Bash Reference Manual is part of the Epstein Files released by the U.S. Department of Justice. You can access it [here](https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00315849.pdf?ref=itsfoss.com). ## Why is Bash Manual in the Epstein Files? That's the real question. Epstein Files are about deplorable crime. Or, so I thought. But when I dove deeper, I realized that not everything released by the government has an actual bearing on the crime. Basically, there's no deep or sinister reason. Bash Reference Manual is just one random technical document among millions of pages of everything Epstein apparently had on his computers and servers over the years. Probably it was downloaded by a person who was managing Epstein's systems. It is common for system engineers to save reference manuals on their work computer, right? It should not come as a surprise at all. And remember, Epstein Files are an extremely broad dump. It is not curated to include only relevant documents. It has all kinds of random stuff like ebooks, audio manuals, articles. So, the Bash manual ended up in there too. ## BTW, Bill Gates is in those files As per media reports, Bill Gates is in Epstein files too and unlike Bash Reference Manual, the reasons are not innocent. And if [some reports are to be believed](https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/microsoft-co-founder-bill-gates-russian-girls-std-cover-up-explosive-claim-in-epstein-files-us-justice-department-releases-epstein-files-10918061?ref=itsfoss.com), he contracted STDs from these adventures. Not the first time Microsoft software got infected by a virus. There are so many big names in the Epstein files but you know who is not there? Your homeboy, [Linus Torvalds](https://itsfoss.com/linus-torvalds-facts/). > Well, well, well. 😑 [pic.twitter.com/dMivf8SnW9](https://t.co/dMivf8SnW9?ref=itsfoss.com) > > — It's FOSS (@Itsfoss) [February 2, 2026](https://twitter.com/Itsfoss/status/2018296107508310017?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=itsfoss.com) On an absurdly ridiculous level, does the inclusion of the Bash reference manual in Epstein files give you a reason to [start using Zsh instead](https://linuxhandbook.com/learn-zsh/?ref=itsfoss.com)? Okay, bye 😜 ![Until we meet again meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/until-we-meet-again.webp) ### Finally! Firefox Is Getting a Kill Switch for Its (Unwanted) AI Features URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/firefox-ai-features-toggle/ Last updated: 2026-02-04T03:03:06.000Z Over the past year, [Firefox](https://www.firefox.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) has been receiving flak for not focusing on the core web browsing experience and pivoting hard towards AI instead, even after leadership changes. While some of these new features [can be useful](https://itsfoss.com/news/firefox-ai-link-previews/), not everyone wants AI features in their web browser. Some people just want the traditional browsing experience. It looks like [Mozilla finally understood](https://blog.mozilla.org/en/firefox/ai-controls/?ref=itsfoss.com) that. ## What to Expect? Firefox is getting a new config page called "***AI Controls***" that is set to become the home for all the AI features in the browser. When live, it will be found in the browser settings, accessible via the hamburger button on the top-right or via the following address `about:preferences`. As for what it can do for you, well, **if you don't want any AI features at all**, then you can toggle the option called "*Block AI Enhancements*" to switch off every AI feature in Firefox (*this is not enabled by default btw*). 📋 This would also disable those annoying "**use our AI features pls*" popups. **For more granular control**, you can go in and toggle each AI feature on its own. Translations, alt text for images in PDFs, and AI tab grouping all have their own switches, so you can choose what stays and what goes. Link previews are in there too; these show you a quick summary of a page before you open it. I had tested an experimental version of it last year (*linked above*), and it had some rough edges back then. But I assume that things are better now. And if you use the AI chatbot in the sidebar, you get to configure which one you want, these range from Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot to Gemini and Le Chat Mistral. After these are configured, Firefox will remember your choices across app upgrades. **If you want a sneak peek**, then you will want to keep an eye out on the [Firefox Nightly](https://www.firefox.com/en-US/channel/desktop/?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=is%20shared.-,Nightly,-Get%20a%20sneak) build; it will be introducing AI Controls very soon. [Firefox Nightly](https://www.firefox.com/en-US/channel/desktop/?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=is%20shared.-,Nightly,-Get%20a%20sneak) For the rest of us, **Firefox 148 is arriving on February 24** as the first stable release with these controls. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*France Just Created Its Own Open Source Alternative to Microsoft Teams and Zoom*](https://itsfoss.com/news/france-ditches-microsoft-teams-and-zoom/) [France Just Created Its Own Open Source Alternative to Microsoft Teams and ZoomNot only for them, but any other non-European videoconferencing software.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-258.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/france-says-no-to-teams-zoom.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/france-ditches-microsoft-teams-and-zoom/) ### Oh Dear! Notepad++ Was Quietly Compromised for Six Months (But Don't Panic Just Yet) URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/notepad-plus-plus-compromised/ Last updated: 2026-02-03T17:32:30.000Z [Notepad++](https://notepad-plus-plus.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) has been around for quite some time now, and for good reason. It is a free (*as in freedom*) and open source text editor that's lightweight in nature. Developers, sysadmins, and anyone else who works with code or plain text on Windows has most likely used it at some point. I say Windows because **it is still not available on Linux**, even after 22 years since its initial release, though [you can run it via an unofficial Snap](https://itsfoss.com/notepad-plus-plus-linux/) that uses Wine under the hood. Unfortunately, there's [some concerning news](https://notepad-plus-plus.org/news/hijacked-incident-info-update/?ref=itsfoss.com) that you should take note of if you have it installed. ## What's Happened? The update infrastructure of Notepad++ was compromised. The attack did not come from a flaw in Notepad++ itself. It started with the hosting provider, who ran the server handling Notepad++'s update system (*WinGup*). Back in June 2025, attackers broke into that shared hosting server and got themselves inside the update infrastructure. From there, they could intercept update requests and quietly redirect users to their own servers. This went on for months, but the attackers lost direct access to the server in early September after a routine maintenance update kicked them out. But they had already grabbed credentials to the hosting provider's internal services and used those to keep the redirection going all the way until December 2, 2025. **The targeting was not random either**. Many security researchers [have traced the attack](https://www.rapid7.com/blog/post/tr-chrysalis-backdoor-dive-into-lotus-blossoms-toolkit/?ref=itsfoss.com) to what they believe is a Chinese state-sponsored group. Moreover, only certain users were deliberately targeted. The attack has since been effectively shut down, with the hosting provider patching the vulnerabilities, changing out all the compromised credentials, and Notepad++ moving to a new hosting provider. ## The Fix It is quite simple, actually. If you are an existing user, then you can download [Notepad++ v8.9.1](https://notepad-plus-plus.org/downloads/v8.9.1/?ref=itsfoss.com) (*or later*), which **includes the necessary security fixes**. You will have to manually update though. That release comes with many other improvements too, like macro and search bug fixes, better syntax highlighting for Perl, new *Function List* support for Nim, and a better *Find* dialog that now flags invisible characters. [Notepad++ v8.9.1](https://notepad-plus-plus.org/downloads/v8.9.1/?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Best Notepad++ Alternatives For Linux*](https://itsfoss.com/notepad-alternatives-for-linux/) [8 Best Notepad++ Alternatives For LinuxDon’t worry! What if Notepad++ is not available for Linux? There are several other good options as replacements!![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-257.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/notepad-plus-plus-alternatives.png)](https://itsfoss.com/notepad-alternatives-for-linux/) ### 36 Years in Making, GNU's Very Own Kernel Project Hurd is Anything But Dead URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/gnu-hurd-progress-report/ Last updated: 2026-02-03T13:21:37.000Z At this point, you might think that [GNU Hurd](https://www.gnu.org/software/hurd/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a mythical beast lost to time, but fret not, it's still around. Speaking at [FOSDEM 2026](https://fosdem.org/2026/schedule/event/7FZXHF-updates%5Fon%5Fgnuhurd%5Fprogress%5Frump%5Fdrivers%5F64bit%5Fsmp%5Fsoftware%5Fbootstrapping/?ref=itsfoss.com), Samuel Thibault has provided a much-needed progress update. To the uninitiated, GNU Hurd is a replacement for the [Unix kernel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix?ref=itsfoss.com), which has been in development since 1990\. Unlike Linux's approach, where there's a monolithic kernel, Hurd breaks down components into small, independent servers. This way, **any changes or major redesigns can be carried out without having to rewrite the whole thing**. You can draw a parallel with how tricky [Linux's rustification](https://itsfoss.com/news/first-linux-kernel-rust-cve/) has been. ## Still Going Strong It is now said to be rather stable, with [Debian](https://www.debian.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) builds being able to compile about 80% of the archive, and GNOME, KDE, and Xfce all working on it. Guix has also shipped [a Hurd release](https://guix.gnu.org/en/download/latest/?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=GNU%20Guix%20System%20on%20GNU%20Hurd), with some work coming to [Arch Linux](https://archlinux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Alpine Linux](https://www.alpinelinux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) as well. On the software side, ***gcc***, ***glibc***, ***LLVM***, and ***Rust*** have all added Hurd support upstream, with **64-bit support now working** and a Debian amd64 version bootstrapped. Similarly, on the hardware side, it supports **SMP (*multi-core*)**, with SATA handled by an AHCI driver and USB drives and CDs supported through a [userland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User%5Fspace%5Fand%5Fkernel%5Fspace?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=The%20term%20user,software%2C%20etc.) translator. Network drivers have also been ported to userland, replacing the old Linux 2.6.32-based layer. ACPI and PCI access both run in userland too, with PAE support on 32-bit added for memory-hungry builds. There's KVM/Xen support too, but the performance for it is said to be "*not satisfactory,*" and initial ARM64 support is in the works. The **included console is a modular one**, with a server running virtual ttys and gettys and a client handling keyboard, mouse, and VGA. The VGA driver allows it to print kanji and emojis in text mode, with up to 512 dynamic glyphs and double-width character support. Samuel also shared that: > The x86\_64 port is essentially complete, which mostly required fixing the MIG RPC layer, and telling various software that it exists. To bootstrap the Debian GNU/Hurd x86\_64 distribution, many of the crossbuilding, rebootstrapping and build profiles tools were used to make it relatively smooth. > > Additionally, the Guix/Hurd distribution is also on its way, as well as an Alpine/Hurd distribution. And more to discover during the talk! Via: [Phoronix](https://www.phoronix.com/news/GNU-Hurd-In-2026?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Windows 11 May Introduce a Linux-like Feature for its Power Users URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/windows-taking-page-from-linux/ Last updated: 2026-02-03T13:19:40.000Z Okay, fine, not only Linux, but macOS too. A [proposal has been pitched](https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/issues/45201?ref=itsfoss.com) under Microsoft PowerToys that looks to introduce a new optional Command Palette Dock. This would offer quick access to any selected [Command Palette extension](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/powertoys/command-palette/extensibility-overview?ref=itsfoss.com) and work with the [Command Palette launcher](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/powertoys/command-palette/overview?ref=itsfoss.com). Sounds interesting? Let's dig in. 🤓 🚧 This is still under development; while you can try it out, don't experiment with it on a general or production use machine. ## A Promising Proposal ![this light blue colored picture shows a laptop screen with windows 11, showing the command palette launcher and the proposed dock at the very top](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/command-palette-dock.png) **Look at the very top to spot the dock.* First, let me explain to you what [PowerToys](https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys?ref=itsfoss.com) are. These are an open source set of utilities that have been built with power users in mind that extend the capabilities of Windows. On the other hand, the Command Palette is a launcher that lets you quickly open apps, run commands, and access tools. The proposal linked above calls for the addition of a new persistent dock element that would sit in the interface, giving users **one-click access to their pinned extensions**. It can be placed anywhere on the edges of your screen, be it top, bottom, right, or left, with there being a zoned approach for the placement of extensions. In a three-panel layout, these can be placed at the start, center, or end of the dock. **Source:* [**Niels Laute*](https://github.com/niels9001?ref=itsfoss.com) All existing Command Palette extensions work with this, and the appearance of the dock is customizable too, where you get to choose from different background and theme options. There's also the option to rearrange any added extensions. The developer behind this, [Niels Laute](https://github.com/niels9001?ref=itsfoss.com), is looking for feedback from the community. He's looking for info on whether you'd actually use it, which extensions you'd pin, and what kind of scenarios would benefit the most from a docked experience. ## Déjà Vu? The Linux user inside you might already be screaming that ***we already have this!*** And you wouldn't be wrong. Most popular distros like Ubuntu, Fedora, and Pop!\_OS already ship with something similar. This only further strengthens the notion that **Windows is taking notes from other platforms**. Now, if only they could do away with their tendency to snoop on user data and shove AI into everything, the OS might actually stop drawing so much hate. 💬 *Well, what are your thoughts on this? Don't hold back!* --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Our Guide to GNOME Shell Extensions*](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-shell-extensions/) [How to Use GNOME Shell Extensions \[Complete Guide\]Step-by-step detailed guide to show you how to install GNOME Shell Extensions manually or easily via a browser.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-256.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/use-gnome-shell-extensions-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-shell-extensions/) ### Linux's Second-in-Command Greg Kroah-Hartman Bestowed With The European Open Source Award URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/greg-kroah-hartman-european-open-source-award/ Last updated: 2026-02-02T13:48:19.000Z We already know that [open source maintainers aren't as valued as they should be](https://itsfoss.com/news/open-source-developers-are-exhausted/), and working endlessly without a goal in mind or some appropriate compensation just ends up breaking them. The [European Open Source Academy](https://europeanopensource.academy/?ref=itsfoss.com) (EOSA) recognizes open source leaders through its annual awards. ***The Prize for Excellence in Open Source Software*** goes to people who've made outstanding contributions. Daniel Stenberg, the president of the academy and also creator of curl, has announced that Greg Kroah-Hartman [is among the awardees for this year](https://awards.europeanopensource.academy/node/121?ref=itsfoss.com). 📋 You might remember Daniel from the recent news of [cURL doing away with their bug bounty program](https://itsfoss.com/news/curl-closes-bug-bounty-program/). ## A Worthy Laurate ![this picture shows two people in the frame, on the left is daniel wearing a light blue suit, handing over a tree-themed award to greg on the right, who is wearing a black colored suit](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/daniel-hands-over-award-to-greg.jpg) **Source:* [**Daniel Stenberg*](https://daniel.haxx.se/blog/2026/01/30/gregkh-awarded-the-prize-for-excellence-in-open-source-2026/?ref=itsfoss.com) Recognizing his years of work, the EOSA presented the award to Greg at a gala in Brussels, Belgium. If you don't know who he is, **let his work speak for itself**. He is a Fellow at the [Linux Foundation](https://www.linuxfoundation.org/about/leadership?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=LEADERSHIP-,FELLOWS,-LINUX%20TECHNICAL%20ADVISORY), the stable kernel maintainer for Linux, a role that directly impacts billions of devices worldwide. And every week, he ships bug fixes and security patches while also handling multiple long-term support versions. *You are most likely reading this on a device running Linux.* 😆 Greg had a few words to share after receiving the award: > I would like to greatly thank the European Open Source Academy for this award. I am very honored that the work I have done for Linux and Open Source has been recognized by my peers as helpful to the success of Linux. > The European Union has, over the past years, recognized that Open Source software is what powers the world, and frees everyone from forced reliance on commercial offerings, allowing all governments, companies, and people, to control their own future. Before you start yapping that such awards are unnecessary or just marketing fluff, ask yourself, "*what have I done to take open source ahead*." Isn't it good to be given recognition for years of toiling? Or are those only reserved for the ones who bring "*peace*." *Oops, I let some of my inner politico leak.* ☠️ --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*What Happens to Linux After Linus Torvalds?*](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-continuity-plan/) [What Happens to Linux After Linus Torvalds? We Finally Have the Answer to This Uncomfortable QuestionThey finally set this in stone.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-255.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-kernel-succession-plan-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-continuity-plan/) ### $69 in 2026 Gets You a Tool to Rejuvenate Old Computers URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/picoide-crowdfunding-campaign/ Last updated: 2026-02-02T10:42:50.000Z If you have been warming up to the idea of owning [physical media](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical%5Fmedia?ref=itsfoss.com) or preserving your existing collection before it fades away, then **PicoIDE** should interest you. The work of [Polpotronics](https://polpotronics.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), this is **an open source IDE/ATAPI emulator** meant to replace aging tech like CD-ROM drives and hard disks. If you don't know what those are, you probably weren't around back then. ☠️ The job of the PicoIDE is quite simple; it can take in disk images (*e.g., ISO, .bin/.cue, .vhd*) from microSD cards and present them to your vintage computer as real IDE hard drives or ATAPI CD-ROM drives. ## PicoIDE: Physical Media FTW The [PicoIDE](https://picoide.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is powered by a [Raspberry Pi RP2350](https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/rp2350/?ref=itsfoss.com) microcontroller and fits into a standard 3.5-inch drive bay found on most old hardware. It uses a regular 40-pin IDE connector and gets power through the standard 4-pin Molex connector. For storage, it reads disk images off microSD cards formatted in FAT32 or exFAT. There are **two variants** for it; the ***Base*** one handles image switching through a DOS utility or by swapping the microSD card. The ***Deluxe*** version adds an OLED display and physical buttons so you can browse and switch images directly on the device. It also has WiFi for managing images through a web interface. The device supports PIO modes 0-4 and multi-word DMA modes 0-2 for data transfer. It also has a proper audio setup with a [TI PCM5100A DAC](https://www.ti.com/product/PCM5100A?ref=itsfoss.com) that outputs high quality analog CD audio through both an MPC-2 header and a 3.5mm line-out jack. You can also create or modify disk images using emulators like [86Box](https://86box.net/?ref=itsfoss.com) or [WinUAE](https://github.com/tonioni/WinUAE?ref=itsfoss.com) (*the name is unrelated to a certain soulless regime*). As for why anyone would need such a device, the [Crowdsupply](https://www.crowdsupply.com/polpotronics/picoide?ref=itsfoss.com) page for the project gives a fine example. Load your entire CD game library onto one microSD card, organize it, and switch between titles using the front panel or DOS utility. The CD audio output **even works with mixed-mode discs** that have [redbook](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow%5FBooks?ref=itsfoss.com#Red%5FBook%5F%281980%29) audio tracks, which software emulators can't handle, they add. ## 💰 Funding the PicoIDE ![this white colored picture shows the front and back views of the picoide board](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/picoide-pcb-front-back-views.jpg) As of writing this, the PicoIDE had **reached its funding goal of $35,000** and was going strong at $100,339 raised. If you want to get your hands on it, then you can pitch in a minimum of **$69** for the ***Base*** variant, which gets you a fully assembled PicoIDE board along with its enclosure. If you can go the extra mile, then **$110** gets you the ***Deluxe*** variant, which is the same thing but with two color options and more bits, as mentioned earlier. [PicoIDE](https://www.crowdsupply.com/polpotronics/picoide?ref=itsfoss.com) You should also keep an eye on PicoIDE's [GitHub](https://github.com/polpo/picoide/tree/main/docs?ref=itsfoss.com) repo. The design files and source code will go live there before units start shipping. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*These Linux Distros Turn Your PC into a Retro Gaming Console*](https://itsfoss.com/retro-gaming-console-linux-distros/) [Linux Distros That Turn Your PC into Retro Gaming ConsoleLooking to spice up your system as a retro gaming console? These Linux distributions can help you do that.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-254.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-distros-for-retro-gaming-console-1.jpg)](https://itsfoss.com/retro-gaming-console-linux-distros/) ### Your eBooks Don't Have to Look Boring, Calibre 9.0 Now has Shelves URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/calibre-9-0-release/ Last updated: 2026-01-31T09:23:34.000Z Many of you might already be users of [Calibre](https://calibre-ebook.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). If you don't know what that is, it is a very capable eBook manager that has many handy features like format conversion, news fetching, metadata editing, and a built-in viewer that supports most eBook formats. It recently gained support [for running AI locally](https://itsfoss.com/news/calibre-lm-studio-support/) via LM Studio, and during my use of it, everything worked as expected. I was able to ask questions about books in my library and get personalized reading recommendations without needing to send any data to cloud services. Now, a [new release](https://calibre-ebook.com/whats-new?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=Release%3A%209.0%20%5B30%20Jan%2C%202026%5D) is here, bringing with it some neat upgrades. ## Calibre 9.0: What's New? ![this screenshot shows calibre 9.0's new bookshelf view in action, there is a new option for it in the layout menu (bottom-right)](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/calibre-9-0-bookshelf-view.png) The brand-new bookshelf view, for starters. If you click on the "*Layout*" button on the bottom-right of the Calibre app, you will find the new view. Click on it to activate a virtual shelf of neatly arranged eBooks. This should be useful if you have a large library of books and want to get the look and feel of a physical bookshelf but on a monitor. **A quick tip for you here**: you can hide the "*Book details*" dialog that's on the right and resize the sidebar menu on the left to fill your entire screen with the shelf visible. *It would've been even cooler if we could hide the top menu bar too!* 😅 Anyhow, moving on, the viewer now **lets you type in a page number directly to jump to it** instead of making you scroll through the entire list of page numbers. It also has a new "*Edit book*" button that allows editing the currently opened book, provided it is in formats such as *EPUB*, *AZW3*, or *KEPUB*. **For Linux users with touchpads**, Calibre now supports momentum-based scrolling in the book list. This means you can flick through your library, and the list will keep moving smoothly instead of stopping immediately when you lift your finger. On the bug-fixing side of things, EPUB3 metadata handling has been improved to work with identifiers that use HTTP URLs without the `url:` prefix, SVG export has been improved, and GPU acceleration for Qt WebEngine is now disabled by default to prevent crashes on older systems. ## 📥 Get Calibre Users on **Linux**, **Windows**, and **macOS** can get this Calibre release from the [official website](https://calibre-ebook.com/download?ref=itsfoss.com). For Linux users specifically, they can use the following command to grab a fresh copy of Calibre or update their existing installation: ``` sudo -v && wget -nv -O- https://download.calibre-ebook.com/linux-installer.sh | sudo sh /dev/stdin ``` [Calibre](https://calibre-ebook.com/download?ref=itsfoss.com) The source code for the app can be found on [GitHub](https://github.com/kovidgoyal/calibre?ref=itsfoss.com). --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Calibre Now Lets You Chat About Your E-Books Using Local AI*](https://itsfoss.com/news/calibre-lm-studio-support/) [Calibre Now Lets You Chat About Your E-Books Using Local AIYou can ask questions about any book in your library and run AI models locally via LM Studio.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-253.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/calibre-new-ai-upgrades-2.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/calibre-lm-studio-support/) ### Nano Feels Complicated? Try These 5 Easier Terminal Editors URL: https://itsfoss.com/nano-like-editors/ Last updated: 2026-01-31T07:10:25.000Z In the eternal editor battle of Vim and Emacs, which focuses on customized mastery and deep knowledge of the editors, I would like to tap into the counter-culture and bring you editors that are easier than even the beloved [nano editor](https://itsfoss.com/tag/nano/). How, you may ask, can be something simpler than nano? I'm glad you asked. Most of these editors have full-blown menus and interfaces which can be navigated using a mouse. Other than that, they use popular keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+C for copying, Ctrl+V for pasting, Ctrl+S for saving, and so on. Tag along with me and see the friendlier side of the editor battle. ## 1\. Fresh ![Fresh editor](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/12/editors_fresh.png) The Fresh editor, written in Rust, is basically a GUI editor on the terminal, convincing itself that it belongs there. What makes me say so? The features it has, of course. Some of the highlight ones are: a file explorer on the left of the window, where you can create and delete files (even see hidden files). You can split the window either vertically or horizontally, or even open the command line in one of the splits. There is syntax highlighting and smart indentation, you can do multi-cursor editing, and even find and replace operations. There are keyboard shortcuts for navigation of all kinds, such as to go to a specific line, word movement, selecting a word/line/all the content, adding a cursor above/below where you are, etc. Are these too many features to remember? They've taken care of that, too. Hitting Ctrl+P brings up the command palette, where you can scroll up and down to find all actions you can do (with their keyboard shortcuts on the side). On the other hand, if these features are not enough for you, you can add more to the mix using extensions written in TypeScript. These extensions include things like Git integration, Markdown support, and clangd support, among other things. You can even create your own. You can read more about it on our article [here](https://itsfoss.com/fresh-terminal-text-editor/). 🗒️ Fresh editor is for you if you want all features and navigation of a usual GUI editor (and then some more) in a neat package, with a command palette for ease of access, and the possibility of extensions. [Get Fresh Editor](https://github.com/Nsoro-Allan/fresh-editor?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 2\. ne (Nice Editor) ![ne editor](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/12/editors_ne.png) ne, the nice editor, has a very plain interface with only a status bar on the bottom and no menu in sight. Only when you press F1 does the menu show up with all the available features and their keybindings written next to them, if at all. Most of the features are pretty standard, like the usual keybindings for the usual tasks such as copying, pasting, saving or opening files. It has some extra keybindings for faster workflow, such as to delete till the end of line, delete previous/next words, vertical marking and pasting, going to specific positions in the file, etc. You can add and visit bookmarks in the files, as well. There are some developer-friendly features such as the ability to execute the opened file, syntax highlighting, and more importantly setting macros. With macros, you can record a set of actions once and perform them in a single stroke, if there's anything repetitive you need to do. This often comes up to be helpful for a lot of users. 📋 ne, the nice editor has a minimal interface, sensible keybindings, and stays generally out of the way of your productivity. The ability to record repetitive actions as macros definitely gives it a bit of an edge for developers. If that sounds like something you would be interested in, give it a try. [Get ne](https://github.com/vigna/ne?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 3\. micro ![micro editor](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/12/editors_micro.png) micro is another editor that is easy to use, but laden with all sorts of features. It has window splits and tabs, multiple cursors, syntax highlighting for over 130 languages, the ability to use a terminal within the editor, etc. The developers claim to have set the keybindings to very sane defaults, with a nano-like menu on the bottom that shows up when you press Alt+G. The only things in the interface by default are the status bar on the bottom and the contents of the file itself. One of the best features is the command bar that can be summoned with Ctrl+E. Everything on the editor can be modified through the command bar, including the colorschemes, keybindings, splitting the window, jumping to lines, replacing text, searching for text, running shell commands, opening/switching tabs, etc. In simpler terms, this one command bar acts as the hub for any and all actions. You learn the commands, and the editor works exactly how you want it to. If all this isn't enough, micro also offers plugins written in Lua, for which there is a [page](https://micro-editor.github.io/plugins.html?ref=itsfoss.com). You can read more about micro on our article [here](https://itsfoss.com/micro-editor-linux/). 📋 If what you want is a simple editor, where all can be managed through one simple command bar, has very sensible and accessible keybindings, and which is extensible through plugins, micro is the one for you. [Get micro](https://micro-editor.github.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 4\. Dinky ![drinky editor](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/12/editors_dinky.png) Dinky is a simple TUI text editor that comes with a menu on top for the options, a status bar on the bottom, and nostalgic trapezoidal tabs. It doesn't have any fancy features, but has everything you might need to get the job done. In terms of appearance, it comes with many pre-installed themes, which you can explore to find the best one for yourself. The default one is a pretty interesting retro-looking theme (complete with the solid shadows and all), that also has a certain nostalgia to it. There is a settings menu that has many controls, like choosing the size of one tab press, showing of whitespaces (trailing or otherwise), text wrapping, etc. In the selection menu, you can see the various navigation options and their keyboard shortcuts for actions such as going to a specific line, to the previous/next paragraph, switching tabs, adding/removing cursors, going to the next/previous occurrence of a word, etc. There are options to encode/decode URLs, sort or reverse lines, and to transform selections to all uppercase or lowercase. 📋 If what you want is an editor that has simple options you might need and no more or less, with syntax highlighting, and an intuitive interface, Dinky is the right choice for you. [Get Dinky](https://github.com/sedwards2009/dinky/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 5\. ash ![ash editor](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/12/editors_ash.png) ash is a simple editor with great features under the hood. It looks extremely clean by default, with just a status bar on the bottom, and not even a menu on top, instead there is just the filename is on top of the window. If, however, you click the top of the windows, you get the menu. All the features are accessible from there. Strangely, the keybindings are not written on the menus, but pressing F1 brings up the help section, where all the actions can be accessed and their keybindings can be found. The features include split-windows, hard/soft wrapping, multi-file editing, auto-backups, Git integration and multiple cursors among others. A very helpful feature is the option to build and execute any programming script right from the window, which seems to be rare among TUI editors. 📋 ash is a great editor if you want no distractions and no extravagant features. It seems to be favoring developers, with the option for building and executing files right from the window and syntax highlighting. The editor doesn't seem to be actively in development as of writing this, though. The installation is done through Python's pip. But the editor seems to break when doing certain actions (such as navigating directories). [Get ash](https://github.com/akashnag/ash?tab=readme-ov-file&ref=itsfoss.com#features) ## Special mention: MS Edit ![MS Edit editor](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/12/editors_edit.png) In a surprising turn of events for everyone on this website, one of the best [simple terminal editors is from Microsoft](https://itsfoss.com/news/microsoft-edit/). It is inspired from the good ol' MS-DOS Editor, but written in Rust with a modern interface and VS Code-like input controls. Nostalgia is indeed a sweet thing when it works out well. The editor is as simple as it gets, with actions as simple as they get. You can open files, close them; copy, paste, find and replace text; enable/disable wrapping, go to specific line:column positions, and so on. The interface is plain, showing the line position and the filename on the status bar at the bottom, along with the character encoding. Read more about the features Edit offers on our article [here](https://itsfoss.com/news/microsoft-edit/), or watch our video about it. 📋 If simplicity is the name of your game, and you just want something lightweight to get the job done, Edit might be just the one for you. There seems to be no syntax highlighting, however, which is something to keep in mind. [Get Edit](https://github.com/microsoft/edit?ref=itsfoss.com) ## Wrapping Up Happily for us, the Linux terminal has come a long way from supporting only the keyboard to having software that can be navigated fully using a mouse. These editors have amazing features, each outdoing the previous one, and offer the users everything they might need. Let us know which one you like the best. Cheers! ### France Just Created Its Own Open Source Alternative to Microsoft Teams and Zoom URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/france-ditches-microsoft-teams-and-zoom/ Last updated: 2026-02-04T14:10:01.000Z France has decided that it is done using US-based videoconferencing software across its governmental organizations. Come 2027, **every French government department will use Visio** instead of Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Webex, or any other non-European platform. Part of the [La Suite Numérique](https://lasuite.numerique.gouv.fr/?ref=itsfoss.com) initiative, [Visio](https://github.com/suitenumerique/meet?ref=itsfoss.com) has been in testing for a year now, handling 40,000 users across different departments. It is **an MIT-licensed open source app** that claims to offer "*Zoom-level performance*" with a high-quality video and audio experience. And, not to mention that **this will run on French infrastructure** with them retaining full control over the data and how it is processed. Data sovereignty for the win, I guess? ![Visio: French Open Source Alternative to Microsoft Teams and Zoom](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/02/visio-french-video-conferencing.jpg) When asked **what their goal was**, [David Amiel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David%5FAmiel?ref=itsfoss.com), the Minister for the Civil Service and State Reform, [stated that](https://www.euronews.com/next/2026/01/27/france-to-ditch-us-platforms-microsoft-teams-zoom-for-sovereign-platform-amid-security-con?ref=itsfoss.com): > The aim is to end the use of non-European solutions and guarantee the security and confidentiality of public electronic communications by relying on a powerful and sovereign tool. This is not the first time the French have tried to do something about the dominance of [Big Tech](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big%5FTech?ref=itsfoss.com) in their country. Last year, in July, [the city of Lyon](https://itsfoss.com/news/french-city-replaces-microsoft/) started the process of ditching Microsoft in favor of [ONLYOFFICE](https://www.onlyoffice.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) and an undisclosed Linux-based operating system. So things are looking up. BUT. ## This is Not Enough While this move is good, **it is a bit mild**. Take a look over the border, and you will see that [a German state is on track to save €15 million each year](https://itsfoss.com/news/german-state-ditch-microsoft/) by ditching Microsoft 365 and opting for [LibreOffice](https://itsfoss.com/libreoffice-tips/). 📋 The French estimate they will save €1 million per 100,000 users annually. Denmark has already [committed to switching to LibreOffice](https://itsfoss.com/news/denmark-set-to-replace-microsoft/), while Switzerland's data protection authorities [have sounded an alarm](https://itsfoss.com/news/privatim-declares-international-cloud-unsuitable/), calling for the Swiss government to reconsider their use of international cloud services for handling sensitive data. You see how their de-Bigtechification journey is progressing? While I am throwing shade at the French government, they could take pointers from their neighbors, can't they? If it saves taxpayer money, where's the harm in that? ### Systemd Creator Quits Microsoft to Form His Own Linux-focused Start Up URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/amutable-linux-security/ Last updated: 2026-01-30T08:47:47.000Z Linux has become a lucrative target for malicious actors. It's not surprising though, as Linux powers everything from cloud infrastructure to embedded systems, serving as the backbone for critical infrastructure worldwide. Attacks targeted at the platform range from sophisticated [AI-written malware](https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/20/voidlink%5Fai%5Fdeveloped/?ref=itsfoss.com) to [run-of-the-mill crypto scams](https://itsfoss.com/news/snap-store-under-siege/). Luckily, most times such breaches are usually caught and dealt with appropriately. So, why was I yapping about all that? Well, the creator of systemd, [Lennart Poettering](https://0pointer.net/blog/?ref=itsfoss.com), has teamed up with some fellow open source developers to start [Amutable](https://amutable.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), a Linux security-focused outfit. ## What's Happening? ![a cropped screenshot of the amutable website that shows a lot of text describing the company's goals](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/amutable-website-cropped-screenshot.png) Operating out of Berlin, Germany, Amutable looks to "*bring determinism and verifiable integrity to Linux systems*," focusing on building a secure foundation. The leadership is made up of [Christian Brauner](https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-brauner/?ref=itsfoss.com) as the CTO, [Chris Kühl](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrskhl/?ref=itsfoss.com) acting as the CEO, and Lennart Poettering being the Chief Engineer. Supporting them is **a team of experienced open source developers** who have worked on the Linux kernel, Debian, Fedora, Ubuntu, SUSE, [Kubernetes](https://linuxhandbook.com/courses/kubernetes/?ref=itsfoss.com), LXC, Incus, and a few other projects. Announcing this move over on [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@blixtra@hachyderm.io/115967939372638287?ref=itsfoss.com), Chris said that he was: > Very excited to be founding @Amutable with [@pid\_eins](https://mastodon.social/@pid%5Feins?ref=itsfoss.com) and [@brauner](https://mastodon.social/@brauner?ref=itsfoss.com). We are joined by one of the strongest Linux teams I could imagine building important foundational technologies that enable whole new capabilities built on trust and integrity. ## What to Expect? The company says that it is taking a different approach to Linux security, one where **proactive measures are built into systems from the start** rather than relying on [reactive threat detection](https://enhanced.io/blog/proactive-vs-reactive-threat-detection-why-msps-need-both?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=This%20is%20the%20response.%20It%20kicks%20in%20once%20an%20alert%20or%20known%20event%20has%20occurred%20%E2%80%93%20malware%20is%20detected%2C%20an%20endpoint%20is%20compromised%2C%20or%20a%20cloud%20misconfiguration%20is%20exploited.%20Reactive%20detection%20focuses%20on%20responding%20quickly%20and%20effectively%20to%20minimize%20damage.). The team says they will be [working on building the foundations for verification](https://amutable.com/blog/introducing-amutable?ref=itsfoss.com) over the coming months, with more capabilities to be added on top of that subsequently. They put it like this: > Integrity should be built into every critical infrastructure project. And an organization’s developer and operational teams should be able to meet trust and compliance goals as a natural result of good tooling and architecture, not as a burdensome detour. > Amutable will define that missing picture and replace heuristics with rigor. Over the coming months, we’ll be pouring foundations for verification and building robust capabilities on top. **That's not all**. If you are interested in hearing from the Amutable team, then you are in luck, as they [will be presenting](https://amutable.com/events?ref=itsfoss.com) at this year's [FOSDEM](https://fosdem.org/2026/?ref=itsfoss.com) event happening on 31 January and 1 February. Don't worry, **you can attend it for free**, and there will be plenty of other open source developers presenting their work as well. If you are an organization or someone who has something to discuss, then you can [get in touch](https://amutable.com/contact?ref=itsfoss.com) with Amutable. You can also sign up for their newsletter for updates. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*What Happens to Linux After Linus Torvalds?*](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-continuity-plan/) [What Happens to Linux After Linus Torvalds? We Finally Have the Answer to This Uncomfortable QuestionThey finally set this in stone.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-250.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-kernel-succession-plan.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-continuity-plan/) ### A Bunch of Developers Have Come Together to Make Linux Gaming Great URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/open-gaming-collective-launch/ Last updated: 2026-01-29T16:56:52.000Z Made up of several Linux-focused development projects, the [Open Gaming Collective](https://opengamingcollective.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) (OGC) is an initiative that looks to consolidate development efforts across the Linux gaming ecosystem, focusing on improving shared components. Bazzite's Kyle Gospodnetich shared this development via [a Discourse post](https://universal-blue.discourse.group/t/a-brighter-future-for-bazzite/11575?ref=itsfoss.com). More details below. 👇 ## Open Gaming Collective: What's Cooking? In terms of what's to be worked on, the collective aims to unify developmental efforts surrounding important components such as **kernel patches**, **graphics and display tooling** (*Mesa, Vulkan, and Wayland*), **hardware enablement for gaming peripherals**,and **gaming-focused packages** like [gamescope](https://github.com/ValveSoftware/gamescope?ref=itsfoss.com). The founding members consist of known names like [Bazzite](https://bazzite.gg/?ref=itsfoss.com) (*as part of Universal Blue*), [PikaOS](https://wiki.pika-os.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), [ASUS Linux](https://asus-linux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), [ShadowBlip](https://github.com/ShadowBlip/?ref=itsfoss.com), and [Fyra Labs](https://fyralabs.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). They are supported by strategic partners like [ChimeraOS](https://chimeraos.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), [Nobara](https://nobaraproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) (*led by GloriousEggroll*), and [Playtron](https://www.playtron.one/?ref=itsfoss.com). The OGC operates under a "[*Lazy Consensus*](https://github.com/OpenGamingCollective/organization-governance/blob/main/governance.md?ref=itsfoss.com)" governance model, where proposals are made publicly and given 72 hours for community objections. If nobody raises concerns in that timeframe, the proposal moves forward. Any objections must include legitimate reasons and be open to healthy discussion. They are also committing to an "***Upstream First***" policy, under which any code that the OGC comes up with or improves must be submitted to the original upstream projects rather than living on as a permanent patch or fork. One example of this is the [OGC Kernel](https://github.com/OpenGamingCollective/linux?ref=itsfoss.com), **their gaming-focused Linux fork**. Of course, custom kernels aren't something new. We already have [Liquorix](https://itsfoss.com/liquorix-kernel/) with Zen tuning and a 1000Hz tick rate, [XanMod](https://xanmod.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) with ThinLTO optimizations and BBRv3 TCP, [Zen Kernel](https://github.com/zen-kernel/zen-kernel?ref=itsfoss.com) providing the foundational interactive tuning patches, and [CachyOS Kernel](https://wiki.cachyos.org/features/kernel/?ref=itsfoss.com) offering multiple schedulers like BORE and EEVDF with CPU-specific optimizations. **For Bazzite users specifically**, Kyle has shared that they will be switching to [InputPlumber](https://github.com/ShadowBlip/InputPlumber?ref=itsfoss.com), moving away from [HHD](https://github.com/hhd-dev/hhd?ref=itsfoss.com) (Handheld Daemon). Features like RGB lighting and fan control will be directly integrated into the Steam UI. The project will also adopt the OGC Kernel and contribute their patches to the collective, which will then work on getting them merged upstream. 📋 Just to clarify, InputPlumber is an open source input router and remapper daemon that handles controller input. It is already used on ChimeraOS, SteamOS and Nobara. ## My Two Cents I was already optimistic about [Linux gaming](https://itsfoss.com/linux-gaming-guide/) getting bigger in 2026, and this move only makes me more confident. On paper, this looks like something that brings a large group of gaming-focused projects with a very grounded approach. It will be interesting to see how this collaborative effort plays out, especially with their commitment to pushing improvements into [mainline Linux](https://www.kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) rather than keeping the work to themselves. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Linux Gamers Are Finally Getting Their Own Browser*](https://itsfoss.com/news/opera-gx-linux-announcement/) [Linux Gamers Are Finally Getting Their Own BrowserAs Linux gaming continues growing past the 3% mark on Steam, Opera finally commits to native support.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-248.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/opera-gx-gaming-browser-linux-announcement-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/opera-gx-linux-announcement/) ### What Happens to Linux After Linus Torvalds? We Finally Have the Answer to This Uncomfortable Question URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-continuity-plan/ Last updated: 2026-01-29T14:43:03.000Z Well, folks, there's now a strategy in place to manage the [Linux kernel](https://www.kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) project if Linus Torvalds or any of the other key maintainers aren't able to carry out their duties. In a document titled "[*Linux kernel project continuity*](https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=102606402f4f5943266160e263c450fdfe4dd981&ref=itsfoss.com)," a clear process for what happens next has been laid out. If, for whatever reason, progress on the [torvalds/linux.git](https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/?ref=itsfoss.com) repository is affected, **someone has to get things moving within 72 hours**. This person could either be the one who organized the most recent [Maintainer Summit](https://events.linuxfoundation.org/kubecon-cloudnativecon-north-america/features-add-ons/maintainer-summit/?ref=itsfoss.com) or the chair of the Linux Foundation's [Technical Advisory Board](https://www.linuxfoundation.org/about/leadership?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=LINUX%20TECHNICAL%20ADVISORY%20BOARD) (TAB). They will be tasked with pulling together the people who were invited to the last summit, along with members of the TAB. If there hasn't been a summit in the past 15 months, the TAB decides who should be invited to the meeting. ![this picture shows a wall of green text that is the linux kernel project continuity document](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/linux-kernel-project-continuity-document.png) The group can then bring in other maintainers if they need help with some specific area of expertise. They will have to figure out a way to manage the top-level kernel repository (*linked above*) going forward while staying in line with the project's and the community's expectations. Once they have convened and worked out the necessary steps, **they have a two-week period to let the Linux community know what's happening**. This whole thing came together after the 2025 Linux Kernel Maintainer Summit in Tokyo. [Dan Williams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/djbw/?ref=itsfoss.com), who's a kernel maintainer and works at Intel, drafted the document based on discussions there. **In a post-Linus era**, many expect the job of leading Linux to fall on [Greg Kroah-Hartman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg%5FKroah-Hartman?ref=itsfoss.com), one of the most trusted kernel maintainers after Torvalds. Not to mention, this is the first formal succession process in the project's 30+ year history, and Linus himself signed the commit that made it official. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Linux Kernel Bugs Hide for 2+ Years on Average*](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-bugs-arent-found-for-years/) [Linux Kernel Bugs Hide for 2+ Years on AverageStudy of 20 years of kernel history finds bugs hide for 2+ years on average, some for decades.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-249.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-kernel-bugs-menace.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-bugs-arent-found-for-years/) ### FOSS Weekly #26.05: Clawdbot Mania, NexPhone, Things We No Longer Use Terminal for and More Linux Stuff URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-05/ Last updated: 2026-01-29T04:28:55.000Z An interesting thing happened in the last few days. An [open-source project called Clawdbot went viral across GitHub and X](https://itsfoss.com/news/clawdbot-fiasco-explained/), capturing the imagination of developers and self-hosting enthusiasts everywhere. The pitch was irresistible: a fully personal AI assistant that runs locally on your own hardware instead of Big Tech's cloud centers. Exactly the kind of "local-first" approach our community has been championing for years. The tool connects to your messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram, handles your emails, manages your calendar, screens calls, and even books dinner reservations, all with minimal prompting. But as hundreds of excited users rushed to spin up their own instances, security researchers started noticing something alarming: many of those servers were sitting wide open on the public internet, exposing API keys, chat histories, and in some cases, full command execution access to anyone who came looking. It's a fascinating case study in the gap between what AI makes *possible* and what it makes *safe* and it has some important lessons for all of us. [What is this Clawdbot, Err Moltbot, Everyone’s Screaming About?This open source project has survived Anthropic’s trademark lawyers, crypto scammers hijacking its identity, and security holes exposing users.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-245.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/moltbot-ai-assistant-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/clawdbot-fiasco-explained/) **Here's the highlight of this edition of FOSS Weekly:** - LLVM putting an AI policy in place. - Essential Linux commands. - cURL getting rid of its bug bounty program. - An Android smartphone that can run Linux and Windows. - And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes! ## 📰 Linux and Open Source News Here's a summary of the news this week. A new initiative called [Open Quantum Design](https://uwaterloo.ca/news/global-futures/building-worlds-first-open-source-quantum-computer?ref=itsfoss.com) has set out to build an open source quantum computer, sharing its hardware and software freely so researchers and developers worldwide can learn, build, and improve quantum technology together. Skip [has gone fully open source](https://itsfoss.com/news/skip-goes-open-source/), ditching subscriptions and paywalls to release its core tools on [GitHub](https://github.com/skiptools?ref=itsfoss.com), letting developers build native iOS and Android apps using Swift while inviting the community to use, study, and improve the project freely. LLVM recently updated their contribution rules [to allow AI assisted code](https://itsfoss.com/news/llvm-ai-policy/), but they do require human review, understanding, and accountability. Contributors are expected to disclose AI use and take responsibility for what they submit. cURL's [bug bounty program is no more](https://itsfoss.com/news/curl-closes-bug-bounty-program/) thanks to AI slop. Daniel Stenberg, the project's creator, took this decision after they were inundated with seven HackerOne reports within a 16-hour period in a single week. KDE's Plasma Login Manager [doesn't support FreeBSD](https://itsfoss.com/news/plasma-login-manager-drops-freebsd/) anymore. Proton's Lumo AI assistant [seems to be getting along well](https://itsfoss.com/news/proton-lumo-projects/). ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About When was the last time you were forced to use the terminal? [Modern Linux desktop is something else nowadays](https://itsfoss.com/no-longer-need-terminal/). [Not the Linux You Remember: 16 Every Day Tasks That No Longer Need the TerminalIt’s not that Linux became “GUI only”, but that the Linux desktop has become far more complete. The modern desktop we know today ships graphical tools that cover almost every common task in ways that are genuinely approachable.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-240.png)It's FOSSRoland Taylor![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/no-terminal-needed.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/no-longer-need-terminal/) Your favorite publications and websites are at risk of being replaced by AI slop. Your support matters now more than ever. Choose It's FOSS Plus membership and apart from supporting us, you get: ✅ 5 FREE eBooks on Linux, Docker and Bash ✅ Ad-free reading experience ✅ Badges in the comment section and forum ✅ To support creation of educational Linux materials [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings Graphite is an open source vector editor with a strong focus on procedural workflows. It is a convergent 2D editor that is yet to get a full public desktop release on Linux. We tried it, and [it feels like it has potential](https://itsfoss.com/graphite-graphics-editor/). It is a bit tricky to type the infinity symbol on Linux systems. But, [it is possible](https://itsfoss.com/type-infinity-linux/). Linux users [can now run Affinity Designer](https://itsfoss.com/affinity-on-linux/) through the [AffinityOnLinux](https://github.com/seapear/AffinityOnLinux/?ref=itsfoss.com) project. The AppImage installer makes setup simple, and performance holds up well for real work, even without official support from Canva. And explore a [list of essential Linux commands](https://itsfoss.com/essential-ubuntu-commands/). [31 Basic Yet Essential Ubuntu CommandsAn extensive list of essential Linux commands that every Ubuntu user will find helpful in their Linux journey.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-246.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/must-know-linux-commands-for-ubuntu-user.png)](https://itsfoss.com/essential-ubuntu-commands/) ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner The [NexPhone is finally happening](https://itsfoss.com/news/nexphone-returns/) after 14 years. This $549 rugged smartphone runs Android 16, launches Debian as an app, and dual boots Windows 11\. You can reserve one right now, but it is set for a Q3 2026 release. [Not An April Fool’s Joke, You Can Run Linux and Windows on This Android SmartphoneThis $549 rugged smartphone runs Android 16, launches Debian Linux as an app, and dual-boots Windows 11.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-241.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/nexphone-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/nexphone-returns/) Espressif has launched the [ESP32-E22](https://itsfoss.com/news/espressif-launches-esp32-e22/), a radio co-processor that comes equipped with a custom dual-core RISC-V chip, tri-band Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.4\. It handles wireless connectivity while the host processor runs apps. Engineering samples are available now. ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights This is how [a self-hosted Discord alternative](https://itsfoss.com/roomy-discord-alternative/) looks like. [Meet Roomy: An Open-Source Discord Alternative for the Decentralized WebLooking for a Discord alternative? Roomy is an open-source, decentralized platform built for communities that value privacy and control.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-242.png)It's FOSSRoland Taylor![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/roomy-discord-alternative.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/roomy-discord-alternative/) [loss32 surprised us](https://itsfoss.com/loss32-distro/); we haven't seen someone follow such a novel approach for creating a Linux distro. ## 📽️ Videos for You Explore [these GNOME extensions](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPcxwiyCqtc&ref=itsfoss.com). Who knows you might get your next favorite in this video? [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip You can activate `NumLock` on system startup on [KDE Plasma](https://kde.org/plasma-desktop/?ref=itsfoss.com) by going to `System Settings → Input Devices → Keyboard → Keyboard` and enabling the "*NumLock on startup*" option. Before you close the window, be sure to click the "*Apply*" button to confirm changes. ![kde plasma numlock tip](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/kde-numlock-on-start.png) [](https://t43217012.p.clickup-attachments.com/t43217012/da09f1e7-b651-4c93-b93b-141e46671d4b/copy-link-to-highlight-firefox.png?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse If you value your time, then surely [you know these Linux commands](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/linux-commands-quiz/)? [Linux Commands to Save TimeDo you think you know some of the most useful commands to supercharge your terminal experience? Take this quiz to find out.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-243.png)It's FOSSAnkush Das![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-commands.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/linux-commands-quiz/) **🤣 Meme of the Week**: Hmm, I sense an impostor among these flippers. 🤨 ![windows user imposter cat meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/meme871.jpeg) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On January 27, 2010, Apple unveiled [the first iPad](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPad%5F%281st%5Fgeneration%29?ref=itsfoss.com), a sleek touchscreen tablet that redefined mobile computing and sparked the modern tablet boom. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: The Linux Mint 22.3 upgrade seems to be a good one, as [FOSSers are talking about it in our forum](https://itsfoss.community/t/mint-22-3-upgrade-smooth-as-silk/15352?ref=itsfoss.com). ### What is this Clawdbot, Err Moltbot, Everyone's Screaming About? URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/clawdbot-fiasco-explained/ Last updated: 2026-01-28T13:06:38.000Z Late last year, [Peter Steinberger](https://steipete.me/?ref=itsfoss.com) launched [Clawdbot](https://clawd.bot/?ref=itsfoss.com), an open source AI assistant that **runs locally on a user's hardware** and executes tasks instead of just chatting about them. You message it through WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, or iMessage, and it handles tasks across your digital life. It reads and responds to emails, manages your calendar, controls your browser, runs shell commands, and remembers everything through persistent memory stored locally on your machine. Heck, Clawdbot even got people buying [Mac mini](https://www.apple.com/mac-mini/?ref=itsfoss.com) devices in droves just so they could get their hands on its capabilities. Like most viral projects, Clawdbot got served "*a polite email asking for a name change*" [by Anthropic](https://docs.molt.bot/start/lore?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=For%20a%20while%2C%20the%20lobster%20was%20called%20Clawd%2C%20living%20in%20a%20Clawdbot.%20But%20in%20January%202026%2C%20Anthropic%20sent%20a%20polite%20email%20asking%20for%20a%20name%20change%20%28trademark%20stuff%29.%20And%20so%20the%20lobster%20did%20what%20lobsters%20do%20best%3A), the company behind Claude AI. Following a 5 AM community voting session on Discord, the project decided on the new [Moltbot](https://www.molt.bot/?ref=itsfoss.com) name. Their branding, [X handle](https://x.com/moltbot/status/2016058924403753024?ref=itsfoss.com), documentation, etc. have all been changed accordingly. The project's woes didn't stop there, as Peter [tweeted yesterday](https://x.com/steipete/status/2016073406840476131?ref=itsfoss.com) that his [GitHub](https://github.com/steipete?ref=itsfoss.com) account's username was stolen by [crypto scammers](https://itsfoss.com/news/snap-store-under-siege/). The issue was a combination of him messing up the renaming of his account in a panic induced by the *@clawdbot* handle getting taken over by a crypto-flavored squatter and zealous malicious actors pouncing on the username. Luckily, the fix came quickly in the form of the rebrand and Peter regaining access to his GitHub username. And, if you think things are calming down, I wouldn't hold my breath. ## A Banquet of Security Holes Rahul Sood, a known name in entrepreneurial circles, posted [an article](https://x.com/rahulsood/status/2015397582105969106?ref=itsfoss.com) on X a few days ago, where he pointed out the issues with Moltbot. His main concern was [prompt injection attacks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prompt%5Finjection?ref=itsfoss.com). Malicious PDFs or emails could trick the AI underneath into executing hidden commands. Since Moltbot connects to WhatsApp, Telegram, and Discord, any message, document, or webpage could become a potential [attack vector](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/security/glossary/attack-vector/?ref=itsfoss.com). Similar concerns [were raised](https://x.com/steipete/status/2015266538371125727?ref=itsfoss.com) by another person, to which Peter replied with a list of existing safeguards that included things like enabling sandbox mode, using allowlists for commands, and running the built-in security audit tool. If you think Rahul's word is not authoritative enough for you, then the folks over at [InfoStealers](https://www.infostealers.com/article/clawdbot-the-new-primary-target-for-infostealers-in-the-ai-era/?ref=itsfoss.com) have laid out how Moltbot stores sensitive information like user profiles, memories, and authentication tokens **in plaintext files** that any malware can read. They coin it as "*Cognitive Context Theft*" because hackers get access not only to passwords but also to a user's entire workflow, routines, and who they talk to. Further adding that major [Malware-as-a-Service](https://encyclopedia.kaspersky.com/glossary/malware-as-a-service-maas/?ref=itsfoss.com) (MaaS) families like ***Vidar***, **RedLine*,* and ***Lumma*** are already adapting to target it. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Ubuntu's Snap Store is Under Siege from Scammers*](https://itsfoss.com/news/snap-store-under-siege/) [Ubuntu’s Snap Store is Under Siege from Scammers, and The Gates are OpenAfter years of crypto wallet theft, scammers have escalated to domain takeovers.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-238.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/snap-store-crypto-wallet-scams-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/snap-store-under-siege/) ### Meet Roomy: An Open-Source Discord Alternative for the Decentralized Web URL: https://itsfoss.com/roomy-discord-alternative/ Last updated: 2026-01-27T15:44:27.000Z [Roomy](https://a.roomy.space/?ref=itsfoss.com) is an open-source Discord alternative built on the AT Protocol ([ATProto](https://atproto.com/?ref=itsfoss.com)), the same protocol that powers Bluesky, with [ActivityPub](https://activitypub.rocks/?ref=itsfoss.com) (the protocol behind [Mastodon](https://joinmastodon.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), [Pixelfed](https://pixelfed.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), [Pleroma](https://pleroma.social/?ref=itsfoss.com), and [others](https://fediverse.party/?ref=itsfoss.com)) planned for the near future. Currently in alpha, it sits somewhere between Matrix and Discord in terms of its practical position in the broader chat ecosystem. That said, it aims to fill the niche currently dominated by Discord, while remaining a free, fully federated solution for full user freedom and greater privacy. In this article, we'll look at what Roomy is today, what it’s aiming to become, and what it could bring to this space. ## So what is Roomy, exactly? ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/12/FireShot-Capture-068---Roomy----a.roomy.space-.png) a.room.space, the Roomy website Right now, Roomy is a browser-based group chat app. Technically, there's no sign-up process: you sign in using any existing Bluesky or ATProto account. The long-term goal is to let you bring your identity with you from any supported Fediverse platform. Once (planned) ActivityPub support is locked in, you'll be able to sign in with Mastodon, Pixelfed, or any other network that uses this protocol. No matter what protocol you use, you'll be able to access and use the same Discord-style community chat people already understand. 💡 Note: Roomy is developed in the open. To view the source code, report issues, or view the roadmap, head over to the [project's GitHub Page](https://github.com/muni-town/roomy?ref=itsfoss.com). ### Why does it exist? There's a well-known, but unspoken rule in tech: if a proprietary platform exists, inevitably there will be an open-source alternative, and this isn't happenstance. Freedom isn't guaranteed when someone else holds the keys. With Discord having become pretty much the unofficial standard among online communities, even many open-source communities depend on Discord spaces for their day-to-day needs. However, Discord is still a closed platform. Sure, there are many open-source, third-party clients, but there's still a need for platforms that are open from the ground up. Roomy is one among many, yes, but it's targeting a critical niche that's so far been hard for other apps to crack. ### A Decentralised Platform for Bringing People Together ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/FireShot-Capture-055-------roomy.space--1.png) The first run experience on [roomy.space](https://roomy.space/?ref=itsfoss.com), the main public instance. Roomy's basic goal is the same as any chat app: bring people together, with a stated focus on accessibility and safety. From that standpoint, once the basics are stable, you could stick a bow on it and call it done. However, Roomy’s ambition is to be way more than just an open-source Discord clone. Its core promise is community chat on top of decentralized platforms, using open protocols to keep identity continuous without a single company being the glue. Roomy also aims to bridge a gap between social media platforms (Mastodon, Pixelfed, Bluesky, and others) and live chat - where people actually organise, collaborate, and build relationships in real time. ### Where Roomy fits: Between Discord and Matrix Roomy is easiest to understand when you place it beside the two reference points you’re already using: - **Discord:** centralised, polished, and effectively the default for communities, but closed, platform-owned, and ultimately controlled by one company. - **Matrix:** open protocol, federated network, and flexible in how you host and connect, but UX and onboarding vary heavily depending on server, client, and room setup. - **Roomy:** aiming for Discord-style community chat, but with protocol-first identity and a local-first mindset. It is still alpha and missing a lot of the essentials that make large communities viable. ## Standout idea: Portable content ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/12/fiber-4814456.jpg) Image by [Lucent\_Designs\_dinoson20](https://pixabay.com/users/lucent%5Fdesigns%5Fdinoson20-1455439/?utm%5Fsource=link-attribution&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=image&utm%5Fcontent=4814456) from [Pixabay](https://pixabay.com//?utm%5Fsource=link-attribution&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=image&utm%5Fcontent=4814456) A cool feature of Roomy is that content isn’t locked into one format: Messages can be converted into threads, threads into channels, and channels into pages. Not all of these conversions are reversible, but having this feature in the first place is definitely a unique feature. It's a clear indicator that Roomy isn’t just trying to clone Discord’s interface. Rather, it's a rethink of how community knowledge and conversation evolve over time. In theory, this feature could be useful for making chat logs available through standard federated social platforms, like Mastodon, or on (for instance), Nextcloud. This would dramatically increase the surface for community collaboration. ## Why building on open protocols matters ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/12/software-8150826.jpg) Image by [Heinz Schmitz](https://pixabay.com/users/hizinvideo-7363432/?utm%5Fsource=link-attribution&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=image&utm%5Fcontent=8150826) from [Pixabay](https://pixabay.com//?utm%5Fsource=link-attribution&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=image&utm%5Fcontent=8150826) Protocols are the backbone of network technologies, including the internet, though most are invisible to us today. Every time you type [itsfoss.com](https://itsfoss.com/) into your browser, you’re using HTTP or HTTPS. Every time you send an email, you're using that protocol as well. Essentially, protocols are (typically open) standards that govern how different pieces of software communicate. All chat apps rely on protocols, but many of the popular apps we use today use proprietary protocols that are under the control of a single entity. For many of us, this aspect of our communication doesn't seem like a big deal, but the reality is that it matters tremendously who controls the protocols we use, and what they can do with them. Most proprietary systems use their own, private gateways, protocols, APIs, and other technologies. While some expose and/or document parts of their ecosystem, the core typically remains under their control, hidden from the public. This sounds great for security, but it comes at a major cost: You can't know what the one who holds the keys is doing with your data. This leaves communities wholly dependent on platforms they don’t control, using identities they technically don't truly own. ### Roomy proposes to change this through open protocols ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/12/image-22.png) Logging into Roomy The substantive element to Roomy's appeal is its reliance on open protocols. By using standardised identification, routing, and authentication, it eliminates the barriers that lock us out of cross-platform communication. It's a similar promise to what XMPP has done in the world of instant messaging. Conceptually, this puts Roomy in similar territory to Matrix, but what sets it apart is portability: (in theory) you'll be able to use any existing identity on the Fediverse, and take conversations from chat, to social media timeline, and beyond. ### How decentralisation shows up in Roomy On the internet, decentralisation can mean very different things, depending on the project. Roomy’s developers [describe it](https://blog.muni.town/roomy-deep-dive/?ref=itsfoss.com) as storing data on your ATProto Personal Data Server (PDS), while also keeping a local copy in the browser and syncing changes over time. In this model, your community content doesn't live inside one company’s database. It's decentralized, because no one location holds the "ultimate data". ### The not so small catch ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/12/pexels-mjlo-2743739.jpg) [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) / [Mido Makasardi ©️](https://www.pexels.com/photo/red-led-traffic-cone-2743739/?ref=itsfoss.com) An important caveat to Roomy's model lies in how it uses ATProto PDSs. Data is in a place where anybody in the world can download it, and the ATProto PDS doesn’t let Roomy store private data. As such, Roomy is ***not*** yet a private, secure chat solution by default. To reduce risk, Roomy encrypts direct messages, but the developers describe this encryption as experimental and unaudited, and warn that metadata can still be visible. Until these issues are resolved, Roomy is best seen as an interesting concept, but shouldn't be trusted with sensitive data. ## Reality check: What works vs what’s planned ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/FireShot-Capture-056-------roomy.space-.png) Creating a space in Roomy Okay, so Roomy sounds like an ambitious idea and if successful, it would certainly be a meaningful addition to the overall community-building ecosystem. But beyond basic text chat, what's actually usable right now, given its early development? ### What's already working: ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/12/Screenshot-From-2025-12-21-18-46-08.png) Editing a page in Roomy **In a nutshell:** enough to get an idea of where it's going, but not enough that you can dive into the full experience just yet. - **Spaces and Channels:** Both work as core organising units. Spaces can be edited after creation (name, description, and other basic properties), but channel editing isn't implemented yet. - **Invitations:** You can generate invite links for spaces, and anyone with a Bluesky account can login and join. - **Pages:** You can convert channels to pages, which still function as chat rooms, but allow for a kind of shared document space. Images don't work in pages for some reason, though the UI allows you to add them. - **Threads:** You can convert any message or channel into a thread (ala Slack, Mattermost, & Matrix). Threads can't be removed or edited, only converted to a channel. - **Media uploads:** Roomy allows you to upload common image formats (PNG, WEBP, JPEG, SVG), as well as videos in the MP4 format. I tested images only, with no issues except on pages. No file size limit is mentioned anywhere in the UI. Roomy already leans into the promised concept of content fluidity, even if the user experience is still rough around the edges. In my testing, I was able to create and join a space, send messages and upload images. Creating a space is simple and intuitive: Click the plus icon, enter a space name, and optionally add an avatar and description. There’s also a discoverability option, but it's currently disabled. Once you're done, you just click "Create Space", and you're in. If you'd like to try it for yourself, you can head over to [**roomy.space**](http://roomy.space/?ref=itsfoss.com) and sign in with your Bluesky or ATProto account. ⚠️ ****Important:** Roomy is very much **alpha quality* software. You can keep an eye on it, and test features, but keep in mind that it’s changing quickly, may introduce breaking changes, and shouldn't be treated as a hardened or privacy-first chat yet. ### What’s planned, incomplete, or unclear ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/12/image-21.png) You can add images to Roomy pages when editing, but they disappear the moment you save Being in alpha quality at this time, Roomy is not quite ready for mass usage, as there's still work to be done to make it solid enough for real-world usage. However, there are some important features that you may be concerned about: - **Robust moderation**: Currently, you can make someone an admin, and admins can remove messages from any individual, but there's no way to remove users from a room. Other moderation features like roles, granular permissions, reporting, anti-spam tools, etc, aren't implemented at this stage. - **Emoji support:** You can add emoji reactions, and emojis show in chat, but there's no emoji picker implemented in the chat input box as yet. - **Encryption:** Basic encryption exists, but with limits. See [this blog post](https://blog.muni.town/roomy-chat-alpha/?ref=itsfoss.com) for more information on these limitations. - **Self-hosting:** self hosting is planned, but the current alpha is not yet in a polished, community-ready state. The [README](https://github.com/muni-town/roomy/blob/main/README.md?ref=itsfoss.com) frames it as something they will “soon” support. Installing Roomy for local development is the current focus. - **Desktop/mobile apps:** At this time, there are no complete desktop or mobile apps for Roomy, though [GitHub activity](https://github.com/muni-town/roomy/issues?q=is%3Aissue%20state%3Aopen%20android&ref=itsfoss.com) indicates that a [Tauri](https://v2.tauri.app/?ref=itsfoss.com) app for Android is under development. ### Can I use it without a Bluesky account? Currently, not practically, unless you have an ATProto account elsewhere. The README states that Bluesky login is the default for now, with Mastodon (ActivityPub) and other options planned for the future. 🗒️ Being that this is an early alpha, it should be expected that there aren’t yet any of the bells and whistles you might expect from Discord, like Giphy integration or stickers. Granted, even if Roomy (as a project) never implements these directly, its open-source nature means anyone could, in theory. ## Why Roomy is more than a Discord alternative ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/12/Screenshot-From-2025-12-21-19-45-23.png) Roomy is an ambitious undertaking, but a worthwhile effort It's clear that people want the fun and flexibility of Discord-style spaces, but in an age where privacy and ownership matter more than ever, open-source solutions are becoming nonnegotiable. Roomy has the potential to offer the Discord experience, without the vendor lock-in. If Roomy succeeds, we won't just gain an open-source Discord clone. The real win will be proving that modern online communities can exist (and thrive) on open protocols, where identity is portable, and the community’s future doesn’t hinge on the kindness of a single company. It's a big promise, but Roomy certainly represents one of the more interesting attempts to get there. ### Not the Linux You Remember: 16 Every Day Tasks That No Longer Need the Terminal URL: https://itsfoss.com/no-longer-need-terminal/ Last updated: 2026-01-25T16:45:07.000Z Many people who have never used Linux assume you *must* use the terminal to get anything done on the desktop. That belief used to be fair. For a long time, even basic tasks, like sound tweaks, Bluetooth fixes, or simple system changes, often meant copying commands from a forum post or editing config files you barely understood. That history still shapes Linux’s reputation, even though the desktop has moved on. Modern Linux desktops now include polished graphical tools for a huge range of everyday workflows. The terminal is still there, and still powerful, but it is no longer the entry fee. Here are 16 things that we used to do in terminal 20 years ago. We can still do these in terminal, but that's a choice, not a compulsion. ## 1\. System Updates and Upgrades ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/12/image-23.png) Using Flatpaks a tool like with Bazaar? Updates are two clicks away. We'll start with this one because it's probably the most common misconception about Linux due to the fact that, *for convenience*, we still get terminal commands for handling updates and upgrades in most guides and tutorials. But while pasting commands in the terminal is convenient, it's no longer necessary, not by a long shot. Whether you're updating distro-native packages or using Flatpak, Snap or even AppImage, you can usually use a graphical solution. Terminal commands just happen to be the most universally accepted method across the community. It's a bit of a relic from the way things used to be. **Useful tools for handling system updates:** - **Update Manager:** Ubuntu-based distros come with an update manager - [**GNOME Software**](https://apps.gnome.org/Software/?ref=itsfoss.com)**:** GNOME's official "app store", supports managing updates for all kinds of packages (distro-native, Flatpak, and Snap), depending on the plugins installed - [**Discover (KDE)**](https://apps.kde.org/discover/?ref=itsfoss.com)**:** The official "app store" for the KDE Plasma desktop environment, Discover also lets you manage updates across all sorts of packaging systems (distro-native, Flatpak, and Snap) - [**Bazaar (Flatpak only)**](https://github.com/kolunmi/bazaar?ref=itsfoss.com)**:** Bazaar is a Flatpak-specific "app-store" style tool that make Flatpak management easier, including updates ## 2\. Audio Setup, Routing & Troubleshooting ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-5.png) Sound settings in GNOME Settings. For the most part these days, this is all you need Back in the early days of Linux, getting sound to work wasn’t just a hassle, it was a nightmare. I’ll never forget the seemingly sentient quirks I’d encounter with some chipsets, especially on (ironically) some of the most common computer brands at the time. You’d fix a problem with `alsamixer` only for it to creep back in the very moment you disconnected your headphones or sometimes just looked at the computer funny. And the only fixes available involved running scripts you found on forums and hoping for the best. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-16.png) Pavucontrol makes life so much easier that it once was Thankfully, those days are over. In most cases, your standard desktop volume settings panel should cover most of what people used to fix by tinkering with commands and configs. Better yet, when you *do* need more control such as routing audio between apps, or fixing weird device quirks, you can rely on various graphical tools to make it far less painful than it used to be. Typically, a couple clicks is all you need to fix most issues these days. **Useful GUI tools for audio:** - **Most desktop environments:** Your desktop’s built-in sound settings - [**PulseAudio Volume Control (pavucontrol)**](https://freedesktop.org/software/pulseaudio/pavucontrol?ref=itsfoss.com)**:** great for quick routing and configuration fixes (also works with Pipewire) - [**Helvum**](https://github.com/relulz/helvum?ref=itsfoss.com)**:** PipeWire patchbay-style routing - [**qpwgraph**](https://github.com/rncbc/qpwgraph?ref=itsfoss.com)**:** PipeWire graph manager, more advanced ## 3\. Firewall Configuration ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-14.png) Gufw makes it simple to configure Uncomplicated Firewall (UFW) on Ubuntu and its derivatives This is one that many people from the old school of the Linux desktop probably didn't even think much about until relatively recently. There was the presumption that Linux distros came without open ports anyway, so running a firewall was pretty much unnecessary. Plus, most popular distros at the time already shipped with a firewall installed (like Ubuntu and its derivatives with [UFW](https://itsfoss.com/ufw-ubuntu/)). The unspoken contract with this, though, was that when it came time to set up a firewall, you'd have to jump into the terminal and fiddle around with commands that could be intimidating if you didn't know your stuff. At least, that was then. These days, we have tools that let you configure a firewall with a normal interface. No need to mess with `iptables` any more (unless you want to, of course). **Firewall tools you can use graphically:** - [**Gufw**](https://github.com/costales/gufw?ref=itsfoss.com)**:** A simple UFW front-end (available on Ubuntu and its derivatives) - **KDE Plasma Firewall Settings:** A Plasma-friendly firewall settings module - [**Firewalld GUI**](https://firewalld.org/documentation/utilities/firewall-config.html?ref=itsfoss.com)**:** common on Fedora/RHEL and derivatives/related distros - [**OpenSnitch**](https://github.com/evilsocket/opensnitch?ref=itsfoss.com)**:** a frontend for the Snitch firewall service ## 4\. Using Virtual Machines (With QEMU) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-15-1.png) GNOME Boxes makes QEMU a breeze to use, even for inexperienced users. Also, I run Arch, btw. Running virtual machines through hardware virtualization tools like [QEMU](https://www.qemu.org/?ref=itsfoss.com)/[KVM ](https://linux-kvm.org/page/Main%5FPage?ref=itsfoss.com)once used to feel like terminal-only territory. If you weren't willing to use VirtualBox or pay for VMware, and you wanted to run a VM, you were often knee-deep in commands, config files, and high-level advice that assumed you already knew what you were doing. In those earlier times, VirtualBox and VMware *existed*, but on Linux they were often more finicky than people remember. Kernel updates often broke their out-of-tree modules, features lagged, and getting everything ‘just right’ wasn’t always worth the effort on the hardware many of us had. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-17.png) Running Fedora 42 in GNOME Boxes on Ubuntu 25.10 Thankfully, times have changed, *a lot*. On most distros today, you can install a VM app and handle the entire workflow graphically: creating machines, attaching ISOs, allocating resources, managing storage, and even adjusting networking, all without typing a thing (except a VM name, of course). **Good GUI tools for the job:** - [**GNOME Boxes**](https://apps.gnome.org/Boxes/?ref=itsfoss.com)**:** simple, friendly, solid defaults, minimal configuration - [**virt-manager**](https://virt-manager.org/?ref=itsfoss.com): full-featured front-end for QEMU/KVM ## 5\. Running Containers ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-18.png) I'm not going to say it. But you thought it, I'm sure Containers are still the domain of the command-line, and with good reason, as they're still mainly the domain of servers and homelabs. Popular solutions like [Docker](https://www.docker.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Podman](https://podman.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) are rightfully built for the terminal, to minimize overhead and to make management easier for server admins. Yet, this doesn't mean that you can't manage containers without dipping your toes into the CLI. In fact, you can perform most container-related tasks from the GUI with the right tools. Many applications are now distributed within containerized distribution formats, and you might not even realize it. For instance, Snap and Flatpak are *technically* containerized solutions. But if we're being more strict about it, tools like [DistroShelf](https://github.com/ranfdev/DistroShelf?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Docker Desktop](https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop/?ref=itsfoss.com) have all but eliminated the need for the command line in setting up and managing containers, whether for applications or even entire distros. You can pull images, start/stop containers, check logs, monitor resource use, manage volumes, and update your applications — all from the GUI. **GUI tools that make container management friendlier:** - [**Podman Desktop**](https://podman-desktop.io/?ref=itsfoss.com)**:** a modern, desktop-focused container manager - [**BoxBuddy**](https://flathub.org/en/apps/io.github.dvlv.boxbuddyrs?ref=itsfoss.com)**:** a handy GUI for managing [Distrobox](https://distrobox.it/?ref=itsfoss.com) - [**Vanilla OS**](https://vanillaos.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) **and** [**BlendOS**](https://blendos.co/?ref=itsfoss.com)**:** Distros that bake GUI container distro management right into the default experience ## 6\. Bluetooth Devices and Pairing ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-19-1.png) Bluetooth management is a breeze now. Most people will never need to know a single command to make it work as needed Bluetooth is another area where Linux unfortunately earned a reputation for needing the terminal to be usable, even though we've had GUI solutions for quite some time. There was still the problem of shoddy chipset support, pairing failures, audio devices refusing to reconnect, and adapters misbehaving. Even with the development of a more robust Bluetooth stack, you'd still often find yourself hunting down commands in forums and hoping for the best. These days, for the most part, those days are behind us. You just open your desktop environment's settings, find the Bluetooth panel, pair, connect, remove, or switch devices, no real hassle. Many of the common issues of the past are resolved, and Bluetooth management is a seamless workflow, especially on popular desktops like GNOME, KDE, and XFCE. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-25.png) Bluejay running under GNOME Better yet, some of the older tools have continued to grow with the times, so if you need a little more control (trust settings, advanced adapter behaviour, etc), there are also dedicated GUI managers for those tasks. **Bluetooth tools you can actually use without drama:** - **GNOME/KDE/XFCE (and others):** Most desktop environments have Bluetooth control modules in their system settings - [**Bluejay**](https://github.com/EbonJaeger/bluejay?ref=itsfoss.com): A Kirigami-based bluetooth device manager ## 7\. Disc Management ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-20-1.png) GNOME Disks does many of the crucial functions that we once relied on CLI tools for Managing disks (hard drives and, later, SSDs) on Linux used to be quite the pain at one time. For many tasks, if you couldn't boot into a Live CD, and sometimes even if you *could,* you'd need to fire up the terminal and run tools like `fdisk` to handle what often felt like scary work. The only “safe” option, if you didn't feel comfortable in the terminal, was not to mess around at all. Messing up a command could leave you with lost files, or worse, a broken file system. Fast-forward to today, and most everyday disk work can be done with solid graphical tools, without having to fire up a live session on another drive. Need to format a USB drive, create partitions, check SMART data, or inspect a disk? You can do it with a few clicks, often with tools built right into the system (on some distros). **Solid disk and partition tools:** - [**GNOME Disks**](https://apps.gnome.org/DiskUtility/?ref=itsfoss.com)**:** formatting, partitions, SMART checks, disk images - [**GParted**](https://gparted.org/?ref=itsfoss.com)**:** Less commonly used these days, but still a worthy mention, a powerful partition editor (and [still being maintained](https://gparted.org/news.php?ref=itsfoss.com)!) - [**KDE Partition Manager**](https://apps.kde.org/partitionmanager/?ref=itsfoss.com)**:** Plasma-friendly partitioning - [**Disk Usage Analyser (Baobab)**](https://apps.gnome.org/Baobab/?ref=itsfoss.com)**:** find what’s eating your space ## 8\. Multi-monitor Layouts, Scaling & Refresh Rates ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-21.png) Display management in GNOME Settings. Those who've been on Linux since the old days know why something so seemingly innocuous is such a big deal *Trust me, if you don't know the pain this one used to bring, consider yourself blessed.* Display support on Linux at one time was quite the hassle. Adding a second display could turn into a mess: monitors not being detected, incorrect resolutions or positions, and broken refresh rates. Add to that, at one point UI scaling (at the desktop level) wasn't even a thing, though monitors already supported it. Some people may remember when we relied on `xrandr`, not because we *wanted* to, but because we had to. Furthermore, if you go back far enough, you might remember the mystic arts of editing `/etc/x11/xorg.conf` by hand just to get a display layout to stick (or in some cases, to have a working display... **at all**). Needless to say, I don't miss those days. Now, display management and multi-monitor setup is typically a "no-brainer"; you just hop into system settings, set your layout, and you're done, no terminal commands or trips to a TTY to think about. With Wayland bring even more robust per-monitor scaling and refresh rate support, most things should "just work" on modern desktops, even rare if edge cases still exist. **GUI tools that handle this well:** - **GNOME Settings:** Displays panel - **KDE System Settings:** Display and Monitor panel ## 9\. Disk Encryption (LUKS) Without the Terminal ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-22.png) Setting up disk encryption is now part of the installation process on many Linux distros (Ubuntu 24.04 LTS in screenshot) Setting up disk encryption used to be one of those "power users only” tasks that almost always required dropping into the command line. It certainly wasn't exposed as an install option on most distros and if you wanted to encrypt a drive (or even just a USB stick), you'd need to be comfortable doing everything in the terminal and making sure you got every command just right. Beyond just being terminal-only affair, it wasn't a trusted Linux workflow to begin with, because it was so easy for something to go wrong. These days, full-disk encryption is often offered right in the installer, and even after installation, you can still encrypt additional/external drives and partitions from the desktop with normal graphical tools. You can create/unlock encrypted volumes, change passphrases, and manage auto-unlock behaviour (where supported) without ever needing to touch the terminal. The CLI workflow is still there for advanced setups and recovery work, of course, because ultimately, most GUI solutions are just sitting on top of the CLI apps that already existed. **GUI tools that make disk encryption more approachable:** - **GNOME Disks:** Lets you create and manage LUKS-encrypted partitions, unlock/lock volumes, and change passphrases - **KDE Partition Manager:** Great for partitioning workflows that pair well with encrypted setups - **Many distro installers:** Full-disk encryption is just a checkbox away ## 10\. Managing System Services ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-24.png) SysD Manager gives you full access to your systemd services with a straightforward interface At one time, if you wanted to manage what services start with your system, or manage services that are already running, you really had no choice but to use the terminal. It used to be that you had to either know the commands for your init system, or edit configuration files by hand. Granted, most tutorials these days (built for systemd) will still tell you to run `systemctl` to manage system services, but there are real, solid options readily available for most distros now. To be fair, this is still an area where most distributions don't come with a built-in GUI solution, in part because the average user won't ever need (or want) to granularly manage system services. Thankfully, for those of us who do, there are several solutions available so we can easily handle this without ever typing a single command. **GUI solutions for managing services:** - [**SystemD Manager:**](https://github.com/plrigaux/sysd-manager?ref=itsfoss.com) A dedicated GUI for managing systemd services and see their status and output - [**jdSystemMonitor:**](https://jakobdev.codeberg.page/work/app/jdSystemMonitor/?ref=itsfoss.com) A versatile system monitoring tool that also lets you manage your systemd services (for an in depth look, [see my review](https://itsfoss.com/jdsystemmonitor/)) - [**CTL Dash:**](https://github.com/nikelaz/ctldash?ref=itsfoss.com) A dedicated system service tool for the COSMIC Desktop (works on other desktops as well) 💡 ****Note:** I’ve focused this list on systemd-based systems because while other init systems (like OpenRC, runit, and s6) have their own service management tools, GUI options vary by distro and desktop, and are a bit more limited. ## 11\. USB Imaging & Recovery Media ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-26.png) Impression is great for building bootable drives This is one of the biggest improvements on the Linux desktop. We've been using live CDs and USBs for many years now, but while we've had graphical solutions for quite some time, the quirks and limitations we'd encounter would often force us back to the reliability of the command line. Furthermore, some distros didn’t ship a graphical imaging tool by default (or the one they provided wasn’t reliable for all kinds of ISOs), so you’d end up relying on dd or distro-specific scripts.. Now, we've got multiple polished GUI tools that make USB imaging simple, safe, and beginner-friendly, even to the point that some tools do the download and verification steps for you. **Reliable tools for writing ISOs:** - [**balenaEtcher**](https://etcher.balena.io/?ref=itsfoss.com)**:** A popular tool for writing bootable disk images for any OS to USB drives - [**KDE ISO Image Writer**](https://apps.kde.org/isoimagewriter/?ref=itsfoss.com)**:** A simple tool for creating bootable drives - **GNOME Disks:** Not only can you use Disks for formatting drives, you can also wipe partitions and flash disk images to your drives - [**Impression**](https://apps.gnome.org/Impression/?ref=itsfoss.com)**:** A slick and straightforward tool for creating bootable drives. Part of the GNOME Circle ## 12\. Logs & System Troubleshooting ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-27.png) Viewing system logs in GNOME Logs Checking system logs has historically meant running `tail` or `cat` against the system log, and these days often means running `journalctl`, all of which are fine, but can be a bit cumbersome at times when you want to scroll comfortably and figure things out in a more familiar interface. Of course you can also use `grep` and limit output to just what you want, but either way, it's often lot of scrolling through text that’s not welcoming if you're uncomfortable with the terminal. But now, you can browse logs in a GUI, filter by time/service, and quickly see failure points without learning commands. CLI solutions are still there, of course, but you not longer need to rely on them for troubleshooting or getting the info you need when getting help from someone else. You can even export your logs to a file with some tools, meaning you no longer have to dig through commands until you get it right. **Log viewers and troubleshooting tools:** - [**GNOME Logs**](https://apps.gnome.org/Logs/?ref=itsfoss.com)**:** A powerful tool for viewing and downloading system logs - [**KSystemLog**](https://apps.kde.org/en-gb/ksystemlog/?ref=itsfoss.com)**:** KDE's solution for viewing system logs ## 13\. Graphics Driver Configuration ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-28.png) The Additional Drivers panel provides a far simpler setup than what you might expect on Windows As with display configuration, Linux graphics drivers hold a painful place in history for anyone who's been using Linux for long enough. Even till this day, the stigma remains, and with good reason. However, what's no longer true, is that you need the terminal to set them up. It *used to be* that there was essentially no choice but to open a terminal or TTY, execute a `.run` file or install a package for your specific distro, and *hope* that everything works after you reboot. However, most on most modern Linux distros, you no longer need the terminal for graphics drivers at all. Open-source drivers for AMD and Intel systems tend to work out the box, even for full-fledged 3D acceleration, and Nvidia drivers are quickly closing the gap. Furthermore, most systems provide a smooth graphical pathway for enabling and managing proprietary drivers. **Common GUI approaches (depending on distro/GPU):** - **Distro driver utilities:** Many distros come with “Additional Drivers/Driver Manager” tools - **Vendor control panels when available:** For instance, Nvidia Settings, which comes with the official Nvidia driver ## 14\. Using VPNs ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-29.png) Proton VPN provides an official client for Linux While many servers (including VPN services) run on Linux, the experience on the desktop is another areas where Linux was often left behind. Even popular services would often require you to download and install a terminal-only app and memorize commands just to connect to the service. Today, many VPN providers provide their own GUI tools connecting to their services. Furthermore, with NetworkManager, it's also possible to set up some VPN services directly through your system settings, much like how you'd set up your Wi-Fi: add a connection, import a profile, connect. It's so smooth and common-place, most users switching to Linux today won't ever know a world where this isn't the way. **Easy GUI VPN setup options:** - **GNOME/KDE/etc:** Network settings (via NetworkManager), to import profiles (OpenVPN, WireGuard configs, etc.) - **VPN Service Providers:** Most provide their own GUI apps ## 15\. Backups and System Snapshots ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-30.png) ****With tools like Déjà Dup, setting up backups on Linux is a breeze** Backups used to be a mix of scripts, manual copying, and crossed fingers. Now you can do it properly with a GUI and set it on autopilot. For personal file backups, you can schedule them and restore files easily. For system snapshots (the “I broke something, rewind time” problem), snapshot tools are common and surprisingly approachable. **Everyday backup/snapshot tools:** - [**Déjà Dup**](https://apps.gnome.org/DejaDup/?ref=itsfoss.com)**:** simple, scheduled backups with a friendly UI - [**Timeshift**](https://github.com/linuxmint/timeshift?ref=itsfoss.com)**:** system snapshots, especially popular on Ubuntu-based systems - [**Kup**](https://apps.kde.org/kup/?ref=itsfoss.com)**:** A friendly backup option for the KDE Plasma ecosystem. Integrates with the system setttings ## 16\. Remote Desktop, Screen Sharing, SSH ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-31.png) Setting up a remote connection in some apps (like Field Connect) is as simple as a couple clicks and a single link Remote access is an area where the idea of the terminal being required still persists, though Linux has had robust GUI solutions for quite some time. To be fair, this perception doesn't come out of nowhere. There was a time when remote connections from and to a Linux desktop were a bit of a hassle without the terminal, or a hefty knowledge of the underlying tech. Plus, SSH connections have a rightful reputation of being CLI focused, because most server work is done through the terminal to save resources. This is quite ironic though, because the X Window System was built with networking in mind. But the reality is, desktop Linux has long had GUI support for remote access, including SSH, as well as hybrid solutions that combine the CLI and GUI in one interface. So, whether you’re helping someone troubleshoot, accessing another machine on your network, or using RDP and VNC, you can do it with mature desktop apps. **Remote desktop tools that feel like normal apps:** - [Remmina](https://remmina.org/?ref=itsfoss.com): RDP, VNC, SSH, and more in one place - [Field Monitor](https://flathub.org/en/apps/de.capypara.FieldMonitor?ref=itsfoss.com): RDP, VNC, and SPICE, especially geared for VM management - [Virt Viewer](https://gitlab.com/virt-viewer/virt-viewer?ref=itsfoss.com): VNC and SPICE viewer for VM consoles and remote displays - [KRDC](https://apps.kde.org/krdc/?ref=itsfoss.com): KDE’s RDP and VNC client - [GNOME Connections](https://apps.gnome.org/Connections/?ref=itsfoss.com): a simple remote desktop client for RDP and VNC ## Final Thoughts The Linux terminal isn't going anywhere - it's still central to everything we experience today. It's faster for some workflows, easier to document in guides and forums, and often the most portable way to explain fixes across distros. While you [don't need to be afraid of the terminal](https://itsfoss.com/love-thy-terminal/), the idea that you can't experience Linux without depending on the terminal is quickly becoming a myth of the past. It's not that Linux became “GUI only”, but that the Linux desktop has become far more complete. The modern desktop we know today ships graphical tools that cover almost every common task in ways that are genuinely approachable, so the where reputation lags behind reality, it's mostly because old advice sticks around, and because it's convenient to default to command snippets to save time. If you're new to Linux, or you are returning after a long time away, now's a good time to clear whatever notion you may have had about the need to use the terminal. It's still there, and probably always will be, but it's no longer the defacto experience on Linux in 2026. ### loss32 is a Linux Distro Nobody Asked For (But Still Has Its Use) URL: https://itsfoss.com/loss32-distro/ Last updated: 2026-01-27T04:07:12.000Z loss32, or, as it is called by its creator, *Win32 plus Linux*, is an upcoming Linux distribution where the entire desktop environment is [Win32 software](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/?ref=itsfoss.com) that runs under [Wine](https://www.winehq.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). It sounds absurd on paper but seems to be following a very different approach than usual, where **a fully functional desktop with the Windows Classic theme** runs on [Debian 13](https://itsfoss.com/news/debian-13-release/). As you can see in the screenshot below, loss32 appears to be able to run a *Paint* application, a file explorer, a terminal, and a taskbar. ![a demo picture that shows loss32 in action, with a windows 98-esque user interface and many app windows open](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/loss32.png) **Original screenshot courtesy of* [**hikari\_no\_yume*](https://hikari.noyu.me/?ref=itsfoss.com)**.* The project makes it a point to differentiate itself from others like [ReactOS](https://reactos.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), which, as the developer notes, tries to reimplement the [Windows NT](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows%5FNT?ref=itsfoss.com) kernel and has struggled with hardware compatibility and stability. But **loss32 does take some components from ReactOS**, most notably the [user space](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User%5Fspace%5Fand%5Fkernel%5Fspace?ref=itsfoss.com) ones, to achieve a similar desktop experience while making use of a more practical foundation comprised of Linux and Wine to bring it all together. This is the brainchild of [hikari\_no\_yume](https://hikari.noyu.me/?ref=itsfoss.com), who wants to preserve the late 90s to early 2010s PC desktop experience that was beloved by power users. She also argues that a desktop environment where everything runs inside Wine **would create strong incentives to improve Wine for everyone**, addressing the rough edges people currently tolerate only as a last resort. The most interesting (*albeit a bit spicy*) motivation the dev shares is that **Win32 is the stable Linux ABI**. By which she means that there are over three decades of Win32 software that can still run in Wine or on Windows, with no other [ABI](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application%5Fbinary%5Finterface?ref=itsfoss.com) matching such compatibility standards. Before you dive in, know that **the developer is still working on shipping an initial proof-of-concept**. They had mentioned a release timeline of January 2026, so there's only a few more days to go. Once ready, loss32 is meant to be very easy to install through a package repository. From there, you can download and run `.exe` files directly. In the meantime, you can keep an eye out on the [project homepage](https://loss32.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) for updates on the initial release of loss32. [loss32](https://loss32.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Good News for Mobile App Developers: Skip Is Now Open Source URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/skip-goes-open-source/ Last updated: 2026-01-24T10:26:19.000Z If you are into mobile app development, then you most likely know of [Swift](https://www.swift.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), Apple's programming language for building iOS, macOS, and other platform apps. While it flourishes in the [Apple](https://www.apple.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) ecosystem, its ventures into the [Android](https://www.android.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) landscape are nothing but tedious. This is where cross-platform frameworks come in, but sadly, many of these compromise on performance or rely on non-native UI rendering that can feel out of place on both platforms. [Skip](https://skip.tools/?ref=itsfoss.com) is one such tool that takes a different approach. It converts Swift code to run natively on both iOS and Android, delivering native apps instead of wrapped web apps or mangled interfaces. And as it turns out, the tool has been [open-sourced](https://skip.dev/blog/skip-is-free/?ref=itsfoss.com). ## Skip Embraces Open Source ![this cropped screenshot shows three devices, from left to right: ios device with a swift app running, a laptop with the skip editor running, a android device with a swift app running](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/skip-website-hero-pic.jpeg) Ditching its earlier subscription and licensing model, the Skip team has fully opened up the tool, as the [Skip 1.7](https://github.com/skiptools/skip/releases/tag/1.7.0?ref=itsfoss.com) release removes all paywalls and makes the source code publicly available. The open-sourced components include "***skipstone***," the core engine that powers Skip, which is responsible for project creation, Xcode plugin functions, converting iOS projects to Android, bundling resources, creating platform bridges, packaging apps, and exporting projects. Existing paid subscribers who were on the *Small Business* or *Professional* plan [will be automatically switched](https://skip.dev/sponsor/?ref=itsfoss.com) to either an *Individual* or *Supporter* sponsorship tier depending on their earlier monetary contributions. Skip says that **they have been operating without venture capital since the start**, and while it gave them control, it created funding challenges. They **now completely rely on community funding**, asking for support through [GitHub Sponsors](https://github.com/sponsors/skiptools?ref=itsfoss.com) for individuals and corporate packages for businesses. Concluding the announcement, Skip stated that: > Opening Skip to the community marks the next step in its evolution. Software is never finished — especially a tool that supports modern Swift and Kotlin, SwiftPM and Gradle, Xcode and Android Studio, iOS and Android, and the ongoing growth of SwiftUI and Jetpack Compose. > > It’s a demanding pursuit, and we’re committed to it. But sustaining and expanding this work depends on the support of developers who believe in Skip’s mission. ## The Sauce If you are a developer or just a curious Penguin, then you will find the source code for Skip on its [GitHub project page](https://github.com/skiptools?ref=itsfoss.com), with listings for the engine, the website, and various tools. [Skip (engine source code)](https://github.com/skiptools/skip?ref=itsfoss.com) Other than that, the existing [skip.tools](https://skip.tools/?ref=itsfoss.com) website is being moved to the [skip.dev](https://skip.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com) domain, which acts as the new home for hosting all of Skip's documentation, case studies, and blogs. ### I (Briefly) Tried Proton Lumo's New AI Workspaces URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/proton-lumo-projects/ Last updated: 2026-01-24T05:32:03.000Z When Proton's Lumo AI chat assistant launched [back in September 2025](https://itsfoss.com/news/proton-lumo-experience/), it addressed a major gap in the chatbot market. One of a service that doesn't prey on the data of its users. Since then, it has been receiving regular care, with new functionality being added and bugs being addressed. In [a recent announcement](https://proton.me/blog/lumo-1-3?ref=itsfoss.com), though, they have introduced something that brings it on par with the other AI assistants on the market. **Projects**, which is part of the Lumo 1.3 release. This feature **lets you create dedicated encrypted workspaces** where you can bring together related chats, files, and custom instructions under a single umbrella to carry out focused tasks like working on a research paper or having deep conversations. Projects also works with [Proton Drive](https://go.getproton.me/aff%5Fc?offer%5Fid=44&aff%5Fid=1173&ref=itsfoss.com) (*partner link*), so you can attach relevant files and folders to any of your workspaces. And all of it stays encrypted end-to-end with Proton's [zero-access policy](https://proton.me/security/zero-access-encryption?ref=itsfoss.com). ## Projects in Lumo: Make AI Work for You ![an empty projects page is shown in the proton lumo interface in this picture](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/proton-lumo-empty-projects-page.png) I got started with this new addition by clicking on the "*Projects*" button on the sidebar and clicking on the purple-colored "*New project*" button. **I then gave Lumo some specific instructions** for it to act nonchalant and to act like a cat, helping me with some philosophical and whimsical problems of life. *I gave the project a fitting logo and name too!* 🐱 After that, I fed it a scenario where a bunch of good-hearted creatures were under threat from a force of evil, first asking Lumo what these little ones could do to alleviate their misery. It then gave me a five-point list of things to do for the citizens of Goodpeople Land, and I will say, these were very convincing, with the fourth point particularly piquing my interest. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/proton-lumo-new-project-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/proton-lumo-new-project-2.png) **Creating a new project in Lumo. This is how it goes.* 📋 If you didn't get it already, this is a fully imagined story that I came up with. I then went a step further, telling Lumo that the evil force was threatening these beings with a superweapon, and provided it with the necessary context. For this, **I made use of the Proton Drive integration**, uploading a dummy PDF file with the necessary details. Lumo quickly got to work and again listed out things that could be done to protect against such a weapon of destruction. If I wanted to, I could give it even more context via *Web Search*, but I wanted to see what Lumo could do by itself, and perform it did. The Projects interface is very similar to the usual chat interface, with a home page listing any existing projects, any uploaded files, and an accessible way to edit existing projects. When you click on a project, you will be shown any past chats and a text box at the bottom to start a new one. ![this screenshot shows the proton lumo projects interface with a sidebar menu on the left, a chat interface in the middle, and a files interface called "chat knowledge" on the right](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/proton-lumo-new-project-3.png) Once in, you can chat along with Lumo to get results, and there is even a handy "*Chat knowledge*" panel that lists any uploaded files and how much file capacity you have left for a specific conversation. Sadly, **Lumo still doesn't seem to support viewing and analyzing images**, but that is okay. It is still a fledgling AI assistant after all; the future looks quite promising for it. You can **get started with Projects in Lumo right now**. For free users, there is a limit of one project, with users of Lumo Plus getting access to unlimited projects, better AI models, and better response times. [Proton Lumo](https://lumo.proton.me/u/0/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### cURL Gets Rid of Its Bug Bounty Program Over AI Slop Overrun URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/curl-closes-bug-bounty-program/ Last updated: 2026-01-23T19:55:07.000Z Last year in May, the [cURL](https://curl.se/?ref=itsfoss.com) project's bug bounty program [was inundated with AI slop](https://itsfoss.com/news/curl-ai-slop/), where many bogus reports were opened on [HackerOne](https://hackerone.com/curl?ref=itsfoss.com), leaving the cURL maintainers to go through garbage. The problem didn't stop even after [Daniel Stenberg](https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielstenberg/?ref=itsfoss.com), the creator of cURL, threatened to ban anyone whose bug report was found to be [AI slop](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AI%5Fslop?ref=itsfoss.com). We are now in 2026, and the situation has reached a tipping point. 📋 For context, cURL is an open source command-line tool used by billions of devices worldwide. ## cURL Says Enough is Enough ![this picture shows a ascii-based notice on curl's website announcing that they dont provide any rewards or any kind of compensation for reported problems, basically notifying that their bug bounty program is no more](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/curl-bug-bounty-program-notice.png) **The* [**notice*](https://curl.se/.well-known/security.txt?ref=itsfoss.com) *for your perusal.* Daniel has submitted [a pull request](https://github.com/curl/curl/pull/20312?ref=itsfoss.com) on GitHub that removes all mentions of the bug bounty program from cURL's documentation and website. Coinciding with that, the project's [security.txt](https://curl.se/.well-known/security.txt?ref=itsfoss.com) file has been updated with some blunt language that makes the new policy crystal clear. The cURL team intends to make a proper announcement in the coming days, though many outlets have already covered the news of this happening, *so I would say they ought to get on it ASAP!* 😆 The program **officially ends in a few days on January 31, 2026**. After that, security researchers can still report issues through [GitHub](https://github.com/curl/curl?ref=itsfoss.com) or the project's [mailing list](https://curl.se/mail/?ref=itsfoss.com), **but there won't be any cash involved**. What pushed them over the edge?, you ask. Well, just weeks into 2026, **seven HackerOne reports came in within a 16-hour period** in just one week. Some were actual bugs, but none of them were security vulnerabilities. By the time Daniel posted his [recent weekly report](https://lists.haxx.se/pipermail/daniel/2026-January/000143.html?ref=itsfoss.com), they'd already dealt with 20 submissions in 2026. The main goal here is said to be stopping the flood of garbage reports. By eliminating the money incentive, they are hoping people (*or bots?*) will stop wasting the security team's time with half-baked, unresearched submissions. He also gives a stern warning to wannabe AI sloppers, saying that: > This is a balance of course, but I also continue to believe that exposing, discussing and ridiculing the ones who waste our time is one of the better ways to get the message through: you should NEVER report a bug or a vulnerability unless you actually understand it - and can reproduce it. If you still do, I believe I am in the right to make fun of - and be angry at - the person doing it. So, yeah, that's that. **If people still don't understand that AI slop is harmful** to such sensitive pieces of software, then sure, they can go ahead and make a fool of themselves. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Open Source Project LLVM Says Yes to AI-Generated Code*](https://itsfoss.com/news/llvm-ai-policy/) [Open Source Project LLVM Says Yes to AI-Generated Code, But Not Without ConditionsThe new “human in the loop” policy holds contributors accountable for reviewing and understanding all AI-assisted submissions.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-236.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/llvm-new-ai-policy-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/llvm-ai-policy/) ### Not An April Fool's Joke, You Can Run Linux and Windows on This Android Smartphone URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/nexphone-returns/ Last updated: 2026-01-23T16:44:19.000Z [Linux smartphones](https://itsfoss.com/linux-phones/) are not fading away; in fact, they are gradually getting more accessible while they try to cater to customers at different price points. But there's a long way to go before we can call these mainstream. [Nex Computer](https://nexdock.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), a brand known for its *NexDock* product family that turns Android smartphones into a laptop workstation, [is finally making good on its NexPhone concept](https://nexphone.com/blog/the-tale-of-nexphone-one-phone-every-computer?ref=itsfoss.com), delivering a smartphone that runs **Android 16**, launches **Debian**, and dual-boots into **Windows 11**. ## NexPhone: The 2012 Concept That Refused to Die Fourteen years after the [first concept video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gd43m08d-ro&ref=itsfoss.com) was teased, the [NexPhone](https://nexphone.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is here, powered by a [Qualcomm QCM6490](https://www.qualcomm.com/internet-of-things/products/q6-series/qcm6490?ref=itsfoss.com), which, the keen-eyed among you will remember from the now-discontinued [Fairphone 5](https://shop.fairphone.com/fairphone-5?ref=itsfoss.com). By 2026 standards, **it's dated hardware**, but Nex Computer doesn't seem to be overselling it, as **they expect the NexPhone to be a secondary or backup phone**, not a flagship contender. The phone includes an **Adreno 643 GPU**, **12GB of RAM**, and **256GB of internal storage** that can be **expanded up to 512GB** via a microSD card. **In terms of software**, the NexPhone boots into **NexOS**, a bloatware-free and minimal Android 16 system, with [Debian](https://www.debian.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) running as an app with GPU acceleration, and [Windows 11](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11?ref=itsfoss.com) being the [dual-boot](https://itsfoss.com/dual-boot-myths/) option that requires a restart to access. And, before I forget, you can plug the NexPhone into a USB-C or HDMI display, add a keyboard and mouse to transform it into a desktop workstation. ![four pictures of the nexphone are stacked side-by-side against a white background, the various pictures show what the device is capable of ](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/nexphone-four-device-collage.png) As for what other specs the NexPhone packs, here's a rundown for you: - **Camera:** 1x 64MP wide Sony IMX787 and 1x 13MP ultrawide Samsung S5K3L6XX at the rear, and a 10MP Samsung S5K3J1SX on the front. - **Display:** 6.58-inch LCD 1080 × 2403 capable of running between 60-120 Hz. - **Connectivity:** Dual-sim 5G/4G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 LE, NFC, and GPS. - **Ports:** 1x USB-C 3.1, which supports connecting to USB-C monitors, with the included 5-port USB-C hub extending functionality for attaching USB peripherals. - **Durability:** MIL-STD-810H, IP68, and IP69K. - **Weight:** 256 g (*\~9.0 oz*) You will also find a comprehensive suite of sensors that includes a fingerprint scanner, accelerometer, magnetometer, gyroscope, ambient light sensor, and proximity sensor. Launching the device, [Emre Kosmaz](https://www.linkedin.com/in/emre-kosmaz/?ref=itsfoss.com), the Founder and CEO of Nex Computer, had a few words to convey: > NexPhone is the device I’ve wanted to carry for 14 years: a phone that becomes your Linux machine, your Windows PC, and your everyday Android device—without compromise on the idea. Reserving NexPhone is the strongest signal you can send that phone-as-PC should be the next standard. ## Reserve Yours ![a cropped picture of the reservation page for the nexphone, it shows a form for filling out details like the shipping country, reservation amount, and contact information](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/nexphone-reserve-page.png) The NexPhone is priced at **$549**. Interested buyers can [reserve their unit](https://secure.nexphone.com/reserve?ref=itsfoss.com) with **a $199 refundable deposit** to secure priority access and early-bird pricing. The remaining $350, plus shipping and applicable taxes, will be due at shipment. And, before you go to book yours, **NexPhone is slated for a Q3 2026 release** (July-September) with worldwide availability, so expect some months of anxious waiting. [NexPhone](https://secure.nexphone.com/reserve?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Looking for Linux Phones? Here are Your Options*](https://itsfoss.com/linux-phones/) [Looking for Linux Phones? Here are Your OptionsLinux phones could be the future to replace Android or iOS, but what are some of your options to give it a try?![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-235.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-phones-ft-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/linux-phones/) ### This Could be the Best Graphics Editor for Linux Users (Yes, it is Open Source) URL: https://itsfoss.com/graphite-graphics-editor/ Last updated: 2026-02-09T06:11:03.000Z The convergent 2D editor [Graphite](https://graphite.art/?ref=itsfoss.com) has been promising a desktop editor for some time now, with the goal of releasing it by the end of 2025\. While 2025 passed without a full public desktop release, we did get a Christmas gift in the form of the first release candidate. Up until then, it had only been available in the web browser, and it could be installed as a Progressive Web App (PWA), but the native desktop application was still just a roadmap item. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-10-at-07-59-46-Graphite.png) The first release candidate, an AppImage, did not work for many Linux users (myself included), but a second release candidate was released on January 6, 2026\. This release comes as a Flatpak, and fortunately, it does work on my system with one important caveat: ***I have to launch it with UI acceleration disabled to avoid a blank window***. I will share what the Graphite desktop experience is like on Linux in this article and you'll see why I am rallying behind this [graphics application](https://itsfoss.com/vector-graphics-editors-linux/). 🗒️ This software is still in development stage. While I tested the release candidiate, there is no clear timeline on the first stable release. We will keep you updated. ## What is Graphite? [Graphite](https://github.com/GraphiteEditor/Graphite?ref=itsfoss.com) is an open-source, Rust-based, node-based 2D editor that is aiming to be "the Blender of 2D" editors, combining tools for vector graphics, animation, desktop publishing, raster graphics, and image compositing all in one. It is roughly comparable to PixiEditor and the new [Canva Affinity](https://itsfoss.com/affinity-on-linux/) in this way, though Graphite aims for much broader coverage of the 2D landscape. If successful, it will be the "Swiss army knife" of open-source graphics, right next to Blender. At this time, its vector tooling is the most mature of the many features listed on the project's roadmap. Basic raster editing was also recently introduced, but it is not enabled by default in the desktop build. If you are looking to test Graphite in its fullness, you will still have to use the browser version for now. ## Trying the Desktop Build ![Graphite editor interface](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-9.png) **In order to try the desktop build, you first need to access the `#announcements` channel on the Graphite Discord** and look for the latest release candidate. It has not yet been made publicly available otherwise, since there are still some showstopper issues to be ironed out before a full release. The second release candidate was released as a Flatpak and a NixOS package. The Flatpak is recommended for most Linux users. You will need to manually download the zip file, unzip it, and install it using: ```bash flatpak install ./Graphite.flatpak ``` If you prefer, you can double-click the Flatpak to install it with your distro's software manager or app store, so long as it supports Flatpak. For example, GNOME Software and KDE Discover should work just fine. Once it is installed, you can run it from the terminal using: ```bash flatpak run art.graphite.Graphite ``` ### Fixing the Blank Window Issue If you encounter a blank window when it runs, close the window by clicking in the top right corner (where the close button would be) and then try running with UI acceleration disabled: ```bash flatpak run art.graphite.Graphite --disable-ui-acceleration ``` This flag affects the UI layer; avoid disabling GPU access entirely since it can hurt performance (including the viewport). ### A Note About Flatpak Sandboxing Because this build ships as a [Flatpak](https://itsfoss.com/what-is-flatpak/), keep in mind that file access can be sandboxed depending on your distro and Flatpak configuration. If you have trouble browsing certain folders or importing assets from specific locations, you may need to adjust permissions using Flatseal. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-12.png) Enabling all user files in FlatSeal should solve this issue ## Where the Rubber Meets the Road: What is it Like in Practice? With this being an early stage of Graphite's development (somewhere between alpha, according to the roadmap, and beta, according to the desktop app's UI), **I am not doing an in-depth review of its features and functionality**. That being said, I have been **testing Graphite on the web for some time**, so my goal here is to compare the desktop app to the version available through the browser. 🗒️ ****Note on the test setup (for context):** All testing was performed on a system running Ubuntu 25.10, with Ndivia and Intel hybrid graphics. The desktop environment used for testing was GNOME, running on Wayland. ### Desktop vs web: what actually changes? ![You'll need to enable the experimental brush tool on the desktop build if you want to try it out](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/Screenshot-From-2026-01-10-18-00-15-1.png) You'll need to enable the experimental brush tool on the desktop build if you want to try it out In day-to-day use, the desktop build feels very similar to the web build. both versions share the same core code, but the desktop runs most of its code (including the viewport) natively, with Chromium Embedded Framework (CEF) used only for the outer UI. The web version on the other hand, uses WebAssembly. The desktop version no longer uses Tauri (this was an older experiment). Still, having it installed as a desktop application does make a few things nicer: - It behaves like a normal app in your launcher and window switcher, rather than being another browser tab. - It is easier to keep installed and revisit regularly as release candidates improve. - On paper, it should offer a more "native" experience for files and system integration over time, though this still depends on the current state of the Flatpak build and its permissions. While you can install the web app as a progressive web application, this still means you're technically running Graphite in your browser, which can add its own overhead and sometimes brings along addons and other background services you may not need. On less resource-available systems, especially, this can be a problem. ### Functionality ![Graphite integrates well with portals on GNOME/Wayland](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/Screenshot-From-2026-01-10-18-04-45.png) Graphite integrates well with portals on GNOME/Wayland Compared to the web version, the desktop build is largely the same. All the same vector tools are available, along with import and export functionality. Not much to be said here because the buttons and features I tried work as expected. Tooltips also work, as does integration with file portals for opening, saving, and import/export of files in supported formats. This comes as no surprise, since both are built on the same code. ### Performance This is where Graphite still has some catching up to do, compared to the established open-source giants like GIMP and Inkscape, though to be fair, my experience on the desktop has been hampered by having to disable UI acceleration to avoid the blank window issue. Basic vector editing feels fine, and larger brush strokes (once brush tools are enabled) are fairly smooth. Smaller brush strokes lag noticeably, which all but rules out using that tool for complex drawing right now. That is understandable at this stage, since the brush tool is still experimental. 🗒️ Your experience with performance may differ depending on your setup, specifically if your system requires UI acceleration to be disabled. ### Stability ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/Screenshot-From-2026-01-10-18-06-51.png) Graphite is quite stable for an app still in early development Personally, I have yet to crash Graphite on the web in my testing, though it has had moments of struggling with especially large imported SVGs, which can slow the browser down significantly. That said, the desktop app seems to handle large files relatively well, which could be either the result of optimizations made since the web app was last updated (in September), or the result of the desktop app not being hampered by overhead from the browser. Of course, the usual caveats apply with any in-development software. You shouldn't entrust your critical work to an application that has not yet been marked as stable. ### Notable Quirks There were only two minor issues I encountered when testing quirks in the desktop build: 1. Double-clicking the window does not trigger maximise 2. Running without `--disable-ui-acceleration` results in a blank window (on my system) Both of these are known issues, so I expect them to be resolved (at least for most users) before the full public release of the desktop version. Fortunately, I haven't encountered any actual showstoppers in my testing so far. ## Updating and Uninstalling Since this second RC is distributed as a downloadable Flatpak file (rather than through Flathub), you'll need to run manual updates in the future by installing any future release candidate(s) or the final release when it drops. If you want to remove it, you can uninstall it with: ```bash flatpak uninstall art.graphite.Graphite ``` Alternatively, you can also use your distros software manager/app store, if it supports Flatpaks. You'll also need to manually remove the configuration folder in `~/.local/share/graphite`. ## Final Thoughts: Can I Use This For Real Work? At this stage, Graphite is not yet something I would deploy for critical client work, but it is **already solid enough to get a clear sense of what it will be capable of once it matures**. In my opinion, it has many of the tools needed for real-world vector workflows, and with a realistic understanding of its capabilities and current limitations, you could still pull off impressive work. The main question is not whether Graphite is promising, but how quickly the desktop experience can become reliable for most users. If you do test it, this is the stage where feedback matters. If you hit issues, include details like your distro, GPU, and whether you had to use `--disable-ui-acceleration`, then report what you find through the [project's usual support and issue-tracking channels](https://github.com/GraphiteEditor/Graphite/issues?ref=itsfoss.com). That being said, it remains to be seen what the future has in store, especially on the desktop. I am hopeful for it. ### FreeBSD is a No-Go for KDE's Plasma Login Manager URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/plasma-login-manager-drops-freebsd/ Last updated: 2026-01-27T12:55:47.000Z [FreeBSD](https://www.freebsd.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a Unix-like operating system that has roots in Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD), which itself originated from research conducted at the University of California, Berkeley, in the 1970s. The OS is known for its advanced networking features, security capabilities, and freedom-focused licensing, finding use in a wide range of hardware ranging from embedded systems to being the backbone of major cloud services. Unfortunately, it looks like **KDE's Plasma Login Manager won't be working on it**, as [an accepted merge request](https://invent.kde.org/plasma/plasma-login-manager/-/merge%5Frequests/42?ref=itsfoss.com) sees the focus turn to compatibility on Linux systems. ## FreeBSD Left Behind? [Nicolas Fella](https://invent.kde.org/nicolasfella?ref=itsfoss.com), a KDE engineer, submitted the merge request to drop FreeBSD support from Plasma Login Manager, saying that **it relies on systemd/logind, and that FreeBSD is not supported**. And, to further clarify, [systemd](https://systemd.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a popular init system and service manager that has become the de facto standard on Linux (*whether some like it or not*), and [logind](https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/latest/systemd-logind.service.html?ref=itsfoss.com) is a component of systemd that is responsible for user session management. Though Plasma Login Manager being dropped from FreeBSD support **doesn't mean that KDE has abandoned the operating system altogether**. FreeBSD users [can still run the KDE Plasma desktop environment](https://community.kde.org/FreeBSD/Setup?ref=itsfoss.com) and continue using [SDDM](https://github.com/sddm/sddm?ref=itsfoss.com), the current login manager that works just fine on such systems. Plus, it's not like FreeBSD prioritizes staying near the bleeding edge [like Fedora does](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-44-plasma-login-manager/). ## My Take on This I kind of understand why KDE might've gone with this approach; if their focus is on Linux and systemd-based systems, dedicating resources to unused FreeBSD code doesn't make sense. As for FreeBSD, I am sure users of this operating system won't really care much for missing out on this as they have plenty of login manager options available. The platform itself [is growing quite well](https://itsfoss.com/news/freebsd-laptop-adoption/) too! --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Fedora 44 Will Be the First Distro to Adopt KDE's Plasma Login Manager*](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-44-plasma-login-manager/) [Fedora 44 Will Be the First Distro to Adopt KDE’s Plasma Login ManagerThe move replaces SDDM but means giving up on custom login themes.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-234.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/fedora-switches-to-plasma-login-manager.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-44-plasma-login-manager/) ### Espressif Launches "Radio Co-Processor" ESP32-E22 URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/espressif-launches-esp32-e22/ Last updated: 2026-01-22T10:49:54.000Z Known for creating [ESP32 microcontrollers](https://itsfoss.com/esp32-microcontroller-projects/) that work for various purposes, [Espressif Systems](https://www.espressif.com/en?ref=itsfoss.com) has become a trusted name in the tinkerer community. The ESP32 lineup is often the first choice for beginners getting into DIY computing projects. Of course they are not limited to just that. Expressif also supplies industrial-grade SoCs, Modules, and DevKits for commercial deployments. A [recent announcement](https://www.espressif.com/en/news/ESP32%5FE22%5FAnnouncement?ref=itsfoss.com) sees them adding a new SoC to their lineup. ## 📝 ESP32-E22: Key Specifications ![this dark-themed poster shows the key details on the newly launched esp32-e22 soc by espressif systems](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/esp32-e22-poster.jpg) **Poster via* [**Espressif Systems*](https://www.espressif.com/en/news/ESP32%5FE22%5FAnnouncement?ref=itsfoss.com)**.* Dubbed a *Radio Co-Processor* (RCP), the ESP32-E22 can handle wireless connectivity while a separate host processor runs application code. It is **powered by a dual-core 500 MHz RISC-V processor** that was developed by Espressif. The chip **supports tri-band Wi-Fi 6E** across 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz frequencies, and comes with **dual-mode Bluetooth support** for both Classic (*BR/EDR*) and Bluetooth Low Energy 5.4. For external connectivity, there's high-speed interfaces like **SDIO 3.0** and **PCIe 2.1**, with Expressif claiming that it can efficiently handle wireless data transfer rates **up to 2.4 Gbps** using [1024-QAM](https://www.commscope.com/blog/2018/wi-fi-6-fundamentals-what-is-1024-qam/?ref=itsfoss.com) modulation. And, thanks to the RCP architecture, the ESP32-E22 processes the entire Wi-Fi and Bluetooth protocol stack internally for tasks like security, authentication, scanning, roaming, and Bluetooth host functions. **If you were wondering about its use case**, well, it is said to be a good fit for smart home hubs, AR/VR accessories that need low-latency wireless performance, high-bandwidth streaming, wireless video links, and industrial automation. There's a *but* here though. Expressif **hasn't provided any pricing or general availability information**. They are directing prospective customers to [contact their sales team](https://www.espressif.com/en/contact-us/sales-questions?ref=itsfoss.com) for procuring engineering samples. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*11 Interesting ESP32 Microcontroller Projects*](https://itsfoss.com/esp32-microcontroller-projects/) [11 Interesting ESP32 Microcontroller Projects Beginners Can TryTry your hand at these creative projects!![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-228.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/simple-esp32-projects-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/esp32-microcontroller-projects/) ### Open Source Project LLVM Says Yes to AI-Generated Code, But Not Without Conditions URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/llvm-ai-policy/ Last updated: 2026-01-22T07:30:13.000Z Following the lead of other open source projects, [LLVM](https://llvm.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) has now implemented their new "*human in the loop*" AI policy that [governs the use of AI tools](https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project/commit/18695b27d565?ref=itsfoss.com) in contributions to the project. With this in place, **contributors can use whatever AI tools they like** to help with their contributions, but they are fully accountable for what they submit. They also have to mention which tool they used, either in the pull request description, commit message, or wherever authorship is listed. Additionally, contributors must be able to answer questions about their work during review, and should be confident that what they are submitting is worth a maintainer's time to go over. LLVM's new AI policy also clarifies that: > Contributors are expected to be transparent and label contributions that contain substantial amounts of tool-generated content. Our policy on labelling is intended to facilitate reviews, and not to track which parts of LLVM are generated. For the uninitiated, LLVM is **a collection of compiler and toolchain components** that serves as the foundation for many programming languages and development tools. It is used by major projects like **Clang** (*the C/C++ compiler*), **Rust**, **Swift**, and even in [Linux kernel](https://www.kernel.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) development. ## The Community Was Involved Just like any open source project worth its salt, the new policy was drafted taking community feedback into account. One of the earlier calls for this came from a LLVM community member [who pointed out](https://discourse.llvm.org/t/our-ai-policy-vs-code-of-conduct-and-vs-reality/88300?ref=itsfoss.com) that there was a mismatch in LLVM's AI-generated code handling policy, their code of conduct, and what was happening in reality. This person cited a specific pull request that had attracted [a lot of attention on Hacker News](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45244295&ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=%7C%20next%20%5B%E2%80%93%5D-,I%27ve%20been%20using%20AI%20to%20contribute%20to%20LLVM%2C%20which%20has%20a%20liberal%20policy.,-The%20code%20is), where a contributor had openly admitted to using AI but not disclosing it in the actual pull request itself. [Reid Kleckner](https://discourse.llvm.org/u/rnk/summary?ref=itsfoss.com), an LLVM maintainer, took the lead in addressing these concerns. First, he posted [a draft policy](https://discourse.llvm.org/t/rfc-llvm-ai-tool-policy-start-small-no-slop/88476?ref=itsfoss.com) to gather community feedback. His initial proposal borrowed heavily from [Fedora's AI policy](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-ai-guidelines/) and included specific limits, like **restricting newcomers to 150 lines of non-test code**. A few months later, [he was back](https://discourse.llvm.org/t/rfc-llvm-ai-tool-policy-human-in-the-loop/89159?ref=itsfoss.com) after gathering extensive feedback from community meetings and forum discussions. Reid mentioned that **he had moved away from the Fedora-based draft**, with the new version focusing on making the requirements more explicit and actionable. Instead of vague clauses like "*owning the contribution*," the updated policy spelled out clearly that contributors must review their work and be prepared to answer questions about it. The updated AI Tool Use Policy is now live on LLVM's [documentation website](https://llvm.org/docs/AIToolPolicy.html?ref=itsfoss.com), complete with guidelines for handling violations and examples of acceptable AI-assisted contributions. Via: [Phoronix](https://www.phoronix.com/news/LLVM-Human-In-The-Loop?ref=itsfoss.com) ### FOSS Weekly #26.04: Mint 22.3 Released, Stallman is Back, Ubuntu's Snap Store Under Attack and More URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-04/ Last updated: 2026-01-22T05:07:33.000Z [Linux Mint 22.3 "Zena" has landed](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-mint-22-3-release/) with Cinnamon 6.6 and loads of new refinements. The application menu has been redesigned, the app categories have been made simpler, and the Nemo file manager is improved. If you already use Mint 22.1 or 22.2, you will see the option to upgrade to 22.3 in the update manager. You can choose to stay with your current version. Choice is yours. All of these 22.x versions will be supported till 2029. **Here's the highlight of this edition of FOSS Weekly:** - The Snap Store under siege. - Linux Mint getting a fresh release. - Photoshop installer running on Linux. - The PSF accepting funding from Anthropic. - And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes! ## 📰 Linux and Open Source News Here's a summary of the news this week. A new event for the people around Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Richard Stallman [is going to speak at Georgia Tech](https://itsfoss.com/news/richard-stallman-georgia-tech/) on January 23\. He intends to discuss the history of software freedom, the evolution of computing, and, surprisingly, **AI**. Anthropic has pledged [to provide $1.5 million in funding](https://itsfoss.com/news/anthropic-funding-to-python/) to the Python Software Foundation. The money will go towards ensuring better security across the Python ecosystem, with a particular focus on protecting the Python Package Index (*PyPI*). Opera GX, the gaming browser, [is finally coming to Linux](https://itsfoss.com/news/opera-gx-linux-announcement/). While details are scarce, [gamers on Linux](https://itsfoss.com/linux-gaming-guide/) should expect good compatibility with [GNOME](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-tricks-ubuntu/) and [KDE](https://itsfoss.com/best-kde-distributions/)\-based Linux distributions. Someone got the installers for Adobe CC and Photoshop installers to run on Linux. They patched Wine to get it done, and while it is not yet available upstream, [you can try your hand at testing it](https://itsfoss.com/news/photoshop-installer-runs-on-linux/). ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About Ubuntu's Snap Store [is in urgent need of bolstering](https://itsfoss.com/news/snap-store-under-siege/). Crypto scammers have been targeting it for quite some time now. [Ubuntu’s Snap Store is Under Siege from Scammers, and The Gates are OpenAfter years of crypto wallet theft, scammers have escalated to domain takeovers.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-229.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/snap-store-crypto-wallet-scams.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/snap-store-under-siege/) Your favorite publications and websites are at threat of being replaced by AI slop. Your support matters now more than ever. Choose It's FOSS Plus membership and apart from supporting us, you get: ✅ 5 FREE eBooks on Linux, Docker and Bash ✅ Ad-free reading experience ✅ Badges in the comment section and forum ✅ To support creation of educational Linux materials [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings If you dual boot Linux and Windows, you'll notice that the time gets messed up between the two operating systems. [This tutorial](https://itsfoss.com/wrong-time-dual-boot/) should help you out with it. If you ever thought that a note-taking app wasn't enough for all your ideas and ambitions, then **you are using the wrong tool**. However, you could go for [open source second brain apps](https://itsfoss.com/open-source-second-brain-apps/) that will help you untangle your complex thoughts. Your KDE Plasma setup doesn't need to look bland like fish and chips. Our guide to properly themeing [it is worth a read if you are interested](https://itsfoss.com/properly-theme-kde-plasma/). Not everyone can afford a gaming console, and not everyone wants to play the latest AAA titles that often disappoint. You can have a retro gaming PC [with these Linux distros](https://itsfoss.com/retro-gaming-console-linux-distros/) instead. If that's too easy for you, then why not try your hand at [compiling the Linux kernel](https://itsfoss.com/compile-linux-kernel/) all by yourself? By the way, if you use VS Code for programming, these [tips will help your coding experience better](https://itsfoss.com/vs-code-tips/). Lastly, I wrote this [tutorial on connecting an iPhone with Arch Linux](https://itsfoss.com/iphone-antergos-linux/) more than a decade ago. A recent comment notified me that the trick still works. Amazing, isn't it? ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner I tried the [Elecrow CrowPanel Rotary Display](https://itsfoss.com/crowpanel-rotary-display-review/) in my homelab setup. It’s a DIY-focused ESP32 product where the solutions you build depend entirely on your needs, use cases, and creativity. [Elecrow CrowPanel Rotary Display Review: A Smart Knob for DIY EnthusiastsA hands-on review of the Elecrow CrowPanel Rotary Display, exploring its hardware quality, DIY setup, and real-world use with Home Assistant and smart devices.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-232.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/CrowPanel-HMI-ESP32-Rotary-Display.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/crowpanel-rotary-display-review/) Seeing that we are on the topic, why not dive into the world of [ESP32 Microcontroller Projects](https://itsfoss.com/esp32-microcontroller-projects/)? ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights It is possible to run [a full deskop Linux environment on Android](https://itsfoss.com/local-desktop/). [Android Power Users Can Now Run Full Desktop Linux Environments Without Root AccessThis open source app delivers one-tap Arch Linux installation with development tools, file sharing, and desktop software support.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-230.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/local-desktop-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/local-desktop/) ## 📽️ Videos for You Discover some oomph factor and cool effects to your Linux terminal [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip In [Brave Browser](https://brave.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), you can set custom keyboard shortcuts for various actions. Go to `***Settings*** → ***System*** → ***Shortcuts***`. Here, you can see the currently assigned shortcuts and add new ones here. The interface for doing it is very neat! ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/brave-keyboard-shortcuts-customization.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/add-keyboard-shortcut-1.png) [](https://t43217012.p.clickup-attachments.com/t43217012/da09f1e7-b651-4c93-b93b-141e46671d4b/copy-link-to-highlight-firefox.png?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse This puzzle is all about [Linux pipes and commands](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/linux-pipe-commands/). [Chain Reaction: A Linux Pipes & Commands QuizConnect the dots...er.. pipes and correctly guess the command combinations.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-231.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-pipes-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/linux-pipe-commands/) **🤣 Meme of the Week**: I would rather reinstall a distro than try to go through this hell. ![linux installing/repairing meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/meme713-1.png) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On January 19, 1999, [Research In Motion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BlackBerry%5FLimited?ref=itsfoss.com) (RIM) introduced the first [BlackBerry](https://www.blackberry.com/us/en?ref=itsfoss.com) device, a wireless email pager with a QWERTY keyboard that helped make mobile email popular. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: One of our regular FOSSers is wondering if people have heard of [Consent-O-Matic](https://itsfoss.community/t/has-anyone-tried-consent-o-matic/15339?ref=itsfoss.com). [Has anyone tried Consent-O-Matic?Hi all, 👋 has anyone of you installed the add-on consent-o-matic in your browser? I found a very interesting article describing it here: It´s basically a cookie-denying extension, developed by members of Arhus University in Denmark. For firefox: Homepage: https://consentomatic.au.dk/ I checked on it and it seems real: Domain: consentomatic.au.dk IP Address: 185.45.23.237 Location Information: { “ip”: “185.45.23.237″, “city”: ”Århus”, “region”: “Central Jutland”,…![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/f274f9749e3fd8b4d6fbae1cf90c5c186d2f699c_2_180x180-88.png)It's FOSS CommunityRosika![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/f274f9749e3fd8b4d6fbae1cf90c5c186d2f699c-76.png)](https://itsfoss.community/t/has-anyone-tried-consent-o-matic/15339?ref=itsfoss.com) ### I Ran the Famed Affinity Designer on Linux. Here's How It Went URL: https://itsfoss.com/affinity-on-linux/ Last updated: 2026-01-21T17:26:27.000Z After months of teasers, [Canva relaunched Serif’s famous tools as the all-new Affinity in late October 2025](https://www.canva.com/en%5Fin/newsroom/news/all-new-affinity/?ref=itsfoss.com); a single app combining Photo, Designer, and Publisher. It’s now free to use, with additional features such as Canva AI only available with a paid Canva subscription. Still, Canva has kept Serif's traditional platform support, with only Windows and macOS receiving native releases. However, that hasn't stopped the [AffinityOnLinux community](https://github.com/seapear/AffinityOnLinux?ref=itsfoss.com) in their tireless efforts of making Affinity on Linux a reality. As someone who had used it in the past, I gave it a try to see how well it works on Linux for day to day usage. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/FireShot-Capture-086---seapear_AffinityOnLinux_-A-repository-that-helps-users-get-affinity_----github.com-.png) The AffinityOnLinux project has been working to bring Affinity Suite since late 2025 ✋ ****Non-FOSS Warning!** AffinityOnLinux open source but it's just the installer. Affinity itself is not an open source software. We covered it because there is a significant interest by designers and creatives who use Linux desktop. ## What is AffinityOnLinux? Since September 2025, the AffinityOnLinux team has been making scripts and other methods for setting up Affinity available via their GitHub repo. Their work provides methods for installing Affinity with various launchers and Wine management apps, including Bottles, Heroic, Lutris, and Rum. They also provide solid documentation for artists who'd like to run these popular tools on their Linux system, but may be less tech-savvy. 🗒️ I used two of the simpler installation methods in this article; AppImage and installer script. I'll share the results for both. ## Method 1: AppImage (Recommended) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-2.png) The Affinity Splash screen (taken natively on Linux) By far, this is definitely the easiest method you can use. There's not much to be done other than to download the AppImage and run it. [Download AppImage ](https://github.com/ryzendew/Linux-Affinity-Installer?ref=itsfoss.com) In order to [run the AppImage](https://itsfoss.com/use-appimage-linux/), you'll first need to mark it as executable. You can do this in the file manager, using file properties (in GNOME, that's "Executable as Program"). ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/Screenshot-From-2026-01-02-14-25-33.png) Setting the file as executable in GNOME Files Alternatively, you can run `chmod +x Affinity-3-x86_64.AppImage` in a terminal. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/Screenshot-From-2026-01-02-13-33-22-1.png) Setting the file as executable in the terminal Once you've marked it executable, you can run the AppImage by double-clicking, as you would with any executable. If you have [Gear Lever](https://itsfoss.com/news/gear-lever/) installed (recommended) it will give you the option to integrate the AppImage with your menu. No other steps are required with the AppImage. ### How well does it work in practice? ![Affinity running on Linux](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-4.png) Creating real artwork in Affinity on Linux is possible In my testing, I didn't encounter any notable issues with this method. It runs smoothly (at least, on my hardware and software setup), without stuttering or graphical artefacts, and integrates well with the desktop. Tooltips, dialogs, modes, text, and other features work just fine, and file saving/opening and export also work. In other words, you could easily fool someone this *is* a native build of Affinity for Linux, if they don't dig too deeply. The only thing I noted was that *certain paths and recent files from the creator's own system were baked into the AppImage*. This isn't a big deal, since you can easily remove the recent file entries and navigate to your own home folder, but it does "break the simulation" a bit if you're expecting a "clean install" experience. ### Can you use it for real work? From my experience using it, yes. To be clear, I DID NOT test advanced filters or plugins, but many of the standard features that would be useful for real work are fully usable in my experience. I had no complex files to test, but performance with basic testing seems reasonable, and comparable to a native application. ## Method 2: Automated script (Experimental) ![Welcome dialogue in Affinity](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-3.png) The Welcome dialog in Affinity works just fine, once maximized (see below for an explanation) This method is useful if you want to **set up Affinity in a wine prefix** and may want to tweak anything. It uses a Python script for setting up Affinity using its installer (which you'll need to download manually), and handles any missing dependencies as well. **Do note, however: this installer is experimental**. If you run into any issues, the AppImage is still the recommended method to use. [Get Installer Script](https://github.com/seapear/AffinityOnLinux/tree/main/Guides/Wine/Script%20Installer?ref=itsfoss.com) To use the script, download `affinity_installer_unified.py` and mark it as executable (`chmod +x affinity_installer_unified` if using the terminal). Then you can run it with `python3 ./affinity_installer_unified`. **You'll get a window like this:** ![AffinityOnLinux installer script](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/Screenshot-From-2026-01-03-18-20-12.png) The Affinity On Linux experimental Python Script The script will also ask for your password to give it permission to install the necessary dependencies. Once you've done this and pointed it to the Affinity installer, you can click "Start Installation". **The script will automate the setup process for you:** ![Affinity on Linux WINE installer](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/Screenshot-From-2026-01-01-10-49-11.png) Installing Affinity on Linux with the Python script Once it's installed, you can run Affinity straight away. If you later need to remove Affinity, you can use the same script and just click Uninstall instead. ### How well does it work in practice? ![Using Affinity on Linux](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/Screenshot-From-2026-01-02-22-52-14.png) Running Affinity natively on Linux, installed with the experimental Python script In my testing, this method has some issues with rendering windows unless you maximize them, showing black surfaces in most of the window. However, once you do maximize, the app runs relatively smoothly and can be used pretty much as expected, so long as you're not using any dialogs that spawn their own windows. It's worth noting that such issues can be due to graphics driver compatibility, and can occur even with native applications in some cases (depending on your system), so don't be put off by my experience with this method, as your experience may differ. ### Can you use it for real work? From my experience, I would say that yes, you can use this method for installing Affinity to do real work. Since this method gives you the freedom to customize the setup as needed, it's possible to try tweaking it if you run into issues. ## Other methods (Not tested by me) As mentioned earlier, you can install Affinity via a number of other methods, including Bottles, Lutris, and Rum. However, I haven't tested these for various reasons, which I'll explain in brief here. - **Bottles/Lutris:** The AffinityOnLinux project supports these, but they're essentially managed/scripted options, so, I've skipped them to avoid repeating the same underlying setup work in a different UI. - **Rum:** Rum is explicitly the “terminal” route in the project’s guide list. Since it overlaps heavily with the standard Wine CLI approach, I did not test it separately. 💡 ****Note:** If you'd like to try these out, you can check out the AffinityOnLinux [guide on GitHub](https://github.com/seapear/AffinityOnLinux/tree/main/Guides?ref=itsfoss.com). ## What doesn't work (Overall) Regardless of the method you chooce, you should be aware of a few things., you should be aware of a few things. Firstly, since Canva hasn't released a native Linux client, you may run into some features that either don't work outright, or don't work as intended. - It's currently not possible to sign in to your Canva account. Affinity will show "Sign Out" in the file menu, but you should not use this as you won't be able to log in your own account. - WebView2 (based on Edge) is currently broken in Wine. For this reason, any features that require WebView2 will fail to work. These include the Help View and some dialogs. 💡 ****Note:** You can view all known issues on this page: [https://github.com/ryzendew/Linux-Affinity-Installer/blob/main/docs/Known-issues.md](https://github.com/ryzendew/Linux-Affinity-Installer/blob/main/docs/Known-issues.md?ref=itsfoss.com) ## Will Affinity ever be native on Linux? Despite the promise of creative freedom, Affinity's October release landed without word of Linux version, and Canva has made no mention of a so much as a roadmap suggesting one is on the way. Serif’s long-standing position was that they wouldn’t port Affinity to Linux unless there was a clear return on the engineering investment, and some past [staff responses](https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/98932-faq-affinity-on-linux/&ref=itsfoss.com) came across to many Linux users as [dismissive](https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/72023-linux-support/&ref=itsfoss.com). Even so, intrepid Linux users have been getting Affinity running under Wine for years, including back when its installer made that far from straightforward out of the box. Will it ever come our way natively? Never say never. Recent [rumours](https://techcentral.co.za/affinity-for-linux-canvas-next-big-move-could-reshape-the-desktop-software-market/274861/?ref=itsfoss.com) suggest attitudes within Canva may be more [positive](https://www.theverge.com/news/830898/could-canva-fill-the-adobe-void-on-linux?ref=itsfoss.com). ## Final thoughts I hope you've found this guide helpful in getting Affinity running on your system. While compatibility isn't perfect, it's sufficient for getting a feel of the program (if that's your desire) and even potentially for using it to do real work. If you'd like to follow development of these projects, you can check them out on GitHub, or join the [project's Discord](https://join.affinityonlinux.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). It will be interesting to see if Canva ever releases an official build for Linux, especially as tools like Inkscape and GIMP continue to improve by leaps and bounds this year, with big, important releases on the horizon for both. ### Elecrow CrowPanel Rotary Display Review: A Smart Knob for DIY Enthusiasts URL: https://itsfoss.com/crowpanel-rotary-display-review/ Last updated: 2026-01-21T14:47:53.000Z Most smart home interactions today revolve around phone apps. You unlock your phone, open an app, wait for it to connect, and then tap a button to turn something on or off. It works but it’s not always convenient. Sometimes, a simple physical control makes more sense. That’s where devices like the [Elecrow CrowPanel Rotary Display](https://www.elecrow.com/crowpanel-1-28inch-hmi-esp32-rotary-display-240-240-ips-round-touch-knob-screen.html?idd=6&ref=itsfoss.com) come in. A small screen paired with a rotary knob, designed for people who prefer building their own control interfaces instead of relying solely on apps. In this review, I’ll look at what this rotary panel offers, who it is actually meant for, and how practical it can be when paired with Home Assistant and smart devices. 📋 Disclaimer: This device was provided by Elecrow for review purposes. Elecrow had no input into the content of this article, and all opinions expressed here are based on my own hands-on experience. *Let’s start with what you actually get in the box.* ## Unboxing and first impressions ![CrowPanel 1.28inch HMI ESP32 Rotary Display from Elecrow](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/elecrow-crowpanel-rotary-display-unboxing.webp) The device arrives in a plain, no-frills cardboard box. There’s nothing fancy about the packaging and honestly, that’s perfectly fine. It’s the kind of box you won’t feel bad about recycling right away 😉 Inside the box, you’ll find just three items: - One rotary display module - One 4-pin Dupont cable - One 50 cm MX1.25-to-USB cable Looking at the bottom of the device, you’ll notice several interface options. There’s a UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter) interface and an I2C port for communication. Power and programming are handled via a USB connection, though the USB port itself is exposed through the included MX1.25-to-USB cable rather than a standard USB connector on the device. In addition, there’s a 12-pin FPC port that opens up possibilities for expanded compatibility and add-ons. Two small but important buttons, Reset and Boot, are also present, and they play a crucial role when flashing firmware onto the CrowPanel. ![The bottom of Elecrow CrowPanel ESP32 Rotary Display has various interface](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/elecrow-crowpanel-back.webp) In terms of interaction, the device offers three primary input and feedback methods: - A rotary knob that supports clockwise and counter-clockwise rotation, along with a press action - A capacitive touchscreen that feels responsive and smooth - Ambient LED lighting, which isn’t just decorative and can be programmed to reflect states, events, or other information Elecrow provides a [wiki page for the device](https://www.elecrow.com/wiki/CrowPanel%5F1.28inch-HMI%5FESP32%5FRotary%5FDisplay.html?ref=itsfoss.com), which includes the essential information you need to get started like pin layouts, interface details, and basic programming guidance. It’s not exhaustive, but it’s sufficient to point you in the right direction. Out of the box, the CrowPanel comes preloaded with a demo program. After a pleasant boot animation, you’re presented with three options: temperature, volume, and light. You can swipe the touchscreen to switch between these modes, and use the rotary dial to adjust values like brightness or volume. 0:00 /0:06 1× Not my video, I forgot to record it or take photos of the default demo program That said, this is very much a showcase rather than a functional setup. The controls don’t actually change system volume or interact with any real hardware. Since the panel isn’t connected to anything yet, this default firmware serves only to demonstrate the input methods and display capabilities. To make it truly useful, you’ll need to program it and integrate it with whatever system you want to control. Once you get past the initial setup, the next obvious question is how the device feels in daily use. ## Hardware quality The device looks decent and feels solid enough in everyday use. There’s a slight wobble or unevenness around the edges, but it’s barely noticeable unless you’re actively looking for it. It won't feel as premium as the [BenQ HaloBar controller](https://amzn.to/3LNDvzb?ref=itsfoss.com) but at around $30, that’s an understandable trade-off. The rotary dial itself is smooth and rotates infinitely, with no fixed start or end points. This works well for use cases like volume control or timers. Once the wires are connected at the bottom, the device does sit slightly raised on that side. It’s not a functional issue by any means, though it might bother you if you’re particularly sensitive to such details. ![Once the wires are connected at the bottom, the device does sit slightly raised on that side](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/crowpanel-rotary-knob-raised-surface.webp) One minor concern is the MX1.25-to-USB cable connection. Removing it feels a bit tricky, and I wouldn’t attempt it without being extra careful. That could just be my own caution, as I tend to be overly careful with delicate connectors, but it’s something worth keeping in mind. ## Technical specification ![Technical specification of Elecrow CrowPanel Rotary Display](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/crowpanel-rotary-knob.webp) | Feature | Details | | --------- | ------------------------------------------------ | | Display | 1.28" IPS, 240×240 resolution, capacitive touch | | Processor | ESP32-S3R8, dual-core Xtensa 32-bit LX7 @ 240MHz | | Memory | 512KB SRAM, 8MB PSRAM, 16MB Flash | | Wireless | 2.4GHz WiFi (802.11 a/b/g/n) + Bluetooth 5.0/BLE | | Size | 48×48×33mm | | Weight | 50g | [More details on official web page](https://www.elecrow.com/crowpanel-1-28inch-hmi-esp32-rotary-display-240-240-ips-round-touch-knob-screen.html?idd=6&ref=itsfoss.com) ## What can it be used for? ![CrowPanel rotary know usage as mentioned by Elecrow official website](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/application_of_rotary_knob_screen.webp) On paper, Elecrow suggests a wide range of use cases for this device: - Smart home controller for thermostat, lighting, or scenes - Vehicle-mounted control knob for media, navigation, or AC settings - Washing machine interface for program selection and remaining time display - Oven control for temperature, timer, and cooking modes - Coffee machine controller for brew strength, temperature, and timing - Physical keyboard knob for volume, brightness, scrolling, or macros - Desk-side system monitor showing CPU load, time, or alerts - Media control dial for play, pause, seek, and volume - Appliance status display with rotary-based setting adjustments - Compact control interface for custom embedded or IoT devices But keep one thing in mind: there’s no magic here. **You can’t just place it next to your car's infotainment system and expect it to start controlling things automatically**. The rotary knob and display need to be properly interfaced with the device you want to control, typically over a wired connection or wirelessly through something like ESPHome. Once that connection is in place, you still need to program the CrowPanel rotary display so it knows *what* to control and *how* to respond to your input. In other words, this isn’t a plug-and-play gadget. It’s a combination of hardware integration and software configuration. That’s exactly why it appeals to DIY enthusiasts: you’re not buying a finished solution, you’re building one. So, instead of sticking to hypothetical examples, I wanted to see how it fits into my own setup. ## I used it as a smartplug controller As I mentioned in my [new year resolution for Linux users](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-resolutions-2026/) article, building a homelab is one of my goals for 2026\. My current setup is centered around a [ZimaBoard 2](https://itsfoss.com/news/zimaboard-2-review-2/) running Home Assistant, alongside a few other self-hosted services. I also have several TP-Link Tapo smart plugs and smart lights connected to it. ![my homelab setup that involves ZimaBoard 2 along with Terramaster NAs and ZimaCube Pro](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/itsfoss-homelab-setup.webp) ZimaBoard 2 (behind the router) runs 24x7 to power Home Assistant and Jellyfin One of these smart plugs is attached to the water heater (geyser) in my bathroom. Unlike many Western countries, we don’t need hot water throughout the year in tropical countries. We only need it in winters. The usual routine is simple: turn on the heater when you’re about to take a shower, let the water heat up, take the shower, and then turn it off. This on-demand usage helps keep electricity bills in check. Since I was looking for a practical way to use the CrowPanel Rotary Display, I decided to turn it into a physical control knob for this smart plug. The center press on the display acts as the on/off switch for the plug, while the rotary dial is used to set a timer that automatically turns the plug off after a specified number of minutes. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s genuinely useful in daily life. Anyone in the household can use it without needing to open the Home Assistant interface or a mobile app. Another nice aspect of this setup is that the CrowPanel communicates wirelessly with the Home Assistant server. It only needs a simple 5V USB power adapter to function. I also think there’s room for improvement, for example, programming the LEDs at the bottom to indicate whether the plug is currently on or off. The code isn’t perfect yet, but that’s something I plan to refine over time (or at least, that’s what I keep telling myself). ![Reprogrammed Elecrow CrowPanel ESP32 Rotary Display](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/reprogrammed-elecrow-crowpanel.webp) Not the perfect program I wrote but I'll improve (or that's what I want to believe) This supposedly 'small project' turned out to be a challenge. A good one that I genuinely enjoyed. It was my first hands-on experience with an ESP-based device, and I ended up learning quite a few new things along the way. For instance, I discovered that the ESPHome add-on cannot be installed when Home Assistant is running as a container; it needs the Home Assistant OS setup. At the same time, I also learned that ESP devices can still be integrated using alternative approaches. The official documentation suggests designing the interface with LVGL using tools like [SquareLine Studio](https://squareline.io/?ref=itsfoss.com), but I found that much of the same functionality can also be achieved directly through YAML configuration. I’ll likely write a dedicated tutorial about this later, as the process itself is quite involved and diving into those details here would take us too far off track. I am hopeful that I will find some more innovative use of this device as my homelab evolves. ## Conclusion This is not a plug-and-play device that solves a problem for you straight out of the box. To make it genuinely useful, you need to tinker with it and spend time programming it for your specific needs. If you already have experience with Home Assistant, LVGL libraries, ESP-based boards, or microcontrollers in general, you won’t find the CrowPanel Rotary Display intimidating. In fact, if you run a homelab or already use smart devices, you’ll likely start imagining practical and even creative ways to integrate it into your setup. For those who are completely new to the Arduino ecosystem or microcontrollers, this device won’t offer instant gratification. Instead, it presents a learning opportunity. A hands-on way to understand how hardware and software come together in real-world automation. *If you enjoy building your tools instead of buying finished ones, this panel could make a lot of sense.* [Explore Elecrow CrowPanel Rotary Display](https://www.elecrow.com/crowpanel-1-28inch-hmi-esp32-rotary-display-240-240-ips-round-touch-knob-screen.html?idd=6&ref=itsfoss.com) ### Richard Stallman to Speak on Software Freedom and AI at Georgia Tech URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/richard-stallman-georgia-tech/ Last updated: 2026-01-21T09:34:11.000Z The free software movement has been around for over four decades now. It started as a response to proprietary software licenses that restricted people from understanding, modifying, or sharing the programs they ran on their computers. At the center of this movement is the [Free Software Foundation](https://www.fsf.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) (FSF), founded in 1985\. It has been the organizational backbone for promoting software freedom, maintaining crucial free software licenses like the [GPL](https://itsfoss.com/open-source-licenses-explained/#:~:text=your%20first%20steps.-,GNU%20General%20Public%20License%20%28GPL%29,-The%20GPL%20is), and supporting projects that respect user rights. [Dr. Richard Stallman](https://stallman.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) has been at the forefront of this movement from day one, along with countless other people who joined up to make their collective vision a reality. If you want to hear from him directly, he's speaking at [Georgia Tech](https://www.gatech.edu/?ref=itsfoss.com) on January 23. ## His First U.S. College Talk Since Ages ![this yellow and orange-colored poster shows a wall of text and a picture of dr. richard stallman in the middle, it is titled "gratis talk with dr. richard stallman", with the subtitle "free/libre software and our freedom: our shield against many digital injustices."](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/richard-stallman-georgia-tech-gratis-talk.jpg) **Poster courtesy of* [**LibreTech Collective*](https://ltc.gtorg.gatech.edu/?ref=itsfoss.com)**.* Marking his return to college speaking, this will be [his first appearance at a U.S. college](https://www.fsf.org/events/fsf-talk-2026-01-23?ref=itsfoss.com) since [his cancer diagnosis](https://itsfoss.com/news/richard-stallman-battling-cancer/) and successful recovery in 2019\. It's also his first visit to Atlanta since the 1990s and h**is first appearance ever at Georgia Tech**, as pointed out [by the organizers](https://www.reddit.com/r/gatech/comments/1prm6if/free%5Fevent%5Fmeet%5Fdr%5Frichard%5Fstallman%5Fcreator%5Fof/?ref=itsfoss.com). The event itself is called "***Gratis Talk with Dr. Richard Stallman***," and is organized by the [LibreTech Collective](https://ltc.gtorg.gatech.edu/2026/01/04/rms/?ref=itsfoss.com), Georgia Tech's [student-run club](https://ltc.gtorg.gatech.edu/?ref=itsfoss.com) that focuses on free, libre, and open source software, hardware, and knowledge. **As for the agenda**, he will be covering the history of software freedom, the evolution of computing, and finally his perspectives on AI. The event is **also serving as a recruitment drive** for the [GNU Project](https://www.gnu.org/home.en.html?ref=itsfoss.com), which is actively looking for contributors. If you are interested in joining up, bringing a resume isn't a bad idea. At the end of his 1-hour talk, Richard will be open to questions from the audience, so be sure [to note down your thoughts](https://itsfoss.com/joplin/)! 📝 ## Why The Long Delay? Stallman resigned from his positions at MIT and the FSF in [September 2019](https://www.fsf.org/news/richard-m-stallman-resigns?ref=itsfoss.com) following [controversy over comments he made](https://itsfoss.com/richard-stallman-controversy/) about deceased MIT scientist [Marvin Minsky](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin%5FMinsky?ref=itsfoss.com) and the Jeffrey Epstein case. After that, he largely stepped back from public speaking engagements in the United States, particularly at colleges and universities. While he has [given talks internationally](https://www.stallman.org/talks.html?ref=itsfoss.com) recently, including appearances in Finland, Germany, and Italy, this Georgia Tech event marks his return to the U.S. college speaking in quite some time. ## Event Details and Registration If you are around the state of [Georgia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia%5F%28U.S.%5Fstate%29?ref=itsfoss.com) and are interested in having some fun, grounded conversations with fellow free software and open source enthusiasts, why not attend it? There's also going to be lots of [cool FSF merchandise](https://shop.fsf.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) to be had for cash donations, so be sure to carry some! The **event details** are as follows: - ***Time*** 🕰: January 23, 2026, from 2:00 PM to 05:00 PM. - **Venue** 🏢: Room #100, Scheller College of Business, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia. (*searchable on* [*CoMaps*](https://comaps.at/4mgVV08lQr/Scheller%5FCollege%5Fof%5FBusiness?ref=itsfoss.com) *and* [*Google Maps*](https://maps.app.goo.gl/JKaLxysCf8sp7TNe8?ref=itsfoss.com)) - ***Tickets*** 🎟: Not required; **this is a free event**. Just show up and look for an empty seat! Via: [FOSS Force](https://fossforce.com/2026/01/its-official-richard-stallman-will-speak-at-georgia-tech-on-january-23/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Ubuntu's Snap Store is Under Siege from Scammers, and The Gates are Open URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/snap-store-under-siege/ Last updated: 2026-01-20T13:00:38.000Z Malicious actors are doing everything at their disposal to undermine modern IT infrastructure. Some are motivated by the usual monetary gains, while others have more sinister intents. Canonical's [Snap Store](https://snapcraft.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) is the latest in line, with the platform facing increasingly sophisticated attacks, and [a recent development](https://blog.popey.com/2026/01/malware-purveyors-taking-over-published-snap-email-domains/?ref=itsfoss.com) makes things look particularly bleak. Before we go ahead, keep in mind that **the backend tech for the Snap Store is proprietary**, and many people tend to confuse this with [Snaps](https://github.com/canonical/snapd?ref=itsfoss.com) themselves being some mysterious concoction (*read: closed-source*). ## The Snap Store is Due For a Clean-Up ![the picture shows the search results for the term "crypto wallet" on the snap store, there are many results shown, with only two of those being Canonical-verified additions](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/snap-store-crypto-wallet-query.png) 📋 The picture above shows the search results when searching for the term "[**Crypto Wallet*](https://snapcraft.io/store?q=Crypto+Wallet&ref=itsfoss.com)." Imagine how easy it would be to install a malicious one by mistake. [Alan Pope](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-pope-uk/?ref=itsfoss.com), a former Canonical employee who worked there from 2011 to 2021, has been documenting this mess since early 2024, where fake cryptocurrency wallet applications have been flooding the store. Such scams have led to confirmed losses, including one case where [$490,000 was stolen from a single victim](https://blog.popey.com/2024/02/exodus-bitcoin-wallet-490k-swindle/?ref=itsfoss.com). This goes without saying, but these aren't just annoying adware-ridden apps. They are outright thieving tools. The scammers publish malware disguised as legitimate crypto wallets like [Exodus](https://www.exodus.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), [Trust Wallet](https://trustwallet.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), or [Ledger](https://www.ledger.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). When users install these fake apps and enter their wallet recovery phrases, the credentials get delivered straight to the criminals. The tactics have evolved over time. Initially, scammers just published authentic-looking apps with plausible screenshots. When Canonical added text filters, they started using Unicode lookalike characters from other alphabets to bypass detection. Then arrived **the bait-and-switch approach**: publish something harmless like a game under a random name, get it approved, then push a second version containing the harmful [malware](https://www.malwarebytes.com/malware?ref=itsfoss.com). *But their latest tactic is utter mischief and absolute deceit.* 😑 The scammers **have started monitoring the Snap Store for applications whose publishers' domain registrations have expired**. When a domain, let's say `coolproject.tech`, is abandoned, these wannabe vultures swoop in to register it in their name and trigger a password reset on [the Snap Store account](https://dashboard.snapcraft.io/stores/snaps/?ref=itsfoss.com). By doing this, they gain control of a legitimate, trusted publisher account with an established history. Alan was reminded of this long-standing issue when he started monitoring the Snap Store using his [SnapScope](https://itsfoss.com/news/check-snap-packages-vulnerabilities/) tool. Though he remains sympathetic to the people working at Canonical and is not angry at the engineers. But he does want the problem fixed. ## What Can Be Done? Well, much of the matter would've been tackled if domain names were bound to their original owners (*with the option to transfer them to others*) and weren't left to the bandits once some time limit was up. But that isn't feasible in today's time. The next best and obvious bet would be **for Canonical to step up their game** and do something about this issue. They already have [a manual review process](https://forum.snapcraft.io/t/manual-review-of-all-new-snap-name-registrations/39440?ref=itsfoss.com) for new Snap name registrations, but that [isn't sufficient](https://forum.snapcraft.io/t/report-of-fake-crypto-wallet-exodus-snap-s/49161?ref=itsfoss.com) to handle this particular loophole those sneaky scammers are using, is it? *If they don't do anything about this, then they are knowingly endangering their users, both private and commercial, you know.* 🙃 --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Check Your Snap Packages for Vulnerabilities*](https://itsfoss.com/news/check-snap-packages-vulnerabilities/) [Check Your Snap Packages for Vulnerabilities With This Vibe-Coded ToolSnapscope makes it easy to scan any Snap package for security issues.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-227.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/snapscope-snap-scanner-banner-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/check-snap-packages-vulnerabilities/) ### Photoshop Installer Runs on Linux Despite Adobe Not Giving a Damn For Years URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/photoshop-installer-runs-on-linux/ Last updated: 2026-01-19T13:04:52.000Z Creatives on Linux have just [a handful of Adobe Photoshop alternatives](https://itsfoss.com/open-source-photoshop-alternatives/) to pick from, and while they are good, most people just can't move away from Adobe's [Creative Cloud](https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud.html?ref=itsfoss.com) (CC). I say this with confidence because whenever we post a Linux-focused QnA or "*switch to Linux today*" type of post [on our socials](https://itsfoss.com/#:~:text=Guides%20%F0%9F%93%92-,Social,-Facebook), we see people complaining how Adobe's software doesn't run on the platform. This is their main justification for sticking with Windows or macOS, btw. Sadly, there's not much anyone other than [Adobe](https://www.adobe.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) can do on this matter, or so we thought. ## What's Happening? 0:00 /0:47 1× **Source:* [**PhialsBasement*](https://www.reddit.com/r/linux%5Fgaming/comments/1qdgd73/i%5Fmade%5Fadobe%5Fcc%5Finstallers%5Fwork%5Fon%5Flinux%5Fpr%5Fin/?ref=itsfoss.com) *(the video is very lossy).* A developer who goes by the username [PhialsBasement](https://github.com/PhialsBasement?ref=itsfoss.com) has [made patches for Wine](https://www.reddit.com/r/linux%5Fgaming/comments/1qdgd73/i%5Fmade%5Fadobe%5Fcc%5Finstallers%5Fwork%5Fon%5Flinux%5Fpr%5Fin/?ref=itsfoss.com) that address the issue of Adobe CC not working on Linux. Basically, he fixed how [Wine](https://www.winehq.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) handles some JavaScript and XML code that Adobe's installers use. This has been tested with the installers for Photoshop 2021 and 2025, with these patches being submitted to Valve's [bleeding-edge fork of Wine](https://github.com/ValveSoftware/wine/pull/310?ref=itsfoss.com). But, as Valve's Kisak [points out](https://github.com/ValveSoftware/wine/pull/310?ref=itsfoss.com#issuecomment-3754971501), **these changes first need to be submitted to Wine** [upstream](https://gitlab.winehq.org/wine/wine?ref=itsfoss.com), and if it is accepted there, it could be backported to [Proton](https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Proton?ref=itsfoss.com). Posting [an update](https://www.reddit.com/r/linux%5Fgaming/comments/1qgybfy/update%5Fon%5Fthe%5Fadobe%5Fcc%5Finstallers%5Fpatch%5Fnow%5Fthe/?ref=itsfoss.com) to the above, the developer has revealed that he also got Adobe's Collection installer running via their Wine patch. **Most Adobe apps can be installed now**, with Adobe [XD](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe%5FXD?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Fresco](https://www.adobe.com/products/fresco.html?ref=itsfoss.com) being the only ones that don't work since they are [UWP](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/uwp/get-started/universal-application-platform-guide?ref=itsfoss.com) apps. If you want to try this, you will have to grab the pre-built binaries from the developer's [GitHub](https://github.com/PhialsBasement/wine-adobe-installers/?ref=itsfoss.com). Also, the installation experience is one thing, but running the apps themselves is another, so keep that in mind. And while **it's still early to say whether this will make it into Wine officially**, this should rekindle some hope for Linux users and users-to-be who have been missing Adobe's creative suite on the platform. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Free and Open Source Alternatives to Adobe Photoshop*](https://itsfoss.com/open-source-photoshop-alternatives/) [4 Free and Open Source Alternatives to Adobe PhotoshopLooking for a free Photoshop alternative? Here are some of the best free and open source software that you can use instead of Adobe Photoshop.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-226.png)It's FOSSAnkush Das![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/open_source_photoshop_alternatives.png)](https://itsfoss.com/open-source-photoshop-alternatives/) ### Linux Gamers Are Finally Getting Their Own Browser URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/opera-gx-linux-announcement/ Last updated: 2026-01-20T13:14:05.000Z [Linux gaming](https://itsfoss.com/linux-gaming-guide/) has been going through a slow but sure buildup. Call me delulu, **but I think the platform could one day become the go-to** instead of the AI-ridden Windows. I say that so confidently because Linux's market share [has remained over 3% for 3 months in a row on Steam](https://itsfoss.com/linux-market-share/). And the news discussed below only strengthens my outlook on the situation. 🤓 ✋ ****Non-FOSS Warning!** The application mentioned here is not open source. It has been included in the context of Linux usage. ## Something for Linux Gamers > Is this a good time to announce that we are working on the Linux version of Opera GX? [https://t.co/mAE6nqoGiV](https://t.co/mAE6nqoGiV?ref=itsfoss.com) > > — Opera GX (@operagxofficial) [January 14, 2026](https://twitter.com/operagxofficial/status/2011527938714575239?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=itsfoss.com) Taking a dig at Microsoft's plans to shove Copilot into File Explorer, Opera [has announced](https://x.com/operagxofficial/status/2011527938714575239?ref=itsfoss.com) that they are working on a native Linux version of their gaming-focused [Opera GX](https://www.opera.com/gx?ref=itsfoss.com) web browser. On platforms like Windows and macOS, it offers interesting features such as [GX Control](https://www.opera.com/gx/features/gx-control?ref=itsfoss.com), which lets you set hard limits on how much CPU, RAM, and network bandwidth the browser can use. It also has integrated Discord and Twitch in the sidebar, a [music player](https://www.opera.com/features/music-player?ref=itsfoss.com) that connects to Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music, plus [GX Corner](https://www.opera.com/gx/features/gx-corner?ref=itsfoss.com) for timely updates on free game deals and release calendars. Plus, there's a lot of customization potential thanks to custom themes, keyboard sound effects, Razer Chroma RGB integration, and [community-made mods](https://www.opera.com/gx/features/mods?ref=itsfoss.com). ## What's in Store? *If I had to guess*, gamers on Linux should expect good compatibility with [GNOME](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-tricks-ubuntu/) and [KDE](https://itsfoss.com/best-kde-distributions/)\-based Linux distributions, especially the gaming-focused ones like [Nobara Linux](https://nobaraproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Bazzite](https://bazzite.gg/?ref=itsfoss.com). Browser-based notifications should work too, and Opera GX's battery saver feature will probably be useful for laptop users. **But, before you get all hyped up**, you should know that the Opera folks mention a [Q1 2026](https://x.com/operagxofficial/status/2011766687109161122?ref=itsfoss.com) release, but there's no date mentioned. I have reached out to Opera for more details and will update this article with additional information. --- **Suggested Reads 📖:** [*Linux Market Share Remains Above 3%*](https://itsfoss.com/linux-market-share/), [*Best Non-Violent Games Available on Steam for Linux Users*](https://itsfoss.com/non-violent-games-llinux/) [Linux Market Share Remains Above 3% for 3 Months in a Row \[January 2026 Report\]Curious to know the latest market share percentage for Linux desktop? You don’t have to do the research; we’ve done it for you. We update this report at the beginning of each month.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-224.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-desktop-market-share-1.jpg)](https://itsfoss.com/linux-market-share/) [Best Non-Violent Games Available on Steam for Linux UsersThis one is for the nonchalant Linux gamers in the house.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-223.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/best-non-violent-games-for-linux-2.png)](https://itsfoss.com/non-violent-games-llinux/) ### 12 Interesting ESP32 Microcontroller Projects Beginners Can Try URL: https://itsfoss.com/esp32-microcontroller-projects/ Last updated: 2026-07-09T05:32:21.000Z The [ESP32](https://www.espressif.com/en/products/socs/esp32?ref=itsfoss.com) microcontroller has become **a popular choice among tinkerers**. Released by Espressif Systems, this chip comes with WiFi, Bluetooth, multi-core processing, and enough GPIO pins to handle a variety of projects. Thanks to its versatility, it has found use with students building their first microcontroller project to engineers prototyping commercial products. The ecosystem surrounding ESP32 has grown too, including countless projects, tutorials, and community support across forums and GitHub repositories. The ESP32 projects scene continues to evolve. Here are a few chosen builds that show what's possible with this multipurpose microcontroller. ## A Quick Look | Project | Difficulty | Key Features | | -------------------------- | ------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Retro Weather Station | Beginner | e-paper Display, Battery Powered, OpenWeather API | | Ultrasonic Radar | Beginner | Real-time Visualization, Custom GUI | | Bluetooth-Controlled Robot | Beginner | Cardboard Build, Game Controller Support | | GPS Tracker | Intermediate | Geofencing, SMS alerts, WiFi-based | | Bed Occupancy Sensor | Intermediate | Home Assistant Integration, Sleep Tracking | | Dual-Screen E-Reader | Advanced | Two e-Paper Displays, Custom Firmware | | Mini Desktop Monitor | Intermediate | Wireless Screen Mirroring, 5-60 FPS | | Voice Recognition | Advanced | Offline ML, Edge Impulse Training | | LED Matrix Display | Intermediate | 64x32 RGB, MQTT, Web Interface | | 3D Printer Controller | Intermediate | Temperature Regulation, Servo Vent Control, Adaptive Cooldown | | Pomodoro Timer | Beginner | e-paper Display, Rotary Dial, USB-C | | EKOS Dashboard | Intermediate | 7.5" e-Paper Display, Modular Widgets, Local REST API, Home Assistant Integration | ## 1\. Retro Weather Station with e-Paper Display ![this is a picture of the esp32 e paper weather display sitting on a wooden desk](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/esp32-e-paper-weather-display.jpg) The [ESP32 E-Paper Weather Display](https://github.com/lmarzen/esp32-weather-epd?ref=itsfoss.com) is **a low-power weather station** that can run on battery for months. It uses a 7.5-inch e-paper screen to show current weather and a 5-day forecast from [OpenWeatherMap](https://openweathermap.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). A BME280 sensor tracks indoor temperature and humidity. The e-paper display draws very little power during updates, and combined with the ESP32's deep sleep mode, the USB-C charged 5000mAh battery can last 6–12 months with updates being fetched every 30 minutes. The build uses a [FireBeetle 2 ESP32-E](https://www.dfrobot.com/product-2195.html?ref=itsfoss.com) board and a [DESPI-C02](https://www.good-display.com/companyfile/DESPI-C02-Specification-29.html?ref=itsfoss.com) adapter to connect the display. You can pair it with several compatible e-paper panels, like black/white, red/black/white, or 7-color options. The GitHub repo linked below (*and above*) includes all the code and wiring diagrams. [Build Yours](https://github.com/lmarzen/esp32-weather-epd?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 2\. 180-Degree View Ultrasonic Radar The [ESP32 Ultrasonic Radar System](https://github.com/Nikhil-A-E/Esp-Ultrasonic-Radar?ref=itsfoss.com) is **a DIY radar** that scans surroundings and shows detected objects on your computer screen. An HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor is mounted on an SG90 servo motor that rotates 180 degrees to achieve the wide radar coverage. The ESP32 onboard sends distance and angle data over a serial port to a processing application that draws a radar display. You will need an ESP32 board, HC-SR04 sensor, SG90 servo motor, and the Processing IDE on your computer to get this up and running. The GitHub repository contains both the code for the ESP32 and the processing script for the visualization. [Build Yours](https://github.com/Nikhil-A-E/Esp-Ultrasonic-Radar?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 3\. A $25 Bluetooth-Controlled Robot This **wheeled robot** uses cardboard and hot glue for the chassis, with the total cost to build staying under $25\. It is called [DirtCheapRobot](https://github.com/paulemccabe1/DirtCheapRobot?ref=itsfoss.com) and uses an [ESP32-WROOM](https://documentation.espressif.com/esp32-wroom-32%5Fdatasheet%5Fen.pdf?ref=itsfoss.com) board that handles Bluetooth connections and motor control through a [DRV8833](https://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/drv8833.pdf?ref=itsfoss.com) driver. A mini USB battery bank powers it. The robot works with Bluetooth game controllers thanks to the included [Bluepad32](https://bluepad32.readthedocs.io/en/latest/?ref=itsfoss.com) support, and plays nice with hardware from PlayStation, Xbox, Switch Pro, and other generic providers. All components connect through a standard breadboard with jumper wires, so no soldering is needed. The GitHub repository includes the code, a complete bill of materials, the wiring schematic, and assembly instructions. [Build Yours](https://github.com/paulemccabe1/DirtCheapRobot?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 4\. GPS Tracker with Geofencing and SMS Alerts ![this picture shows the layout for circuit digest's esp32-based gps tracker](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/esp32-gps-tracker-geofencing.jpeg) **Source: Circuit Digest* Most GPS trackers rely on having an active cellular data plan and GSM hardware. This [WiFi-based alternative](https://circuitdigest.com/microcontroller-projects/gps-tracker-with-seeed-studio-xiao-esp32-s3-and-geofencing?ref=itsfoss.com) pairs a [XIAO ESP32-S3](https://www.seeedstudio.com/XIAO-ESP32S3-p-5627.html?ref=itsfoss.com) with a [NEO-6M](https://www.u-blox.com/en/product/neo-6-series?ref=itsfoss.com) GPS receiver, while location data is routed through the [GeoLinker](https://www.circuitdigest.cloud/geolinker-web-app?ref=itsfoss.com) cloud platform. Position updates transmit every 15 seconds over available WiFi networks. The system stores coordinates locally during connectivity gaps, uploading the backlog once network access returns. For geofencing, if the configured boundary threshold (*between 10-5000 meters*) is crossed, the device automatically starts sending SMS notifications containing GPS coordinates (*requires another service to work*). [Build Yours](https://circuitdigest.com/microcontroller-projects/gps-tracker-with-seeed-studio-xiao-esp32-s3-and-geofencing?ref=itsfoss.com) [Build a GPS Tracker with Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32-S3 and GeofencingCreate a Wi-Fi GPS tracker using Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32-S3 & Neo-6M module. Features geofencing, SMS alerts, offline storage. No SIM card needed. Free GeoLinker tracking!![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/logocd_fevicon.png)CircuitDigestVedhathiri![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/Built-Your-Own-GPS-Tracker-with-Geofence-Using-Xiao-ESP32-S3.jpg)](https://circuitdigest.com/microcontroller-projects/gps-tracker-with-seeed-studio-xiao-esp32-s3-and-geofencing?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 5\. Smart Bed Occupancy Sensor ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/esp32-smart-bed-occupancy-detection-1.jpg) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/esp32-smart-bed-occupancy-detection-2.jpg) This [ESP32-based bed sensor](https://www.jessekaufman.com/posts/2025/03/esp32-bed-occupancy-sensor/?ref=itsfoss.com) **uses two force-sensitive resistors placed under the mattress to monitor each side of the bed independently**, so the system knows not only if someone is occupying the bed but which side is being used. [Potentiometers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potentiometer?ref=itsfoss.com) are also integrated to allow for sensitivity adjustments to account for different weights and mattress types, and the resistors themselves are positioned diagonally to maximize coverage. The system integrates with [Home Assistant](https://www.home-assistant.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) and can be programmed to improve room occupancy detection by working alongside [PIR](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive%5Finfrared%5Fsensor?ref=itsfoss.com) and [mmWave](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mmwave%5Fsensing?ref=itsfoss.com) motion sensors. All the data from this setup can be stored on [Grafana](https://grafana.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). [Build Yours](https://www.jessekaufman.com/posts/2025/03/esp32-bed-occupancy-sensor/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 6\. Dual-Screen e-Reader That Folds Like a Book The [Diptyx](https://diptyx.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com) e-reader **puts two 648×480 e-paper displays side by side** in a fold-open housing. The [ESP32-S3](https://www.espressif.com/en/products/socs/esp32-s3?ref=itsfoss.com) drives both screens simultaneously, creating a book-like reading experience. The dual-screen layout should work well for going through books, research reports, and so on. Also, there's [no DRM involved](https://itsfoss.com/calibre-remove-drm-kindle/), so you can read books sourced from any digital bookstore, provided they are in the *EPUB* format. The project will be fully open source once the initial design is finalized, so you can keep an eye out on its official website and its [Crowdsupply](https://www.crowdsupply.com/diptyx/diptyx-e-reader?ref=itsfoss.com) page. [Build Yours](https://diptyx.dev/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 7\. A Small Desktop Monitor ![this picture shows a tiny desktop screen sat on a desk, with a keyboard, mouse, and hand visible](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/esp32-desktop-monitor.jpeg) **Source: Tucker Shannon via Hackster* The [ESP32 Desktop Monitor](https://github.com/tuckershannon/ESP32-Desktop-Monitor?ref=itsfoss.com) project **enables you to stream your computer screen to a tiny display over WiFi**. It uses a [TENSTAR T-Display ESP32-D0WD](https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806674575493.html?ref=itsfoss.com) with a 1.14-inch ST7789 LCD that displays at 135×240 pixels, turning an otherwise humble microcontroller into a pocket-sized secondary screen. The setup is shared [between a host application and the ESP32 board](https://www.hackster.io/news/an-esp32-monitor-for-your-desktop-computer-14ec3675949b?ref=itsfoss.com). The software consists of a host transmitter that captures your screen, encodes it, and sends it over WiFi to the ESP32 receiver to update the tiny display. [Build Yours](https://github.com/tuckershannon/ESP32-Desktop-Monitor?ref=itsfoss.com) [An ESP32 Monitor for Your Desktop ComputerTucker Shannon built a tiny, wireless 1.14-inch ESP32 monitor for a desktop computer.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-180x180-5a4a283879ef723a17bc4568ee382e40e1dc5cd9002ed04cfb3a12e1664458c3-5.png)Hackster.ioNick Bild![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/_3T1u58ywJf.blob)](https://www.hackster.io/news/an-esp32-monitor-for-your-desktop-computer-14ec3675949b?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 8\. Offline Voice Recognition with Edge Impulse ![this picture is showcasing the esp32 microcontroller project for voice recognition using edge impulse against a white background, you can see the breadbord and the attached doodads on there](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/esp32-voice-control-edge-impulse.jpeg) This project by [Circuit Digest](https://circuitdigest.com/microcontrollers-projects/esp32-offline-voice-recognition-using-edge-impulse?ref=itsfoss.com) turns an ESP32 microcontroller into **a simple offline voice recognition system** using machine learning from **Edge Impulse**. Instead of relying on cloud speech services, you train a small model on your computer and deploy it directly to the ESP32, so the board can recognize spoken commands without an internet connection. At the heart of the build is an ESP32 development board paired with an INMP441 MEMS microphone. You collect audio samples, upload them to Edge Impulse, label them (*for example, "on," "off"*), and train a neural network. Once trained, you export the model as an Arduino library, include it in your ESP32 sketch, and compile it for on-device inference. [Build Yours](https://circuitdigest.com/microcontrollers-projects/esp32-offline-voice-recognition-using-edge-impulse?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 9\. RGB LED Matrix Display ![the esp32 dma led display is shown here in all its glory](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/esp32-rgb-led-matrix-display-1.jpg) The [ESP32 HUB75 Matrix Panel DMA](https://github.com/mrcodetastic/ESP32-HUB75-MatrixPanel-DMA?ref=itsfoss.com) is a library that lets you drive RGB LED matrix panels with an ESP32 using its **DMA hardware for high refresh rates**. It supports common [HUB75](https://docs.cirkitdesigner.com/component/885af448-2bdb-49bc-ae1b-0e781522c801/hub75?ref=itsfoss.com) panels (*like 64×32 and 64×64*) and works with original ESP32, ESP32-S2, and ESP32-S3 boards. [In the build featured here](https://www.xda-developers.com/built-beautiful-led-matrix-display-esp32/?ref=itsfoss.com), the ESP32 pulls data from Home Assistant, while the DMA library handles driving the display. It uses a Waveshare panel and relies on the ESP32’s DMA capabilities to refresh the display efficiently without overwhelming the CPU. [Build Yours](https://github.com/mrcodetastic/ESP32-HUB75-MatrixPanel-DMA?ref=itsfoss.com) [I built this beautiful LED matrix display with an ESP32 for $30It looks great, and I was able to pull data from Home Assistant with it.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/favicon-240x240.png)XDAAdam Conway![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/rgb-led-matrix-panel-rpi-esp32-5.jpg)](https://www.xda-developers.com/built-beautiful-led-matrix-display-esp32/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 10\. 3D Printer Enclosure Controller [Chamber Master](https://github.com/jayanttyson/Chamber-Master?ref=itsfoss.com) is an open source ESP32-based controller for 3D printer enclosures that helps regulate chamber conditions like temperature and airflow for better print quality. The ESP32 monitors temperatures inside the enclosure, at the air intake, and in the room using sensors such as [DS18B20](https://www.adafruit.com/product/381?ref=itsfoss.com) and a [DHT11](https://www.mouser.com/datasheet/2/758/DHT11-Technical-Data-Sheet-Translated-Version-1143054.pdf?ref=itsfoss.com) or [DHT22](https://www.seeedstudio.com/Grove-Temperature-Humidity-Sensor-Pro-AM2302-DHT22.html?ref=itsfoss.com), and it provides a simple interface on an OLED display with a rotary dial for selecting presets or custom targets. A built-in web dashboard lets you monitor real-time sensor data, fan status, and vent position. [Build Yours](https://github.com/jayanttyson/Chamber-Master?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 11\. e-Paper Pomodoro Timer ![the esp32 e-paper pomodoro timer is pictured here sitting on a wooden desk, a black wire is connected to it, and there is an indoor plant out of focus behind](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/esp32-pomodoro-timer.jpg) This ESP32 project is **a standalone Pomodoro timer** built around an e-paper display and a rotary dial for input. An ESP32 NodeMCU drives a 4.26-inch Waveshare e-ink panel, with the dial used to set work and break times. A small RGB LED signals when a session ends. The timer runs locally on the ESP32 and only refreshes the e-paper display when the time changes, keeping power use low. All interaction is done with physical controls, so there’s no phone app or web interface to worry about. You will find the necessary code and enclosure files on [GitHub](https://github.com/Rukenshia/pomodoro?ref=itsfoss.com). [Build Yours](https://github.com/Rukenshia/pomodoro?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 12\. Open Source e-Paper Dashboard ![this graphics illustration shows an ekos epaper dashboard device sitting on a desk](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/06/ekos-esp32-dashboard.png) Most ESP32 display projects do one thing. [EKOS](https://ekosboard.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) does whatever you configure it to do. It is **a programmable dashboard platform** running a modular widget system on an ESP32-S3, with a fully documented local REST API that lets you push data, trigger automations, or integrate it into [Home Assistant](https://www.home-assistant.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [ESPHome](https://esphome.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) without touching a cloud service. The widget catalog covers clocks, weather, calendars, stock and commodity tracking, task lists, and focus timers, with [LVGL](https://lvgl.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) handling the rendering on a 7.5-inch e-paper display. A built-in BME280 adds on-device temperature, humidity, and pressure readings. The hardware files are open under *CERN-OHL-S-2.0* and the firmware under *GPL-3.0*, so you can build your own enclosure rather than replicating the reference oak-and-aluminum design. If building from scratch isn't on the table, the project is currently live on [Kickstarter](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ekosboard/ekos-programmable-open-source-epaper-hub-in-solid-oak?ref=itsfoss.com), though the usual crowdfunding caveats apply. [Build Yours](https://github.com/ekosboard?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Pomodoro With Super Powers*](https://itsfoss.com/koncentro-app/) [Pomodoro With Super Powers: This Linux App Will Boost Your ProductivityPomodoro combined with task management and website blocking. This is an excellent tool for productivity seekers but there are some quirks worth noticing.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-222.png)It's FOSSRoland Taylor![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/koncentro-app-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/koncentro-app/) ### Android Power Users Can Now Run Full Desktop Linux Environments Without Root Access URL: https://itsfoss.com/local-desktop/ Last updated: 2026-01-16T13:08:48.000Z Running Linux-based operating systems on smartphones has come a long way. We now have [several Linux-powered smartphones](https://itsfoss.com/linux-phones/) on the market that cater to different use cases. Some pack in flagship-level performance, while others try to be a value-for-money proposition. Sadly, these devices are out of reach for most people around the world due to excessive taxation from their countries and shipping charges. Of course, many do have an older spare Android smartphone laying around. Why not make good use of it? In this article, we will be taking a look at a very cool project that turns an Android smartphone into a Linux machine with a simple APK file and no root access. ## Local Desktop: Easily Run Linux Desktop ![a screenshot of local desktop running on an android smartphone, the desktop environment here is lxqt](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/local-desktop-lxqt-1.jpg) [Local Desktop](https://localdesktop.github.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) is an open source app that brings **a complete Linux ARM64 environment to your Android device**. The project is being led by [Mister Teddy](https://github.com/mister-teddy?ref=itsfoss.com), who has **built it on Rust** and has been pushing out updates regularly. As for what it offers, well, for starters, you can install [different desktop environments](https://localdesktop.github.io/docs/user/custom-de/?ref=itsfoss.com) on this, with the app currently shipping with [LXQt](https://lxqt-project.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) as the default. But you should be able to set up KDE Plasma, GNOME, or any other desktop environment that works on Arch Linux. By default, **Local Desktop logs you in as the root user** for a simpler setup process. However, you can [create non-root users](https://localdesktop.github.io/docs/user/creating-a-non-root-user/?ref=itsfoss.com) if you need to. This is particularly important for certain applications. The documentation for the app reads that Chrome and Electron-based apps like VS Code run better or are more securely without root access, and AUR helpers like [Paru](https://itsfoss.com/paru-aur-helper/) or [Yay](https://itsfoss.com/install-yay-arch-linux/) actually require a non-root user and will refuse to work as root. Moreover, if you want to install new software, then it's easy since **Local Desktop is based on Arch Linux**. *I forgot to mention that earlier.* 😅 You can install applications from the official Arch repositories [using pacman](https://itsfoss.com/pacman-command/), and should you need, you can also install new ones from the [Arch User Repository](https://itsfoss.com/aur-arch-linux/) (AUR). Though, **keep in mind that not every app might run**, and the developer's testing is limited to a few popular ones. ## Few Things to Keep in Mind When I had tested it, **the installation progress was stuck at 33% for a few hours**, with new components being downloaded and installed during that. This could either be due to my device being slow, my ISP's routing being bad, or the download mirrors having a slow day. Once it was done, I understood why [the documentation](https://localdesktop.github.io/docs/user/getting-started/?ref=itsfoss.com) for Local Desktop recommended using a physical keyboard. There's an on-screen keyboard that can be enabled via the *Applications* menu, but having a real one at your fingertips should be much more convenient. Also, **I recommend you install Local Desktop on a tablet or a smartphone with a big screen**, as the interface has many things to show. You will end up touching the wrong pixels for certain options if your screen size is too small. Desktop Linux is mostly neglected by the industry but loved by the community. For the past 13 years, It's FOSS has been helping people use Linux on their personal computers. And we are now facing the existential threat from AI models stealing our content. If you like what we do and would love to support our work, please become It's FOSS Plus member. It costs $49 a year (less than the cost of a McDonald's burger a month), and you get 5 ebooks, an ad-free reading experience and the satisfaction of helping the desktop Linux community. [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Looking for Linux Phones? Here are Your Options*](https://itsfoss.com/linux-phones/) [Looking for Linux Phones? Here are Your OptionsLinux phones could be the future to replace Android or iOS, but what are some of your options to give it a try?![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-225.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-phones-ft.png)](https://itsfoss.com/linux-phones/) ### After Rejecting US Government's Aid Over DEI, Python Software Foundation Accepts $1.5 Million in Funding from Claude AI URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/anthropic-funding-to-python/ Last updated: 2026-01-19T05:40:21.000Z These past few years, we have seen [Python](https://www.python.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) become the backbone of modern AI development. Most machine learning frameworks, including [TensorFlow](https://www.tensorflow.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [PyTorch](https://pytorch.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), rely heavily on Python. The language's accessible nature and extensive library ecosystem have made it the default choice for data scientists and AI researchers worldwide. Now, the stewards of this programming language, the [Python Software Foundation](https://www.python.org/psf-landing/?ref=itsfoss.com), have announced that [Anthropic](https://www.anthropic.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), the company behind *Claude*, [will invest $1.5 million in the foundation](https://pyfound.blogspot.com/2025/12/anthropic-invests-in-python.html?ref=itsfoss.com) over the next two years. ## Python Software Foundation has rejected the same funding from the US government Last year, the Python Software Foundation (PSF) [turned down a $1.5 million government grant](https://pyfound.blogspot.com/2025/10/NSF-funding-statement.html?ref=itsfoss.com) from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The main bone of contention was the provision that if the PSF was found to have violated the [anti-DEI](https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/03/trump%5Fadmin%5Fscrubs%5Fdei%5Fwebsites/?ref=itsfoss.com) diktat set by the US government, the NSF reserved the right to take back any previously disbursed funds. Loren Crary of PSF wrote: > "These terms included affirming the statement that we 'do not, and will not during the term of this financial assistance award, operate any programs that advance or promote DEI \[diversity, equity, and inclusion\], or discriminatory equity ideology in violation of Federal anti-discrimination laws,'" ## Anthropic, parent company of Claude AI, steps in The main objective of this staggered funding is to ensure better security across the Python ecosystem, with a primary focus on protecting the [Python Package Index](https://pypi.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) (PyPI) from supply chain attacks. If you were not familiar with it, PyPI hosts hundreds of thousands of packages and serves millions of developers globally, but is sadly [prone to the influx of malicious open source packages](https://itsfoss.com/news/malicious-packages-npm-and-pypi/). With this influx of cash, the Python team is looking to create **new tools for automated review of any packages uploaded to the platform**, moving away from their current approach of reacting only when issues are found. To accomplish that, **they will build a new dataset cataloging known malware**. This dataset will help them design detection tools that can identify suspicious patterns and behaviors automatically. The PSF notes that their approach here could benefit other open source package repositories too. 📋 Other popular package repos include names like [npm](https://www.npmjs.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), [Crates.io](https://crates.io/?ref=itsfoss.com), and [Maven Central](https://central.sonatype.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). The $1.5 million won't just go toward security work. It will also help the PSF maintain day-to-day operations like running PyPI, supporting the [Developers in Residence](https://www.python.org/psf/developersinresidence/?ref=itsfoss.com) program for [CPython](https://github.com/python/cpython?ref=itsfoss.com) contributions, and funding community initiatives through grants. ## Conclusion I think making a donation such as this makes sense for an organization like Anthropic. We already know many of these so-called "*high-volume*" users [don't really look back](https://itsfoss.com/news/open-source-infrastructure-is-breaking-down/) after they are done making use of the infrastructure. They usually extract value from open source projects without contributing back in meaningful ways. Anthropic taking the effort shows that **at least they care enough to put away some money** to ensure the wellbeing of such a critical piece of IT infrastructure. And given how their systems depend on Python, this investment looks as much about protecting their own operations as it is about supporting the community. Support independent Linux journalism! If you think we are doing a good job at helping people use Linux on their personal computers, support us by opting for Plus membership. Here's what you get with It's FOSS Plus membership: ✅ 5 Free eBooks on Linux, Docker and Bash ✅ Ad-free reading experience ✅ Badges in the comment section and forum ✅ Support creation of educational Linux materials [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Open Source Infrastructure is Breaking Down Due to Corporate Freeloading*](https://itsfoss.com/news/open-source-infrastructure-is-breaking-down/) [Open Source Infrastructure is Breaking Down Due to Corporate FreeloadingAn unprecedented threat looms over open source.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-221.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/openssf-letter-to-big-corporations-4.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/open-source-infrastructure-is-breaking-down/) ### You Can Now Use ONLYOFFICE on Raspberry Pi-Like ARM Devices URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/onlyoffice-desktop-editors-arm-support/ Last updated: 2026-01-15T11:13:07.000Z ONLYOFFICE [has released native ARM64 builds](https://www.onlyoffice.com/blog/2026/01/onlyoffice-desktop-editors-available-for-linux-arm?ref=itsfoss.com) of its *Desktop Editors* for Linux. People running Ubuntu, Fedora, OpenSUSE, Arch Linux, and other distributions on ARM hardware can now install the office suite without needing to jump through hoops or settling for a proprietary web-based office suite. If you have never used the desktop editors for ONLYOFFICE, then let me guide you through what it does well. ![a screenshot of onlyoffice desktop editors 9.2 running on a fedora workstation system](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/onlyoffice-desktop-editors-on-fedora-workstation.png) **ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors (not on ARM ☠️).* **The suite is free and open source**. It includes editors for text documents, spreadsheets, presentations, PDFs, and forms, with format support covering *ODT*, *ODP*, *ODG*, *DOCX*, *XLSX*, *PPTX*, *CSV*, and *PDF*. And, unlike some greedy office suites on the market, everything works offline without needing an internet connection, and **there's no pre-installed AI doodads**. Of course, if you want it in your workflow, then [you can easily add it](https://itsfoss.com/news/onlyoffice-docs-9-2-release/#:~:text=Grammar%20and%20spelling%20checks%20get%20an%20AI%20upgrade%20through%20the%20ONLYOFFICE%20AI%20plugin.%20With%20the%20plugin%20set%20up%2C%20you%20can%20trigger%20the%20feature%20from%20the%20AI%20tab%20in%20the%20toolbar%20or%20via%20the%20right%2Dclick%20context%20menu.). Pointing out **ARM processors' better energy efficiency**, the ONLYOFFICE folks explained why they did this. ARM-based Linux devices are becoming more common, and they offer longer battery life, silent hardware designs, and fast wake-up times. **In their words** 👇 > With the growing adoption of ARM-based Linux devices, users can now install ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors natively and enjoy stable performance, full functionality, and offline document editing. ## Get ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors for ARM There are easy-to-install packages for **Debian**, **Ubuntu**, **Fedora**, **OpenSUSE**, **Arch Linux**, and other distributions available on the [official website](https://www.onlyoffice.com/download-desktop?ref=itsfoss.com). Be sure to download the `ARM64` packages, and don't be shy away from going through the linked installation instructions if you find yourself lost. If the above doesn't cut it for you, then the [GitHub releases page](https://github.com/ONLYOFFICE/DesktopEditors/releases?ref=itsfoss.com) for the project contains additional binaries and the source code for the desktop editors themselves. [ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors](https://www.onlyoffice.com/desktop?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*6 Best Open Source Alternatives to Microsoft Office for Linux*](https://itsfoss.com/best-free-open-source-alternatives-microsoft-office/) [6 Best Open Source Alternatives to Microsoft Office for LinuxLooking for Microsoft Office on Linux? Here are the best free and open-source alternatives to Microsoft Office for Linux.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-220.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/best-open-source-alternatives-ms-office-1.jpg)](https://itsfoss.com/best-free-open-source-alternatives-microsoft-office/) ### FOSS Weekly #26.03: Torvalds Using AI, Dash to Dock, Linux Kernel Bugs, Pacman's Rust Replacement and More URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-03/ Last updated: 2026-01-15T06:12:21.000Z There are two kinds of people today; those who see AI as a threat to craftsmanship, and those who see it as a tool to get work done faster. The debate is loud, ideological, often emotional, and certainly inconclusive. The coding world is seeing a paradigm shift as AI is steadily slipping into the development workflow, not by force, but by usefulness. It writes boilerplate, spots bugs, suggests patterns, and frees human minds for harder problems. And this is not only for Gen Z, even the aging developers have started embracing it. The latest example being Linus Torvalds, who worked on a [fun side project during the holidays and took help of AI for the Python-based visualizer](https://itsfoss.com/news/linus-torvalds-vibe-coding/). [Even Linux Creator Linus Torvalds is Using AI to Code in 2026Linus Torvalds is working on a new side project and he is not hesitating to take the help of AI.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-219.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/new-year-resolution-linux-users-1-1.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/news/linus-torvalds-vibe-coding/) **Here's the highlight of this edition of FOSS Weekly:** - Pacman's Rust counterpart in works. - Dash to Dock tweaking guide. - Multiple live distros on one USB. - FOSS Android app of the month. - And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes! ## 📰 Linux and Open Source News Here's a summary of the news this week. Fedora 44 is [on track to ship KDE's new Plasma Login Manager](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-44-plasma-login-manager/). While it is still in the experimental stage, the on-ground progress appears to be good enough for the FESCo to vote in favor of it. A recent research report shows that [Linux kernel bugs hide for 2+ years on average](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-bugs-arent-found-for-years/). This was led by a researcher at Pebblebed who analyzed 125,183 bugs from 20 years of Linux kernel development history (*on Git*). Just a reminder that bugs do not necessarily mean vulnerabilities. The [European Union seems to be testing the open source waters](https://itsfoss.com/news/eu-open-source-strategy-call-2026/) with their latest call for evidence. They are pitching for a measured approach to open source, covering fields like cloud computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, open hardware, internet technologies, and industrial applications. There are whispers that [the ALPM project could one day replace Pacman](https://itsfoss.com/news/pacman-rust-treatment/), but nothing is set in stone as of now. The developers recently published a year-end report that got people talking. [auto-cpufreq 3.0](https://itsfoss.com/news/auto-cpufreq-3-0/) is a packed release that has arrived with better battery handling, CPU turbo control, support for battery charging thresholds for ASUS laptops, and several bug fixes. Microsoft [has open-sourced its visual development tool](https://itsfoss.com/news/microsoft-open-sources-xaml-studio/) for building Windows application interfaces. But that's not all; there is a 2.0 release planned that will be delivering a complete interface overhaul. ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About Fedora could really use [a better way to install GNOME Shell Extensions](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-gnome-extension-manager-proposal/). I have said that in the past, but this time, the proposal came from a Fedora developer. [Hey Fedora! Listen to This Developer and Make Managing Shell Extensions Better For All of UsI wonder if Extension Manager could make it into Fedora one day.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-218.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/fedora-shell-extensions-can-be-better.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-gnome-extension-manager-proposal/) Why should you opt for It's FOSS Plus membership: ✅ 5 FREE eBooks on Linux, Docker and Bash ✅ Ad-free reading experience ✅ Badges in the comment section and forum ✅ Supporting creation of educational Linux materials [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings Dash to Dock is one of the most downloaded GNOME extensions out there. [Explore what kind of tweaks](https://itsfoss.com/dash-to-dock-tips/) you can achieve with it. Seeing that there is [a new ArchBang Linux release](https://archbang.org/2026/01/10/a-new-release-image-and-another-app-launcher/?ref=itsfoss.com), why not [distrohop](https://itsfoss.com/distrohopping-issues/) and try it out [by installing it](https://itsfoss.com/install-archbang/)? [Window tiling is looking big in 2026](https://itsfoss.com/rise-of-window-tiling/), and we are all for it. Learn [to pretty print a JSON file in the Linux terminal](https://itsfoss.com/pretty-print-json-linux/). This can be useful for quickly going through minified JSON files. By the way, did you know that you can do some level of [PDF editing with LibreOffice](https://itsfoss.com/edit-pdf-files-ubuntu-linux/)? I know, most people are not aware of it. ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner Amazon Kindle is soo 2025, [why not build your own eBook reader](https://itsfoss.com/open-source-ebook-readers-options/)? [Looking for Open Source Kindle Alternatives? Build it YourselfThere are no easy options. You have to take the matter in your hand, quite literally.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-213.png)It's FOSSPulkit Chandak![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/open-source-ebook-readers-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/open-source-ebook-readers-options/) You can [use Ollama on Ubuntu](https://itsfoss.com/ollama-setup-linux/) to run AI locally on Ubuntu. ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights [StoryPad](https://itsfoss.com/storypad-open-source-diary-app/) can be your wingman through daily life. Check it out, you won't be disappointed! [The Open Source Diary App for Android That Organizes Your Life on a TimelineA well-designed diary app that keeps your data private, works offline, and respects your freedom.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-214.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/storypad-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/storypad-open-source-diary-app/) ## 📽️ Videos for You Ventoy is an amazing tool. Saves the trouble of formatting the USB just for the sake of putting another distro on it. Learn how you can have [multiple distros on one live USB in this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=%5FFdeiz9c%5FKQ&t=1s&ref=itsfoss.com). [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip In Linux file managers like [Dolphin](https://itsfoss.com/dolphin-tweaks/) and [Nautilus](https://itsfoss.com/nautilus-tips-tweaks/), you can hold the `Control` key and drag a file to another folder to copy it. I know this is extremely basic but you'll be surprised that many people don't know about it. 0:00 /0:17 1× [](https://t43217012.p.clickup-attachments.com/t43217012/da09f1e7-b651-4c93-b93b-141e46671d4b/copy-link-to-highlight-firefox.png?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse Can you guess [all these essential Ubuntu shortcuts](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/ubuntu-shortcuts-puzzle/)? The reward for that is the dopamine hit you will get after you beat this puzzle. [Essential Ubuntu Shortcuts: PuzzleDo you know all the handy Ubuntu shortcuts? Solve this puzzle to find out!![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-216.png)It's FOSSAnkush Das![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/ubuntu-shortcuts-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/ubuntu-shortcuts-puzzle/) **🤣 Meme of the Week**: It feels like I entered some dystopian timeline. ![using windows 11 after using linux for years meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/meme10-2.png) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On January 15, 1986, the [National Science Foundation](https://www.nsf.gov/?ref=itsfoss.com) opened the [National Center for Supercomputer Applications](https://www.ncsa.illinois.edu/?ref=itsfoss.com) (NCSA) at the University of Illinois, creating a groundbreaking hub for high-performance computing research that would later gain widespread recognition as the birthplace of the [Mosaic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NCSA%5FMosaic?ref=itsfoss.com) web browser, which helped popularize the World Wide Web. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: There's [a discussion going on over Zena OS](https://itsfoss.community/t/zena-os-anyone-heard-about-it-tried-it/15333?ref=itsfoss.com). Do you have any insights to add? ![Simplified login process](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/member-login-itsfoss-1.webp) Logging in is now easier I have simplified the login process for members. Just click the clearly labeled 'log in' button. That's it. Enjoy It's FOSS. ### Linux Mint 22.3 "Zena" is Officially Available Now! Introduces Two New Apps URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-mint-22-3-release/ Last updated: 2026-01-15T05:25:00.000Z A few months ago, [Linux Mint 22.2 "Zara"](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-mint-22-2-release/) was introduced with many useful changes, like Linux kernel 6.14, support for accent colors on XDG Desktop Portal XApp, blur effects on the login screen, and an improved Software Manager. The next release in line, **Linux Mint 22.3 "Zena"**, [has now arrived](https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=4981&ref=itsfoss.com) as a point release, with interesting refinements to the Cinnamon desktop alongside new tools for system management. ## Linux Mint 22.3 "Zena": What Makes it Clean? ![this screenshot shows a desktop view of linux mint 22.3 "zena" with the fastfetch output shown inside a terminal window](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/12/linux-mint-22-3-fastfetch-output.png) **The* [**Fastfetch*](https://itsfoss.com/fine-control-fastfetch/) *output for Linux Mint 22.3 "Zena."* Linux Mint 22.3 ships with **Cinnamon 6.6**, which brings some significant desktop-focused changes. The **application menu has received a complete redesign** with a new sidebar layout. Your avatar, favorite apps, and frequently used places now live in the sidebar for quick access. Categories were made simpler with a focus on listing the applications themselves. Special directories like *Documents* and *Downloads* are separated from regular bookmarks, making them easier to spot. ![the new menu customization options on linux mint 22.3 "zena"](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/linux-mint-22-3-menu-customization.png) Plus, **the menu is now more customizable**. You can position the search bar at the top or bottom, place system buttons in the sidebar or next to the search, and switch between *symbolic* and *full-color* category icons. Keyboard handling got a major upgrade with better keyboard layouts and input method support. The keyboard now shows both the traditional XKB layout and the IBus input method for better language input handling. ![the new file template improvement on linux mint 22.3 "zena"](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/linux-mint-22-3-nemo-file-templates.png) **The Nemo file manager also sees several practical improvements**. A template manager now shows handy file templates for the '*Create New Document*' menu. File operations can be paused and resumed, search accuracy has been improved, and thumbnail support was updated. There are a few other changes that I have talked about in [the dedicated Cinnamon 6.6 release coverage](https://itsfoss.com/news/cinnamon-6-6/). [Cinnamon 6.6 Release Sets the Tone for the Next Linux Mint ReleaseThe update also introduces notification badges and theme categorization.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-145.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/cinnamon-6-6-release-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/cinnamon-6-6/) On the tools front, two new additions are offered. The first is the **System Administration** tool that handles boot menu configuration with admin privileges. You can show or hide the boot menu, adjust timeout values, and add boot parameters without editing GRUB files. ![the new system information tool on linux mint 22.3 "zena"](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/linux-mint-22-3-system-information-tool.png) The second is the **System Information** tool, formerly called *System Reports*. It has gained four new diagnostic pages for USB devices, GPU details, PCI components, and BIOS information. This makes hardware troubleshooting much easier by showing device IDs, driver information, and connection details in a single portal. ## Is it Worth Installing? Testing Linux Mint 22.3 on bare metal showed this release is worthy of the [long-term support](https://itsfoss.com/long-term-support-lts/) status (*supported until April 2029*). From the first boot after installation, **the system felt snappy with no lags or interface glitches**. The System Information tool worked as advertised. The newly-added pages displayed hardware details accurately. Plus, System Reports suggested actions that could be reviewed or ignored. Since my system hadn't crashed, the Crash Reports page was empty, but this will be useful when the system does crash. Customizing the app menu came naturally. The tweaking options were generous without feeling overwhelming. The **new Night Light applet** worked well too, and I could schedule it to always turn on automatically at system boot. ## Get Linux Mint 22.3 "Zena" You can get this release in three distinct editions, **Cinnamon**, **MATE**, and **Xfce**. Installer images for all of these can be found on the [official website](https://www.linuxmint.com/download.php?ref=itsfoss.com). [Linux Mint 22.3 "Zena"](https://www.linuxmint.com/download.php?ref=itsfoss.com) **If you are an existing user** of the older Linux Mint 22.2 "Zara" release, then you can launch the "*Update Manager*," and look for the "*Edit*" menu. Here, you should be shown a `Upgrade to "Linux Mint 22.3 Zena"` option; click on it. ![this picture shows the option to upgrade to linux mint 22.3 "zena" in the update manager](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/shadow_mintupgrade1.png) Review every page shown in the upgrade tool, then agree to the disclaimer in the second-to-last page. ![the linux mint 22.3 "zena" upgrade details being shown in the update manager](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/shadow_mintupgrade2.png) Depending on your internet connection and storage speed, the upgrader will update your system with the necessary packages. Reboot your computer at the end of it to apply the release upgrade. Support independent Linux journalism! If you think we are doing a good job at helping people use Linux on their personal computers, support us by opting for Plus membership. Here's what you get with It's FOSS Plus membership: ✅ 5 Free eBooks on Linux, Docker and Bash ✅ Ad-free reading experience ✅ Badges in the comment section and forum ✅ Support creation of educational Linux materials [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) ### Exploring Dash to Dock: (Probably) The Most Downloaded GNOME Extension URL: https://itsfoss.com/dash-to-dock-tips/ Last updated: 2026-01-13T16:00:09.000Z Do you know which is the most popular GNOME extension out there? I don't know for sure, but if I have to make a guess, I would say Dash to Dock is a good candidate for that title. Why do I say that? Because at the time of writing this article, this extension has more than ten million downloads. ## What is Dash to Dock? In the clean GNOME layout, you don't see any quick launcher. It's just the wallpaper. You press the Super key (Windows key), a launcher appears at the side or on the bottom. This launcher is called Dash in GNOME. The Dash to Dock extension takes the "dash" from GNOME Activities Overview and "docks" it to make it visible on the desktop all the time. ![dash to dock extension in action](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/dash-to-dock-1.png) Dash to Dock You can guess the popularity of this extension from the fact that even Ubuntu uses a customized version of Dash to Dock for its launcher. ![Screenshot of Ubuntu launcher](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-23.png) Ubuntu Launcher is also based on Dash to Dock extension I have written a [detailed tutorial on customizing the Ubuntu launcher](https://itsfoss.com/customize-ubuntu-dock/) in the past. I thought of doing the same with Dash to Dock. Behold this tutorial. ## Installing Dash to Dock 🚧 Please [check which desktop environment you are using](https://itsfoss.com/find-desktop-environment/). It has to be GNOME. You can install it using the GNOME Shell Extension Manager application. For that, you need to install it first. Please use your distribution's package manager to install it. For Debian/Ubuntu users, use: ``` sudo apt install gnome-shell-extension-manager ``` ![A screenshot showing the installation page of Dash to Dock extension in GNOME Shell Extension Manager application.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/dash-to-dock-install-page-in-extension-manager.png) Dash to Dock in Extension Manager You can also use the classic method of installing an extension from the GNOME Extensions official website. But you need to [install GNOME extension support](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-shell-extensions/) first. [Dash to Dock in GNOME Extensions Website](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/307/dash-to-dock/?ref=itsfoss.com) ![A screenshot of Dash to Dock extension in GNOME Extensions web page, where you can install it using the Install button.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/install-dash-to-dock-from-gnome-extensions-page.png) Dash to Dock in GNOME Extensions official website Once you have installed Dash to Dock, it will be activated immediately. ![Dash to Dock extension has created a Dock of applications in the bottom section of the GNOME desktop.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/dash-to-dock-in-gnome.png) Dash to Dock ## Exploring Dash to Dock features Now let me show a few examples of how you can tweak this most downloaded GNOME extension. Since these changes are available from the settings, you need to know how to access that first. ### Accessing Dash to Dock Settings **To access settings of Dash to Dock,** right-click on the application menu button and click Settings. ![Open settings of Dash to Dock by right-clicking on the application menu button in Dash to Dock extension in GNOME desktop.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/open-settings-of-dash-to-dock.png) Access settings ### Access panel items using keyboard shortcuts In the Settings, go to **Behaviour -> Use keyboard shortcuts to activate apps** settings and enable it if it is not already enabled. ![Dock app access settings in the behavior section of Dash to Dock settings.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/dock-app-access.png) Access app from Dock Now, you can use the Super + (0-9) keys to access the items in the dock. 0:00 /0:14 1× Using the super key and number to launch an app of a position in the dock. ### Set Ubuntu like dock If you are using vanilla GNOME on Fedora, Debian or some other distro, you can change the appearance of Dash to Dock and make it look like the launcher in Ubuntu. Change the position to left using the **Position and Size -> Position on screen -> Left**. ![Change the dock position.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/change-the-dock-position.png) Dock position Check **Panel extend to edge** option. This will make the dock extend for the entire screen. ![Panel extend to edge option in the settings.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/panel-extend-to-edge.png) Panel mode It would be wise to reduce icon size. In the same **Position and Size** setting tab, scroll down to access the icon size settings: ![Reduce icon size by adjusting the icon size bar in position and size setting section.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/reduce-icon-size.png) Reduce icon size In the **Appearance** section, toggle on the **Shrink the dash** option. ![Shrink the dash in Dash to Dock appearance settings.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/shrink-the-dash-dock.png) Shrink the dash Here's what it looks like now: ![Ubuntu like dock using Dash to Dock extension.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/ubuntu-like-dock.png) Ubuntu like dock ### Preview scale You can also experiment with the window preview. Make it bigger so that it is easier to see what's going on in an application window. In the **Position and size** section, scroll to the bottom adjust the window preview size to make the window preview smaller or larger. ![Preview scale in Dash to Dock Position and size settings section.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/preview-scale.png) Preview Scale Settings ### Click to minimize (my favorite) In the **Behavior** tab in Settings, click on the drop-down list in the **Click Actions** segment and set it to **Focus Minimize or app spread**. ![On the behviour tab of extension settings, set the Click Actions option value to Focus, minimize, or app spread.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/click-action.png) Focus, Minimize, or App Spread **T**his will have the following behavior: - Clicking on the icon of an unfocused application window will bring it to focus. - Clicking on the icon of an application window in focus will minimize it (given only one window of that app is opened). - If there are more than one window of an app open, clicking on the icon of the app on the dock will enable the app spread, an overview screen where only the windows of the current app are present. See it in action in the demo video below: 0:00 /0:12 1× A recording showing the working of the click action. ### More click settings Click on the settings gear button adjacent to **Click Actions.** ![Click on the settings gear adjacent to the Click Actions option in the Behavior tab of extension settings.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/settings-gear-of-click-action.png) Click Actions Settings In the new dialog box, set what you like. In the example, I have set: - **Shift Click:** Show window preview. - **Middle Click:** Launch New Instance - **Shift Middle Click:** Quit the whole app. ![Set additional click actions from the settings dialog box.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/set-additional-click-actions.png) Additional Click Actions 💡 There is an option to switch workspace through scrolling the dock. But it seems less useful as you can just press the super key and scroll anywhere in GNOME desktop to switch workspaces. Also, the ****Super Tab** is the most efficient way to switch applications. ### Control the dock color and opacity 📋 In most cases you don't need to change the background color, since the default Dark is pretty good with an added opacity. I prefer setting background color for the dock. A dark color is more logical as it forms a better view with most of the wallpapers. In the Appearance tab, enable the **Customize dash color** toggle button and select a color of your choice. ![In the Apperance tab, enable the Customize dash color toggle and set a background color of your choice.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/dock-color-change.png) Dock color change To set the opacity, first change the **Customize opacity** option to **Dynamic**. Then, click on the adjacent settings gear. ![Set the Customize opacity value to dynamic and click on the adjacent settings gear.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/set-opacity-to-dynamic.png) Set opacity to dynamic Enable the **Customize minimum and maximum opacity values** option and then set minimum and maximum opacity values as needed. ![Customize the opacity values using the minimum and maximum opacity values.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/customize-opacity-values.png) Customize opacity values 💡 Setting the minimum opacity value to 0% will make the Dash background transparent when it is not near any window. - **Minimum opacity:** When no window is near the Dock - **Maximum opacity:** When window near the dock 0:00 /0:09 1× The opacity of the dock is changed when a window appears near by. 🚧 Blur my shell users may need to adjust the dash opacity settings in that app to make Dock completely transparent. ### Notification counter In the **Launchers** tab, set the **Show icons emblem** and toggle the sub options. Now, apps like Discord, etc. will show the number of unread notifications. This is the same unread notification that we see in the notification section in top panel. ![Show icon emblems is enabled in the Launchers settings](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/show-emblem-icon.png) Show icons emblems ### Show network volumes In the **Launchers** section, enable the **Include network volumes** to show Google Drive and other mounted network drives in the dock. ![Include network volumes in panel.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/show-network-volume.png) Show network volume ### Bonus tip: Dash to Dock and Blur my shell If you are using the Blur my shell extension in GNOME, there is a dedicated Dash to Dock section in its settings. ![Dash to dock customization option in Blur my shell.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/dock-option-in-blur-my-shell.png) Dash option in Blur my Shell ## Conclusion Dash to Dock enables the Intelligent Hide by default. You can change this settings in the **Position and Size** section. When you log in to GNOME, the overview appears by default; you can also disable it by toggling off the **Show overview on startup** options in Appearance settings. There are probably some other options and I let you explore them on their own. Of all the [docks available for Linux desktop](https://itsfoss.com/best-linux-docks/), Dash to Dock remains a popular choice. Considering the vast configuration options it offers, you can guess why so many Linux users prefer Dash to Dock over others. I hope you find this article helpful in your desktop customization journey 🐧 ### Hey Fedora! Listen to This Developer and Make Managing Shell Extensions Better For All of Us URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-gnome-extension-manager-proposal/ Last updated: 2026-01-13T12:06:24.000Z A new issue has been raised on Fedora's [issue tracker](https://pagure.io/fedora-workstation/issue/499?ref=itsfoss.com) by a first-time contributor, who calls upon the [Fedora Workstation Working Group](https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/workstation-working-group/?ref=itsfoss.com) to endorse **Extension Manager as the official tool for managing GNOME Shell extensions**. She also proposes shipping it as a Flatpak by default on [Fedora Silverblue](https://fedoraproject.org/atomic-desktops/silverblue/?ref=itsfoss.com). This is not a new idea, but a proposition that is looking to revive an older one and adds another ask into it. [Purva Sharma](https://github.com/purvas2005?ref=itsfoss.com), the person behind this proposal, found [an older issue](https://github.com/fedora-silverblue/issue-tracker/issues/399?ref=itsfoss.com) from January 2023 that proposed shipping Extension Manager by default on Fedora Silverblue. It had been sitting dormant for about two years now. In fact, my teammate Abhishek made similar arguments in a recent video: [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) If you are a Fedora Workstation user, then you know [how useful Shell Extensions are](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-shell-extensions/). These add functionality to the [GNOME](https://www.gnome.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) desktop, ranging from utilities like weather widgets to fully-fledged system monitors. Sadly, getting them installed is a bit of work that could be made simpler. ## Can't We Have a Better Way to Manage Extensions? ![a fedora workstation 43 desktop shows an extension-filled search page (called browse) on the extension manager app](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/extension-manager-on-fedora-workstation-43.png) **Extension Manager on* [**Fedora 43*](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-43-release/)**!* The official way to install [GNOME extensions](https://extensions.gnome.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) requires multiple steps. You need to install a browser extension for either [Firefox](https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/gnome-shell-integration/?ref=itsfoss.com) or [Chrome](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/gnome-shell-integration/gphhapmejobijbbhgpjhcjognlahblep?ref=itsfoss.com), and then you install [a native connector](https://wiki.gnome.org/Projects/GnomeShellIntegration/Installation?ref=itsfoss.com) called `gnome-browser-connector` on your system. Only after going through the above can you start installing extensions. In 2026, **the process feels very out-of-place and archaic** seeing how GNOME has matured as a [desktop environment](https://itsfoss.com/what-is-desktop-environment/). [Extension Manager](https://itsfoss.com/extension-manager/) offers a simpler approach. It is a standalone application that handles everything. You can search for extensions directly in the app, view extension ratings and comments, compatibility information for your GNOME version, and it even handles updates for any installed extensions. The project itself **is actively developed by a dedicated group of open source contributors** and is released under the [GPL 3.0](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.en.html?ref=itsfoss.com) license. This makes it in line with Fedora's [open source requirements](https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/legal/allowed-licenses/?ref=itsfoss.com). ## Am I Being Too Optimistic? I might be biased as I use Extension Manager on my Fedora Workstation daily driver, but doesn't it seem like a logical choice? People don't need to jump through hoops to customize their desktop to their own liking now, do they? The browser method works but adds unnecessary complexity. Extension Manager removes that hurdle. **For Fedora Silverblue specifically, having it as a default Flatpak makes sense**. Silverblue aims for a minimal base system with apps as Flatpaks after all. Apart from that, I like how this first-time contributor has taken the opportunity to propose something that could potentially improve the experience of many Fedora users. Finding dormant issues and reviving them like this shows initiative. **The decision now sits with the Fedora Workstation Working Group**. They can evaluate the proposal and decide whether to move it forward. If they endorse it, the next step would be creating a formal change proposal. That change proposal would then go to [FESCo](https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/fesco/?ref=itsfoss.com) for voting. Regardless of whether Fedora acts on this or not, [Extension Manager](https://github.com/mjakeman/extension-manager?ref=itsfoss.com) is available now. You can install it via [Flathub](https://flathub.org/en/apps/com.mattjakeman.ExtensionManager?ref=itsfoss.com) or your distribution's package manager. It works on any Linux distribution running GNOME. Support independent Linux journalism! If you think we are doing a good job at helping people use Linux on their personal computers, support us by opting for Plus membership. Here's what you get with It's FOSS Plus membership: ✅ 5 Free eBooks on Linux, Docker and Bash ✅ Ad-free reading experience ✅ Badges in the comment section and forum ✅ Support creation of educational Linux materials [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*This Handy App Helps You Install and Manage GNOME Shell Extensions*](https://itsfoss.com/extension-manager/) [‘Extension Manager’ App Helps You Install and Manage GNOME Shell ExtensionsExtension Manager is an exciting unofficial alternative to GNOME’s official Extensions app to help you manage GNOME shell extensions. Let’s take a closer look.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-207.png)It's FOSSAnkush Das![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/extension-manager-ft-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/extension-manager/) ### Microsoft Open-Sources XAML Studio URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/microsoft-open-sources-xaml-studio/ Last updated: 2026-01-12T17:55:03.000Z Microsoft has [open-sourced XAML Studio](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/ifdef-windows/xaml-studio-is-now-open-sourced/?ref=itsfoss.com), a visual development tool for building Windows application interfaces. The project is now available on [GitHub](https://github.com/dotnet/XAMLStudio?ref=itsfoss.com) under **the MIT license** and has joined the [.NET Foundation](https://dotnetfoundation.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) as a seed project. It is a rapid prototyping tool that lets developers design and test Windows app interfaces using [XAML](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/desktop/wpf/xaml/?ref=itsfoss.com), the markup language for WinUI, before they integrate the work into [Visual Studio](https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). Think of it like [Qt Design Studio](https://www.qt.io/development/ui-design-tools?ref=itsfoss.com) for Qt applications, but specifically for Windows apps. It provides live editing, meaning you can see your interface changes in real time without needing to recompile your application. **As for what you can expect**, XAML Studio 1.1 is available on the [Microsoft Store](https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9ntls214tkmq?ref=itsfoss.com) right now with goodies like a binding debugger, [IntelliSense](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/editing/intellisense?ref=itsfoss.com) for code completions, a data context editor, auto-save and restore document functionality, and alignment guides. But beyond that, the developers have **a 2.0 release in the works** that can be built from source on GitHub right now. ![this screenshot shows the upcoming v2 interface for xaml studio, there is a two-fold sidebar on the left and on the lower-right is the code editor showing the output above](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/xaml-studio-2-0-pre-release.png) **The upcoming V2 interface for XAML Studio as shared by the developers.* This is **a complete interface overhaul** using [Fluent UI](https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/fluentui?ref=itsfoss.com). The redesign makes the tool look and feel more modern, matching the current Windows design language. The layout has been restructured to accommodate new panels and tools. On the features side, XAML Studio 2.0 adds a properties panel that brings together the visual tree navigation, visual state management, and property editing in one place. There is also something called [Adorners](https://github.com/CommunityToolkit/Labs-Windows/pull/760?ref=itsfoss.com) that lets you highlight element boundaries and work on precise layouts. There is some work pending too. Many of **the 2.0 features are still experimental** and early in their development cycle. The developers are looking to improve these and stabilize the code, with some larger changes still needed to fully support the new features as well as WinUI 3. Once everything is ready, they plan to push an official stable release of 2.0 to the Microsoft Store sometime later in 2026\. And, to wrap this up, according to [Michael Hawker](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelahawker/?ref=itsfoss.com), the project lead for XAML Studio, **the tool was meant to be open source from the beginning**. *Better late than never, I guess.* 😅 ### auto-cpufreq 3.0 Arrives for Linux with Better Battery Handling and CPU Turbo Control URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/auto-cpufreq-3-0/ Last updated: 2026-01-12T16:43:53.000Z Us Linux users have access to [a large selection of system monitoring tools](https://itsfoss.com/linux-system-monitoring-tools/) that help us know the state of our computers. In some cases, these even let us tweak certain parameters of the hardware to eke out better performance or battery life. While these utilities may not yet match the polish and maturity of their Windows counterparts, they have made significant progress in recent years. auto-cpufreq is one such tool that automatically optimizes CPU speed and power consumption on Linux systems to save battery life, and it just received [a feature-packed 3.0 release](https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/1qa715a/autocpufreq%5Fv300%5Fis%5Fout/?ref=itsfoss.com). ## auto-cpufreq 3.0: What's New? ![this terminal window shows the output for the command: sudo auto-cpufreq --monitor command on a fedora 43 workstation edition system, there are many cpu-related metrics shown](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/auto-cpufreq-3-0.png) The release comes packed with **the ability to manually control CPU turbo boost**, where you can now manually override auto-cpufreq's automatic decisions and set turbo to `Auto`, `Never`, or `Always`. This works through both the command-line interface and the GUI app, though the option only shows up in the GUI if your CPU supports [turbo boost](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/gaming/resources/turbo-boost.html?ref=itsfoss.com). Battery handling has gotten better too. You can now tell auto-cpufreq which specific battery device to monitor if your laptop has multiple power supply devices listed or if the automatic detection picks the wrong one. And, for [ASUS laptop](https://www.asus.com/us/store/laptops/?ref=itsfoss.com) owners, **there's now support for battery charge thresholds**, so you can set a maximum charging percentage to help preserve your battery's health over time. There were also **several important bug fixes** in this release. The tool now properly reads CPU frequency information and scaling limits, fixing an issue where the `--monitor` mode would show incorrect values. If you're running [NixOS](https://itsfoss.com/nixos-tutorials/) or [Pop!\_OS](https://itsfoss.com/news/pop-os-24-04-review/), you'll find some welcome improvements. NixOS users won't run into the "`awk: command not found`" error anymore, and Pop!\_OS installations should go smoothly without PyGObject failures. The [changelog](https://github.com/AdnanHodzic/auto-cpufreq/releases/tag/v3.0.0?ref=itsfoss.com) has the complete list of changes and the source code if you want to go deeper into this release. ## Get Started with auto-cpufreq ![this terminal window shows the output for a git clone command and the auto-cpufreq installer in action](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/auto-cpufreq-3-0-installation-a.png) The recommended way to install auto-cpufreq is by building it from source, and don't worry, it is quite straightforward! First, you have to clone the [GitHub](https://github.com/AdnanHodzic/auto-cpufreq?ref=itsfoss.com) repository to your system, create a new directory for it, and launch the installer by running these commands together: ``` git clone https://github.com/AdnanHodzic/auto-cpufreq.git cd auto-cpufreq && sudo ./auto-cpufreq-installer ``` When you do that, you will be asked to enter your account password. Do it and verify the list of packages shown to you. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/auto-cpufreq-3-0-installation-b.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/auto-cpufreq-3-0-installation-c.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/auto-cpufreq-3-0-installation-d.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/auto-cpufreq-3-0-installation-e.png) When prompted, press "*Y*" to confirm the installation of these new packages, and wait for the installation to complete. Once everything is set, you can start using the CLI version of auto-cpufreq by using the following command: ``` sudo auto-cpufreq ``` There's also **a GUI version** that needs some additional configuration once you launch it from the app launcher. It will show you the steps for that, which involves installing the daemon for auto-cpufreq. **For users of Ubuntu** and its derivatives, this release of auto-cpufreq is also available on the [Snap Store](https://snapcraft.io/auto-cpufreq?ref=itsfoss.com) and via the following command: ``` sudo snap install auto-cpufreq ``` If you need pointers on how to operate this CLI tool, then the lead developer of this project, Adnan Hodzic, has [an AI-powered chatbot](https://foolcontrol.org/?p=4903&ref=itsfoss.com) up on his website, which should work well for any questions you have. [auto-cpufreq](https://github.com/AdnanHodzic/auto-cpufreq?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*This System Monitor Offers Something More*](https://itsfoss.com/jdsystemmonitor/) [jdSystemMonitor: More Than Your Regular System Monitor on LinuxBringing system resources and internal details together in one place, jdSystemMonitor is a solid and lightweight option for desktop Linux users.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-206.png)It's FOSSRoland Taylor![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/jdsystemmonitor-review-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/jdsystemmonitor/) ### BTW, Arch Users! Pacman Might Be Getting a Rust Replacement URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/pacman-rust-treatment/ Last updated: 2026-01-12T10:47:07.000Z [Arch Linux](https://archlinux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) users know that Pacman is an essential piece of kit that handles everything from installing and removing software to managing dependencies and [keeping the entire system up to date](https://itsfoss.com/pacman-syu/). But recent developments suggest there could be a successor in the works. A new project called [Arch Linux Package Management](https://alpm.archlinux.page/?ref=itsfoss.com) (ALPM) has been making significant progress, and it's built entirely in Rust. ## Is Pacman Old News? A recent [year-end report](https://devblog.archlinux.page/2026/a-year-of-work-on-the-alpm-project/?ref=itsfoss.com) from the Arch Linux development team has shed light on just how much work has gone into the ALPM project. It reveals that the [Sovereign Tech Fund](https://www.sovereign.tech/tech/arch-linux-package-management?ref=itsfoss.com)'s 15 months of funding have allowed the team to accomplish a lot. During this funding period, **the devs completed six major milestones**, covering things like formal specifications for packaging data formats to cryptographic verification of distribution artifacts. If you didn't know what the ALPM project is about, it is an undertaking that takes advantage of [Rust](https://rust-lang.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) to provide a suite of libraries and tools designed to handle every aspect of Arch Linux package management. However, this has left many (*including myself*) wondering **if Pacman will be replaced with this one day**, plus, there's talk of [a difference in the licensing](https://x.com/LundukeJournal/status/2010388666711961921?ref=itsfoss.com) for the [ALPM](https://github.com/archlinux/alpm?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Pacman](https://gitlab.archlinux.org/pacman/pacman?ref=itsfoss.com) projects. While Pacman is licensed under the [GNU General Public License](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.en.html?ref=itsfoss.com), ALPM uses dual licensing with [Apache 2.0](https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0?ref=itsfoss.com) and [MIT](https://opensource.org/license/mit?ref=itsfoss.com). Just so you understand, GPL is a "*copyleft*" license that requires any derivative works to also be open source and GPL licensed, while MIT and Apache 2.0 are permissive licenses that allow the code to be used in proprietary software with fewer restrictions. **GPL ensures improvements remain open to everyone, while MIT makes it easier for projects to adopt the code without legal complications**. As of writing, the developers haven't taken an official stance on whether this would replace Pacman. Though, considering the compatibility with Pacman, we could see a backwards compatibility approach similar to [how sudo-rs was implemented on Ubuntu](https://itsfoss.com/sudo-vs-sudo-rs/). In that case, [Ubuntu started shipping sudo-rs as the default](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-25-10-sudo-rs/) while keeping the original sudo available as a fallback, with users continuing to type `sudo` as before while the system runs the newer Rust version underneath. A similar transition could happen with Pacman and ALPM, I think. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Getting Started With Pacman Commands*](https://itsfoss.com/pacman-command/) [Using pacman Commands in Arch Linux \[Beginner’s Guide\]Learn what you can do with pacman commands in Linux, how to use them to find new packages, install and upgrade new packages, and clean your system.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-205.png)It's FOSSDimitrios![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/essential-pacman-commands-2.jpg)](https://itsfoss.com/pacman-command/) ### Europe Has a New Plan to Break Free from US Tech Dominance URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/eu-open-source-strategy-call-2026/ Last updated: 2026-01-13T16:01:46.000Z As we had predicted [late last year](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-future-prediction-2026/), the push for digital sovereignty is starting strong in 2026\. This is not something that has appeared out of thin air; the [European Union](https://european-union.europa.eu/index%5Fen?ref=itsfoss.com) seems to be finally understanding how vulnerable their digital infrastructure is if they continue relying on foreign providers. While progress on this appears commendable, their [Chat Control](https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/12/after-years-controversy-eus-chat-control-nears-its-final-hurdle-what-know?ref=itsfoss.com) bill makes me doubt what they actually want to do going forward. Anyhow, we now have [news of a call for evidence](https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/11/eu%5Fopen%5Fsource%5Fconsultation/?ref=itsfoss.com) on how to approach open source from the European Commission, and this is how they see the current situation: > Much of the value generated by open-source projects is exploited outside the EU, often benefiting tech giants. EU stakeholders generally struggle with high entry barriers and network effects of dominant players both in the public procurement market and in the private sector market. ## Towards European Open Digital Ecosystems That's what they are calling this [new initiative](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=intcom%3AAres%282026%2969111&ref=itsfoss.com) (*long read alert* ⚠️), with the consultation running from January 6 through February 3, 2026\. As for what it stands for, the commission is looking to tackle what it describes as a "*significant problem of dependence on non-EU countries in the digital sphere*." They say that **this dependence is hurting user choice**, making EU companies less competitive, and creating supply chain security issues (*for both software and hardware*) that affect control over digital infrastructure. **The scope is massive too!** Covering fields like cloud computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, open hardware, internet technologies, and industrial applications like automotive and manufacturing. The EU already has what it describes as "*a very active and rich ecosystem of communities of open-source developers, among the largest worldwide*." If you are looking for the proof of that, well, you are probably reading this on [a Linux-powered system](https://itsfoss.com/best-linux-beginners/) that is what it is today due to the hard work of many Europeans (*throwing no shade at people from other regions*). **But there's a catch**. European open source developers can't get funding once the research grants end, and they seem to keep hitting walls when trying to get their projects into public procurement or scale them up commercially. Luckily, the proposal doesn't seem to be oblivious to [the plight of open source developers](https://itsfoss.com/news/open-source-developers-are-exhausted/) and acknowledges this by stating: > However, it has emerged that supporting open-source communities solely through research and innovation programmes is not sufficient for successful upscaling and that it is critical to support emerging developer communities and businesses in scaling up via sustainable support and governance frameworks aiming for community upscaling, industrial deployment, market integration and commercial viability of open-source innovations. In the end, the initiative intends to promote the development of high-quality, secure open source solutions while demonstrating their value. It aims to address the usability factor, deployment issues, software supply chain security, governance, and code maintenance so projects can move forward smoothly. The proposal **also calls for supporting new business models for open source companies and foundations**, including through public-private partnerships. Plus, this is designed to work alongside the upcoming [Cloud and AI Development Act](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS%5FBRI%282025%29779251?ref=itsfoss.com), for which a separate consultation was already conducted. Support independent Linux journalism! If you think we are doing a good job at helping people use Linux on their personal computers, support us by opting for Plus membership. Here's what you get with It's FOSS Plus membership: ✅ 5 Free eBooks on Linux, Docker and Bash ✅ Ad-free reading experience ✅ Badges in the comment section and forum ✅ Support creation of educational Linux materials [Join It's FOSS Plus ](https://itsfoss.com/membership/) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Linux and Open Source Predictions 2026*](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-future-prediction-2026/) [Here’s Our Prediction for the Future of Desktop Linux in 2026Our take on the trends that will shape desktop Linux and open source in the year ahead.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-204.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-open-source-predictions-2026-3.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-future-prediction-2026/) ### Even Linux Creator Linus Torvalds is Using AI to Code in 2026 URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linus-torvalds-vibe-coding/ Last updated: 2026-01-11T15:32:00.000Z While the holiday season is often seen as a time to slow down, relax and just lie down idle, some people choose to use this period to quietly work on side projects they never get time for during the year. With relaxed schedules and a mental break from routine pressures, the holiday period creates space for experimentation and creativity. A good time to tinker with ideas that have been postponed all year long or build something just for the joy of it. It seems that Linux creator Linus Torvalds also utilized the holidays to work on a side project. Last holiday, he had [created his own guitar pedals](https://github.com/torvalds/GuitarPedal?ref=itsfoss.com). This year, he worked on a new project called [AudioNoise](https://github.com/torvalds/AudioNoise?ref=itsfoss.com) that generates random digital audio effects. It is open source software, of course, licensed under GPL 2.0. For sure, it's "just a hobby, won't be big and professional" in the real sense. It's a small side project that Torvalds created to learn about digital audio processing. > These are – like the analog circuits that started my journey – toy effects that you shouldn't take seriously. The main design goal has been to learn about digital audio processing basics. Exactly like the guitar pedal was about learning about the hardware side. ## Part of this new project is 'vibe coded' The interesting part comes at the bottom of the README of [AudioNoise GitHub repo](https://github.com/torvalds/AudioNoise?ref=itsfoss.com). [GitHub - torvalds/AudioNoise: Random digital audio effectsRandom digital audio effects. Contribute to torvalds/AudioNoise development by creating an account on GitHub.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/pinned-octocat-093da3e6fa40-29.svg)GitHubtorvalds![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/AudioNoise)](https://github.com/torvalds/AudioNoise?ref=itsfoss.com) While Torvalds coded the C language part on his own, he took the help of [AI coding assistant](https://itsfoss.com/coding-llms-copilot-alternatives/) for the visualizer written in Python. > Also note that the python visualizer tool has been basically written by vibe-coding. I know more about analog filters – and that's not saying much – than I do about python. It started out as my typical "google and do the monkey-see-monkey-do" kind of programming, but then I cut out the middle-man – me – and just used Google Antigravity to do the audio sample visualizer. Linus used [Google's Antigravity](https://antigravity.google/?ref=itsfoss.com), an AI powered IDE which is a fork of Windsurf which itself is a fork of Microsoft's VS Code. While it is not clear which AI agent Torvalds used, I can safely guess that he would have used the default Google Gemini here. Well, at least Torvalds explored vibe coding. It gives me motivation to stop resisting and experiment with AI for some coding-related side projects, too. How about you? *Source:* [*Phoronix*](https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linus-Torvalds-Vide-Coding?ref=itsfoss.com). ### Why is Everyone Talking About Window Tiling in 2026? URL: https://itsfoss.com/opinion/rise-of-window-tiling/ Last updated: 2026-01-11T11:12:34.000Z Okay, not \* *everyone*\*, but it does seem like every productivity guru, developer, and their cat is moving towards having some sort of [window tiling functionality](https://itsfoss.com/tiling-window-manager/) or the other on their computer. **So what exactly is window tiling?** It is a way to organize app windows on your screen so they don't overlap. Instead of stacking windows on top of each other, tiling arranges them side-by-side. *Think of it like arranging tiles on a floor where each window gets its own space.* 🧮 You can tile windows manually by dragging them to screen edges, or use keyboard shortcuts for quick organizing. Some systems do it automatically as you open new windows. ## Window Tiling is Having its Moment **A quick demo of Window Tiling (watch the initial 30 seconds or so).* The most obvious examples of window tiling in use would be Windows and macOS. Both have gained proper tiling features in recent years. On [Windows 11](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/snap-your-windows-885a9b1e-a983-a3b1-16cd-c531795e6241?ref=itsfoss.com), there are Snap Layouts, which let you hover over the maximize button to choose from preset grid arrangements. *Snap Assist* then helps you fill the remaining space with other windows. On [macOS Sequoia](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/tile-app-windows-mchlef287e5d/15.0/mac/15.0?ref=itsfoss.com) and later, you can drag windows to screen edges for native tiling. There's also the `Option` key method for faster snapping and *green button* layouts for quick arrangements. **As for the Linux desktop**, the ecosystem has given birth to so many different approaches to window tiling that I have lost count of them. From manual tiling window managers like [i3](https://itsfoss.com/i3-customization/) and [bspwm](https://github.com/baskerville/bspwm?ref=itsfoss.com) to dynamic ones like [awesome](https://awesomewm.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [XMonad](https://xmonad.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). From Wayland compositors like [Sway](https://swaywm.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Hyprland](https://hypr.land/?ref=itsfoss.com) to GNOME and KDE extensions that add tiling functionality. ## Window Tiling is More Accessible Now Ubuntu, one of the most popular Linux desktop operating systems around, ships with [Tiling Assistant](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-tiling-assistant/) by default [since 23.10](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-tiling-windows/) and has been received quite well by users. The implementation is straightforward. Drag a window to a screen edge, and it snaps into place. The system then suggests other windows to fill the remaining space. By itself, Tiling Assistant is [a GNOME Shell extension](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-shell-extensions/) that makes it possible to tile windows like this on the [GNOME](https://www.gnome.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) desktop environment, so you could install it on other Linux distros that come equipped with GNOME. However, there's **an even better option** that I personally use on my Fedora Workstation daily driver. [Tiling Shell](https://itsfoss.com/news/tiling-shell-gnome-extension/) is another GNOME extension that offers significantly more control. You can create and manage custom layouts with a built-in editor, import/export layouts so that they can be used across devices, and easily tile windows across workspaces and displays. Beyond that, there's [COSMIC on Pop!\_OS 24.04 LTS](https://itsfoss.com/news/pop-os-24-04-review/), which surprised me recently with how slick its window tiling implementation is. The system handles window organization efficiently, and it just works. In this case, **COSMIC treats each display independently for tiling**. Your laptop screen can have one layout while your external monitor uses another. The tiling works per workspace and per display, which is precisely what you would want when you are juggling multiple tasks across different screens. Finally, there's [Hyprland](https://itsfoss.com/hyprland/), which has taken the community by storm. This Wayland compositor has become the preferred desktop interface for many people, especially those into [ricing their Linux desktops](https://itsfoss.community/t/what-the-hell-is-the-definition-of-ricing-in-linux/14160?ref=itsfoss.com). If you browse [r/unixporn](https://www.reddit.com/r/unixporn/?ref=itsfoss.com), you will notice **Hyprland has dominated the scene** over the past couple of years. Beautiful setups with smooth animations and eye candy are everywhere. **But it's not just about looks**. The compositor combines dynamic tiling with gorgeous aesthetics, smooth animations, rounded corners, blur effects, and customizable gaps between windows. It achieves all that while being lightweight and responsive. ## Closing Words As Window Tiling becomes standard across operating systems, I wouldn't be surprised if we see better integration with virtual desktops, smarter window grouping based on workflow, or even **more distros adopting tiling functionality by default**. --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*What is a Tiling Window Manager in Linux?*](https://itsfoss.com/tiling-window-manager/) [Explained: What is a Tiling Window Manager in Linux?Learn what a tiling window manager is, and the benefits that come along with it.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-185.png)It's FOSSAnkush Das![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/tiling-window-explained-3.png)](https://itsfoss.com/tiling-window-manager/) ### The Open Source Diary App for Android That Organizes Your Life on a Timeline URL: https://itsfoss.com/storypad-open-source-diary-app/ Last updated: 2026-01-10T03:49:33.000Z Many studies have proven that [journaling](https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID=4552&ref=itsfoss.com) helps manage stress, anxiety, and depression. This works because it helps you process emotions instead of bottling them up. You gain clarity on what is bothering you, and it makes it easy to spot negative thought patterns that hamper your well-being. I have tried maintaining a physical diary in the past, but the result of it was that I would usually procrastinate and forget that it existed. ☠️ Fast-forward to now, and I think I might've found a solution. I have this habit of checking my phone randomly; what if I wrote a journal entry whenever I picked it up? [StoryPad](https://storypad.me/?ref=itsfoss.com) might be exactly that. An app that could finally help me stick to journaling daily and build the habit. ## StoryPad: Your Personal Diary It is an open source diary app that focuses on a timeline approach rather than a folder-focused one. Your journal entries live on a continuous scrollable timeline that is easy to get used to. And **everything is stored locally on your device by default**, unless you choose to sync via Google Drive. [Thea Choem](https://github.com/theachoem?ref=itsfoss.com) built this by leveraging Flutter, ensuring that the app runs smoothly across multiple platforms. Some of its **key features** include: - Mood tracking with 45+ emotions to choose from. - Privacy lock with PIN, Face ID, or fingerprint authentication. - Throwback memories showing what you wrote on a certain day X years ago. - Rich text editing with bold, italic, colors, highlights, lists, and 1300+ Google Fonts. ## How Does it Fare? ![this 4-part collage shows the new user onboarding process for the storypad app](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/storypad-onboarding-flow.png) **StoryPad's new user onboarding is quick!* Quite good, actually! On first launch, there is an onboarding process that takes you through what the app has to offer and encourages you to read the [privacy policy](https://storypad.me/privacy-policy/?ref=itsfoss.com). It basically reads that **StoryPad doesn't collect or store your personal data on their servers*.* Everything stays local on your device, and cloud backups go straight to your Google Drive account. Plus, the app itself felt snappy right from the start, with no weird bugs or inconsistent behavior. ![from left to right: storypad new journal (or note) entry, new tag creation, and tag assignment](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/storypad-journal-entry-demo.png) Adding **new journal entries** (*or notes*) for specific days was quite easy too. I could effortlessly set the date and time, use the **handy rich text editing tools** to format text, add colors, create checklists, and insert quotes. Creating and adding new tags to the entries was straightforward too! ![storypad font, note theme, and page layout options on the left, on the right is a journal entry with a nice green theme applied with the grid page layout](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/storypad-note-customization.png) Next up, I went into the three-dot menu on the top-right of the editor to change **the note theme**, which had plenty of color options to choose from. Some themes are free, and many others are locked behind a paid add-on. I could also switch between **three different page layouts**: *List*, *Page*, and G*rid*. The grid layout should work well if you are into [bullet journaling](https://www.thelazygeniuscollective.com/blog/how-to-bullet-journal?ref=itsfoss.com), btw. Font selection was massive too, with access to [1300+ Google Fonts](https://fonts.google.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). ![from left to right: storypad page for add-ons, rewards, and templates, these are showing a lot of content, so use an ocr tool to undertsand those](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/storypad-add-ons-rewards-templates.png) **Regarding paid add-ons**, StoryPad has quite a few, but these are optional. There are features like relaxing sounds, advanced templates, period tracking, voice journaling, and background images. These are set according to the user's region and **are priced nominally**. There's also **a rewards program** that unlocks some additional perks according to the add-ons you purchase, and there are useful templates that provide you with good starting points if you're stuck on what to write. ![from left to right: storypad timeline view, the sidebar menu, and the calendar view](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/storypad-timeline-sidebar-calendar-pages.png) The timeline view turned out to be quite useful for navigating through my entries. I could scroll chronologically without dealing with any folders or categories. At the bottom-left, there are three buttons for quick access: *Search*, *Relaxing Sounds*, and the *Calendar View*. I found the calendar view particularly handy for jumping between months. If I wanted to check what I wrote last week, a few taps got me there. Similarly, the sidebar gave me access to tags, my photo library, archives entries, and the trash bin. ## Install StoryPad Android users can get this on the [Play Store](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tc.writestory&ref=itsfoss.com) or via the project's [GitHub](https://github.com/theachoem/storypad?ref=itsfoss.com) repository (*to build from source*). For iOS users, they can get the latest StoryPad release from the [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/storypad-timeline-diary/id6744032172?ref=itsfoss.com). *It would be great if the developer could distribute StoryPad via* [*F-Droid*](https://f-droid.org/en/?ref=itsfoss.com) *too!* [StoryPad](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tc.writestory&ref=itsfoss.com) ### Bose SoundTouch End of Life Gets Less Painful With Public API Release URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/bose-soundtouch-api/ Last updated: 2026-01-09T04:49:35.000Z Bose announced in October 2025 that [it would discontinue support for its SoundTouch speaker lineup](https://www.bose.com/soundtouch-end-of-life?ref=itsfoss.com) in February 2026\. The speakers, which launched in 2013 with prices ranging from $399 to $1,500, were to lose cloud connectivity, app support, and most wireless features. As expected, this didn't sit too well with customers who had bought these devices. It looked like the usual [planned obsolescence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned%5Fobsolescence?ref=itsfoss.com) playbook, where working hardware was cut off to push people toward newer products. While not on the scale of how Pebble, the smartwatch brand, [kickstarted its redemption arc,](https://itsfoss.com/news/pebble-returns-as-open-source/) Bose has done something to regain the trust of its old customers. ## What's Happening? Bose has moved the end-of-life date from February 18, 2026, to May 6, 2026, and more importantly, the company published **the complete SoundTouch Web API documentation** [as a PDF](https://assets.bosecreative.com/m/496577402d128874/original/SoundTouch-Web-API.pdf?ref=itsfoss.com) available to everyone. The 31-page specification includes HTTP-based API endpoints, WebSocket protocols for real-time control, and detailed information about how SoundTouch devices communicate. For developers, this means they can see exactly how to control volume, manage multi-room zones, handle playback, and configure audio settings. **Do keep in mind** that [Bose](https://www.bose.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) has released this under a royalty-free license that lets developers build and distribute applications. **The license is revocable and proprietary**, with no actual source code being released; just the technical specifications. ## What to Expect? The API documentation **opens the door for developers to build their own control apps**. Custom controllers, preset systems, and multi-room setups are all possible now too. Whether anyone actually does this is another story. Meanwhile, users of SoundTouch can take some solace in the fact that Bose has preserved more functionality than originally announced. AirPlay and Spotify Connect will keep working, keeping wireless streaming options beyond basic Bluetooth intact. The SoundTouch apps for [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bose.soundtouch&ref=itsfoss.com) and [iOS](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bose-soundtouch/id708379313?ref=itsfoss.com) stick around too; these will be patched to work without internet access on May 6. Via: [Ars Technica](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/01/bose-open-sources-its-soundtouch-home-theater-smart-speakers-ahead-of-eol/?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Pebble Returns with 100% Open Source Software and Hardware*](https://itsfoss.com/news/pebble-returns-as-open-source/) [After Fitbit Killed it in 2016, Pebble Returns with 100% Open Source Software and HardwareCreator Eric Migicovsky releases hardware schematics and mobile apps.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-201.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/pebble-watch-open-source.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/pebble-returns-as-open-source/) ### Linux Kernel Bugs Hide for 2+ Years on Average URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-kernel-bugs-arent-found-for-years/ Last updated: 2026-01-09T03:22:41.000Z It was not too long ago we talked about [the first Rust CVE in the Linux kernel](https://itsfoss.com/news/first-linux-kernel-rust-cve/), which caused system crashes. That same day, 159 other CVEs were issued for C code. While that shows progress with Rust, it also highlights something more concerning; **the kernel has bugs that hide for years before anyone finds them**. A research blog published on [Pebblebed](https://pebblebed.com/blog/kernel-bugs?ref=itsfoss.com) demonstrates how bugs often stay hidden for years before they are discovered and fixed. 🚧 Please note that this study talks about bugs of all kinds. Not all bugs are vulnerabilities. ## The Linux Kernel Isn't Perfect ![this is a white colored chart that shows the distribution of bugs (using colored bars) on the linux kernel across 10+ years, you should OCR this to understand the stats](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/linux-kernel-bug-lifetime-distribution-chart.png) **Source: Jenny Guanni Qu via Pebblebed* [Jenny Guanni Qu](https://github.com/quguanni?ref=itsfoss.com), a researcher at Pebblebed, **analyzed 125,183 bugs from 20 years of Linux kernel development history** (*on Git*). The findings show that the average bug takes 2.1 years to find. The longest-lived bug, a buffer overflow in networking code, **went unnoticed for 20.7 years**! The research was carried out by relying on the `Fixes:` tag that is used in kernel development. Basically, when a commit fixes a bug, it includes a tag pointing to the commit that introduced the bug. Jenny wrote a tool that extracted these tags from the kernel's git history going back to 2005\. The tool finds all fixing commits, extracts the referenced commit hash, pulls dates from both commits, and calculates the time frame. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/fixes-tag-usage-example.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/linux-kernel-bug-research-range.png) **Example of how the* *`Fixes:`* *tag is used on the left, the dataset parameters used by Jenny on the right.* As for the dataset, it includes over 125k records from [Linux 6.19-rc3](https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-6.19-rc3-Released?ref=itsfoss.com), covering bugs from April 2005 to January 2026\. Out of these, 119,449 were unique fixing commits from **9,159 different authors**, and only 158 bugs had [CVE](https://www.cve.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) IDs assigned. Plus, she found out that **different parts of the kernel show significant variation in how long bugs remain hidden**. [CAN bus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAN%5Fbus?ref=itsfoss.com) drivers have the longest average at 4.2 years, followed by [SCTP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stream%5FControl%5FTransmission%5FProtocol?ref=itsfoss.com) networking at 4.0 years. [GPU](https://itsfoss.com/news/arch-linux-old-nvidia-gpu-issue/) bugs get caught fastest at 1.4 years, and [BPF](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkeley%5FPacket%5FFilter?ref=itsfoss.com) bugs are found within 1.1 years. The research also found that incomplete fixes are common. Someone notices undefined behavior and ships a fix, but the fix does not fully address the problem. In one case, a 2024 fix for *netfilter set field validation* was incomplete, and a security researcher found a bypass a year later. Jenny's research goes much deeper than what I covered here. She has also developed an AI model called **VulnBERT** that predicts whether a commit introduces a vulnerability. The detailed blog post linked above includes elaborate technical explanations on that; it is a must-read! --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*The First Rust CVE in Linux Kernel*](https://itsfoss.com/news/first-linux-kernel-rust-cve/) [The First Rust CVE in Linux Kernel Only Makes Your System CrashGreg Kroah-Hartman announced this alongside 150+ C code vulnerabilities that were addressed.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-200.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-kernel-first-rust-cve-1.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/first-linux-kernel-rust-cve/) ### FOSS Weekly #26.02: Level Up in 2026, Liquorix Kernel, Open Source Apps from Web Browser and More URL: https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/foss-weekly-26-02/ Last updated: 2026-01-08T04:29:08.000Z A new year brings new resolutions. If you’ve already broken yours, don’t worry; I have a few more to suggest. And if you’ve been using Linux for a while and started wondering, “What next?”, [this list will help you find your next challenge](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-resolutions-2026/). [5 Linux Resolutions to Level Up Your Skills in 2026Actually, these are mostly based on my New Year resolutions, and not all of these will be applicable to you, but you will surely find one or two to add to your new year resolution as a desktop Linux user.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-193.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/new-year-resolution-linux-users.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-resolutions-2026/) That is for people who are no longer at the beginning stage. But if you are still starting with Linux, please use these resources to improve your skills: - [Absolute basic intro to Linux command line](https://linuxhandbook.com/courses/command-line-basics/?ref=itsfoss.com) - Exploring [Linux terminal basics with hands-on](https://itsfoss.com/tag/terminal-basics/) exercises - Learning the [essential Bash shell scripting](https://itsfoss.com/tag/bash-basics/) Happy Linux-ing in 2026 😄 **Here's the highlight of this edition of FOSS Weekly:** - Ubuntu 25.04 reaching EOL. - A new open source game engine. - GNOME and Firefox receiving an interesting proposal. - And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes! ## 📰 Linux and Open Source News Here's a summary of the news this week. Chinese gaming company SUD has made [COCOS 4 fully open source](https://itsfoss.com/news/cocos-4-game-engine/) under the MIT license. They have separated the engine from the editor too and have no particular monetization plans. [Nitrux 5.1](https://nxos.org/changelog/release-announcement-nitrux-5-1-0/?ref=itsfoss.com) ships kernel 6.18 LTS with CachyOS patches and adds Cinderward firewall GUI, Wirecloak VPN client, and power management tools. Two proposals have been put forward to [disable middle-click paste by default on GNOME and Firefox](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-firefox-middle-click-paste-removal/). The reasoning behind it is said to be too many accidental misclicks. Keep in mind that this is not final yet. Ubuntu 25.04 "Plucky Puffin" [reaches EOL on January 15](https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-announce/2026-January/000319.html?ref=itsfoss.com). Upgrade to [25.10](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-25-10-features/) now unless you enjoy living dangerously without security patches. Bazaar's [new release](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/01/bazaar-linux-app-new-icon-other-changes?ref=itsfoss.com) added a new icon, permission warnings, and Flathub login support. You can finally sync bookmarks and filter verified apps. Solid update for Flatpak users. ## 🧠 What We’re Thinking About HP's [flavor of Unix has been sunset](https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/05/hpux%5Fend%5Fof%5Flife/?ref=itsfoss.com). Makes me wonder if Linux popularity killed UNIX. [The last supported version of HP-UX is no more: Remember when HP made its own CPUs and Unix? We wonder if it does![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/favicon-7.svg)The RegisterLiam Proven![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/shutterstock_1341399497.jpg)](https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/05/hpux%5Fend%5Fof%5Flife/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings [procs](https://itsfoss.com/procs/) is a good one to have by your side for handling processes. [procs: Rust Alternative to ps Command in LinuxHandle the processes better by using the Rust-based procs tool instead of the classic ps command in Linux.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-194.png)It's FOSSCommunity![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/procs-ps-command-alternative.png)](https://itsfoss.com/procs/) [GitHub Desktop on Ubuntu](https://itsfoss.com/install-github-desktop-ubuntu/) feels unofficial but solid. [Liquorix kernel](https://itsfoss.com/liquorix-kernel/) makes Linux faster and smoother but not for everyone. [What Is Liquorix Kernel? Should You Use It?In this jargon buster, we explain what is Liquorix kernel, why it is popular among Linux gamers and if there are any real benefits of using it on your regular Linux desktop.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-196.png)It's FOSSNeville Ondara![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/liquorix-kernel.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/liquorix-kernel/) ## 👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner Khadas has [revealed three new devices](https://liliputing.com/khadas-updates-it-modular-mini-pc-ecosystem-with-new-cpu-graphics-dock-and-display-plus-a-tablet-maybe/?ref=itsfoss.com) that could be a good fit for your [homelab](https://itsfoss.com/homelab-dashboard/) setup. [Khadas updates it modular mini PC ecosystem with new CPU, graphics dock, and display (plus a tablet... maybe) - LiliputingKhadas updates it modular mini PC ecosystem with new CPU, graphics dock, and display (plus a tablet... maybe)![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-4.png)LiliputingBrad Linder![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/khadas-mind_01.jpg)](https://liliputing.com/khadas-updates-it-modular-mini-pc-ecosystem-with-new-cpu-graphics-dock-and-display-plus-a-tablet-maybe/?ref=itsfoss.com) ## ✨ Apps and Projects Highlights Sometimes your browser is all you need for open source productivity. Roland shares various [open source apps he uses from a web browser](https://itsfoss.com/open-source-apps-from-web-browser/). [13 Open-Source Apps I Use from a Web Browser (And You Can Too)You don’t always need to install an open source software on your desktop or self host in your homelab. I use some of my favorites from the comfort of a web browser.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-197.png)It's FOSSRoland Taylor![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/open-source-apps-browser.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/open-source-apps-from-web-browser/) If you love browsing Wikipedia, you'll love [this nifty Wikipedia app on your Linux desktop](https://itsfoss.com/wike-wikipedia/). [I Thought This Wikipedia App for Linux was Pointless (I Was Wrong)I don’t need to tell you that this application is for the people who enjoy the free and open knowledge provided by Wikipedia.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-199.png)It's FOSSSreenath![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/wike.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/wike-wikipedia/) ## 📽️ Videos for You The first video of 2026 is about [things you can try as an intermediate Linux user](https://youtu.be/PT8emqAIl7Y?si=uH0bTjxDhVyUaidA&ref=itsfoss.com). [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 💡 Quick Handy Tip You can easily disable the small content thumbnails (*previews*) that appear on parent folder icons for a cleaner, more consistent look in the KDE Plasma [Dolphin file manager](https://itsfoss.com/dolphin-tweaks/). Go to **Menu → Configure → Configure Dolphin**. ![dolphin file manager folder thumbnails disable](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/disable-folder-preview-dolphin.png) In the **Interface** tab, navigate to the *Previews* section and disable the *Folders* checkbox. You can immediately see the difference before and after the change. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/dolphin-without-thumbnail-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/dolphin-with-thumbnail-1.png) **With thumbnails visible on the left, without on the right.* [](https://t43217012.p.clickup-attachments.com/t43217012/da09f1e7-b651-4c93-b93b-141e46671d4b/copy-link-to-highlight-firefox.png?ref=itsfoss.com) SPONSORED [![CTA Image](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/internxt.webp)](https://internxt.sjv.io/N95b5N?ref=itsfoss.com) 🎄 Get 1TB + VPN + Antivirus starting at just €16/year (or Lifetime). Every purchase enters you into a draw to win up to 1,000€ in Amazon/Visa cards. Secure Zero-Knowledge encryption & Open Source. Offer ends Jan 11! 🚀🔒 [Get 87% off Internxt! ](https://internxt.sjv.io/N95b5N?ref=itsfoss.com) ## 🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse ✨ We have upgraded our search feature with more relevant search results. Hit the search icon on the top right on the website to explore it. This [Linux Terminal Emulators](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/linux-terminal-emulators-crossword/) crossword will take you through the various options. [Linux Terminal Emulators: CrosswordLet’s explore some Linux terminal emulators with this crossword.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-198.png)It's FOSSAnkush Das![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-terminal-2.png)](https://itsfoss.com/quiz/linux-terminal-emulators-crossword/) **🤣 Meme of the Week**: Linux is a useful buff for older hardware! ![linux on 4gb ram meme](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/meme9-1.png) **🗓️ Tech Trivia**: On January 5, 1962, the first written reference to [Simula](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simula?ref=itsfoss.com) appeared, documenting an early programming language by [Ole-Johan Dahl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ole-Johan%5FDahl?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Kristen Nygaard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristen%5FNygaard?ref=itsfoss.com) that introduced the idea of objects and helped lay the groundwork for modern object-oriented programming. **🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community**: A collaborative thread has appeared on the forum with two of our regular FOSSers Neville and László, putting out [a tutorial on how to use the CLI to backup or copy a Linux system](https://itsfoss.community/t/using-the-cli-to-backup-or-copy-a-linux-system/15299?ref=itsfoss.com). [Using the CLI to backup or copy a Linux systemThis is a joint post by @kovacslt and @nevj and Using the CLI to backup or copy a Linux system There are several programs commonly used to backup and restore the root filesystem of a Linux installation. A number of them ( borg, systemback, timeshift) use rsync ‘under the hood’ . However it is possible to use rsync directly , as a CLI command. It is also possible to use tar. Some users prefer CLI , because it gives them full control over the backup and restore processes. There are other pos…![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/f274f9749e3fd8b4d6fbae1cf90c5c186d2f699c_2_180x180-86.png)It's FOSS Communitynevj![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/f274f9749e3fd8b4d6fbae1cf90c5c186d2f699c-74.png)](https://itsfoss.community/t/using-the-cli-to-backup-or-copy-a-linux-system/15299?ref=itsfoss.com) ## ❤️ With love **Please share it with your Linux-using friends** and encourage them to subscribe (hint: [it's here](https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/)). Share the articles in Linux Subreddits and community forums. [Follow us on Google News](https://news.google.com/publications/CAAiENHoh-T8yP9Q8Qywor2dwGkqFAgKIhDR6Ifk%5FMj%5FUPEMsKK9ncBp?ref=itsfoss.com) and stay updated in your News feed. Opt for [It's FOSS Plus membership](https://itsfoss.com/membership) and support us 🙏 Enjoy FOSS 😄 ### I Thought This Wikipedia App for Linux was Pointless (I Was Wrong) URL: https://itsfoss.com/wike-wikipedia/ Last updated: 2026-01-08T03:05:16.000Z When I saw Wike in the GNOME Software store, I thought, "Who is so obsessed with Wikipedia that they need a dedicated app for it?" And that too when it doesn't even work offline. Why use an app instead of just accessing Wikipedia from a web browser? Yet I decided to give it a spin. It turns out that taking Wikipedia out of a messy browser tab and putting it into its own clean, native space entirely changes the experience. And there is more to this app than it seems on the surface. ## What is Wike? [Wike](https://hugolabe.github.io/Wike/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a native Wikipedia app for your desktop. It is a GNOME Circle application, which means it meets GNOME’s quality, design, and openness standards and is officially recognized by the GNOME Project. Even though it is designed for GNOME, you can use it on other desktop environments too, at the cost of some missing features. Some of Wike features are - Supports more than 300 languages - Simpler and distraction-free view of articles - Desktop searches - Bookmarks and List Let me show some of the features that make Wike worth a install for a Wikipedia loving Linux user. ## Search articles from GNOME Activities One of the best features of Wike is that it integrates into the [GNOME Activities Search](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-search/). You can search Wikipedia topics right from the GNOME search. No need to open a web browser or even Wike itself. You need to enable this feature, though. Open Wike, go to the preferences and enable the "Allow Live Search on Desktop" toggle button. ![Enable the shell search feature in Wike application preferences.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/add-shell-search-enable-1.png) Enable Shell Search Toggle This will add an entry "Wike" to your list of search providers. Open GNOME Settings and go to the **Search** section. Here, enable the toggle button adjacent to the Wike entry. ![Enable Wike as a search provider in GNOME Settings.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/enable-wike-as-a-search-provider.png) Enable Wike Search Provider That's it. You can now search for Wikipedia contents by hitting the Super key and entering the search term. ![Get Wikipedia search in GNOME shell search result.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/get-wikipedia-search-in-shell-search-result.png) Wikipedia Results in GNOME Shell Search ## Enjoy link previews Wike can give you a small preview of hyperlinks when you hover over a link. For this, you need to enable the **Link Preview** from the top-right eye button, as shown in the screenshot below: ![Enabling Link Preview in Wike Wikipedia Application.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/link-preview-wike.png) Link Preview in Wike Once done, hover over any link to get that cute little preview. ![Hover over any hyperlink to get a small preview.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/getting-link-preview-in-wike.png) Link Preview ## Read content in your favorite font You can change the font to any [installed font on the system](https://itsfoss.com/install-fonts-ubuntu/). For this, click on the eye button on top-right and select fonts. ![Click on the eye button on the top-right and click on the font.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/click-on-fonts.png) Click on Font Name Now, choose your favorite font from the list. ![View contents in your font of choice.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/view-fonts.png) Choose a font ## Add a table of contents in the sidebar You can get a **dismissable table of contents** in the sidebar. Enable it whenever needed. At other times, save essential screen space. ![Table of Contents neatly arranged as a sidebar in Wike Wikipedia application.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/table-of-contents-wike.png) Table of Contents in Wike ## Set your favorite language You can select a set of languages in which you can later translate the articles. For this, click on the search button in the left sidebar and click 'Pick your Languages'. ![Click on the "Pick your language" option in Wike search settings.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/pick-your-language-wike-settings.png) Pick your Language From the new dialog box, search and select languages that you want. I have selected French other than English. ![Search and select a language. In this screenshot, French is searched.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/search-and-select-a-language.png) Search and Select Language Now, you can see that I have two languages, English and French, available. ![English and French language available](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/english-and-french-available.png) English and French Language Available While you are viewing an article, click on the **Translate** button in the sidebar and select the languages from **Your Languages** list. ![Select French language from the translate section.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/select-french-translate.png) Select French to Translate to French You can see that the article now appears in French. ![Current article appears in French language.](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/wiki-french-language.png) Content in French Language Likewise, you can set a list of languages so that a one-click change is possible. If you don't want to set any languages, you can always select a language from the list of language that Wikipedia content is available. Just select the **All Languages** option as shown in the screenshot below, and select a language of your choice. ![Select a language from a list of all languages in Wike](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/all-languages-wike.png) Select all Languages ## Copy link with highlight You can always use `CTRL+U` keyboard shortcut to copy a Wikipedia URL. But you can also copy the link to a highlighted section of the page. Select a text or paragraph while reading and right click on it. Now, select **Copy Link with Highlight**. ![Select copy link to highlight in Wike](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/copy-link-to-highlight.png) Select Copy Link with Highlight You can share this link with others, and they, in their browser, get the exact text highlighted. Perfect for winning online arguments 😉 ![Highlighted section is visible in the browser](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/highlighted-section-in-browser.png) Highlighted section in browser. This works in both recent Firefox and Chromium-based browsers. ## Other features I like The ability to bookmark and create a reading list is an excellent feature for Wikipedia explorers. ![Bookmarks and Reading List View in Wike application](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/bookmark-reading-list-wike-1.png) Bookmark and Reading List System theme alignment with a light, dark and sepia colored interface adds to modern feel. ![Viewing contents in Sepia color in Wike](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/sepia-color-view-wike.png) Wike Color Theme A neatly arranged history according to time of visit could be helpful, too. ![Neatly arranged history in Wike](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/history-wike.png) Visit History Multiple tabs support lets you enjoy prolonged Wikipedia reading sessions. ![Multiple tabs view in Wike](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/tabbed-view-wike.png) Multiple tabs ## Install Wike If all this makes you want to try Wike, you can get it on your Linux system in Flatpak format. If your system has [Flatpak support enabled](https://itsfoss.com/flatpak-guide/), use the command: ``` flatpak install flathub com.github.hugolabe.Wike ``` ## Wrapping up I don't need to tell you that this is for the people who enjoy the free and open knowledge provided by Wikipedia. I also think that it would have made more sense to provide the option to read the content without the internet. Sure, you can [self-host entire Wikipedia](https://itsfoss.com/self-host-web-archives-kiwix/) or buy a [PrepperDisk that comes with all sorts of knowledge in offline mode](https://www.prepperdisk.com/?ref=itsfoss.com). But nothing beats the simplicity of an offline encyclopedia app of the 90s. Your views are welcome. ### Fedora 44 Will Be the First Distro to Adopt KDE's Plasma Login Manager URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-44-plasma-login-manager/ Last updated: 2026-01-07T14:41:56.000Z KDE recently announced that Plasma 6.8 [will drop X11 support completely](https://itsfoss.com/news/kde-plasma-to-drop-x11-support/). When that happens, the Wayland session will be the only one remaining. But there's another major development underway in the KDE ecosystem, and Fedora is on course to become the first distribution to ship it. ## Plasma Login Manager is In Fedora 44, which is set to release on [April 14, 2026](https://fedorapeople.org/groups/schedule/f-44/f-44-all-tasks.html?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=Current%20Final%20Target%20date), will ship with [Plasma Login Manager](https://invent.kde.org/plasma/plasma-login-manager?ref=itsfoss.com) (PLM) as the default login screen for all KDE variants. This replaces [SDDM](https://github.com/sddm/sddm?ref=itsfoss.com), which has been the go-to for years. Neal Gompa, a well-known Fedora contributor and KDE packager, [proposed the change](https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Changes/PlasmaLoginManager?ref=itsfoss.com) back in early December 2025, and [the FESCo approved it](https://pagure.io/fesco/issue/3523?ref=itsfoss.com) yesterday. The switch affects: - Fedora [KDE Plasma Desktop Edition](https://fedoraproject.org/kde/?ref=itsfoss.com) - Fedora [KDE Plasma Mobile Spin](https://fedoraproject.org/spins/kde-mobile?ref=itsfoss.com) - Fedora [Kinoite](https://fedoraproject.org/atomic-desktops/kinoite/?ref=itsfoss.com) *All KDE-based* [*Fedora Labs*](https://fedoraproject.org/labs?ref=itsfoss.com) *will also get the change since they carry over packages from the* [*Desktop Edition*](https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-kde-official/)*.* According to the change proposal, this allows Fedora to "*continue providing the highest quality, leading edge integrated KDE Plasma experience*" by using the recommended software stack. If you didn't know, PLM is [a new login manager](https://blog.davidedmundson.co.uk/blog/a-roadmap-for-a-modern-plasma-login-manager/?ref=itsfoss.com) that will release alongside KDE Plasma 6.6 in February. It is being prepped to support multi-monitor setups, HDR, virtual keyboards, full power management, and screen readers. Going through the GitLab repository for Plasma Login Manager (*linked above*), I noticed a warning about it being "***in a prototype state***" and not being recommended for general or production use. Another person also had the same concerns, to which Neal [replied](https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/f44-change-proposal-plasmaloginmanager-selfcontained/175466/6?ref=itsfoss.com): > The information in the README is out of date with current estimate of usefulness. The production release is going to be part of Plasma 6.6\. At this point, it’s been considered in a good enough state that efforts have begun to integrate it in KDE Linux as well. > If it does indeed turn out to be problematic by the time freeze rolls around, it’s trivial to back out and switch back to SDDM. *So, that's taken care of.* 😅 **As for you, the user**, you won't be seeing anything major shift unless you had a custom theme installed, then you will have to switch back to SDDM to regain the functionality. The commands for doing that would be: ``` sudo dnf install sddm sddm-kcm sddm-wayland-plasma ``` ``` systemctl enable --force sddm.service ``` ### You Can Test it Now! 🚧 Test it on a spare machine or a [virtual machine](https://itsfoss.com/virtual-machine/), as this is not meant for general or production use. First, you have to install [Fedora Rawhide](https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Workstation/x86%5F64/iso/?ref=itsfoss.com) and ensure that you run the `sudo dnf update` command before the next steps. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/fedora-rawhide-plm-setup-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/fedora-rawhide-plm-setup-2.png) Now, run the following command to get the Plasma Login Manager: ``` sudo dnf install plasma-login-manager kcm-plasmalogin ``` When prompted, enter your password. Verify the packages and OpenPGP keys, then type '*Y*' and hit *Enter* to accept. After that, run the following command to switch to the Plasma Login Manager: ``` sudo systemctl enable --force plasmalogin.service ``` ![this photo shows a purple-colored terminal with the sudo systemctl enable --force plasmalogin.service command output and the sudo reboot command entered](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/fedora-rawhide-plm-setup-3.png) And this one to reboot your computer: ``` sudo reboot ``` If everything goes well, you should be shown the new Plasma Login Manager screen post-boot. **For me, it didn't work** when I tried testing it on a virtual machine, so your mileage may vary. Anyhow, I like how Fedora is generally one of the first ones to adopt such new components, bringing us Linux users closer to the bleeding edge. Via: [Phoronix](https://www.phoronix.com/news/Fedora-44-KDE-To-Plasma-Login?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Best Linux Distributions Based on KDE*](https://itsfoss.com/best-kde-distributions/) [8 Best KDE Based Linux DistributionsKDE is one of the most customizable and fastest desktop environments out there. Here are some of the best distros that provide a KDE variant.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-192.png)It's FOSSAnkush Das![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/kde-distros.png)](https://itsfoss.com/best-kde-distributions/) ### Debian's Data Protection Team is No More, Maybe You Can Help? URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/debian-data-protection-team/ Last updated: 2026-01-12T06:15:05.000Z [Debian](https://www.debian.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a foundational project that powers a significant portion of modern IT infrastructure. It is everywhere, from servers running critical workloads to desktop systems and [derivatives](https://itsfoss.com/debian-based-distros/) like Ubuntu. And what keeps this project running smoothly are [Teams](https://tracker.debian.org/teams/?ref=itsfoss.com), lots of them. There are teams that handle package maintenance, infrastructure management, security updates, release engineering, and more. These specialized groups work together to ensure Debian remains stable, secure, and compliant with various legal requirements. Recently, Debian's Project Leader (DPL), [Andreas Tille](https://www.debian.org/vote/2025/platforms/tille?ref=itsfoss.com), put out a call for help. The Data Protection Team, which handled the project's privacy obligations, [is now defunct and needs volunteers](https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2026/01/msg00001.html?ref=itsfoss.com). ## New Hands Required All three appointed members of the Data Protection Team have stepped back from their roles. Andreas thanked Jonathan McDowell (*noodles*), Tollef Fog Heen (*tfheen*), and Matthew Vernon (*matthew*) for their years of service. The Data Protection Team has been around since 2018 to handle the changes brought about by European data protection legislation. The team drew up Debian's [privacy policy](https://www.debian.org/legal/privacy?ref=itsfoss.com), handled external queries about what personal data Debian holds, and advised project members on Debian's [data protection obligations](https://commission.europa.eu/law/law-topic/data-protection%5Fen?ref=itsfoss.com). They **served as a crucial point of contact** for individuals and organizations wanting to know how their information was being used or stored across Debian's many services. The new team will be expected to continue this work: maintaining and improving the existing privacy policy, working with teams that process personal data, and responding to data protection requests. Sadly, as of now, **no one has come forward to join the team**. Even a discussion surrounding this at last year's DebConf didn't prove fruitful, and all data protection inquiries are being sent to Andreas, [the DPL](https://www.debian.org/devel/leader?ref=itsfoss.com). Needless to say, he will be overburdened with all those requests if new people aren't brought in, seeing that [2026 looks to be a busy year for Linux](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-future-prediction-2026/). If you are a Debian developer interested in data protection and privacy, and want to help improve Debian's existing privacy policy while working with teams to handle data protection requests, reach out to Andreas at [*data-protection@debian.or*](mailto:data-protection@debian.org)g. Just **make sure you are** [**already a Debian Developer**](https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2026/01/msg00005.html?ref=itsfoss.com) **and ready for the commitment before reaching out**. The team will need people who can dedicate real time to handling sensitive privacy matters. If you are confident you're the right fit and have the bandwidth to give this proper attention, then go ahead and contact him! 🚧 Update: Matthew Vernon reached out to [clarify that only existing Debian Developers can volunteer for the data protection team](https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2026/01/msg00005.html?ref=itsfoss.com). --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [Here's Our Prediction for the Future of Desktop Linux in 2026](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-future-prediction-2026/) [Here’s Our Prediction for the Future of Desktop Linux in 2026Our take on the trends that will shape desktop Linux and open source in the year ahead.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-191.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-open-source-predictions-2026-2.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-future-prediction-2026/) ### Installing GitHub Desktop on Ubuntu Linux (Because I Like it) URL: https://itsfoss.com/install-github-desktop-ubuntu/ Last updated: 2026-01-06T14:53:08.000Z If you have ever felt intimidated by the Linux command line while trying to manage your code, you are not alone. While [Git](https://learnubuntu.com/install-git/?ref=itsfoss.com) is the backbone of modern software development, its terminal-based interface can be a steep learning curve for beginners. This is where [**GitHub Desktop**](https://github.com/apps/desktop?ref=itsfoss.com) comes in. It provides a beautiful, user-friendly graphical interface (GUI) that allows you to clone repositories, create branches, and commit changes with just a few clicks. In this guide, I'll show you how to install this powerful tool on Ubuntu using the most reliable methods. ![GitHub desktop](https://learnubuntu.com/content/images/2026/01/image-1.png) ## Two ways to install github desktop on Ubuntu One thing that confuses new users is why they can't just download GitHub Desktop from the main [GitHub website](https://desktop.github.com/download/?ref=itsfoss.com). The truth is that GitHub (the company) only officially supports Windows and macOS. However, because the app itself is open-source, a developer named **Brendan Forster (known as** [**ShiftKey**](https://github.com/shiftkey?ref=itsfoss.com)**)** created a "fork." He adapted the code to work perfectly on Linux. It is identical to the official version in every way, the same icons, the same logic, and the same security. It is so widely trusted that it has become the "unofficial official" version for the entire Linux community. Now, let's get started with the installation: ### Method 1: Using the APT Repository This is the recommended method for the majority of Ubuntu users. By adding the **ShiftKey** repository to your system, Ubuntu will treat GitHub Desktop like any other official app. This means when an update is released, your system will automatically download it for you. #### Step 1: Prepare Your System First, ensure your system is ready to receive new software. Open your terminal and type the following: ``` sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade ``` #### Step 2: Add the GPG Key Linux security requires "keys" to prove that the software you are downloading hasn't been tampered with. Use this command to add the repository key: ``` wget -qO - https://mirror.mwt.me/shiftkey-desktop/gpgkey | gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/mwt-desktop.gpg > /dev/null ``` #### Step 3: Add the Software Source Now, tell Ubuntu where to find the GitHub Desktop files by adding the repository to your list: ``` sudo sh -c 'echo "deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/mwt-desktop.gpg] https://mirror.mwt.me/shiftkey-desktop/deb/ any main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mwt-desktop.list' ``` #### Step 4: Install the App Finally, update your list one last time and install the app: ``` sudo apt update sudo apt install github-desktop ``` Once the process finishes, you can find the app in your "Show Applications" menu by searching for "GitHub." ### Method 2: Use the Flatpak Version If you want to keep your apps isolated for security, [Flatpak](https://itsfoss.com/flatpak-guide/) is excellent. Flatpaks are "sandboxed," meaning they bring their own helper files with them and don't touch your core system files. #### Step 1: Enable Flathub Flathub is the "App Store" where the Linux community hosts software. ``` flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo ``` #### Step 2: Install the App This command pulls in the **Freedesktop Platform** runtime (the foundation) and the app itself. ``` flatpak install flathub io.github.shiftey.Desktop ``` ## First-Time Launch: Authenticating Your Account ![GitHub desktop on Ubuntu](https://learnubuntu.com/content/images/2026/01/image.png) Once installed, find **GitHub Desktop** in your Applications menu. The first time you open it, you need to "Introduce" your computer to your GitHub account. 1. **Sign In:** Click "Sign in to GitHub.com." 2. **The Browser Handshake:** Your default browser (Firefox or Chrome) will open. Log in as usual. 3. **Authorize:** Click the green "Authorize Desktop" button. 4. **The Redirect:** A pop-up will ask if you want to allow the site to open a link. Click **"Allow"** or **"Open Link."** The app will now be logged in! ## How to Remove GitHub Desktop If you decide to go back to the command line or try another tool like VS Code, removing GitHub Desktop is a clean and simple process. ### Removing the APT Version If you used the first method, open your terminal and run: ``` sudo apt remove github-desktop ``` If you want to be extra thorough and remove the "keys" and "sources" we added earlier, run these two commands: ``` sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mwt-desktop.list sudo rm /etc/apt/keyrings/mwt-desktop.gpg ``` ### Removing the Flatpak Version If you used the second method, the removal is even shorter: ``` flatpak remove io.github.shiftey.Desktop ``` To reclaim the disk space used by the app's internal files, you can also run: `flatpak uninstall --unused` ## I Like Using GitHub Desktop I prefer having a visual history because, instead of squinting at scrolling text logs, I can actually see a clear timeline of my project’s changes. I also love that it eliminates syntax errors; I don't have to stress about remembering the exact flags for commands like `git commit -am "message"` since I can just type my note in a box and click a button. When it comes to conflict resolution, merging code from different developers can be a nightmare, but I’ve found that GitHub Desktop makes these conflicts much easier to spot and fix before they break anything. Additionally, the seamless integration is a huge win for me, as it connects directly to my GitHub account, making it incredibly simple to manage my private work or contribute to the open-source projects I care about. It's sad that GitHub Desktop is not officially available for Ubuntu but in Linux world, we (almost) always find a workaround. ### An X11 Thing! Your Favorite Middle-Click Paste is Likely to be Disabled in Future GNOME Releases URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-firefox-middle-click-paste-removal/ Last updated: 2026-01-06T11:51:14.000Z Jordan Petridis, a GNOME developer, [recently submitted proposals](https://mastodon.social/@alatiera/115832011216789958?ref=itsfoss.com) to both GNOME and Mozilla Firefox. Both aim to disable middle-click paste functionality by default and were sent in within days of each other. For GNOME, he opened [merge request #119](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gsettings-desktop-schemas/-/merge%5Frequests/119?ref=itsfoss.com) on the *gsettings-desktop-schemas* repository, saying that: > This is an X11ism, originally an xsetting [1](https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show%5Fbug.cgi?id=775844&ref=itsfoss.com) which frequently results is in unexpected behavior when people pressing the middle mouse button. > It's commonly used for other actions or more often getting clicked by accident, and dumping your entire clipboard while having no indication that this will happen is nothing short of a dumpster fire. He ended this with a bold sign-off, "***Goodbye X11***." The Firefox proposal was posted on [Phabricator](https://phabricator.services.mozilla.com/D277804?ref=itsfoss.com), outlining that the feature is little known and confuses users. Most of the time, people click the middle mouse button accidentally, having the clipboard dump content without any warning. Jordan further added that **the feature isn't discoverable at all**, and that [the Freedesktop wiki](https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/ClipboardsWiki/?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=The%20correct%20behavior%20can%20be%20summarized%20as%20follows%3A%20CLIPBOARD%20works%20just%20like%20the%20clipboard%20on%20Mac%20or%20Windows%3B%20it%20only%20changes%20on%20explicit%20cut/copy.%20PRIMARY%20is%20an%20%22easter%20egg%22%20for%20expert%20users%2C%20regular%20users%20can%20just%20ignore%20it%3B%20it%27s%20normally%20pastable%20only%20via%20middle%2Dmouse%2Dclick.) calls the `PRIMARY` selection an "*easter egg*" for expert users and suggests that regular users can just ignore it. ## My Two Cents I actually welcome this move. Being the clumsy Penguin I am, I have accidentally hit the middle mouse button more times than I can count. This usually happens to me when I am quickly switching between browser tabs and the file manager. Having random clipboard content suddenly appear is one thing. But imagine pasting sensitive material like passwords while livestreaming or sharing your screen. Not everyone watching has good intentions. **But there's another side to this**. Power users who have relied on middle-click paste for years won't be happy. The responses to these merge requests show many people still use this functionality. If these proposals get accepted, you can still re-enable the feature. For GNOME users, they can run this command: ``` gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface gtk-enable-primary-paste true ``` Alternatively, you can use [GNOME Tweaks](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-tweak-tool/) to toggle it through a familiar graphical interface if you prefer that. The final decisions rest with GNOME's design team and Mozilla's reviewers. **Neither project has approved the changes yet**. Until then, middle-click paste works exactly as it always has. [Install and Use GNOME Tweak Tool in Ubuntu and Other LinuxLearn to install GNOME Tweak too in Ubuntu. You’ll also learn how to use GNOME Tweaks to customize your Linux desktop.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-190.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/customise-ubuntu-with-gnome-tweaks.png)](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-tweak-tool/) ### 5 Linux Resolutions to Level Up Your Skills in 2026 URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/linux-resolutions-2026/ Last updated: 2026-01-05T16:28:20.000Z If you have been using Linux every day on your personal computer for a while, you reach a point where things feel... comfortable. You know how to install a distro. You are not scared of the terminal anymore. You may not remember every command out there, but you know how to figure out things. You understand [package managers](https://itsfoss.com/package-manager/), desktop environments, and probably basic troubleshooting. And then this question hits you: **what next?** In this article, I'll share five things Linux users should try in 2026 to level up. 🗒️ This article is mostly text format of my [latest YouTube video](https://youtu.be/PT8emqAIl7Y?si=ZpaPzYbTUhzAqwKH&ref=itsfoss.com). If you prefer videos, you can watch it here 👇 [Subscribe to It's FOSS YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@itsfoss?ref=itsfoss.com) ## First Resolution: Start a homelab (Even a small one) The single biggest upgrade you can give yourself as a desktop Linux user is running Linux as a server. I'm not talking about a rack or enterprise hardware. A spare laptop, an old PC, or a small single board computer like Raspberry Pi is more than enough for the beginning. ![A homelab running on an old laptop](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/image-6.png) My colleague Theena runs his homelab on an old Thinkapd Set it up as a [media server](https://itsfoss.com/media-server-software/), a photo backup system, a personal cloud, an ebook server, or even a small [self-hosted dashboard](https://itsfoss.com/homelab-dashboard/). These are just a [few simple tools to get started with your homelab](https://itsfoss.com/self-hosting-starting-projects/). To make things easier in the beginning, use a distro like [YunoHost](https://yunohost.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) or projects like [CasaOS](https://casaos.zimaspace.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) or [Umbrel](https://umbrel.com/?country=IN&ref=itsfoss.com) that let you easily deploy various services in just a click. Minimal configuration needed. ![YunoHost portal](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/portal_simple_dark.jpg) ### Why a homelab matters? Well, the first obvious benefit is the [control over your own data](https://itsfoss.com/news/digital-content-ownership-illusion/), but there is more. You start thinking about Linux in terms of services, uptime, storage, networking. You won't easily explore these things as a regular home user. This way, Linux turns into a new learning ground. Actually, I'm starting a new [YouTube channel called **Casual Homelabber**](https://www.youtube.com/@CasualHomelabber?ref=itsfoss.com), where I'll be sharing how I'm setting up my home lab as a beginner. Hopefully, it'll help you learn a few things as well. 📋 A simple homelab lets you control your data and also lets you explore a little bit of server side, networking etc. Casual desktop Linux users often don't get the opportunity to experience this aspect of Linux. ## Second Resolution: Learn Docker (Even just the basics) Home lab operating systems are great for starting, but sooner or later you will hit a limitation. This is where Docker comes in. After all, all those home lab operating systems run Docker underneath. You don't need to become a Docker expert. Not that you cannot become one, but you don't need it. You should know the absolute basics, like what a container is, what Docker images are, what a Docker volume is, how Docker Compose works, et cetera. Just the basics. [Learn Docker: Complete Beginner’s CourseCovers all the essentials of the Docker. Perfect for anyone who wants to get started with Docker containerization. The course goes in the hands-on mode by showing examples of what you’ll be doing instead of dwelling in theory.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/Linux-Handbook-New-Logo-7.png)Linux HandbookAbdullah Tarek![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/learn-docker-1.webp)](https://linuxhandbook.com/courses/docker/?ref=itsfoss.com) ### Why does learning Docker matter? Here is a real example why you should be doing this. I was [using ZimaBoard 2](https://itsfoss.com/news/zimaboard-2-review-2/) with ZimaOS. The [Jellyfin server](https://jellyfin.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) deployed from the ZimaOS App Store could not use the GPU and was taking 100 percent of CPU while transcoding 4K media. So after going through forums and suggestions, I edited the [Docker Compose file](https://linuxhandbook.com/docker-compose-quick-start/?ref=itsfoss.com) and fixed the issue all on my own. That's the power of Docker knowledge. Once you understand Docker, you are no longer locked into CasaOS or Umbrel. You can deploy self-hosted software on any Linux distro. Bottom line, Docker is still a recommended skill for Linux users in 2026\. And I have plans for a hands-on Docker tutorial series written specifically for desktop users. If you are a [FOSS Weekly newsletter](https://itsfoss.com/newsletter/) subscriber, you'll be notified when it is available. 📋 With Docker, you won't be dependent on Homelab specific operating systems. You can self-host multiple services with Docker on any Linux distro. ## Third Resolution: Build a Linux-powered smart home Smart devices are cheaper and more common than ever. Most people go with Amazon Alexa and Google Home. That is comfortable, but you never know how your data is being misused by them. As a Linux user, you have an alternative in the form of [Home Assistant](https://www.home-assistant.io/?ref=itsfoss.com). With Home Assistant, your data stays local. Automations run even without internet, and different brands (not necessarily) could work together from a single app. Now, don't go all in for a smart home. Start small. Experiment with smart plugs, motion sensors, or inexpensive smart bulbs. Do keep in mind to buy devices that are compatible with Home Assistant. Check the official website or ask in forums if you have doubts. ![Adding tapo device to Home Assitant](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/adding-tapo-device-home-assistant.webp) I have added Tapo smart plugs to my Home Assistant install In my case, I have [Tapo or TP-Link smart devices](https://amzn.to/4sFRMie?ref=itsfoss.com) (Amazon link) that work well with Home Assistant. 💡 If the smart device or appliance follows [Matter protocol](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matter%5F%28standard%29?ref=itsfoss.com), it should work with Home Assistant. Other devices may or may not work so please look for their compatibility on [Home Assistant website](https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/?brands=featured&ref=itsfoss.com). If you have doubts, please ask in [their community forum](https://community.home-assistant.io/?ref=itsfoss.com). ### Why smart home? The smart home automation will help you explore networking basics, service integrations, APIs, and automation logic. More than anything, it's incredibly satisfying when you take control of your smart home — just as you take control of your system, your computer with Linux. 📋 We are in 2026\. Automation and smart devices are not the future anymore. But you don't want a 'smart device' to smartly gather data on you. Using Home Assistant is not that complicated so start small and see if this is something you can handle. ## Fourth Resolution: Go deeper with kernels and system performance Most desktop Linux users never touch the kernel, and that's fine. But if you want to understand Linux deeply, try kernel-level experiments. Try [compiling a kernel yourself](https://itsfoss.com/compile-linux-kernel/), installing a custom kernel, benchmarking before and after, you know, those kinds of things. I advise doing this on a spare system rather than making your main system your testing ground. You can try [Liquorix kernel](https://itsfoss.com/liquorix-kernel/) and other low-latency or performance-focused kernels for this purpose. Compare their boot times, responsiveness, gaming, or workload performance, et cetera. ### Why experiment with kernel? You will start to understand what those kernel flags, schedulers, and other stuff actually do and what they mean. This is a good learning opportunity. 📋 Exploring kernels helps you understand the lowlevel stuff you probably never cared about. ## Fifth Resolution: Learn System-Level Programming or eBPF ![eBPF and system programming](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/01/ebpf-system-programming-book.webp) If you want to reach the core of Linux, you have to go lower. I suggest either system programming or [eBPF](https://ebpf.io/?ref=itsfoss.com). **eBPF** is relatively new and [trending these days](https://ebpf.foundation/new-state-of-ebpf-report-explores-how-modern-infrastructure-teams-are-building-on-kernel-level-programmability/?ref=itsfoss.com). It lets you observe and interact with the Linux kernel without modifying it. There are a [whole bunch of eBPF tools](https://itsfoss.com/ebpf-sysadmin-tools/) used for performance analysis, networking, and system monitoring. While this is more industry-oriented, curious desktop users should not deter from learning eBPF. **System programming**, on the other hand, is evergreen. It teaches you how Linux actually works under the hood. Processes, memory, syscalls, you know, all those things you might have come across in passing. Even basic exposure will transform how you think about a slow Linux system or bugs and issues. 📋 Learning either of the modern eBPF or evergreen system programming helps you understand how things move at the lower level. After you have explored kernel compilation, this could be the next challenge. ## Bonus Resolution: Try an Immutable Linux Distro Sixth? Yes, I added an extra for people who want to stay in the comfort of desktop Linux. You can still challenge yourself by trying an [immutable distro like NixOS](https://itsfoss.com/immutable-linux-distros/). Now, [NixOS](https://nixos.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is not for everyone, as you have a steep learning curve here, but it could be a good challenge for you in 2026. We have a [NixOS tutorial series](https://itsfoss.com/tag/nix-os/). It was written two years ago, but it should still help you out. If you think It's FOSS is doing a great work, please support us by opting for a Plus membership. ****You also get 5 eBooks on Linux, Docker and Bash scripting**. Our lifetime membership option is available for $89 (instead of $149). This special price is applicable until 1st week of 2026 only. [Lifetime Membership at $89 (instead of $149) ](https://buy.stripe.com/fZeaI16cKgEfcfK3cc?ref=itsfoss.com) ## Final Thoughts If you have already crossed the Linux beginner stage, the next step is building, breaking, fixing, and understanding. Again, these are just suggestions. See what suits your interest and how much free time you have. Start small. See what you already have. Don't start splurging money on devices, gadgets, disks, RAMs (of course). Now, I want to know what resolution you have as a Linux user. What you would like to do in 2026\. Please share it in the comments. ### First Good News of 2026! COCOS 4 Game Engine Goes Open Source URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/cocos-4-game-engine/ Last updated: 2026-01-06T03:42:17.000Z [COCOS](https://www.cocos.com/en?ref=itsfoss.com) is a cross-platform game development platform popular in Asian markets, known for lightweight mobile and in-app games. Earlier in November 2025, [it was acquired](https://en.prnasia.com/releases/apac/sud-fully-acquires-cocos-511457.shtml?ref=itsfoss.com) by Chinese gamification giant [SUD](https://www.sud.tech/en?ref=itsfoss.com) for $72 million. Just two months after that, SUD [has now announced](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cocos-4-is-here-fully-open-source-302652264.html?ref=itsfoss.com) that COCOS 4 is available under **the MIT license**, with all commercial restrictions removed. **The engine and editor have been separated**. Previously, *Cocos Creator* referred to both components together across versions *1.x*, *2.x*, and *3.x*. COCOS now means the engine only, and the number 4 denotes the latest release number. On the other hand, **PinK** is the new standalone IDE for COCOS. It will work as a production pipeline with built-in Agents and most visual-focused features from Cocos Creator will move to PinK over time. The open source release for COCOS comes with the engine core, cross-platform code, [COCOS CLI](https://github.com/cocos/cocos-cli?ref=itsfoss.com), and full IDE headless mode. Cross-platform code covers all native platforms, with mini-game platform support rolling out gradually. Core editing functions from the original Cocos Creator are transitioning to Headless Mode. These will be accessible via CLI and become part of the engine core. SUD has set **no direct commercialization targets for COCOS 4** (*read: will it make them money?*). They say that their focus is on reaching more developers and creating more game content critical to SUD's long-term business growth. The open source approach was picked as **it was the fastest path to AI-native functionality**. The main argument is that AI can better understand open code and guide the engine to evolve in AI-friendly directions. Pull requests are another goal. More PRs bring more developers. More developers make the engine stronger, basically like a [feedback loop](https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/feedback-loop?ref=itsfoss.com). Global reach is yet another focus, where the COCOS team wants both game developers and AI developers worldwide to be brought into a unified open source game engine ecosystem. ## Development Direction COCOS 4 builds on *Cocos Creator 3.x* with forward compatibility, and it follows [SemVer](https://semver.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) rules, keeping a minimum six-month window between deprecating something and removing it. **The developers are focusing on some key areas to take COCOS forward**. AI features come first. New stuff will ship as MCPs or Agents rather than traditional libraries. The engine is getting lighter and faster to run on any device with a screen. Cross-platform support is expanding to Steam and other platforms. Old bugs like the [Spine](https://esotericsoftware.com/?ref=itsfoss.com)\-related one are getting fixed, and performance improvements target things like rich text and lists. Moreover, developers can modify any part of the engine code. They can even build an entirely new engine based on COCOS 4 if it suits them. If you are interested, then you will find the source code and necessary documentation for COCOS 4 on its [GitHub](https://github.com/cocos/cocos4?ref=itsfoss.com) repository. [COCOS 4](https://github.com/cocos/cocos4?ref=itsfoss.com) --- **Suggested Read 📖:** [*Godot 4.5 Release Brings Accessibility Features, Shader Baker, and Stencil Buffer Support*](https://itsfoss.com/news/godot-4-5-release/) [Godot 4.5 Release Brings Accessibility Features, Shader Baker, and Stencil Buffer SupportA fresh Godot release for you to go through.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-186.png)It's FOSSSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/godot-4-5-release-banner.png)](https://itsfoss.com/news/godot-4-5-release/) ### What Is Liquorix Kernel? Should You Use It? URL: https://itsfoss.com/liquorix-kernel/ Last updated: 2026-01-08T14:44:44.000Z If you’ve spent some time in Linux forums, you’ve probably heard people say, "If your games are stuttering, just switch to the Liquorix kernel." But if you're like most users, your first thought is probably: "What on earth is a Liquorix kernel, and why is it better than what I already have?" Let me explain it to you in slightly simpler terms. ## If kernels were like engines Think of the Linux kernel as the **engine of a car**. It decides how power is delivered when you press the accelerator. A standard distribution kernel is like a **factory-tuned engine**: smooth, conservative, and built to handle all kinds of driving conditions reliably. When you press the pedal, it responds gradually, balancing performance, fuel efficiency, and long-term durability. This makes it ideal for servers and everyday systems where stability and predictability matter more than instant punch. The **Liquorix kernel**, on the other hand, is a **performance-tuned engine**. It’s tuned for sharper throttle response, meaning the moment an app, game, or your mouse movement asks for power, the system reacts immediately. Background tasks still run, but they don’t steal power from what you’re actively doing. The trade-off is slightly higher power usage and less conservative behavior, but in return you get a system that feels fast, smooth, and responsive, especially noticeable in gaming, multimedia, and interactive workloads. Enough analogy. Let's get a bit technical. If you think It's FOSS is doing a great work, please support us by opting for a Plus membership. ****You also get 5 eBooks on Linux, Docker and Bash scripting**. Our lifetime membership option is available for $89 (instead of $149). This special price is applicable until 5th January. [Lifetime Membership at $89 (instead of $149) ](https://buy.stripe.com/fZeaI16cKgEfcfK3cc?ref=itsfoss.com) ## What is Liquorix kernel? [Liquorix](https://liquorix.net/?ref=itsfoss.com) is an enthusiast Linux kernel designed for **uncompromised responsiveness**. It uses Zen Interactive Tuning, which is designed to enhance the kernel's responsiveness at the cost of throughput and power usage, making it ideal for gaming and multimedia applications. The main reason you would want to use Liquorix is responsiveness. It also actively tracks the latest stable kernel release. ## Why choose Liquorix kernel? In a standard setup, if your computer is busy doing something heavy (like rendering a video in the background), your mouse might start to feel "heavy" or laggy. Liquorix changes the rules. It tells the computer: "If the user moves the mouse or clicks a button, drop everything else and handle that right now." You’ll notice the difference if: - **You're a Gamer:** It reduces "frame-time jitter." This means your FPS might not go up, but the game feels smoother because the frames are delivered more steadily. - **You do Audio/Video Work:** It handles high-intensity tasks without the "pops" and "clicks" often found in standard kernels. - **You have an older PC:** It can make a struggling laptop feel "lighter" and more responsive during multitasking. - **A Multitasker:** If you keep 50 browser tabs open while Discord and Spotify are running, Liquorix keeps the switching smooth. ## How does Liquoris give a better performance than the default kernel? Here are the features that make Liquorix kernel 'better' for some usage: - **PDS process scheduler:** A specialized "manager" for your CPU that is specifically built for gaming, multimedia, and real-time tasks. - **1000Hz tick rate:** Most kernels check for tasks 250 times a second; Liquorix checks 1,000 times. This makes scheduling incredibly precise and reduces jitters. - **Hard kernel preemption:** This is the most aggressive way to ensure a background task never "hogs" the CPU when you are trying to use an app. - **TCP BBR2 congestion control:** A fancy way of saying it handles internet traffic better, often guaranteeing higher speeds and less congestion than the default "Cubic" setting. - **Compressed Swap (zswap):** Instead of slowing down when you run out of RAM, Liquorix compresses that data with LZ4, making the "emergency memory" much faster. ## Benchmark tests tell you the truth: it's not for everyone It is a common myth that custom zen kernels magically give you 20% more speed. They don't. Because Liquorix focuses so much on your clicks and games, it actually sacrifices "throughput", meaning heavy code compiling or massive file transfers might take a little longer. To help you decide, here is [how the two kernels compare in everyday desktop scenarios](https://openbenchmarking.org/result/2412205-PTS-LIQUORIX70?ref=itsfoss.com): | Test Type | Standard Kernel | Liquorix Kernel | | ----------------------- | ------------------- | ------------------------ | | App Opening Speed | Good | Slightly Snappier | | Gaming (Max FPS) | Baseline | Same or 1-2% lower | | Gaming (Frame Drops) | Occasional stutters | Much smoother/consistent | | System "Lag" under load | Noticeable | Minimal | I did not do this benchmarking. It was done by [Phoronix](https://www.phoronix.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), the web-portal famous for deep-dive Linux hardware testing. In raw "throughput" tests, like how fast a computer can compress a massive file, the standard kernel often wins. This is because the standard kernel is focused on finishing a single heavy job as fast as possible. However, **Liquorix wins on interactivity.** Think of it this way: the standard kernel is like a heavy-duty truck that can carry a massive load at 100 mph but is slow to react when you turn the wheel. Liquorix is like a nimble sports car; it might carry less, but it reacts instantly the moment you touch the controls. ## Installing Liquorix Double warning coming up. 🚧 Liquorix does not support ****Secure Boot** out of the box. If your computer refuses to boot after installation, you will need to disable Secure Boot in your BIOS/UEFI settings. Always keep your old kernel installed as a backup. If something goes wrong, you can select "Advanced Options" at the [GRUB boot menu](https://itsfoss.com/no-grub-windows-linux/) and switch back to your original "Generic" kernel in seconds. The best part about Liquorix is that you don't have to be a terminal wizard to install it. It provides an automated script that does the heavy lifting for you. 🚧 If you are not familiar with these things, please don't try this on your main system. **For Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and Debian,** Open your terminal and run this single command: ``` curl -s 'https://liquorix.net/install-liquorix.sh' | sudo bash ``` **For Arch Linux**, If you are an Arch user (or use EndeavourOS), it is available in the [AUR (Arch User Repository)](https://itsfoss.com/aur-arch-linux/#what-is-aur): ``` yay -S linux-lqx linux-lqx-headers ``` ## There are some (more) downsides to using the Liquorix kernel Because Liquorix makes the CPU "check-in" on your mouse and keyboard much more interactive, it comes with some trade-offs: 1. **Battery Life:** On laptops, you might lose 5–10% of your battery life because the CPU stays "awake" more often. 2. **Heat:** Your PC might run a tiny bit warmer during simple tasks. ## Wrapping up Choosing a kernel always comes down to a simple trade-off: **Stability vs. Responsiveness.** If you are a regular desktop user, software developer or someone who uses their computer as a server, the standard "Generic" kernel is your best bet. It is built to finish heavy, long-running jobs as quickly as possible and handles massive "throughput" with ease. However, if you are a s**ystem tweaker, a gamer, or a content creator**, Liquorix is arguably the single best upgrade you can give your system without buying new hardware. By prioritizing your mouse, keyboard, and active windows over background tasks, it removes those tiny "micro-stutters" that make a computer feel old or sluggish. I hope I was able to make things a bit more clear and now you have a slightly better understanding of Liquorix kernel. Please leave your feedback in the comment section. _Includes the latest 500 public posts. Use `/sitemap.xml` for the complete archive of public content._