FOSS Weekly #24.20: Linux Kernel 6.9, SnowflakeOS, Nvidia GPU Handling and More

It seems NixOS is the new Arch Linux. It's the latest craze among the more advanced Linux users and now it is getting derivatives distros as well.

We focused on SnowflakeOS which seems to be a beginner-friendly Nix derivative:

SnowflakeOS: NixOS in a Frosty Package

NixOS, but more? Try this!

It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra

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

• Qualcomm embracing Linux.
• A new Fedora Asahi Remix release.
• Finding the fastest mirrors on Arch Linux.
• Decoding the PPAs (yes, they are still a thing)
• U.K. open-sourcing their AI Safety Evaluation tool
• And other Linux news, videos and, of course, memes!
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📰 Linux news

• Passkey support has debuted on Bitwarden mobile.
• OpenAI is rumored to be launching an AI-powered search engine soon.
• Qualcomm has embraced Linux, with work going on in full swing to improve support.
• Proton Pass has a new feature to alert you of password leaks and weaknesses.
• Fedora Asahi Remix 40 was introduced with many important improvements.
• The U.K. has open-sourced its AI Safety Regulation tool for everyone to use and build upon.

A new non-LTS kernel has arrived in the form of Linux kernel 6.9:

Linux Kernel 6.9 Release is All About Fixing Things

A not-so-interesting, but useful upgrade.

It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra

🧠 What we’re thinking about

Is Ubuntu's Flutter push jeopardized?

Google Layoffs Injects Doubt into Ubuntu’s Flutter Investment

Knock Knock, who’s there? Google?

It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra

🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials and More

This guide will make you a master at handling PPAs:

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.

It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash

Facing slower package updates on Arch Linux? You can change that:

Finding the Fastest Arch Linux Mirrors

Two ways to find the fastest Arch Linux mirrors. Check them out here!

It's FOSSSagar Sharma

Sharing my recent experiments with Nvidia graphics card in a hybrid setup.

Switching Between Intel and Nvidia Graphics Cards on Ubuntu

Got a system with two graphics cards, Intel and Nvidia? Learn how you can switch between the two.

It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash

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📹 What we are creating for you

Here's a quick video on how to install Chrome graphically on Ubuntu 24.04.

✨ Project highlights

Surfshark VPN has a neat GUI app for Linux. We checked it out:

Testing the Surfshark VPN App on Linux

Europe-based VPN service Surfshark provides a native GUI client for desktop Linux. Let me share my experience with it.

It's FOSSAnkush Das

How about a paid, open-source Android app that handles file encryption for you?

A Paid Open-Source Android App for Cloud Storage Security

Paying a premium is not always a bad thing.

It's FOSS NewsAnkush Das

🧩 New quiz

This quiz will test your knowledge of open-source privacy tools.

Know The Best Open-Source Privacy Tools

Do you utilize open-source tools for privacy?

It's FOSSAnkush Das

💡 Quick handy tip

In GNOME, you can read the man pages using GUI Yelp. For this, use the command:

yelp man:<command>

This also supports following links.

🤣 Meme of the week

It is an unforgettable experience for many. What about you?

🗓️ Tech Trivia

May 11, 1997, marked the day when a computer managed to defeat a chess champion; it was IBM's Deep Blue that did the job.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 FOSSverse corner

One of our FOSSers is not happy with the various variations in network configuration across distros.

Frustration with inconsistency

I LOATHE how many bewildering variations there are across distros - and - versions - for something as SIMPLE as IP address configuration… e.g. on Raspbian Stretch (Debian 9) the LAN / ethernet address is set in : /etc/dhcpcd.conf On RHEL8 and earlier (including CentOS and Oracle) it’s : /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-$NIC-device In “some” Ubuntu 18 server (and later) instances it’s in a YAML file in /etc/netplan/ (but not on desktops!) - e.g. /etc/netplan/01-netconfig.yaml… In syste…

It's FOSS Communitydaniel.m.tripp

Pro FOSSer Xander lays out a very compelling thread for people who are still on the fence about switching to open-source alternatives.

“Why should I switch to open source, while XYZ is so much better?!”

So, some people may be on the fence about moving to open source software, especially open source operating systems. Sometimes even downright hostile to the idea. I’m going to talk about the hostile crowd. They may provide arguments such as: OSS is of less quality than proprietary software. OSS operating systems are insecure because the source is out there. I’m using specialized software X, there exist no alternatives for the software I use. My software is unsupported by hardware vendor X. The…

It's FOSS Communityxahodo

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Enjoy using Linux 😄