Linux Action News

Linux Action News

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Linux Action News episodes

  • Linux Action News 49

    ZFS' first data loss bug comers to Linux, GameMode could have some serious potential, and Mozilla thinks the Internet is in bad shape.

    Plus new research shows Android OEMs are lying about their patch levels, Lineage goes hard on "Play certification" and we have thoughts on all of it.

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    • GameMode is a new tool to optimize CPU performance
    — GameMode is an open-source tool intended to deliver the best performance out of their Linux games. GameMode does handy things like tells the CPU to automatically run in the performance governor mode rather than ondemand/powersave modes. GameMode consists of a daemon (gamemoded) and a library (libgamemode) so that games can tell the daemon when they would like to be put into performance mode, etc.GameMode currently relies upon systemd.
  • ZFS data loss bug patched
    • — ZFS On Linux 0.7.8 is now available as an emergency release to deal with a possible data loss issue. The past few days there has been a busy bug report about unlistable and disappearing files.
  • Mozilla thinks the Internet isn't in a great shape
    • — the Mozilla Foundation released a report that highlights the dangers posed to the entirety of the Internet ecosystem by the increasing concentration of control over how people experience the online world in the hands of companies like his.
  • Some Android OEMs lying about patch level
    • — The problem, Nohl points out, is worse than vendors merely neglecting to patch older devices, a common phenomenon. Instead, it's that they tell users they install patches that they in fact don't, creating a false sense of security.
  • Lineage on Google Play Certification
    • — Google Play Certification is Google’s way of ensuring that devices running with Google Play Services are in a known-good state. This is implemented via checking of SafetyNet, which you can read more about in our SafetyNet blogpost.
    29 min
  • Linux Action News 48

    The Linux kernel gets a spring cleaning, things are going well for RISC-V, and Linux-Libre is clearly prioritizing freedom over security with their recent update.

    Steam Machines were pronounced dead and then alive this week, we'll try and clear things up, and Mozilla has a new project.

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    • Linux kernel to remove several old CPU architectures
    — The architectures which will become deprecated are Blackfin, CRIS, FRV, M32R, Metag, MN10300, Score and Tile. Although not being deprecated, the Unicore32 and Hexagon architectures are also at risk but their maintainers are working on improving the situation so their support can be continued.
  • RISC-V Support Continues Maturing Within The Mainline Linux Kernel
    • — Linux 4.17 kernel include support for dynamic ftrace, clean-ups to their atomic and locking code, module loading support is now enabled by default, and other fixes.
  • Save money using RISC-V rather than Arm
    • — According to a report published last week by The Information, more than 80 tech goliaths including Nvidia, Google, Qualcomm, Samsung and Tesla are working to adopt RISC-V technology. The main reason behind the push to adopt RISC-V is said to be the processor's open-source design, which will facilitate "a much cheaper way to build chips for new technologies like autonomous vehicles," says the source.
  • Debian now supports RISC-V
    • — We've been working in the last few weeks to do a (second) boostrap of
    Debian for RISC-V, and after a few weeks of hard work it is now
    bootstrapped and has been imported into the Debian infrastructure,
  • Linux-Libre prioritises freedom over security
    • — One of their new changes on top of this deblobbed kernel is dropping error messages that suggest users update their CPU micrcode.
  • Steam Machines disappear from Valve's site
    • — Steam Machines no longer show up under the drop-down menu for "Hardware" on the main Steam store page. Promotional language and images for Steam Machines were also previously featured prominently on a hardware-focused landing page on the store (archived version), but that page now redirects to a simple search results page for the store's "hardware" category.
  • Steam Machines aren't dead yet
    • — We've taken a lot of feedback and have been heads-down on addressing the shortcomings we observed.
  • TOR Messenger discontinued
    • — “The adoption of Tor Messenger was low and the real need is for metadata-free alternatives"
  • Mozilla Brings Firefox to Augmented and Virtual Reality
    • — We believe that the future of the web will be heavily intertwined with virtual and augmented reality, and that future will live through browsers. That’s why we’re building Firefox Reality, a new kind of web browser that has been designed from the ground up to work on stand-alone virtual and augmented reality (or mixed reality) headsets.
    23 min
  • Linux Action News 47

    ChromeOS comes to tablets, and we ponder why... Google removes Kodi from autocomplete results in an apparent bow to pressure, Firefox combats Facebook tracking, and Oracle vs Google is back for their biggest fight yet.

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    • ChromeOS now on tablets
    — The new Acer Chromebook Tab 10 is a 9.7 inch tablet that runs Google’s Chrome operating system, supports Android apps, and has no keyboard
  • The final nail in the Firefox OS coffin
    • — the Firefox Marketplace is shutting down on March 30th, 2018, which means the handful of folks who actually have devices running Firefox OS won’t be able to download apps from the official app store after that.
  • Google removes Kodi from autocomplete
    • — C: 30NEWS
    Google has banned the term "Kodi" from the autocomplete feature of its search engine. This means that the popular software and related suggestions won't appear unless users type out the full term. Google has previously taken similar measures against "pirate" related terms and confirms that Kodi is targeted because it's "closely associated with copyright infringement."
  • Facebook Container for Firefox
    • — Prevent Facebook from tracking you around the web. The Facebook Container extension for Firefox helps you take control and isolate your web activity from Facebook.
  • Firefox Multi-Account Containers
  • Oracle vs Google case not dead
    • — The Federal Circuit has ruled for a second time in Oracle v. Google, the software copyright lawsuit over Google’s Android platform. The new decision reverses the district court yet again and sends the case back for a third trial to determine damages for Oracle. In the last trial, Oracle sought almost $9 billion in damages.
  • Microsoft facilitating yet more distros on WSL
    • — This sample allows distro maintainers to build WSL distro packages for the Microsoft Store and developers to create custom Linux distro packages for sideloading.  You can find the distro launcher repo on GitHub.
    29 min
  • Linux Action News 46

    webOS is back, and the Linux Foundation has a Hypervisor for your car. Plus some of GNOME's performance issues, Firefox changes, and the hidden files in Bitcoin's blockchain.

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    • LG releases webOS Open Source Edition, looks to expand webOS usage
    — LG wants to expand the adoption of webOS and the company is working with the South Korean government to solicit business proposals from other companies interested in using webOS.
  • The Linux Foundation Announces an Open Source Reference Hypervisor Project Designed for IoT Device Development
    • — ACRN is comprised of two main components: the hypervisor and its device model
  • Linux Foundation backs new ‘ACRN’ hypervisor for embedded and IoT
  • GNOME Shell memory leak
    • — A number of Ubuntu users have reported that GNOME Shell 3.26.2, the version used in Ubuntu 17.10, has a “sneaky leak” that causes GNOME Shell’s memory usage to increase every minute following a Shell animation
  • A GNOME performance bug fixed
    • — So, how can something as simple as updating the displayed time cause such a large increase in the time required to draw a frame?
  • Firefox Master Password System Has Been Poorly Secured for the Past 9 Years
    • — For at past nine years, Mozilla has been using an insufficiently strong encryption mechanism for the "master password" feature.
  • Questionable changes coming to Firefox DNS queries
    • — Nightly build fans' hostname lookups piped to Cloudflare in limited security feature trial
  • Firefox plan to start blocking ads
    • — Mozilla intends to add basic ad filtering capabilities to its Firefox browser later this year, according to its recently updated roadmap.
  • Bitcoin blockchain contains more than transaction data
    • — Boffins warn of legal risks from arbitrary data distribution
  • CryptoGraffiti - Bitcoin Blockchain Messages as Text
    • 30 min
  • Linux Action News 45

    Gnome's new tricks, our favorite thing about the Raspberry Pi 3B+, Eric Raymond's call for an open source UPS, and the US city that banned Bitcoin mining.

    Plus Let's Encrypt rolls out wildcard certs, Firefox 59's new Linux feature, and why Wil Wheaton switched to Debian.

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    • GNOME 3.28 Released
    — One major new feature for this release is automatic downloading of operating systems in Boxes, which takes the work out of creating and running virtual machines – just pick the operating system that you want to create a virtual machine of, and Boxes will now download and install it for you.
  • GNOME 3.28 Release Notes
  • Firefox 59 released
    • — We launched an entirely new engine in November, made significant improvements to graphics rendering in January, and are continuing to post performance gains and add features with this release. On Firefox for desktop, we’ve improved page load times, added tools to annotate and crop your Firefox Screenshots, and made it easier to arrange your Top Sites on the Firefox Home page. On Firefox for Android, we’ve added support for sites that stream video using the HLS protocol.
  • Firefox is a Snap
  • Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+
    • — Alongside a 200MHz increase in peak CPU clock frequency, we have roughly three times the wired and wireless network throughput, and the ability to sustain high performance for much longer periods.
  • US city bans new Bitcoin mining
    • — Plattsburgh, New York has imposed an 18-month moratorium on Bitcoin mining to prevent miners from using all the city’s cheap electricity.
  • Let’s Encrypt rolls out wildcard certs
    • — Free "wildcard" certificates to enable secure HTTP connections for entire domains. In addition to a new version of the Automated Certificate Management Environment (ACME) protocol, an interface that can be used by a variety of client software packages to automate verification of certificate requests.
  • TechSNAP Episode 359
  • Eric Raymond's open source UPS
    • — Last week, ESR opened up the work-in-progress on GitLab: the Upside project is currently defining requirements and developing a specification for a “high quality UPS that can be built from off-the-shelf parts in any reasonably well-equipped makerspace or home electronics shop”.
  • Wil Wheaton runs Linux
    • — But about a week ago, something went wrong. Everything started slowing down like crazy, Chrome just quit working entirely, and even Firefox ran so slow, I felt like I was using a 386.
    26 min
  • Linux Action News 44

    OpenWatch is trying to free your wrist and empower modular smart watches, Fedora's solution to the IoT mess, and more AMP shenanigans from Google to take over the web.

    Debian and Kali land on Windows 10's Linux Subsystem, and Noah joins Chris from SCaLE16x

    Special Guest: Noah J. Chelliah.

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    • OpenWatch
    — Modular smartphone and smartwatch devices may be a niche idea, but it’s one that has a lot of passionate people behind it. The process of having to buy a brand new device just to upgrade or replace a single component feels very archaic. Unless you’re willing to pry apart a device yourself (or pay someone to do it), you’re forced to purchase a brand new device when something inside of it breaks.
  • Fedora IoT Edition
    • — So what will be happening over the coming weeks (and months)? We’ll be getting the working group in place, getting an initial monthly release process in place so that people can start to have something to kick the tires with and provide feedback and drive discussion.
  • More AMP tyranny from Google
    • — Google’s goal is to extend support in features like the Top Stories carousel to AMP-like content that (1) meets a set of performance and user experience criteria and (2) implements a set of new web standards. Some of the proposed standards in the critical path are Feature Policy, Web Packaging, iframe promotion, Performance Timeline, and Paint Timing.
  • ​GitHub makes open-source project licensing easier with an open-source program | ZDNet
    • — GitHub has open sourced Licensed, an internal tool they've used to automate some of GitHub's open-source projects licensing process.
  • Debian & Kali Linux Are Now On Windows Subsystem for Linux
    • — Joining Kali, Ubuntu, SUSE, and openSUSE on Windows WSL now is also Debian Linux.
  • SCALE 16x Report
    • — SCaLE 16X – the 16th annual Southern California Linux Expo. Pasadena Convention Center.
    22 min
  • Linux Action News 43

    Developers are the new gold rush for OEMs and selling Linux is their way to get you to buy. Purism takes big steps to make their laptops more secure, the Linux kernel is ready for lockdown mode, and the new uses for Sailfish just might surprise you.

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    • Sailfish 3 and feature phones
    — Sailfish OS development never stops, not even for legacy devices. Sailfish 3 will be rolled out in phases during Q3/2018 for all licensees and customers.
  • Crostini - Linux App via Containers on ChromeOS
    • — In other words, the Crostini/Terminal feature could be to Chrome OS what the Windows Subsystem for Linux is for Windows 10: a way that developers, power users, and Linux enthusiasts can run native Linux software on a device that’s not running a traditional Linux distribution.
  • Sailfish OS v3 will be on "feature phones"
    • — It’s also coming to 4G-enabled feature phones.
  • Microsoft and Canonical collaborate on Ubuntu VMs
    • — With only 3 mouse clicks, users will be able to get an Ubuntu VM running that offers clipboard functionality, drive redirection, and much more.
  • Purism makes their laptops more secure
    • — As part of our goal to improve security we are excited to announce that we have successfully integrated Heads into our TPM-enabled coreboot-running Librem laptops.
  • Kernel secure boot lock down
    • — Among the further restrictions that would be placed on the Linux kernel when running with UEFI Secure Boot enabled is blocking access to kernel module parameters that end up dealing with hardware settings, blocking access to some areas of /dev that could manipulate the kernel or hardware state, etc.
  • More Linux On Galaxy hype
    • — Linux is installed as an “app” on Android, and when launched it shares the same Linux kernel powering Android.
    24 min
  • Linux Action News 42

    Open Source salvation from Android and iOS gets closer this week, an update on Ubuntu's metrics collection, and huge news for Signal and RISC-V Linux fans.

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    • LineageOS 15.1 is finally here
    — We’ve been working hard these months to get this new version available; the changes that were done in upstream (AOSP) are huge: Project Treble changed the way hardware is managed in Android, so all the OEM-abandoned platforms that are supported by Lineage had to be adapted for the new platform.
  • XDA article
  • Unity 8 running on 18.04
  • Ubuntu metrics collection will be opt-in when upgrading to 18.04
    • — ”Upgrading users would need to purposely “opt-in” to this behaviour, as that wasn’t
    explicitly asked in the past.
  • Collecting user data while protecting user privacy
    • — The technique varies a lot in exactly how it’s applied, but the basic concept is that for any question, there’s a random chance that the answerer should lie in their response.
  • Signal Foundation is born thanks to $50M from WhatsApp co-founder
    • — Today, we are launching the Signal Foundation, an emerging 501(c)(3) nonprofit created and made possible by Brian Acton, the co-founder of WhatsApp, to support, accelerate, and broaden Signal’s mission of making private communication accessible and ubiquitous.
  • First RISC-V board available to pre-order
    • — HiFive Unleashed is the ultimate RISC-V developer board. Featuring the world’s first and only Linux-capable, multi-core, RISC-V processor – the Freedom U540 – the HiFive Unleashed ushers in a brand new era for RISC-V.
  • HiFive Unleashed launch FOSDEM 2018 Video
  • Tech Talk Today is back
    • — Elon Musk bet the future of SpaceX on the Falcon Heavy launch. On Thursday SpaceX launched a pair of prototype satellites intended to form the basis for Starlink, a constellation of satellites that are designed to beam broadband internet down to Earth.
    21 min
  • Linux Action News 41

    A famous Solaris tool comes to Linux, Firefox is baking in ads, and Google wants to take over the web with AMP.

    Plus Ubuntu's plans to collect user metrics, the Linux on Galaxy survey, and Plasma desktop on a Nintendo Switch.

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    • dtrace relicensed as GPLv2
    — This changeset integrates DTrace module sources into the main kernel source tree under the GPLv2 license. Sources have been moved to appropriate locations in the kernel tree.
  • Firefox adding sponsored stories to the new tab page
    • — What’s next? We recently started testing personalized recommendations, and we will soon experiment with showing an occasional sponsored story within the Pocket Recommendations section in New Tab Page in Firefox Beta. This will be shown to a small portion of U.S. users as we start to test.
  • AMP Stories and AMP for email
    • — Starting with the Gmail Developer Preview of AMP for Email today, the new feature will allow users to perform simple tasks such as booking calendar appointments and checking into flights directly within the layout of the email.
  • Related
  • Ubuntu plans metrics collection
    • — "We want to be able to focus our engineering efforts on the things that matter most to our users, and in order to do that we need to get some more data about sort of setups our users have and which software they are running on it," explained Will Cooke, the director of Ubuntu Desktop at Canonical.
  • Ubuntu adds 'Minimal Install' option 18.04
    • — The new “minimal install” option appears in section of the installer that asks whether you want to install restricted codecs to enable multimedia playback alongside the main desktop.
  • Linux on Galaxy Survey
    • — “In order to determine how to best design the product to meet your needs, we ask for a moment of your time to complete this Linux on Galaxy Survey.”
  • Plasma running on a Switch
    • — Code execution is all the rage these days, but can your Switch do this?
    33 min
  • Linux Action News 40

    It's week of major project releases, elementary OS gears up for some contested changes, and Mozilla has a solution for the world's IoT mess.

    Plus fail0verflow gets Linux on the Nintendo Switch, and our favorite new features of VLC 3.0.

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    • MATE 1.20
    — The theme for this release has been stabilising the MATE Desktop by replacing deprecated code and modernising large sections of the code base. We’ve also improved our window manager (Marco) and added support for HiDPI. Along the way we’ve fixed hundreds of bugs. Squished ‘em dead!
  • Plasma 5.12
    • — Speed and memory improvements are the focus of this long-term release. The new Plasma LTS uses less CPU and less memory than previous versions. The process of starting the Plasma desktop is now significantly faster.
  • VLC 3.0
    • — Network browsing for distant filesystems (SMB, FTP, SFTP, NFS...)
  • Nextcloud 13
    • — This release brings improvements to the core File Sync and Share like easier moving of files and a tech preview of our end-to-end encryption for the ultimate protection of your data. It also introduces collaboration and communication capabilities, like auto-complete of comments and integrated real-time chat and video communication.
  • Android x86 7.1
    • — It’s a full port of Android, instead of being more of an application player like other solutions.
  • Bliss-x86 Oreo 8.x
  • Changes coming to elementary OS AppCenter
    • — One of the primary goals of developing AppCenter Dashboard was to build a sustainable app ecosystem. I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone that although the AppCenter ecosystem is growing, nobody can make a living on it yet. That’s what we mean when we say “sustainable”. Writing apps is a real, hard, full-time job. If we want to see more high-quality, Open Source apps then we need to prioritize getting third-party app developers paid.
  • Elementary OS Juno will be version 5.0, not 0.5
    • — Among them a small yet appreciable bump to the version number. Yes elementary OS 0.5 Juno will actually be elementary OS 5.0.
  • Announcing “Project Things”
    • — We kicked off “Project Things”, with the goal of building a decentralized ‘Internet of Things’ that is focused on security, privacy, and interoperability.
  • Nintendo Switch runs Linux
    • — According to fail0verflow, there’s a flaw in the boot ROM in Nvidia’s Tegra X1 system-on-a-chip. when your console starts, it reads and executes a piece of code stored in a read-only memory (hence the name ROM). This code contains instructions about the booting process.
    31 min

About Linux Action News

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Weekly Linux news and analysis by Chris and Wes. The show every week we hope you'll go to when you want to hear an informed discussion about what’s happening.