https://www.geeks.fyi/ Fri, 01 May 2026 08:42:13 +0000 MyBB https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21909 Fri, 24 Apr 2026 10:58:40 +0000 harlan4096]]> https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21909 Quote:Canonical today announced the release of Ubuntu 26.04 LTS Resolute Raccoon, the latest version of its long-term supported Linux distribution.

“Ubuntu 26.04 LTS sets the example for providing best-in-class resilience while simultaneously embracing innovation and the advancement of open source,” Ubuntu engineering vice president Jon Seager writes. “By combining optimizations for silicon, the kernel, and the cloud with the latest upstream features, we’re delivering on our goal to bring the very best of open source to Ubuntu on whichever platform you choose.”

Ubuntu Long Term Support (LTS) releases are supported for a total of 15 years, though only the first five years are free. Ubuntu 26.04 LTS is optimized for AI development and production workloads and includes TPM-backed full-disk encryption, improved support for application permission prompting, Livepatch updates for Arm-based servers, Rust-based utilities for enhanced memory safety, and native support for industry-leading AI/ML toolkits like NVIDIA CUDA and AMD ROCm.

From a user experience perspective, Ubuntu 26.04 includes the GNOME 50 desktop with full native support for Wayland, numerous accessibility improvements, and improved support for Debian packages in App Center. It’s built on the Linux 7.0 kernel, which adds support for Intel Core Ultra Series 3 “Panther Lake” processors and features new kernel drivers and subsystems written in Rust.

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS Resolute Raccoon is Here ]]> Quote:Canonical today announced the release of Ubuntu 26.04 LTS Resolute Raccoon, the latest version of its long-term supported Linux distribution.

“Ubuntu 26.04 LTS sets the example for providing best-in-class resilience while simultaneously embracing innovation and the advancement of open source,” Ubuntu engineering vice president Jon Seager writes. “By combining optimizations for silicon, the kernel, and the cloud with the latest upstream features, we’re delivering on our goal to bring the very best of open source to Ubuntu on whichever platform you choose.”

Ubuntu Long Term Support (LTS) releases are supported for a total of 15 years, though only the first five years are free. Ubuntu 26.04 LTS is optimized for AI development and production workloads and includes TPM-backed full-disk encryption, improved support for application permission prompting, Livepatch updates for Arm-based servers, Rust-based utilities for enhanced memory safety, and native support for industry-leading AI/ML toolkits like NVIDIA CUDA and AMD ROCm.

From a user experience perspective, Ubuntu 26.04 includes the GNOME 50 desktop with full native support for Wayland, numerous accessibility improvements, and improved support for Debian packages in App Center. It’s built on the Linux 7.0 kernel, which adds support for Intel Core Ultra Series 3 “Panther Lake” processors and features new kernel drivers and subsystems written in Rust.

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS Resolute Raccoon is Here ]]> https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21857 Sat, 18 Apr 2026 07:14:59 +0000 harlan4096]]> https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21857 Quote:Zorin OS has announced the release of version 18.1, along with reaching a milestone of three point three million total downloads, six months after its initial launch. The update expands the database used for detecting Windows applications, introduces some desktop improvements, and updates the pre-installed applications. A companion update, Zorin Lite 17.3, is also available for older or lower-spec hardware.

Zorin OS is a Linux-based operating system designed as an alternative to Windows and macOS, aimed at users switching from either platform.

Windows App Detection Expands to 240+ Apps

Zorin OS 18.1 has expanded its built-in database for detecting Windows application installers to support over 240 apps. When a user runs a Windows executable, such as the Plex installer, the OS shows a dialog suggesting the most compatible installation method, usually the native Linux version available from the app store.

The system also automatically recommends native Linux alternatives for Windows-only applications. For instance, launching Microsoft Outlook prompts a suggestion to use Evolution Mail instead. The developers say this feature offers tailored guidance for users switching from Windows, eliminating the need for manual research into Linux equivalents.

Continue Reading... ]]> Quote:Zorin OS has announced the release of version 18.1, along with reaching a milestone of three point three million total downloads, six months after its initial launch. The update expands the database used for detecting Windows applications, introduces some desktop improvements, and updates the pre-installed applications. A companion update, Zorin Lite 17.3, is also available for older or lower-spec hardware.

Zorin OS is a Linux-based operating system designed as an alternative to Windows and macOS, aimed at users switching from either platform.

Windows App Detection Expands to 240+ Apps

Zorin OS 18.1 has expanded its built-in database for detecting Windows application installers to support over 240 apps. When a user runs a Windows executable, such as the Plex installer, the OS shows a dialog suggesting the most compatible installation method, usually the native Linux version available from the app store.

The system also automatically recommends native Linux alternatives for Windows-only applications. For instance, launching Microsoft Outlook prompts a suggestion to use Evolution Mail instead. The developers say this feature offers tailored guidance for users switching from Windows, eliminating the need for manual research into Linux equivalents.

Continue Reading... ]]> https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21809 Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:21:07 +0000 harlan4096]]> https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21809 Quote:Linus Torvalds has announced the release of Linux kernel 7.0. This version uses a rounded number because the 6.x series reached a point where a clean rollover helps avoid confusion. Torvalds has made it clear that major version numbers do not necessarily indicate architectural changes.

The release also included a comment from Torvalds about the increasing role of AI in kernel development. He noted that AI tools are likely to continue uncovering corner cases for some time, which he described as possibly becoming the 'new normal" for the foreseeable future.

Official Rust Support And Other Notable Changes in Linux 7.0

The most notable update in Linux 7.0 is the end of experimental support for the Rust programming language, which is now officially supported for kernel development. Rust had been in an experimental phase within the kernel for several release cycles. With the move to official support, developers can now write kernel code in Rust without it being considered provisional.

Linux 7.0 introduces several updates, including enhanced support for ARM, RISC-V, and Loongson processors. It also offers more advanced KVM virtual machine support for AMD EPYC 5 CPUs. The filesystem has been made more resilient against corruption through self-healing XFS. Additionally, new code has been added for SPARC and DEC Alpha processors, as spotted by Phoronix.

Continue Reading... ]]> Quote:Linus Torvalds has announced the release of Linux kernel 7.0. This version uses a rounded number because the 6.x series reached a point where a clean rollover helps avoid confusion. Torvalds has made it clear that major version numbers do not necessarily indicate architectural changes.

The release also included a comment from Torvalds about the increasing role of AI in kernel development. He noted that AI tools are likely to continue uncovering corner cases for some time, which he described as possibly becoming the 'new normal" for the foreseeable future.

Official Rust Support And Other Notable Changes in Linux 7.0

The most notable update in Linux 7.0 is the end of experimental support for the Rust programming language, which is now officially supported for kernel development. Rust had been in an experimental phase within the kernel for several release cycles. With the move to official support, developers can now write kernel code in Rust without it being considered provisional.

Linux 7.0 introduces several updates, including enhanced support for ARM, RISC-V, and Loongson processors. It also offers more advanced KVM virtual machine support for AMD EPYC 5 CPUs. The filesystem has been made more resilient against corruption through self-healing XFS. Additionally, new code has been added for SPARC and DEC Alpha processors, as spotted by Phoronix.

Continue Reading... ]]> https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21785 Wed, 08 Apr 2026 07:46:53 +0000 harlan4096]]> https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21785 Quote:A patch proposed by Linux kernel developer Ingo Molnar aims to remove support for 80486-generation processors from the Linux kernel during the 7.1 merge window. If accepted, the patch will eliminate the M486, M486SX, and MELAN configuration options from Kconfig, which means new upstream kernels will no longer be configurable for 486-class systems.

This would be the first processor architecture to be removed from the Linux kernel since support for the 80386 was dropped in 2012. Linux 7.0 is expected to be released in the coming months, with version 7.1 potentially arriving around the middle of 2026. It is not yet confirmed whether the patch will make it through the merge window.

Why Linux Kernel Maintainers Want to Drop i486 Support

Molnar initially proposed dropping support for the 486 processor in April 2025, citing the ongoing maintenance costs of hardware emulation code for chips that are no longer used with modern kernels. "We have various complex hardware emulation features on x86-32 to support very old 32-bit CPUs that only a small number of users still run with current kernels," Molnar explained in the patch notes.

"This compatibility layer sometimes causes issues that require effort to resolve, which could be better spent on other developments." Linus Torvalds shared a similar view in 2022 when the idea of removing support was first discussed.

"I really don't think i486-class hardware is relevant anymore," Torvalds said at the time. "They are mostly kept as museum pieces, and might as well run museum kernels."

Continue Reading... ]]> Quote:A patch proposed by Linux kernel developer Ingo Molnar aims to remove support for 80486-generation processors from the Linux kernel during the 7.1 merge window. If accepted, the patch will eliminate the M486, M486SX, and MELAN configuration options from Kconfig, which means new upstream kernels will no longer be configurable for 486-class systems.

This would be the first processor architecture to be removed from the Linux kernel since support for the 80386 was dropped in 2012. Linux 7.0 is expected to be released in the coming months, with version 7.1 potentially arriving around the middle of 2026. It is not yet confirmed whether the patch will make it through the merge window.

Why Linux Kernel Maintainers Want to Drop i486 Support

Molnar initially proposed dropping support for the 486 processor in April 2025, citing the ongoing maintenance costs of hardware emulation code for chips that are no longer used with modern kernels. "We have various complex hardware emulation features on x86-32 to support very old 32-bit CPUs that only a small number of users still run with current kernels," Molnar explained in the patch notes.

"This compatibility layer sometimes causes issues that require effort to resolve, which could be better spent on other developments." Linus Torvalds shared a similar view in 2022 when the idea of removing support was first discussed.

"I really don't think i486-class hardware is relevant anymore," Torvalds said at the time. "They are mostly kept as museum pieces, and might as well run museum kernels."

Continue Reading... ]]> https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21688 Fri, 27 Mar 2026 11:22:33 +0000 harlan4096]]> https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21688 Quote:Kali Linux 2026.1 is now available, introducing eight new tools, a kernel upgrade to version 6.18, a refresh of the annual theme, and a new BackTrack mode for the Kali-Undercover feature. The Kali Team also added 25 new packages and updated 183 existing ones in this release.

Kali Linux is a Debian-based distribution designed for penetration testers, security researchers, and ethical hackers. It can be run as a live environment or installed as a full operating system, with support for hardware such as Raspberry Pi devices and Android phones through Kali NetHunter.

New Tools In Kali Linux 2026.1



The tools included in this release have been added to the Kali network repositories:

• AdaptixC2, an extensible post-exploitation and adversarial emulation framework
  
• Atomic-Operator, which runs Atomic Red Team tests across multiple operating system environments
  
• Fluxion, a security auditing and social engineering research tool
  
• GEF, an extension for GDB that offers advanced debugging features
  
• MetasploitMCP, a server for Metasploit
  
• SSTImap, an automatic server-side template injection detection tool with an interactive interface
  
• WPProbe, a fast tool for enumerating WordPress plugins; and tool
  
• XSStrike, an advanced cross-site scripting scanner.
  

Continue Reading... ]]> Quote:Kali Linux 2026.1 is now available, introducing eight new tools, a kernel upgrade to version 6.18, a refresh of the annual theme, and a new BackTrack mode for the Kali-Undercover feature. The Kali Team also added 25 new packages and updated 183 existing ones in this release.

Kali Linux is a Debian-based distribution designed for penetration testers, security researchers, and ethical hackers. It can be run as a live environment or installed as a full operating system, with support for hardware such as Raspberry Pi devices and Android phones through Kali NetHunter.

New Tools In Kali Linux 2026.1



The tools included in this release have been added to the Kali network repositories:

• AdaptixC2, an extensible post-exploitation and adversarial emulation framework
  
• Atomic-Operator, which runs Atomic Red Team tests across multiple operating system environments
  
• Fluxion, a security auditing and social engineering research tool
  
• GEF, an extension for GDB that offers advanced debugging features
  
• MetasploitMCP, a server for Metasploit
  
• SSTImap, an automatic server-side template injection detection tool with an interactive interface
  
• WPProbe, a fast tool for enumerating WordPress plugins; and tool
  
• XSStrike, an advanced cross-site scripting scanner.
  

Continue Reading... ]]> https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21675 Sat, 21 Mar 2026 07:28:18 +0000 harlan4096]]> https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21675 Quote:GNOME 50, also known as Tokyo, has been released with a significant update: the complete removal of the X11 session. Now, Wayland is the only display server available at login. Users can no longer log into a GNOME 50 session using X11, even if X.org is installed manually.

However, support for X11 applications remains through XWayland, the compatibility layer integrated into GNOME 50. Existing X11 apps continue to work as before. What’s no longer available is the option to use X11 as the session backend itself.

What GNOME 50 Means for Ubuntu and Fedora Users

GNOME 50 is confirmed for Ubuntu 26.04 "Resolute Raccoon," due next month as a long-term support release. Most Ubuntu desktop users will be running GNOME 50 through at least Ubuntu 28.04, and many for the full five-year support lifespan of the 26.04 LTS.

Fedora 44, currently in beta, also ships GNOME 50 as its default desktop.

Continue Reading... ]]> Quote:GNOME 50, also known as Tokyo, has been released with a significant update: the complete removal of the X11 session. Now, Wayland is the only display server available at login. Users can no longer log into a GNOME 50 session using X11, even if X.org is installed manually.

However, support for X11 applications remains through XWayland, the compatibility layer integrated into GNOME 50. Existing X11 apps continue to work as before. What’s no longer available is the option to use X11 as the session backend itself.

What GNOME 50 Means for Ubuntu and Fedora Users

GNOME 50 is confirmed for Ubuntu 26.04 "Resolute Raccoon," due next month as a long-term support release. Most Ubuntu desktop users will be running GNOME 50 through at least Ubuntu 28.04, and many for the full five-year support lifespan of the 26.04 LTS.

Fedora 44, currently in beta, also ships GNOME 50 as its default desktop.

Continue Reading... ]]> https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21591 Thu, 12 Feb 2026 12:00:39 +0000 harlan4096]]> https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21591 Quote:Mesa 26.0.0 ships Vulkan 1.4 targets and RADV ray tracing performance work



Mesa 26.0.0 is now available as the latest feature release of the open-source graphics stack used on Linux and other environments, including within Microsoft’s Windows Subsystem for Linux. The release announcement lists support targets that include Vulkan 1.4, OpenGL 4.6, OpenGL ES 3.2, and OpenCL 3.0, alongside the usual driver updates across the project. 

Raytracing improvements for AMD hardware

A big focus this cycle is AMD Radeon ray tracing on Vulkan. The official release notes call out ray tracing performance work for RADV since Mesa 25.3, with contributions credited in part to Valve’s Linux graphics efforts. Back in January, Mesa developer Natalie Vock published a deep dive on RADV RT pipeline compilation changes in Mesa 26.0, describing a move toward proper function calls and separating previously inlined shader work, with an example claim of more than 2x faster RT passes in Ghostwire Tokyo on her test path.

Continue Reading... ]]> Quote:Mesa 26.0.0 ships Vulkan 1.4 targets and RADV ray tracing performance work



Mesa 26.0.0 is now available as the latest feature release of the open-source graphics stack used on Linux and other environments, including within Microsoft’s Windows Subsystem for Linux. The release announcement lists support targets that include Vulkan 1.4, OpenGL 4.6, OpenGL ES 3.2, and OpenCL 3.0, alongside the usual driver updates across the project. 

Raytracing improvements for AMD hardware

A big focus this cycle is AMD Radeon ray tracing on Vulkan. The official release notes call out ray tracing performance work for RADV since Mesa 25.3, with contributions credited in part to Valve’s Linux graphics efforts. Back in January, Mesa developer Natalie Vock published a deep dive on RADV RT pipeline compilation changes in Mesa 26.0, describing a move toward proper function calls and separating previously inlined shader work, with an example claim of more than 2x faster RT passes in Ghostwire Tokyo on her test path.

Continue Reading... ]]> https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21462 Sun, 11 Jan 2026 13:05:00 +0000 harlan4096]]> https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21462 Quote:Older PCs that struggle with modern versions of Windows often remain fully usable with Linux. Systems that run hot, idle with high CPU usage, or consume several gigabytes of memory under Windows can become quiet and responsive again after switching to a lightweight Linux distribution.

This is not limited to very old hardware. Machines that technically support Windows 11 can still suffer from background services, update overhead, and bundled features that consume resources even when idle. Linux distributions typically avoid that overhead and allow users to decide what runs on their system.

On affected systems, the most noticeable change is immediate. Fan noise drops, idle memory usage falls significantly, and basic tasks stop lagging. These improvements tend to persist over time rather than degrade after months of use.

Rolling updates without system slowdowns

Linux handles updates differently from Windows. Users choose when updates are installed, and updates do not block system use while running. On rolling-release distributions based on Arch Linux, there is only one continuously updated version rather than periodic feature upgrades.

System and application updates are handled through a package manager. Running a single update command upgrades the entire system without reinstalling the operating system or introducing parallel legacy components. This avoids the accumulation of outdated libraries and background services that can slow systems over time.

Because updates are incremental and consistent, systems stay current without the performance regressions commonly associated with major OS upgrades.

Continue Reading... ]]> Quote:Older PCs that struggle with modern versions of Windows often remain fully usable with Linux. Systems that run hot, idle with high CPU usage, or consume several gigabytes of memory under Windows can become quiet and responsive again after switching to a lightweight Linux distribution.

This is not limited to very old hardware. Machines that technically support Windows 11 can still suffer from background services, update overhead, and bundled features that consume resources even when idle. Linux distributions typically avoid that overhead and allow users to decide what runs on their system.

On affected systems, the most noticeable change is immediate. Fan noise drops, idle memory usage falls significantly, and basic tasks stop lagging. These improvements tend to persist over time rather than degrade after months of use.

Rolling updates without system slowdowns

Linux handles updates differently from Windows. Users choose when updates are installed, and updates do not block system use while running. On rolling-release distributions based on Arch Linux, there is only one continuously updated version rather than periodic feature upgrades.

System and application updates are handled through a package manager. Running a single update command upgrades the entire system without reinstalling the operating system or introducing parallel legacy components. This avoids the accumulation of outdated libraries and background services that can slow systems over time.

Because updates are incremental and consistent, systems stay current without the performance regressions commonly associated with major OS upgrades.

Continue Reading... ]]> https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21429 Tue, 23 Dec 2025 11:49:05 +0000 harlan4096]]> https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21429 Quote:Linux 6.19 switches old AMD GCN cards to AMDGPU by default – unlocking higher performance



As we reported earlier, Linux 6.19 flips the default kernel driver for AMD GCN 1.0 and GCN 1.1 GPUs from the legacy Radeon DRM driver to AMDGPU. That change targets “Southern Islands” and “Sea Islands” era cards, including parts like the Radeon HD 7950. This means that despite being over 13 year old, some of these cards are getting a second chance to deliver a ‘playable’ experience, for whoever is using them today.

One could say that this was a one-man effort, as Valve’s work here mostly traces back to Timur Kristóf. He has been pushing to move GCN 1.0 and GCN 1.1 cards off the legacy Radeon kernel driver and onto AMDGPU by default, and he presented the effort at XDC 2025 in Vienna.

In Phoronix testing, AMDGPU came out ahead across a stack of 1080p benchmarks. It was the fastest option in GravityMark (Vulkan), Batman: Arkham Knight (Low and High), DiRT Rally 2.0 (Low and High), Strange Brigade (Low through Ultra), and GPUScore: Breaking Limit. The key practical change is Vulkan support via Mesa RADV without manual kernel flags, since RADV depends on the amdgpu kernel driver for these older cards.


Source: Phoronix

Continue Reading... ]]> Quote:Linux 6.19 switches old AMD GCN cards to AMDGPU by default – unlocking higher performance



As we reported earlier, Linux 6.19 flips the default kernel driver for AMD GCN 1.0 and GCN 1.1 GPUs from the legacy Radeon DRM driver to AMDGPU. That change targets “Southern Islands” and “Sea Islands” era cards, including parts like the Radeon HD 7950. This means that despite being over 13 year old, some of these cards are getting a second chance to deliver a ‘playable’ experience, for whoever is using them today.

One could say that this was a one-man effort, as Valve’s work here mostly traces back to Timur Kristóf. He has been pushing to move GCN 1.0 and GCN 1.1 cards off the legacy Radeon kernel driver and onto AMDGPU by default, and he presented the effort at XDC 2025 in Vienna.

In Phoronix testing, AMDGPU came out ahead across a stack of 1080p benchmarks. It was the fastest option in GravityMark (Vulkan), Batman: Arkham Knight (Low and High), DiRT Rally 2.0 (Low and High), Strange Brigade (Low through Ultra), and GPUScore: Breaking Limit. The key practical change is Vulkan support via Mesa RADV without manual kernel flags, since RADV depends on the amdgpu kernel driver for these older cards.


Source: Phoronix

Continue Reading... ]]> https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21357 Tue, 02 Dec 2025 10:06:44 +0000 harlan4096]]> https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21357 Quote:Linux is fine for gaming, Wine and Proton have come a long way. But what about Windows apps that don't play well with Wine?

That's kind of what WinBoat aims to fix. It's not merely an emulator, it's a virtual machine that uses a containerized approach in Docker or Podman.

These are WinBoat's system requirements

• RAM: At least 4 GB of RAM
  
• CPU: At least 2 CPU threads
  
• Storage: At least 32 GB free space on your hard drive.
  

That's on par for a virtual machine. I guess it's kind of the opposite of the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). So it's LSW?

Anyway, you can download the app from GitHub or from https://www.winboat.app/. It is free, and open source under the MIT license.

WinBoat is an Electron app. Yeah, yeah, I know! When you run the app, you'll see a prerequisites screen. This in my opinion could be a hurdle for many users.

Continue Reading... ]]> Quote:Linux is fine for gaming, Wine and Proton have come a long way. But what about Windows apps that don't play well with Wine?

That's kind of what WinBoat aims to fix. It's not merely an emulator, it's a virtual machine that uses a containerized approach in Docker or Podman.

These are WinBoat's system requirements

• RAM: At least 4 GB of RAM
  
• CPU: At least 2 CPU threads
  
• Storage: At least 32 GB free space on your hard drive.
  

That's on par for a virtual machine. I guess it's kind of the opposite of the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). So it's LSW?

Anyway, you can download the app from GitHub or from https://www.winboat.app/. It is free, and open source under the MIT license.

WinBoat is an Electron app. Yeah, yeah, I know! When you run the app, you'll see a prerequisites screen. This in my opinion could be a hurdle for many users.

Continue Reading... ]]> https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21297 Fri, 07 Nov 2025 11:12:10 +0000 harlan4096]]> https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21297 Quote:The next iteration of Linux Mint is going to make some interesting changes to the user experience, including a redesigned Start Menu for Cinnamon. Clement Lefebvre, aka Clem, the project and development team leader of the distro has published some details about the upcoming features.

This is what the Cinnamon Menu applet, or the Start Menu, looks like in its current style on Linux Mint 22.2.



It looks fine, and works perfectly. Notice how it blurs out the last item in the list?



Also, here are the current options for customizing the menu.



Well, here is a screenshot of the new Start Menu. It's detached from the bottom of the screen, and looks way better.

Continue Reading... ]]> Quote:The next iteration of Linux Mint is going to make some interesting changes to the user experience, including a redesigned Start Menu for Cinnamon. Clement Lefebvre, aka Clem, the project and development team leader of the distro has published some details about the upcoming features.

This is what the Cinnamon Menu applet, or the Start Menu, looks like in its current style on Linux Mint 22.2.



It looks fine, and works perfectly. Notice how it blurs out the last item in the list?



Also, here are the current options for customizing the menu.



Well, here is a screenshot of the new Start Menu. It's detached from the bottom of the screen, and looks way better.

Continue Reading... ]]> https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21274 Wed, 29 Oct 2025 07:50:20 +0000 harlan4096]]> https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21274 Quote:Fedora Linux 43 has been released. Let's take a look at the new features in it.

Anaconda WebUI, which was introduced as the new default installer in Fedora Workstation 42, is now the default in Fedora 43 spins. Here's what it looks like. It replaces the old GTK installer.



Fedora 43 brings RPM 6.0 package manager with various security improvements such as support for multiple signatures per package, and OpenPGP v6 keys. The /boot partition has been doubled in size from 1 GiB to 2 GiB. Fedora 43 comes with Python 3.14, Golang 1.25, LLVM 21, PostgreSQL 18, etc.



The Nautilus file manager, aka Files, has been improved, and its search interface has been redesigned. Even the Settings app has been given a makeover.

Continue Reading... ]]> Quote:Fedora Linux 43 has been released. Let's take a look at the new features in it.

Anaconda WebUI, which was introduced as the new default installer in Fedora Workstation 42, is now the default in Fedora 43 spins. Here's what it looks like. It replaces the old GTK installer.



Fedora 43 brings RPM 6.0 package manager with various security improvements such as support for multiple signatures per package, and OpenPGP v6 keys. The /boot partition has been doubled in size from 1 GiB to 2 GiB. Fedora 43 comes with Python 3.14, Golang 1.25, LLVM 21, PostgreSQL 18, etc.



The Nautilus file manager, aka Files, has been improved, and its search interface has been redesigned. Even the Settings app has been given a makeover.

Continue Reading... ]]> https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21226 Tue, 14 Oct 2025 16:07:14 +0000 harlan4096]]> https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21226 Quote:Linux Mint Debian Edition 7 has been released. The update is called Gigi.

The stable release comes less than a month after the first beta of the distro was released. LMDE 7 is based on Debian 13 Trixie. It ships with the Linux 6.12 LTS kernel, and the Cinnamon desktop environment.

LMDE 7 includes the features that were introduced in Linux Mint 22.2 Zara, such as support for fingerprint authentication, for login, sudo commands.  The update brings changes from libadwaita-1.7. Feel free to read my previous coverage to learn more about the features in Mint 22.2.

Linux Mint Debian Edition 7 also introduces support for OEM installs, meaning the distro can be pre-installed by manufacturers on brand-new computers.

As a reminder, LMDE 7 is a 64-bit only OS. It does not support 32-bit computers.

For a full list of changes, please refer to Debian 13's release notes.

LMDE 7 System requirements:

• 2GB RAM (4GB recommended for a comfortable usage).
  
• 20GB of disk space (100GB recommended).
  
• 1024×768 resolution (on lower resolutions, press ALT to drag windows with the mouse if they don’t fit in the screen).
  

Continue Reading... ]]> Quote:Linux Mint Debian Edition 7 has been released. The update is called Gigi.

The stable release comes less than a month after the first beta of the distro was released. LMDE 7 is based on Debian 13 Trixie. It ships with the Linux 6.12 LTS kernel, and the Cinnamon desktop environment.

LMDE 7 includes the features that were introduced in Linux Mint 22.2 Zara, such as support for fingerprint authentication, for login, sudo commands.  The update brings changes from libadwaita-1.7. Feel free to read my previous coverage to learn more about the features in Mint 22.2.

Linux Mint Debian Edition 7 also introduces support for OEM installs, meaning the distro can be pre-installed by manufacturers on brand-new computers.

As a reminder, LMDE 7 is a 64-bit only OS. It does not support 32-bit computers.

For a full list of changes, please refer to Debian 13's release notes.

LMDE 7 System requirements:

• 2GB RAM (4GB recommended for a comfortable usage).
  
• 20GB of disk space (100GB recommended).
  
• 1024×768 resolution (on lower resolutions, press ALT to drag windows with the mouse if they don’t fit in the screen).
  

Continue Reading... ]]> https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21209 Fri, 10 Oct 2025 07:23:48 +0000 harlan4096]]> https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21209 Quote:Canonical has released Ubuntu 25.10 Questing Quokka. There are a couple of important changes in this release.

Ubuntu 25.10 comes with the GNOME 49 desktop environment, making Wayland session the only option available for users. It does not support X11/Xorg sessions. Ubuntu 25.10 ships with Linux kernel 6.17, based on 6.17-RC7. It includes Mesa 25.2.3 drivers with support for Intel Core Ultra Xe3 integrated Intel Arc graphics, and Intel Arc Pro B50 and B60 “Battlemage” discrete GPUs.

The proprietary Nvidia driver now supports Suspend-resume by default, in order to reduct freezes and corruption when waking up from sleep. Fractional scaling has been improved to reduce blur. Ubuntu's default monospace font size has been reduced to match the UI font size in terminals and similar apps.

The update changes some default apps. Ptyxis terminal emulator is now the default terminal, replacing the GNOME Terminal. Loupe image viewer replaces the Eye of GNOME as the default image viewer. Ubuntu now uses sudo-rs, which is a new Rust implementation of the sudo tool. The initramfs-tool has been replaced by Dracut, which uses sytemd, for the default initial ramdisk infrastructure. It supports new features such as Bluetooth and NVM Express over Fabrics (NVMe-oF). Chrony is the new default time-daemon in Ubuntu 25.10, replacing systemd-timesyncd, and uses the Ubuntu Network Time Security (NTS) servers by default. Apps can be set to auto-start at boot from the Settings > Apps.

Continue Reading... ]]> Quote:Canonical has released Ubuntu 25.10 Questing Quokka. There are a couple of important changes in this release.

Ubuntu 25.10 comes with the GNOME 49 desktop environment, making Wayland session the only option available for users. It does not support X11/Xorg sessions. Ubuntu 25.10 ships with Linux kernel 6.17, based on 6.17-RC7. It includes Mesa 25.2.3 drivers with support for Intel Core Ultra Xe3 integrated Intel Arc graphics, and Intel Arc Pro B50 and B60 “Battlemage” discrete GPUs.

The proprietary Nvidia driver now supports Suspend-resume by default, in order to reduct freezes and corruption when waking up from sleep. Fractional scaling has been improved to reduce blur. Ubuntu's default monospace font size has been reduced to match the UI font size in terminals and similar apps.

The update changes some default apps. Ptyxis terminal emulator is now the default terminal, replacing the GNOME Terminal. Loupe image viewer replaces the Eye of GNOME as the default image viewer. Ubuntu now uses sudo-rs, which is a new Rust implementation of the sudo tool. The initramfs-tool has been replaced by Dracut, which uses sytemd, for the default initial ramdisk infrastructure. It supports new features such as Bluetooth and NVM Express over Fabrics (NVMe-oF). Chrony is the new default time-daemon in Ubuntu 25.10, replacing systemd-timesyncd, and uses the Ubuntu Network Time Security (NTS) servers by default. Apps can be set to auto-start at boot from the Settings > Apps.

Continue Reading... ]]> https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21185 Thu, 02 Oct 2025 06:26:58 +0000 harlan4096]]> https://www.geeks.fyi/showthread.php?tid=21185 Quote:Amazon has announced Vega OS for its Fire TVs. It's a Linux-based OS that replaces the old Android-based Fire OS.

Vega OS is one of Amazon's worst-kept secrets, it has been rumored for a long time. But, now it's finally official.

That said, Amazon really didn't explain much about Vega, except for saying it supports "your favorite streaming services, and will soon support Xbox Gaming, Luna, and Alexa+." No screenshots, videos, nothing was shared. From the above image, it does seem the home screen experience remains identical to Fire OS.

Despite launching Vega OS, Amazon says Fire OS will continue to be available on new devices. What does that mean? Well, Vega is currently only available for the new Fire TV 4K Select, and not the other TVs that Amazon announced yesterday. Amazon did highlight Vega by saying apps launch remarkably fast, and the performance of the new operating system is responsive and highly efficient. Well, that's one way to hype it up.



Another thing that's interesting is that the new Fire TV Stick 4K has only 1GB of RAM. As AFTVNews reports, this is literally half the amount of memory its predecessor had. It also highlights how memory intensive Android-based Fire OS was, as opposed to a lightweight Linux OS.

Continue Reading... ]]> Quote:Amazon has announced Vega OS for its Fire TVs. It's a Linux-based OS that replaces the old Android-based Fire OS.

Vega OS is one of Amazon's worst-kept secrets, it has been rumored for a long time. But, now it's finally official.

That said, Amazon really didn't explain much about Vega, except for saying it supports "your favorite streaming services, and will soon support Xbox Gaming, Luna, and Alexa+." No screenshots, videos, nothing was shared. From the above image, it does seem the home screen experience remains identical to Fire OS.

Despite launching Vega OS, Amazon says Fire OS will continue to be available on new devices. What does that mean? Well, Vega is currently only available for the new Fire TV 4K Select, and not the other TVs that Amazon announced yesterday. Amazon did highlight Vega by saying apps launch remarkably fast, and the performance of the new operating system is responsive and highly efficient. Well, that's one way to hype it up.



Another thing that's interesting is that the new Fire TV Stick 4K has only 1GB of RAM. As AFTVNews reports, this is literally half the amount of memory its predecessor had. It also highlights how memory intensive Android-based Fire OS was, as opposed to a lightweight Linux OS.

Continue Reading... ]]>