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Show HN: VSCode-remote-glibc-patch – Patch legacy Linux to use VSCode Remote
a year ago
- VSCode Remote-SSH extension requires glibc 2.28+, causing issues for legacy Linux systems.
- Official workaround is time-consuming; this project provides pre-compiled artifacts for easy patching.
- Steps to patch: Check kernel version with `uname -r`, download matching tarball from Release Page.
- Extract tarball to a custom path, ensuring directory structure includes `init.sh` and `patchelf`.
- Add `eval "$(your/custom/path/init.sh)"` to shell profile (e.g., `~/.bashrc`, `/etc/profile`).
- Request missing artifacts by creating an issue if your OS/kernel/arch isn't supported.
Commodore OS 3.0 Released
a year ago
- Commodore OS 3.0 released on April 22nd, 2025, as a free fan-made Linux distribution based on Debian Bookworm.
- Designed as a retro-futuristic vision of what Commodore might have produced in an alternate timeline.
- Features 200+ free Linux-compatible games, classic Commodore games, and demos for nostalgia.
- Includes Commodore OS BASIC V1 with modern features like 3D graphics, sprites, and physics.
- Commodore OS Central introduced as a resource hub for manuals, games, and community interaction.
- New retro-inspired Settings Manager for configuring ROMs, emulation, and startup options.
- Gigabytes of retro content including games, demos, animations, and chiptune music.
- Commodore OS 2.0 was released earlier on December 13, 2023, as a labor of love.
- Commodore OS Vision was originally created in 2010 by Leo Nigro for Commodore USA LLC.
- Supports emulation for classic Commodore and Amiga software with a universal game launcher in development.
Lenovo May Be Avoiding 'Windows Tax' via Cheaper Laptops with Preinstalled Linux
a year ago
- Perplexity's new Comet web browser raises privacy concerns due to its tracking capabilities.
- Lenovo offers laptops with Fedora and Ubuntu at lower prices than Windows versions in the U.S. and Canada.
- Price differences highlight the high cost of Windows, with discounts up to $140 (U.S.) and CAD $211 for Linux models.
- Not all Lenovo laptop models provide a Linux pre-install option; filtering by OS on their website helps identify compatible models.
- Dell also offers Ubuntu-certified laptops but does not reduce prices for Linux versions, unlike Lenovo.
- Manufacturers could improve marketing of Linux options to show cost savings over Windows.
- The article questions whether mainstream users would benefit from Linux pre-installed on laptops.
A New Kali Linux Archive Signing Key
a year ago
- Kali Linux users will face apt update failures due to a missing repository signing key.
- A new signing key has been created, and users must manually download and install it.
- The one-liner command to install the new key: `sudo wget https://archive.kali.org/archive-keyring.gpg -O /usr/share/keyrings/kali-archive-keyring.gpg`.
- Users can verify the key's checksum: `603374c107a90a69d983dbcb4d31e0d6eedfc325`.
- The new keyring includes both the old and new signing keys.
- Updated Kali images (2025.1c) and weekly builds (2025-W17+) include the new keyring.
- The Kali team assures the key was not compromised and remains transparent about the change.
- Support is available via Kali Linux Forums, Discord, or IRC.
Dear "Security Researchers"
a year ago
- Four Debian releases available: Debian 10.13 (buster), Debian 11.11 (bullseye), Debian 12.10 (bookworm), and Testing (trixie).
- Unstable development snapshot is named 'sid'.
- Older Debian releases are archived at http://archive.debian.org/debian-archive.
- README.CD-manufacture provides information about Debian CDs.
- README.mirrors.html contains details about Debian mirrors.
- Directories include 'doc' for documentation, 'indices' for site indices, and 'project' for experimental packages.
Path Isn't Real on Linux
a year ago
- On Linux, the shell (like dash in Debian) is responsible for searching for executables in the PATH, not the kernel.
- Commands like `cat` are resolved by the shell before execution, using the PATH environment variable to locate the executable.
- Tools like Python's `subprocess.run`, Go's `LookPath`, and Rust's `Command::spawn` also handle PATH resolution in user space before calling system functions.
- Linux's `execve` system call requires an absolute path, which is why shebangs must specify full paths or use `/usr/bin/env` to leverage PATH searching.
Dropbox will require App Indicator support on Linux
a year ago
- Dropbox desktop app for Linux is undergoing changes, requiring updates or additional libraries for full functionality.
- Requirements for full Dropbox desktop experience on Linux include specific desktop environments or additional libraries for AppIndicator support.
- Supported desktop environments for AppIndicator include GNOME, KDE, Unity, and XFCE; others like Cinnamon and MATE need extra libraries.
- Necessary software libraries include LibAppIndicator, with installation commands provided for Fedora, Debian, and Ubuntu.
- Dropbox app can run in headless mode (without GUI) using Linux CLI, provided essential system requirements are met.
- Dropbox desktop app is also available for Windows and macOS, with mobile access via Dropbox mobile app or browser.
Owen Le Blanc: creator of the first Linux distribution
a year ago
- Owen Le Blanc created the first Linux distribution, MCC Interim Linux, in early 1992.
- MCC Interim Linux was developed to simplify Linux installation, using a pair of floppy disks and included tools like GCC and GNU Emacs.
- Le Blanc worked at the Manchester Computing Centre (MCC) and used his distribution for university courses, enabling quick installations on multiple machines.
- The distribution was named 'MCC Interim Linux' to indicate its temporary nature and lack of long-term support commitment from MCC.
- MCC Interim Linux included a migration tool to Debian in its final release, reflecting Le Blanc's preference for Debian and Ubuntu in later years.
- Le Blanc faced challenges promoting open-source software at the University of Manchester, citing reluctance in institutions to adopt free software.
- Despite its short lifespan, MCC Interim Linux was a crucial stepping stone for later distributions like Debian and Slackware.
- Le Blanc's contributions, along with others, were vital in making Linux accessible and user-friendly in its early days.
Minimal Linux Bootloader
a year ago
- Minimal Linux Bootloader is a free software under GNU General Public License.
- The bootloader loads the first 512 bytes of the kernel to 0x10000 using BIOS interrupt 0x13.
- It checks the kernel setup size at 0x1f1 and loads the setup after the first 512 bytes.
- The bootloader sets up kernel header fields including loader type, heap usage, and command line pointer.
- It moves the command line to memory and reads the protected-mode kernel size from the kernel setup.
- The bootloader uses BIOS interrupts to load kernel chunks to temporary memory and then copies them to extended memory above 1MB.
- Memory layout includes bootloader code at 0x07c00, real mode kernel at 0x10000, stack and heap at 0x18000, and command line at 0x1e000.
- The bootloader includes error handling and prints the kernel version string during boot.
- It uses a Global Descriptor Table (GDT) for memory operations and a Disk Address Packet (DAP) for disk reads.
- The bootloader ends with a jump to the kernel setup code at 0x10200.
End of 10: Replace Windows 10 with Linux
a year ago
- Computers bought after 2010 can still be useful by installing an up-to-date Linux OS.
- Installing an OS is manageable with local help available in many areas.
- Upgrading to Linux is cost-effective, with free software updates and potential free assistance from repair cafes.
- Linux offers an ad-free and spyware-free experience, unlike Windows.
- Extending the life of a computer is environmentally friendly, reducing carbon emissions significantly.
- Community and online support are readily available for Linux users.
- Linux provides users with full control over their software usage.
Gnome – The Insanity Never Ends
a year ago
- GNOME continues to make arbitrary changes without fixing known issues, leading to user frustration.
- Examples of GNOME's problematic changes include removing features, replacing applications, and breaking third-party compatibility.
- GNOME's System Details screen now incorrectly displays the Settings version instead of the GNOME Shell version, hiding point release updates.
- GNOME's frequent UI changes and lack of stable APIs create challenges for maintainers and third-party developers.
- 83% of GNOME users rely on unofficial extensions to improve functionality, indicating dissatisfaction with the default experience.
- GNOME's file manager, Nautilus, is bloated with 100k lines of code yet lacks basic features compared to competitors.
- GNOME's autocratic behavior includes silencing criticism and lacking transparency in decision-making.
- GNOME's RAM usage is the highest among popular desktop environments, despite its limited functionality.
- GNOME's ecosystem suffers from poor compliance with standards, breaking applications and causing inconsistencies.
- Corporate investment in GNOME has declined, with the GNOME Foundation operating at a deficit for years.
Nnd – a TUI debugger alternative to GDB, LLDB
a year ago
- A debugger for Linux inspired by RemedyBG.
- Fast and snappy UI with no random freezes.
- TUI-based, not relying on gdb or lldb.
- Works on large executables (tested on 2.5 GB ClickHouse).
- Efficient, multi-threaded, asynchronous operations with progress bars.
- Limitations: Linux, x86, 64-bit, native code only, no remote debugging.
- Development status: Essential features present, used daily by the author.
- Distributed as a single 6 MB executable with no dependencies.
- Installation via curl or building from source with Rust and musl-tools.
Fedora Linux is now an official WSL distro
a year ago
- Fedora Linux is now an official WSL distro, starting with Fedora 42.
- Install Fedora on WSL using `wsl --install FedoraLinux-42` and launch with `wsl -d FedoraLinux-42`.
- Default user has no password and is part of the `wheel` group, allowing `sudo` usage.
- Fedora uses `dnf` for RPM packages and supports Flatpak (requires manual installation).
- Latest software tools available, including GCC 15, LLVM 20, Python 3.14 alpha, etc.
- Future improvements include hardware acceleration for graphical apps and Flatpak enhancements.
- Feedback and bug reports are encouraged via Fedora’s Discourse or Matrix channels.
- Special thanks to contributors David Duncan, Neal Gompa, and Patrick Lang.
Lazarus 4.0 Released
a year ago
- 64-bit x86 ELF binaries for Linux are broken due to bad symbol versioning.
- Multiple GLIBC_2.34 symbols (e.g., dlopen, dlclose, dlerror, dlsym, __libc_start_main) are incorrectly versioned in Lazarus binaries.
- The issue can be fixed by running 'sudo make bigide' from within the Lazarus 4.0.0 directory after installation.
An Year of the Linux Desktop
a year ago
- Windows frustrations with intrusive updates and AI integrations.
- Hardware choices and issues with NVidia GPUs and video memory.
- Macrostutters in games like iRacing and Final Fantasy XIV causing gameplay disruptions.
- Transition to Linux for gaming and desktop use, starting with Fedora.
- Hardware compatibility issues with Fedora 41 and resolution with Fedora 42 beta.
- Problems with XWayland, Steam, and GPU driver crashes after updates.
- Debugging and fixing X11 socket directory issues with a custom systemd service.
- Discovery of cyclical dependencies caused by NAS automount configurations.
- Challenges with Fedora's handling of patented video codecs and RPM Fusion repository limitations.
- Overall satisfaction with Linux desktop setup despite initial hurdles.
Yggdrasil Linux/GNU/X
a year ago
- Yggdrasil Linux/GNU/X (LGX) was an early Linux distribution developed by Yggdrasil Computing, Inc.
- It was the first company to create a live CD Linux distribution, released on December 8, 1992.
- The distribution was known for its 'Plug-and-Play' feature, automatically configuring hardware.
- Yggdrasil's name was inspired by Norse mythology, symbolizing the assembly of disparate software into a complete product.
- The alpha release required a 386 computer with 8 MB RAM and 100 MB hard disk, featuring Linux kernel 0.98.1 and X Window System v11r5.
- A beta release followed in February 1993, priced at US$60, with Linux kernel 0.99.5.
- The production release was priced at US$99 but was free for developers whose software was included.
- Yggdrasil Computing, Inc. was founded by Adam J. Richter and contributed significantly to early Linux development.
- The company remained active until at least 2000, with its last corporate filing in January 2004.
- Yggdrasil also published early Linux compilation books and offered volume discounts and donations to CSRG.
Linux drops support for 486 and early Pentium CPUs: 20 years after Microsoft
a year ago
- Linux 6.15 kernel will drop support for 486 and early Pentium processors.
- Linus Torvalds and other developers cite wasted development effort on outdated hardware as the reason.
- Minimum x86 CPU requirement now includes Time Stamp Counter (TSC) and CMPXCHG8B (CX8) instruction.
- Legacy code removal (14,000 lines) simplifies the kernel and improves performance.
- Hobbyists can still use older Linux distributions or specialty distros like MuLinux for vintage hardware.
- The 486 processor was last commercially produced in 2007.
Sole maintainer of Linux distro AnduinOS turns out to be a Microsoft employee
a year ago
- AnduinOS 1.3, a Linux distribution resembling Windows 11, was recently released.
- The sole maintainer, Anduin Xue, is a Microsoft engineer but works on the project independently.
- AnduinOS is a personal project based on Ubuntu with minimal modifications beyond the UI.
- Xue has no plans to commercialize AnduinOS and dedicates only a few hours monthly to its maintenance.
- The project is open-source, addressing concerns about potential backdoors for the Chinese government.
- Xue intends to continue supporting AnduinOS and may pursue full-time maintenance if sponsorship arises.
- With Windows 10 support ending, Linux distributions like AnduinOS offer an alternative for older PCs.
Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite Benchmarks on Ubuntu Linux vs. AMD vs. Intel
a year ago
- Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite launched in June 2024 with initial excitement for ARM laptops.
- Linux support for Snapdragon X Elite has been disappointing despite Qualcomm and Linaro's efforts.
- Ubuntu Linux has been leading in providing support for Snapdragon X Elite with developer previews.
- Canonical engineers have worked on improvements for Ubuntu 25.04 to enhance X Elite support.
- The Acer Swift 14 AI laptop (SF14-11T-X3RZ) was purchased for testing, featuring Snapdragon X Elite X1E-78-100 SoC.
- The Snapdragon X Elite X1E-78-100 has 12 Oryon CPU cores, 42MB cache, and a 3.8 TFLOPS Adreno GPU.
- Ubuntu 25.04 ARM64 desktop image was used for testing, with Secure Boot disabled for installation.
New Tool: lsds – List All Linux Block Devices and Settings in One Place
a year ago
- The article introduces 'lsds', a Python tool for listing Linux block devices with detailed information.
- The tool reads directly from sysfs (/sys/class/block/...) instead of executing multiple commands like lsblk, lsscsi, or nvme list.
- It provides comprehensive disk information including DEVNAME, MAJ:MIN, SIZE, TYPE, SCHED, ROT, MODEL, QDEPTH, NR_RQ, and WCACHE.
- Additional fields like HWSEC, NVME_QDEPTH, and FUA can be included for more detailed insights.
- The tool supports customization with options like --pivot for pivoted output and --verbose for source file paths.
- Examples show outputs for various disk types, including NVMe SSDs, spinning disks, and even USB disks.
- The tool is part of the 0x.tools toolset for Linux performance and troubleshooting.

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#linux

Show HN: VSCode-remote-glibc-patch – Patch legacy Linux to use VSCode Remote

Commodore OS 3.0 Released

Lenovo May Be Avoiding 'Windows Tax' via Cheaper Laptops with Preinstalled Linux

A New Kali Linux Archive Signing Key

Dear "Security Researchers"

Path Isn't Real on Linux

Dropbox will require App Indicator support on Linux

Owen Le Blanc: creator of the first Linux distribution

Minimal Linux Bootloader

End of 10: Replace Windows 10 with Linux

Gnome – The Insanity Never Ends

Nnd – a TUI debugger alternative to GDB, LLDB

Fedora Linux is now an official WSL distro

Lazarus 4.0 Released

An Year of the Linux Desktop

Yggdrasil Linux/GNU/X

Linux drops support for 486 and early Pentium CPUs: 20 years after Microsoft

Sole maintainer of Linux distro AnduinOS turns out to be a Microsoft employee

Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite Benchmarks on Ubuntu Linux vs. AMD vs. Intel

New Tool: lsds – List All Linux Block Devices and Settings in One Place