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After 25 Years, Linux Format Magazine Is No More
a year ago
- Linux Format, a UK-based Linux magazine, published its first issue in May 2000 and is now closing after 25 years.
- The closure is attributed to the challenges of print publishing in a digital-first era, with declining circulation figures.
- The magazine introduced many to Linux distributions like Ubuntu through cover-mounted CDs/DVDs, including the author.
- Despite the closure, other Linux-focused magazines like Linux Magazine and Raspberry Pi Magazine remain in print.
- The final issue of Linux Format is currently on sale, marking the end of an era for print Linux publications.
Red Hat just transformed enterprise server Linux
a year ago
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 10 adopts an immutable approach, transforming enterprise server Linux.
- Immutable Linux distros enhance security and stability by updating the entire system atomically.
- CoreOS, acquired by Red Hat in 2018, pioneered immutable Linux for containerized environments.
- Fedora CoreOS and Fedora Silverblue are Red Hat's immutable variants for containers and desktops, respectively.
- Immutable systems simplify maintenance and improve consistency in large-scale deployments.
- Trade-offs include adapting to new workflows and requiring reboots for certain customizations.
- Red Hat believes the advantages of immutable Linux outweigh the disadvantages for enterprise use.
Fun with Futex
a year ago
- Introduction to implementing locks in Linux, highlighting the need for OS assistance beyond user-land solutions.
- Simple spin lock implementation in C using atomic operations for mutual exclusion.
- Demonstration of a spin lock's inefficiency with high CPU usage when threads are waiting.
- Introduction to futex (Fast Userspace Mutex) as a solution to reduce CPU consumption by putting waiting threads to sleep.
- Explanation of futex operations: FUTEX_WAIT and FUTEX_WAKE, and their role in efficient lock implementation.
- Implementation of a mutex using futex, detailing the structure and wrapper functions around the syscall.
- Comparison between spin locks and futex-based locks, showing futex's advantage in scenarios with high contention.
- Optimization of futex lock to avoid unnecessary syscalls by distinguishing between lock states (available, locked, locked with waiters).
- Performance benchmarks comparing spin locks and optimized futex locks in different scenarios.
- Discussion on potential improvements and further exploration topics like hybrid locks, fairness, and memory ordering.
- List of references for further reading on futexes, locks, and concurrency in Linux.
KDE for Windows 10 Exiles – Upgrade your software, not your computer
a year ago
- Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 10 on October 14, making your computer obsolete and vulnerable to hacking.
- Switching to Linux with KDE's Plasma desktop can extend the life of your old computer, offering safety, stability, and modern features.
- Plasma is customizable, free, powerful, and comes with useful features like multiple desktops and built-in connectivity tools.
- Transitioning to Linux requires some adjustment, but the Free Software community and package managers like Discover can help.
- Linux eliminates many Windows drawbacks, including viruses, ads, spyware, forced updates, and hidden costs.
- Plasma respects user privacy and control, with no forced registrations or subscriptions.
I discovered that Bill Gates monopolized ACPI in order to break Linux
a year ago
- The author's Steam Deck stopped charging due to a battery controller failure.
- Attempts to communicate with the Smart Battery System (SBS) controller via SMBus were unsuccessful because the SMBus was connected to the embedded controller (EC) instead of the I2C bus.
- The EC handles various I/O functions, including ACPI, GPIO, and SMBus, but lacks proper documentation.
- The Linux kernel has drivers for SBS over SMBus through EC, but the author encountered issues with ACPI devices not being properly recognized.
- ACPI is supposed to standardize hardware access but fails to provide necessary information, such as address offsets for SMBus commands.
- The official ACPI specification acknowledges the need for address offsets but does not provide a reliable way to obtain them, leading to dependency on OS-specific drivers.
- Most EC/SuperIO chip manufacturers, like ITE, do not provide public datasheets, making it difficult to develop open-source drivers.
- A 1999 memo by Bill Gates suggested making ACPI extensions Windows-specific to prevent Linux from benefiting without additional work.
- The author plans to continue working on improving Linux ACPI drivers and developing tools like sbsutil to address these issues.
Linux 6.16 Exposes Statistics for NUMA Task Migration and Swapping
a year ago
- Linux 6.16 introduces new statistics for NUMA task migration and swapping.
- These statistics are exposed via sysfs and procfs to help server administrators analyze NUMA balancing activity.
- Two new fields, 'numa_task_migrated' and 'numa_task_swapped', will be available in /sys/fs/cgroup/{GROUP}/memory.stat, /proc/{PID}/sched, and /proc/vmstat.
- The changes aim to improve visibility into NUMA balancer's task migration activity.
- Intel engineer Chen Yu submitted the code, explaining the benefits for performance and resource utilization evaluation.
- The statistics support a divide-and-conquer approach to identify and adjust memory policies for problematic tasks.
AMD Radeon 8050S "Strix Halo" Linux Graphics Performance Review
a year ago
- AMD Radeon 8050S 'Strix Halo' Linux performance benchmarks are now available.
- The Radeon 8050S is part of the Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 SoC, featuring 32 graphics cores and a 2.8GHz frequency.
- Compared to the flagship Radeon 8060S (40 cores, 2.9GHz), the 8050S has fewer cores and a lower clock speed but still outperforms the Radeon 890M (16 cores).
- The Radeon 8050S supports up to 8K @ 60Hz, 4K @ 240Hz, and 1080p @ 600Hz displays, with DisplayPort 2.1 and Adaptive-Sync/HDR support.
- Testing was conducted on Ubuntu 25.04 with Linux 6.14 kernel and Mesa 25.0, showing good out-of-the-box compatibility.
- Benchmarks compare the Radeon 8050S against Intel's Xe2 and AMD's Radeon 8060S/890M, along with older integrated GPUs.
- Performance was tested in default (balanced), low-power, and high-performance platform profiles.
Show HN: Mustardwatch: Detect what files a program uses, rerun when they change
a year ago
- mustardwatch is a tool that runs a command, traces it to detect files it uses or might use, and watches those files for changes to rerun the command upon changes.
- It is implemented using the Linux ptrace API (similar to strace) and currently only supports x86-64 Linux.
- Usage: `mustardwatch [OPTION...] COMMAND [ARG...]`
- Key features include tracking files used by subprocesses (though subprocesses are killed when the main process exits) and skipping files in common global directories by default.
- Options include clearing the screen before running the program (`-c`), watching directories (`-d`), not skipping global files (`-g`), outputting watched files to a file (`-o`), and verbose output (`-v`).
- For more details, refer to the comments in `mustardwatch.c`.
An Update on the X11 Gnome Session Removal
a year ago
- GNOME has disabled the X11 session by default starting with GNOME 49, requiring explicit enabling during builds.
- XWayland remains unaffected; only the X11/Xorg session and related functionality are impacted.
- Early snapshots (49.alpha.0) were released ahead of schedule to gather feedback and testing.
- Three scenarios for X11 session removal: likely removal in GNOME 50, ideal removal before GNOME 49.beta, or unlikely reversion due to major issues.
- Testing is encouraged via GNOME OS Nightly, with minor issues already fixed in the alpha.0 snapshot.
- Distributors are asked to maintain the default or provide reasons for shipping the X11 session.
- Happy Pride Month and Free Palestine sentiments were expressed by the community.
EU OS for the Public Sector
a year ago
- EU OS is a community-led Proof-of-Concept for a common free Operating System for the EU public sector.
- It is based on Fedora Linux with a KDE Plasma desktop and bootable container technology.
- Despite its name, EU OS is not a new OS but aims to provide added value for public sector deployment.
- EU OS is a partner for the HackDays – Hackathon Digital Workplace 2025 in Paris.
- It also supports the endof10.org campaign, helping users switch from Windows to Linux.
Killing X11
a year ago
- X11 is considered outdated but remains in use because it still functions.
- A plan is proposed to transition users from X11 by leveraging popular toolkit libraries and browsers.
- Changing the internal pixel representation from RGB to BGR in Wayland but not X11 causes color issues on X11.
- Bug reports about color issues on X11 are dismissed, with suggestions to switch to Wayland.
- A patch to fix the X11 issue is delayed due to concerns about regressions and release schedules.
- Online discussions escalate, leading to claims that X11 support is burdensome and unsafe.
- The BGR change is reverted, and a blog post hints at missed opportunities due to legacy support.
- Continued X11 issues prompt a stronger push to eliminate X11 entirely.
Gnome introducing stronger dependencies on systemd
a year ago
- GNOME doesn't strictly depend on systemd for critical desktop functionality, but individual features may break without it.
- GNOME strongly depends on logind, which can exist in isolation from systemd (e.g., elogind).
- GNOME is gaining stronger dependencies on systemd, making it harder to run in non-systemd environments.
- GDM now depends on systemd's userdb infrastructure for dynamic user allocation, replacing legacy hacks.
- AccountsService will be replaced by systemd's userdb for rich user records.
- gnome-session's built-in service manager is being removed in favor of systemd's user instance.
- Distros without systemd will need to implement replacements for systemd components like elogind and eudev.
- Temporary alternate code paths are provided for GDM to run without userdb, but these will be removed in future releases.
- Distros will need to implement the userdb Varlink API and related infrastructure for future GNOME versions.
- GNOME 48 will receive security updates until GNOME 50 is released, providing a buffer for distros to adapt.
Linus Torvalds Rejects the Idea of Enabling Damon by Default in the Linux Kernel
a year ago
- Linus Torvalds rejected the idea of enabling DAMON by default in the Linux kernel.
- DAMON is a data access monitoring solution developed by Amazon and others for system monitoring and optimizations.
- A patch to enable DAMON by default was initially merged during the Linux 6.16 merge window.
- The rationale for enabling DAMON by default included support from major distros and minimal risk.
- Torvalds reverted the change, stating that new features should not be enabled by default without strong justification.
- DAMON is now disabled by default in the latest Linux Git code ahead of Linux 6.16-rc2.
KiCad and Wayland Support
a year ago
- KiCad runs on Wayland but with significant limitations and known issues.
- Window management issues include problems with window placement, docked panel positioning, and multi-window coordination.
- Input and interaction problems involve cursor warping, focus management, and input device handling.
- Performance and stability issues include high CPU/GPU usage, graphical glitches, and application freezes.
- Dialog and UI limitations affect modal dialog behavior and external tool integration.
- Wayland's design omits basic functionality, leading to fragmentation and inconsistent implementations.
- KiCad's policy avoids window manager-specific workarounds and focuses on core functionality.
- Bug reports related to Wayland-specific issues are not investigated or supported.
- For professional use, X11-based desktop environments are strongly recommended.
- Casual users on Wayland should expect reduced productivity and UI quirks.
- KiCad monitors Wayland development and welcomes contributions to improve support.
- The bottom line: Use X11 for reliable KiCad functionality on Linux.
Strace Tips for Better Debugging
a year ago
- Building software without libc to understand Linux syscalls and internals better.
- Projects include a minimal shell, terminal Snake game, ARM64 assembly HTTP server, and threads implementation.
- Using strace for debugging with extensive options.
- Key strace options: -f (follow child processes), -v (unabbreviated structs), -s (string size limit), -o (save output to log).
- Additional useful strace flags: -yy (file descriptor info), -Y (command names for PIDs), -t (timestamps), -T (time spent in syscalls).
- Debugging aids: -n (syscall numbers), -i (instruction pointer), -C (syscall summary).
- Stack traces with -k for programs compiled with -g.
- Selective syscall tracing with -e (e.g., %net, %mem), -z (successful calls), -Z (failed calls), -P (path-specific calls).
- Tampering with syscalls using -e inject for fault injection, retval, signal, or delays.
- Useful for debugging failure cases, with injected errors marked as INJECTED in output.
Intel Vulkan Linux Driver Lands Initial Support for VP9 Decoding
a year ago
- Intel's Vulkan Linux driver now supports VP9 video decoding via the VK_KHR_video_decode_vp9 extension.
- The support was merged into Mesa 25.2 for the Intel ANV driver.
- Hyunjun Ko of Igalia implemented the VP9 Vulkan-based video decoding for Intel's Linux driver.
- The implementation passes all Vulkan Conformance Test Suite (CTS) cases for VP9 decoding, except for two tests.
Slowing the flow of core-dump-related CVEs
a year ago
- The 6.16 kernel introduces changes to core dump handling to reduce vulnerabilities.
- Core dumps have been a source of security issues due to race conditions and privileged helper processes.
- New API improvements include using pidfds to uniquely identify crashed processes and avoid PID reuse attacks.
- A new core_pattern syntax allows writing core dumps directly to a socket, improving efficiency and security.
- Systemd-coredump and similar tools can now handle core dumps with fewer privileges and reduced attack surface.
- The changes aim to minimize the number of CVEs related to core dump handling in the future.
The Latest X.org Server Activity Are a Lot of Code Reverts
a year ago
- X.Org Server has seen numerous code reverts this week due to problematic commits.
- The 'X11Libre' fork lacks confidence and support from major Linux stakeholders, making its long-term success unlikely.
- Reverts include corrections for improper handling of copyright and license notices.
- A significant revert addressed broken RandR functionality from prior 'cleanups'.
- Another revert prevented unnecessary issues with the NVIDIA driver, with more reverts expected from NVIDIA.
- Additional reverts targeted code changes made without understanding the original context or value.
Occurences of swearing in the Linux kernel source code over time
a year ago
- Tool to count occurrences of words, names, or functions in Linux kernel source code.
- Supports wildcards (*) and sums (foo|bar) for flexible searching.
- Word definition: \<[[:alnum:]_]+\> (case-insensitive, includes accents).
- Example provided or users can input their own comma-separated list.
- Encouragement to explore other fun tools by the creator.
End of Windows 10 is approaching, so it's time to consider Linux and LibreOffice
a year ago
- Windows 10 support ends on October 14, 2025, prompting users to choose between upgrading to Windows 11 or switching to alternatives like Linux and LibreOffice.
- Windows 11 increases dependence on Microsoft, raises costs, and may render older PCs obsolete due to new hardware requirements.
- Linux and LibreOffice offer a free, open, and privacy-friendly alternative with no licensing fees, telemetry, or vendor lock-in.
- Linux works on all PCs that ran Windows 10, extending hardware life and reducing e-waste.
- LibreOffice provides a complete office suite compatible with Microsoft formats, based on open standards (ODF).
- Migration to Linux and LibreOffice is feasible for individuals and organizations, with global support communities and professional consultants available.
- Users are encouraged to start testing Linux and LibreOffice now to prepare for the transition.
- The Document Foundation and LibreOffice support the @endof10 campaign, advocating for digital freedom.

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#linux

After 25 Years, Linux Format Magazine Is No More

Red Hat just transformed enterprise server Linux

Fun with Futex

KDE for Windows 10 Exiles – Upgrade your software, not your computer

I discovered that Bill Gates monopolized ACPI in order to break Linux

Linux 6.16 Exposes Statistics for NUMA Task Migration and Swapping

AMD Radeon 8050S "Strix Halo" Linux Graphics Performance Review

Show HN: Mustardwatch: Detect what files a program uses, rerun when they change

An Update on the X11 Gnome Session Removal

EU OS for the Public Sector

Killing X11

Gnome introducing stronger dependencies on systemd

Linus Torvalds Rejects the Idea of Enabling Damon by Default in the Linux Kernel

KiCad and Wayland Support

Strace Tips for Better Debugging

Intel Vulkan Linux Driver Lands Initial Support for VP9 Decoding

Slowing the flow of core-dump-related CVEs

The Latest X.org Server Activity Are a Lot of Code Reverts

Occurences of swearing in the Linux kernel source code over time

End of Windows 10 is approaching, so it's time to consider Linux and LibreOffice