Linux / Unix

Half-Life 3 and Steam Machine followers will be watching a series of June showcases. Summer Game Fest 2026 host Geoff Keighley is again piquing their curiosity. His social media post depicting rising smoke is the latest pre-event hint noticed by Valve supporters.

More than 13 years since its birth, Vivaldi hits version 8.0. Described as the "biggest design overhaul ever," this update comes with a new visual approach, sporting six preset layouts, as well as multiple UI refinements across all the browser's areas, such as the auto-hide feature, tab management, and more.

Designed to be the best PureOS yet by Prism, the "Crimson" release replaces "Byzantium," and all devices that came with it will receive the update, including the earliest Librem 13 and 15 computers. This update focuses on fixes and optimizations, without adding any major features.

Based on Ubuntu 26.04 "Resolute Raccoon" and featuring KDE Plasma 6.6 by default, QuarkOS 26.04 will also drop with the Trinity 14.1.6 desktop environment soon. This update comes with support until at least May 2031, just like its Ubuntu LTS base. This distro also comes with Q4OS tools, but without the Debian core.

Unleashed yesterday, Proxmox Virtual Environment 9.2 comes with a Debian 13.5 "Trixie" base and the Linux kernel 7.0 as the new stable default. The list of updated components and new features includes QEMU 11.0, LXC 7.0, and ZFS 2.4 alongside a new dynamic load balancer, HA arm/disarm functionality, and more.

Yesterday, Red Hat Inc. unleashed Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10.2 and 9.8, two updates that push the current and legacy branches of this operating system one step forward. Thanks to them, the users now enjoy simplified hybrid cloud management, improved security capabilities that include protection from quantum computing risks, and more.

Powkiddy has released a new retro handheld globally. Available in a choice of three colours, the Powkiddy P36S is comparatively small despite featuring two joysticks, two USB Type-C ports and a pair of microSD card slots.

Packing new artwork, including screensavers, the latest prerelease build of the upcoming Mageia 10 comes with "hundreds of newer packages" delivering tweaks, security fixes, and updated system components. Mageia 10 RC1 includes Firefox 140.10.1, Samba 4.23.7, Mesa 26.0.6, and more.

The project's 60th release brings OpenBSD to version 7.9 and sports plenty of changes. The highlights include delayed hibernation and improved graphics support alongside better virtualization, as well as firmware, installer, and upgrade enhancements. OpenBSD 7.9 also comes with a kernel scheduler mechanism for certain CPUs.

Dubbed "Sauropod" and unleashed yesterday, TileOS 2.0 is a Debian 13-based Linux release that also comes with the desktop-optimized Liquorix kernel as an option. A Niri and a MiracleWM edition join the Sway, River, and Qtile flavors. TileOS 2.0 also sports multiple package updates and substitutions.

Open-source developers are seeing a sharp increase in AI-generated bug reports appearing in Linux issue trackers and vulnerability systems. Some reports point to real problems, but many are duplicates, inaccurate findings, or low-effort submissions that take maintainers extra time to review.

The low_latency_layer project from Korthos Software allows AMD Anti-Lag 2 and Nvidia Reflex to be used on any GPU, effectively making both technologies hardware-agnostic for Linux users.

The Linux community has made significant progress in terms of gaming, especially when compared to gaming on Windows, and now, the latest Proton-CachyOS release is taking another step forward. It brings built-in OptiScaler integration.

Valve’s backend appears ready to list the Steam Machine for a lofty price. UI code would enable the company to charge more than $1,000 for the console alternative on its launch date. That said, the leak may apply to a bundle with a Steam Controller or the Frame VR headset.

Anbernic has released a Linux-based OS for its RG DS dual-screen handheld which ships with Android. The new OS can be installed on a microSD card, so users don't have to wipe the Android OS.

Around for over two decades, Unraid OS is back with a new update. Labeled 7.3.0, the new release features new licensing options, the ability to boot from an internal drive, a completely redesigned onboarding wizard, several security fixes, smarter networking thanks to the Docker update from 29.3.1 to 29.4.3, and more.

Playground Games has announced that Forza Horizon 6 is Steam Deck verified. Mobile gamers hoping to explore Japanese roadways have greater confidence in handheld compatibility. The system requirements also suggest it will perform adequately on the ROG Xbox Ally.

The privacy- and freedom-respecting mobile OS by UBports is back with a maintenance release for the 24.04-1.x series. Version 24.04.1.3 focuses on fixes and small improvements, touching areas such as desktop apps, docks, and shutdown hanging problems, as well as general bug fixes and security updates.

In addition to the 6.19.13 kernel, which comes with a patch for the "Copy Fail" bug, Parrot OS 7.2 comes with significant updates to parrot-menu and several other tools, as well as an alignment with the Debian project. Thanks to it, this release syncs Parrot with the latest Debian upstream updates.

While sporting a wide range of fixes and tweaks as usual, the latest PrismLinux update, labeled 2026.05.05, also comes with a redesigned installer, GNOME 50 support, version 7.0 of the Linux kernel, xLibre migration, as well as a KDE Plasma-based LiveCD with Wayland and auto-login enabled by default.

Anbernic has refreshed its RG34XX SP handheld with a new model. Apparently more than just a visual refresh, the new Metallic Blue variant also brings a metallic finish to the RG34XX SP that was missing from its existing four colour options.

The Lenovo G02 is a new handheld designed to emulate retro games. Featuring a 4.5-inch IPS display, the Lenovo G02 comes in multiple colours with more than a passing resemblance to the Anbernic RG40XX V.

With a new exploit, Sony’s console can become a capable gaming PC. Using the PS5 on Linux hack, Digital Foundry evaluated the performance of several PlayStation games. The ports exhibited similar frame rates, but memory limitations led to stuttering in Pragmata.

OmniOS r151058, only supporting upgrades from r151054 and r151056, is now available with improved IPv6 support, GMAC signing in SMB 3.1.1, ZFS improvements, better hardware support, load-balancing for individual logical units via mpathadm, as well as many other tweaks and fixes.

The latest stable version of this distro ships with the Steam client installer alongside Lutris Launcher, Gaming, Heroic Launcher, Moonlight GameStream, and more. These components allow the user to run several Epic Games titles, Battle.net games, Xbox Game Pass remote play, and more.

In late April 2026, modder Andy Nguyen released PS5-Linux for PlayStation 5 consoles running firmware 3.xx and 4.xx. With Linux installed, the system can essentially work like a regular PC, which also opens the door to emulation, and that's what another modder just showed off.

Amid accusations of vibe coding, questionable licensing and open-source practices, unwanted telemetry and unfair paywalling, many users are moving away from Booklore.

Valve may already have stacks of the Steam Machine waiting in warehouses. An insider noticed that the company has been importing shipments of “Game Consoles.” It recently hinted that, despite concerns about a high price, an update on the mini PC's release date would come soon.

While users of the KDE version get Plasma 6.6, those rocking Fedora 44 Workstation can enjoy GNOME 50. All flavors of the Fedora 44 update also feature multiple under-the-hood changes, including an updated Anaconda installer and components, NTSYNC enabled by default for select packages, and so on.

After months of testing and improvements, security engineer and modder Andy Nguyen has finally released PS5-Linux, allowing users to turn their console into a functional Linux gaming PC.

Significant Steam Machine price hikes were apparently under consideration at Valve. An insider describes how the memory shortage forced the company to reconsider its release date MSRP. There are conflicting reports on whether the mini PC will ship soon after the Steam Controller or late in 2026.

Targeting home servers, umbrelOS 1.7.0 comes with home screen shortcuts, a built-in text editor, and advanced networking controls, as well as no less than 17 new language translations. Like previous versions, this new release also sports a web-based user interface and an online app store.

The Steam Controller is in the spotlight, but Valve hasn’t forgotten about the Steam Deck 2. A programmer for the company reassured followers that the gaming handheld exists. A release date before 2028 is unlikely, but its specs may borrow the more comfortable layout of the new controller.

Framework recently revealed the Framework Laptop 13 Pro with a new chassis, Intel Panther Lake processors, PCIe Gen 5 storage, and a 74 Wh battery. The company is marketing the Laptop 13 Pro as an Apple MacBook Pro alternative. It appears that the Framework Laptop 13 Pro is indeed attracting MacBook Pro users.

Although a minor update, Mauna Linux 25.2 comes with quite a few changes. The list includes updated firmware packages, OnlyOffice 9.3.1, GIMP 3.2.2, and Calamares 3.4.2, as well as updated system apps, all on top of an up-to-date Debian 13.4 Trixie base with the 6.12.73/6.17.8 AHE kernels.

Valve Engineer Natalie Vock introduced a new VRAM optimization for Linux earlier in April 2026. This tweak has now been tested with a 4GB GPU, and there are some notable performance improvements in some games.

Valve has quietly published the first official Proton 11 beta with ARM64 and FEX emulation baked in, and the enthusiast community has wasted no time. Thanks to the Rocknix Linux distro, YouTuber ETA Prime has demoed native Steam running on three ARM-based Android handhelds, with Hollow Knight: Silksong cruising past 100 FPS on a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.

Rocknix now has support for Steam, allowing select Android handhelds to natively run Steam games. The feature is still in beta and has some kinks, but should get better as time goes on.

Valve has still not confirmed pricing or availability for the Steam Machine. In the meantime, the developer of EmuDeck is selling an alternative called Playnix, which should outperform the Steam Machine thanks to an AMD Radeon RX 9600 XT 16 GB GPU.

Denuvo aims to curb piracy, but it can also frustrate legitimate buyers. Pragmata Steam Deck and Linux players who update their PCs may not be able to run the game. The DRM has a 5-machine activation limit per 24 hours, and these changes count toward that restriction.

The last release before moving to Fedora 44, the Fedora 43-based RakuOS 2026.04.15 adds COSMIC to the list of available desktops. The other two choices are KDE Plasma and GNOME. Additionally, this update comes with a new live ISO installation experience and fully rewritten Rust core desktop apps.

Six months after the release of version 18, Zorin OS gets updated to 18.1. In this refresh, the Ubuntu-based distro offers better Windows app detection, tiling window improvements, and updates for the desktop panel, which now works seamlessly with right-to-left scripts, enhancing the experience for Arabic, Hebrew, or Urdu users.

The second update to last year's Trixie version of Raspberry Pi arrives as version 6.2 and focuses on small updates and bug fixes but also irons out one possible security flaw: passwordless sudo is now disabled by default. However, this change will not affect existing installations of Raspberry Pi OS.

France's government is shifting from using Windows to Linux. The change comes as part of an effort to abandon non-European digital services and reduce technological reliance on outside countries, specifically the United States.

Although the recently discovered vulnerabilities in Firefox 140.9.1 have apparently not been exploited yet, Tails 7.6.1 comes to ensure that won't happen in the future either. This emergency release includes Tor Browser 15.0.9 and Tor client 0.4.9.6, as well as some refreshed firmware packages for improved hardware support.

Opera has pushed version 130 to the stable desktop channel with a Chromium 146.0.7680.178 base, multiple crash fixes, interface cleanups, and Threads and Twitch sidebar access for Early Bird users.

Chrome Beta 148.0.7778.4 is now available on Android through Google Play, adding Web Serial API support, SharedWorker on Android, and a broader set of Chrome 148 web-platform changes.

Morbid Metal is a new 3D hack-n-slash game from Screen Juice that combines the fast-paced, heavy-hitting combat from the likes of Warframe with traditional roguelite mechanics and challenging boss fights from games like Elden Ring. It has officially launched in Early Access, and it supports the Steam Deck on day one with very lightweight system requirements.

Arch-based and systemd-free distro Artix Linux is back with update 20260402, a refresh that comes with two major changes. First, it replaces Xorg Server with XLibre as the default display server. Second, it moves from PulseAudio to PipeWire when it comes to the default audio system.

After more than a year since the release of its predecessor, Netrunner 26 arrives with a new base (Debian Stable 13 Trixie), Plasma 6.3.6 and KDE 6.13.0, multiple updates for the specific components such as Samba-mounter and Artwork, yt-dlp GUI Statcher7, better hardware support, and much more.