Open Source

A fully functional file manager, density options, new UI scaling and density options, and focus follows cursor! System76 has addressed a ton of complaints and small bugs related to its new Rust-based Cosmic desktop environment and added a host of customisation and configuration options to the desktop. Cosmic apps also got some much-needed attention, bringing the user experience almost on-par with the likes of GNOME.

A new YouTube channel has popped up with an incredible video detailing how to convert an old Apple Desktop Bus mechanical keyboard from an outdated wired connector to a USB type-C/wireless keyboard. He also managed to add in some nifty features, like an OLED display and open-source ZMK firmware for endless customisability. All project files are also available on GitHub.

Although the source code became public yesterday, it's far from having been released as open source. However, while the Winamp Collaborative License (WCL) Version 1.0 forbids distribution of modified versions, a few forks are already online. Since WCL contradicts GitHub's ToS, the future looks interesting for Winamp and its forbidden versions.

With a short history that started in 2023, Liya Linux is a one-man effort based on Arch with reduced system requirements alongside modern looks and improved security. Released yesterday, version 2.1 comes with the 6.11.0-1 kernel, also updating various packages such as openssh, openssl, perl, samba, wayland, and many others.

With a history of over a decade, KaOS is a niche distro that has just received an update. Version 2024.09 was released yesterday, and its highlights include Calligra, which replaces LibreOffice as the default office suite, as well as an updated VirtualBox package.

On the way for the public release of Ubuntu 24.10 "Oracular Oriole," which is scheduled for October 10th, the Ubuntu team unveiled a new beta for the desktop, server, and cloud products. Ubuntu 24.10 beta allows users to test GNOME 47, including a new version of the Nautilus file manager, and much more.

Zorin OS and Zorin OS Pro have both been updated to version 17.2, which brings with it the latest Linux Kernel. Touted as one of the easiest Linux distros to theme, the update brings even more customization options as well as improved performance and security.

One month before the stable release, Fedora Linux 41 beta arrives with a preview of what's about to come. Some of these changes are Python 2's removal, Valkey replacing Redis, the ability to install the proprietary Nvidia video driver with Secure Boot, DNF5 alongside bootc in Fedora IoT and the Atomic desktop versions, and more.

The latest maintenance release for the 13.x series brings FreeBSD up to version number 13.4 and, sadly, doesn't include any major changes. However, today's update comes with multiple bug fixes, driver updates, as well as more than a few updated versions of apps maintained by third parties.

Based on Arch Linux but also packing a few proprietary pieces of code, such as the Swirl web browser, SDesk received a new update yesterday. Alongside the new drivers, which focus on supporting touch interfaces, this software refresh comes with a move from the Calamares installer to the GNOME first-run wizard.

The TI-84 is a powerful graphing calculator in its own right, but modder ChromaLock saw even more potential for the platform. Exploiting some of the calculator's built-in functionality, he found a way to introduce features never before seen in a calculator.

Available since late March 2014, Debian-based MX Linux has just reached version 23.4. Based on Debian 12.7, the update packs a generous list of fixes, application updates, tweaks, kernel updates, as well as updated language packs. The Xfce, KDE, and Fluxbox ISOs come with the 6.1.106 kernel, while AHS sports the 6.10.10 kernel.

With a history of over two decades and previously known as OpenBeOS, today's Haiku is pushing forward with the release of the R1 Beta 5 preview version. This community-driven project aims to provide a modern open-source operating system that's also backward-compatible with BeOS.

Initially supposed to arrive two weeks ago, Ubuntu 22.04.5 was delayed until yesterday. This point-release for the 22.04 LTS branch comes with multiple updates and fixes, as usual. The list of updated components includes Ruby 3.0, PHP 8.1.2, BIND 9.18.1, Apache 2.4.52, PostgreSQL 14.2, MySQL 8.0.28, and more.

Bringing no less than 11 additional tools, Debian-based Kali Linux 2024.3 is an update that also comes with support for the Qualcomm Snapdragon SDM845 SoC. Additionally, it begins the transition to the Python 3.12 update, which removes some deprecated APIs but also breaks some packages, so it needs more work before being released.

Born back in 2015, Redox OS is still in a testing stage, but the latest update, labeled 0.9.0, brings it one step closer to the public release. Written in Rust, it now sports COSMIC desktop apps, a custom web server, as well as performance and stability improvements. Redox OS 0.9.0 also comes with a Nano text editor port.

As X/Twitter remains banned in Brazil, new users from this country helped Bluesky exceed 9 million subscribers while also recording almost 5 million monthly active accounts. Founded in early October 2021, this US-based decentralized microblogging social platform opened signups for everyone this year, in early February.

The sixth update to Q4OS 5 Aquarius is now available with the Debian Bookworm 12.7 updates, the Debian stable 6.1.0-25 kernel, as well as various fixes. The Calamares installer now sports custom desktop profiles, while all the live media now sport new Debian Shim and Grub bootloader binaries.

While it continues to keep things spartan by providing just the old-school command-line interface, Peropesis 2.7 comes with file system archiving and ISO management tools, as well as various updated components, tweaks, and fixes. Although larger than for previous versions, the Peropesis 2.7 ISO file has just 282 MB in size.

Arriving a tad later than anticipated, GhostBSD 24.07.1 promises increased performance and stability thanks to the transition from using packages based on the team's own ports to using FreeBSD PKGBSD packages. Additionally, this update comes with an improved NetworkMGR, two security tweaks for OpenSSH, and more.

In response to the rise of Linux gaming, primarily due to the Steam Deck, the Dolphin team has decided to collaborate with the community to make the widely used unofficial Flatpak distribution of the Dolphin emulator official.

More and more companies have started to introduce RISC-V products, but there isn't much focus on gaming with these open-source CPUs, mostly due to compatibility issues. But that didn't stop Box86/Box64 developers from running The Witcher 3 on Milk-V Pioneer paired with an AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT.

With a history of no less than 14 years, Polish-made 4MLinux is a lightweight distro that includes a collection of classic Linux games, support for virtually all multimedia formats, and can also be used for troubleshooting and rescue purposes in a live bootable environment. Version 46.0 comes with GTK 4 and greatly improved file support.

DeepComputing has started taking pre-orders for its upcoming DC-ROMA Pad II. The tablet, which starts at $149, is focused on providing an advanced RISC-V development platform. RISC-V is becoming exceedingly popular among developers because it lacks licensing fees and is open-source.

The Open Source Media Center (OSMC) Debian-based Linux distro has just been updated with Kodi 21.1 Omega. In addition to a set of bug fixes, the new version, labeled 2024.08-1, comes with improved remote keymap messages, updated and improved translations, Vero V full range video output, and more.

CheckMag The idea of running an entire operating system (especially one as bloated as Windows) in a container defeats the entire purpose of Docker. However, you can, and there are at least some valid reasons why you might want to. Whether it’s a headless gaming machine, a throwaway OS for testing potential malware or even security research, you can run pretty much every major OS in a container.

CheckMag It looks as though the long-awaited GIMP 3.0 release may be soon upon us, with the GNU Project announcing a string freeze for the latest developer preview build. Between overhauled colour management tools, a refined UI, and, finally, a simple stroke selection tool, GIMP 3.0 is looking to be a big release for the free, open-source Photoshop alternative.

Born in 2017, Artix is a rolling-release distro partially based on Arch Linux. The latest update, labeled 20240819, arrived yesterday. The most obvious change is that LXQt and LXDE are no longer coming with the community editions. Also, XFCE is now the default desktop environment in community-gtk.

Often hailed as one of the best lightweight Linux distros that can run from a USB stick while also supporting persistency, EasyOS was born in 2017, and its roots can be traced all the way back to Puppy Linux. Now, version 6.2 is available with a complete recompile in OpenEmbedded, sporting multiple package updates.

Based on the stable Deepin 23 distro, ExTiX 24.8 comes with the 6.10.3-amd64-exton kernel (equivalent to the 6.10.3 stable kernel) and Google Chrome 127.0.6533.119-1, which replaces the Deepin Browser. Compared to Deepin 23, ExTiX 24.8 also sports the Synaptic Package Manager.

Released yesterday (Aug 15), Deepin 23 sets a new standard for Debian-based Linux distros. This update introduces atomic updates alongside support for new hardware architectures such as ARM64, LoongArch64, and RISC-V. The custom Deepin Desktop Environment (DDE) now provides an even more user-friendly computing experience.

xAI has released Grok-2 and Grok-2 mini beta AI LLMs on X with the enterprise API arriving later this month. Grok-2 ranked among the four most powerful large-language models on the LMSYS leaderboard and among the top six across a range of standardized AI benchmarks.

The Edward Snowden-endorsed live Linux distro Tails is back with version 6.6. This refresh brings Thunderbird and Tor Browser up to date, as well as packing support for new hardware and improving the persistent storage capabilities of this Debian-based piece of code, which targets those seeking complete Internet anonymity.

Made by a fan of Rebecca Black, the Debian-based distribution simply called "RebeccaBlackOS" is a beta-stage live Linux with a login manager for Wayland, Qt 6, and only 64-bit support (the versions previously released, which arrived with Qt 5, supported 32-bit platforms as well).

Focused on delivering an easy initial setup and post-install configuration, IPFire is a Linux distro designed for firewalls. Version 2.29 Core 187 comes with an additional layer of protection against denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. This capability is useful in high-bandwidth and cloud deployment scenarios.

CheckMag Looking for something to do this weekend? These three modern remakes slap much-needed coats of paint on older PC games. These are essentially engine rebuilds that add modern features to the classic titles while staying true to the original games' feel and intention. The best part: they're all completely free.

The highly anticipated Cosmic desktop environment has finally launched in alpha version alongside the Pop!_OS 24.04 alpha. The new Linux desktop environment is also available for Arch, Fedora, NixOS, and Serpent OS, with plans for openSUSE and Redox OS launches underway.

The UCIe Consortium has released UCIe 2.0, introducing key enhancements to the Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express specification. The new version adds support for standardized manageability, testability, and 3D packaging, further advancing the chipset ecosystem.

With a focus on minimalism and performance, Serpent OS aims to help users get the most out of their hardware and streamline their workflow. The release comes four years after Ikey Doherty announced he would be working on a new Linux distro. Despite some problems in development, Serpent OS has made it to the pre-alpha stage and is now available to download. 

A recent review tested the performance of AMD's new Ryzen AI 9 365 processor and its Radeon 880M iGPU in Ubuntu 24.04 on Linux kernel 6.10 and Windows 11 and found that the CPU and iGPU combination performed better under Linux in most scenarios. The biggest surprise comes from GPU benchmarks, where Linux often beat Windows by up to 50%.

CheckMag I spoke with Brian R Lyons of TMNA Toyota Motor Corp North America about the implementation of Linux in Toyota and Lexus infotainment systems. Automotive Grade Linux (AGL) is a version of Linux being used by several automotive manufacturers.

It looks like System76's exciting new Rust-based Cosmic DE will get an official Fedora spin in the upcoming Fedora 42, potentially giving Linux users with bleeding-edge hardware an official way to try Cosmic. Fedora Linux operates on a semi-rolling release, but it is often regarded as a stable base for those looking for up-to-date software and hardware support.

The first Release Candidate for the next version of the Linux Kernel (Kernel 6.11-rc1) is now available. The candidate includes support for wireless drivers on Qualcomm chips (specifically the Snapdragon X1 platform) and features for virtualization.

Codenamed "Wilma" and to be supported until 2029, Linux Mint 22 comes with multiple software updates, including the Linux kernel 6.8, themes with GTK4 support alongside multiple visual changes across the entire system, HiDPI in the boot sequence, Plymouth, and Slick-Greeter. Hexchat has been replaced with the Matrix chat network.

Based on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and available in no less than ten editions, Ubuntu Pack 24.04 is now out. This distro comes with a universal VLC player, a comprehensive set of media codecs, and support for running Windows apps. The list of preinstalled apps includes Inkscape, XnView, Peazip, Firefox, Veracrypt, and more.

Meta has unveiled its biggest, smartest, most-neutered Llama 3.1 405B AI for royalty-free use. The 750 GB, 405 billion parameter large language model (LLM) is one of the biggest ever released and performs competitively with flagship competitors Anthropic Claude 3.5 Sonnet and OpenAI GPT-4o.

Available in its current form since early August 2007, MidnightBSD started as a FreeBSD fork in 2005. Version 3.2.0 brings the Ravenports integrated system, which allows you to build packages of complex software, including private repositories for targeted use. The default desktop environment remains Xfce.

Asus ROG XG Mobile interface is available on ROG Flow laptops and the ROG Ally gaming handheld, and it lets users get better gaming performance with an external GPU. However, Asus has a few graphics card options available, and the 2023 dock costs $2,000. Well, a hardware hacker has managed to bring expanded support with an open-source eGPU dock.

System76's long-awaited Cosmic desktop environment will officially ship with the Pop!_OS 24.04 alpha build, bringing with it a host of improvements to GPU compatibility and features. Despite it being an alpha build, System76 hopes for Cosmic and Pop!_OS 24.04 to be completely usable as a daily driver OS.

Available since July 10, 2022, Nobara Linux is a Fedora-based distro aimed at gamers and content creators. Yesterday, version 40 arrived with a completely remade updater, KDE 6.1.1, Gnome 46, as well as the Nvidia 555 drivers and much more. Five versions are available for download, including two made to look and feel like the Steam Deck.