GNU/Linux and BSD Leftovers

posted by Roy Schestowitz on May 24, 2025

• Desktop/Laptop

  • Herman Õunapuu ☛ We get laptops with annoying cooling fans because we keep buying them

    But really, they do suck. A laptop can be great to use, have a fantastic keyboard, sharp display, lots of storage and a fast CPU, and all of that can be ruined by one component: the cooling fan.

• Audiocasts/Shows

  • Hackaday ☛ Hackaday Podcast Ep 322: Fake Hackaday Writers, New Retro Computers, And A Web Rant

    We’re back in Europe for this week’s Hackaday podcast, as Elliot Williams is joined by Jenny List. In the news this week is the passing of Ed Smylie, the engineer who devised the famous improvised carbon dioxide filter that saved the Apollo 13 astronauts with duct tape.

• Kernel Space

  • Logikal Solutions ☛ Linux Mint Grub Won't Update

    Linux Mint gets the most complaints about Grub not updating but it is not really a Mint problem. The volume of complaints is due to the fact Mint is the most popular flavor of Linux.

    The other reason is so many people install Linux on older hardware. This is another example of why Agile is not now, nor will it ever be Software Engineering. Your Jenkins automated testing doesn’t test squat.

• Applications

  • Linux Handbook ☛ LHB GNU/Linux Digest #25.10: Peersuite, YAML Essentials, Splitting Screen in Vim and More

    And we continue the weekly dose of GNU/Linux stuff with more tools to discover, as promised.

  • AudioThing Wave Box, dual waveshaper plugin for mac, linux, win and now iOS AUv3

    Waveshapers are familiar from the synthesis world. They gives sound designers options in their hand to bend waveforms into more complex ones. Waveshapers can also be used on traditional audio content to add character and bite.

• Desktop Environments (DE)/Window Managers (WM)

  • GNOME Desktop/GTK

    • GNOME ☛ Steven Deobald: 2025-05-23 GNOME Foundation Report

      Welcome to the third instalment of the Foundation Report! Instalment? Installment? English is dumb. Okay, here goes!

• Distributions and Operating Systems

  • Distro Watch ☛ Distribution Release: NixOS 25.05

    NixOS is an independently-developed GNU/Linux distribution that aims to improve the state of the art in system configuration management. The distribution's latest release is version 25.05 "Warbler" which will be supported until the end of 2025. The project's release announcement mentions some key highlights, including the availability of GNOME 48 and COSMIC desktop packages. [...]

  • BSD

    • FreeBSD ☛ FreeBSD Status Report First Quarter 2025 | The FreeBSD Project

      Here is the first 2025 status report, with 40 entries.

      As we step into a new year, the FreeBSD community continues its work with unwavering speed, intent, and purpose.

      The first quarter has been remarkable, with numerous reports highlighting progress across various areas. Engaging with the community through forums, mailing lists, and conversations has revealed to me more advancements than can ever be captured in a single quarterly report.

      We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who submitted reports and helped raise awareness of our activities. Your contributions are invaluable in showcasing our collective efforts.

      Let us build on the success of 2024 and make this the best year yet for FreeBSD and our community!

      Chris Moerz, on behalf of the Status Team.

  • Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

    • IT Wire ☛ iTWire - Nokia trials 5G platform for military exercise in Norway

      Finnish telecoms equipment vendor Nokia has trialled its 5G technology in a defence scenario during Joint Viking 2025, a multinational military exercise in Norway above the Arctic Circle.

    • Inside Towers ☛ Chinese Spy Ring Busted in Turkey by Fake Cell Towers - Inside Towers

      Authorities seized IMSI-catcher devices, which act as fake cell towers to intercept nearby phone signals. These devices can capture conversations, phone logs, and other sensitive data from any mobile phone within a 50-meter range by tricking it into connecting as if to a legitimate base station.