GNU/Linux and BSD Leftovers

posted by Roy Schestowitz on Dec 17, 2025

• Kernel Space / File Systems / Virtualization

  • Matt Godbolt ☛ Calling all arguments

    Today we’re looking at calling conventions - which aren’t purely optimisation related but are important to understand. The calling convention is part of the ABI (Application Binary Interface), and varies from architecture to architecture and even OS to OS. Today I’ll concentrate on the System V ABI for x86 on Linux, as (to me) it’s the most sane ABI.

  • University of Toronto ☛ The FreeBSD 15 version of PF has basically caught up to OpenBSD

    When we initially became interested in FreeBSD a year ago, I said that FreeBSD's version of PF was close enough to an older version of OpenBSD PF (in syntax and semantics) that we could deal with it. Indeed, as we've moved firewalls from OpenBSD to FreeBSD we found that most of our rules moved over without trouble and things certainly performed well (better than they had on OpenBSD). Things have gotten even better with the recent release of FreeBSD 15, as covered in Updates to the pf packet filter in FreeBSD and pfSense software. To quote the important bit: [...]

• Applications

  • It's FOSS ☛ 12 eBPF-Powered CLI Utilities That Every Modern GNU/Linux Sysadmin Should Master

    Classic GNU/Linux tools are always there, but eBPF is the natural upgrade as it looks directly in the kernel. Once you start using these tools, it’s hard to imagine managing GNU/Linux systems without them.

• Instructionals/Technical

  • Markup from Hell ☛ Giving pages a clear shape by using headings

    This is an issue because when things are marked up as headings that are not headings, it makes the page harder to understand. Users of assistive technology like screen readers hear things read as headings of section that are not headings.

• WINE or Emulation

  • Adafruit ☛ Laying out the 404 Media Zine: Using WINE on Linux

    When 404 Media co-founder Jason Koebler, who spent years editing Ernie Smith’s writing for Motherboard, reached out about doing a zine, Ernie was absolutely in. The goal of the zine—to shine a spotlight on the intersection of ICE and surveillance tech—was important.

• Games

  • Godot Engine ☛ Inverse Kinematics Returns to Godot 4.6

    Now Godot has Inverse Kinematics in 3D.