GNU/Linux, BSD, and Development Leftovers

posted by Roy Schestowitz on Oct 06, 2025

• Desktop/Laptop

  • XDA ☛ Windows 11 25H2 reminds me why swapping to Linux was the best idea I've had this year

    When was the last time you were deeply, truly keen to check out a new build of Windows? For me, I think the last time I was really wowed by a Windows build was with Windows 7. 8.1 wasn't too much of a jump, and Windows 10 was cozy, but not too exciting. Windows 11 went in the wrong direction for me; it didn't so much as innovate as it did remove key features from Windows without much rhyme or reason. And you still can't do some things like resizing the Start menu without additional aid.

    Then, Microsoft revealed this year's major update for Windows 11: version 25H2. I'll give the company credit here: at no point did Microsoft hype up, advertise, or even really publicise the update. The company was very forward with the fact that, while 24H2 introduced some cool new features, 25H2 would be more of a moment of rest for the OS as Microsoft tweaked some things and removed some legacy apps. However, it still reminded me that moving to Linux was the best idea I had this year.

• Games

  • PC Gamer ☛ 'Enjoy Cronos on Steam, wherever you are!': Bloober Team announces native Linux build for Cronos: The New Dawn

    A month after launch, Cronos: The New Dawn now has a native Linux build, with devs Bloober Team announcing in a post on Steam, "Today, we’ve released a native build of the game for Steam’s handheld console, which means even better performance on this platform. Enjoy Cronos on Steam, wherever you are!"

    Cronos: The New Dawn was already Deck Verified at launch, but now Steam Deck and Linux players won't have to run the game through a compatibility layer. More and more games are getting native Linux support, largely due to the popularity of the Steam Deck. For instance, Hollow Knight: Silksong had native Linux support at launch last month, while one hero engineer at Larian delivered us a native version of Baldur's Gate 3.

    Cronos: The New Dawn joins a growing list of over 42,000 games on Steam with Linux support. At the time of writing, over 9,000 games are Deck Verified. Currently six out of the top ten games on Steam's U.S. Top Sellers list (not including the Steam Deck itself) are either "Playable" or "Verified" on Steam Deck. Only two have native Linux support, but that's better than none.

• Distributions and Operating Systems

  • BSD

    • DragonFly BSD Digest ☛ Lazy Reading for 2025/10/05

      There’s a certain amount of aspirational ideas this week. Aspire Zine.  An e-book that is a poster or vice versa. Did Cheetos try to incite a rebellion in 2008?

  • SUSE/OpenSUSE

    • SUSE's Corporate Blog ☛ Digital sovereignty: From principle to practice

      Step by step toward digital independence: This new SUSE white paper shows what digital sovereignty really means, what drives successful implementation, and why our open, European approach makes us the right partner on this journey.

  • Fedora Family / IBM

    • Business Advantages of Oracle Linux vs. Red Hat Enterprise Linux

      For organizations focused on cost control, Oracle product integration, and future-proofing their Linux strategy against vendor dependency, Oracle Linux (bolstered by the OpenELA initiative) offers several compelling business advantages over RHEL. The combination of free access, stable open-source backing, optional enterprise-grade support, and interoperability provides a resilient foundation for enterprise workloads.

  • Open Hardware/Modding

    • CNX Software ☛ Easily add 80+ Mbps Ethernet to microcontrollers with WIZ630io QSPI RJ45 module

      WIZnet WIZ630io is a small module featuring an RJ45 jack and a W6300 controller supporting up to 80+ Mbps Ethernet over QSPI @ 150 MHz. As a reminder, the W6300 features 64KB of SRAM for 8 sockets, each with a 4KB TX/RX buffer by default. It is notably found in the WIZnet W6300-EVB-Pico2 development board powered by a Raspberry Pi RP2350 MCU. The WIZ630io allows you to easily add Ethernet to any RP2350 board or other microcontroller with a SPI or QSPI interface.

    • CNX Software ☛ 1GHz Renesas RA8T2 Cortex-M85 MCUs feature MRAM and EtherCAT for industrial motor control

      Renesas has recently introduced the new RA8T2, an AI-powered motor control Cortex-M85 MCU that can be considered a direct upgrade to the RA8T1, which launched last year. The RA8T2 offers higher performance along with networking options for industrial, robotics, and other motor control systems.

• Development

  • Programming

    • GCC 16 Overhauls Diagnostics with HTML Output, Enhanced C++ Analyzer

      The upcoming GCC 16 release will introduce a significant overhaul of the compiler’s diagnostic systems, aimed at providing developers with more powerful and readable code analysis.

    • Python

      • Adafruit ☛ KarmaViz: music visualization software for Linux PCs #Python

        KarmaViz is a cutting-edge, GPU-accelerated audio visualizer for Linux with real-time GLSL shader compilation, advanced waveform rendering, and immersive visual effects.

        Karmaviz takes your audio input and transforms it into mesmerizing real-time visualizations. Whether you’re jamming to your favorite tracks, producing music, or just vibing, it’s got you covered with slick visuals that dance to the beat. It’s built to integrate seamlessly with your Linux audio setup, so you can plug it into your workflow without breaking a sweat.