news
today's leftovers
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Desktop/Laptop
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The Register UK ☛ What the Linux desktop really needs to challenge Windows
I've run Linux desktops since the big interface question was whether to use Korn or Bash for your shell. Before that, I'd used Unix desktops such as Visix Looking Glass, Sun OpenWindows, and SCO's infamous Open
DeathtrapDesktop.Unless you're a fellow gray-haired computer or Unix geek, chances are you've never heard of, never mind used, any of these. Fast-forward to 2025, there are more than a dozen significant Linux desktop interfaces. These include GNOME, KDE Plasma, Cinnamon, MATE, and on and on. They're all too likely to be as forgotten as the first three Unix interfaces I named. Why? The same reasons you don't know a thing about the Unix desktops.
First, though, why you might want to get the hell away from Windows while the going is good. Besides the usual security crap – 41 zero-day CVEs so far in 2025 at the time of writing – there have been new features such as Microsoft Recall, a privacy disaster disguised as a feature. Then there's the way Microsoft is forcing AI functions down our throats. If I wanted Copilot when I'm making a grocery list in Notepad, I'd… wait a second. I'll never want an AI program looking over my shoulder in a simple note app and then reporting to Microsoft that I'm picky about my green peppers.
I'm old fashioned about my desktops.
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Homebrew
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XDA ☛ Homebrew is just as good on Linux as it is on Mac [Ed: Not atypical, given that such software specifically targets Mac users]
For years, Homebrew has been shorthand for sane package management on macOS. It gave Mac users an easy way to install, update, and manage developer tools without fighting the operating system. That reputation stuck, even as Linux users quietly gained access to the same tooling. Many people still assume Homebrew is a Mac-centric experience, even today.
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Games
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HowTo Geek ☛ This Linux app for cooperative controller gaming just got a big update
The Linux gaming tool CtrlAssist, which lets multiple physical gamepads act as a single virtual device for cooperative play, just dropped a rumble update. This utility also lets you customize your input setups so you can use multiple controllers to do different things in-game.
The biggest feature addition in this release is the long-awaited rumble pass-through, also known as Force Feedback Forwarding. You can now configure exactly which physical controller receives the vibration effects from the virtual device. You might choose to route the rumble to the Primary controller, the Assist controller, both, or neither. I think the best part of this update is the ability to share those immersive haptic encounters, whether you are trying to land a plane or feeling the engine stutter in a racing game, right there with your co-pilot.
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WCCF Tech ☛ EA Shareholders Have Officially Approved the $55Bn Sale to Saudi Arabia PIF, Silver Lake
The process of EA going private and selling to a 'Consortium' of investors, which includes the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Jared Kushner's Silver Lake, has just crossed its first hurdle. As initially reported by Stephen Totilo at Game File, EA's shareholders have voted to approve the sale of EA to the Consortium.
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Distributions and Operating Systems
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New Releases
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Alpine Linux ☛ 2025-12-17 [Older] Alpine 3.23.2 released
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Open Hardware/Modding
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AI designs a Linux computer with 843 parts in a single week
What makes the project stand out is not only its rapid development but also its immediate success. When powered on for the first time, the computer booted directly into Debian Linux without requiring troubleshooting or rework. According to Quilter, the entire process needed only 38.5 hours of direct human involvement, a fraction of the time generally required for a project of this complexity.
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Free, Libre, and Open Source Software