Linux Format December 2021
Linux Format is your complete guide to the world of Linux. Whether you've just discovered Linux, or you're a full-time guru, Linux Format has everything you need to make the most of your OS. The editorial formula is a mix of features, reviews and practical tutorials that tackle topics as far ranging as installing software to socket programming and network management. Thought-provoking features and interviews also provide a focus on key technologies, trends and issues in the fast-paced world of Free and Open Source software.
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meet the team
Jonni Bidwell I use Arch, and also Arch32, Pop!_OS and Debian. And, albeit briefly, whatever’s on our artisanally crafted DVD. LTS distros, through Snaps and Flatpaks, can now obtain the latest applications too, so adding hacky PPAs on the ilk of Mint and elementary OS is no longer de rigueur. Les Pounder My work machine runs Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. It gives me the stability to get my work done. For my other machines, my X220 is always distro hopping (currently Kubuntu 21.10) and my X390 is on Ubuntu 21.04. My Raspberry Pis are mainly using Raspberry Pi OS and Diet Pi. David Rutland I use Ubuntu 20.04 LTS which, among Linux distros, is the worn and comfy pair of solid old boots. Sure, I’ll slip into Arch for an occasional dirty weekend, but it’s like…
grandmaster clash
Ubuntu and Fedora are two of the big names in the Linux distribution world and their stewardships are set up quite differently. While they both have their funding foundations in large commercial segments of the Linux world, Ubuntu is specifically developed to be the commercial offering for all of Canonical’s businesses: desktop (that happens to be used by home consumers); and its server, edge and cloud deployments. Fedora, on the other hand, is the technological bleeding-edge development distro that’s used to forge and test systems that will eventually find their way into Red Hat Enterprise Linux – the big serious distro that’s created a multi-billion dollar business. Let’s not forget, of course, that Fedora is blue and Ubuntu is Orange! Luckily it’s Jonni and Mayank rather than myself comparing the two projects…
google to streamline its approach to the kernel
At the recent Open Source Summit North America 2021 (https://bit.ly/lxf283opensourcesummit), Google engineers Andrew Delgadillo and Dylan Hatch announced Project Icebreaker, a new kernel project from Google that will be as close to the upstream kernel as possible. According to Hatch, for every major upstream kernel release, Google will release a new Icebreaker kernel “on time, we want to stay caught up with upstream Linux.” This will enable developers to introduce features that are close enough to the mainline that they can be included for the upstream. This is one of the main problems with Google’s current Prodkernel, which runs on data centres, because it’s based on an older upstream kernel with a number of patches on top of it. The patches are rebased on to a newer kernel every two years, but…
software freedom conservancy launches lawsuit against vizio
The Software Freedom Conservancy (SFC) organisation (https://sfconservancy.org) is suing TV manufacturer Vizio over what it claims are “repeated failures to fulfil even the basic requirements of the General Public License (GPL).” Vizio, a popular TV brand in the US, uses a smart TV platform called SmartCast, which the SFC alleges “contain software that Vizio unfairly appropriated from a community of developers who intended consumers to have very specific rights to modify, improve, share, and reinstall modified versions of the software.” While the SFC’s lawsuit isn’t looking for monetary damages, it “seeks access to the technical information that the copyleft licenses require Vizio to provide to all customers who purchase its TVs.” You can see the full lawsuit complaint at https://bit.ly/lxf283sfccomplaint. According to the SFC, the non-profit organisation – which includes Debian Copyright…
pinephone pro announced
PINE64 has revealed the PinePhone Pro, a high-end premium smartphone that runs Linux. According to the pre-order page (www.pine64.org/pinephonepro), the PinePhone Pro comes with a hexa-core Rockchip SoC running at 1.5GHz, along with 4GB dual-channel RAM, 128GB storage, a 13MP main camera and 5MP selfie camera. Pine64 has worked closely with Rockchip when designing the PinePhone Pro to ensure that battery life is as long as possible, while also making sure the phone runs cool. For example, a bespoke suspend state has been developed that enables the PinePhone Pro to go into a low-powered mode to preserve battery, while still being able to receive calls and text messages. There’s also the same privacy switches found in the original PinePhone, making it possible to easily turn off the webcam, microphone and more. The…
trained to hire
Matt Yonkovit is Percona’s Head of Open Source Strategy and a member of SHA (Silly Hats Anonymous). The Linux Foundation published its report on open source jobs last month. It revealed that 97 per cent of hiring managers said people with open source skills were a priority and 50 per cent said they would increase their open source hiring in the next year. Alongside Linux and cloud, demand for Kubernetes qualifications has skyrocketed by 455 per cent over the past two years. Many companies are encouraging their IT teams to use open source because it enables them to be flexible when dealing with problems, and on how they deploy and run their systems. Clearly, the volume of roles requiring open source skills is growing. Two-thirds of developers say they need more training to…
