Linux

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/13942074

cross-posted from: https://biglemmowski.win/post/2784381

I've remembered this exists and there seems to be some very recent activity in the repo so if you didn't know what was possible with TUI graphics now you know! (recommended watching with sound :)

Official site: https://notcurses.com/
Repo: https://github.com/dankamongmen/notcurses

PS: dank (the guy behind it) is definitely one of a kind, just read the releases haha

PPS: here is a doom running through notcurses in the terminal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_w5rh3c76g

The Xfce 4.20 schedule can be found on the Xfce.org Wiki. Expect Xfce 4.20 to offer up more Wayland support improvements, bug fixes, translation updates, and other modernization improvements. The developers have been hoping that Xfce 4.20 will feature usable Wayland support while retaining X11 compatibility.

I was testing out Debian in a VM and trying to set up Timeshift to see if I can make snapshots and Timeshift didn't work because of how Debian sets up volumes with BTRFS.

Apparently Timeshift uses Ubuntu's way of setting up volumes and nothing else. Check this video to find out how to install Debian on BTRFS so it works with Timeshift.

Hello,

So I've been a long time Linux user (since 2000) and for the past 20 years, I've been using exclusively Ubuntu and its flavours. Lately I've been seeing posts and articles about how Ubuntu's Snaps are ruining the user experience and causing a lot of discontent. Since I was on the verge of scrapping Windows on my machine and going full Linux.

I started to explore the different distros out there. I installed Linux Mint, (K/L)Ubuntu, Ubuntu Budgie, Debian, Endeavour OS (Arch), Bazzite, Fedora, OpenSuse Tumbleweed, Elementary OS, Fedora Kinoite, Nobara, etc. I wanted to see which one could be my next long run install it and forget it distro. In the end, I was already comfortable with Kubuntu and the few tests I tried in a VM seemed like it was still pretty solid and I really didn't have any reason to change. So I installed Kubuntu as my main and only OS... And I'm starting to regret it dearly.

Snaps really is awful. And the only reason is because Canonical is forcing it on its users. Modifying APT to install Snap packages instead of Debian packages?! And having certain software exclusively available as Snaps? Firefox, Thunderbird, CUPS, FFMpeg, and some of their own utilities like Firmware Updater, and even some KDE core stuff apparently?

So as I was finishing configuring my freshly installed Kubuntu, I was having problems with SDDM. My computer would completely freeze whenever I logged out. Like nothing worked except the power button on my PC. I installed the NVidia drivers and that appeared to have fixed it. I also installed ZSH and set it as my default shell. However, upon reboot, I realized all my Snap based apps were gone from my application menu. I couldn't even set them as default apps in the control center. Firefox being one of them and that's why I noticed.

After checking in the Discover app, I saw it was still installed. I noticed a bunch other ones were missing, but they all appeared as installed. I tried uninstalling Firefox and reinstalling, but that didn't work. I don't know whether it's Snap or KDE that's broken. So I started removing all the Snap variants and installing their Flatpak counterpart instead. But I soon realized this couldn't be done with all software. Like CUPS. The printing system. It's only available as a Snap??? You can't even install it as a Debian package? Some apps are only available as Snaps and they won't show up in my KDE applications menu or anywhere else.

This is incredibly frustrating and disappointing. I feel like I'm being pushed in a corner by Canonical. I'm afraid I really have to switch distributions after all these years. I think I'll be installing Debian 12 stable. Besides, with Flatpak I can get fairly updated applications instead of the .deb packages. So the "old packages" reputation becomes almost irrelevant.

UPDATE:

So installing zsh and setting it as my default shell is what broke Snap. Apparently, zsh doesn't run any of the /etc/profile and /etc/profile.d/ scripts which run scripts that set up environment variables for snap and flatpak and stuff. Adding the following line to /etc/zsh/zprofile fixed my problem:

emulate sh -c 'source /etc/profile'

Anyway, it's still bullshit.

UPDATE 2:

Thanks @Ephera@lemmy.ml for the advice. I've since reverted my default shell to bash in my /etc/passwd file and configured my console app to start ZSH instead to avoid any further problems. #LessonsLearned

Just got back from a long but enjoyable day as I've convinced yet another to escape Windows and join Linux

Hopefully they should feel more comfortable with building their own computer and using Linux in general as I went through the entire process with them; from having them insert their new CPU all the way to boot switching between Linux and Windows 10 via ~~BIOS~~ UEFI

They've got a few proprietary requirements remaining (hence the dual boot) but 95% of their apps are now on PopOS (they're planning to switch to Arch in about 3-4 months after some certain conditions are met)

Just wanted to share this as I've missed posting on the fedicomms and also wanted to provide an update for afking🤗

Anyways here's another to Windows's death ~~knell~~ null!🎉

https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2024-47176, archive

As of 10/1/24 3:52 UTC time, Trixie/Debian testing does not have a fix for the severe cupsd security vulnerability that was recently announced, despite Debian Stable and Unstable having a fix.

Debian Testing is intended for testing, and not really for production usage.

https://tracker.debian.org/pkg/cups-filters, archive

So the way Debian Unstable/Testing works is that packages go into unstable/ for a bit, and then are migrated into testing/trixie.

Issues preventing migration: ∙ ∙ Too young, only 3 of 5 days old

Basically, security vulnerabilities are not really a priority in testing, and everything waits for a bit before it updates.

I recently saw some people recommending Trixie for a "debian but not as unstable as sid and newer packages than stable", which is a pretty bad idea. Trixie/testing is not really intended for production use.

If you want newer, but still stable packages from the same repositories, then I recommend (not an exhaustive list, of course).:

• Opensuse Leap (Tumbleweed works too but secure boot was borked when I used it)
• Fedora

If you are willing to mix and match sources for packages:

• Flatpaks
• distrobox — run other distros in docker/podman containers and use apps through those
• Nix

Can get you newer packages on a more stable distros safely.

i've recently acquired a 4060 ti for €300 from a seller that i've been told was reliable. after installing the gpu and updating the drivers to the latest recommended ones i've noticed odd lag spikes lasting several seconds when using blender, these did not happen when i used my previous gtx 1060 ti.
How can i go about diagnosing if it's a gpu or driver issue? any benchmarks or tools i should use?

i'm on linux mint 21.3 cinnamon.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/23601247

I hope this goes without saying but please do not run this on machines you don't own.

The good news:

• the exploit seems to require user action

The bad news:

• Device Firewalls are ineffective against this

• if someone created a malicious printer on a local network like a library they could create serious issues

• it is hard to patch without breaking printing

• it is very easy to create printers that look legit

• even if you don't hit print the cups user agent can reveal lots of information. This may be blocked at the Firewall

TLDR: you should be careful hitting print

cross posted from: https://programming.dev/post/19937352

cross-posted from: https://ani.social/post/6217644

This is a really great article about how to use BTRFS snapshots with examples.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ndlug.org/post/1167059

COSMIC’s Alpha 2 release builds upon that work with functionality built out for Files, additional Settings pages, considerable infrastructure work for screen reader support+, and some highly requested window management features. System76 is ecstatic at the level of excitement and collaboration so far with alpha testers and early app & applet developers, and we look forward to seeing what comes from these new additions.

...

The second COSMIC alpha will be released on September 26th. Those participating in Alpha 1 on Pop!_OS can simply update through the COSMIC App Store to transition. This alpha will be followed by monthly alpha releases until all core features have been built out.

More coverage:

• COSMIC DE Alpha 2 Released, This is What’s New

• COSMIC Alpha 2 Released with Bluetooth Settings, Much-Improved File Manager

• Cosmic Desktop Alpha 2: BIG PROGRESS for a month of work!

Install instructions for OpenSuse Tumbleweed/ MicroOs using Full Disk Encryption secured by a TPM2 chip and measured boot or a FIDO2 key.

Nice to see OpenSuse pushing forward on securing the Linux Desktop with FDE and measured boot. Hope to see other distros following.

One day, Wayland will truly take over the Linux world, but it's not quite there yet with plenty still using X11 due to various problems some of which the new Frog Protocols aim to solve.

Announced by misyl, who does various work for Valve (like Gamescope), it certainly sounds like a good idea to give Wayland Protocols a swift kick to get into gear to improve things for users. Writing on their social media post :

Wayland Protocols has long had a problem with new protocols sitting for months, to years at a time for even basic functionality.

This is hugely problematic when some protocols implement very primitive and basic functionality such as frog-fifo-v1, which is needed for VSync to not cause GPU starvation under Wayland and also fix the dreaded application freezing when windows are occluded with FIFO/VSync enabled.

We need to get protocols into end-users hands quicker! The main reason many users are still using X11 is because of missing functionality that we can be shipping today, but is blocked for one reason or another.