Articles about Linux

Fedora 38 is finally available for download... in Beta. Yes, the pre-release version of the Linux-based operating system can be installed now, but keep in mind, it is mostly intended for testing. Remember, folks, it is never wise to run an early version of a Linux distribution on your main machine due to bugs and potential data loss.

If you understand the risks and decide to give the operating system a go, you will be treated to some exciting things, such as the GNOME 44 desktop environment and improvements to the rpm package manager. A full changelog can be seen here.

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Two months ago, the Kodi Foundation released Kodi 20.0 'Nexus', the latest incarnation of its hugely popular home theater software. The new release comes with a wealth of changes, fixes and new features, including support for multiple instances of binary add-ons, AV1 Video support, and a massive rework of the subtitle system.

Today sees the arrival of the latest version of LibreELEC, a lightweight Linux distro that is designed to run Kodi on a variety of platforms including Raspberry Pi and Orange Pi. LibreELEC 11's big new change is it now runs Kodi 20.

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Installing a Linux-based operating system on an existing computer has gotten far easier over the years. Long gone are the days where replacing Windows with Linux had to be a frustrating experience. Still, for many people, installing a Linux distribution is a scary task. Thankfully, there are many computers being sold with Linux distributions pre-installed.

Today, The Kubuntu Focus Team launches its latest such Linux PC. The "Focus NX GEN 2," as it is called, is a NUC-like desktop that comes with Kubuntu 22.04 LTS pre-installed. The diminutive computer is powered by a 16-core 12th-Gen Intel Core i7-1260P. The second-gen Focus NX can be configured with up to 64GB of DDR4-3200 RAM, up to a 2TB NVMe boot SSD, and up to a 4TB secondary SATA SSD.

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Today Canonical has announced the general availability of real-time Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. This enterprise-grade offering is aimed at the industrial, telecom, automotive, aerospace and defense sectors, as well as public sector and retail.

Real-time Ubuntu allows organizations to run their most demanding workloads and develop a wide range of time-sensitive applications on the open-source operating system.

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Linux is a well-known, open source Unix-family operating system that is the most widely used OS today.

Linux looks set for a bright future for decades to come, but system administration is rarely studied beyond learning rote tasks or following vendor guidelines. To truly excel at Linux administration, you need to understand how these systems work and learn to make strategic decisions regarding them. Linux Administration Best Practices helps you to explore best practices for efficiently administering Linux systems and servers.

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Microsoft has announced a public preview of a new feature of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint that makes it possible to isolate Linux devices.

The company explains that it is possible to isolate a Linux device using APIs, or via the Microsoft 365 Defender portal. The update means that in the event of a security breach it is now possible to cut off Linux devices from a network, just as it has been possible to do with Windows devices.

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Are the Linux Mint developers fans of the Spice Girls? That I don't know. What I do know, however, is Linux Mint 21.2 has been code-named "Victoria." I'd like to think this version of the operating system is being named after soccer-star David Beckham's wife Victoria (who once went by the stage name "Posh Spice" as a member of the aforementioned pop singing group), but probably not.

Anyway, besides the codename of "Victoria," the Linux Mint developers have shared some interesting tidbits about the upcoming Ubuntu-based operating system. Most importantly, it will be released in June 2023. As expected, Linux Mint 21.2 will once again come with your choice of three desktop environments -- Cinnamon, Mate, and Xfce. If you opt for the Xfce variant, you will be treated to the cutting-edge version 4.18.

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Back in the day, people often scoffed at the idea of switching to a Linux-based operating system due to a lack of software. While that is still true for some people -- especially business users -- it is less of a concern these days since so many things are done through the web browser. For many consumers, just having the Google Chrome browser on, say, Ubuntu, is more than enough to accomplish all of their wants and needs. Not to mention, there are many quality Linux apps like GIMP and DaVinci Resolve.

But OK, lets say you really want to use a Linux-based operating system, but there's some Windows-only software that you absolutely cannot live without. Thankfully, you may still be able to ditch Windows and upgrade to something like Freespire or MX Linux. How? Thanks to the excellent Wine! This compatibility layer can sometimes enable you to run certain Windows software on Linux. Today, version 8.0 is released, and Microsoft should be very worried.

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Ubuntu is a Linux distribution based on the Debian operating system. Xubuntu is an operating system that is based on Ubuntu, but using the Xfce desktop environment instead of GNOME. Freespire is an OS that is based on Xubuntu. What does this mean? Well, besides too many Linux distributions existing, it means Freespire is, very loosely speaking, sort of like the great-grandson of Debian.

Anyway, today, Freespire 9.0 becomes available for download. A 64-bit ISO of the Linux-based operating system can be had immediately. It is notable for using Xfce 4.18.

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Netrunner is one of my absolute favorite Linux distributions, but I haven’t been recommending it to people lately. Why? Well, to be honest, I thought the operating system was dead. You see, the last time the developers released a new version of Netrunner was early 2021. I assumed development had ended. The year 2022 came and went without any substantial Netrunner news.

But no, Netrunner lives! Out of the blue, a new version of the KDE-focused operating system is made available for download. Code-named "Vaporwave" (no, not vaporware), Netrunner 23 is based on Debian 11 "Bullseye" stable for the first time. Yes, fans of Netrunner can finally have modern Debian.

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Although it has a reputation as a safe and secure operating system, Linux is not immune to malware. Indeed it's become an attractive target as increasing numbers of servers and other devices run Linux-based OSes.

Data analyzed by the Atlas VPN team, based on malware threat statistics from AV-ATLAS, shows new Linux malware threats hit record numbers in 2022, increasing by 50 percent to 1.9 million.

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Today, the Linux community is treated to yet another new distribution version. An ISO of MX Linux 21.3, the third point release in the "Wildflower" series, can be downloaded here immediately with your choice of Xfce, KDE Plasma, or Fluxbox.

Most notably, the operating system (which is based on Debian 11.6 "Bullseye") has Linux kernel 6.0 available (in addition to 5.10). The Xfce variant of MX 21.3 now uses version 4.18 of the desktop environment, which is the latest and greatest. Obviously, many packages and applications have been updated too.

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Earlier today, System76 announced its AMD-powered Pangolin Linux laptop is getting a significant redesign. The computer comes with either Ubuntu Linux 22.04 LTS or the Ubuntu-based Pop!_OS 22.04 LTS. The laptop has a 144Hz 15.6-inch matte display with a max resolution of 1080p.

The refreshed notebook now comes equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 6800 processor and 32GB of RAM (LPDDR5 @ 6400 MHz). You can configure the computer with up to 16TB of PCIe 4.0 NVMe solid state storage. You get three USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A) ports and a single USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-C) port.

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Tomorrow is one of the most important days of the year -- Jesus Christ's birthday! Also known as "Christmas," many people celebrate the holiday by giving gifts to friends and family. And of course, Santa Claus will be delivering many great presents to all the non-naughty children of the world too.

As an early Christmas gift, the Linux community is getting something very special today -- Manjaro 22.0! Code-named "Sikaris," this operating system is based on the excellent Arch Linux. If you love using a modern kernel, you will be happy to know Manjaro 22.0 comes with version 6.1. There are three desktop environments from which to choose -- GNOME (43), KDE Plasma (5.26), and Xfce (4.18).

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Grandmothers can be great ladies, but let's be honest -- they aren't very good at using computers. It's not their fault though -- they didn't grow up with them. That's why every time you visit grandma for Christmas, she asks you to fix her computer.

If you are sick of removing malware from grandma's PC, there is a simple solution -- install Linux! Yes, by formatting grandma's hard drive and replacing Windows with Linux, she will have the best Christmas ever.

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