Genode OS Planning For PinePhone Bring-Up, Better GPU Support In 2021

For those wanting to run a micro-kernel operating system for your low-cost, open-source friendly PinePhone, the Genode OS framework plans to port to the PinePhone this year. Genode OS and its Sculpt general purpose platform are also wanting to better embrace GPU support in 2021. The Genode operating system framework that features an original, open-source micro-kernel abstraction layer and a set of user-space components in development since 2008, published their road-map for the year. Like many in the open-source community, Genode OS developers and users have been intrigued by PINE64's PinePhone that offers an Allwinner A64-powered open-source smartphone with 2GB of RAM, 16GB eMMC, and other basics for just $149~199 USD. While there are many Linux distributions supporting the PinePhone, Genode OS wants in on the action too and plans to port their operating system framework to it this year. They want Genode on PinePhone to serve as "a feature phone, covering basic web-browsing needs, placing calls, and SMS." Also: Genode OS Framework is adding PinePhone support

KaOS Linux’s First ISO Release in 2021 Adds Linux Kernel 5.10 LTS and Qt 6

KaOS Linux 2021.01 is now available for download, the first ISO release of this KDE focused and desktop oriented rolling GNU/Linux distribution inspired by Arch Linux to ship with the latest and greatest Linux 5.10 LTS kernel series, which, as expected, provides state-of-the-art hardware support. In addition, KaOS Linux 2021.01 is the first ISO release to ship with the latest Qt 6 open-source and cross-platform application framework, which is already used by some apps, including Poppler, Qtkeychain, Qsynth, Strawberry, and others. Qt 6 is accompanied by the PyQt 6.0 stack, which includes PyQt6-sip, PyQt-Builder, and Sip 6.

Android Leftovers

• Google alerts Android fans about critical flaw on their phones - update your device NOW

• Google's Android and TV leads chat Samsung, RCS and CES

• Using Android with profiles and dual-SIMs is possible but needs work

• iTel Vision 1 Pro with Android 10 Go launched in India: Price, features

• T-Mobile OnePlus 8 enters Android 11 (OxygenOS 11) testing phase

• [Updated] Over two months later, T-Mobile OnePlus 8 Android 11 update still awaited

• OPPO ColorOS 11 update (Android 11) tracker

• Asus Android 11 update tracker: Devices received beta/stable OS so far

• [New incremental update] Asus ZenFone 6 Android 11 update

• Asus ZenFone 6 second Android 11 update brings bug-fixes & VoWiFi on multiple networks

• Asus 6Z/ZenFone 6 bags Android 11 stable update (Download link inside)

• Android 11 is now rolling out to the OG Sony Xperia 1 and Xperia 5

• Android 12 release date, rumors and what we want to see

• How to hide chats in Signal app: A detailed guide for Android and iOS users

today's leftovers

• Kafka destination improved with template support in syslog-ng - Blog - syslog-ng Community - syslog-ng Community

  The C implementation of the Kafka destination in syslog-ng has been improved in version 3.30. Support for templates in topic names was added as a result of a Google Summer of Code (GSoC) project. The advantage of the new template support feature is that you no longer have to use a static topic name. For example, you can include the name of your host or the application sending the log in the topic name. From this blog you can learn about a minimal Kafka setup, configuring syslog-ng and testing syslog-ng with Kafka.

 

• Announcing Istio 1.8.2

  This release contains bug fixes to improve robustness. This release note describes what’s different between Istio 1.8.1 and Istio 1.8.2

• 2.5-inch "Industrial Pi" Pico-ITX SBC offers PoE , mini DP++ port

  The company also provides a 15mm thick heat spreader for fanless operation, and support for Windows 10 IoT Enterprise (64-bit) and Linux operating systems.

  

• ZimaBoard Intel Apollo Lake SBC and micro server goes for $69.99 and up (Crowdfunding)

  The board is passively cooled by its enclosure acting as a heatsink, and ships with Linux by default, although we’re not being told which distribution, possibly Ubuntu 20.04.

      

• Algolia Search in Jekyll

  I am relieved and delighted to have finally managed the Algolia search setup for Unix Tutorial. I’ve been looking to upgrade search for a long time but had not enough JavaScript and CSS knownledge to replace the default search with Algolia’s one. I’m going through a short technical course about Vue (JavaScript framework), so this must have put me into the right mindset.

 

• Partners Feel ‘Betrayed,’ ‘Taken Aback’ By Microsoft’s Direct Calls To Customers

  A California MSP learned a lesson years ago when a software vendor tried to go direct with his end users. So when Microsoft demanded contact information for his customers, he gave them an email address that went directly to him instead. Earlier this week that email account, which was set up about 18 months ago in the hopes that it would not be used, received a message from a Microsoft business development specialist offering his customer “free training.” “That’s exactly what I would do if I was trying to steal someone else’s business,” said the MSP, who asked not to be named because he fears retribution from Microsoft for speaking out. “It’s just wrong. It’s just wrong. Plain and simple.”

 

• Windows 10 bug corrupts your hard drive on seeing this file's icon

  In August 2020, October 2020, and finally this week, infosec researcher Jonas L drew attention to an NTFS vulnerability impacting Windows 10 that has not been fixed. When exploited, this vulnerability can be triggered by a single-line command to instantly corrupt an NTFS-formatted hard drive, with Windows prompting the user to restart their computer to repair the corrupted disk records. The researcher told BleepingComputer that the flaw became exploitable starting around Windows 10 build 1803, the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, and continues to work in the latest version. What's worse is, the vulnerability can be triggered by standard and low privileged user accounts on Windows 10 systems.

• The Linux Foundation launches 7-part open source management training program

• Open source software security in an ICT context – benefits, risks, and safeguards

  In a recent report, contributors to free and open source software (FOSS) claimed they spent only 2.27 percent of their contribution time on security. In our latest blog post, we delve into open source software security, and discuss why it’s key for building robust and open interoperable networks. [...] Is open source software better than proprietary software when it comes to security vulnerabilities? Elias Levy, the person behind the infamous (vulnerability) full disclosure mailing list, Bugtraq, said two decades ago: “No. Open Source Software certainly does have the potential to be more secure than its closed source counterpart. But make no mistake, simply being open source is no guarantee of security”. Building and delivering complex system software without security vulnerabilities requires investment and due diligence, regardless if the code is open sourced or proprietary (see figure 1, below). As the Mozilla Foundation states: “Security is a process. To have substantial and lasting benefit, we need to invest in education, best practices, and a host of other areas”. Tools and resources are available. With safeguards in place, OSS can be used effectively at low risk to realize its intended benefits. ICT products relying on OSS must be developed using methodologies and safeguards that ensure the expected level of security is met. OSS can accelerate innovation, reduce the development timeline, speed time to market, realize cost savings, and be secure. ICT vendors must take responsibility and practice a higher level of due diligence when using OSS components.

• Email is the messenger you should migrate to

  But the most important thing: Delta Chat allows you to communicate even with people who don’t use Delta Chat at all, all you need is an email address! If you write to someone without Delta Chat, they will just get a normal email. I would argue that even beats Matrix or XMPP.

  Conclusion: If you are concerned about security when chatting and would rather use a decentralized messenger (no silo), you are in good hands with email and Delta Chat.

• IMAPS specialisations – call for participation in the public review of LIMAPS, OIMAPS, SIMAPS and TIMAPS!

  The objective of this public consultation is to produce updated releases of the IMAPS specialisations, which will provide insights on specific interoperability viewpoints of the digital public service, i.e. the legal, organisational, technical and semantic interoperability viewpoints. Both IMAPS and its specialisations assess the various areas of a digital public service in terms of behavioural interoperability specifications, capabilities and manifestations. The update of the releases of the IMAPS specialisations will be based on change requests coming from stakeholders interested in the solutions.