NuTyX 23.12.2 has been released with cards 2.7.2, bringing various bug fixes and updates. The generate-nutyx tool now allows users to choose a kernel other than the default one, addressing a previous issue. Additionally, the size of the linux-firmware package, exceeding 1 GB, has been fixed. Notable updates include SysV 3.06, systemd 253.0, xorg-server 21.1.10, Mesa 3D library 23.2.1, Gtk4 4.12.4, Qt 6.6.1, and Python 3.11.6. Desktop environments like XFCE, MATE, GNOME, and KDE have been upgraded to their respective latest versions. Browsers such as Firefox 120.0.1 and Epiphany 45.1, along with various applications like Telegram-desktop 4.12.2 and Libreoffice 7.6.3.2, have also been updated. The release includes Long Term Support (LTS) kernels and offers 12 desktop environments. The upgrade process can be initiated with a simple "sudo cards upgrade" command. The release notes express gratitude to the BLFS Team for assistance and to Spiky for contributing to the package upgrades, acknowledging user feedback, whether positive or negative.
bluestar-linux-6.6.7-2023.12.19-x86_64 has been released and is available for download
This release note highlights significant changes in Kicksecure 1, including various security improvements that are not detailed in the note. Noteworthy updates involve the Tor Browser downloader (tb-updater) with enhanced security in the curl download progress meter and the resolution of --resume issues. Additionally, onion-grater has been updated, and efforts towards IPv6 support and porting to nftables 1 have been made. The release addresses a warning related to CookieAuthentication, aiming to fix potential vulnerabilities in Tor configuration. Other improvements include HTTPTunnelPort enhancements, kloak updates, progress towards a Windows installer, and Linux installer improvements. Notably, there's a reduction in the boot clock randomization seconds in Qubes Template, adjustments in RAM for Whonix-Gateway in KVM, and a license change to AGPLv3+.
After a long development period we're ready to finish off the year with a stellar release, as well as inform you, the community, of what to expect in 2024. Unicorn 39 has finally been merged, bringing optional auto-tiling to Unicorn. After updating and rebooting, a new applet will appear in the top right section of the panel. To kick start your tiling window experience, you can select the new applet, which will bring up a toggle to enable/disable tiling mode. uLauncher now appears more rounded, and has a slightly different background colour. If Nala is installed, rhino-pkg update no longer auto-removes packages by default. To clean up unneeded packages or broken dependencies on a system, users can run the new rhino-pkg cleanup command. Beginning with Pacstall 4.3.0, packages may now use Debian's priority flag.
Speed has been a top focus in Zorin OS 17, so the desktop runs dramatically snappier on a wide range of hardware, old and new. Performance optimizations have been made at every level of the operating system, from the kernel to the desktop environment. Apps open faster, animations are smoother, and loading times are reduced so you can spend more time being productive. Thanks to these optimizations, we’ve also been able to lower the minimum system requirements of Zorin OS from 2.0GB of RAM to only 1.5GB of RAM. This makes it the perfect option to extend the life of old and low-spec computers, saving you money on upgrades and helping the environment. As the starting point of your Zorin OS experience, the Zorin Menu has been overhauled to make it even faster for you to get where you want. Search for files, calendar appointments, contacts, apps from the Software store, world clocks, and even use the menu search as a calculator.
Unlocking of encrypted installations is now done with unl0kr by default, the successor to osk-sdl. The default USB networking gadget was changed from RNDIS to NCM. The default image viewer in Phosh and GNOME is now Loupe, instead of previously Eye of GNOME (EoG). The release upgrade process has been made more robust. There are additional safety checks for a too small boot partition and for having hardcoded versions or packages installed via mrtest. Additionally a bug was fixed that caused Alpine mirrors without /alpine/ in the URL to not get properly replaced during the upgrade.
Qubes OS 4.2.0 has been released with a range of enhancements, new features, and bug fixes. The update includes upgrades to Dom0, Xen, and default Debian templates, as well as a shift to Xfce in default Fedora and Debian templates. Other notable improvements involve SELinux support, rewritten GUI applications, Unified grub.cfg location, PipeWire support, fwupd integration for firmware updates, and optional automatic clipboard clearing. Users are advised to address known issues, particularly the switch to nftables in DomU firewalls. The release recommends immediate updates for bug fixes and provides instructions for installation and upgrading. Additionally, a new Release Signing Key is introduced for Qubes OS 4.2, with ongoing support for Qubes 4.1 until June 2024. The release acknowledges the contributions of partners, donors, contributors, and testers to the Qubes OS Project.
bluestar-linux-6.6.6-2023.12.13-x86_64 has been released and is available for download.
Netgate has released pfSense Plus software version 23.09.1 and pfSense CE software version 2.7.2, focusing on addressing potential ZFS file system corruption issues and enhancing overall security. The updates include fixes for three ZFS file system issues, two of which could result in data corruption. Additionally, the releases tackle a security advisory regarding a potential TCP denial-of-service attack, update OpenVPN to version 2.6.8, and address a potential buffer overflow issue in strongSwan (CVE-2023-41913). Bugs in the fallback implementation of AES-GCM are fixed, along with other miscellaneous issues outlined in the Release Notes. Users are encouraged to refer to the detailed Release Notes for more information. Netgate provides a comprehensive Upgrade Guide for both pfSense Plus and pfSense CE software versions, emphasizing the importance of backing up configurations before performing upgrades. The company expresses gratitude to customers and the community for their support, emphasizing that sustaining Netgate hardware, TAC, or cloud instances contributes directly to maintaining high-quality pfSense software.
One of the most noticeable changes in GNOME 45 is the new activities button. Located in the corner of the top bar, this button was previously labelled “Activities”. In GNOME 45, this static label has been replaced with a dynamic workspace indicator. The new button design is a response to user testing results over recent years, and we are confident that its purpose will be more obvious to new GNOME users. As part of this change, the old app menu (which showed the name of the currently focused app), was also retired. This retirement was another response to user testing results, and was required to make space for the new design. Search performance has been a major area of work for GNOME 45. These performance improvements have been made to a range of apps, including Software, Characters, Clocks, Files, and Calculator. Together, these changes result in faster search and reduced resource usage, which can be seen in both individual apps and in system search.