NixOS has released version 23.11 of its Linux distribution, named “Tapir”. This release will receive bugfixes and security updates for seven months.

The release saw 9147 new packages and 18700 updated packages in Nixpkgs, while also removing 4015 packages to maintain the package set. The release brought 113 new modules and removed 18, adding 1565 options and removing 362 in the process. Some of the highlights of this release include FoundationDB and PostgreSQL now defaulting to major versions 7 and 15 respectively, GNOME being updated to version 45, support for WiFi6 and WPA3-SAE-PK in the hostapd package, LXD now supporting virtual machine instances, and updates to systemd, sudo-rs, glibc, and more. Additionally, new services have been added, such as MCHPRS, acme-dns, frp, river, wayfire, mautrix-whatsapp, hddfancontrol, GoToSocial, Castopod, Typesense, NS-USBLoader, Mobilizon, Anuko Time Tracker, Prometheus MySQL exporter, LibreNMS, Livebook, sitespeed-io, stalwart-mail, tang, Jool, Home Assistant Satellite, Apache Guacamole, pgBouncer, Goss, trust-dns, osquery, ebusd, systemd-sysupdate, eris-server, forgejo, infiniband, zwave-js, Honk, ferretdb, MicroBin, NNCP, FastNetMon Advanced, tuxedo-rs, certspotter, audiobookshelf, ZITADEL, exportarr, netclient, trunk-ng, virt-manager, Soft Serve, Rosenpass, c2FmZQ, preload, and more.

There have been a number of backward incompatibilities, as well as additions and improvements to the Nixpkgs library. Overall, this release brings a number of updates, new features, and improvements to the NixOS Linux distribution.

The openSUSE community has announced a logo competition for a new openSUSE logo, as well as four openSUSE distributions: Tumbleweed, Leap, Slowroll, and Kalpa. The aim of the competition is to strengthen the visual identity of the openSUSE brand and create a cohesive brand identity for its distributions.

The new logo designs should visualize a unified brand and integrate well with newer project logos like Aeon, MicroOS, and Leap Micro. The logos for the openSUSE distributions are designed with simple shapes and lines, typically as empty outlines. The logos use a 16u square canvas with a 1u stroke width.

The competition is open to the openSUSE community and the deadline for submissions is November 22. The winners will receive a “Geeko Mystery Box” as a reward for their creative designs.

The rules of the contest state that the logo should be licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0 and allow everyone to use it without attribution if it is used as the logo for the openSUSE Project. The design must be original and not include any third party materials. Both monochrome and color formats are required for submission, and the design should reflect the openSUSE communities.

To submit a design, participants must email their vector file in SVG format to ddemaio@opensuse.org, along with a PNG of the design posted on the openSUSE website. The file size should be less than 512 KB. Participants should also include their name, mail address, and a description of the design’s philosophy.

The submitted designs will be added to a survey where the community can vote on them. The final decision will be made at an openSUSE Community meeting.

OpenWrt 23.05, the open-source Linux operating system for routers and resource-constrained headless embedded systems, has just been released with significant updates and improvements. This release comes with over 4300 commits since the previous release of OpenWrt 22.03, which was launched a little over a year ago.

One of the notable features of OpenWrt 23.05 is its expanded device support. It now supports over 1790 devices, which is an increase of about 200 devices compared to the previous release. Some of the new targets include the Qualcomm IPQ807x target for WiFi 6 SoCs, the Mediatek Filogic 830 and 630 subtarget for WiFi 6/6e chips, and the HiFive Unleashed and Unmatched targets for RISC-V development boards.

In terms of security, OpenWrt 23.05 has switched from using wolfSSL to MbedTLS as the default. This change was made because MbedTLS has a smaller footprint and offers a more stable ABI and LTS releases. However, it’s worth noting that MbedTLS lacks support for TLS 1.3. Therefore, users who require TLS 1.3 can still switch to using wolfSSL.

Another significant addition in this release is support for packages written with the Rust programming language. Some examples of these packages include bottom, maturin, aardvark-dns, and ripgrep. This expansion of supported programming languages provides developers with more flexibility and options when creating applications for OpenWrt.

OpenWrt 23.05 also brings updates to its core components. It now utilizes Linux 5.15 as the foundation for all targets, as well as updated versions of busybox, musl libc, glibc, gcc, and inutils. Additionally, the networking components have seen upgrades, including the use of the hostapd master snapshot from September 2023, dnsmasq 2.89, dropbear 2022.82, and cfg80211/mac80211 from kernel 6.1.24.

For users looking to upgrade from OpenWrt 22.03, the migration from swconfig to DSA configuration that was introduced in the previous releases is no longer an issue. Most people should be able to upgrade smoothly using the sysupgrade utility, which will preserve the configuration. However, it is still recommended to back up the configuration before proceeding with the upgrade.

OpenWrt 23.05 is now available for download, and users can find binary images for their specific targets on the OpenWrt website.

Source: CNX Software – Embedded Systems News.

openSUSE has announced the availability of Leap Micro 5.5, the latest version of its modern lightweight host operating system. Leap Micro 5.5 is essentially a rebranded version of SLE Micro, so all the documents and release notes from SLE Micro 5.5 are applicable to Leap Micro as well.

It’s important to note that with the release of Leap Micro 5.5, Leap Micro 5.3 has reached its End of Life (EOL). Users of Leap Micro 5.3 are strongly advised to upgrade to either the Leap Micro 5.4 or 5.5 release to ensure access to the latest features, security enhancements, and ongoing support.

One of the standout features of Leap Micro 5.5 is its enhanced support for SELinux. Security-Enhanced Linux (SELinux) now includes podman-docker and hyper-v support for AArch64, providing users with a more robust and secure computing experience. Leap Micro 5.5 also includes podman 4.4, which introduces podman quadlets. Users can check out the Nextcloud deployment using quadlets to explore this feature. Additionally, Leap Micro ships with podman-docker, a podman wrapper that can be used together with docker-compose.

The container management interface Cockpit has also received notable improvements in version 298. Users can now use Cockpit to manage all of their home workloads, providing a more convenient management solution.

For users new to the immutable OS space, which consists of systems with read-only /root, there is a transactional update guide available to help navigate the update process. Additionally, users can use the Toolbox tool to install additional software without the need for a reboot, making it particularly useful for debugging scenarios where a reboot is not feasible.

This year, Raspberry Pi has released a new version of their operating system called Bookworm. While the overall Debian release, on which Raspberry Pi OS is based, doesn’t bring many changes, Bookworm introduces some major architectural updates to the Raspberry Pi Desktop.

One of the significant changes in Bookworm is the transition from using X11 to Wayland as the display system. Wayland offers improved performance by combining the functions of the display server and window manager into a single application. This consolidation also enhances security by isolating applications from each other at the compositor level.

To support Wayland, Raspberry Pi OS now uses a compositor called Wayfire, which works better as a Wayland compositor on Raspberry Pi than the previous Mutter window manager. However, Wayland is currently only the default mode on Raspberry Pi 4 and 5, with older platforms still using the X11 display server and Openbox window manager. The performance of Wayfire on these older platforms is being optimized for a future switch to Wayland.

Another significant update in Bookworm is the replacement of PulseAudio with PipeWire as the audio system. PipeWire builds upon the features of PulseAudio and provides better support for audio accompanying video, reduced latency, improved management of Bluetooth audio devices, and enhanced operation in the secure Wayland environment.

Networking in Raspberry Pi OS has also been updated with the adoption of NetworkManager as the default network controller. NetworkManager offers additional functionality, such as connecting to hidden wireless networks, virtual private networks (VPNs), and using a Raspberry Pi as a wireless hotspot. The networking plugin on the taskbar retains a familiar appearance but now includes an “Advanced Options” item to access the new features provided by NetworkManager.

The extensive changes introduced in Bookworm have necessitated updates to the Raspberry Pi OS documentation. The documentation team has been working diligently to ensure that the documentation reflects the new state of the operating system. If users come across any outdated documentation, they are encouraged to raise an issue on the documentation repository.

While Bookworm brings many improvements, there are a few features and programs that are currently missing or incompatible with the new version. Overscan compensation for displays, the system tray for application icons, and traditional remote desktop access have either been temporarily removed or replaced with alternative mechanisms. Additionally, certain programs like the SenseHAT Emulator, BlueJ and Greenfoot Java IDEs, and Sonic Pi are incompatible with Bookworm and have been removed until they are updated.

The changes in Bookworm align Raspberry Pi OS with the practices of other Linux distributions, as many have already adopted Wayland, PipeWire, and NetworkManager. These updates provide a solid foundation for future development and ensure compatibility with the broader Linux ecosystem.

While Wayland and PipeWire have been extensively tested, there may still be specific usage scenarios where issues can arise. To address this, the Advanced Settings menu in raspi-config allows users to revert to the old X11/Openbox display system and PulseAudio if necessary.

To install Bookworm, it is recommended to re-image the SD card with a clean image rather than attempting to upgrade from a previous version. Raspberry Pi Imager can be used to create an SD card with Bookworm, or users can download a Bookworm image from the Raspberry Pi website and flash it onto their SD card using their preferred tool.

Overall, Bookworm brings significant updates to the Raspberry Pi OS, including the transition to Wayland, the adoption of PipeWire for audio, and the use of NetworkManager for networking. These changes improve performance, security, and functionality, aligning Raspberry Pi OS with industry standards and providing a solid platform for future development.

Source: News - Raspberry Pi.

Debian 12.2 has been released, incorporating the latest security fixes and stable back-ports for Debian 12 Bookworm. This stable point release includes a new version of the Linux 6.1 kernel and the latest linux-firmware/microcode support.

One of the notable updates in Debian 12.2 is the inclusion of mitigations for the AMD Inception (SRSO) vulnerability, which was made public in August. Additionally, the release addresses the Intel Downfall vulnerability, also disclosed in August.

Furthermore, Debian 12.2 includes several other security fixes, enhancing overall system security. For a detailed list of package updates and security fixes, refer to the release announcement on Debian’s website.

Source: Phoronix.