Xen Orchestra has unveiled version 5.89, featuring over 20 new enhancements and functionalities. Noteworthy developments include Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware for over $60 billion, impacting the virtualization industry. Xen Orchestra’s team has expanded with new members, alongside the release of Xen 4.18, where one of their developers secured a Top 10 contributor spot. The landscape of virtualization is explored in light of industry shifts, emphasizing Vates’ innovative ‘Bundles’ amid these changes.

Xen Orchestra’s growth includes the addition of Bastien, focusing on XO’s backend, and a dedicated member for Project Pyrgos, concentrating on k8s cluster creation. Positive feedback surrounds the Rust Linux tools, with updates driven by community input. Backup functionality improvements introduce features like differential restore, API/CLI file-level restore, and enhanced XO Lite with a more compact interface, improved dashboard, and added functionalities.

The REST API sees updates for versatility, including user management, VDI content import, and XVA file management. Enhanced integration with Netbox facilitates optional synchronization between XO users and Netbox’s “tenant” entity, enhancing user activity tracking. Compatibility with XCP-ng 8.3 brings detailed task monitoring for coalesce, among other tailored features.

Additional improvements cover token management, VM booting with disk and ISO, console view disablement, and clearer messages for actions like forgetting a Storage Repository. Xen Orchestra 5.89 solidifies its position as a comprehensive solution for XCP-ng infrastructure management, demonstrating ongoing innovation and expansion within the Xen Orchestra team. The full changelog is available here.

Sixfab has introduced a 5G Modem Kit designed for the Raspberry Pi 5, featuring the Quectel RM502Q-AE 5G Sub-6GHz M.2 module, a proprietary internal antenna for Sub-6 frequency bands, and a USB 3.0 bridge connector. The Sixfab 5G Modem Kit for Raspberry Pi 5 includes a variety of specifications:

• Sixfab 5G Modem HAT for Raspberry Pi 5
  • M.2 socket for 5G module
  • Nano SIM card holder + embedded SIM
  • USB 3.0 port and 40-pin GPIO header for connection to the Raspberry Pi 5 SBC
  • Misc
    • User button
    • Status, power, and user (GPIO21) LEDs
    • EEPROM for Raspberry Pi HAT compliance
    • 2-pin fan connector
  • Power Supply – 5V via USB Type-C port (on HAT itself)
  • Dimensions – 88.1 x 57.7 x 21.7 mm
  • Approvals – FCC, IC, CE, UKCA are in progress
• Quectel RM502Q-AE M.2 module
  • 5G NR: 3GPP Release 15 NSA/SA operation, Sub-6 GHz
  • LTE Category: DL Cat 20/ UL Cat 18
  • Max data rates
    • 5G SA Sub-6 – Max. 4.2 Gbps (DL)/Max. 450 Mbps (UL)
    • 5G NSA Sub-6 – Max. 5 Gbps (DL)/Max. 650 Mbps (UL)
  • Host interfaces – USB 3.1 or PCIe 3.0
  • Dimensions – 52 x 30.0 × 2.3mm
  • Weight – 8.4 grams
• Extra tall 40-pin GPIO stacking header
• Power Supply – 5.1V 3.0A DC power adaptor with universal plugs
• Plastic spacer kit

The kit, priced at $450, is compatible with various boards and computers, including the NVIDIA Jetson Nano Developer Kit, Beaglebone SBC, Asus Tinkerboard, NXP i.MX 8 devkits, and regular PCs, offering drivers and tools for both Windows and Linux. Additional components required for operation include a Raspberry Pi 5, a microSD card for the OS, a 5G SIM card (unless using the eSIM is an option), and an extra 5V USB-C power supply to separately power the Raspberry Pi 5 and Sixfab HAT.

Source: CNX Software – Embedded Systems News.

Matrix has announced the release of Matrix v1.9, a specification for open-federated Instant Messaging (IM), Voice over IP (VoIP), and Internet of Things (IoT) communication. This release is primarily a maintenance update, focusing on clarifications and bug fixes. The changelog for Matrix v1.9 includes changes to the Client-Server API, Server-Server API, Appendices, and Internal Changes/Tooling. One of the key features of Matrix is its messaging interoperability, allowing it to connect multiple messaging providers with a common communications fabric. Matrix has been working with the MIMI working group at the IETF to establish a federation protocol for messaging in compliance with the EU’s Digital Markets Act. Additionally, Matrix is exploring the implementation of custom emoji/stickers, with ongoing discussions and experiments. Overall, Matrix v1.9 aims to improve the functionality and stability of the Matrix ecosystem, providing users with a reliable and secure communication platform.

Source: Matrix.

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.

In a notable development, the open-source webmail software Roundcube has joined forces with Nextcloud, a significant player in open-source personal cloud solutions.

The primary objective of this collaboration is to bolster Nextcloud’s webmail capabilities while expediting the ongoing development of Roundcube. Importantly, the merger is not positioned as an immediate replacement for Nextcloud Mail, ensuring a seamless transition for users and maintaining continuity in their experience. This strategic move underscores Nextcloud’s dedication to propelling the evolution of Roundcube, presenting an opportunity to realize objectives outlined in the crowdfunded Roundcube-Next project. The anticipated outcomes include enhanced integration and an accelerated development pace for both platforms, promising positive advancements in the realm of open-source webmail solutions.

Source: Phoronix.

PhotoPrism, an AI-powered photos app for the decentralized web, has recently released its latest version, November 28, 2023. This app utilizes cutting-edge technologies to automatically tag and find pictures without causing any disruptions to the user. It provides the flexibility to run on a home server or in the cloud.

The service release includes various updates and fixes for recently identified issues. In addition to the existing Docker images, PhotoPrism now offers installation packages with binaries specifically designed for Linux. It is important to note that these installations require manual setup, so it is recommended for experienced users.

Here are the key improvements and updates in this release:

• Search: Enhancements to camera and lens information in the cards view details.
• Search: Fixes for rendering issues in the cards view when a lens has no model description.
• Search: Addition of a filter to find pictures based on resolution range in Megapixels (MP).
• PWA: Rectification of the list of available icon sizes in the app manifest file.
• JPEG: Addressed a regression in handling image files with EOF error.
• JPEG: Fixed indexing problems of image files with invalid color metadata.
• JPEG/PNG: Implemented a panic handler for unexpected thumbnail save errors.
• HEIC: Upgraded libheif from version 1.13.0 to 1.17.1.
• RAW: Upgraded Darktable from version 4.2.1 to 4.4.2.
• Videos: Improved performance in extracting still images for creating thumbnails.
• Vectors: Enhanced SVG conversion using RSVG instead of ImageMagick.
• Docker: Upgraded base image from Ubuntu 23.04 to 23.10 (Mantic Minotaur).
• Setup: Added installation packages in tar.gz, deb, and rpm formats.
• Security: Updated Go to the latest stable release, v1.21.4.