Phoronix has recently conducted a review of the AMD EPYC 8324P and 8324PN processors, part of the Siena line, to assess their performance in comparison to the Intel Xeon Scalable “Sapphire Rapids” processors. The Siena processors are part of AMD’s EPYC 8004 series, which aims to maximize power efficiency in server deployments across various environments.

The EPYC 8324P and 8324PN are both 32-core processors. The EPYC 8324P has a base frequency of 2.65GHz and a boost frequency of 3.0GHz, while the EPYC 8324PN has the same boost frequency but a lower base frequency of 2.05GHz. The TDP of the EPYC 8324P is 180 Watts, while the EPYC 8324PN has a TDP of 130 Watts. The EPYC 8324P also has a configurable TDP range from 155 to 225 Watts.

In terms of pricing, the EPYC 8324P is priced at $1895 USD, while the EPYC 8324PN is priced at $2125 USD. These prices are competitive with the Intel Xeon Gold 6421N 32-core processor, which has a list price of $2368 USD.

For testing purposes, Phoronix used the AMD Cinnabar reference server with 8 x 32GB DDR5-4800 memory and four 3.2TB Micron 7450 Max NVMe SSDs in RAID10 with EXT4 as the storage. The Intel Xeon Gold 6421N was tested in a single socket ASRockRack SPC741D8-2L2T/BCM server with four Micron 7450 Max NVMe SSDs.

The benchmarking was conducted on Ubuntu 23.10 with the Linux 6.5 kernel and GCC 13.2 compiler. Various processor configurations were tested, including different power states and TDP values. Performance-per-Watt and CPU power consumption were monitored during the tests.

In conclusion, the AMD EPYC 8324P and 8324PN processors provide competitive performance in comparison to the Intel Xeon Scalable “Sapphire Rapids” processors. With their energy efficiency and power density, they are suitable for various server deployments. The pricing of these processors is also favorable when compared to their Intel counterparts.

Source: Phoronix.

Pi-Hole, the popular network-wide ad blocker, is rolling out its latest version, V6.0, and is inviting users to participate in beta testing and troubleshooting. The Pi-hole team is looking for brave users who are comfortable with digging into any issues that may arise. The beta version introduces several fundamental changes, and it is important to note that updating from Pi-hole 5.x to 6.0 is a one-way operation.

Some of the new features and improvements in Pi-hole V6.0 include:

• A new REST API and webserver directly embedded into the pihole-FTL binary, eliminating the need for lighttpd and php dependencies. This change reduces the installation size of Pi-hole.
• Subscribed allowlists, known as Antigravity, which allow users to whitelist specific domains while still blocking entries in subscribed blocklists.
• Consolidated settings files, with all settings now contained in a single file located at /etc/pihole/pihole.toml. The file is well-commented, making it easier for users to understand and modify settings.
• Server-side pagination of the query log, improving the performance of the query log page by loading results one page at a time.
• Redesigned settings menu in the web interface, categorized into Basic, Advanced, and Expert levels, with different settings available based on the selected mode.
• Built-in HTTPS support in FTL, allowing users to use their own certificates or generate a self-signed certificate.
• Docker image now based on Alpine, reducing the image size and potentially enabling support for more systems in the future.

The Pi-hole team emphasizes that the beta version is not yet stable for a full release. They are actively working on improving stability and addressing issues as they arise. Users who are interested in participating in the beta testing can visit the Pi-hole Discourse Forum to discuss the beta and report any findings. Contributions and suggestions for improvements are also welcome.

To try out the beta version, users can either install it as a fresh installation or switch to the v6 branches. Detailed instructions are provided for both bare metal and Docker installations.

Pi-hole V6.0 does not have a specific release date yet, but the team is working on it in their free time, aiming to release it when it’s stable and ready for production use.

Source: Pi-Hole.

The widely-used curl project is preparing to release curl 8.4 early to address a severe vulnerability in the library. Details on the vulnerability are limited, as it is still under embargo, but curl lead developer Daniel Stenberg has described it as “probably the worst curl security flaw in a long time.” The release, scheduled for October 11, will include fixes for this high severity vulnerability, as well as a low severity one. Stenberg has not provided specific details about which version range is affected, but he has stated that it impacts all curl versions from the past few years. This vulnerability is expected to be particularly impactful for users of the libcurl library and curl command-line tool.

Source: Phoronix.

GMK has expanded its lineup of mini PCs with the introduction of the NucBox G2 and NucBox G3. Both models are powered by the energy-efficient 6-watt Intel Processor N100 chip, offering a budget-friendly option for those interested in compact computing.

The NucBox G2 features a palm-sized design measuring just 3.4″ x 3.4″ x 1.6″. Despite its small size, it offers a robust set of ports, including two HDMI 2.0 ports, one DisplayPort 1.4 port, dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, three USB-A ports, an audio jack, and a USB-C port for power. However, it does have some limitations, such as non-upgradeable LPDDR5 memory and an M.2 2242 slot for SATA storage instead of the larger M.2 2280 slot for NVMe storage.

The NucBox G2 is available in various configurations, including a model with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage for $190. Additionally, it can be purchased from Amazon, with a 12GB/18GB model priced at $153.

On the other hand, the NucBox G3 boasts a slightly larger form factor, measuring 4.5″ x 4.2″ x 1.7″. It offers DDR4 memory and an M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD. However, it has fewer video outputs and only a single Ethernet jack. The NucBox G3 is available on Amazon, with prices starting at $180 for an 8GB/128GB configuration.

Here are the specifications for both models:

GMK NucBox G2

• CPU: Intel N100, 4-cores/4-threads, up to 3.5 GHz, 6-25 watts
• Graphics: Intel UHD, 24 execution units, up to 750 MHz
• RAM: LPDDR5-4800
• Storage: M.2 2242 SATA SSD
• Ports: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DisplayPort 1.4, 2 x Gigabit Ethernet, 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1 x 3.5mm audio, 1 x Type-C (12V/3A power input only)
• Wireless: WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
• Dimensions: 3.4″ x 3.4″ x 1.6″

GMK NucBox G3

• CPU: Intel N100, 4-cores/4-threads, up to 3.5 GHz, 6-25 watts
• Graphics: Intel UHD, 24 execution units, up to 750 MHz
• RAM: DDR4
• Storage: M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 NVMe
• Ports: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1 x USB-C, 1 x Gigabit Ethernet, 1 x 3.5mm audio, 1 x DC power input
• Wireless: WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
• Dimensions: 4.5″ x 4.2″ x 1.7″

Overall, the GMK NucBox G2 and G3 offer affordable options for those in need of a compact and versatile mini PC. With their energy-efficient processors and various port options, these devices cater to the needs of users interested in servers, Linux, DevOps, and home labs.

Source: Liliputing.

AdGuard DNS Proxy has recently released version v0.56.1, which comes with some important fixes. One of the major fixes addresses the issue where queries of DS type were being incorrectly routed to the exactly matched domain-specific upstream. This behavior was in contrast to the recommendations outlined in RFC 4035 Section 2.4.

By releasing this new version, AdGuard DNS Proxy ensures that the routing of DS type queries is now in accordance with the RFC 4035 Section 2.4 recommendations. This fix enhances the overall performance and reliability of the DNS proxy. Users can now have confidence that their queries of DS type will be handled correctly and routed to the appropriate upstream destinations.

Uptime Kuma has recently released version 1.23.3, bringing important bug fixes and security updates to its server monitoring software.

One important note for users is that due to a security fix, all login sessions will be logged out after updating to this version. This is a necessary measure to ensure the security of the system.

If you are using any unofficial or third-party tools with Uptime Kuma, it is important to be aware that this update may introduce breaking changes. In such cases, it may be necessary to re-generate an authentication token to ensure compatibility.

The latest release includes several bug fixes that address various issues reported by the user community. These bug fixes include:

• Fixed an issue where notifications were not working if the configuration was too long. This improvement was contributed by @FJBlok.
• Enabled status page certificate expiry badge for all HTTP(s) monitors, thanks to @marvinruder.
• Fixed bugs related to the Kafka producer, with contributions from @mhkarimi1383.
• Addressed an issue where x-forwarded-host was not being utilized correctly. This fix was provided by @xuexb.
• Resolved a race condition issue in the status page editor that prevented some data from being saved when clicked too quickly. This fix was made possible by @chakflying.

In addition to bug fixes, version 1.23.3 also brings important security fixes. One notable fix addresses a persistent session tokens issue. Prior to this update, there was no way to revoke session tokens even if the password was changed. With this update, users can now revoke session tokens by changing their password. More information about this security fix can be found here.

This latest release of Uptime Kuma provides users with important bug fixes and security updates, ensuring a more reliable and secure server monitoring experience.