TrueNAS has announced the release of TrueNAS SCALE 23.10 “Cobia,” the third major release of TrueNAS SCALE. This release brings improvements in quality, functionality, security, and performance.

One of the key highlights of the TrueNAS SCALE 23.10 release is the improvement in Server Message Block (SMB) features. SMB is the most common file sharing protocol and is widely supported on various platforms. The new features in this release include SMB and NFSv4 compatibility, SMB share import from other systems, SMB file sync with 3rd party servers, and fast file copy with ZFS block cloning.

In addition to the SMB features, TrueNAS SCALE 23.10 brings several other enhancements. The infrastructure has been improved with Linux Kernel 6.1 and better hardware support, NVIDIA driver updates, and Netdata backend stats collection. The web interface has also been enhanced with improved Apps and Storage Pool UI, as well as simplified feedback and bug reporting.

TrueNAS SCALE 23.10 also includes updates to ZFS and performance improvements. It features OpenZFS 2.2 with contributions from iXsystems, ZFS block cloning for faster file copies, ZFS dRAID pool layouts, and improved ZFS scrub controls. The release also brings updates to protocols and services such as Samba security and speed improvements, simplified SMB cluster expansion via TrueCommand 3.0 (coming soon), and iSCSI improvements.

TrueNAS 13.1, which is planned for release in early 2024, will inherit some of the improvements from TrueNAS SCALE Cobia. This update will include the SMB and ZFS enhancements implemented and tested in Cobia. Nightly versions of TrueNAS 13.1 are available for testing and contribution to the development process.

TrueNAS SCALE 22.12.4.2 is the final version of Bluefin, and going forward, TrueNAS SCALE 23.10 Cobia will gradually become the recommended version. No further versions of Bluefin are planned. TrueNAS provides options for migrating storage services and VMs from CORE to SCALE, and plugins and jails can be manually replaced with Apps.

The TrueNAS installer can be downloaded from the TrueNAS website or the system update feature within an existing TrueNAS installation.

Grafana has released version 10.2.0 on October 24, 2023. This new release brings a wide range of features and enhancements to the open-source platform for monitoring and observability.

Some of the key features and enhancements in version 10.2.0 include:

• The Canvas feature has been promoted to beta status, allowing users to create rich, interactive dashboards with custom visualizations.
• Improvements to the BarChart component, including enhanced data links in tooltips for better user experience.
• Updated PluginExtensions to ensure the default timeZone is passed in the context.
• PublicDashboards feature has been enabled by default for general availability, and the public preview text has been removed.
• The Grafana UI has added a new Avatar component for user profile images.
• Alerting now includes support for msteams contact point in external Alertmanagers.
• The Insights landing page for Alerting has been enabled by default.
• Various transformations have been improved, including de-emphasizing non-applicable transformations, using short units in graphs, and adding context and timezone support in Format time and Convert field type transformations.
• Playlist now includes create and update timestamps in the database.
• Live now allows users to set the engine password.
• Auth has enabled the None role for version 10.2.
• Playlist has added support for adding folder, dashboard, and data source permissions to service accounts.
• SparklineCell now displays absolute values.
• Various bug fixes and improvements have been made throughout the platform.

In addition to these features and enhancements, there have been bug fixes and improvements to the platform, including fixes for issues related to snapshots, Loki, alerting, transformations, and more.

Please note that there are some breaking changes and deprecations in this release. It is important to review the release notes and update any relevant configurations or code to ensure compatibility with version 10.2.0.

For more details on the new features, enhancements, bug fixes, and breaking changes in Grafana version 10.2.0, you can refer to the release notes.

Matrix Synapse, an open-source Matrix homeserver developed by the Matrix.org Foundation, has recently released version v1.95.0. For those unfamiliar with Matrix, it is an open standard for communication on the internet that supports federation, encryption, and VoIP. The Matrix.org website provides more information about the project’s goals, and the formal specification delves into the technical aspects.

With this new release, Synapse introduces several notable features and improvements. Some of the key highlights include:

• The ability to build Debian packages specifically for Ubuntu 23.10 Mantic Minotaur, enabling seamless integration and compatibility with the latest version of the popular Linux distribution.
• Improved performance and stability, ensuring a reliable and efficient experience for users.
• Bug fixes and security enhancements, addressing any potential vulnerabilities and further strengthening the server’s overall security.
• Enhanced documentation, providing users with comprehensive guides and resources to make the most out of Synapse’s capabilities.

To learn more about Synapse v1.95.0 and download the latest release, visit the official Matrix Synapse GitHub page at https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/releases/tag/v1.95.0. Whether you are a seasoned user or new to Matrix, this release is worth exploring for its performance improvements, bug fixes, and new features.

CanMV-K230 is a credit card-sized development board for AI and computer vision applications based on the Kendryte K230 dual-core C908 64-bit RISC-V processor with built-in KPU (Knowledge Process Unit) and various interfaces such as MIPI CSI inputs and Ethernet.

The CanMV-K230 development board features the following specifications:

• SoC – Kendryte K230
  • CPU
    • 64-bit RISC-V processor @ 1.6GHz with RISC-V Vector Extension 1.0, FPU
    • 64-bit RISC-V processor @ 800MHz with support for RV64GCB instruction set
  • AI accelerator
    • KPU with support for INT8 and INT16
    • Compatible with TVM, TensorFlow, Pytorch, ONNX
    • Typical network performance: Resnet 50 ≥ 85fps @ INT8; Mobilenet_v2 ≥ 670fps @ INT8; YoloV5S ≥ 38fps @INT8;
  • “DPU” using 3D structured light depth calculation up to 1280x800 @ 30fps
  • VPU – Video encoding/decoding for H.264/H.265/JPEG/MJPEG up to 4Kp40/4Kp20
• System Memory: 512MB LPDDR3
• Storage – QSPI flash, microSD card slot
• Display – HDMI port, MIPI DSI connector up to 1080p60
• Audio – 3.5mm audio jack
• Camera – Up to 5MP camera, up to 3-ch MIPI CSI inputs
• Networking
  • 10/100Mbps Ethernet RJ45 port
  • WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 4.0 via AP6212 wireless module
• USB – 1x USB 2.0 OTG Type-C port port
• Expansion – 40-pin GPIO header with up to 29x GPIOs, 5x PWM, 4x I2C, 2x UART
• Misc – Buttons, RGB LED
• Power Supply – 5V via USB-C port
• Dimension – 85 x 56 mm

The Kendryte K230 processor offers higher efficiency compared to the K510 and K210 SoCs, with Mobilenet V1, Resnet 50, and YoloV5S achieving up to 341 FPS/TOPS. While the documentation for the CanMV-K230 development board is mostly available in Chinese at this time, there are over 30 AI demos available for users to experiment with. Overall, the CanMV-K230 development board provides a compact solution for AI and computer vision applications, with the Kendryte K230 processor delivering improved performance and efficiency.

Source: CNX Software – Embedded Systems News.

CasaOS has introduced a new commercial product called ZimaOS, designed to cater to the needs of professional application scenarios. ZimaOS combines the robustness of CasaOS with new features and capabilities tailored to professional demands, such as enhanced networking, ease of use, and lightweight AI. They plan to release ZimaOS through the Zima family of hardware for personal cloud solutions.

They are opening ZimaOS for testing, inviting users to download it from Github and provide feedback to shape the final product. They emphasize that ZimaOS is currently in an unstable version and should be used with caution.

The CasaOS team reassures the community that their commitment to CasaOS remains strong and that CasaOS will continue to be a community-driven software. They invite the community to participate in the testing project to help shape the future of their personal cloud solution.

OpenFaaS has released version 0.27.3, an update that makes it even easier for developers to deploy event-driven functions and microservices to Kubernetes. With OpenFaaS, developers can package their code or an existing binary in an OCI-compatible image, resulting in a highly scalable endpoint with auto-scaling and metrics.

The changelog for version 0.27.3 includes the following updates:

• PR #1816 removes duplicates and fixes the order of adopters. This contribution was made by @nitishkumar71.
• PR #1810 updates the contributing guide by removing references to the deprecated io/ioutil. This contribution was made by @testwill.

The update also includes several commits by different contributors, including:

• 9ba4a73 by @alexellis, which renames Makefile targets.
• 479285c by @nitishkumar71, which fixes adopters.
• 4cf5fb8 by @alexellis, which updates the contributing guide.
• ed5bd75 by @alexellis, which renames to OpenFaaS.
• 4f4e3d2 by @testwill, which removes references to the deprecated io/ioutil.

To see a detailed list of changes between versions 0.27.2 and 0.27.3, you can visit the comparison page.

OpenFaaS version 0.27.3 is another step forward in providing developers with a powerful and easy-to-use platform for deploying serverless functions and microservices. With its focus on Kubernetes and its extensive list of features and updates, OpenFaaS continues to be a popular choice for those interested in servers, Linux, DevOps, and home labs.