AI’s ‘Creepy’ Crawlers Criticized by Linux Foundation’s IT Infrastructure Director
The Linux Foundation’s director of IT infrastructure says they now spend more CPU cycles “rendering commits for scrapers than we spend on all other kinds of legitimate access.”
At any one time, across 5 geo-distributed nodes, there are 14 CPU cores doing nothing but rendering git commits as html….
[W]hen a s … ⌘ Read more
Linux 7.3-rc1 With AMD Zen 6 Additions, Better Btrfs Performance & 2026 Steam Controller
Like clockwork, the Linux 7.3 merge window has concluded after two weeks and the Linux 7.3-rc1 kernel now available for testing… ⌘ Read more
Citrix Adds a Linux-Powered Escape Hatch For Compromised Windows PCs
Citrix’s Desktop as a Service (DaaS) product includes a lightweight, hardened second operating system called UniconOS (once called “eLux”) to offer Windows customers a write-protected file system Citrix says is secure against computer viruses and other malware. Nerds.xyz reports:
According to the company, the environment remains isolated f … ⌘ Read more
Linux 7.3 Lands More Audio Workarounds For Laptops & Other Devices
Following last week’s main set of sound subsystem updates for Linux 7.3 that brought a lot of new audio hardware support, a second round of sound updates were merged this weekend ahead of today’s Linux 7.3-rc1 release… ⌘ Read more
AMD Zen 6 Preparations, Ryzen AI Halo LED Driver & Many Laptop Changes For Linux 7.3
The x86 platform driver changes are now in place for the Linux 7.3 kernel with additions for upcoming AMD Zen 6 hardware, the RGB LED driver controls for the Ryzen AI Halo PC, and a lot of laptop support additions and improvements for a variety of devices from different hardware vendors. Plus some handheld gaming device updates too… ⌘ Read more
The “KVM Chainsaw” Clean-Up Merged For Linux 7.3 Along With Other Fixes
The Kernel-based Virtual Machine “KVM” changes have landed for the Linux 7.3 merge window that is wrapping up later today… ⌘ Read more
Linux 7.3 Introduces 8250_mxpcie Driver For Moxa PCIe Multi-Port Serial Boards
The TTY/Serial code changes for Linux 7.3 were merged this week and include dropping the dated IPWireless driver while introducing the new 8250_mxpcie driver… ⌘ Read more
Debian Decides: Contributors Can Use Generative AI ‘Responsibly’
This week Debian voted on whether to ban AI-assisted contributions. The winning proposal? “Debian neither endorses nor prohibits the use of generative AI tools” in its projects, documentation, and packaging… Generative AI “is neither exempt from nor subject to special rules beyond the standards already expected of Debian contributors.”
“The resp … ⌘ Read more
RTL8723BS Driver Continues Dominating The Staging Area Activity For Linux 7.3
Upstreamed back in 2017 for Linux 4.12 was the RTL8723BS driver in the kernel’s staging area. Nine years later it remains in staging and remains a frequent target for clean-ups and code improvements as it tries to work its way out… ⌘ Read more
The Linux Kernel Is Approaching 2,000 CVEs Per Release
Phoronix reports on Greg Kroah-Hartman’s recent slide from his upcoming talk in Paris at Kernel Recipes 2026 (September 21 to 23):
With the proliferation of AI/LLM models analyzing the Linux kernel’s vast codebase, there has been a surge in the number of CVEs per kernel release. After typically being around 500 CVEs fixed per release, we are now approaching 2,000 C … ⌘ Read more
Another x86 Advisory From Some Entity Other Than Intel Or AMD
Last October I highlighted an interesting post on the Linux kernel mailing list around an x86 corporate entity other than Intel or AMD that left mysterious intrigue. The developer that detailed those x86 opcode/CPUID/MSR allocations back in July then detailed 16-tile and 32-tile AMX implementations again for something outside the current scope of Intel/AMD processors. Today another message is being relayed from that “corporate entity other than Intel/AMD.”. … ⌘ Read more
D7VK v2.2 for playing retro Windows games on Linux improves Direct3D 3 support
D7VK v2.2 is out now continuing to improve retro Windows games on Linux with improvements to Direct3D 3 and various bug fixes.
Read the full article on [GamingOnLinux](https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/08/d7vk-v2-2-for-playing-retro-windows-games-on-linux-improves-direct3d-3-supp … ⌘ Read more
F2FS With Now Handle Multi-Device Flushes In Parallel With Linux 7.3
Coming in as a late pull request ahead of the Linux 7.3 merge window closing this weekend were the Flash Friendly File-System (F2FS) updates that have now made it into Linux Git… ⌘ Read more
California Passes AB-1856 For Open-Source Relief Over Age Verification
As an update to the May story about California’s age verification law may end up exempting most Linux distributions, that AB-1856 bill has finally passed!.. ⌘ Read more
Linux 7.3 UBI Adds Support For Per-Device Wear-Leveling Thresholds
The Unsorted Block Images “UBI” layer in the Linux kernel for NAND flash memory tracking and wear leveling finally has the notion of per-device wear-leveling thresholds… ⌘ Read more
GE-Proton 11-6 released with updates for Wayland, PS5 Controllers and more upgrades
The community build of Valve’s compatibility layer GE-Proton 11-6 is out now, bringing major new features and changes to running Windows games SteamOS / Linux.
Read the full article on [GamingOnLinux](https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/08/ge-proton-11-6-released-with-updates-for-waylan … ⌘ Read more
Debian Linux developers vote to allow “Responsible Use of Generative AI”
The flood gates for generative AI in Debian Linux are now seemingly open, with the results from a recent vote now available.
Read the full article on GamingOnLinux. ⌘ Read more
SteamOS 3.9.0 Preview brings major updates to desktop mode, Linux kernel, WiFi and more
Hot on the heels of the SteamOS 3.8.26 Beta, Valve released SteamOS 3.9.0 Preview bringing some really massive changes to the system.
Read the full article on [GamingOnLinux](https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/08/steamos-3-9-0-preview-brings-major-updates-to-desktop- … ⌘ Read more
Debian Votes To Allow “Responsible Use Of Generative AI”
The voting is over and there is a winner now known in the much-debated Debian General Resolution voting over an AI policy for the Linux distribution… ⌘ Read more
Linux 7.3 TPM Makes Cleanup Preparations For TrenchBoot
The Trusted Platform Module (TPM) subsystem changes for the Linux 7.3 kernel are centered around code clean-ups and improvements being made as a precursor toward TrenchBoot support… ⌘ Read more
HP Z4 G6i: A Linux-Friendly Workstation Powered By The Intel Xeon 600 Series
The past month I have been testing out the HP Z4 G6i workstation across many different workloads and grueling tasks. This HP workstation powered by the Intel Xeon 600 series “Granite Rapids WS” and NVIDIA RTX graphics offers a lot of compute power, but with the top-end configuration retailing for over $41k USD is quite pricey in today’s environment. Windows 11 Pro is the default operating system of the HP Z4 Gi but Ubuntu LTS releases are supported a … ⌘ Read more
The Linux Kernel Is Approaching 2,000 CVEs Per Release
With the proliferation of AI/LLM models analyzing the Linux kernel’s vast codebase, there has been a surge in the number of CVEs per kernel release. After typically being around 500 CVEs fixed per release, we are now approaching 2,000 CVEs fixed per release and perhaps will break that threshold for Linux 7.3… ⌘ Read more
Chris Mason Steps Down As Btrfs Co-Maintainer, Departing Meta
Longtime Linux kernel developer Chris Mason is departing Meta. In the process of doing so, he is also stepping down from his co-maintainership role of the Btrfs file-system… ⌘ Read more
Linux 7.3 Will Begin Checking USB-C Cables For Alt-Mode Support
The USB and Thunderbolt changes have been merged for Linux 7.3. Two changes stand out for me in the USB subsystem code with Linux 7.3. First, the kernel arguably being long overdue for checking USB-C cables capabilities whether they support alt-modes. Second, a new low-latency USB4STREAM option for lower latency data transfers between USB4-connected systems… ⌘ Read more
Old IBM Driver Joins Insecure SGI Drivers In Being Removed For Linux 7.3
The char/misc changes were merged this week for the Linux 7.3 cycle. While there is a lot of IIO driver churn as usual and updates to the likes of the Google Binder drivers, there continues to be the 2026 trend of removing old hardware drivers that are rarely updated these days and likely have no active users left on the mainline Linux kernel. This trend is further pushed along by the surplus of AI/LLM-generated bug reports and patches … ⌘ Read more
8BitDo announce ‘Ultimate Software Online’ to update controllers in your browser to help Linux gamers
8BitDo say Ultimate Software Online is their attempt to make things easier for Linux gamers, no need to download a standalone firmware updater app now.
Read the full article on [GamingOnLinux](https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/08/8bitdo- … ⌘ Read more
Lossless Scaling Frame Generation on Linux lsfg-vk moves away from GitHub, changes license due to AI slop forks
The developer behind the Lossless Scaling Frame Generation on Linux (lsfg-vk) project has made an announcement about a bunch of major changes.
Read the full article on [GamingOnLinux](https://www.gamingonlinux.com/20 … ⌘ Read more
Proton Experimental brings fixes for Dragon Age: Inquisition, Far Cry, Warhammer: Vermintide 2
Valve just launched a brand new update for the compatibility layer Proton Experimental - bringing more Windows game compatibility to SteamOS / Linux systems.
Read the full article on [GamingOnLinux](https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/08/proton-experimental-b … ⌘ Read more
s&box, the game creation platform from Facepunch now has a Linux Beta
Facepunch have announced they plan official Linux support for their Source 2 powered game creation platform, s&box, with an initial Beta out now.
Read the full article on GamingOnLinux. ⌘ Read more
Sovereign Tech Agency makes a big investment into Flatpak
This is great to see! The Sovereign Tech Agency have made a big investment into the future of Flatpak, the modern Linux packaging format.
Read the full article on GamingOnLinux. ⌘ Read more
NVIDIA Recommended Driver version 595.99.02 out now for Linux
NVIDIA GPU owners on Linux have a brand new Recommended Driver version 595.99.02 out now with some bug fixes.
Read the full article on GamingOnLinux. ⌘ Read more
Intel Linux Driver Orphaned For Limiting RF Exposure To Humans
Over the past year and a half a number of open-source drivers in the Linux kernel have been orphaned as a result of departures from the company. The impact has ranged from the Intel CPU “coretemp” temperature driver being orphaned without a maintainer to other lesser known Intel drivers. Another lesser known Intel driver is now being orphaned with no longer having a maintainer at the company: the Intel Specific Absorption Rate Driver… ⌘ Read more
AMD Preparing To Enable HDMI 2.1 FRL Support By Default For Linux
It was back in May that the surprising event happened of AMD posting HDMI 2.1 FRL patches for their open-source AMDGPU Linux driver as part of their broader HDMI 2.1 bring-up. For years the open-source HDMI 2.1 support in AMDGPU was blocked by the HDMI Forum but whether it was due to Valve or some other event, the code was finally unblocked. While it’s been part of the kernel since Linux 7.2, it’s been disabled by default – except that is now c … ⌘ Read more
Linux 7.3 MGLRU Change Helps Executable Code Stays In Memory, Improving Performance
Following last week’s main set of memory management “MM” related updates for Linux 7.3, another batch of MM code updates were submitted and merged today as we prepare to close out the Linux 7.3 merge window. There are a few optimization patches that stand out along with other mostly small fixes/changes… ⌘ Read more
Btrfs, EXT4, F2FS & XFS On Linux 7.2 vs. Linux 7.3 Performance
Earlier this week I showed off some of the very nice Btrfs performance gains on Linux 7.3. For those wondering what kernel optimizations may have carried over to other file-systems or other file-system specific enhancements, here are Linux 7.2 vs. 7.3 Git performance benchmarks across Btrfs, EXT4, F2FS, and XFS on the same system. ⌘ Read more
Linux 7.3 Adds RWF_DONTCACHE Support For Block Devices
With the never-ending quest for greater I/O performance in the HPC space and the demands all the more relentless in the AI era, the Linux kernel block subsystem activity continues to be as vibrant as ever along with the ongoing innovations in the IO_uring space… ⌘ Read more
AppArmor In Linux 7.3 Adds Support For User-Space Compressed Policies
The AppArmor improvements have been merged for Linux 7.3 for this kernel security module providing per-program Linux application security controls around system resources. Most notable this cycle is being able to load user-space compressed policies… ⌘ Read more
NFS Improvements Arrive For Linux 7.3
The Network File-System (NFS) improvements for both the client and server code have been merged for the nearly-over Linux 7.3 merge window… ⌘ Read more
Asahi Linux Hopes To Ship A Release Soon With Apple M3 Device Support
The Asahi Linux crew working to bring Linux support to Apple Silicon hardware is out today with a new status update on their initiatives, largely around Apple M3 bring-up as well as some M4/M5 achievements… ⌘ Read more
Patches Provide For Much Faster In-Kernel Zstd Due To Embarrassingly Bad Inefficiency
Patches sent out to the Linux kernel mailing list today can provide much more efficient Zstd compression and decompression by addressing a very unfortunate oversight in the existing code… ⌘ Read more
Linux 7.3 KSMBD Adds Interoperability For Apple Time Machine Backups
KSMBD as the in-kernel SMB3/CIFS server for higher performance and lower resource usage than user-space SMB/CIFS protocol implementations is becoming even more useful with the in-development Linux 7.3 kernel… ⌘ Read more
Fedora + Tuned-PPD Performance Regression Should Be Fixed With New Linux Kernel
Earlier this month when benchmarking six Linux distributions on the new Framework Laptop 13 Pro powered by Intel Core Ultra Series 3 “Panther Lake”, the performance was strangely slow on Fedora Workstation 44. When digging further into it, the performance loss was with Fedora 44 using Tuned-PPD by default where as other Linux distributions default to Power Profiles Daemon. Ultimately, after Red Hat engineers got involved, was found t … ⌘ Read more
Intel Introduces New “BFF” Linux Driver To Deal With Aging Silicon & Stuck Bits
Intel is preparing to introduce a new Linux driver named “BFF” for dealing with aging processor silicon where bits may become stuck over time… ⌘ Read more
Linux 7.3 FUSE Delivering Nice Performance Improvements
The Linux kernel’s FUSE code for enabling file-systems in user-space is enjoying some nice speed boosts with the in-development Linux 7.3 kernel… ⌘ Read more
AMD Introduces New “GFX1250-STRICT” GPU Target In LLVM
The AMD GFX1250 IP is what’s used by the new Instinct MI450 series accelerators. That’s been around within the Linux kernel, AMDGPU LLVM compiler back-end, and related codebases the past year. Interestingly merged yesterday is a new “gfx1250-strict” target… ⌘ Read more
Linux 7.3 PCI Code Adds Advisory Non-Fatal Errors, Intel Dunlow Support
All of the PCI/PCIe subsystem updates for the in-development Linux 7.3 kernel were merged this week… ⌘ Read more
Chrome/Chromium Experimenting With Flatpak Packaging
Google engineers responsible for the Chrome/Chromium web browser are experimenting with Flatpak packaging on Linux. They aren’t yet committed to officially supporting Flatpak packages but for now are at least exploring the option… ⌘ Read more
Linux 7.0-mk2 Released For Multi-Kernel Linux With Promising Performance Results
Last year a multi-kernel architecture was proposed for the Linux kernel to allow multiple independent kernel instances to co-exist on a single physical machine. Each kernel with “multikernel” Linux can run on dedicated CPU cores whole sharing the underlying hardware resources. Linux 7.0-mk2 released today with the kernel patched for this multi-kernel behavior… ⌘ Read more
Perplexity and Nvidia Launch Fully Local AI Agent With Zero Token Costs
Perplexity and Nvidia have launched “Portable Computer,” a local-first version of Perplexity’s agent platform that runs AI models, files, tools, and workflows directly on Nvidia-powered Linux hardware. Local tasks incur no token charges and keep data on-device by default, with users asked for permission before the system escalates a step … ⌘ Read more
Wayland Found To Be “Intrinsically Faster Than X11, But Not Necessarily More Efficient”
The PorteuX Linux distribution focused on being a high performance, modular, and minimalist distro took to forking Xfce’s xfwm4 window manager into “xfwm4-gl” for OpenGL compositing support. As part of that they developed a window manager / compositor benchmark for evaluating the performance and efficiency of typical operations. Their results are fascinating… ⌘ Read more