Best of Linux — November 2025

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    Article
    Avatar of theregisterThe Register·22w

    Linus Torvalds: Vibe coding is fine, but not for production

    Linus Torvalds shares his perspective on AI-assisted coding, stating that while vibe coding can help newcomers get started with programming, it's unsuitable for production code due to maintenance concerns. He discusses Rust's gradual integration into the Linux kernel, noting it has taken longer than expected but is becoming a real part of the codebase. Torvalds addresses AI's impact on kernel development, mentioning issues with crawlers disrupting infrastructure and AI-generated bug reports, though these problems are less severe than in other projects. He compares AI to previous productivity tools like compilers, suggesting it won't eliminate programming jobs but will change how developers work.

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    Article
    Avatar of techcentralTechCentral·23w

    Valve’s Linux console takes aim at Microsoft’s gaming empire

    Valve announced a new living-room console, controller, and VR headset running SteamOS (Linux-based) for early 2026, with pricing yet to be revealed. The Steam Machine aims to bring PC gaming to TVs with no Windows licensing costs, leveraging Proton compatibility improvements from Steam Deck. Success depends on competitive pricing against Sony's PS5 and Microsoft's Xbox, potentially disrupting the console market by offering Steam library access and Linux's open ecosystem advantages. The move could weaken Windows' dominance in gaming and establish Linux as a viable platform for mainstream console gaming.

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    Article
    Avatar of selfhostedselfhosted·25w

    What to do with an old laptop?

    A developer seeks advice on repurposing a 2014-2015 laptop (Intel i5, 8GB RAM, 500GB SSD) into a home server for running scripts, cron jobs, and self-hosted services. Key considerations include choosing a lightweight Ubuntu-based Linux distribution, enabling SSH access, minimizing resource usage and noise, optimal placement near the router, and whether to disconnect the screen for power savings. The goal is a 24/7 server for automation tasks, data storage, and services like Pi-hole, self-hosted cloud storage, and workflow automation tools.

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    Video
    Avatar of awesome-codingAwesome·23w

    Life lessons from a coding legend...

    Linus Torvalds' criticism of a Meta engineer's pull request sparked debate about code quality and software development culture. The incident highlights a fundamental principle: code clarity trumps abstraction. Torvalds criticized unnecessary helper functions that add indirection without value, arguing that good code should be explicit and easy to understand. The discussion reveals how industry best practices around abstraction can sometimes conflict with simplicity, and how experienced developers often favor straightforward, readable code over clever abstractions. The incident also contrasts old-school programming culture, built on deep technical knowledge and excellence, with modern development practices.

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    Article
    Avatar of itsfossIt's Foss·21w

    Google Just Made Its Sleek New Font Open Source

    Google released Sans Flex, an open source variable font under the SIL Open Font License. The font features five customizable axes (weight, width, optical size, slant, and rounded terminals) in a single file, designed for modern screens and high-resolution displays. It's available for download and can be installed on Linux distributions, though variable font features won't work system-wide in Linux desktop environments.

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    Video
    Avatar of mentaloutlawMental Outlaw·21w

    The Best Desktop Linux For Windows Users

    Windows 11's focus on AI features has degraded gaming performance by up to 65% for Nvidia users, prompting increased adoption of desktop Linux distributions. Zorin OS 18 attracted over 1 million downloads (78% from Windows users) with features like web app integration, Windows app compatibility via Wine, and suggested alternatives for Windows programs. Gaming-focused distributions like Bazzite and CachyOS now match or exceed Windows 11 performance out-of-the-box, while Microsoft's AI-generated code (30% of repos) and financial ties to OpenAI suggest the company won't reverse course on its agentic OS direction.

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    Article
    Avatar of techcentralTechCentral·21w

    Affinity for Linux? Canva’s next big move could reshape the desktop software market

    Canva is seriously considering porting its Affinity creative software suite to Linux, which could be transformative for desktop Linux adoption. Currently, professional designers are locked into Windows and macOS due to Adobe's Creative Cloud dominance. Affinity, recently made free by Canva, is the only full-scale commercial alternative to Adobe. This potential move comes as Linux gaming has matured through Valve's Steam Deck, and dissatisfaction with Windows grows due to intrusive telemetry and AI features. A Linux port would enable designers, photographers, and content creators to run fully Linux-based workflows, potentially triggering wider desktop Linux adoption and challenging Adobe's market position.

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    Article
    Avatar of collectionsCollections·25w

    Rising Viability of Linux Gaming as Nearly 90% of Windows Games Now Compatible

    Linux gaming on Steam has crossed 3% market share for the first time, reaching 3.05% in October 2025—a 50% increase from the previous year. This growth is driven by improved compatibility layers like Proton (enabling 90% of Windows games to run on Linux), the popularity of Steam Deck (accounting for 27% of Linux gaming), and Windows 10's end of support pushing users toward alternatives. Popular distributions include Arch Linux, Linux Mint, CachyOS, and Bazzite, with new hardware like Lenovo's Legion Go S further expanding the ecosystem.

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    Article
    Avatar of itsfossIt's Foss·22w

    RustDesk Pulls Ahead of TeamViewer, AnyDesk with Wayland Multi-Scaled Display Support

    RustDesk's latest nightly build introduces support for multiple monitors with different scaling factors on Wayland sessions for KDE and GNOME. This solves a persistent pointer misalignment issue that made multi-monitor setups with mixed scaling unusable for remote work. The developers claim this makes RustDesk the only remote desktop solution with this capability on Wayland, positioning it ahead of commercial alternatives like TeamViewer and AnyDesk. The feature is currently available in nightly builds and will roll out to stable releases after testing.

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    Video
    Avatar of joseanmartinezJosean Martinez·23w

    So I Finally Tried Linux (As A Developer)

    A Mac developer shares their experience transitioning to Linux for software development by setting up Ubuntu in a virtual machine. The setup includes the i3 tiling window manager, Polybar menu bar, and various terminal tools like Wezterm, Neovim, and Zsh with plugins. While ARM architecture limitations caused some compatibility issues with apps like Spotify, the experience highlighted Linux's superior customization and control compared to macOS. The author plans to continue using Linux for development work and eventually transition to a dedicated x86 machine.

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    Article
    Avatar of cyber_secCyber Security·24w

    A New Era of VM-Powered Cyber Attacks

    The Curly COMrades threat group exploited Hyper-V virtualization on compromised Windows systems to evade endpoint detection. Attackers enabled Hyper-V, deployed a minimal Linux VM (120 MB disk, 256 MB RAM), and ran custom tools including CurlyShell reverse shell and CurlCat proxy inside the VM. This technique bypassed host-based EDR and AV solutions that don't inspect nested virtual environments. Active since late 2023 and documented in August 2025, the campaign targeted Georgia and Moldova. Defenders should monitor for unusual VM creation and Hyper-V role enablement on endpoints.

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    Video
    Avatar of fireshipFireship·23w

    This new gaming console uses Arch btw…

    Valve's new Steam Machine is a gaming console running Arch Linux with Steam OS and KDE Plasma desktop environment. It features a semi-custom AMD chip at 4.8 GHz, 16GB RAM, 8GB VRAM, and can run 4K games at 60fps. The device supports Windows games through Proton compatibility layer and allows switching between gaming mode and full Linux desktop. Hardware is non-upgradeable, pricing expected under $1,000, with availability targeted for 2026.

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    Article
    Avatar of anduinosAnduinOS·21w

    Announcing AnduinOS new build 1.3.8, 1.1.11 and 1.4.1

    AnduinOS releases three new builds (1.3.8, 1.1.11, and 1.4.1) with printer and scanner support, improved hardware compatibility, system repair tools, and Russian localization updates. The builds add system-config-printer and scanning packages, refactor daemon code for better .desktop file handling, and introduce a do-anduinos-autorepair command for automated system fixes. Users can upgrade within the same fork version using the do_anduinos_upgrade command, while cross-fork upgrades (1.3 to 1.4) will be available January 1st, 2026.

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    Article
    Avatar of itsfossIt's Foss·23w

    What a Shame! FlatHub is Ranking on Google for Po*nHub Downloads

    Flathub, the official Flatpak app store, is ranking highly on Google for adult content downloader searches due to a developer exploiting its reputation. A developer named Warlord Software published three downloader applications on Flathub and tagged them with NSFW keywords, leveraging Flathub's domain authority to gain over 250,000 downloads for proprietary apps with premium licenses. The developer's own website contains no mention of these keywords, revealing a deliberate SEO exploitation strategy that uses Flathub's trusted platform to rank for competitive search terms that would be impossible for a new site to achieve.

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    Article
    Avatar of phoronixPhoronix·24w

    Hyprland 0.52 Released With New Features For This Wayland Compositor

    Hyprland 0.52 has been released with several new features including a forceidle dispatcher, per-device rotation support for input devices, and a modal property for window rules. The development team has been focusing efforts on Hyprtoolkit, which will power future Hyprland GUI applications.

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    Article
    Avatar of phoronixPhoronix·24w

    The Linux Kernel Looks To "Bite The Bullet" In Enabling Microsoft C Extensions

    The Linux kernel is preparing to enable the -fms-extensions compiler flag in version 6.19, allowing Microsoft C extensions that permit anonymous tagged structs and unions. Two patches have been queued in kbuild-next after years of previous attempts. The change would enable cleaner code and potential stack space savings, with Linus Torvalds showing no opposition. The flag is supported by both GCC and LLVM/Clang compilers.

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    Video
    Avatar of linuxexpThe Linux Experiment·25w

    Python refuses $1.5M grant, Unity's in trouble, AUR attacked again - Linux Weekly News

    Python Foundation rejected a $1.5M US government grant due to unacceptable restrictions on diversity policies and potential financial clawback risks. Unity desktop environment faces potential shutdown again due to lack of developer resources. Arch User Repository experienced another DDoS attack with unknown perpetrators. Firefox introduces mandatory data collection disclosures for browser extensions. Ubuntu 25.10 adds architecture-specific package variants for x86-64-v3 processors. Fedora 43 released with GNOME 49 and Wayland-only support. Linux gaming compatibility reaches 90% of Windows Steam games according to ProtonDB ratings.

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    Article
    Avatar of omgubomg! ubuntu!·24w

    Ubuntu 26.04 LTS Release Date & Schedule

    Ubuntu 26.04 LTS 'Resolute Raccoon' releases April 23, 2026, with 5 years of standard support and 5 additional years through Ubuntu Pro. Key milestones include feature freeze on February 19, beta release March 26, and release candidate April 16. Monthly development snapshots start in November 2025. Expected features include GNOME 50, latest Linux kernel, improved TPM encryption, and potential amd64v3 package support. Upgrades from Ubuntu 24.04 LTS will be enabled with the 26.04.1 point release in August 2026.

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    Video
    Avatar of veronicaexplainsVeronica Explains·25w

    I stream nothing, and I am happy.

    A personal account of abandoning streaming services in favor of physical media (DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs) and paper books. Covers the technical setup for ripping and managing media using tools like MakeMKV, Handbrake, and Jellyfin on Linux, while critiquing algorithmic recommendations and advocating for more deliberate content consumption and ownership.

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    Video
    Avatar of savvynikSavvyNik·23w

    Linus Torvalds — Speaks up on the Rust Divide and saying NO

    Linus Torvalds discusses the ongoing integration of Rust into the Linux kernel, acknowledging the friction and maintainer pushback it has created over the past five years. He defends the decision as necessary to prevent kernel stagnation and attract new contributors, noting his role has shifted from saying 'no' to encouraging maintainers to embrace new ideas. While Rust has generated controversy including maintainer resignations and debates over code review processes, Torvalds believes the disruption is worthwhile and that Rust is finally transitioning from experimental to a real part of the kernel, though it took longer than expected.

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    Article
    Avatar of itsfossIt's Foss·24w

    I Used Instagram from the Linux Terminal. It’s Cool Until It’s Not.

    Instagram-CLI is a terminal-based Instagram client that limits functionality to messages, notifications, and following feed to reduce doomscrolling. It supports text messaging, file uploads, reactions, and multiple image rendering protocols (ASCII, Kitty, Sixel). Installation is available via npm or pip. The tool helps manage screen time while maintaining social connectivity, though it may risk account flagging due to Meta's policies against unofficial clients.

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    Article
    Avatar of gamesindustryGamesIndustry.biz·23w

    The Steam Machine could be an industry turning point | Opinion

    Valve's upcoming Steam Machine represents a strategic challenge to both Microsoft and Sony in the console market, leveraging a decade of development on Steam Deck and SteamOS. The device combines competitive pricing with access to extensive Steam libraries and a Linux-based OS that outperforms Windows in gaming benchmarks through lower overhead and the Proton emulation layer. This timing particularly impacts Microsoft's pivot toward Xbox-Windows integration, as Valve's approach offers similar PC-console hybrid functionality at mass-market prices. The Steam Deck served as a crucial testbed, proving that optimized software can deliver strong gaming performance on modest hardware specs.

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    Article
    Avatar of lobstersLobsters·23w

    5.0.0

    Homebrew 5.0.0 introduces parallel downloads by default, official Linux ARM64 support, and announces deprecation timelines for macOS Intel (Tier 3 by September 2026, discontinued by September 2027). The release removes macOS Gatekeeper bypass options, adds a new internal JSON API, and includes numerous improvements to brew commands including bundle support for Go packages, Alpine Linux package search, and enhanced cask functionality on Linux.

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    Article
    Avatar of phoronixPhoronix·21w

    Niri 25.11 Rust-Written Wayland Compositor Adds Alt-Tab Switcher, New Animations

    Niri 25.11 introduces an Alt-Tab window switcher with live previews, new fullscreen animations, and true Wayland maximize handling. The scrollable-tiling compositor now supports per-output and per-workspace layout configurations, DisplayLink devices, custom output modes, and improved screen reader accessibility.

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    Video
    Avatar of primeagenThePrimeTime·23w

    The PewDiePie Problem

    A motivational perspective on comparing yourself to others in tech, using PewDiePie's Linux and AI journey as an example. Emphasizes that different people have different goals, time constraints, and interests. Argues against letting others' achievements cause impostor syndrome, and advocates for pursuing projects based on genuine curiosity rather than comparison. Highlights that consistent effort over time matters more than having unlimited resources or free time.

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