Issue #250 / Sep 2021

Highlights:

The only real way to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Linux is to write about Linux itself – not the agglomeration of software we know as a Linux distro, but the real Linux – the beating heart in the center of it all: the Linux kernel.

SERVICE: Welcome

Non-Fungible Fun

It is always illuminating to witness the mashup that occurs when staid and analytical software development spills out onto the psychedelic landscape of our popular culture. The weirdest news this month was that World Wide Web creator Tim Berners-Lee sold a Non-Fungible Token (NFT) depicting the original web source code at Sotheby's auction house for an unbelievable US$5.4 million.

SERVICE: This Month's DVD

AlmaLinux Minimal 8.4 and SystemRescueCD 8.03

NEWS: News

In the news: Linux Mint 20.2 Now Available; Linux Foundation Forming the Open 3D Foundation; Nitrux 1.5 Ships with Kernel 5.13; Slimbook Executive Laptop Focuses on Display and Power; KDE Plasma 5.22 Released with Better Stability and Usability; and Linux Kernel 5.13 Released

NEWS: Kernel News

Chronicler Zack Brown reports on: Trusting Trusted Computing; New Userspace Load-Balancing Framework; and Ending Big Endian.

: Kernel Up Close

This month we celebrate the steady and powerful Linux kernel

We celebrate 30 years of Linux with a special issue that takes you inside the kernel and shows you how to take your first steps with the kernel community.

: Optimizing the Kernel

Optimizing the Linux Kernel

We explore some optimizations designed to deliver a smoother experience for desktop users.

: Kernel Security

Anatomy of a kernel attack

A vulnerability in an operating system kernel is a security nightmare. This article analyzes some well known kernel security problems, explains how they are exploited, and gives real-life examples of attacks that used these time-honored techniques.

: Compiling the Kernel

How to compile your own kernel

While not a requirement, compiling the Linux kernel lets you add or remove features depending on your specific needs and possibly make your kernel more efficient.

: Interview with Greg Kroah-Hartman

Getting started with kernel development

Kernel coder Greg Kroah-Hartman explains how to take your first steps with the kernel team – and highlights some exciting new developments in Linux.

IN-DEPTH: Phoenix Rising

A one-to-one drop-in replacement for CentOS

Arising from the ashes of CentOS, AlmaLinux offers a community-owned and -governed CentOS alternative.

IN-DEPTH: Bash Web Server

A Bash web server

With one line of Bash code, you can create a Bash web server for quickly viewing the output from Bash scripts and commands.

IN-DEPTH: Zip It

A modern compression tool

Like other modern replacement commands, zstd offers significantly faster file compression than the standard archiving tools.

IN-DEPTH: broot

A command-line file manager

The broot file manager guarantees clearer, quicker navigation of the directory tree at the command line.

IN-DEPTH: Clever Tracker

The sys admin's daily grind

If you are a genuine admin, you will want to be able to google things at the command line. Charly uses googler for this; it has pretty useful capabilities despite the unimaginative name.

IN-DEPTH: Integrity Measurement Architecture

Better security auditing with Auditd and the Integrity Measurement Architecture

The Integrity Measurement Architecture adds important details to your audit logs, making it easier to track an intruder's footprints.

IN-DEPTH: Let's Go!

Harder than scripting, but easier than programming in C

Released back in 2012, Go flew under the radar for a long time until showcase projects such as Docker pushed its popularity. Today, Go has become the language of choice of many system programmers.

: ESP8266 for WiFi Sniffing

Sniffing WiFi with an ESP8266 microcontroller

The ESP8266 is in the core of many IoT devices. Thanks to ESP8266 sniffer mode, you can monitor the WiFi medium for diagnostics and optimization.

: Pi Control of USB Devices

Control USB-powered devices with a Raspberry Pi

Command-line tools and Node-RED on a Raspberry Pi let you control projects that use the USB ports.

LINUX VOICE: Introduction

This month in Linux Voice.

LINUX VOICE: maddog's Doghouse

Three decades of Linux

In celebration of the 30th anniversary of Linux, maddog charts his career in free and open source software.

LINUX VOICE: Cubic

Creating custom Ubuntu images

With a little planning, Cubic makes customizing Ubuntu ISOs simple and intuitive, saving you time on your post-install modifications.

LINUX VOICE: Static Website Generators

Using a static website generator

If you only want to put a blog, technical documentation, or a web business card online, static website generators can save you a lot of work.

LINUX VOICE: FOSSPicks

This month Graham checks out OpenRGB, QMPlay2, OctaSine, HiFiBerryOS, Speed Dreams, and much more!

LINUX VOICE: Virtually Yours

A VPS from start to finish

If managing a server on your own network doesn't appeal to you, then a virtual private server might be the answer.