Introduction
Welcome
This month in Linux Voice.
It's incredibly hard to know how many people are using Linux. There's obviously no sales data, and many people download far more distros than they actually use. The only method that's even slightly reliable is looking at web data from web browsers. When you visit a website, your browser tells the server a little about your computer, including the operating system. Some organizations collect and collate this data from many websites. One of the most famous is netmarketshare.com which shows desktop Linux now has about 2.5% of the desktop. This might not sound like a lot, but it means that roughly one out of every 40 people uses Linux, and that's pretty impressive. Not only that, but the numbers have been rising steadily for a few years.
This month, we have loads of great content for the 190 million people around the world using Linux. Valentine Sinitsyn takes a look at writing fast software, which is important when you have so many potential users. Mike takes a look at little distros and a new approach to file management. I've taken a look at Solus, the distro that's aiming to bring even more new users into the open source fold. Meanwhile, Andrew and Simon take a look at two different ways companies are subtly trying to subvert open source software, and Maddog delves into the murky waters of perceived value. Graham, as always, picks the best new Linux software for courting users among the 190 million.
Join us and the rest of the 2.5% of the world, flip the pages, and enjoy the warm embrace of the Linux community.
– Ben Everard
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News
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Canonical Releases Ubuntu 24.04
After a brief pause because of the XZ vulnerability, Ubuntu 24.04 is now available for install.
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Linux Servers Targeted by Akira Ransomware
A group of bad actors who have already extorted $42 million have their sights set on the Linux platform.
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TUXEDO Computers Unveils Linux Laptop Featuring AMD Ryzen CPU
This latest release is the first laptop to include the new CPU from Ryzen and Linux preinstalled.
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XZ Gets the All-Clear
The back door xz vulnerability has been officially reverted for Fedora 40 and versions 38 and 39 were never affected.
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Canonical Collaborates with Qualcomm on New Venture
This new joint effort is geared toward bringing Ubuntu and Ubuntu Core to Qualcomm-powered devices.
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Kodi 21.0 Open-Source Entertainment Hub Released
After a year of development, the award-winning Kodi cross-platform, media center software is now available with many new additions and improvements.
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Linux Usage Increases in Two Key Areas
If market share is your thing, you'll be happy to know that Linux is on the rise in two areas that, if they keep climbing, could have serious meaning for Linux's future.
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Vulnerability Discovered in xz Libraries
An urgent alert for Fedora 40 has been posted and users should pay attention.
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Canonical Bumps LTS Support to 12 years
If you're worried that your Ubuntu LTS release won't be supported long enough to last, Canonical has a surprise for you in the form of 12 years of security coverage.
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Fedora 40 Beta Released Soon
With the official release of Fedora 40 coming in April, it's almost time to download the beta and see what's new.