linux

It may have a rather amusing name but this new security vulnerability is no laughing matter. Researchers have discovered a bug in software that runs even before any operating system starts up that could grant hackers unbridled access to a computer. And while Linux computers are directly at risk from this BootHole exploit, almost all Windows computers from the past decade or so are also vulnerable to getting hijacked and hacked with almost no telltale signs of a compromised system.

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For all its benefits in security, performance, and openness, the Linux operating system is still avoided by many computer users because of its software catalog. It's not that Linux lacks app but it lacks the sort of apps that people are used to on Windows and Mac or even on Android and iOS. There is no shortage of projects that try to bring some sort of compatibility with those apps, like WINE for Windows and Anbox for Android. A different strategy, however, is writing apps in a way that makes them run on all or most platforms. That's the premise behind Flutter and it's now coming to Linux, at least on the Ubuntu flavor of Linux.

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A lot of focus has been placed on Huawei's predicament regarding its smartphones and networking business vis-a-vis US trade bans but those aren't the only things the company is worried about. It has also started to dabble in the PC market and it will face the same restrictions when trying to get its hands on Intel or AMD silicon and Microsoft software. Its solution is, of course, to roll out its own replacements for those but one review of a Huawei PC doesn't inspire confidence in its chances.

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It is increasingly becoming evident that Google is grooming Chrome OS to be something like a dumping ground for anything and everything it can cram into what was originally a glorified Chrome web browser. From that modest beginning, Chromebooks have grown up to support not just Android and Linux apps but also triple-A gaming via Stadia. It seems that Google isn't done yet and may even be working on getting Steam games to run on future Chromebooks, further transforming their image from educational toys to serious work computers.

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The Raspberry Pi opened up a whole new world of DIY projects but it has ironically been more difficult to actually produce a "normal" RPi-powered computer that doesn't look like a Frankensteined contraption. There are, of course, some kits that let you easily assemble a Raspberry Pi desktop, laptop, or even tablet, but those look more like things you'd rather leave at home than be caught dead using it outside. It's for that exact use case that CutiePi was born and now the ready-to-use RPi Tablet has launched on Kickstarter to bring all that to everyone willing to take the risk.

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For decades, Windows has been regarded as one of the most easily compromised platforms, especially because of its ubiquity, that there has been no shortage of security software developed for it. Over the recent years, however, Microsoft has been developing its own suite of security tools that have become good enough that some users have even started to swear by the Microsoft Defender name. Now Microsoft is bringing its Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) system to two new operating systems, taking it one step closer to becoming truly universal.

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Dell debuted a few laptops aimed at gamers but it also has one that caters more to users doing some serious work. At least when that work involves maintaining servers, developing software, or simply just using Linux. Continuing their nearly decade-long partnership, Dell and Canonical are putting out yet another Ubuntu-powered laptop, this time the XPS 13 Developer Edition, that's promised to get security updates for up to ten years. Presuming the laptop does last that long, of course.

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The fuss over Linux phones seems to have died down a bit, perhaps due to the coronavirus pandemic making it harder to manufacture and ship these devices. For companies and developers pushing these open source and privacy-focused ecosystems forward, the show must go on. After a brief period of relative (but not total) silence, PINE64, makers of the PinePhone Linux phone, has opened pre-orders for its Linux tablet that's coming with a slight twist.

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As powerful as laptops have become, they have always been limited by their size and the laws of physics. That's why hardware, especially processors, are specifically designed to squeeze out as much performance without burning the computer down. From time to time, however, you'll hear of some manufacturer boasting of performance comparable to desktop PCs. System76, famed for its Linux computers, makes that same boast by literally putting desktop-class processors inside a behemoth of a laptop known as the Serval WS.

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Lenovo has announced Linux Certification for its ThinkPad and ThinkStation workstations, giving every model and every configuration full compatibility. The news means each one of Lenovo's current range will be certified to use distributions from Ubuntu, Red Hat, and others.

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This week the NSA warned the public that Russian military cyber actors have been exploiting a version of email software for several months at least. The exploited system is MTA software for Unix-based systems, Exim mail - software that's installed with a number of Linux distributions by default. While the original patch for this vulnerability was released last year, many computers still run Exim without said patch.

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This is definitely not your grandfather's Microsoft. Not too long ago, then-CEO Steve Ballmer called Linux a cancer. Today, Microsoft proclaims it loves Linux and open source, two things the company set out to destroy using whatever means necessary (and some argue it's still doing behind the scenes). From the acquisition of GitHub to its Windows Subsystem for Linux, Microsoft has been increasing its efforts to woo Linux and open source developers and it has just made one of its biggest and most important announcements on that matter.

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