FOSS Weekly #25.30: AUR Poisoned, Linux Rising, PPA Explained, New Open Source Grammar Checker and More

FOSS Weekly #25.30: AUR Poisoned, Linux Rising, PPA Explained, New Open Source Grammar Checker and More

I know readers in the US will find it difficult to believe but it seems that Linux desktop usage are all time high in the United States of America. That’s worth a celebration 🥂

Made Linux Great Again? Linux Desktop Usage Hits Record High in the U.S.
A small, yet notable bump.
FOSS Weekly #25.30: AUR Poisoned, Linux Rising, PPA Explained, New Open Source Grammar Checker and More

💬 Let’s see what else you get in this edition

  • Firefox trying to redeem itself.
  • A RAT making its way into Arch Linux.
  • Intel’s Linux distribution being discontinued.
  • And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes!
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FOSS Weekly #25.30: AUR Poisoned, Linux Rising, PPA Explained, New Open Source Grammar Checker and More

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📰 Linux and Open Source News

  • Intel’s Clear Linux OS is no more after the silicon giant pulls the plug on it.
  • NVIDIA has teamed up with RISC-V International to bring CUDA to RISC-V CPUs.
  • Firefox has finally added support for WebGPU. You can now try it out on the Firefox 141 release.

A malicious actor managed to slip in some malware into the AUR. It was quickly discovered and disabled. One more reason to stick with the official repositories of your distribution.

Someone Slipped a RAT into Arch Linux!
A sneaky menace made its way into Arch User Repository. Another reminder to not blindly trust packages from AUR, PPA and even from Snapcraft.
FOSS Weekly #25.30: AUR Poisoned, Linux Rising, PPA Explained, New Open Source Grammar Checker and More
Is Europe Losing Control of Its Data to Chinese Apps? Case Filed Against TikTok, WeChat and AliExpress
noyb files complaints against TikTok, AliExpress, and WeChat over GDPR violations.
FOSS Weekly #25.30: AUR Poisoned, Linux Rising, PPA Explained, New Open Source Grammar Checker and More

🧠 What We’re Thinking About

An Italian YouTuber is facing jailtime over retro-gaming handheld reviews. Those devices come pre-installed with emulators and retro games.

Jailtime for Retro Game Console Reviews? Italy’s Copyright Enforcement Sparks Debate
Italian YouTuber raided over handheld review, faces possible jail time.
FOSS Weekly #25.30: AUR Poisoned, Linux Rising, PPA Explained, New Open Source Grammar Checker and More

🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings

Don’t know if you already use it, but creating templates in LibreOffice saves time in creating new document on a repetition. From invoices to letters, make good use of the template feature.

Speaking of templates, you can add the missing ‘create new document’ option in right-click context menu in Ubuntu and other distros using GNOME desktop. I don’t understand why it was removed in the first place. Just GNOME things.

I understand that in the age of Snaps and Flatpaks, PPAs don’t have the same charm as they used to have before the 2020s. Still, blindly adding PPAs creates havoc for new Ubuntu/Mint users.

And that’s why I recommend reading this PPA guide I wrote a few years ago. Once you understand how it works, you won’t have the repository related error with the updates.

PPA in Ubuntu Linux [Definitive Guide]
An in-depth article that covers almost all the questions around using PPA in Ubuntu and other Linux distributions.
FOSS Weekly #25.30: AUR Poisoned, Linux Rising, PPA Explained, New Open Source Grammar Checker and More

Desktop Linux is mostly neglected by the industry but loved by the community. For the past 13 years, It’s FOSS has been helping people use Linux on their personal computers. And we are now facing the existential threat from AI models stealing our content.

If you like what we do and would love to support our work, please become It’s FOSS Plus member. It costs $24 a year (less than the cost of a burger meal each month) and you get an ad-free reading experience with the satisfaction of helping the desktop Linux community.

Join It’s FOSS Plus

👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner

If you are unsure of Windsurf’s fate, you can opt for one of these alternative editors instead.

Unsure About the Future of Windsurf? Try These Alternative Vibe Coding Editors on Linux
Windsurf’s been a bit rocky lately. Time for a change?
FOSS Weekly #25.30: AUR Poisoned, Linux Rising, PPA Explained, New Open Source Grammar Checker and More

Here are 17 cool project ideas for your Arduino.

17 Cool Arduino Project Ideas for DIY Enthusiasts
Arduino is an open-source electronics platform that combines both open source software and hardware to let people make interactive projects with ease. You can get Arduino-compatible single board computers and use them to make something useful. In addition to the hardware, you will also need to know the Arduino language
FOSS Weekly #25.30: AUR Poisoned, Linux Rising, PPA Explained, New Open Source Grammar Checker and More

I came across this cool NAS plus local AI device for homelab starters on Kickstarter. Out of my budget but hey, we can window shop once in a while, right?

FOSS Weekly #25.30: AUR Poisoned, Linux Rising, PPA Explained, New Open Source Grammar Checker and More
Explore ORICO on Kickstarter

✨ Project Highlight

A new way to game on Linux is here. GeForce Infinity allows Linux gamers to play games using GeForce NOW.

NVIDIA’s Cloud Gaming Service GeForce NOW Has an App on Linux
Although it is an unofficial app, you can use this app to play GeForce NOW games on Linux with some ease and extra features.
FOSS Weekly #25.30: AUR Poisoned, Linux Rising, PPA Explained, New Open Source Grammar Checker and More

Here’s a new open source grammar checker which is surely worth a try. It has a great future ahead as it is backed by the makers of WordPress.

I Found a New Open Source Grammar Checker Tool And I Like it… Well… Kind of
Sometime simple is better. This new open source grammar checker is what we need in this age of data collection and AI.
FOSS Weekly #25.30: AUR Poisoned, Linux Rising, PPA Explained, New Open Source Grammar Checker and More

📽️ Videos I am Creating for You

And I reviewed the magnificent Pironman 5 Max case.

Subscribe to It’s FOSS YouTube Channel

🧩 Quiz Time

Seeing that a new Debian release is around the corner, can you recall all its codenames?

Crossword Quiz on Debian Release Codenames
Debian fan? Test your knowledge of various Debian releases in this fun and interactive crossword.
FOSS Weekly #25.30: AUR Poisoned, Linux Rising, PPA Explained, New Open Source Grammar Checker and More

💡 Quick Handy Tip

For GNOME apps like Nautilus file manager, Software, and several others, you can use the shortcut CTRL+? (which is CTRL+SHIFT+/) on your keyboard to get a list of available keyboard shortcuts for that app.

If the app in focus has some keyboard shortcuts available, it will be opened in a new app window.

🤣 Meme of the Week

That’s how it feels on some Linux subreddits and forums. Thankfully, It’s FOSS Community forum is much more welcoming.

FOSS Weekly #25.30: AUR Poisoned, Linux Rising, PPA Explained, New Open Source Grammar Checker and More

🗓️ Tech Trivia

When Apple released Mac OS 8 on July 26, 1997, it was a huge hit, selling over 1.2 million copies in two weeks. This success significantly boosted the company during a tough time, as it faced financial struggles and strong competition from Microsoft.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 FOSSverse Corner

A long time FOSSer has become active again; it’s good to see people return.

Back on Linux After Some Time on Windows 11
I am glad i am back on Linux mint currently installing stuff that will help me with my company stuff
FOSS Weekly #25.30: AUR Poisoned, Linux Rising, PPA Explained, New Open Source Grammar Checker and More

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Enjoy FOSS 😄

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