I've had Ubuntu updates brick VMs before.

The discussion on Ars is terrible. Slashdot's genius is the way moderation works. It's far from perfect, but a million times better than the Ars up/down voting system.

Microsoft can do a lean, efficient OS when they want to. Windows 7, for example.

They seem to be getting over AI now it has become clear that AI is going to stop people buying new computers and it will be mostly a cloud service. Hopefully with the threat from Linux they will get back on track.

They have, that's why Microsoft has been releasing so many patches lately.

Remember all the comments about how incompetent Microsoft developers are, and how Linux is so much better? Turns out nobody is safe from AI bug hunters.

For me it's more of a pain with Linux because now I have to support a whole Linux SBOM.

I meant Pi Pico, not Zero.

What was the thinking behind having both types of core?

Espressif have used at least three different CPU cores, including ARM and RISC V, in their microcontrollers. I think for the more integrated system on chip style MCUs it doesn't really matter which they have now. As long as GCC supports it, it's largely invisible to the user.

I haven't tried the Pi Zero but with Espressif they only support libraries for all peripherals, and with the WiFi it's a certification issue. Their build system is crap too.

The quality of the software is probably above average for Linux distros, but the documentation isn't great.

Android has two toggles for sideloading. The first is the global toggle which enables or disables it for all apps, and then beyond that each individual app that wants to launch an install has to get the permission to do so. But they only have to get it once, and then they can install as many apps as many times as they like.

So for example, once sideloading is enabled globally I needed to also enable it for F-Droid. But only once, then F-Droid could install apps and updates with only a "are you sure you want this app?" prompt. And from the sounds of it, that prompt is doing away so that other app stores can have the same experience as the Play Store.

Yes, look at how they are pushing age verification. It's actually a decent implementation, if you accept the basic premise that there is a reasonable interest in protecting children from adult services and material.

In fact it might be an improvement over what we have now, where people have to show ID to enter certain venues or buy certain products. The checkout is anonymous, unless you have to show the clerk your ID to prove you are old enough to buy alcohol.

They way they have implemented it, you verify once, ideally with the government who already knows who you are anyway, and then your device can validate your age on demand. There is no way to tie the validation to an identity, and no two validations are relatable so it can't be used for tracking.

If they don't fuck up the crypto it will be an improvement over what we have now. It's actually shitty that the UK is no longer in the EU and won't benefit from it.

I think the EU would care, especially since Android is currently open and Google is taking something away. Apple gets away with it because they have been like that from day one.

Ah, yes. Well, we will have to wait and see I suppose. I would be surprised if they ended up killing F-Droid though, I really can't see the EU being happy about that.

Not sure that's the case, and above the bit you quoted it does also mention that there will be a special version for hobbyists that has different terms.

In short I think it's too early to say. It sounds like they haven't figured out what they are going to do yet.

Is that so? I can't find a source for Google saying that. Do you have one?

In any case, I think we will have to wait and see, because I can't imagine the EU being okay with them banning open source developers who refuse to register in that way.

I never thought I'd say it, but 2027 might actually be the year of the Linux desktop. There is gathering momentum for moving from Windows to Linux, with some major tech news sites doing extended tutorials and reports on it. Linux desktop user numbers are rising, fast enough that Microslop is trying to de-shittify Windows before too many people abandon it forever.

Most of all though, thanks to Valve compatibility has got a lot better. Not just for gaming, although that is a major part of it, but for Windows apps in general. Also, it has become a lot easier to write cross platform apps that aren't awful, and which feel native to each of Linux, Windows, and MacOS.

There are still issues, but unless Microsoft can really turn things around, and with AI making new hardware unaffordable for many, it's just possible that Linux really breaks through in the next year or two.

That's not what is happening. The first time you enable sideloading, there is a 24 hour cooling off period. After that, installs are instant. And there is probably no delay at all if you get F-Droid from Google Play, only if you download the APK and install it that way.

The other issue is that Google is requiring all developers to register if they want their apps to install on certified devices. Certified means runs Google Play and passes the security checks that some apps (e.g. banks apps, Google Pay) require. This is already an issue for Graphene OS users, because such apps will refuse to run for them due to the lack of certification.

It's hardly new though. Apple has required it since day one, and on Windows drivers need to be signed which means identifying yourself to a certificate authority. I imagine the solution will be the same as it is on Windows - someone will register and then sign F-Droid and all the apps offered on F-Droid. If you didn't know, F-Droid builds apps itself. The app source must compile on F-Droid's servers, with various limitations like not having any dependency on Google Play Services.