Debian Janitor: 8,200 landed changes landed so far

The Debian Janitor is an automated system that commits fixes for (minor) issues in Debian packages that can be fixed by software. It gradually started proposing merges in early December. The first set of changes sent out ran lintian-brush on sid packages maintained in Git. This post is part of a series about the progress of the Janitor. The bot has been submitting merge requests for about seven months now. The rollout has happened gradually across the Debian archive, and the bot is now enabled for all packages maintained on Salsa , GitLab , GitHub and Launchpad.

Optimised authentication methods for Ubuntu Desktop

Still counting on passwords to protect your workstation? When set up properly, alternatives to passwords provide a streamlined user experience while significantly improving security. These alternative authentication methods can also easily be combined to create a custom and adaptive authentication profile. This whitepaper introduces three popular authentication methods that provide a solid alternative to passwords. Perhaps you’d like to configure your laptop for login using a YubiKey hardware token connected to a dock. Another option could be to login with a Duo push notification when not connected to the dock, but use a Google Authenticator one-time password when no network is available. Maybe you need a separate hardware token just for ssh authentication, and you always need to keep a long, complex password for emergency authentication should all other methods fail. All of these scenarios can be easily configured within Ubuntu.

Open Hardware: Arduino, RISC-V and 96Boards

• Arduino-controlled robot arm is ready to play you in a game of chess

  If you’re tired of playing chess on a screen, then perhaps you could create a robotic opponent like Instructables user Michalsky. The augmented board runs micro-Max source code, enabling chess logic to be executed on an Arduino Mega with room for control functions for a 6DOF robotic arm. The setup uses magnetic pieces, allowing it to pick up human moves via an array of 64 reed switches underneath, along with a couple shift registers. The Mega powers the robot arm accordingly, lifting the appropriate piece and placing it on the correct square.

• New RISC-V CTO On Open Source Chip Architecture’s Global Data Center Momentum

  With more big international players on board, the foundation's new head of technology sees signs of "state of the art moving forward."

• Snapdragon 410 based 96Boards CE SBC gets an upgrade

  Geniatech has launched a Linux-ready, $109 “Developer Board 4 V3” compliant with 96Boards CE that offers a Snapdragon 410E, GbE, 3x USB, 802.11ac, GPS, and-25 to 70°C support. Geniatech has released a V3 edition of its 96Boards CE form-factor Developer Board 4 SBC, the third update of the Development Board IV we covered back in 2016. Starting at $109, the Developer Board 4 V3 still runs Linux, Android, and Windows 10 IoT Core on Qualcomm’s 1.2GHz, quad -A53 Snapdragon 410m, although it has been upgraded to the 10-year availability Snapdragon 410E. Geniatech also sells a line of Rockchip based SBCs, among other embedded products.

Audiocasts/Shows: Linux in the Ham Shack and Linux Headlines

• LHS Episode #360: Zapped

  Welcome to the 360th episode of Linux in the Ham Shack. In this short-topic show, the hosts discuss 1.2GHz distance records, a hybrid antenna for geosynchronous satellite operation, data mode identification for your smart phone, being pwned, Ubuntu 20.04.1, LibreOffice, HamClock and much more. Thanks for listening and hope you have a great week.

• LHS Episode #361: The Weekender LIV

  It's time once again for The Weekender. This is our bi-weekly departure into the world of amateur radio contests, open source conventions, special events, listener challenges, hedonism and just plain fun. Thanks for listening and, if you happen to get a chance, feel free to call us or e-mail and send us some feedback. Tell us how we're doing. We'd love to hear from you.

• 2020-08-14 | Linux Headlines

  Google could be extending its Firefox search royalty deal, PyPy leaves the Software Freedom Conservancy, Ubuntu puts out a call for testing, Linspire removes snapd support, Microsoft showcases its open source contributions, and Facebook joins The Linux Foundation.