Spyder – The Scientific Python IDE for Data Science

I don’t know how many of our readers are research scientists, data analysts, etc. but today, we introduce an IDE that is ideal for Python development and it goes by the name of Spyder. Spyder is an Open Source IDE written in Python for Python development with a focus on research, data analysis, and scientific package creation. It boasts a well-planned User Interface with interactive options, customizable layouts, and toggle-able sections. Its features include a multi-language editor with automatic code completion, real-time code analysis, go-to definitions, etc. It also contains a history log, developer tools, a documentation viewer, a variable explorer, and an interactive console, among other perks.

LWN on Linux: 'Secure' Boot, AF_XDP Patch, 4.17 Release and 'Beep'

• Kernel lockdown locked out — for now

  As the 4.17 merge window opened, it seemed possible that the kernel lockdown patch set could be merged at last. That was before the linux-kernel mailing list got its hands on the issue. What resulted was not one of the kernel community's finest moments. But it did result in a couple of evident conclusions: kernel lockdown will almost certainly not be merged for 4.17, but something that looks very much like it is highly likely to be accepted in a subsequent merge window. As a reminder: the purpose of the lockdown patches is to enforce a distinction between running as root and the ability to run code in kernel mode. Proponents of UEFI secure boot maintain that this separation is necessary; otherwise the promise of secure boot (that the system will only run trusted code in kernel mode) cannot be kept. Closing off the paths by which a privileged attacker could run arbitrary code in kernel mode requires disabling a number of features in the kernel; see the above-linked article for the details. Most users will never miss the disabled features, but there are always exceptions. [...] One other aspect of this issue that came up briefly is the fear that, if Linux looks like a tool that can be used to compromise secure-boot systems running Windows, that Microsoft might blacklist the signing key and render Linux unbootable on most x86 hardware. David Howells expressed this worry, for example. Greg Kroah-Hartman said, though, that he has researched this claim numerous times and it has turned out to be an "urban myth".

• Accelerating networking with AF_XDP

  The Linux network stack does not lack for features; it also performs well enough for most uses. At the highest network speeds, though, any overhead at all is too much; that has driven the most demanding users toward specialized, user-space networking implementations that can outperform the kernel for highly constrained tasks. The express data path (XDP) development effort is an attempt to win those users back, with some apparent success so far. With the posting of the AF_XDP patch set by Björn Töpel, another piece of the XDP puzzle is coming into focus.

• The first half of the 4.17 merge window

  As of this writing, 5,392 non-merge changesets have been pulled into the mainline repository for the 4.17 release. The 4.17 merge window is thus off to a good start, but it is far from complete. The changes pulled thus far cover a wide part of the core kernel as well as the networking, driver, and filesystem subsystems.

• What the beep?

  A "simple" utility to make a system beep is hardly the first place one would check for security flaws, but the strange case of the "Holey Beep" should perhaps lead to some rethinking. A Debian advisory for the beep utility, which was followed by another for Debian LTS, led to a seemingly satirical site publicizing the bug (and giving it the "Holey Beep" name). But that site also exploits a new flaw in the GNU patch program—and the increased scrutiny on beep has led to more problems being found.

Games: Cities: Skylines - Parklife expansion, Supposedly Wonderful Future, Serious Sam 4

• You will be able to build amusement parks, zoos and more in the upcoming Cities: Skylines - Parklife expansion

• Supposedly Wonderful Future, a sci-fi narrative-rich adventure is now available

• Serious Sam 4: Planet Badass teaser trailer revealed, more to be shown at E3

  Croteam is finally starting to give out some basic details on their next game, now called Serious Sam 4: Planet Badass. [...] Given their history with Linux support, I've no doubt it will be on Linux and it will likely be using their newer Fusion engine with Vulkan support.

• Serious Sam 4: Planet Badass Is Coming With Linux Support

  Croteam today released a trailer for their upcoming game Serious Sam 4: Planet Badass. This Serious Sam 4 title will be formally introduced this June at the E3 gaming conference, but for now is the trailer and announcement that more details will be announced soon.

Graphics: AMD, RADV, RadeonSI, Mesa 18.0.1

• AMDGPU DRM Gets "GFXOFF" Patches To Turn Off Graphics Engine

  AMD's Huang Rui has posted a set of 20 patches providing "GFXOFF" support for the AMDGPU Direct Rendering Manager Linux kernel driver. GFXOFF is a new graphics processor feature that allows for powering off the graphics engine when it would otherwise be idle with no graphics workload. Obviously, this would equate to a potentially significant power savings with that engine being able to be shut-off.

• RADV Driver Lands Support For Vulkan's New Descriptor Indexing Extension

  Earlier this month with the Vulkan 1.1.72 specification update was the new VK_EXT_descriptor_indexing extension that is quickly being well received by developers. The VK_EXT_descriptor_indexing extension allows for creating large descriptor sets made up of all their combined resources and selecting those resources via dynamic indexes in a shader.

• RadeonSI Now Appears To Support "RX Vega M" With Intel Core CPUs

  One of the most common Linux hardware questions I've received dozens of times in the past few weeks alone has been over the support for "RX Vega M" Vega-based graphics processors found on select newer Intel Kabylake CPUs. It appears RadeonSI at least should now support these Radeon graphics on Intel CPUs.

• mesa 18.0.1

• Mesa 18.0.1 Released With A Number Of Fixes

  In addition to Mesa 17.3.9 being released today, Mesa 18.0.1 also rolled out the door as the first point release to last quarter's Mesa 18.0 series. Mesa 18.0.1 features improvements to its Meson build system support, several RADV Vulkan driver fixes, various fixes to the Gallium3D Nine (D3D9) state tracker, various Intel driver fixes, several core Mesa improvements, and then the other random smothering of fixes collected over the past few weeks.