Is there anything you would like to ask the #Linux Foundation's TAB (Technical Advisory Board)?

Then come to the "ask us anything" session with the current TAB at the @linuxplumbersconf 2024, which is currently scheduled for 9:00 on Friday, September 20[1].

And if you can't be there, just tell me your questions: I'll try to bring a few of them forward if I get a chance.

[1] https://lore.kernel.org/all/87zforv3zc.fsf@trenco.lwn.net/

#kernel #LinuxKernel #LinuxPlumbers #LinuxPlumbers2024

I needed to check if files went to a generated image and by accident noticed that 7z is actually quite nice ad-hoc tool for checking such thing:

❯ 7z l efi-part.vfat

7-Zip [64] 16.02 : Copyright (c) 1999-2016 Igor Pavlov : 2016-05-21
p7zip Version 16.02 (locale=en_US.UTF-8,Utf16=on,HugeFiles=on,64 bits,32 CPUs 13th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-13900KF (B0671),ASM,AES-NI)

Scanning the drive for archives:
1 file, 33521664 bytes (32 MiB)

Listing archive: efi-part.vfat

--
Path = efi-part.vfat
Type = FAT
Physical Size = 33521664
File System = FAT16
Cluster Size = 2048
Free Space = 19079168
Headers Size = 90112
Sector Size = 512
ID = 2421383688

   Date      Time    Attr         Size   Compressed  Name
------------------- ----- ------------ ------------  ------------------------
2024-09-10 20:59:32 D....                            EFI
2024-09-10 20:59:32 ....A     14349312     14350336  bzImage
2024-09-10 20:59:32 D....                            loader
2024-09-10 20:59:32 D....                            loader/entries
2024-09-10 20:59:32 ....A          126         2048  loader/entries/buildroot.conf
------------------- ----- ------------ ------------  ------------------------
2024-09-10 20:59:32           14349438     14352384  2 files, 3 folders

BTW, the only "professional network" I used while looking for a new position was #Mastodon. There could not be a better environment to find new and interesting opportunities.

If I could decide, I would block all services from the EU region, which require smart phone to bind into them. That is the only real need for smart phone in my life and I'd really like to switch to a basic phone.

In my block list would be at least BookBeat, Signal, WhasApp and Telegram. We should just ban them until they fix the situation :-) I'm sure SMS based binding is doable.

I just hate smartphones so much...

After scanning ~40 pages of contract documents I just want to say that #GNOME Document Scanner rocks! No bullshit workflow, gets to job done. This is rare 👍

oops, went of the hook with this: https://lore.kernel.org/all/D400W37FR01S.CLFIKA98YWX7@kernel.org/

I think it would be pretty interesting idea to use BPF like this in kernel.

If #decentralized #services become a thing, I wonder if #mainframe 's make a strong comeback 🙂 They are machines made for transaction throughput.

Since there seems to be renewed interest in #CDE, I thought I'd have a look at the my CDE utilities from back then, which led me to my old Web page “Linux on a VAIO Z600LEK” http://dynalabs.de/mxp.old/vaio/index.html, because there's a screenshot of my work environment from back then. ⇢

#retrocomputing

So after reading around the Internet I got the picture that already GCC 14.1 could be able to compile Rust-Linux. Is this correct? Amazing progress if it is! I did not simply know this.

I'll give it a shot since 14.1 came out already at Spring if I recall correctly.

Update: I have now gccrs build ongoing, after that I'll just point it out to cargo with build.rustc-wrapper and see how it compiles user space code first. Very interesting and exciting ;-)

#linux #kernel #rust #gcc

While making a track for Random Records [1] compilation I've noticed one and dumb and simple workflow improvement: for drum sounds hosted by a sampler in their own tracks it is best to keep key-tracking off.

Then the MIDI note values are free for Note Grid and for plugins like Effectrix 2. Saves tons of time because then no separate MIDI track is needed for triggering the effect.

[1] https://randomrecords.bandcamp.com/ #bitwig

#Microsoft and #Google should really put few million to GCC-Rust because they are the main corporate entities pushing the Rust code to the mainline.

Blame them instead of maintainers.

#linux #kernel #rust

NIST's post-quantum key exchange algorithm is called "CRYSTALS-Kyber" 🤣 I guess NIST also has had a "brat summer". #NIST #cryptography #quantum

You can use Mastodon on many retro computer systems:

Apple II - https://www.colino.net/wordpress/en/mastodon-for-apple-ii

Apple Macintosh (pre-OS X) - https://github.com/smallsco/macstodon

Commodore 64 - https://github.com/Havoc6502/MOStodon

Commodore Amiga - https://github.com/BlitterStudio/amidon

MS-DOS - https://github.com/SuperIlu/DOStodon

MVS - https://github.com/mainframed/BREXXTODON

Palm OS - https://github.com/knickish/heffalump

Windows 95 - https://github.com/meyskens/mastodon-for-workgroups

#FediTips #RetroComputing #1980s #1990s

Firefox has been using Rust since 2017 and about fifth of its code that was previously in C/C++ has been written in Rust (see Oxidation sub-project).

I'd expect slower cycle for Linux than Firefox. I think this would be likely truth for operating system with decades of legacy (e.g. BSD derivatives).

This makes me think that making any conclusions after two years is simply not a pragmatic mindset.

#rust #linux #kernel

First thought I had this morning was that I started wondering if you could make "ChatGPT - The Board Game".

Each player would have 4x4 grid that would be educated during game, taking inspiration from mechanical matchbox tic-tac-toe player from 60s. And decision making would based on the conclusions of the AI and player.

Simplifying machine learning feedback ideas could foster some cool ideas for board games ;-)

Fresh ideas for remote attestation (vs Intel and AMD CA):

https://pom.ata.network/

#confidential #computing #machinehood

Tabs vs Spaces

I have good news!

The best available documentation on Rust-Linux still exists (when compared to anything else available, including Linux own documentation):

https://www.nccgroup.com/us/research-blog/rustproofing-linux-part-14-leaking-addresses/

I emailed to NCC Group and they've had just changed the URL. It is four part series, and the first part contains the URLs for rest of this series.

Documentation can be written from either "how"-angle or "why"-angle. For me the "how"-angle is irrelevant because I always read the source code from end to end :-) So I don't get whole a lot from existing kernel documentation.

#rust #linux #kernel

Why NPC's suck in games if the AI is great?

When Fallout 4 came out I stopped playing story oriented games because I started to feel like that I'm in a universe consisting of FSM's, which based on quiz trigger animation sequences ;-) No joke. Have not played story oriented games after 2015.

I guess you could improve a lot of taking some ideas of caching, tessellation algorithms and occlusion culling and apply them to AI. Like make "Quake solution" for AI. The best version would be used for the nearest entities, as it doesn't matter if the dudes far away are drunk/high ;-)

Second verse should be about unmuting the mic.