Dracut is Ubuntu 25.10's new boot system. It's faster, modular but totally invisible. Here's what you need to know - and whether you need to care.
You're reading Dracut in Ubuntu 25.10: What it is and Why it Matters (or Doesn’t), a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
The new Thunderbird 144 release brings a assorted fixes to users of the open-source desktop e-mail client, including fixes for Microsoft Exchange accounts.
You're reading Thunderbird 144 Update Delivers Assorted Fixes, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
After years of debate and development, bcachefs—a modern copy-on-write filesystem once merged into the Linux kernel—is being removed from mainline. As of kernel 6.17, the in-kernel implementation has been excised, and future use is expected via an out-of-tree DKMS module. This marks a turning point for the bcachefs project, raising questions about its stability, adoption, and relationship with the kernel development community.
In this article, we’ll explore the background of bcachefs, the sequence of events leading to its removal, the technical and community dynamics involved, and implications for users, distributions, and the filesystem’s future.
What Is Bcachefs?Before diving into the removal, let’s recap what bcachefs is and why it attracted attention.
Origin & goals: Developed by Kent Overstreet, bcachefs emerged from ideas in the earlier bcache project (a block-device caching layer). It aimed to build a full-featured, general-purpose filesystem combining performance, reliability, and modern features (snapshots, compression, encryption) in a coherent design.
Mainline inclusion: Bcachefs was merged into the mainline kernel in version 6.7 (released January 2024) after a lengthy review and incubation period.
“Experimental” classification: Even after being part of the kernel, bcachefs always carried disclaimers about its maturity and stability—they were not necessarily recommends for production use by all users.
Its presence in mainline gave distributions a path to ship it more casually, and users had easier access without building external modules—an important convenience for adoption.
What Led to the RemovalThe excision of bcachefs from the kernel was not sudden but the culmination of tension over development practices, patch acceptance timing, and upstream policy norms.
“Externally Maintained” status in 6.17In kernel 6.17’s preparation, maintainers marked bcachefs as “externally maintained.” Though the code remained present, the change signified that upstream would no longer accept new patches or updates within the kernel tree.
This move allowed a transitional period. The code was “frozen” inside the tree to avoid breaking existing systems immediately, while preparation was made for future removal.
Go to Full ArticleThe free ONLYOFFICE productivity suite has been updated with a host of new features, including an improved PDF Editor. Details on what's new inside.
You're reading ONLYOFFICE 9.1 Released with PDF Redact Tools + More, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
Welcome to the October 2025 edition of the Linux Foundation Newsletter.
Autumn is upon us and open source innovation shows no signs of slowing. Over the past month, the Linux Foundation welcomed new projects, celebrated major project milestones, and advanced our mission of enabling open collaboration across industries. Here are more of this month’s highlights:Read on for more news, research, and opportunities from across the Linux Foundation.
>> PS - LF Europe Member Summit is right around the corner! Register now!
Users of the Fastmail email service can now download and an install a desktop app to access their mail. The standalone client is available for Windows, Mac and Linux.
You're reading Fastmail’s New Desktop App is Available on Linux, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
PostgreSQL (Postgres in short) is an open source, powerful, advanced, high-performance, and stable relational-document database system, which extends the SQL
The post How to Install and Use PostgreSQL 18 on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS first appeared on Tecmint: Linux Howtos, Tutorials & Guides.VMware Workstation Pro 25H2 has been released with support for Virtual Hardware Version 22, better host OS compatibility, and a new command-line tool.
You're reading VMware Workstation Pro 25H2 Released with New Features, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
NordVPN has open sourced the GUI in its official Linux app, and the company behind the virtual private network has also updated its Snap package with a GUI.
You're reading NordVPN Has Open-Sourced its Linux App GUI, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
The new Zorin OS 18 release is available for download. Based on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, it offers a new kernel, new apps, more features and a "redesigned desktop" UI.
You're reading Zorin OS 18 Released with New Look, New Apps + More, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
The Linux Mint team has officially unveiled Linux Mint 22.2, codenamed “Zara”, on September 4, 2025. As a Long-Term Support (LTS) release, Zara will receive updates through 2029, promising users stability, incremental improvements, and a comfortable desktop experience.
This version is not about flashy overhauls; rather, it’s about refinement — applying polish to existing features, smoothing rough edges, weaving in new conveniences (like fingerprint login), and improving compatibility with modern hardware. Below, we’ll delve into what’s new in Zara, what users should know before upgrading, and how it continues Mint’s philosophy of combining usability, reliability, and elegance.
What’s New in Linux Mint 22.2 “Zara”Here’s a breakdown of key changes, refinements, and enhancements in Zara.
Base, Support & Kernel StackUbuntu 24.04 (Noble) base: Zara continues to use Ubuntu 24.04 as its upstream base, ensuring broad package compatibility and long-term security support.
Kernel 6.14 (HWE): The default kernel for new installations is 6.14, bringing support for newer hardware.
However — for existing systems upgraded from Mint 22 or 22.1 — the older kernel (6.8 LTS) remains the default, because 6.14’s support window is shorter.
Zara is an LTS edition, with security updates and maintenance promised through 2029.
Zara introduces a first-party tool called Fingwit to manage fingerprint-based authentication. With compatible hardware and support via the libfprint framework, users can:
Enroll fingerprints
Use fingerprint login for the screensaver
Authenticate sudo commands
Launch administrative tools via pkexec using the fingerprint
In some cases, bypass password entry at login (unless home directory encryption or keyring constraints force password fallback)
It is important to note that fingerprint login on the actual login screen may be disabled or limited depending on encryption or keyring usage; in those cases, the system falls back to password entry.
UI & Theming RefinementsSticky Notes app now sports rounded corners, improved Wayland compatibility, and a companion Android app named StyncyNotes (available via F-Droid) to sync notes across devices.
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The post Secure your future in cybersecurity — save up to 40% now! appeared first on Linux.com.
When teams consider deploying Kubernetes, one of the first questions that arises is: where should it run? The default answer is often the public cloud, thanks to its flexibility and ease of use. However, a growing number of organizations are revisiting the advantages of running Kubernetes directly on bare metal servers. For workloads that demand […]
The post Kubernetes on Bare Metal for Maximum Performance appeared first on Linux.com.
Mozilla Firefox 144 released with Google Lens image search and Perplexity AI integration, tab group and translation improvements, and other new features.
You're reading Firefox 144 Adds Google Lens Support, Profile Manager + More, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
Earlier, I wrote about yt-dlp, the powerful command-line tool for downloading videos from hundreds of websites, which is an incredible
The post ytDownloader – Simple Linux GUI for YouTube Video Downloads first appeared on Tecmint: Linux Howtos, Tutorials & Guides.Ubuntu 25.10 was released on October 9, but if you're on Ubuntu 25.04 and have not gotten an upgrade notification yet, there is a reason for it – all explained inside.
You're reading Waiting to Upgrade to Ubuntu 25.10? Here’s When You Can, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
Hello community, here we have another set of package updates. Welcome to our new development cycle of Manjaro 25.1.0, code-named ‘Anh-Linh’. It is not sure yet if we will focus on Plasma 6.4 series or adopt 6.5 series early on. For sure we will introduce GNOME 49 and maybe Cosmic 1.0 (Beta).
Current PromotionsGet our latest daily developer images now from Github: Plasma, GNOME, XFCE. You can get the latest stable releases of Manjaro from CDN77.
Our current supported kernelsPackage Changes (10/13/25 11:28 CEST)
A list of all changes can be found here.
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