Linus Torvalds Acknowledges Missed Release of Linux 6.14 Due to Oversight

3 months 2 weeks ago

Linus Torvalds Acknowledges Missed Release of Linux 6.14 Due to Oversight

Linux kernel lead developer Linus Torvalds has admitted to forgetting to release version 6.14, attributing the oversight to his own lapse in memory. Torvalds is known for releasing new Linux kernel candidates and final versions on Sunday afternoons, typically accompanied by a post detailing the release. If he is unavailable due to travel or other commitments, he usually informs the community ahead of time, so users don’t worry if there’s a delay.

In his post on March 16, Torvalds gave no indication that the release might be delayed, instead stating, “I expect to release the final 6.14 next weekend unless something very surprising happens.” However, Sunday, March 23rd passed without any announcement.

On March 24th, Torvalds wrote in a follow-up message, “I’d love to have some good excuse for why I didn’t do the 6.14 release yesterday on my regular Sunday afternoon schedule,” adding, “But no. It’s just pure incompetence.” He further explained that while he had been clearing up unrelated tasks, he simply forgot to finalize the release. “D'oh,” he joked.

Despite this minor delay, Torvalds’ track record of successfully managing the Linux kernel’s development process over the years remains strong. A single day’s delay is not critical, especially since most Linux users don't urgently need the very latest version.

The new 6.14 release introduces several important features, including enhanced support for writing drivers in Rust—an ongoing topic of discussion among developers—support for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile chip, a fix for the GhostWrite vulnerability in certain RISC-V processors from Alibaba’s T-Head Semiconductor, and a completed NTSYNC driver update that improves the WINE emulator’s ability to run Windows applications, particularly games, on Linux.

Although the 6.14 release went smoothly aside from the delay, Torvalds expressed that version 6.15 may present more challenges due to the volume of pending pull requests. “Judging by my pending pile of pull requests, 6.15 will be much busier,” he noted.

You can download the latest kernel here.

Linus Torvalds kernel
Jamieson Davis

AerynOS 2025.03 Alpha Released with GNOME 48, Mesa 25, and Linux Kernel 6.13.8

3 months 2 weeks ago
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AerynOS 2025.03 has officially been released, introducing a variety of exciting features for Linux users. The release includes the highly anticipated GNOME 48 desktop environment, which comes with significant improvements like HDR support, dynamic triple buffering, and a Wayland color management protocol. Other updates include a battery charge limiting feature and a Wellbeing option aimed at improving user experience.

This release, while still in alpha, incorporates Linux kernel 6.13.8 and the updated Mesa 25.0.2 graphics stack, alongside tools like LLVM 19.1.7 and Vulkan SDK 1.4.309.0. Additionally, the Moss package manager now integrates os-info to generate more detailed OS metadata via a JSON file.

Future plans for AerynOS include automated package updates, easier rollback management, improved disk handling with Rust, and fractional scaling enabled by default. The installer has also been revamped to support full disk wipes and dynamic partitioning.

Although still considered an alpha release, AerynOS 2025.03 can be downloaded and tested right now from its official website.

Source: 9to5Linux

AerynOS
Jamieson Davis

Xojo 2025r1: Big Updates for Developers with Linux ARM Support, Web Drag and Drop, and Direct App Store Publishing

3 months 2 weeks ago
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Xojo has just rolled out its latest release, Xojo 2025 Release 1, and it’s packed with features that developers have been eagerly waiting for. This major update introduces support for running Xojo on Linux ARM, including Raspberry Pi, brings drag-and-drop functionality to the Web framework, and simplifies app deployment with the ability to directly submit apps to the macOS and iOS App Stores.

Here’s a quick overview of what’s new in Xojo 2025r1:

1. Linux ARM IDE Support

Xojo 2025r1 now allows developers to run the Xojo IDE on Linux ARM devices, including popular platforms like Raspberry Pi. This opens up a whole new world of possibilities for developers who want to create apps for ARM-based devices without the usual complexity. Whether you’re building for a Raspberry Pi or other ARM devices, this update makes it easier than ever to get started.

2. Web Drag and Drop

One of the standout features in this release is the addition of drag-and-drop support for web applications. Now, developers can easily drag and drop visual controls in their web projects, making it simpler to create interactive, user-friendly web applications. Plus, the WebListBox has been enhanced with support for editable cells, checkboxes, and row reordering via dragging. No JavaScript required!

3. Direct App Store Publishing

Xojo has also streamlined the process of publishing apps. With this update, developers can now directly submit macOS and iOS apps to App Store Connect right from the Xojo IDE. This eliminates the need for multiple steps and makes it much easier to get apps into the App Store, saving valuable time during the development process.

4. New Desktop and Mobile Features

This release isn’t just about web and Linux updates. Xojo 2025r1 brings some great improvements for desktop and mobile apps as well. On the desktop side, all projects now include a default window menu for macOS apps. On the mobile side, Xojo has introduced new features for Android and iOS, including support for ColorGroup and Dark Mode on Android, and a new MobileColorPicker for iOS to simplify color selection.

5. Performance and IDE Enhancements

Xojo’s IDE has also been improved in several key areas. There’s now an option to hide toolbar captions, and the toolbar has been made smaller on Windows. The IDE on Windows and Linux now features modern Bootstrap icons, and the Documentation window toolbar is more compact. In the code editor, developers can now quickly navigate to variable declarations with a simple Cmd/Ctrl + Double-click. Plus, performance for complex container layouts in the Layout Editor has been enhanced.

What Does This Mean for Developers?

Xojo 2025r1 brings significant improvements across all the platforms that Xojo supports, from desktop and mobile to web and Linux. The added Linux ARM support opens up new opportunities for Raspberry Pi and ARM-based device development, while the drag-and-drop functionality for web projects will make it easier to create modern, interactive web apps. The ability to publish directly to the App Store is a game-changer for macOS and iOS developers, reducing the friction of app distribution.

How to Get Started

Xojo is free for learning and development, as well as for building apps for Linux and Raspberry Pi. If you’re ready to dive into cross-platform development, paid licenses start at $99 for a single-platform desktop license, and $399 for cross-platform desktop, mobile, or web development. For professional developers who need additional resources and support, Xojo Pro and Pro Plus licenses start at $799. You can also find special pricing for educators and students.

Download Xojo 2025r1 today at xojo.com.

Final Thoughts

With each new release, Xojo continues to make cross-platform development more accessible and efficient. The 2025r1 release is no exception, delivering key updates that simplify the development process and open up new possibilities for developers working on a variety of platforms. Whether you’re a Raspberry Pi enthusiast or a mobile app developer, Xojo 2025r1 has something for you.

Xojo ARM
Jamieson Davis

Extension Manager Update Brings UI Buffs, Support for GNOME 48

3 months 2 weeks ago

If you’re an avid user of GNOME Shell extensions then a) you’re in good company, and b) you’ll be familiar with Matt Jakeman’s terrific Extension Manager app since it makes finding, installing and managing GNOME extensions terrifically easy. This week Extension Manager received a small-ish update. I was going to cover the changes in my next Linux Release Roundup at the end of the month, but with GNOME 48 out—cue the “does my favourite extension still work” panic—it feels fitting to let the update stand in a solo spotlight. Especially since Extension Manager‘s Flatpak build now depends on the GNOME […]

You're reading Extension Manager Update Brings UI Buffs, Support for GNOME 48, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.

Joey Sneddon

The Future of Linux Software: Will Flatpak and Snap Replace Native Desktop Apps?

3 months 2 weeks ago
by George Whittaker

For decades, Linux distributions have relied on native packaging formats like DEB and RPM to distribute software. These formats are deeply integrated into the Linux ecosystem, tied closely to the distribution's package manager and system architecture. But over the last few years, two newer technologies—Flatpak and Snap—have emerged, promising a universal packaging model that could revolutionize Linux app distribution.

But are Flatpak and Snap destined to replace native Linux apps entirely? Or are they better seen as complementary solutions addressing long-standing pain points? In this article, we'll explore the origins, benefits, criticisms, adoption trends, and the future of these packaging formats in the Linux world.

Understanding the Packaging Landscape What Are Native Packages?

Traditional Linux software is packaged using system-specific formats. For example:

  • .deb for Debian-based systems like Ubuntu and Linux Mint

  • .rpm for Red Hat-based systems like Fedora and CentOS

These packages are managed by package managers like apt, dnf, or pacman, depending on the distro. They're tightly integrated with the underlying operating system, often relying on a complex set of shared libraries and system-specific dependencies.

Pros of Native Packaging:

  • Smaller package sizes due to shared libraries

  • High performance and tight integration

  • Established infrastructure and tooling

Cons of Native Packaging:

  • Dependency hell: broken packages due to missing or incompatible libraries

  • Difficulty in distributing the same app across multiple distros

  • Developers must package and test separately for each distro

What Are Flatpak and Snap?

Both Flatpak and Snap aim to solve the distribution problem by allowing developers to package applications once and run them on any major Linux distribution.

Flatpak
  • Developed by the GNOME Foundation

  • Focus on sandboxing and user privacy

  • Applications are installed in user space (no root needed)

  • Uses Flathub as the main app repository

Flatpak applications include their own runtime, ensuring that they work consistently across different systems regardless of the host OS's libraries.

Snap
  • Developed and maintained by Canonical, the makers of Ubuntu

  • Focus on universal packaging and transactional updates

Go to Full Article
George Whittaker

Linux Kernel 6.14 Delivers Big Boost to Linux Gaming + More

3 months 2 weeks ago

Linux Kernel 6.14 has arrived, bringing a clutch of changes to make your computer run more efficiently and more securely than before. Interestingly, Linux 6.14 is one the smallest kernel updates in terms of commits (not lines of code) for some time. It is also the kernel version that will be included in Ubuntu 25.04, released next month. Announcing the promotion to stable on the Linux Kernel Mailing List (LKML) Linus Torvalds explains why this release has landed a day later than expected “So it’s early Monday morning (well – early for me, I’m not really a morning person), and […]

You're reading Linux Kernel 6.14 Delivers Big Boost to Linux Gaming + More, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.

Joey Sneddon

Ubuntu Adds Official Support for NVIDIA Jetson AI Modules

3 months 2 weeks ago

Canonical has announced that it now ‘officially supports’ Ubuntu on the NVIDIA Jetson Orin series of computing modules, designed for low-power AI and machine learning applications. The General Availability (GA) of Ubuntu 22.04 LTS for the NVIDIA Jetson Orin brings “optimized performance, out-of-the-box compatibility, and an easy pathway to high-performance AI solutions for AI developers everywhere“, say Canonical. Offering Ubuntu certified images for cutting-edge hardware is something Canonical has been ramping up, and doing so for NVIDIA Jetson modules should provide a lure to developers wanting to leverage them for edge AI, robotics and other uses. Our collaboration with NVIDIA […]

You're reading Ubuntu Adds Official Support for NVIDIA Jetson AI Modules, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.

Joey Sneddon

Miracle-WM 0.5 Released with Assorted Improvements

3 months 2 weeks ago

A new version of Miracle-WM, the Mir-based tiling window manager developed by Canonical engineer Matthew Kosarek is out, the first update to be released this year. Miracle-WM 0.5 adds a number of new features, compatibility enhancements, and (at long last) introduces a couple of animations. Yes, animations—remember: Miracle-WM wants to be “a flashy, cozy tiling window manager that absolutely anyone can use, similar to hyprland but with less of a focus on expert users”. Frivolous though they are to some, animations will help realise that goal. Miracle-WM 0.5 changes at-a-glance: On the bug-fixes side: Plus more – see the Miracle-WM GitHub for a comprehensive […]

You're reading Miracle-WM 0.5 Released with Assorted Improvements, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.

Joey Sneddon

Calibre Ebook Manager Improves Support for Kobo E-Readers

3 months 2 weeks ago

A new version of Calibre, the Swiss-army knife for e-book management is out, and it brings some notable new features for e-bookworms to dig into. Calibre 8.0.1 boasts improved support for Kobo e-readers, with Calibre now equipped to natively edit, view and convert Kobo’s proprietary KEPUB file format to regular EPUB files for reading on non-Kobo devices and apps (like Calibre itself). Additionally, users of Kobo devices can now use Calibre to convert EPUB to KEPUB automatically when sending books across, saving time and hassle of first converting and then sending. I’ll admit, I hadn’t heard of KEPUB before writing […]

You're reading Calibre Ebook Manager Improves Support for Kobo E-Readers, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.

Joey Sneddon