Best of Linux — July 2026

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    Article
    Avatar of ldi7vqbpkryv936wnukjdSwapnoneel Saha·5w

    Linus Torvalds just told the AI haters to fork off. Literally.

    Linus Torvalds publicly declared on the Linux kernel mailing list that Linux is not an anti-AI project, telling critics to fork the kernel or walk away. He described AI as a useful tool, noting that anyone who doubts it 'clearly hasn't actually used it.' This marks a notable shift from his stance 21 months ago when he called 90% of AI marketing hype. Senior kernel maintainer Greg Kroah-Hartman echoed the sentiment, saying something shifted about a month ago and AI contributions are now genuinely good. Torvalds acknowledged AI causes maintainer burnout and bugs but rejected outright rejection as the solution, closing with a pointed remark that natural intelligence isn't always great either.

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    Article
    Avatar of medium_jsMedium·4w

    My Journey into DevOps: Learning Linux, Git, GitHub & My First Docker Container

    A beginner's personal account of learning core DevOps tools — Linux, Git, GitHub, and Docker — from scratch. The author shares their first experience containerizing a simple HTML/CSS/JS calculator app using an Nginx-based Dockerfile, explains the image vs. container distinction with a recipe analogy, and describes common beginner errors encountered along the way. The post outlines plans to continue with Docker Compose, CI/CD, and Kubernetes.

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    Article
    Avatar of itsfossIt's Foss·4w

    Good News Gamers! GOG is Officially Coming to Linux

    GOG has confirmed it is working on a native Linux client for GOG GALAXY, its optional game launcher. The company's joint CEO revealed a specialist has been hired to lead the effort, though no timeline or specific plans have been shared yet. This follows GOG becoming an independent company after CD Projekt sold it, and its new owner publicly criticizing Windows quality. A native Linux client would let Linux gamers manage their GOG library with features like auto-updates, cloud saves, and achievement tracking without relying on compatibility layers like Bottles or Lutris. The news is seen as significant given GOG's DRM-free model, which lets users keep offline installers that remain playable even if the storefront shuts down.

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    Article
    Avatar of allthingsopenAll Things Open·7w

    What is immutable Linux and should you switch to it?

    Immutable Linux distributions ship the OS as a versioned image with a read-only base layer, but still allow full customization of home directories, configs, and apps. The base system stays protected from tampering while updates apply atomically, enabling simple rollbacks via reboot. Different distros implement immutability differently — some use Btrfs snapshots, others layer packages or rely on Flatpak. Security benefits include automatic restoration to a known-good state after a compromise. The ecosystem is still maturing, with most distros offering immutable variants alongside traditional options.

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    Video
    Avatar of lowlevellearningLow Level Learning·6w

    The Linux Kernel is Falling Apart.

    A wave of universal local privilege escalation (LPE) vulnerabilities in the Linux kernel is being analyzed, including copy-fail, dirty frag, and bad epoll. Historically, bugs of this severity appeared once every 5-10 years (e.g., Dirty Cow, Dirty Pipe), but AI-assisted vulnerability research is accelerating discovery, with two appearing in a single week. The bad epoll bug exploits a use-after-free race condition in the epoll syscall with such a tight window that even ASAN and AI tools like Mythos failed to detect it — it was found manually by a human researcher. The broader trend is described as a 'great backlog clearing' where dormant vulnerabilities are being surfaced faster due to AI-enabled pattern recognition. The post briefly addresses whether Rust would have prevented these bugs, concluding yes in theory but noting the practical difficulty of writing kernel code in Rust.

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    Video
    Avatar of christitustechChris Titus Tech·8w

    I Quit Arch Linux After 794 Days (Here's Why)

    A long-time Arch Linux user explains why he switched to Fedora after 794 days. The main reason is productivity: as a developer, constant package updates and dependency breakage on Arch's rolling release model were consuming too much time. He dismisses the recent AUR security scare as overhyped, noting he barely used the AUR anyway. He chose Fedora over Debian for its newer packages while still being a stable release, and is building a custom minimal Fedora spin using DWM and QuickShell instead of GNOME or KDE. He still recommends Arch as a learning distro but sees Fedora as a better fit for his current developer-focused workflow.

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    Article
    Avatar of allthingsopenAll Things Open·6w

    Zen browser: The best alternative to Firefox

    Zen Browser is a Firefox-based browser that adds modern features Firefox lacks, including workspaces for tab organization, split view, vertical tabs, glance link previews, and folder organization. Built on Firefox's Gecko engine rather than Chromium, it avoids Manifest v3 restrictions, allowing uBlock Origin to work without limitations. Available as AppImage or Flatpak for easy cross-distro installation on Linux (plus Windows and Mac), it's currently in beta but stable enough for daily use.

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    Article
    Avatar of itsfossIt's Foss·5w

    15 O'Reilly Linux eBooks for Under $30: A Bundle That Goes From Command Line Basics to Kubernetes

    Humble Bundle and O'Reilly have partnered on a pay-what-you-want Linux eBook collection called 'Linux: All the Things', featuring 15 DRM-free titles. Tier 1 ($5.90) includes 5 books covering Linux internals, BPF observability, system programming, and Git references. Tier 2 ($29.50) unlocks all 15 books, adding beginner-to-intermediate Linux titles, Git learning resources, Kali Linux security testing, Kubernetes, and network automation. All books are DRM-free PDF and ePUB. Part of the purchase supports Code for America nonprofit. The bundle ends July 29.

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    Article
    Avatar of xda-developersXDA Developers·7w

    CachyOS is Arch Linux for normal people, and that's why I switched

    A personal account of switching from vanilla Arch Linux to CachyOS, an Arch-based derivative. The author found Arch's constant maintenance demands — pacman output scanning, Pacnew file merging, AUR rebuilds — to be a source of decision fatigue rather than genuine learning. CachyOS resolved this by shipping sensible defaults (Nvidia drivers, Btrfs with snapshots) out of the box while preserving full access to pacman and the AUR. The author notes gaming performance is comparable to other distros, and recommends vanilla Arch only for those who genuinely enjoy the hands-on maintenance ritual.

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    Article
    Avatar of xda-developersXDA Developers·4w

    GOG is finally bringing its all-in-one Galaxy launcher to Linux

    GOG has confirmed it is actively working on bringing its GOG Galaxy all-in-one game launcher to Linux, with a Linux specialist now on the team. No release timeline has been given, as the port is described as a significant undertaking. When it arrives, GOG Galaxy could become a central hub for Linux gamers to manage libraries across multiple stores including Steam, with features like cloud saves, automatic updates, and playtime tracking.

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    Article
    Avatar of itsfossIt's Foss·4w

    FireDragon Browser Swoops in With New Wings

    FireDragon v13, the default browser on Garuda Linux, has been rewritten from scratch with a new codebase replacing its previous Floorp base. Key changes include DuckDuckGo as the default search engine with an expanded privacy-focused search list, a new Welcome dialog with one-click toggles for settings normally buried in about:config, TLS 0-RTT enabled by default for lower latency, XDG Base Directory support, and a trimmed default extension set (only uBlock Origin and Flagfox remain). A hands-on look reveals some rough edges: a title bar that can't be hidden and a system dark mode theming bug affecting websites. Available via Flathub, AUR, and GitLab for Windows/macOS users.

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    Article
    Avatar of xda-developersXDA Developers·8w

    WSL containers are here, bringing Linux development straight into Windows without extra tools

    Microsoft has released WSL containers in public preview, enabling native container support within the Windows Subsystem for Linux without requiring third-party tools like Docker. The feature introduces a new wslc.exe binary and a NuGet-based container API supporting C, C++, and C#, with MSBuild and CMake integration. Windows apps can interact with WSL containers as part of their build and deployment workflows. The preview build is available on the WSL GitHub page, with containers expected to become a core WSL feature over time.

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    Article
    Avatar of trendsTrends·5w

    COSMIC DE is quietly shipping features KDE and GNOME still argue about

    System76's COSMIC desktop environment reached version 1.3 with 186 contributors and 16,000+ merged pull requests. The standout feature is per-monitor independent workspace management, a long-requested capability that KDE and GNOME still lack. Other additions include mixed tiling/floating mode across monitors, frosted glass effects with per-panel controls, a new system monitor, window shadows, sticky windows, rpm-ostree support in COSMIC Store, and pointer constraints for gaming. COSMIC Text, written in pure Rust, gained ellipsis support used desktop-wide. While polish gaps versus GNOME and KDE remain, the project's shipping velocity is notable compared to the slower pace of competing desktop environments.

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    Article
    Avatar of omgubomg! ubuntu!·6w

    AppManager installs AppImages on Ubuntu without needing FUSE

    AppManager is a GTK4/Libadwaita app for Ubuntu that installs and manages AppImages without requiring FUSE 2 (libfuse2t64), using uruntime instead. It supports both SquashFS and DwarFS-packed AppImages, offers a macOS-style drag-to-install flow, handles bulk import of existing AppImages, and provides per-app settings for launch arguments, icons, environment variables, and portable home folders. Updates can be scheduled with zsync delta patches, and a CLI is bundled for terminal users. It's open source and distributed as an AppImage itself.

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    Video
    Avatar of codingwithlewisCoding with Lewis·7w

    The Steam Bug That Deleted Your Entire Home Directory

    In 2015, a bug in Steam's installation script caused it to recursively delete a user's entire home directory and connected drives. The culprit was an `rm -rf $STEAMROOT` command that defaulted to `rm -rf /` when the STEAMROOT variable was empty — effectively wiping everything from the root directory. The bug was triggered when a user moved their Steam folder and symlinked it back, causing Steam to attempt a reinstall. It was eventually fixed with a simple code change, but the incident serves as a cautionary tale about dangerous shell scripting patterns in widely-used software.

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    Article
    Avatar of itsfossIt's Foss·4w

    Ubuntu 26.10 "Stonking Stingray": All the New Features So Far

    Ubuntu 26.10 'Stonking Stingray' is an interim release scheduled for October 15, 2026, serving as a testing ground for features destined for Ubuntu 28.04 LTS. Key highlights include Linux kernel 7.x, a switch from dbus-daemon to dbus-broker for better performance, GNOME 51 with various shell and app fixes, and local-first AI features including Myna speech-to-text. Canonical is continuing its Rustification push by sponsoring ntpd-rs development and has already replaced several core utilities with Rust equivalents. Other additions include a redesigned installer and onboarding flow (targeting 28.04), a package-agnostic App Center, Ubuntu Certified hardware checks in Settings, RISC-V full desktop support, Microsoft MFA via authd, and an experimental amd64v3 package archive.

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    Video
    Avatar of juxtopposedJuxtopposed·4w

    I tried customizing an "Easy" Linux Desktop

    A hands-on walkthrough of customizing the Cosmic desktop environment on Pop OS, covering applets, tiling, themes, fonts, icon packs, custom cursors built with xcursor-gen, frosted glass windows, and a dynamic wallpaper switcher written in Rust. The author forks a monochrome icon pack to create pixelated variants, designs pixel-art cursors from scratch, and builds a small Rust app called Twilight to swap wallpapers between light and dark mode. The post also touches on gaming on Pop OS with Nvidia drivers and shares a list of Cosmic's current strengths and missing features.

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    Article
    Avatar of xda-developersXDA Developers·4w

    How Valve's desperation to escape Windows 8 turned it into a Linux powerhouse

    Valve's entry into Linux began in 2012 when CEO Gabe Newell called Windows 8 a 'catastrophe' and sought alternatives to protect Steam's future. This led to SteamOS and eventually Proton, a compatibility layer that lets Linux users play Windows games without developer involvement. Valve also contributed upstream improvements to Linux graphics drivers, benefiting the broader ecosystem. Today, SteamOS is being opened up for general PC use, and some see it as Linux's best shot at mainstream adoption.

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    Article
    Avatar of tailsTails·5w

    Tails 7.10

    Tails 7.10 is released with a new GNOME-based shutdown procedure that better prevents data loss by prompting users to save open documents before shutting down, with a 60-second automatic fallback. The default video player has been switched from GNOME Videos to Celluloid, which is network-isolated for security. Tor Browser is updated to 15.0.19, and firmware packages have been updated for improved hardware support including graphics and Wi-Fi.

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    Article
    Avatar of omgubomg! ubuntu!·7w

    TUXEDO OS drops Ubuntu to rebase on Debian Testing

    TUXEDO Computers is rebasing its custom Linux distribution, TUXEDO OS, from Ubuntu LTS to Debian Testing. The move is driven by growing maintenance burdens from backporting Qt packages against an aging LTS base, concerns over Canonical's strategic direction including the push toward Snap packages, lack of transparency around AI features, and slow security updates. By tracking Debian Testing permanently, TUXEDO OS gains a quasi-rolling release model with fresher software and greater independence. Key technical changes include switching the default filesystem from EXT4 to Btrfs, paired with SUSE's Snapper tool for automatic post-update snapshots and easy rollbacks. A clean install will be required; existing users who prefer Ubuntu can migrate to Kubuntu. A beta of the Debian-based TUXEDO OS is forthcoming.

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    Article
    Avatar of collectionsCollections·6w

    COSMIC desktop gets a frosted glass visual style in Epoch 1.3

    System76 has released COSMIC Epoch 1.3, featuring an optional frosted glass visual style for their Rust-based desktop environment. The effect is already available on Pop!_OS 24.04 via Settings > Desktop > Appearance. The update also includes translation updates and minor refinements, with other Linux distributions expected to receive the update soon.

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    Article
    Avatar of itsfossIt's Foss·7w

    Return of The Meme! Hannah Montana Linux Lives Again in 2026

    Hannah Montana Linux (HML), the iconic 2009 Linux meme distro built on Kubuntu with hot pink Disney branding, has been revived in 2026 by developer Noah Cagle. The new version is based on Debian 13 with non-free repositories enabled, uses Debian's live-build tooling, and features a heavily customized KDE Plasma desktop with a recreated pink theme. The wallpaper was rebuilt from the original 2009 PNG, the color scheme is a modified Breeze copy, and the installer uses Calamares. A lighter LXQt-based variant (HML26 Lite) is available for older hardware, and a standalone KDE theme is offered for existing Plasma users. The project is available on GitLab and is primarily a passion project.

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    Article
    Avatar of itsfossIt's Foss·6w

    Turns Out Wayland Isn't the Input Lag Disaster Everyone Says it is

    A developer built a DIY click-to-photon latency measurement device (Click2photon) using a photodiode and simulated USB mouse clicks to test real end-to-end input latency on Linux. Testing Diabotical via Proton on CachyOS with an RTX 4070 SUPER and 500 Hz OLED monitor, results show X11 beats Wayland by only 0.14–0.22 ms — far too small to explain Wayland's reputation for feeling laggy. The real latency culprit is XWayland, which adds 3.13 ms on top of native Wayland. Enabling VRR saves 0.26–0.45 ms, and the dxvk-low-latency fork saves up to 0.84 ms in uncapped scenarios. The practical takeaway for Linux gamers: enable VRR, use the dxvk-low-latency fork, and ensure games run through native Wayland rather than XWayland.

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    Article
    Avatar of hnHacker News·5w

    abuseofcats.com — stop abusing cat(1)

    A short public service announcement pointing out the common misuse of the cat(1) command in Unix/Linux shell pipelines. When cat is used solely to feed a single file into another command (like grep, wc, head, awk, or sort), it spawns an unnecessary process — because most of those tools can open files directly. cat's actual purpose is concatenating multiple files. Several before/after examples illustrate the correct, more efficient alternatives.

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    Article
    Avatar of selfhstselfh.st·5w

    Self-Host Weekly (17 July 2026)

    A weekly self-hosting newsletter covering notable happenings including Linus Torvalds defending AI use in Linux kernel development and telling critics to fork the project, a Windows 0-day exploit disclosed on Patch Tuesday, and updates across popular self-hosted apps. Highlights include Immich v3.0.3 pushing to FUTO's F-Droid repo, Pocket ID and Tinyauth achieving OpenID Connect certification, Logseq releasing a v2.0 beta while splitting into two product versions, NocoDB community frustration over paywall creep, and Plex's unpopular Fire TV UI redesign. Also featured: SUB/WAVE, a self-hosted AI-powered personal internet radio station, and a tip on flushing log files from the CLI.

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