• Linus Torvalds asserts Linux developers can make their own mind up about using AI
• Anti-AI developers can "fork it" and go elsewhere, he says
• AI should be used to help developers, Torvalds emphasises

Linux creator Linus Torvalds has ultimately concluded that, while developers won't be discouraged from using AI tools to help with their coding needs, artificial intelligence shall not be mandatory and nobody is being forced to use it.

"Linux is not one of those anti-AI projects, and if somebody has issues with that, they can do the open-source thing and fork it," he said in a kernel mailing list update.

Torvalds himself doesn't actively advocate either way, acknowledging that the tech is more of a tool than an ideology and that proven use cases have helped solidify its uses, despite questionable economics, environmental impacts and long-term consequences.

Torvalds tells AI haters to "fork it"

Torvalds added that he also knows that AI can create serious issues for maintainers, with AI-assisted submissions increasing workloads, producing noise and potential duplication, and generally adding more workload for humans.

Speaking about AI's role in developer workflows, Torvalds criticized some for burying their heads in the sand and ignoring its impact. "The solution is to make sure those LLM tools _help_ maintainers instead of just causing them pain," he stressed.

In his message, Torvalds also rejected perfection as the standard, admitting that "natural intelligence" can be just as prone to mistakes as artificial intelligence.

The open-source project, then, is not a "some kind of 'social warrior' project" used to debate the relevance of artificial intelligence, with Torvalds welcoming all manner of viewpoints and contributions from developers regardless of whether they use AI assistance.

"The kernel project has been and will continue to be about the technology," he concluded.

• ESET discovers 11 vulnerable UEFI shim bootloaders signed by Microsoft, allowing attackers to bypass Secure Boot and deploy malicious bootkits
• Any UEFI system trusting Microsoft’s 2011 third‑party certificate could be exposed, potentially billions of devices; attackers can bring old trusted shims to new systems
• Microsoft has revoked the vulnerable shims, and users should apply the latest UEFI revocations (Windows auto‑updates, Linux via LVFS) to block exploitation

Cybersecurity experts from ESET have discovered 11 vulnerable UEFI shim bootloaders, all signed by Microsoft, which could allow threat actors to exploit ancient vulnerabilities and bypass UEFI Secure Boot, deploying all sorts of malicious bootkits.

A shim is a small, intermediary bootloader that works as a bridge between a computer's firmware (UEFI) and the operating system's bootloader. Its primary purpose is to allow operating systems to work with UEFI Secure Boot without having Microsoft sign every Linux bootloader individually.

Any UEFI-based machine that trusts the Microsoft Corporation UEFI CA 2011 third-party UEFI certificate authority (CE) certificate, regardless of the operating system, was said to be vulnerable to the shims (versions 0.9 and older). That would put the number of potentially vulnerable devices in the billions, since almost all modern x86 PCs use UEFI firmware, and most of them trust the Microsoft Corporation UEFI CA 2011 certificate out of the box.

Revoking the shims

However, ESET reported its findings to CERT/CC and the vulnerable UEFI applications were all revoked.

The shims come from different tools such as PC diagnostic software, Linux distribution, and other UEFI-based utilities, the researchers explained. They also added that, since the attackers can bring their own vulnerable shims to any UEFI system with the Microsoft third-party UEFI certificate enrolled, they can exploit systems that are, at first, not affected.

To block the vulnerable shims, users should apply the latest UEFI revocations from Microsoft, it was said. While Windows systems will most likely do it automatically, Linux systems users should do it through the Linux Vendor Firmware Service.

“What makes these old shims dangerous is not a novel vulnerability; it’s that no new vulnerability is needed to bypass UEFI Secure Boot,” says ESET researcher Martin Smolár, who discovered the vulnerable shims.

“An attacker needs no complicated exploitation primitives — only a copy of an old, still-trusted but unrevoked shim binary and a basic understanding of how UEFI shims work. That is enough to bypass such an essential security feature as UEFI Secure Boot."

• Revamped Lemur Pro offers more powerful internals and a massive battery life win for its Linux-based customers
• Ultraportable-class laptop offers two screen sizes and up to 18 hours of 'multi-day' battery life
• Users can also choose to skip Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, in addition to an optional webcam and microphone

System 76, a Denver, Colorado-based company which focuses on selling systems with Linux preinstalled, has refreshed its 2020 Lemur Pro, offering major internal upgrades, multiple display options, and battery life that parallels that of a MacBook Air.

At just under 1 kg for the 14-inch variant and 1.34kg for the 16-inch variant, it is also the lightest Linux-first laptop in the business in the 14-inch form factor, despite packing a battery with a rated 18 hours of life between cycles.

This puts it in the same weight class as the 14-inch LG Gram and the 13.3-inch Fujitsu LifeBook lineup, even as it offers considerably beefier internals than either model.

Multi-day battery life on a Linux laptop

The Lemur Pro is priced at a premium, starting at $1,999 on its website before a $76 discount kicks in, but one can quickly see why the manufacturer is pricing it near $2,000.

The laptop offers 32GB of non-user-upgradeable LPDDR5X RAM, a base configuration of a 1TB SSD, WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and a choice between an Intel Core Ultra 5 325 or X7 358H CPU. The former is an 8-core CPU, while the latter is a considerably beefier 16-core CPU that is a crucial part of its performance-centric Panther Lake offerings.

Users can kick things up a notch by upgrading their storage to 4T via the website's built-in configurator and choosing whether they want WiFi, Bluetooth, a webcam, or a microphone.

System76 states that the Lemur Pro caters to students, frequent travelers, digital nomads, developers, engineers, and IT professionals, to name a few, and that some may want an airgapped computer, while others may have no need for a webcam or microphone, or may consider either a security risk.

Potential buyers can also choose between a 14' FHD+ display and a 16' QHD+ display, even as the laptop continues to offer up to 18 hours of battery life in both configurations.

Apple's own MacBook Air is also said to offer up to 18 hours of video playback and 15 hours of wireless web browsing, putting it within the same endurance range as the Linux-based Lemur Pro. In our review, we found that the claim largely holds, with 15.5 hours of battery life when browsing the web.

Carl Richell, the founder and CEO of System76, praised the laptop while noting that Intel's Panther Lake chips were a crucial part of the Lemur Pro's overhaul.

While there has been no independent review confirming the Lemur Pro's battery life claims, if they hold, the MacBook Air M5 might just have a serious, powerful contender vying for a chunk of its developer and IT professional audience at the same time Apple has decided to raise prices across the board, making for a perfect storm, even as it comes with twice the RAM on offer by default.

• Windows Subsystem for Linux gets new container feature after being teased last month
• CLI and API form the basis of the latest update, Intune management also added
• Other changes being made available to alternative container CLI tools

Microsoft has released Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) containers in public preview following its earlier announcement at Build 2026, as a way to create, run and manage Linux containers directly on Windows.

When the feature update was first revealed, Microsoft described it as "a built-in way to create, run and interact with Linux containers using familiar CLI & API."

The new container feature is now available in the latest pre-release version, which can be downloaded from GitHub, and includes two new core features.

WSL containers now available in public preview

As part of the update, Microsoft has added a built-in container CLI and an API to let Windows applications run Linux containers.

The company noted that the API is particularly useful for reusing existing Linux specific code, like running cloud applications locally, while the CLI tool uses a familiar format so users can "use [their] existing muscle memory when running Linux containers."

Microsoft also added new management settings to let admins control whether people can use WSL distros and containers via Intune.

Besides the headlining container update, Principal Product Manager Craig Loewen also highlighted a series of other changes the company has made to WSL, including a new 'virtiofs' file system that makes Windows file access 2x faster and a new 'consomme' default networking mode to improve compatibility.

Loewen noted that the lower level platform changes are also being made available across "other fantastic Linux container CLI tools" like Docker Desktop, Podman Desktop and Rancher Desktop.

Microsoft has also published a support page covering how to install the API, which includes support for C, C++ and C#.

The company hasn't yet provided a timeline for general availability.

• Logic‑inversion bug in Linux kernel (CVE‑2026‑23111) enabled local privilege escalation
• Affected major distros including Debian, Ubuntu, and RHEL; fixes rolling out unevenly
• Discovery adds to surge of recent Linux LPEs as maintainers struggle with AI‑driven bug‑report overload

A single stray character sitting in the Linux kernel created a logic inversion bug that enabled privilege escalation, leading to a (theoretical) full device takeover.

The bug was discovered in early 2025 by security researcher Oliver Sieber from Exodus Intelligence, who later demonstrated a full working local root exploit, and is now tracked as CVE-2026-23111 and given a severity score of 7.8/10 (high).

According to TheHackerNews, the vulnerability is tied to the upstream Linux kernel, meaning it can affect many distributions that shipped a vulnerable kernel build. Specifically, Debian (Bookworm and Trixie, and in some instances Bullseye), Ubuntu (22.04 LTS, 24.04 LTS, and 25.10), and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 (RHEL 10) were confirmed to have been affected - with SUSE and Amazon Linux also being tracked or affected in general.

Multiple kernel flaws discovered

The caveat here is that a system is only exposed if it has a vulnerable kernel version (before the fix), nf_tables enabled, and unprivileged user namespaces enabled.

In the weeks and months following the disclosure, some distro maintainers came forward with a fix. Ubuntu, for example, now has fixes for 22.04, 24.04, and 25.10, while Debian fixed Bookworm and Trixie. There is also a 6.1 backport for Bullseye LTS. Red Hat, SUSE, and Amazon Linux don’t seem to have fixed it yet.

It’s been an eventful few weeks for the Linux kernel, as researchers discovered multiple local-root vulnerabilities. Copy Fail, Dirty Frag, Fragnesia, DirtyDecrypt, are just some of the major vulnerabilities that were discovered and fixed in recent times.

At the same time, the Linux allfather Linux Torvalds said the project’s security mailing list has become “almost entirely unmanageable” due to researchers using AI to find bugs, filing duplicate reports, essentially DDoS-ing those working to actually address them.

Multitasking while gaming is typical for many PC users, and certainly so for me. Being able to keep tabs on YouTube videos or, most importantly (in this case), stream to friends in Discord, breathes life into my game activities, especially when diving into an MMO or multiplayer shooter — or in better terms, a game where I don't have to pay full attention.

However, such multitasking comes at the cost of game performance, particularly on lower-end hardware (or specifically, PCs with 8GB of RAM). Discord, Google Chrome, Firefox, Spotify, you name it, can all significantly impact RAM and CPU usage, depending on how many tasks are running simultaneously.

Google Chrome is the worst offender, as simply running a single YouTube video in one tab can use up to 1GB of memory (sometimes even more than that), and almost 4GB for the application overall. Fortunately, I have a beefy system running with 32GB of DDR4 RAM, so I can count myself lucky, especially in a period where affordable memory is hard to come by.

With spare PC parts readily available, came the idea of a dual-PC setup, accompanied by a capture card and a secondary Corsair Xeneon Edge screen. This would allow me to completely shift all of my side activities, including game streaming on Discord, onto a separate system, leaving my main system's hardware solely focused on gaming.

I've built it, installed Bazzite (essentially a SteamOS clone), and it's easily the best decision I've made as a PC gamer in years. Here's how it's changed my PC experience.

The setup was arduous, but streaming is easier now

To get the setup started, you simply connect your main gaming PC's GPU (which is the source of what you'll be streaming) to the NZXT Signal 4K30 capture card's 'HDMI In' port via an HDMI cable. Then, connect the included USB Type-C cable into the 'Type-C' port on the capture card, and the USB-A end of the cable into the second streaming PC, and you're good to go.

The sole purpose of this capture card setup is to allow a separate PC to capture activity from another gaming PC, and this works with other systems like consoles. Ultimately, the goal is to offload the burden of your gaming PC using more resources to stream on the same system, and instead, allow the streaming PC to handle those tasks.

Capture cards are especially helpful for devices like the Nintendo Switch 2, where streaming to Twitch, YouTube, or Discord isn't possible natively, but in this case, the focus is simply on reducing the workload for the main gaming PC.

When streaming on Discord, you'll find your capture card as an option within the 'Devices' tab when attempting to share your screen. Besides a few hiccups here and there, the stream quality is great at either 1440p or 4K, with the former capable of 60fps.

I must stress that my particular setup case was a bit of a nightmare. Using an HDMI passthrough is the recommended route in a setup such as this, as it allows you to transmit video and audio to your main display for gaming, with zero latency, while providing the same for streaming on the capture card.

It's unclear whether the unit I used was faulty, but the Signal 4K30 would consistently force a 1080p 60fps output via HDMI passthrough on my LG UltraGear 45GS95QE ultrawide, without any higher resolutions available.

Without much luck using HDMI passthrough, the easiest alternatives included duplicating my main display via Windows' display settings, or using the OBS projector option (labelled 'Open Preview Projector'), and since the latter has very little to no impact on system resources, it was the easier way to go.

The biggest advantage of the OBS projector option is that there is no constraint on the resolution or refresh rate available, which is usually limited using HDMI passthrough on a capture card (which would be 4K 60fps with the NZXT card), so I had full access to my display's 240Hz refresh rate while gaming.

Multitasking is now a complete breeze, as I can watch other friends stream while doing so simultaneously, without the potential performance dips, especially when playing unoptimized games or those with demanding system requirements.

It's also my custom Steam Machine

Whenever I need a console-like gaming experience, this 2nd PC now acts as a separate custom Steam Machine, but one that's even more powerful than what Valve is poised to deliver.

With the AMD Ryzen 5 5600x 6-core processor and an AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB GPU, it's a build that's powerful enough to provide great performance at 4K when upscaling.

The only Steam Machine-like feature that's missing is the small form factor chassis to house the components, but it's a very tough ask to find a PC case as small as the Steam Machine's that will fit a full-sized desktop GPU — and if you can, it's not going to be cheap.

What actually makes this a custom Steam Machine is Bazzite, which runs like an absolute dream on PCs with AMD hardware. While there's the handicap of certain games not being compatible on Linux due to anti-cheat complications, that's exactly what my main Windows 11 gaming PC is at the ready for.

Using tools like Decky Loader quite literally transforms the SteamOS gaming mode experience into that of a custom console, as several plugins can change the UI, boot videos, navigation sounds, and more. You could turn your interface into that of GameCube or a PS5 if you wanted, and that's what makes it so special.

Just to reiterate, none of this would have been possible if not for my lucky case scenario of having spare parts, as this build would easily cost at least $1,000 / £1,000 / AU$1,400, and the 16GB of RAM would likely eat up a significant chunk of the cost.

Building this system has completely revitalized my PC gaming experience, and it's hard to look back, especially once Valve further optimizes SteamOS for desktop PC users.

• Researcher Asim Viladi Oglu Manizada disclosed CIFSwitch, a Linux privilege‑escalation flaw lingering for nearly 20 years
• Affects major distros including Mint, CentOS Stream 9, Rocky Linux 9, AlmaLinux 9, Kali Linux, SLES 15 SP7
• Mitigation includes applying updates, disabling unnecessary file‑sharing components, and restricting exploitable features

Security researchers are warning about a new vulnerability in certain Linux distributions, which can be abused to uplift regular accounts to system administrators.

The vulnerability was discovered by researcher Asim Viladi Oglu Manizada, who named it “CIFSwitch”. It affects a feature that allows Linux computers to connect to shared files and folders on other devices across a network. He also published a proof-of-concept (PoC) for the bug, which can be found here.

Manizada says the vulnerability lingered in Linux distributions for almost two decades, and stressed that it can be exploited under certain conditions to elevate a user’s privileges from a standard account to full root access.

Kernel update

Numerous popular Linux distributions were said to be affected, including Mint, CentOS Stream 9, Rocky Linux 9, AlmaLinux 9, Kali Linux, and SLES 15 SP7. Other operating systems based on Linux, including some versions of Ubuntu and Debian, were also said to be potentially affected, depending on software packages installed.

Some distributions are not at risk, including those that lack the affected functionality entirely, and some newer versions that include security protections against this type of attack.

The vulnerability was fixed through a kernel update, but not all distros are patched just yet. Users are advised to install the latest security updates as soon as they become available. Admins can also disable unnecessary file-sharing components and restrict features that could help attackers exploit the flaw, if they want to be more on the safe side.

This is the latest in a series of privilege-escalation flaws that were recently discovered in Linux, BleepingComputer reminds. Before CIFSwitch, researchers discovered Copy Fail, Dirty Frag, Fragnesia, DirtyDecrypt, and PinTheft.

It’s also worth mentioning that Manizada used a Large Language Model (LLM) to discover CIFSwitch: “A distro-specific Linux LPE found by harnessing LLMs into better multihop knowledge composition,” he concluded.

Via BleepingComputer

• 2025 California law requires OS vendors to obtain user age brackets to boost protection
• Linux community worried that a lack of commercial ownership make it difficult to enforce
• The change would also require vendors to share "only the minimum... information necessary"

A new California amendment bill aims to make most mainstream open source Linux distros, like Ubuntu, exempt from the state's upcoming age-verification requirements.

Passed in late 2025, the Digital Age Assurance Act was designed to shift the burden of age verification from individual websites to the operating system level.

Under the law, OSs are required to request a user's age bracket during device setup, which would go on to be exposed to apps and stores that offer age-restricted services.

Linux exempt from OS-level age verification law

The Linux community fought against the California mandate, warning that the open source nature of the software means it doesn't have the corporate ownership or account infrastructure to enforce such a policy.

The workaround amendment, introduced by the same lawmaker who passed the 2025 mandate (Buffy Wicks D-Oakland), has essentially redefined what an 'operating system provider' means. The change excludes any entity that distributes software under licenses that allow users to copy, redistribute or edit it – in other words, Linux.

This means that commercial systems like Windows and macOS will still be subject to the law. The amendment is still in its early stages (per Digital Democracy Calmatters), and needs to go through two chambers before being enacted.

As of April 20, 2026 the bill has two supporting organizations and three against.

The amendment also expands the existing Act to apply to browser providers and website operators, and requires OS vendors to send "only the minimum amount of the information necessary to comply with the Act."

"We also want to ensure that all online spaces where children can access, such as websites, are included within this age assurance framework and can comply with applicable laws," Wicks wrote.

• Qualys discloses CVE‑2026‑46333, a Linux flaw present since 2016 which lets unprivileged users briefly hijack privileged processes to gain admin access
• Exploits were confirmed on default installs of Debian, Ubuntu, and Fedora
• Admins should apply updates immediately

Security researchers Qualys discovered a major flaw in the Linux operating system (OS) that could let any ordinary user, or malicious actor, gain full admin access on vulnerable endpoints.

This bug lingered in Linux systems since 2016, and affects the default installations of several major distributions, including Red Hat, SUSE, Debian, Fedora, AlmaLinux, CloudLinux, and others.

Qualys says attackers could use it to view sensitive files or run commands with the highest level of system control.

Working exploits

The vulnerability is now tracked as CVE-2026-46333 and has a severity score of 5.5/10 (medium). It works by exploiting a narrow window in which a privileged process dropping its credentials remains reachable.

When a program with admin-level privileges is in the process of shutting down, Linux is supposed to immediately cut off other programs from peeking into it. CVE-2026-46333 means that cut-off happens a fraction of a second too late, allowing normal, unprivileged users to exploit that tiny gap.

During that window, the attacker can use a feature to grab a copy of the dying privileged program’s open connections and files before they disappear.

Qualys built four working exploits demonstrating the practical danger, confirming they work on default installs of Debian 13, Ubuntu 24.04/26.04, Fedora 43, and Fedora 44.

The researchers reported the flaw privately to the Linux kernel security team on May 11, 2026, and the team came back with a patch three days later, on May 14. Shortly after, an independent exploit derived from the public commit appeared, effectively breaking the embargo and prompting the full advisory release.

Administrators are advised to apply the kernel update from their distribution immediately. Those that cannot patch immediately should raise kernel.yama.ptrace_scope to 2 to block public exploits.

Hosts that had untrusted local users during the exposure windows are advised to treat SSH host keys and locally cached credentials as compromised and should rotate them as soon as possible.

Via The Hacker News

• The Flipper One is more than just an incremental upgrade over the Zero
• The team behind it has already set up a developer portal and is engaging with end users as it aims to offer a completely open source ecosystem
• Pricing information has yet to be made public, but one can expect a significant premium over its predecessor

The Flipper Zero has earned a reputation as the Swiss Army knife for modern security researchers, enthusiasts, and penetration testers, and its development team is now looking to take things to a significant new level.

Its new Flipper One aims to focus squarely on higher-level networking, with modularity, extended I/O, and the ability to run applications and tools that require considerably more muscle than the Zero.

Despite this, the Flipper Zero’s successor isn’t meant to replace it but rather to complement an already successful design that has sold over a million units to date.

A much more versatile offering with a focus on open source

With plenty of additional features under the hood, including support for 4K 120Hz via a dedicated HDMI port that allows it to function as a capable media box, support for NVMe SSDs, built-in WiFi 6E support in addition to dual ethernet ports, the Flipper One has plenty to offer versus the more physical layer-centric Flipper Zero.

Something the company has identified and aims to address is the popularity and support tools such as the Flipper Zero have seen from a thriving developer community. To this end, it has already set up and is looking to hire a manager for their developer portal. With a plethora of documentation in place, even as the Flipper One has yet to reach most developers’ hands, the team is looking to build rapport with its target audience, a move that has already sparked discussions on multiple forums, including Reddit.

The most significant difference lies in the operating system. While the Flipper Zero runs a customized build of FreeRTOS, the Flipper One will ship with a full Linux kernel. This makes it considerably easier to develop for, run programs on, and take advantage of its modular expansion slots, including GPIO.

A co-processor approach to things

The Flipper One leverages a co-processor architecture, using an octa-core ARM-based SoC (Rockchip RK3576) as its primary driver and a low-power microcontroller for ancillary functions, allowing users to leverage the device even without using Linux for certain tasks.

Flipper is also pushing for a “truly open” ARM-based Linux offering by focusing on open source packages for its upcoming device and collaborating with Collabora to ensure it has a fully functional open source stack at the time of release.

The team did not mention a price point for the Flipper One, but one could assume it would be priced considerably higher than the $200 its sibling currently costs, especially given how ambitious it is and the volatile components and memory markets, which now play a larger role in its final cost.

With the Flipper Zero staying put for the foreseeable future, the One may just be an excellent value-added option for those who can fork over the extra we expect it to cost, even if some of its purported features, such as an integrated offline LLM, have yet to be demonstrated.

• Linus Torvalds talks about his views on AI
• Linux creator says AI can be useful, but "pain points" are also present
• New security reporting processes revealed to cope with AI deluge

Linux creator Linus Torvalds has admitted he doesn't always have the best experience with AI tools, saying he has a "love-hate relationship" with the technology.

Speaking at the Linux Foundation's Open Source Summit North America, Torvalds noted, "I actually really like it from a technical angle. I love the tools. I find it very useful and interesting, but it is definitely causing pain points."

He also spoke out on those claiming AI tools wrote 100% of their code, and the dangers of relying too heavily on these new tools, especially when it comes to security.

AI as a tool, but a great one

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Torvalds had some strong opinions on those people who now claim their entire code base is written by AI.

"My opinion has always been that AI is a great tool, but it's a tool, and when I see people saying, 'hey, 99% of our code is written by AI,' I literally get angry," he said.

"I grew up writing machine code, and when I say machine code, I don't mean assembly language, I mean the numbers," Torvalds added, "it took me a while to understand that writing down the numbers and calculating offsets for branches is kind of stupid, and people had come up with this tool called an assembler, and then later on I figured out compilers are good too. These days, I'm figuring out AI tools are good too."

"I'm personally 100% convinced that AI is changing programming, but it's not changing the fundamentals," he declared.

"AI will increase your productivity by a factor of 10," he added, but warned, "AI is great, but AI is not changing programming."

Torvalds' talk came shortly after he had complained about the Linux kernel security mailing list, which he said was being "overrun by duplicate reports" generated by AI.

"People think that when they find a bug with AI, the first reaction sometimes seems to be, let's send it to the security list, because this may have security implications," he said.

"The result, on a deliberately small, confidential list, was that "we were flooded by people sending bugs, and then you have this list with very few people on it… and we spent all our time just forwarding these reports to… the other developers who knew that area better."

In order to stop such an issue happening again, Torvalds revealed new AI security disclosures, as he noted, "If you find a security bug with AI, you should basically consider it to be public, just because if you found it with AI, 100 other people also found it with AI."

Overall, Torvalds was understandably keen to push the human influence in coding, even working alongside AI platforms to gain better knowledge.

"You do want to understand how it all works in the end," he said. "Even when I use AI for my pet toy projects, I will use AI to generate code, I will look at that code, I will actually still look at the assembly language… because it's what I grew up with."

"You need to understand not just your prompts, but you need to understand the end result too, because that's the only way you can maintain it long term."

Anthropic's Project Glasswing has changed the math on vulnerability discovery, and software teams need to sit with the implications.

Project Glasswing is an industry coalition, including Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Cisco, and others, built around Anthropic's most capable AI model, Claude Mythos Preview, with the explicit goal of finding and patching critical software vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them.

In Anthropic's own testing, Mythos scanned major operating systems and browsers and found vulnerabilities at a scale and depth that manual auditing and fuzzing have missed.

One bug in OpenBSD had been in production code for 27 years. OpenBSD is not an obscure, unexamined codebase. It has been audited and fuzzed by world-class researchers countless times across more than two decades. Mythos found an exploitable bug anyway. If that is possible there, it is possible anywhere.

The unsettling number for security teams is that Anthropic says more than 99% of what Mythos found has not yet been patched.

AI is eliminating the patch window

The traditional security model assumes defenders have time to find a vulnerability, build a patch, and deploy it before an attacker can exploit it. AI-assisted vulnerability discovery is collapsing that assumption, as AI is finding vulnerabilities faster than defenders can patch them.

What Mythos surfaced in a single research effort would require thousands of labor years to fix and validate across every affected organization.

The pressure on defenders is coming from both directions. The same AI capabilities that surface vulnerabilities at scale are also generating working exploits against those same vulnerabilities.

Attackers who gain access to comparable models will know where the holes are, and they will have tools to quickly develop exploits. That compresses the window further and raises the stakes on every vulnerability that remains unpatched.

As AI accelerates vulnerability discovery, teams will spend more time on remediation, disrupting product roadmaps and delivery schedules. Security teams that were already stretched thin are now facing a queue that will not clear in the near term. And Anthropic has said plainly that this capability will only continue to advance.

Why memory safety bugs are the sharpest edge of this problem

Memory safety vulnerabilities are a particularly dangerous part of this picture. They are prevalent across legacy codebases and reliably exploitable, and AI has now demonstrated its ability to find these bugs and chain them into a working exploit.

Buffer overflows, use-after-free errors, and out-of-bounds writes are found across compiled code in the energy grid, defense systems, transportation, and more.

Notably, among the bugs cited in the Mythos announcement, many were memory-safety-related. For example, Mythos Preview identified and then exploited a 17-year-old remote code execution vulnerability in FreeBSD. Mythos also identified memory safety flaws in the Linux kernel and prominent web apps.

Patching alone cannot keep up

The volume of what AI tools can now surface changes the math on patching as a primary defense. No security team can outrun a continuous flow of zero-days across critical software.

The organizations best positioned to weather this are the ones that have already shifted their thinking from eliminating all bugs to building resilience into software itself.

By building software in ways that reduce exploitability, even when bugs remain, organizations can reduce the patching burden. One example is runtime protections, which prevent the exploitation of certain bugs even before a patch is available.

A vulnerability only matters to an attacker if they can reach it and create a working exploit. Hardening software at the binary level shrinks that possibility, not by fixing the bug, but by pulling away the footholds needed to turn it into a breach. The bug stays.

The path to exploiting it narrows significantly. When remediation backlogs run into years, that gap between "bug exists" and "bug is usable" is where organizations can buy time.

What to do now

The practical response starts with accepting that the backlog is real and that patching alone will not clear it on any useful timeline. Audit legacy codebases for memory-unsafe components and prioritize those that are network-exposed or process untrusted data.

Deploy binary hardening and runtime protections for software that cannot be rewritten or replaced quickly. Build remediation workflows that triage by exploitability, not just severity score.

The deeper shift is in how organizations think about risk. A system that has not been patched is not necessarily one that will be breached, provided it has been hardened at the binary level and protected against what an attacker can do with a vulnerability. That posture fits the current environment.

Resilience and remediation work together, and organizations that treat them that way will be better positioned as AI-assisted discovery continues to scale. Project Glasswing is giving defenders a head start. The organizations that move now to harden what they cannot yet patch will be in a stronger position when that access expands.

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• Linus Torvalds warns AI‑generated bug reports are overwhelming the Linux security mailing list with duplication and noise
• He urged researchers to add real value by creating patches instead of submitting random automated findings
• Similar concerns have already led projects like curl and HackerOne’s Internet Bug Bounty Team to shut down or restrict bug bounty programs

The Linux security mailing list is now “almost entirely unmanageable”, since researchers started using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to flood it with useless reports, lead maintainer Linus Torvalds has warned.

After describing the latest release candidate as “fairly normal” in his latest weekly state of the kernel post, addressing things like drivers, networking, core kernel, and more, Torvalds stressed that “some of the documentation updates might be worth highlighting.”

“The continued flood of AI reports has basically made the security list almost entirely unmanageable, with enormous duplication due to different people finding the same things with the same tools,” he said. “People spend all their time just forwarding things to the right people or saying "that was already fixed a week/month ago" and pointing to the public discussion”.

Entirely pointless churn

Torvalds stressed these reports are “entirely pointless churn”, since most of the bugs AI tools detects are “pretty much by definition not secret”, and that reporting that “only makes duplication worse”.

Besides complaining, Torvalds also gave a few concrete pointers, telling researchers to use AI “in a way that is productive and makes for a better experience”:

“The documentation may be a bit less blunt than I am, but that's the core gist of it,” he concluded. “If you actually want to add value, read the documentation, create a patch too, and add some real value on *top* of what the AI did. Don't be the drive-by "send a random report with no real understanding" kind of person.”

Torvalds is not the first person to point to people using AI to cause a flood of pointless reports. In late January this year, the developers of curl, the open source command-line tool and software library, announced they were killing their HackerOne bug bounty program for the same reasons.

HackerOne also recently reported the Internet Bug Bounty Team, which it manages, would no longer reward researchers who identify and reward bugs.

• Discord has released a major update for Linux users
• Game and screen sharing has been improved with hardware-accelerated video encoding now supported via Nvidia, AMD, and Intel GPUs
• It comes as users remain frustrated about global age verification plans

Discord on Linux, particularly on the Steam Deck or SteamOS handhelds, has been plagued by functionality issues, and a new update has finally addressed them — but users aren't buying it.

As reported by TweakTown, Discord announced a new major update for Linux in a video titled the 'year of the Linux desktop', providing significant improvements to game (or screen) capturing capabilities, including smaller updates to notifications and game detection.

Notably, hardware-accelerated video encoding is now supported on Nvidia, AMD, and Intel GPUs for Discord, for better video quality without a drawback on game performance.

Discord will also capture games using Vulkan or Valve's Gamescope, and that's great news for devices like the Steam Deck or the Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS, as more system resources can be used on games, ultimately improving performance and battery life while streaming to friends.

That's all good and well in the eyes of Discord users on Linux, and it has even joined in on the year of the Linux desktop meme (essentially the hope that Linux will surpass Windows) — and sure, this update has definitely taken it a step closer to that, but it's not enough to win fans over.

Instead, the comments on the video are consistent with users stating it's the 'year of age verification', criticizing Discord for its global age verification plans, which are still slated for late 2026.

This major Linux update comes around the same time as the Discord and Xbox collaboration, which gives Nitro users access to a starter edition of Xbox Game Pass. It seems as though Discord is trying its best to soften the blow from its controversial move, but it's quite clear that users aren't willing to let the age verification issues go.

• New Linux kernel flaw CVE‑2026‑46300 “Fragnesia” allows local attackers to gain root
• Discovered by William Bowling of Zellic;
• PoC shows corruption of /usr/bin/su page cache to get root shell

Security researchers have discovered a new vulnerability in the Linux kernel which could allow malicious actors to run code with elevated privileges, exposing systems to risk of data theft, malware deployment, and even full device takeover.

The vulnerability is tracked as CVE-2026-46300, and was given a severity score of 7.8/10 (high). It’s nicknamed Fragnesia and is apparently in the same vulnerability class as Dirty Frag, another kernel bug that was disclosed recently.

While Dirty Frag chains multiple flaws, Fragnesia comes in the form of a logic bug in the Linux XFRM EST-in-TCP subsystem. By writing arbitrary bytes to the kernel page cache of read-only files, unprivileged local attackers can gain root privileges, thus compromising the entire system.

Patches and killswitches

The bug was discovered by William Bowling of Zellic, who also shared a proof-of-concept (PoC) that “achieves a memory-write primitive in the kernel that is used to corrupt the page cache memory of the /usr/bin/su binary to get a shell with root privileges.”

"Fragnesia is a member of the Dirty Frag vulnerability class. This is a separate bug in the ESP/XFRM from dirtyfrag which has received its own patch. However, it is in the same surface and the mitigation is the same as for dirtyfrag," Bowling said. "It abuses a logic bug in the Linux XFRM ESP-in-TCP subsystem to achieve arbitrary byte writes into the kernel page cache of read-only files, without requiring any race condition."

To mitigate the risk, Linux users should apply kernel updates for their distros without delay.

Linux kernel vulnerabilities are a hot topic these days. Prompted by both Dirty Frag and Copy Fail, two recently disclosed flaws, co-maintainer Sasha Levin proposed a new patch that would allow system administrators to temporarily disable a vulnerable kernel function.

That way, if security researchers discover malicious code in the future, users would be able to quickly instruct the kernel not to use it. The feature would not address underlying issues, but since the function would return an error, it could prevent the vulnerability from causing any serious harm before a proper patch is deployed.

The new feature is currently being reviewed by the Linux community and has not yet been officially introduced.

Via BleepingComputer

• Maintainers proposed a killswitch mechanism to temporarily disable vulnerable kernel functions at runtime via securityfs
• The feature aims to mitigate high‑severity flaws like Copy Fail and Dirty Frag until patches arrive, though it risks system instability
• It’s under community review, positioned as a stopgap measure—not a replacement for proper patching

The Linux kernel could soon get a new feature that serves as a temporary safeguard against high-severity vulnerabilities until patches are deployed.

One of the Linux stable kernel co-maintainers, Sasha Levin, recently proposed a new patch that would allow system administrators to temporarily disable a vulnerable kernel function.

That way, if security researchers discover malicious code in the future, users would be able to quickly instruct the kernel not to use it. The feature would not address underlying issues, but since the function would return an error, it could prevent the vulnerability from causing any serious harm before a proper patch is deployed.

Good idea, does (not) work?

If adopted, the feature would be available through the kernel’s securityfs interface, allowing admins to enable killswitches for specific functions which would render them unusable immediately. The change would take effect at runtime, and would remain active until disabled, or until the system is restarted.

On paper, the idea sounds good. In practice, there are many challenges and moving parts to address. When a function is disabled, it could disrupt the entire system or crash other parts. It could also introduce additional vulnerabilities.

Therefore, it is important to note that the feature is not imagined for general purpose use. It is also worth mentioning that this feature cannot serve as a replacement for patching.

Still, it could be a solid first-aid kit to prevent further escalation with high-severity vulnerabilities.

According to Linuxiac, the idea for the proposed patch came after the disclosure of two critical Linux kernel vulnerabilities - Copy Fail and Dirty Frag. The former was discovered in early March 2026, granting malicious actors privileged access across all major Linux distributions. The latter, on the other hand, was discovered late last week. It, too, was a zero-day that allows root privileges, but at the moment of disclosure, it did not have a patch which made it extremely dangerous.

The new feature is currently being reviewed by the Linux community and has not yet been introduced.

• Fedora criticized over AI Developer Desktop Objective and "alienate[ing] users"
• Project Lead declares "zero evidence" that users are being driven away by AI
• Like Fedora, Ubuntu is also set to get local AI superpowers

The AI Developer Desktop Objective for Fedora has become a controversial one within the Linux community, attracting criticism from users and contributors alike.

In a discussion in the Fedora Project thread, the Linux distro is confirmed to be getting an AI overhaul in upcoming iterations that would see it become capable of running AI models locally instead of having to rely on cloud-based alternatives.

"I fear that making anything “AI” in its title an official Objective would further alienate users and contributors... and further damage project reputation," Fabio Valentini of the Fedora Engineering Steering Committee wrote.

Fedora and Ubuntu are going all-in on AI

Responding to Valentini's comments, Fedora Project Leader Jef Spaleta declared: "I have zero evidence in front of me that users are being driven away from Fedora because of AI."

"We have to take care in how we as a project uses AI," Spaleta added.

Fedora isn't the only distro preparing to add built-in support for running local GenAI models directly on users' computers, with Ubuntu also making similar moves. Fedora also previously approved AI-assisted contributions to the project.

Ubuntu parent company Canonical also noted the need for caution and transparency with regard to the use of AI within the open-source project. As for Ubuntu, its AI features will likely prioritize local inference over cloud processing with lightweight and open-source models.

Canonical has also been faced with mixed reactions, though one user praised the ability to run AI locally without the need for large, costly and unsustainable data centers.

"The best possible [future] I can see involves the Fedora community being part of the conversation around ethical use of this technology," Spaleta concluded in a later comment, referring to the fact that AI is unlikely to go anywhere even if such a 'bubble' were to burst.

• Researcher Hyunwoo Kim discloses Dirty Frag, a nine‑year‑old kernel flaw enabling root privilege escalation across major Linux distros
• The exploit chains two page‑cache write bugs, works reliably without race conditions, and currently has no CVE or patch
• Mitigation requires disabling vulnerable kernel modules, but this breaks IPsec VPNs and AFS, leaving systems exposed until fixes arrive

Some of the most widely used and influential Linux distributions are vulnerable to a zero-day flaw that allows threat actors to gain root privileges, and a patch has not yet been made public, experts have warned.

Security researcher Hyunwoo Kim disclosed finding a nine-year-old flaw, and published a proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit.

He named the vulnerability Dirty Frag, and explained that it works by chaining two kernel flaws, the xfrm-ESP Page-Cache Write vulnerability and the RxRPC Page-Cache Write vulnerability. This allowed him to tweak protected system files in memory without having proper authorization.

Mitigations available

Kim explained that he shared his findings with the maintainers of different Linux distros under embargo in order to give everyone time to patch up. However, that embargo was seemingly broken on May 7, when a third party published the exploit.

"Because the embargo has currently been broken, no patch or CVE exists. After consultation with the maintainers on linux-distros@vs.openwall.org and at their request, this Dirty Frag document is being published," Kim said.

Besides not having a CVE, the bug is also yet to be given a severity score. However, since this is an unauthenticated privilege escalation flaw, it’s safe to assume it will receive a critical-severity rating (9.0 and higher).

So far it was confirmed that Ubuntu, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, CentOS Stream, AlmaLinux, openSUSE Tumbleweed, and Fedora, are all vulnerable, and have not yet received patches.

"As with the previous Copy Fail vulnerability, Dirty Frag likewise allows immediate root privilege escalation on all major distributions, and it chains two separate vulnerabilities," Kim said. "Because it is a deterministic logic bug that does not depend on a timing window, no race condition is required, the kernel does not panic when the exploit fails, and the success rate is very high."

Current mitigation includes removing vulnerable esp4, esp6, and rxrpc kernel modules, but this breaks IPsec VPNs and AFS distributed network file systems.

Via BleepingComputer

• Google raised rewards to $1.5m for top‑tier Android exploits, prioritizing risks beyond AI‑detectable flaws
• Chrome’s program now offers up to $250K for full chain browser exploits, plus bonuses for Miracle Ptr bypasses
• The company paid $17.1m to researchers in 2025, with lifetime payouts exceeding $81m since 2010

Google is now offering up to $1.5 million in bounty to whoever can find the biggest, baddest, Android exploits - whereas “lesser” exploits - ones that can be found and reported on with AI, are getting a proportional downgrade.

Google’s engineers announced changes to the company’s Android and Chrome vulnerability rewards programs, saying they will now reward up to $1.5 million to anyone who can find a zero-click full chain Pixel Titan M2 compromise with persistence. Those that find the same bug, sans the persistence part, can expect up to $750,000 in rewards.

“We are revising our program scope to emphasize categories that represent the highest risk to our users,” Google said. “We are also prioritizing categories that remain more challenging for automated AI tooling to find to ensure we reward researchers for their unique skills and talents.”

Overhauling the Chrome program

Going forward, the Android program will also be more focused on Linux kernel vulnerabilities in components that Google maintains, with the exception of researchers being able to show the flaws could be exploited on an Android device.

Chrome’s bounty program has also gotten an overhaul. Google is now giving up to $250,000 for full chain browser process exploits on the latest operating systems and hardware, and up to $250,128 bonus for a report that successfully exploits an allocation it believes to be protected by Miracle Ptr.

Google’s bug bounty program has paid out record sums last year, BleepingComputer reports. Apparently, it gave $17.1 million to 747 researchers last year, up more than 40% year-on-year, and hitting an all-time high.

In total, since the program started in 2010, Google has paid out more than $81 million and expects that the total amount for 2026 will be higher despite reducing individual reward amounts.

Via BleepingComputer

• A sustained DDoS attack disrupted Ubuntu installs, updates, and Canonical’s web infrastructure
• The outage lasted nearly a full day, affecting security APIs and multiple websites
• An Iraqi hacktivist group claimed responsibility, using a booter service to launch the attack

Users are reporting being unable to install or update Ubuntu following a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack by Iraqi hacktivists, with Canonical, the company behind the popular Linux distribution, was also struck.

“Canonical’s web infrastructure is under a sustained, cross-border attack and we are working to address it. We will provide more information in our official channels as soon as we are able to,” the company said at the time.

Discussing the attack on unofficial Ubuntu forums, community members confirmed that the distro’s security API was affected, as well as multiple websites. Updates and system installs were also unavailable at the time.

Islamic Cyber Resistance in Iraq 313 Team

The attack was claimed by a group calling itself The Islamic Cyber Resistance in Iraq 313 Team. In a Telegram channel, the group allegedly said it used a DDoS-as-a-Service tool called Beamed to launch the attack.

Beamed is a booter (or stresser), a tool that allows users to “stress test” their website by paying for a DDoS attack. The service claims to be able to launch a 3.5 Tbps attack, half the power needed to deliver a record-breaking attack.

A DDoS happens when hundreds of thousands of internet-connected devices try to communicate with a single server, overloading it, forcing it to crash, and thus denying legitimate traffic any access. To create a DDoS service, the threat actors must gain control over these endpoints, which is usually done through malware. Using automated scripts and bots, the threat actors can look for vulnerabilities or weak login credentials and use the access to deploy different variants of malware.

After that, they can operate the instances through a unified dashboard. This access is then sold on the black market for a monthly fee. That fee can be anything from $10 for cheap services, to $500 a month for sustained, high-power attacks.

Via TechCrunch

• Psyonix's Rocket League now has Easy Anti-Cheat, but still works on SteamOS
• Multiplayer online games with anti-cheat often don't work on Linux, due to a lack of support
• Psyonix's Linux support is a step in the right direction to have other developers and publishers follow suit

SteamOS is continuously growing in popularity, and it is on the verge of expanding even further with the arrival of the Steam Machine, which is why game developers and publishers must act on one major factor.

As reported by GamingOnLinux, developer Psyonix has implemented Easy Anti-Cheat in Rocket League and maintained the game's support on Linux. Notably, the game is no longer available on Steam, but can still be played on SteamOS via Epic Games, which runs using Proton.

Psyonix has followed in the same footsteps as 1047 Games, the developer of Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, which added support for Linux with its RedKard anti-cheat. Both cases are now rare occurrences that stand as a significant matter for Steam Deck and all SteamOS users on other devices.

Most of the popular AAA multiplayer online games, such as Battlefield 6, Call of Duty, and EA Sports FC 26, don't work on SteamOS, as EA and Activision have failed to make their anti-cheat system compatible with Linux.

What that means is that Steam Deck, Lenovo Legion Go S, Lenovo Legion Go 2, and eventually, Steam Machine users cannot play any of those games. Since the Steam Machine is clearly competing within the gaming console space, there are likely non-PC gamers who will be looking to buy the mini-PC, which will likely result in a noticeable boost in SteamOS users.

If the Steam Machine is indeed successful, there will be a huge section of gamers who can't play the most popular live-service games, so long as game developers and publishers refuse to spend time on addressing compatibility.

Fortunately, there are growing cases of support made for Linux, such as Splitgate: Arena Reloaded and Rocket League, and there may be more in the near future if consumers are vocal about incompatibility.

However, it's a tough ask, as publishers like Activision have been hellbent on preventing cheaters and are seemingly happy to sacrifice compatibility to ensure it — so gamers shouldn't hold their breath on the matter.

• Experts reveal "CopyFail" flaw affecting Linux distros
• All Linux kernels released after 2017 are vulnerable
• Users urged to patch now or risk account takeover

Security experts have warned of a major new vulnerability affecting Linux kernels, urging users to patch and upgrade without delay.

The critical privilege escalation flaw, discovered by experts at Theori and dubbed "Copy Fail" can grant root privileges across all major Linux distributions, with containerized environments being especially vulnerable.

All Linux kernels released after 2017 are vulnerable to the issue, which could allow an unprivileged local attacker to gain root permissions - but patches are available now for users to secure their systems.

Update now

Tracked as CVE-2026-31431, the exploit, which is just 732 bytes of Python code rooting Ubuntu, Amazon Linux, RHEL, and SUSE, is “a straight-line logic flaw,” requiring no race conditions or kernel-specific offsets.

It added the issue "is a logic bug in the Linux kernel's authencesn cryptographic template" which means an authenticated user can reliably perform a "4-byte write in to the page cache of any readable file on the system."

BleepingComputer notes that by combining the ‘AF_ALG’ socket-based interface, which gives access to the Linux kernel crypto functions from user space, and the splice() system call, then means an unprivileged user can make a 4-byte controlled write in the page cache of a file, instead of a normal buffer - and if those 4 bytes hit a setuid-root binary, they can alter its behavior when executed, giving the attacker root privileges.

Theori says it found the flaw using Xint Code, its AI-powered pentesting platform, which had been tasked with scanning the Linux crypto / sybsystem for issues.

“Same script, four distributions, four root shells – in one take. The same exploit binary works unmodified on every Linux distribution,” its blog post explains.

Theori says it reported its finding to the Linux kernel security team on March 23 2026, and patches became available within a week. It also created a proof-of-concept exploit for the flaw, which it says is "100% reliable" across the major Linux distros listed above.

"Copy Fail is not a story about a single bug, or about one team’s tooling. It’s a data point that the cost of finding deep logic flaws may have dropped by something like an order of magnitude," noted David Brumley, Chief AI and Science Officer at Bugcrowd.

"If your threat model still budgets kernel LPEs as rare, you probably have weeks to update that—not years."

• Framework's new Laptop 13 Pro is up for pre-order
• It's designed as a MacBook Pro that runs Linux, with a premium on power-efficiency
• There are some strong upgrades, including a new touchscreen, and those are made to be backwards compatible with existing Framework notebooks

Framework has a new laptop targeted at power users, which it's designed to be the equivalent of a MacBook Pro that runs Linux.

This is the Framework Laptop 13 Pro, and it's built around the company's typical sustainability-based principles, while also being defined by a firm focus on power efficiency (and better battery life therein).

In a blog post introducing the laptop, Framework founder and CEO Nirav Patel said: "Our internal prompt when we kicked off this product was to build the 'MacBook Pro for Linux users.' We wanted to prove that you can have a computer that is refined, robust, and high performance, that still respects your rights through repairability, upgradeability, and the power to choose the software you want to run on it."

There's a choice of Intel Core Ultra Series 3 (Panther Lake) processors under the hood, which are a big leap in terms of efficiency for Team Blue, going all the way up to the Core Ultra X9 388H, although you can also plump for a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 as this notebook's engine.

There's a completely fresh take on a power-optimized display, along with a haptic touchpad and aluminum chassis.

Framework has gone with LPCAMM2 for the RAM in the laptop, a new standard that allows for power-efficient LPDDR5X memory to be used here in a upgradeable form. (So you can switch in new RAM later on, which is obviously important if you intend to buy more memory down the line, a distinct possibility given the RAM crisis).

As well as the CPU and memory, another piece of the power-efficiency puzzle here is that display.

This is a custom-built 13.5-inch touchscreen, Framework notes, though it keeps the 2880 x 1920 resolution (3:2) that's great for coding and text. However, it's been upgraded with better color calibration, a 1,800:1 contrast ratio, up to 700 nits of brightness, plus an anti-glare matte polarizer (for better readability in brighter conditions).

Moreover, an LTPS backplane for the LCD means improved power efficiency, and power consumption will also be kept down by the variable refresh rate tech, which can drop to 30Hz when appropriate (with static on-screen content — the maximum refresh rate is 120Hz).

A larger 74Wh battery, which is 22% beefier than the one in the last-gen model (and features a higher level of energy density), also sits inside the Framework Laptop 13 Pro. This provides a claimed over 20 hours of battery life for Netflix streaming in 4K. Framework boasts that this is "not only 12 hours longer than we got on the previous-generation Framework Laptop 13, but it's actually slightly longer than a 14-inch MacBook Pro M5!"

The Framework Laptop 13 Pro is available to pre-order now (to ship in June in the US, or from July elsewhere), and you can have a prebuilt portable with Ubuntu preinstalled as a fully certified and supported OS (or you can have Windows 11 if you prefer).

There's also the DIY edition of the notebook, where you build it yourself and provide your own OS. These start from $1,199 in the US, £1,199 in the UK, or AU$1979 and €1349 in Australia and Europe respectively. Prebuilts start from $1,499 / £2,099 / AU$2479 / €2369.

Analysis: upgradeability and power-efficiency in spades

It's great to see a new laptop from Framework which advances further in terms of its eco-friendliness, not just with the upgradable nature of the device, and the ease of making repairs — to keep the device going for a longer lifespan — but also the push for a more refined level of power consumption. It's clear that a lot of thought has gone into the design in this respect, particularly with the screen, which has been built from scratch by Framework, it's worth noting.

The lengthy battery life that this newfound level of efficiency delivers is clearly a benefit to any laptop owner who needs to spend a lengthy period of time away from a power socket, although we need to season longevity claims, naturally.

Framework acknowledges this, stating in its blog post: "We know battery life claims from device makers are often bogus, so we'll be publishing full-length videos and setup descriptions of each of our battery life test cases to the Framework YouTube channel over the next few months."

There's a level of confidence in these battery longevity assertions, then, which is good to hear.

Commendably, the thought processes around the design of the Framework Laptop 13 Pro extend back to existing devices. The laptop maker says the new mainboard and display kit for this notebook are built in the same form-factor, and with the same interface, as the previous generations of laptops, so you can drop these in as upgrades (and pre-order them as standalone products). So, if you want the touchscreen on your current Framework portable, you can have it (and by all accounts, this is going to be a popular upgrade).

A bottom-cover upgrade kit is also in the works packing the new battery, as well as an input cover kit that delivers the haptic touchpad to an existing Framework laptop. All of this gets a big thumbs-up, as does the new option for consumers in the US to avail themselves of a three-year warranty should they wish.

Reaction on Reddit has been favorable, and some people are very impressed with how well Framework is supporting upgrade options. For example, this Redditor enthused: "I cannot express how excited and proud I am to be supporting this company. I've loved my 11th-gen 13 for years now and I'm ecstatic that I can yet again pick and choose what I want to upgrade.

"I'm happy with the OG screen, my top shell is COVERED in stickers, and I've upgraded the mainboard to AMD, yet now I can get a bigger battery, a better lower case, and a better touchpad while keeping everything else. This is SO AWESOME."

Another Redditor says: "The 13 Pro looks genuinely stellar in every way. Everything I could want out of a Framework chassis on paper, will have to see if it holds up in independent reviews."

The main concern is that the new laptop seems pricey to some, particularly if the spec is pushed upwards, but that is, of course, a lot to do with the RAM crisis.

If you follow the latest desktop operating system news, and stories around Windows 11 in particular, you can't have failed to notice a trend: everybody hates it.

Well, that's not quite true, but if you hang out on some forums or subreddits, the posts you scroll through will very much give you this impression and convince you that the hate is very real. And you don't exactly see many folks rushing to Microsoft's defense, either, in the main.

Of course, it's always been 'cool' to hate 'authority' (and use 'quote marks'), and Microsoft is very much the dominant monarch when it comes to desktop platforms. And lately, it's become a growing trend to declare that you're heading to Linux, or macOS, and that [insert whatever Microsoft just did here] is the final, camel-destroying straw for you and Windows 11.

So much so that I, and many others, have started to wonder if this really is a tipping point for Microsoft's OS where it's in danger of sliding into a meaningful decline. While members of the computing public defecting is one thing, though, something bigger just happened — the government of a large country has announced it's migrating away from Windows to Linux.

Last week, as ZDNet highlighted, it became official that the French government has had enough of Windows on its computers and is switching over to Linux. This isn't some airy, political statement about 'one day' doing so — this is a call to arms, a declaration of 'digital sovereignty', that's happening now.

As David Amiel, who is Minister of Public Action and Accounts, puts it (translated): "We must become less reliant on American tools and regain control of our digital destiny. We can no longer accept that our data, our infrastructure, and our strategic decisions depend on solutions whose rules, pricing, evolution, and risks we do not control.

"The transition is underway: our ministries, our operators, and our industrial partners are now embarking on an unprecedented initiative to map our dependencies and strengthen our digital sovereignty."

The shift to Linux is happening and every French government ministry is required to put its migration plan in place by the fall of 2026, including considering complementary software such as antivirus, collaborative tools, and so on. France has already got some of this move underway, previously having abandoned Microsoft Teams, for example.

Which Linux distro will the French government adopt? It'll surely be GendBuntu — although that's not official yet. This is a spin on Ubuntu which has been used by the police force (Gendarmerie) in the country since 2008, and is well-proven at this point, already running on over 100,000 PCs.

By next year, 2.5 million government workstations will be added to those numbers, computers that were previously Windows systems.

A lack of faith Microsoft should find disturbing

You may recall that last year in Europe, an entire German state, Schleswig-Holstein, axed Windows (and Microsoft's other services) to adopt Linux (and LibreOffice). Other countries (such as Denmark) have also been exploring ditching Microsoft's software, if not Windows itself.

However, the French decision is a blow to Microsoft of an entirely different magnitude, given that it's a national, not state-based, policy, affecting millions of computers. And while a government's concerns are obviously quite different to those of an individual, these entities are ultimately mulling the same path – migrating to an alternate OS (and if that isn't Linux, it's macOS) – and likely for the same reason: trust, or a lack of it.

It's crystal clear that there's been a growing lack of faith in Microsoft and the direction it has taken with Windows 11 since the launch of its newest operating system. But that feeling really intensified last year as Microsoft continued to push more AI features, and many Windows 11 users pushed back, and hard, insisting that they wanted the many problems with the OS fixed, rather than getting new AI tricks.

And boy are there a lot of issues with wonkiness in Windows 11, in terms of sluggish performance, jarring bits of interface, and indeed plain old-fashioned bugs. Of course, as you've doubtless seen, this almighty user backlash led to Microsoft promising that it's going to fix Windows 11 in all sorts of ways. Indeed, the company has gone well beyond what many hoped for, with an extensive list of remedies that covers elements I frankly wouldn't have believed if you'd have told me about all this a year ago.

Promises are one thing, though, and the reality of successfully actioning them will be entirely another. Now, let's be clear: I'm not saying Microsoft can't do this, and I love the new attitude of the various company execs in the Windows group, which includes listening to people, far and wide, on social media, actively engaging with them, and promising yet more fixes (or at least that 'things are being looked at').

However, I'm worried that Microsoft has bitten off more than it can chew here. The work in front of the company in terms of getting all this functionality implemented, pepping up performance, and smoothing over a heap of glitches and problems, collectively seems like a towering mountain of tasks. And what happens if 2026 rolls to a close and the grand campaign to fix everything in Windows 11 hasn't moved the needle nearly as much as is the suggestion now?

The goodwill Microsoft has earned is going to falter, and online sentiment is going to turn nasty (again). Windows 11 might be declared broken and unfixable, perhaps. Specifically, the area I'm most concerned about is Microsoft dropping the ball with fixing bugs.

Internal affairs

Okay, so we've seen Microsoft is listening, it's more engaged with the community, and is in the mood to generally roll up its sleeves and fix stuff. Great! And regarding preview versions of Windows 11 where the nuts-and-bolts of these cures are tested, just as promised, this month Microsoft revamped the entire Windows Insider program.

That's good to see, too — although as a caveat, some testers still aren't quite happy with the new way of organizing these preview channels, but I'm not going to get into that here.

What concerns me, however, is that we haven't heard much of what Microsoft is going to do internally to improve its quality assurance, bug finding and ground root testing. In fact, we've heard lots about community feedback and Windows Insiders, but barely a peep about internal improvements within the company halls where Windows 11 is actually developed.

As far as I'm aware, the main statement from Microsoft on this was the following from its sweeping blog post on the 'commitment to Windows quality' last month: "As part of this effort, we are evolving how Windows is built behind the scenes to raise the quality bar and deliver innovation where it matters most, shaped by the feedback we are hearing from you.

"This includes deeper validation and broader testing across real-world hardware and usage scenarios before new experiences reach Windows Insiders [testers], and a more intentional approach to where and how new capabilities are introduced."

The 'intentional approach' comment refers partly to the freshly-introduced abilities to choose what features you want to test (rather than having to hope they're rolled out to your particular PC), but the main point here is the "deeper validation and broader testing across real-world hardware and usage scenarios" before new features even reach Windows Insider test channels.

This idea sounds all well and good, certainly, but it's a rather vague assertion. I haven't seen any further talk from Microsoft, or meat to those bones, about exactly what it's doing behind the scenes to improve the quality assurance processes with Windows 11. Whereas there's been plenty of extra noise about, well, pretty much everything else you can think of.

Maybe I'm being overly sensitive on this point, I'll give you that, and perhaps Microsoft just feels it's too dull (or confidential) to go into. But I really wish Microsoft would elaborate further, and I feel this way mainly because my real fear is that in this grand plan to rejuvenate Windows 11 and win back the faithless, the bugs will be Microsoft's undoing.

If it comes to the end of the year, and we remain in the familiar troubleshooting rut that Windows 11 has been in for some time now – since the 24H2 update, certainly – the danger is that people are going to throw their hands up in the air and give up.

And by familiar troubleshooting rut, I mean the following sequence of events:

• Patch Tuesday arrives: Windows 11 update released
• Bug found in update
• Fix for update deployed
• Another glitch found in update
• Another fix rolled out
• That fix works, but causes another additional problem as a side effect
• Accusations of Microsoft using AI to do too much of its coding abound
• Another fix for the new problem, here you go
• That one doesn't work at all
• Oh no, 'Microslop' has done it again, AI sucks etcetera
• Second rejigged fix for side-effect-bug does work, all is good finally
• Wait a couple of weeks, Patch Tuesday rolls around again, rinse and repeat this cycle or some close variation of it

Much ado about nothing?

To sum up my fear: Microsoft has made a whole big fuss here about getting Windows 11 right. If, by the end of 2026, we're still facing similar bugs and wonky aspects of performance being regularly introduced via Windows 11's monthly updates, as has been the case for some time, the computing public is going to start to lose all hope of the operating system ever getting it right.

Then those folks might look at France's mass migration to Linux – and other Windows 11 defectors on Reddit telling their tales of never having looked back – and decide to leave for one of those distros themselves, or perhaps for macOS. The latter is especially pertinent if any given person is searching for a new laptop, given what a hit the MacBook Neo has been so far, and that success looks set to continue for Apple (it seemingly can't make enough of these wallet-friendly notebooks).

We've heard the prediction that the big shift to Linux is coming a lot of times, but never has this felt a real threat for me — not until now (and part of that is the strides forward with Linux, too, particularly for gaming and with SteamOS).

It's by no means something I'd predict as likely – not yet – but if Microsoft makes a mess of fixing Windows 11 this year, and especially if the OS continues to be buggy, it's clear that alternative desktop platforms have never had a better chance of grabbing some meaningful territory.

• Linux positions AI as an assistance tool, not as a developer replacement
• Human contributors are still fully responsible for their submissions
• Transparency tagging will reveal where AI is used

Linux has confirmed the use of generative AI to support coding is acceptable, but has established several requirements to ensure high-quality output.

For example, code must be compatible with GPL-2.0-only and it must include proper SPDX identifiers.

More importantly, though, while AI assistants like Microsoft Copilot may be accepted in the development process, human developers ultimately remain responsible for the output, reviewing code, ensuring licence compliance and taking full accountability (as before).

Linux says AI is fine, but humans are still accountable

The move positions AI tools as an assistant rather than a human replacement, with AI agents condemned from signing off code and only humans permitted to certify the Developer Certificate of Origin.

A new 'Assisted-by' tag will be added for transparency, used to disclose AI involvement, detailing the model and tools used.

"When AI tools contribute to kernel development, proper attribution helps track the evolving role of AI in the development process," the Github page reads.

Confirmation from the project behind one of the biggest open-source projects on the planet comes after months of internal debate. Finally, a sensible middle ground seems to have been reached, whereby AI assistance is broadly accepted, but 'AI slop' is not.

The decision to implement transparency tagging is also noteworthy, with Linux founder Linus Torvalds previously dismissing total AI bans as unrealistic. Instead, liability for security flaws, copyright issues and so on all sits with the contributors personally.

As for the move's impacts on the industry, Linux has become one of the first and most influential projects to establish boundaries for AI in such a way.

Looking ahead, we could see more companies and projects adopt similar rules, while others may forge their own way, but Linux has certainly kickstarted a broader discussion about where AI fits in the development lifecycle.

• Proton VPN’s Linux CLI is officially out of beta with the v1.0.0 release
• The update delivers crucial bug fixes to improve app stability and navigation
• Terminal users can manage connections securely without needing a GUI

Proton VPN has just rolled out a major update for its Linux community, promising significantly improved reliability and performance.

Whether you are trying to bypass censorship or simply want the best VPN to secure your daily browsing, connection drops are a major pain point. To tackle this head-on, Proton VPN has officially moved its command-line interface (CLI) out of beta access.

Releasing version 1.0.0 for Linux, the provider emphasized that the core objective of this milestone was to eliminate bugs and smooth out the user experience.

"Today we are proud to announce that the Proton VPN CLI is officially stable," the company announced on Reddit, adding that for the release, the team focused on improving stability, navigation, and guidance.

Finding a secure and reliable VPN for Linux can often feel like an afterthought for many top providers, but Proton VPN is continuing to buck the trend. The updated CLI app is now available on Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, and Arch.

Terminal power without the dropouts

For many power users, the command line is the preferred way to navigate their operating system. For the uninitiated, instead of clicking icons and buttons with a mouse, a CLI app lets users type text commands into a terminal to execute tasks.

With this official stable release, Proton promises you can now secure your internet traffic without ever touching a mouse.

"The command-line interface lets you connect, disconnect, and manage your VPN connection entirely from the terminal, no GUI or mouse clicks needed," the developers explained.

Proton VPN CLI for Linux has officially reached v1.0.0 from r/ProtonVPN

The benefit here is twofold. First, users get a lightweight, fast-loading tool that won't bog down system resources. Second, the heavy focus on stability ensures that essential security features remain active without unexpected crashes.

You can seamlessly utilize advanced tools like the kill switch (which immediately blocks your internet if the VPN drops to prevent data leaks), NetShield Ad-blocker, Custom DNS, and port forwarding.

This update follows a busy few months for the provider. Proton VPN recently expanded its Linux capabilities with a new split tunneling feature and ensured the official Proton VPN app landed on even more Linux devices.

If you are more comfortable with a graphical user interface (GUI), you haven't been left behind. Following a major Linux makeover for GUI users earlier this year, the company confirmed that further visual updates are just around the corner.

"For those of you interested in the GTK app, we will also start shipping more on that front soon," the provider stated.

To get your hands on the stable update, current CLI users can simply update their package manager via the terminal to pull the latest version. You can find all the info on Proton VPN's GiftHub page.

And, if you are entirely new to the service, you can check out our full Proton VPN review to see how it stacks up against the competition.

• France is "leading by example" by going all-in on digital sovereignty
• Linux operating systems will be favored over Windows
• Plans are already in place to move a health data platform

France is set to move all government desktops from Windows to Linux as part of a nationwide strategy to cut costs and reduce reliance on US tech giants.

The initiative, led by the Interministerial Directorate for Digital Affairs (DINUM), will require all ministries to submit their own migration plans by autumn 2026, with IT bodies like DINUM kickstarting the migration before other bodies.

"DINUM will coordinate an interdepartmental plan to reduce non-European dependencies," DINUM said in an announcement.

Full steam ahead on removing US Big Tech

What we're seeing in France is part of a broader Europe sovereignty push, with other fellow member states seeking to reduce reliance on US tech giants and regain control over their own software.

"Digital sovereignty is not an option, it is a strategic necessity," Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs Anne Le Hénanff wrote.

"France is leading by example by accelerating the switch to sovereign, interoperable and sustainable solutions."

The push covers more than just Windows – collaboration tools, cloud and infrastructure, AI systems, databases and networking are all being scrutinized under the sovereign drive.

France's government has already confirmed plans to move a health data platform to another "trusted solution," and workers of the country's National Health Insurance Fund (CNAM) are being given access to local software alternatives like Tchap, Visio and FranceTransfert.

As for the replacement of Windows operating systems with Linux, the benefits are twofold. Not only will the open-source alternatives give France better control over security and updates, but the very nature of open source prevents vendor lock-in and high licensing costs.

"We must desensitize ourselves from American tools and regain control of our digital destiny," Minister of Action and Public Accounts David Amiel concluded.

• Linux kernel developers have removed support for the Intel 486 CPU
• Linus Torvalds says there is zero real reason to maintain 486 compatibility
• Ingo Molnar authored patches eliminating 486-related configuration options in Linux kernels

Linux kernel developers have begun removing support for the Intel 486 CPU, a processor first introduced in 1989.

The move comes as modern Linux distros have grown increasingly resource-intensive, making continued compatibility with decades-old CPUs both technically challenging and strategically unnecessary.

Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux, recently reinforced this perspective by asserting that there is “zero real reason” to maintain support for the 486 architecture, suggesting that its presence now hampers broader kernel development efforts.

Patching out 486 support

Ingo Molnar, a long-time Linux kernel developer, authored a patch that eliminates key configuration options related to the 486 CPU, including CONFIG_M486SX, CONFIG_M486, and CONFIG_MELAN.

These changes, once merged, will prevent users from building kernel images that target the 486 architecture.

According to Molnar, maintaining compatibility requires “complicated hardware emulation facilities on x86-32” that affect a very small subset of users.

He further explained this “compatibility glue” sometimes introduces issues that consume developer time, which could otherwise be spent improving modern kernel features and performance.

The patch is expected to be integrated in Linux 7.1, effectively signaling the end of official support for the Intel 486 in contemporary kernels.

Users who continue to operate 486 systems will need to rely on existing long-term support (LTS) kernels if they wish to maintain modern Linux functionality.

Alternatively, upgrading to a more recent CPU, such as a Pentium or one of the high-performance processors available in 2026, will be necessary to run current Linux distributions efficiently.

Despite this shift, hobbyists and retro computing enthusiasts can still experiment with older hardware.

Earlier in 2026, reports emerged of an open source 486 motherboard built from scratch, successfully running Linux, DOS, and classic games such as Doom.

These projects show that while official support is being withdrawn, practical engagement with legacy systems and Linux apps remains possible.

The Intel 486 represented a major milestone in CPU evolution, introducing integrated floating-point units and pipelined execution.

However, modern kernel development has outpaced the capabilities of such hardware, making the continuation of support increasingly impractical.

However, Linus Torvald’s remarks, along with Molnar’s patch, make it clear that kernel resources will now focus on architectures with active users rather than supporting this legacy CPU.

Via Toms Hardware

• Systemd now includes a user date-of-birth field for age verification purposes
• Garuda Linux refuses to enforce age checks, citing no legal obligation
• TBOTE Project claims Meta contributes significant funding to push age laws

Recent changes within the Linux ecosystem suggest that age verification could move closer to the operating system level.

An update to systemd introduces a new field for storing a user’s date of birth, designed to support compliance with laws in regions including California, Colorado, and Brazil.

The addition is intended to enable age verification requirements and may also support upcoming parental control features linked to application frameworks.

Age data will be stored

The feature stores user birth dates within system records, with modification restricted to users holding root privileges.

While the change has been merged into the codebase, its long-term role depends on adoption across distributions and whether it remains in future releases.

Reactions across Linux distros have been inconsistent, reflecting differing legal obligations and technical philosophies.

Developers associated with Garuda Linux stated that the distribution will not introduce age verification measures, citing the absence of legal requirements in its jurisdictions.

The maintainers also described the wider discussion as contentious, noting that “some of us have honestly been quite shocked at the way this conversation has been moving in the Linux community as a whole.”

They added that “distribution developers are being hounded at every corner for complying with these laws,” pointing to growing tension between compliance and community expectations.

The response illustrates how decentralized development models complicate unified approaches to regulatory changes.

The introduction of age-related features follows new legislation aimed at enforcing online safety requirements.

Reports linked to research from the TBOTE Project claim that lobbying efforts behind these laws are backed by substantial financial resources.

The research suggests that Meta has contributed funding toward initiatives such as the App Store Accountability Act, although these claims remain part of ongoing public debate.

Additional pressure is attributed to advocacy groups such as the Digital Childhood Alliance, which has reportedly influenced policy discussions despite its relatively recent formation.

These developments indicate that regulatory changes affecting operating systems may continue to expand beyond application-level controls.

The shift has broader implications for distributions that rely on systemd, as well as those that deliberately avoid it.

Some projects, including GrapheneOS, have publicly stated that they will not require personal data or identification for use, even if this limits availability in certain regions.

The integration of age-related data into system components may also affect related technologies, including application packaging systems and parental control frameworks.

As discussions continue, Linux distros will likely adopt different responses depending on legal exposure and community priorities.

Via The Register

• Thelio Mira is powered by AMD Ryzen 9000 series processors with high cores
• System76 supports up to 192GB DDR5 memory and 28TB storage configurations
• Chassis redesign improves airflow by approximately 13.5 degrees and repairability

System76 has officially launched its redesigned Thelio Mira Linux desktop, bringing major changes to both aesthetics and internal architecture.

The desktop is built around the latest AMD Ryzen 9000 series processors, including options such as the Ryzen 9 9950X3D 16-core 3D V-Cache and Ryzen 9 9950X.

It can be paired with up to 192GB of DDR5 memory and storage capacities reaching 28TB across multiple NVMe and SATA drives.

Decent upgrade with a premium price

The new Thelio Mira is designed to accommodate high-end Nvidia GPUs, including the recently released GeForce RTX 5090.

The chassis has undergone a notable redesign, departing from the original wood veneer look toward a style System76 calls "Precision Industrialism."

This update provides easier access to front panel I/O, improves airflow, with an approximate 13.5-degree reduction in heat, and enhances repairability.

The new Thelio Mira delivers performance gains through thermal and architectural improvements.

Its CPU clock speeds have increased by up to 19%, while liquid cooling allows the processor to sustain peak performance during extended, compute-intensive tasks.

A removable bottom dust filter also helps the device maintain airflow and long-term performance.

Internally, the layout supports large GPUs up to 358mm in length, and the primary PCIe 5.0 x16 slot accommodates cards up to four slots in height.

Benchmarks and initial testing suggest the system handles demanding workloads effectively, running the Pop!_OS 24.04 operating system with the new COSMIC desktop environment.

The Thelio Mira supports a wide range of GPUs, from the RTX 5050 to the 5090, and includes the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT as an option.

Storage options are extensive, with multiple PCIe NVMe generations supported, although some configurations disable secondary slots depending on occupancy.

Networking is provided through Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.2, and 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, and audio outputs reach up to 7.1 channels via the Realtek ALC1220 codec.

Power requirements vary depending on the GPU, with certain configurations needing up to a 1000W PSU.

Despite the system's comprehensive specifications, attention has focused on the price of the RTX 5090 upgrade.

System76 is asking $5,299 for the GPU, a figure that exceeds the cost of most of the system’s memory configurations, including 96GB of DDR5-5600 RAM, which retails for substantially less.

At the moment, you can get an entire PC with an RTX 5090 GPU for less than $5,100, showing the disparity between the GPU cost and the rest of the configuration.

This raises questions about the perceived value of such an upgrade for typical Linux desktop users.

The rest of the Thelio Mira hardware, although high-end, can already handle most workloads without the top-tier Nvidia card, making the need for it questionable.

It remains to be seen whether the RTX 5090 upgrade will appeal beyond enthusiasts willing to pay a premium for a Linux-ready, ultra-high-end GPU solution.

• California's Digital Age Assurance Act comes into effect on January 1, 2027
• The legislation means any OS will need to collect age data at setup
• This will be a self-reported age declaration with no verification, but it could prove problematic in some ways — particularly for some Linux distros

California has new legislation, which means that any provider of an operating system must ascertain the age of the user setting up the OS.

As Tom's Hardware reports, this is California's Digital Age Assurance Act (AB 1043), and it comes into effect on January 1, 2027.

As of next year, any operating system will need to not only collect age data at setup, but also transmit that data to developers of any apps running on the OS via a real-time API.

That's to facilitate software developers being able to verify any age requirements when their apps are downloaded or run. Under the legislation, OS users will be categorized into four age brackets: under 13, 13 to 15, 16 to 17, and 18 or older.

The idea is that developers are then responsible for applying verification based on the provided age. If the content of the app isn't age-appropriate, the onus is on the developer to ensure the person cannot use the software, or the dev is liable and will be penalized to the tune of up to $2,500 per affected child (for negligent violations — intentional violations run up to a fine of $7,500 in each instance).

However, it's a simple self-reported age check; there's no photo ID verification or similar process (as is the case in other US states with this kind of regulation).

As Tom's Hardware points out, there's a broad definition of an operating system provider, which is any organization that "develops, licenses, or controls the operating system software on a computer, mobile device, or any other general purpose computing device".

Any OS platform — be it mobile or desktop — is subject to AB 1043, whether that's the giants like Android and iOS, Windows 11, or smaller desktop fry like macOS and Linux. The latter is a wide net, of course, and includes the likes of handhelds running SteamOS.

Analysis: complications around trust

Of course, a trust-based age-verification system is problematic because a child can simply lie about their age to get around it, and no one will be the wiser.

However, that obvious flaw aside, there are a lot of people who are relieved to see that this won't be based on demanding a photo ID of some kind for proof of who you are. As we've seen with the Discord controversy of late, there are trust (and privacy) issues around supplying sensitive data like IDs to third parties (especially if those firms then end up suffering a data breach).

Another issue that's causing controversy here, though, is that some believe this is an initial implementation designed to get the door open in order to bring through stricter legislation (that does use ID verification) at a later date.

You can see why there's a fair bit of skepticism floating around, one way or another, about AB 1043, and there's another problem for some operating system developers, too. If you look at the more niche Linux distros, they're run by small teams of enthusiasts who simply don't have the resources to tackle implementing the necessary systems and real-time API — it's just not going to happen. In those cases, as Tom's Hardware notes, their approach is likely to be labelling the OS as not intended for use in California.

There are further nuances around what an 'account' is with an operating system, too. What about OS installations with multiple user accounts, with various family members sharing a PC – how exactly will that work under the new regulations? There are already folks pushing for clarity and amendments on that particular issue.

It's a rather muddy law, then, in more than a few respects, yet there's no shortage of folks welcoming it as a better outcome for California than what could have been (meaning full ID checks).

• Linux 7.0 officially supports AMD Zen 6 and Intel Nova Lake processors
• Intel Xeon processors gain specialized accelerators to reduce CPU core workload
• Monitoring tools now report L2 cache statistics on newer Intel CPUs

Linux kernel version 7.0 has officially been released, adding support for the latest AMD Zen 6 processors and Intel Nova Lake and Diamond Rapids chips.

The system can now automatically optimize performance on newer Intel CPUs, allowing applications to run more efficiently without manual tuning.

Intel Xeon processors also gain new accelerators that handle specialized tasks, reducing the load on the main CPU cores.

Specialized accelerators lighten CPU workloads

Monitoring tools like Turbostat now report additional hardware metrics, including L2 cache statistics for newer Intel chips, giving users and administrators better insight into performance.

These improvements are particularly relevant for Linux laptops, desktops, and servers that require efficient resource use while running demanding workloads.

On the graphics side, Linux 7.0 adds support for upcoming AMD graphics hardware and Intel Nova Lake integrated displays.

The update also fixes bugs and improves stability across a wide range of existing setups.

Peripheral support has been enhanced with Apple USB-C PHY drivers, improved sensor monitoring on laptops and motherboards, and better handling for storage devices like SPI NAND.

These changes make it easier for users to run Linux on different devices without worrying about driver issues, and should help ensure smoother day-to-day operation on Linux laptops and custom desktops alike.

In addition, Linux 7.0 introduces multiple enhancements for file systems and memory management.

EXT4, F2FS, and exFAT file systems now handle large data transfers more efficiently, improving overall file performance, working alongside memory management improvements that reduce delays and make the system feel faster.

Graphics drivers, including Nouveau, now benefit from optimizations such as large page support to improve performance on certain GPUs.

Non-blocking timestamps, standardized error reporting, and Rust language support continue to be integrated, helping create a more predictable and stable environment for developers and end users alike.

The update extends beyond AMD and Intel CPUs. ARM64 processors now support Atomic LS64 instructions.

RISC-V CPUs receive user-space CFI support, and the SpacemiT K3 RVA 23 SoC is also supported.

This broad platform coverage ensures that Linux distros can use Linux 7.0 effectively across desktops, servers, and cloud storage solutions.

The kernel is expected to become the default for Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and Fedora 44, providing millions of users with improved hardware compatibility and performance.

• A couple of new job adverts from Nvidia have been spotted
• They are for software engineers to work on Nvidia GPU drivers in Linux
• It's a hint that Nvidia is getting more serious about making Linux a better alternative for PC gamers — though there's speculation it could be about something else, too

There are some exciting hints that Nvidia is working on making its graphics drivers better for Linux, as well as beefing up support for Proton, the translation layer that facilities playing Windows games on Linux (and handhelds like the Steam Deck).

VideoCardz highlighted a couple of job adverts that were flagged up by a hawk-eyed Redditor.

The first position is for a senior software engineer to work on optimizing Vulkan driver performance for Nvidia, and working on Proton games is mentioned specifically in this ad.

Another advert is for a Linux graphics senior software engineer to work on developing and testing professional and consumer Linux GPU drivers for Nvidia's graphics cards.

While two jobs aren't exactly what you might call the start of a big drive to make Linux better for gamers, they're nonetheless a telling sign that this is the way Nvidia might be heading in the future. As one Redditor commented in the above thread: "Linux is going to prime time for PCs. This is just a clue."

Analysis: driven by ulterior motives?

Should Microsoft now be quaking in its boots, then? Well, arguably that's already happening anyway, after the broad groundswell of negative reaction that emerged last year, as 2025 rolled on and Windows 11 became increasingly about AI. But more specifically on the gaming front, this latest apparent Nvidia move could be regarded as an additional worry for Microsoft in terms of defending any challenge to the dominance of Windows for PC gamers.

Nvidia long neglected its graphics drivers with Linux in the past, and this was famously a weak spot for those with a GeForce GPU who were thinking about migrating away from Windows to a Linux distro. However, the official driver situation has improved a lot in recent times — and this is a sign that Nvidia is going to embark on even more serious work to knock its Linux graphics drivers into better shape.

That would, of course, be a big win for Linux, as would any additional work on the gaming front for the likes of Proton. Valve has already been pushing hard in that direction after the launch of the Steam Deck, and we've seen some big leaps with Proton game compatibility in recent times, too.

However, as some of the commenters on Reddit point out, this potential move may not necessarily be about improving Linux for PC gamers with Nvidia GPUs. Rather, it could be about Team Green working for its own benefit to switch over to Linux servers with GeForce Now game streaming. Moving away from Windows to Linux in this respect could have some big advantages for Nvidia — in terms of not paying fees to Microsoft for starters – but it also poses problems too (support for anti-cheat games on Linux is the obvious one).

At any rate, even if there is a financial ulterior motive in terms of cloud gaming behind Nvidia improving Linux, gamers running one of the various flavors of Linux will still benefit from these changes — and that's the important part.

• Nvidia says GeForce Now is available on Amazon Fire TV Sticks
• It comes shortly after the service landed on Linux
• It might be a more accessible gaming option as the RAM crisis worsens

“Can it run Crysis?” has been the performance yardstick for the best gaming PCs for so long that it’s become a long-running meme. Well, your TV can now join the illustrious ranks of platforms that can run Crysis – as long as you use Nvidia’s GeForce Now service, which is now available on Amazon Fire TV Sticks and some TVs.

Nvidia made the announcement in a new blog post, where it said it was “extending the value of [users’] membership without extra hardware or complexity” by bringing GeForce Now to the Amazon Fire TV streaming sticks.

The app works three Fire TV Stick models. Those include the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus (2nd Gen) running Fire OS 8.1.6.0 and later, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen) with Fire OS 8.1.6.0 and later, and the Fire TV Stick 4K Max (1st Gen) with Fire OS 7.7.1.1 and later. If you have one of those, you'll be able to stream games from a ready-to-play library that’s over 2,000 titles strong, with big names including ARC Raiders, Baldur’s Gate 3, Fortnite – and, yes, Crysis.

These Amazon Fire TV Sticks aren't the only new destination for GeForce Now, as the streaming service recently expanded onto Linux machines. Games compatibility has long been a sticking point for Linux, but the latest news means that fans of the free operating system no longer need to miss out on top gaming titles.

A rare piece of good news

Nvidia announced that GeForce Now was coming to both Linux and Fire TV Sticks at CES 2026, but the app has now launched for its streaming sticks.

Unfortunately, there are some qualifications – your gaming is limited to 1080p resolution at up to 60 frames per second, with no HDR support. That might be disappointing for some, but at least the app is available and gives you basic access to hundreds of games in its free tier.

Aside from those two platforms, GeForce Now is also compatible with Windows PCs and Macs, among other platforms. That’s a notable win for Apple, which has advanced its Macs’ gaming capabilities to such an extent in the last few years that the company’s computers can now be considered legitimate gaming machines.

The extension of GeForce Now also means that users desperate to upgrade their devices in order to play the latest titles might be able to hold off for a little longer. Instead of breaking the bank on extortionately priced memory and storage, you can now simply stream games onto your TV or monitor, whatever your current hardware.

As someone who loves building gaming PCs, there’s part of me that feels a little pained by that kind of compromise. But with RAM prices entering the stratosphere and Nvidia apparently deciding not to release any new gaming graphics cards this year, there aren’t many other viable options. Given the current miserable conditions, I’ll take any piece of good news I can.

• Linux 6.19 just came out, and Torvalds has confirmed that 7.0 will be next
• "Almost running out of fingers and toes again," in reference to ending at x.19
• The latest major release (and first of 2026) arrived at the same time as the Super Bowl

Linus Torvalds has confirmed that the next Linux kernel will be version 7.0 following the release of 6.19, and it hasn't come as a surprise to those who know Torvalds avoids version numbers he can't count on his fingers and toes – a light-hearted internal naming convention that keeps version numbers below x.19.

Versions 3, 5 and 6 all ended with x.19 before getting their upgrades, with version 4 standing out for hitting version x.20.

Version 7.0 is still some way off just yet, but version 6.19 has just landed, and with it a series of improvements.

Linux 6.19 is here, Linux 7.0 will be next

"No big surprises anywhere last week, so 6.19 is out as expected - just as the US prepares to come to a complete standstill later today watching the latest batch of televised commercials," Torvalds wrote, hinting at the weekend's Super Bowl.

"But for anybody outside the US, maybe taking the newest kernel out for a spin instead is an option?" he added.

As ever, Linux 7.0 isn't likely to be any more significant than any other upgrade. It's likely to include a mix of performance improvements, hardware support updates and other enhancements.

Still, version 6.19 brings plenty of welcome upgrades as the first major release of 2026. For example, the update adds better support for older AMD GPUs and Intel platforms.

Looking ahead, Linux 7.0 will likely go on to form the basis of popular Linux distros like Ubuntu 26.04.

• VS Code Snap package bug on Linux keeps deleted files, clogging hard drives
• Snap creates separate local Trash folders per version, compounding storage issues
• No fix yet; users advised to install VS Code via .deb/.rpm or Flatpak instead of Snap

Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code, installed as a Snap package on a Linux device, has a strange bug that keeps all the files users deleted, clogging up hard drives as a result, leading to a myriad of other problems for the users.

The bug was first spotted by a couple of software developers, who found gigabytes of files that were supposed to be deleted. Some of them discovered the bug after completely running out of space on their computers.

The Register notes the flaw was first detected more than a year ago, and a bug report was published in early November 2024. In the report, it was said that the cause of the issue lies in Snap creating a local Trash folder for each VS Code version, instead of simply using the system one.

Unaddressed code change

What’s more, Snap (a Linux package format and system) also keeps older versions of VS Code after updates, further multiplying the number of local Trash folders and files that should have been deleted, but are still lingering.

On GitHub, a user discovered that the bug stems from an unaddressed code change introduced in early October 2024 which “creates a bogus Trash that’s not the system one.” According to the user, the folder is unmanageable, “carried over from update to update”, and “gradually inflating”.

Low disk space can slow down the system, editors, and compilers, and cause crashes or failed writes.

The Register says neither VS Code nor Snap have a way to manage these folders, but claims it is possible through the command line.

Right now, there is no indication that a fix is released, or that it is even in the works. For now, many Linux users avoid the bug by installing VS Code from the official .deb/.rpm packages or using alternatives like Flatpak instead of the Snap version.

• Linux finally documents how to select who steps in after its long-time leader
• Decades of stability masked a zero bus factor problem at kernel leadership
• A formal organizer role replaces assumptions during sudden and messy leadership gaps

The Linux kernel community has existed for more than three decades under the guidance of one individual, Linus Torvalds, the creator of the Linux kernel, who has been at the helm of affairs since 1991.

But after many years without a written fallback, a formal process now exists to handle leadership change if the current maintainer steps aside.

The succession plan will only be used if Torvalds suddenly leaves a vacuum and there is no smooth handover - in this situation, the first step is selecting an 'Organizer', a role assigned either to the most recent Maintainers Summit organizer or the chair of the Linux Foundation Technical Advisory Board.

How the replacement process would begin

Once named, the Organizer has a limited window to start structured discussions with maintainers who attended the most recent summit.

If too much time has passed since that gathering, the advisory board steps in to decide who should be invited, with flexibility to include additional maintainers where needed.

After discussions begin, the invited group has two weeks to agree on a path forward, with the outcome then shared publicly through established mailing lists, keeping the wider community informed.

The process is deliberately procedural rather than personality-driven, relying on people already trusted with subsystem maintenance.

This approach mirrors how many Linux distros already manage leadership changes, even though the kernel itself has remained an exception for years.

Linus Torvalds has repeatedly noted many kernel maintainers have been active for decades, which reduces the risk of knowledge loss.

At the same time, the project has long carried a bus factor of zero, meaning a single unexpected event could cause disruption.

While Torvalds previously raised concerns about the number of maintainers, he has also stated that capable developers continue to emerge and gain influence over time.

The new plan does not change that dynamic, but it acknowledges the structural risk more directly.

The existence of a written process does not guarantee consensus during a real transition, especially in a community known for strong opinions.

It also does not identify a successor in advance, leaving uncertainty until the moment arrives. However, it reduces ambiguity during a crisis and avoids improvisation under pressure.

Linus Torvalds is only 56 years old; thus, he’s probably not leaving anytime soon, but this process formalizes the inevitable: he will leave one day.

For a project of this scale, relying on an informal agreement may not be enough and could be a ticking time bomb.

• Nvidia has released a full GeForce Now app for Linux
• It's out for Ubuntu 24.04 and later, but may run on other distros too
• This is still a beta release, so manage your expectations for now – but it's still good news for accessing a wider range of games on Linux

If you're a gamer on Linux, there's a new way to play a broader range of games, with the arrival of the official GeForce Now app on the platform.

Nvidia just revealed that there's now a full native Linux app for its game streaming service, albeit it's still in beta, so you might experience some wonkiness here and there.

Initial support is available for Ubuntu 24.04 and later, and the new desktop app boasts the full GeForce Now experience, including streaming games at up to 5K resolution (on the Ultimate tier) at 120 frames per second, or 360 frames per second with Full HD resolution.

It also means no compatibility worries on Linux with certain games (notably anti-cheat online efforts – such as Fortnite), and of course, no concerns about the hardware in your rig not being good enough for fluid frame rates. Of course, you're trading hardware specs for the quality of your internet connection; with slow broadband, you won't do very well with streaming games.

The other point to remember here is the supported library of games on GeForce Now, as the title you want to play obviously needs to be in Nvidia's offerings (and you need to own it, too).

Analysis: reasons to be cheerful

Linux gamers are just getting more and more reasons to be optimistic these days. SteamOS is forging ahead nicely, and an increasing number of games are now compatible with Linux as a result, with the Steam Machine (which should be arriving before long) likely to drive that progress further.

The GOG ('Good Old Games') gaming platform has been making positive comments hinting that there are big things inbound for Linux in 2026 for the service (a job advert that emerged this week underlines this, too). And the demise of Windows 10 appears to be pushing a sizeable number of new recruits to some Linux distros, as they decide against heading to Windows 11.

On top of that, cloud gaming is another way to make the most of a Linux PC, and GeForce Now is obviously a big player in that field – and we've been impressed with Nvidia's service in recent times.

With the official app now here for Linux, catering for desktop PCs and laptops, GeForce Now is obviously a more tempting prospect than what was previously offered by Nvidia, which was handheld-focused (Steam Deck) and limited as a result.

While it's for Ubuntu only to begin with, as noted, it's possible other distros can run this app, though in those scenarios it's likely to be even more erratic than beta software already is. Still, it might be worth a whirl for the keen, and you can bet people will be trying this out on alternative distros.

• Proton releases an update to its Linux GUI VPN app in beta
• Proton VPN Linux CLI app also got an upgrade
• CLI users can choose between a stable and a beta update

Proton VPN has announced a significant push to modernize its Linux offerings.

The Swiss-based company has confirmed that a complete interface overhaul is in the works, while simultaneously dropping a massive feature update for command-line users.

For those relying on the best VPN for privacy, this is a welcome signal that the Linux ecosystem remains a top priority. While the provider has spent the last year bringing its Windows and Mac apps to new heights, the Linux VPN client is now getting the "speedrun" treatment to close the gap.

A fresh face for Linux GUI

David Peterson, General Manager at Proton VPN, took to social media to confirm that the company has heard the community's feedback loud and clear.

"With the speedrun of additional features added to the ProtonVPN Linux (GUI) client in recent roadmap cycles, most requests are now for a (overdue) GUI refresh," Peterson stated. "Work has been progressing on this behind the scenes, with the first milestone hit last week."

That "first milestone" has been identified in the official release notes as a major under-the-hood update for the Linux GUI beta (version 4.14.0).

The app has officially been updated to GTK4, a modern toolkit for creating graphical user interfaces. While the release notes clarify that "the visual appearance remains unchanged" for now, this architectural shift is critical.

It "refreshes the underlying framework and paves the way for future UI enhancements," effectively building the foundation upon which the new, modern look will sit.

Power to the terminal

While the graphical update is setting the stage for the future, the immediate value for power users lies in the Command Line Interface (CLI).

"For non-GUI-enjoyers, we are also rapidly fleshing out the features for the Proton VPN Linux CLI that we relaunched last year," Peterson added.

According to the latest release notes, these updates are split between the stable and beta channels, addressing some of the biggest pain points for terminal users:

• Stable Release (v0.1.4): Users can now "browse available countries and cities to find your preferred location," rather than just selecting countries. This update also adds "improved server selection," allowing direct connections to specialized P2P, Secure Core, and Tor servers.
• Beta Release (v0.1.5): For those on the bleeding edge, the CLI beta channel has added support for a comprehensive list of configuration settings. These include "anonymous crash reports, custom DNS, IPv6, kill switch, NAT type, NetShield Ad-blocker, port-forwarding, and VPN accelerator."

Why this matters

This dual-pronged approach, modernizing the GUI framework for general users while supercharging the CLI for sysadmins, reinforces Proton’s standing in the open-source community.

Unlike competitors that often treat Linux as an afterthought, Proton has consistently pushed for better security by killing off legacy configurations and ensuring its Linux apps are officially supported on more distros.

For current users, the instruction is simple: if you are a CLI user, update your package via your terminal to pull the latest feature set. If you prefer the graphical app, you can test the new GTK4 framework via the beta repos, though the visual facelift is still to come.

• Hackers hijack dormant Snapcraft apps to spread cryptocurrency-stealing malware
• Attackers exploit expired domains to reset passwords and update snaps with malicious code
• Malware mimics wallet apps, stealing recovery phrases and draining funds up to $490,000

Snapcraft is being invaded by hackers who are taking over dormant and inactive apps (‘snaps’) and using them to steal people’s cryptocurrency, experts have said.

“There’s a relentless campaign by scammers to publish malware in the Canonical Snap Store. Some get caught by automated filters, but plenty slip through,” cybersecurity researchers at Anchore said.

Snapcraft is Canonical’s platform and ecosystem for Linux applications. It’s closely tied to Ubuntu, but it works across many Linux distros. Snaps, on the other hand, are the apps themselves. A snap is a self-contained software package that includes the application plus most of its dependencies. These snaps run in isolation (sandboxed), update automatically, and work the same way across different Linux systems.

Crypto wallets in the crosshairs

Many snaps are dormant, and their domains expired. Researchers are saying that the crooks are hunting for expired domains, buying them, and then triggering a password reset on the store. That way they gain legitimate access to the snaps, which they then update to contain malicious code.

In most instances, they are targeting cryptocurrency wallets. Anchore says “dozens” of such snaps were already targeted, stealing from $10,000, up to $490,000 in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

“The malware masquerades as genuine apps like Exodus, Ledger Live, or Trust Wallet. It asks users to enter their wallet recovery phrase, sends those credentials to the criminals, displays an error to the user, and by the time anyone realizes what’s happened, the wallet is empty,” the expert warns.

The identity of the attackers is unknown, but apparently, they are located in, or around, Croatia.

Canonical has been hard at work trying to curb the campaign, but Anchore describes it as a “relentless game of whack-a-mole” - as soon as one snap is removed, another one is taken over.

To make sure your crypto is safe, be extremely careful when downloading apps from any source, especially cryptocurrency wallets and adjacent software.

Via Cybernews

• Photoshop now runs on Linux through patched compatibility layers, not official support
• Creative Cloud installers fail due to Windows subsystems missing from standard Linux environments
• Wine struggles with Adobe installers because Internet Explorer's behavior remains deeply embedded

The longstanding incompatibility between Adobe’s Creative Cloud suite and Linux operating systems remains a major obstacle for users transitioning to open source platforms.

Recent developments suggest this barrier may be starting to weaken due to targeted technical work, as a developer known as PhialsBasement has documented a method to install and run recent versions of Photoshop, specifically the 2021 and 2025 releases, on Linux systems.

This process bypasses the official installation path, which Adobe has limited to Windows and macOS environments.

Deciphering the installer's demands

The core challenge lies in the complex architecture of the Adobe Creative Cloud installer, which depends on specific Windows subsystems that Linux does not provide natively.

The Wine compatibility layer translates Windows API calls into POSIX compliant calls, but it has traditionally struggled with these installers. The main failure points involved MSHTML and MSXML3.

These components render the installer’s HTML and JavaScript interface and parse its XML configuration files.

The installer framework expects an environment that mimics older Internet Explorer behavior, which standard Wine setups cannot adequately reproduce. The solution introduces a series of patches that change how Wine interacts with these subsystems.

To address XML parsing issues, the patches wrap data in CDATA sections to avoid strict parsing errors on Linux, and also correct Wine’s internal handling of identifiers so system calls route and execute correctly.

A key part of the fix forces Wine to emulate the event handling behavior of Internet Explorer 9. This allows the installer’s user interface to function as its developers intended.

According to the developer’s reports, these changes allow the installation process to complete without errors, and the application runs with stable performance.

This breakthrough gives Linux users access to Photoshop as a capable image editor. It also suggests that other Adobe applications, including video editing software, could run on Linux in the future.

The developer initially submitted the fixes to Valve’s Proton repository, a Wine fork optimized for gaming, but maintainers rejected them and suggested submitting them through WineHQ instead.

As a result, users who want to apply this method must manually compile a patched version of Wine from the developer’s source code.

Despite the technical achievement, the path these patches followed highlights the fragmented nature of compatibility development.

The process requires technical expertise, which limits its practical reach and gives it more symbolic value than immediate widespread use.

This work shows that the barriers blocking professional creative software on Linux are not insurmountable, and upstream adoption of these fixes could improve access to other Adobe applications.

For now, Linux users must rely on unofficial patches, since no native support exists.

Via Tom's Hardware

• Two GOG execs were interviewed and asked about the backlash against Windows 11 and increased interest in Linux
• The owner said, "I'm really surprised at Windows. It's such poor-quality software and product, and I'm so surprised that it's [spent] so many years on the market. I can't believe it!"
• And the managing director observed that Linux was "one of the things that we've put in our strategy for this year to look closer at"

We've heard from a pair of the top execs behind GOG – a popular gaming platform focused on classic titles, hence the acronym 'Good Old Games' – and they made some withering comments about Windows 11, as well as dropping hints about how Linux is going to become more important for GOG in 2026.

The execs in question are the new owner of GOG, Michał Kiciński, and the managing director, Maciej Gołębiewski, who were interviewed by PC Gamer.

Our sister site asked about the backlash against Windows 11 – which has reached new heights since Microsoft started pushing AI even harder in the OS late last year – and the increasing interest in Linux as a result (which was already sparked by the success of SteamOS on handhelds).

Kiciński said, "I'm really surprised at Windows. It's such poor-quality software and product, and I'm so surprised that it's [spent] so many years on the market. I can't believe it!"

Kiciński doesn't run Windows 11, you may not be surprised to learn – he uses macOS – but does have to fix the PCs of his parents sometimes.

The owner further explained, "I sometimes have to fix my mum's computer or my father's computer with Windows, [and] like, it's unbelievable… So I'm not surprised that people gravitate outside of the Windows ecosystem."

It was Gołębiewski, however, who dropped the big hint about Linux, when questioned on gamers embracing it as an alternative to Microsoft's OS.

The managing director said that Linux was "one of the things that we've put in our strategy for this year to look closer at", but refused to elaborate further, noting, "I don't want to commit to any specifics, but certainly you will see this trend, and we also see that Linux is close to the hearts of our users, so we probably could do better on that front, and that's something that we'll be looking at."

Analysis: Linux is building up steam (or is it the other way round?)

That last comment comes against a backdrop of Valve having made some laudable progress with SteamOS (and the Steam Deck, plus other handhelds are using the platform, too). This has meant more games are compatible with SteamOS, really driving forward on the Linux compatibility front – and on top of that, we've got the Steam Machine seemingly on the near horizon, too.

That compact device could be a landmark moment for easy and convenient living room gaming, potentially, and so given all this, it's no real surprise that GOG would be looking at Linux more closely for 2026 – and beefing up support for games on this platform.

What's a bit more surprising is the heat that Windows 11 takes here, with the owner of GOG pulling no punches in the assessment of Microsoft's OS. Of course, part of what's "unbelievable" for Kiciński is how Windows is "such poor-quality software" given that it's been on the market for over 30 years now. (And indeed it's existed longer than that, but not as a full-blown operating system, just as an interface overlay on top of DOS).

He is, of course, not isolated in firing flak at Windows 11, which was seen as a step back from Windows 10 by many. Mainly because the performance of the newest OS was lacking compared to its predecessor in some respects – particularly with search and File Explorer, and it still is to this day – plus a bunch of features got dropped with Windows 11 (although a good few have been added back since the OS launched in 2021).

The worst crime Microsoft is guilty of now, though, in the eyes of the growing ranks of detractors, is that big push for cramming more AI into Windows 11 rather than trying to fix those flaky fundamentals – the poor-quality elements the GOG owner is talking about.

• Linus Torvalds says he used AI only in a personal project with no real consequences
• The code had nothing to do with Linux, Git, or any production system
• AI helped with unfamiliar Python visuals, not the core system or kernel logic

Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux, has spent years pushing back against exaggerated claims around artificial intelligence, describing much of the AI conversation as driven more by marketing than by practical results, and declaring he is much less interested in AI for writing code.

At the same time, Torvalds has stressed that he is not anti AI in principle, but firmly opposed to the hype that often surrounds AI tools.

Against that background, his recent admission that he used self described "vibe coding" in a personal project has drawn attention.

A hobby project, not infrastructure

The context of this decision matters, however. The code in question appears in AudioNoise, a small personal repository that Torvalds himself calls a 'silly guitar pedal related project'.

It generates random digital audio effects and is not part of the Linux kernel, Git, or any other widely deployed system.

Torvalds has previously said that vibe coding is “ok” if you are not using it for anything important - and it seems this project fits his description closely.

Torvalds’s README explains why an AI coding tool entered the picture - the Python visualizer component sat outside his comfort zone.

In similar situations in the past, Torvalds said he would copy fragments from forum threads or Stack Overflow and adjust them until they worked - this time, he skipped that process and used Google Antigravity to generate the visualizer directly.

In that sense, the tool functioned less as a creative engine and more as a shortcut similar to familiar productivity tools developers already rely on.

The wider developer community remains divided, as some worry that developers could become obsolete if AI can code - and others question how much trust, if any, AI generated code deserves.

Torvalds’s past comments align with limited use. For him, AI is a tool for learning coding, automated patch checking, and code review.

“How do I feel, about all the code I wrote that was ingested by LLMs? I feel great to be part of that, because I see this as a continuation of what I tried to do all my life: democratizing code, systems, knowledge,” Torvalds wrote.

“LLMs are going to help us to write better software, faster, and will allow small teams to have a chance to compete with bigger companies. The same thing open source software did in the 90s.”

He noted that such systems have caught problems he missed, but this does not endorse AI written code for core systems.

Even as people argue online, Torvalds was simply experimenting during a holiday break. The episode suggests pragmatism rather than a change in philosophy.

Via ArsTechnica

• A new concept for a Linux distro was recently aired
• Loss32 aims to be the Windows desktop sat atop the Linux kernel
• It'll work via WINE, which is a runtime environment for using Windows apps natively on Linux – but there's a long road ahead yet

Some Windows 10 users are already making the leap to Linux – perhaps because their PCs can't run Windows 11 – and a new project may spark further enthusiasm for the alternative OS (as SteamOS has certainly already done on the gaming front).

The Register reports that a new Linux distro has a very bold idea, in that it's not just aiming to be Windows-like as some distributions do, but to actually be the Windows desktop environment running on top of the core of Linux.

It's called Loss32 (a pun on the 'Win32' API) and it's the brainchild of a Japanese developer, Hikari no Yume, who put forward the idea at the 39th Chaos Communication Congress (in Germany at the end of last year).

The central concept is described by the developer as follows: "A dream of a Linux distribution where the entire desktop environment is Win32 software running under WINE. A completely free and open-source OS where you can just download .exe files and run them, for the power user who isn't necessarily a Unixhead, or just for someone who thinks this sounds fun."

What you'll essentially have is a Windows interface running via WINE (not the alcoholic drink, but a runtime environment for running Windows apps natively on Linux) sat on top of the Linux kernel.

This is markedly different from current Linux efforts on the Windows front, which include Linux distros that are capable of running Windows apps – it goes much further. Ultimately, Loss32 is the whole kaboodle of Windows – File Explorer and so forth – sat on top of Linux.

It's also distinct to ReactOS, although this is a similar idea in terms of being 'Windows without Microsoft'. However, the developer notes: "ReactOS tries to reimplement the Windows NT kernel, and that has always been its Achilles heel, holding it back from a hardware compatibility and stability standpoint.

"The Loss32 concept is to achieve a similar-feeling end result to ReactOS, but built on a more usable foundation, using components known to work well (the Linux kernel, WINE, everything that glues those together, and a sprinkling of ReactOS userland niceties)."

The developer has promised that an initial proof-of-concept for the distro will arrive at some point in January 2026, so in the next few weeks, but obviously there's a long road ahead from there to any possible fruition for this project.

Analysis: lossy impression

In short, Loss32 would be just like using a Windows PC, except you'd actually be running a Linux distro (underneath, though you wouldn't know that – well, hopefully, and I'll come back to that point in a moment).

In theory, that would mean Windows without any of the Microsoft nonsense such as telemetry (data on your system being piped back to the company's servers), nag screens and so on. And given that Loss32 is still actually Linux, you could run Linux apps on this OS if you wanted, as well.

Of course, it's not quite as simple as that (it never is). The trouble is that the actual implementation of Windows elements could be flaky running via WINE, and glitchy or sluggish. As the developer acknowledges, it has a "lot of unfortunate rough edges that people only tolerate because they use WINE as a last resort".

Although of course, some folks will point out that Microsoft's native implementation of the interface in Windows 11 is flaky anyway, and in some ways, they have a very good point (cough, File Explorer, cough).

At any rate, there would be a lot to hammer out with this project to say the least, and as for the potential arrival timeframe for a finished distro, the developer's curt comment is: "God only knows." However, the hope is that the development of Loss32 itself, a "desktop environment where everything runs in WINE will stimulate making WINE better for everyone, whether they're going to use this project or not".

Loss32 is more of a distant curiosity than anything else for now. But the fundamental idea – and the gathering momentum behind Linux, driven of late by SteamOS, Proton, and Valve's Steam Deck (plus other handhelds) and the incoming Steam Machine – is perhaps another seed being planted for the great Linux uprising.

Talk of the Linux revolution has been going on seemingly forever, though, inevitably leading to skepticism about whether we'll ever witness such an event. However, given the hostility towards Windows 11 currently – and the venomous potshots being taken at Microsoft due to its unrelenting push for more AI, including the trending barb that is 'Microslop' – it feels like Linux increasingly has an opportunity to mount a meaningful challenge to the dominant desktop OS.

• Nvidia has provided native GeForce Now support for Linux PCs and Fire TVs
• This comes amid the crisis causing high prices for GPUs and RAM kits
• It's another case of Nvidia further supporting Linux and ultimately Valve's SteamOS

CES 2026 is here, and while Nvidia hasn't made any new GPU announcements (as very much expected due to the ongoing RAM crisis), it has introduced new DLSS 4.5 upscaling technology for RTX GPU owners, and another big update for ideal for gamers without PCs.

Both Linux PCs and Amazon Fire TV sticks now have native Nvidia GeForce Now (GFN) support, allowing more gamers without gaming PCs (or with lesser-powered rigs) to dive in and enjoy RTX 4080 and RTX 5080-level frame rates (in select titles) when using the Ultimate membership, as announced at CES 2026.

This comes months after Nvidia delivered native support for GeForce Now on Valve's Steam Deck last year, providing an easier way for SteamOS handhelds to dive into GFN gaming without any convoluted setup. As of now, this has expanded to all Linux systems, which will help significantly for non-Steam Deck handhelds, and Linux laptops or desktop PCs.

What's arguably more important, though, is the native support for Fire TV sticks. This could prove a great alternative for accessing GFN and the world of PC gaming, especially given that the PC hardware market is in such a tough spot of late. You can't have failed to notice the skyrocketing prices of RAM and also storage to an extent.

I was never a big fan of the idea of cloud gaming until I used GFN in late 2025 when the RTX 5080 was officially added to the Ultimate tier of Nvidia's streaming service. To put it simply, I was surprised at how well GFN worked on my Lenovo Legion Go S handheld, with a commendably low latency and great image quality.

With native support for Amazon Fire TV sticks, this is now one of the cheapest ways to game via GFN in a no-hassle fashion. Of course, your gaming experience will still depend on the strength of your internet connection, which will need to be fast enough to ensure stable and smooth frame rates.

Analysis: Linux getting more attention from Nvidia is great news

With the Steam Machine theoretically on track for a potential launch early this year, GFN native support for Linux comes at the perfect time. It gives buyers of Valve's mini PC another option in terms of extra horsepower for games (internet connection dependent, of course).

Furthermore, Nvidia's recent focus on GFN support for SteamOS and Linux in general is hopefully a good indication of what's to come.

One of the biggest hopes for the Steam Machine is that it encourages developers and publishers to provide better support for SteamOS. This would include better anti-cheat support for more games, and also better driver support from Nvidia (particularly with DX12 games), and more native applications like Discord that can function fully in game mode.

It's a step in the right direction, and definite praise goes to Nvidia on this occasion – long may that continue.

TechRadar will be extensively covering this year's CES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to our CES 2026 live news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything we've seen.

You can also ask us a question about the show in our CES 2026 live Q&A and we’ll do our best to answer it.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok for the latest from the CES show floor!

• Dedicated IP is now available in Surfshark’s Linux GUI app
• The feature reduces CAPTCHAs and improves access to sensitive services
• Surfshark continues expanding dedicated IP after major upgrades in 2025

Surfshark has just expanded its dedicated IP feature to Linux, bringing the option directly to its Linux GUI app for the first time. Until now, Linux users could only use Surfshark’s dedicated IP through a browser extension, limiting the way the feature could be used across the operating system.

The update builds on Surfshark’s dedicated IP push, which began in 2023. The dedicated IP rollout has expanded significantly throughout 2025, increasing the number of locations and widening platform support, which now includes also the Linux VPN app.

Surfshark was already one of the best VPN providers according to our in-depth testing. Adding native Linux integration and a dedicated IP will make it even more optimized for that group of users.

Why a dedicated IP matters for Linux users

A dedicated IP does exactly what you’d expect: it offers a static IP address that’s unique to you, rather than one that’s shared among hundreds of users.

Shared VPN IPs are often crowded and more likely to be flagged by websites. A dedicated IP address, on the other hand, provides a consistent online identity.

That means fewer CAPTCHAs, fewer verification prompts, and an overall smoother experience when you use services that don’t work well with shared VPN traffic. A dedicated IP is especially useful for services that expect logins to come from a stable location, such as online banking, remote servers, and internal work tools.

Surfshark’s dedicated IP also works across its modern VPN stack, including WireGuard, which ensures that you don’t have to trade performance for stability. The result is a faster, more reliable connection that feels like a regular home IP, all without giving up VPN protection.

How to use Surfshark’s dedicated IP on Linux

Surfshark’s dedicated IP is available as a paid add-on to any Surfshark plan. To get started, all you need to do is log into your Surfshark account, buy the dedicated IP add-on, and choose your preferred location.

Once activated, the dedicated IP will appear in a new tab within the Linux GUI app. From there, you can connect to it like any other server location without any additional setup.

Dedicated IPs are currently available across 20 locations worldwide. However, availability may vary by region, as the number of dedicated IPs per location is limited and may sell out.

Why this update matters for both Surfshark and Linux users

Bringing dedicated IP to Linux falls neatly in line with Surfshark’s broader strategy of expanding advanced features across its entire VPN ecosystem.

Since first launching dedicated IP in 2023, Surfshark has steadily rolled out the feature to Windows, macOS, mobile platforms, and browser extensions, with major expansions throughout 2025.

Adding native Linux support finally closes one of the few remaining gaps, especially for power users who prefer a full desktop app over a browser-based tool. For devs, remote workers, and privacy-conscious Linux users, the update offers a more consistent experience across devices.

With dedicated IP now available on every major platform, Surfshark delivers fewer blocks, smoother logins, and improved control. And as demand grows, it looks likely that the company will continue to expand and refine the feature.

• Proton VPN has released an official CLI for Arch, Debian, Ubuntu, and Fedora
• The update aims to power Linux users who prefer terminal commands
• Future releases include selection for P2P, Tor, and Secure Core connections

Proton VPN has released its official Command Line Interface (CLI) for a wider range of Linux distributions. The provider is already widely considered the best VPN for privacy enthusiasts, and this latest update solidifies its reputation by catering specifically to the technical needs of the Linux community.

According to an official announcement the company shared on X, the new official CLI is now available for Arch, Debian, Ubuntu, and Fedora. By officially supporting these distributions, Proton is ensuring that the software is stable, secure, and receives timely updates directly from the source, rather than relying on third-party maintainers.

This is a significant step forward, particularly for Arch Linux users, often humorously acknowledged in the community with the "I use Arch, btw" meme – which Proton playfully referenced in their announcement – who often have to rely on the Arch User Repository (AUR) for software that isn't officially supported by vendors.

A win for the command line

For the uninitiated, a CLI (Command Line Interface) operates differently from the Graphical User Interface (GUI) most people are used to. Instead of clicking icons and buttons with a mouse, users type text commands into a terminal to execute tasks.

While this might sound daunting to the average casual user, it is often the preferred method for Linux power users, developers, and system administrators.

CLI tools use fewer system resources than graphical apps and can be easily scripted or automated, making this release highly attractive for those looking to integrate VPN protection into complex system setups or headless servers (computers without a monitor).

What is coming next?

The launch of the CLI on these platforms is just the first step. In the same announcement, the Swiss-based privacy firm teased several upcoming features that will enhance the tool's utility.

The team is working on adding features that will let users specifically target P2P (Peer-to-Peer) servers for torrenting, Tor servers for enhanced anonymity, and Secure Core servers. Secure Core is one of Proton’s standout features, routing traffic through privacy-friendly countries like Switzerland or Iceland before it reaches its final destination to protect against network-based attacks.

Additionally, the developers are adding the ability to view all available countries and cities directly within the terminal, giving users granular control over their virtual location without needing to leave the command line environment.

Why this matters for Linux users

This move comes not long after Proton expanded Linux capabilities with features like split tunneling, showing a sustained effort to bring their Linux offering up to par with their Windows and macOS counterparts.

Finding the best Linux VPN can be a challenge. Many providers offer a bare-bones Linux client that lacks the polish and feature set of their main apps.

By rolling out an official, feature-rich CLI for the most popular distributions – Ubuntu and Fedora being giants in the desktop space, and Arch and Debian being pillars of the enthusiast and server worlds – Proton is making high-end privacy accessible to a much broader demographic of users.

If you are running one of these distributions, you can check out the demo included in Proton's social media post to see how to install the new CLI and get started.

• Offline device offer automatic encrypted iPhone backups without iCloud
• Linux based hardware syncs data locally using USB and open source tools
• Project favors control and transparency but requires hands on setup and technical ability

If you're an iPhone owner and would like to back up your content locally without cloud storage services or recurring fees, a small open source project could be what you're looking for, although it requires dedication and technical know-how.

The iOS Backup Machine project on GitHub centers on a compact Linux device that creates automatic local backups when an iPhone is connected by USB. It avoids wireless syncing and keeps data off external servers.

The system uses libimobiledevice to trigger encrypted backups with no user interaction required after the initial setup. Once an iPhone is plugged in, the process starts on its own and runs to completion, unless the cable is removed.

Not for everyone

Backup progress and messages appear on a small e-ink display mounted on the device. At startup, the screen can also show owner information such as a phone number, which remains visible even after power loss.

Encryption relies on the iPhone’s own built in mechanisms. The resulting backup files aren’t easily readable on their own, although they can be used to restore a device or set up a replacement phone.

The project is designed around a Radxa Zero 3W board running Armbian and Python scripts.

A separate microSD card is used for backup storage, keeping it isolated from the operating system.

To reduce the risk of corruption, the design pairs the system with a small uninterruptible power supply. If battery levels drop or power is cut, the device performs a controlled shutdown and pauses the backup safely.

Logs are stored locally, and any errors are shown directly on the display. When idle, the screen cycles through the last backup result, timestamp, disk usage, and owner details.

Assembly requires several off the shelf components and a 3D printed case. Users need to follow the setup instructions and be very comfortable working with Linux based tools.

Future updates discussed by the developer include selective device filtering, optional network reporting, and limited internet access over USB.

For now, the project targets users who value control and are willing to trade convenience for local ownership.

Via Hack A Day

• Windows 11's Notepad app has some new features in testing
• The app now supports quickly and easily creating tables
• There are also additional AI powers in the form of on-the-fly previews for text creation and rewriting capabilities

Microsoft is again beefing up Notepad in Windows 11, giving the increasingly not-so-lightweight editor a fresh power in terms of support for tables, and bolstered AI capabilities.

This is present in the new preview of Notepad rolling out to Windows 11 testers in the Canary and Dev Channels, as Microsoft explains in a blog post.

The big move is that tables have arrived in Notepad, with the option to create these having been added to the formatting toolbar.

They work just as you'd expect, and you can quickly insert a table into a document, choosing the size from a visual grid interface. As Microsoft notes, right-clicking on a table gives you quick edit options to add or remove rows or columns.

On the AI front, the new spin here is 'streaming results' for the Write, Rewrite, and Summarize features, which do what they say on the tin (create new text, rewrite an existing piece of copy, or provide a summary of something).

'Streaming results' means that the text the AI is writing (or rewriting) appears on-the-fly in a preview window, letting you start to review it (or change it) more swiftly.

Analysis: worries around bloat and performance

This is a useful touch for those who use the AI abilities now provided in Notepad, no doubt, although there is a slight catch – namely that streaming results for Rewrite is only possible on a Copilot+ PC (using the NPU for local on-device processing), at least for now. You'll also need to be signed into a Microsoft account to use any of this AI functionality in Notepad.

Tables might be handy for some folks, too, and the way they're implemented with that grid interface is quite similar to how they work in Microsoft Word.

However, the addition of more features to Notepad is sure to provoke the ire of those who just want this editor to be a completely minimalist affair, to keep it streamlined and working (and loading) as responsively as possible. I use Word, personally, so I want Notepad left alone as a truly lightweight alternative – its original design concept – although I realize that's not going to be true for everyone, of course.

Still, there's no shortage of people complaining that Notepad is in danger of becoming bloated – or indeed, that this is already pretty much the case, as has been made clear in the past – but it doesn't seem like Microsoft is done adding features.

Indeed, having canned WordPad – which was the halfway point between Notepad and the full Word experience – back in 2024, Microsoft appears to be slowly making Notepad more like its now-departed sibling.

• Zorin OS has racked up a million downloads in the past month
• That's ever since Zorin OS 18 emerged on the same day Microsoft ceased support for Windows 10
• It appears to suggest a lot of Windows 10 defectors heading to this Linux distro, but we must be careful with the figures here

A critically-acclaimed flavor of Linux is apparently doing very well indeed in terms of attracting defectors from Microsoft's desktop ecosystem following the end of support for Windows 10.

Tom's Hardware spotted that the developer of Zorin OS has again been boasting about the number of downloads it has accrued, following version 18 of the Linux distro drumming up 100,000 downloads in just two days after its release.

However, that's now hit a million, as we're told in a blog post: "We're thrilled to announce that Zorin OS 18 has amassed 1 million downloads in just over a month since its release, breaking all previous records."

The developer of Zorin further points out that based on its data for these downloads, 78% of them are from Windows PCs, suggesting that a good deal of these people are migrants from Microsoft's OS to Linux.

So, in around five weeks, that's a million more Zorin OS recruits – or is it? Well, no, not exactly – and I'll discuss why next – but it's still an impressive number to have amassed in just over a month since Microsoft ceased providing official support for Windows 10.

Analysis: an impressive achievement – with some caveats

While Zorin OS may have had a million downloads since version 18 of the distro was released, on exactly the same day that Microsoft dropped official support for Windows 10, obviously that doesn't reflect a million Windows users fleeing to the Linux hills.

We're told that 78% of downloads originate from Windows PCs, so that's around 780,000 folks in theory – but just because Zorin OS was pulled from the internet on a Windows PC doesn't mean that a person is migrating from Windows to Linux on that computer. A person in this boat may have multiple PCs, for example, and they might be downloading on one machine to install on another (non-Windows system). Or they might be curious about Zorin, perhaps enough to download it, but not actually bothering installing the OS (or give it a quick whirl, and give up).

You get the point anyway: there are a number of potential reasons and scenarios for a download that don't necessarily translate into a new Zorin user going forward, or necessarily mean that a person is abandoning Windows just because the Linux distro was downloaded on a Microsoft PC.

Still, it's a fair bet that this does represent a hefty chunk of defectors from Windows 10 who don't want to upgrade to Windows 11 (or can't do so due to the steeper hardware requirements therein). Especially given that one of Zorin's strengths is that it's built to be friendly for such defectors, with a suitably Windows-like desktop environment. Note that we rate the 'Lite' version of Zorin as the top Linux distro for those with an older PC, and that may well represent a good number of these OS migrants.

How many might stick with Zorin going forward is another matter, perhaps, but for now, Zorin OS is making considerable hay after the sun has set on Windows 10. And that's despite extended support being available for Microsoft's OS, allowing for a further year of usage through to October 2026, it should be noted – and all this may give Microsoft something to worry about in that light.

Certainly if this kind of activity continues, and does so more broadly away from Zorin – it'll be interesting to see if we hear from other Linux distros with similar tales of bolstered ranks in the next couple of months.