Sparkling gems and new releases from the world of Free and Open Source Software
FOSSPicks
This month Graham looks at Firefly Synth, Faircamp, Gnome Web, GPlates, Flowblade, CorsixTH, and more!
After 88 issues, and over 1,000 individual picks, this is Graham's last FOSSPicks after finally deciding to pass the baton to the next generation of FOSS-picking practitioners.
Polyphonic sound generation
Firefly Synth
This wouldn't be FOSSPicks without a new open source software synthesizer, and this time it's Firefly Synth's turn – which isn't a synth designed to recreate the sound of flying insects. Instead, it's capable of producing a huge range of powerfully complex sounds, from beautifully warm analog strings and brass-like melodies to percussion and eardrum-piercing leads. It does all this from a user interface totally unlike any other software synth, replacing skeuomorphism with practical and instant access to dozens of its features. The only downside is that there are so many features, it's difficult to cram them all into the user interface, making it all look more complicated than it really is.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Working Exploit for a Linux Kernel Flaw Made Public
Even before a bug received its CVE identifier or an upstream fix, the local privilege escalation vulnerability exploit found its way into the wild.
-
r/opensource Bans AI-Assisted and AI-Related Projects
The de facto subreddit for all things open source has not only banned AI-related projects but also users who "don't speak English."
-
Bottlenecks Discovered by Meta Engineers Lead to Scalability Improvements
Thanks to a small group of engineers at Meta, the Linux kernel module kernfs has been improved, which has led to some serious gains.
-
PwnEscape Poses VM Vulnerability
A guest-to-host escape flaw in Linux KVM, named PwnEscape, might be yet another means of attacking Linux.
-
Linux Mint 27 Set for a Christmas Release
The developers behind Linux Mint have announced a Christmas release, and it looks like Santa's sack will be brimming with features.
-
Is Linus Torvalds Vibe Coding?
The creator of Linux has added AI into his process for Linux kernel development, and it's more than just for debugging.
-
openKylin 3.0 Released with Expanded AI Integration
The latest release features a pre-installed AI agent to help perform tasks.
-
DigitalOcean Ends Open Source Credits Program
In a change that has surprised many open source developers, DigitalOcean has decided to sunset its Open Source Credits Program.
-
Office 365 Available for Testing on Linux via Bottles
Linux users can now test the official Office 365, thanks to Mirko Brombin's work on Bottles.
-
Dutch Government Turns to Open Source for Digital Sovereignty
Following in the footsteps of other European countries, the Netherlands is looking to increase its sovereign digital infrastructure with open source software.