Issue #215 / Oct 2018

I get this familiar feeling whenever an election year rolls around. I guess it is kind of like despair mixed with something more proactive, like maybe annoyance. I'm not talking about politics exactly, although I will admit that politics get pretty annoying. What really concerns me now is the backward nature of voting technology and the sense that nothing ever gets done about it.

This month’s DVD is the 2018 edition of the Linux Magazine Archive DVD – every article from all previous issues of Linux Magazine on a single, searchable disc. 

This month in the news: Chromebooks support Debian applications, Opera embraces Snap for Linux, Canonical fixes boot failure issues in Ubuntu, weird unofficial LibreOffice version shows up in the Microsoft Store, new version of the Spectre vulnerability allows attack from the network, and SUSE sold for $2.5 Billion. 

Zack discusses the new GNSS GPS subsystem, new LoRaWAN subsystem, tracking compiler dependencies at config time, and uninlining for Debugging. 

The Firefox browser is not so private under its default settings, but several add-ons and configuration settings will help you keep the spies in the dark.

You don't have to dig deep into your toolbox to protect your privacy: With a few simple tricks, you can disable the webcam and microphone and permanently delete data from your hard disk.

Cloud storage services help with data synchronization across multiple computers, but they do not usually provide encryption. Cryptomator adds encryption to the cloud storage environment.

RSS feed readers bring order and clarity to the jungle of new news.

Turn your music player into open hardware with Rockbox's free firmware.

In an effort to meet modern computing needs, zstd offers a greater degree of compression at a faster compression rate, with unique options to enhance performance.