Vanilla OS 2 Orchid Available

It's been a year in the making but Vanilla OS 2 Orchid has been officially released. This time around, the developers have completely rewritten the operating system with a focus on simplicity and performance.

The developers approached version 2 based on three fundamental concepts: reliability, safety, and coolness. On the reliability side of things, the focus is on what matters most without interruption, whether that's managing new projects, viewing media, or creating content.

Orchid protects critical components from unauthorized access by placing all activities within an isolated space. Also, data is encrypted and the boot process has been verified against tampering. For coolness, you'll find a modern UI that makes it easy for any user (of any skill) to feel right at home on the desktop.

Orchid ensures the system is always up-to-date, a process that happens in the background, so it never interrupts you. Users can set the update frequency to best meet their needs.

Vanilla OS 2 supports multiple graphic cards and, with the help of the new PRIME Utility, you can switch between integrated and discrete GPUs based on need. Orchid also is compatible with Linux apps, Android apps, Steam games, and much more.

Developers haven't been forgotten either. Thanks to the new APX feature, developers can create customized Linux environments that are seamlessly integrated with the system. You can read more about this powerful tool here: https://vanillaos.org/blog/article/2024-07-11/discover-apx-v2-the-new-essential-tool-for-developers-and-creators-on-vanilla-os-orchid.

You can download the latest release of Vanilla OS from the official website (https://vanillaos.org/blog/article/2024-07-11/discover-apx-v2-the-new-essential-tool-for-developers-and-creators-on-vanilla-os-orchid) and view the release announcement to find out more: https://vanillaos.org/blog/article/2024-07-28/vanilla-os-2-orchid---stable-release.

Debian-Based eLxr Distribution Announced for Edge Deployments

The eLxr project has released an open source, enterprise-grade Linux distribution for near-edge networks and workloads.

According to the website, Debian-based eLxr provides a secure and stable edge distribution, with a predictable release and update cadence that ensures its suitability for long life cycles and long-term deployments.

eLxr features include:

• Consistent performance and stability, whether on device, on-premises, or in the cloud.
• Hardware optimization for better performance and overall system integrity throughout the life cycle.
• Smaller footprint for better performance, optimized workloads, and smaller attack surface.
• Built-in security features and dedicated hardware features including secure boot, Trusted Platform Module (TPM), cryptographic engine, and more.

"With eLxr, the power and stability of Debian and its community serve as the foundation for edge-to-cloud deployments, delivering an enterprise-grade Linux distribution tailored for non-traditional use cases," says Mark Asselstine, Principal Technologist, Wind River Systems, which contributed the initial eLxr release.

eLxr offers a strategic advantage for enterprises aiming to optimize their edge deployments, the announcement states (https://elxr.org/post/elxr-announcement/), by providing "a seamless operating environment across devices."

"This project unifies the enterprise tech stack, ensuring accessibility and scalability across edge and server projects while fostering innovation in areas such as near-edge networks," Asselstine notes.

Additionally, eLxr aims to attract a broad range of users and contributors who value both innovation and community-driven development. The eLxr project's mission is focused on accessibility, innovation, and maintaining the integrity of open source software. These commitments help ensure that users benefit from a freely available Linux without proprietary restrictions.

Learn more at eLxr: https://elxr.org/.

NVIDIA Releases Driver for Upcoming NVIDIA 560 GPU for Linux

Along with the release of the new NVIDIA 560 series of GPUs, the installer for the driver includes the new NVIDIA open-source GPU kernel modules.

Two years ago, NVIDIA released the first GPU driver to include kernel modules with the goal of replacing the proprietary, closed-source drivers. Since then, the modules have matured enough that the NVIDIA 560 series will default to the open source kernel modules.

As well, these new modules aim to add support for the EGL_KHR_platform_x11 and EGL_EXT_platform_xcb extensions for Xwayland as well as a PipeWire back end to enable NvFBC to work with Wayland compositors.

Other highlights include support for multiple concurrent clients to NvFBC direct capture, support for DRM-DMS explicit synchronization via the IN_FENCE_FD mode, support for variable refresh rates for Wayland with pre-Volta GPUs, as well as plenty of bug fixes.

The new NVIDIA installer will default to the new open source kernel modules on systems with GPUs that support both proprietary and open kernel modules.

Supported GPUs include GeForce RTX 40/30/20 series, MX500/400/300/200/100 series, GTX 16 series, GeForce 16/10 series, GeForce 900/900M/800M/700 series, and more.

You can learn more about the new NVIDIA display driver in the official release notes (https://www.nvidia.com/Download/driverResults.aspx/230225/en-us/).