LINUX FORMAT

The #1 open source mag

MEET THE TEAM

This issue, we’re setting up a Jellyfin media server – that was Neil’s first ever Linux-based project. What first got you installing Linux back in the day?

At your service

I recently expanded my home server’s RAID to

Free Software Foundation celebrates GNU at 40

Since 1983, GNU has formed the backbone of key computer systems. The FSF reflects on all that’s great about copyleft and free software.

Gnome 45 is coming

Gnome 45 ‘Rīga’ focuses on improved performance plus overhauling windows and file management.

From Terraform to OpenTofu

OpenTofu is now overseen by the Linux Foundation.

CODEC COUP

Benjamin Gaignard is a senior software engineer at

Download manager was trojaned

Team issues script to check if Linux systems have been compromised.

Millions of LibreOffice!

The LibreOffice suite soars in popularity.

AV1 decoder

Kernel support for AV1 uAPI and stateless video decoders.

Distro watch

What’s behind the free software sofa?

SECURITY FIRST

Italo Vignoli is one of the LibreOffice and

MAC MAGIC

Jon Masters is a kernel hacker who’s been

Kernel Watch

Jon Masters keeps up with all the latest happenings in the Linux kernel, so you don’t have to.

ONGOING DEVELOPMENT

RISC-V patches include an updated (version 9) series

Answers

Got a burning question about open source or the kernel? Whatever your level, email it to answers@linuxformat.com

Mailserver

WRITE TO US Do you have a burning

LETTER OF THE MONTH

FOCAL point

Xournal++

HANDWRITTEN NOTES

Parallel Disk Usage

Version: 0.9.0 Web: https://crates.io/crates/parallel-disk-usage Linux has

Mission Center

Version: 0.3.1 Web: https://missioncenter.io System admins go

Floorp

Version: 11.1.2 Web: https://floorp.app F irefox

Ferdium

Version: 6.4.1 Web: https://ferdium.org The idea

HopToDesk

Version: 1.40.5 Web: www.hoptodesk.com There are

Touché

Version: 2.0.9 Web: https://github . com/JoseExposito/touche If

Sonic Robo Blast 2

SRB2 lets you relive the original, and playing

Fheroes2

Version: 1.0.7 Web: https://ihhub.github.io/fheroes2 Another classic

Ulauncher

Version: 5.15.3 Web: https://ulauncher.io The search

AlbumEasy

Version: 4.5.0 Web: www.thestampweb.com/albumeasy If you

Seagate FireCuda 540

Chris Szewczyk finds high performance and peace of mind. At a price.

AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT

Introducing a multi-chip RX 6800 XT for less – and Dave James thinks that it’s actually the best £500 GPU around.

Qubes 4.1.2

Nate Drake explores the apex of Linux security: an OS that divides all your apps into colour-coded, isolated virtual machines.

Mageia 9

Nate Drake visits the spiritual successor to Mandriva Linux and comes away enchanted.

Ubuntu 23.10

Nate Drake dives into the labyrinth and finds Canonical has released another solid offering with its Mantic Minotaur iteration of Ubuntu.

Old World

A 4X (Explore, Expand, Exploit and Exterminate) game? Management is all ears and demands Fraser Brown plays it.

Fediverse servers

Looking to create your own online community? The fediverse is for you. David Rutland tests the best self-hosted fediverse servers available.

Ease of deployment

How quickly can you set up a server?

Hardware requirements

Will it run on your old box?

Customising and special features

What is it that makes these fediverse server types stand out above the rest?

Customisation options

Make your instance truly unique.

Fediverse to go

Social media lives in the palm of your hand.

Moderation and safety

No one wants a server full of filth.

Holding a conversation

Talking is the best way to be social.

The Verdict

Fediverse servers

STREAMING MADE EASY!

Bring together all your film, TV, music, audiobook and photo streaming needs under one roof. Nick Peers shows you how.

Install Jellyfin

Get set up and ensure your media files are organised correctly.

Stream films, TV and music

Jellyfin can cover almost all of your media streaming needs…

Back up and view photos and videos

Ditch the expensive subscription and back up (and stream) photos locally.

Stream audiobooks from your server

Why pay for Audible when you can host your own collection?

Astro Pi Mission Zero blasts off into 2024!

Go out of this world and enter the new competition for young coders that’s now on!

Pi-almOS PDA

Alive once more!

The Pi Beret!

Adafruit EYESPI Pi.

RASPBERRY PI STILL RULES

Les Pounder works with groups such as the

Raspberry Pi 5

The first new flagship in four years has Les Pounder and Avram Piltch fighting over who gets first dibs on the latest SBC.

Play Steam games on your Raspberry Pi

Les Pounder has just had his living room redecorated after a nasty flood – what better way to celebrate than by shooting aliens?

A BIG BANG!

Matt Holder discovers what System76’s Cosmic desktop and Pop!_OS distribution have to offer.

Fast file management

Shashank Sharma may be a gamophobe but he has no fear in admitting his commitment to the CLI thanks to the many wonderful tools on offer.

Take command of your photo collection

Nick Peers reveals how to organise your photos, plus improve, repair and enhance them – all with a single tool.

Twenty years of WordPress websites!

In the first part of this new series, Michael Reed takes a look at what the content management system WordPress can serve up.

How to enjoy free streaming TV

Perfect your media server install by adding your own bespoke collection of streaming TV channels. Neil Mohr is your channel-hopping guide.

COBOL: still going after all these years

It might have appeared back in 1959 and look odd compared to today’s languages, but COBOL is still fuelling business, Mike Bedford reports.

Reviving the BBC Domesday Project

Matt Holder discovers how the BBC’s Domesday Project was nearly lost to recent history and how a group of volunteers are bringing it back to life.

ORANGE VS RED

Stuart Burns is a Linux administrator for a

Red Hat says no more Screen time for you!

With the end of Screen in sight, it’s time to use Tmux. Our man in the bowels of the server room explains.

Beware of geeks bearing gifts

We’re still trying to work out why you need a download manager anyway…

Seek and ye shall locate

How to find files in Linux using Find, Locate and Grep…

NordVPN

Mike Williams puts one of the big-name VPNs under his microscope.

Cargo

A website builder with a user-friendly interface and customisable features – Ruby P Jane is suitably impressed.

Seventh level of networking

Understanding networking needn’t be hell. Darien Graham-Smith takes us through the ISO OSI model that runs it all!

Visualise smart- home sensor data

Matt Holder investigates how to take data from an API and display it in a home-built interface.

Write GUI apps in Pascal with Lazarus

David Bolton explains how to get started with Lazarus and Free Pascal to develop GUI applications running on Linux.