Linux Weekly News

This release includes several large extensions to what code running in const contexts can do. This refers to all code that the compiler has to evaluate at compile-time: the initial value of const and static items, array lengths, enum discriminant values, const generic arguments, and functions callable from such contexts (const fn).

There are also quite a few new stabilized APIs.

This is the first wireless Internet router designed and built with your software freedom and right to repair in mind. The OpenWrt One will never be locked down and is forever unbrickable. This device services your needs as its owner and user. Everyone deserves control of their computing. The OpenWrt One takes a great first step toward bringing software rights to your home: you can control your own network with the software of your choice, and ensure your right to change, modify, and repair it as you like.

Earlier today, one of our subscribers, anselm, posted the one millionth item in our database during a discussion in the comments about the GPL. One million articles and comments is a big milestone — one representing twenty two years of work by both the editors of LWN and the community. I think reaching this milestone on Thanksgiving is a lovely coincidental reminder of how far LWN has come, and how that wouldn't have been possible without your support. So thank you for reading.

Version 8 of the Ubuntu-based elementary OS has been released. This release includes a rewritten Dock, new window-management features, improvements in the installation and initial setup procedures for visually impaired users, as well as a new Secure Session mode:

Arch Linux is popular as a base for other Linux distributions; examples of Arch-derivatives include EndeavourOS, Manjaro, Parabola, and SteamOS. There's one small problem: the control files used to describe how to build packages for Arch Linux have no stated license. That creates a bit of uncertainty about the rights and responsibilities for the downstream derivatives. So far, that doesn't seem to have been a problem, nor has it stopped other projects from assuming that reuse is allowed. However, the Arch project is looking to add some clarity by explicitly assigning a liberal license to its package sources. Currently the project is in the process of reaching out to contributors to see if they have any objections.

Mozilla has announced the release of Firefox 133.0. Notable in this release is the addition of a new anti-tracking feature, Bounce Tracking Protection, which detects trackers based on redirect behavior and automatically purges their cookies and site data to thwart tracking. The release also includes various security fixes and more.

The Linux Foundation Technical Advisory Board (TAB) has decided to "restrict Kent Overstreet's participation in the kernel development process during the Linux 6.13 kernel development cycle" based on a recommendation from the Code of Conduct committee. In particular, the scope of the restriction will be to "decline all pull requests from Kent Overstreet" during the development cycle. Overstreet is the creator and maintainer of the bcachefs filesystem.

This action stems from a message Overstreet posted back in early September that was abusive toward another kernel developer; there is a fair amount of back-and-forth about the incident and the committee's attempts to extract a public apology from Overstreet in that thread. Overstreet has published a lengthy blog post describing his side of the story.

The Linux kernel community's discussions about including Rust have gotten a lot of attention, but the kernel is not the only project wrestling with the question of whether to allow Rust. The Git project discussed the prospect in January, and then again at the Git Contributor's Summit in September. Complicating the discussion is the Git project's lack of a policy on platform support, and the fact that it does already have tools written in other languages. While the project has not committed to using or avoiding Rust, it seems like only a matter of time until maintainers will have to make a decision.

The 6.12.1, 6.11.10, 6.6.63, and 6.1.119 stable kernel updates have been released. As always, they contain important fixes.