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● 11.27.21

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● Links 27/11/2021: Nvidia’s DLSS Hype and Why GNU/Linux Matters

Posted in News Roundup at 4:35 pm by Dr. Roy SchestowitzContentsGNU/LinuxDistributionsDevices/EmbeddedFree Software/Open SourceLeftovers

GNU/Linux

Desktop/Laptop

=> ↺ What Is Linux and Why Is It Important?

• Linux is technically not a desktop operating system, but a kernel. The kernel is the part of your computer that enables physical hardware to communicate with what’s on-screen. The kernel is the reason text appears when you type, the cursor moves when you stroke the touchpad, and images appear on your monitor.

• In the early days of computing, programmers freely shared code and programs. This started to change when corporate entities like IBM, Apple, and Microsoft started to release copyrighted code that users couldn’t view and came with restrictions on use. In response, the GNU Project was formed as an effort to create a fully functional computer powered by software that was still freely shared and distributed.

Server

=> ↺ AWS Embraces Fedora Linux for Its Cloud-Based ‘Amazon Linux’

Audiocasts/Shows

=> ↺ KDE Devs Reacts to The Linux Experiment’s Review of KDE Plasma – Kockatoo Tube

• Regarding the lag: as I say in the video, I switched to OBS but that means my computer is not able to live encode everything, thus the technical issues. Sorry about that, and I’ve bought a new laptop to address it!

=> ↺ Full-Time Linux Users React to the Linus Daily Driver Challenge Video – Invidious

=> ↺ If you do these 5 things… You should NOT use Linux – Invidious

Kernel Space

=> ↺ Futex2 Brings Linux Gaming To The Next Level – Invidious

• Futex2 has been a work in progress by Valve and collabora for a very long time and it seems like it’s finally going to make it’s way into the kernel.

=> ↺ Patch out for Alder Lake Linux bug that reminds of the Windows 11 Ryzen CPPC issue – Neowin

• Linux boss Linus Torvalds merged earlier today several important patches for Intel CPU generally related to performance states (P-states) on Linux.

=> ↺ Linux 5.16 Merges Fix For One Of The Intel Alder Lake Issues – Phoronix

• Merged this Friday afternoon into the Linux 5.16 development kernel is fixing a performance issue affecting some Intel Alder Lake motherboards.

• The fix merged a short time ago is the item previously covered within Linux ITMT Patch Fixes Intel “Alder Lake” Hybrid Handling For Some Systems.

• As explained in that prior article, TurboBoost Max 3.0 / ITMT (Turbo Boost Max Technology) code within the kernel isn’t being enabled for some systems, particularly if overclocking or even any memory XMP / optimal settings. The ASUS Z690 board I’ve been primarily using for the i9-12900K was affected as are numerous other boards. I’ve also heard reports of some motherboards running purely stock are even having this issue.

=> ↺ Intel Preparing USI Stylus Support For Linux – Phoronix

• Intel open-source driver engineers have been working on USI stylus support for the Linux kernel. The Universal Stylus Initiative (USI) aims to offer interoperability of active styluses across touchscreen devices.

• The Universal Stylus Initiative has a goal of allowing all styluses that comply with USI to work across devices. USI is backed by the likes of Google who wants to see USI working uniformally across Chromebooks, Dell and other hardware vendors, Intel is also involved and leading the upstream Linux support patches, and peripheral vendors like Logitech are also supporting the standard. Other big names like Wacom, Samsung, and many other players from desktop to laptops to mobile.

Graphics Stack

=> ↺ RenderDoc 1.17 Released For This Leading Open-Source Graphics Debugging Tool – Phoronix

• RenderDoc 1.17 released this week as the newest version of this leading cross-platform, cross-API graphics debugging utility.

• RendertDoc 1.17 continues to be a gem for developers working with Vulkan and OpenGL along with Direct3D 11/12. RenderDoc as the MIT-licensed frame-capture-based graphics debugger works extremely well for game/engine developers as well as GPU driver developers in working through different issues.

=> ↺ DMA-BUF Feedback Support For Wayland Lands In Mesa 22.0′s EGL Code – Phoronix

• Landing in Mesa on Black Friday was DMA-BUF Feedback support within the EGL code as another important step forward for Wayland.

• Introduced earlier this week was Wayland Protocols 1.24 and the primary addition to that collection of protocols is DMA-BUF feedback support. The DMA-BUF “feedback” support is important for Wayland multi-GPU systems where needing to know more information about the GPU device used by the compositor and for being able to efficiently exchange buffers between the secondary and primary GPUs.

=> ↺ RADV Vulkan Driver Finally Adds VK_KHR_synchronization2 Support – Phoronix

• The Mesa Radeon Vulkan driver “RADV” has added support for the prominent VK_KHR_synchronization2 extension introduced earlier this year.

• Added back in February with Vulkan 1.2.170 was VK_KHR_synchronization2 for simplifying the core synchronization APIs of this industry-standard graphics API. VK_KHR_synchronization2 makes Vulkan synchronization handling easier to deal with Those interested in the changes with the “synchronization2″ revision can see this Khronos blog post going over the Vulkan synchronization handling in detail along with the changes from this extension.

Applications

=> ↺ Best Free and Open Source Alternatives to Corel WinZip

• Corel Corporation is a Canadian software company specializing in graphics processing. They are best known for developing CorelDRAW, a vector graphics editor. They are also notable for purchasing and developing AfterShot Pro, PaintShop Pro, Painter, Video Studio, MindManager, and WordPerfect.

• Corel has dabbled with Linux over the years. For example they produced Corel Linux, a Debian-based distribution which bundled Corel WordPerfect Office for Linux. While Corel effectively abandoned its Linux business in 2001 they are not completely Linux-phobic. For example, AfterShot Pro has an up to date Linux version albeit its proprietary software.

=> ↺ Wireshark 3.6.0 Network Protocol Analysis Software Released

• Recently, Wireshark has released a new version of its free and open-source packet analyzer, Wireshark 3.6.0, with all new features and protocols.

• Originally known as Ethereal, Wireshark has developed a reputation as one of the most reliable network protocol analyzers available out there. It captures packets in real time and display them in human-readable format.

• Wireshark is absolutely safe to use. Government agencies, corporations, non-profits, and educational institutions use Wireshark for troubleshooting and teaching purposes. Probably, there isn’t a better way to learn networking than to look at the traffic under the Wireshark microscope.

• On the other side, there are questions about the legality of Wireshark since it is a powerful packet sniffer. It captures network traffic on the local network and stores that data for offline analysis. Therefore, you should only use Wireshark on networks where you have permission to inspect network packets.

Instructionals/Technical

=> ↺ How To Install AMD Radeon Driver on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS – idroot

• In this tutorial, we will show you how to install AMD Radeon Driver on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. For those of you who didn’t know, Installing AMD Radeon drivers on the Ubuntu system is an easy task that can be done in less than a minute. Radeon driver is needed by your AMD Radeon Graphics GPU to function with better performance. Some Linux distributions offer the proprietary driver pre-packaged as part of its standard package repository making the entire AMD Radeon Linux Driver procedure extremely easy to follow.

• This article assumes you have at least basic knowledge of Linux, know how to use the shell, and most importantly, you host your site on your own VPS. The installation is quite simple and assumes you are running in the root account, if not you may need to add ‘sudo‘ to the commands to get root privileges. I will show you the step-by-step installation of the FreeOffice on Ubuntu 20.04 (Focal Fossa). You can follow the same instructions for Ubuntu 18.04, 16.04, and any other Debian-based distribution like Linux Mint.

=> ↺ What you need to know about disks and disk partitions in Linux – LinuxBSDos.com

• This is an update to A beginner’s guide to disks and disk partitions in Linux, which itself was an update to Guide to disks and disk partitions in Linux. It is intended to be an absolute beginner’s guide to understanding how disks and disk partitions are handled in Linux. This update adds info on NVMe SSDs.

• If you are migrating from Windows to Linux and are attempting to install any Linux distribution alongside Windows 10/11 on your computer, this article should come in handy. You’ll read about hard drive naming convention in Linux, how they are partitioned, partition tables, file systems and mount points.

• By the time you are through reading this, you should have a pretty good idea of what you are doing when installing your next Linux distribution on your laptop or desktop computer. An understanding of all the aspects concerning how a disk is referenced and partitioned will put you in a better position to troubleshoot installation and disk-related problems. Most of the highly technical terms associated with this subject have been omitted, so this should be an easy read.

=> ↺ How To Install PrestaShop on Debian 11 – idroot

• In this tutorial, we will show you how to install PrestaShop on Debian 11. For those of you who didn’t know, PrestaShop is a freemium, open-source e-commerce software. It lets you start your own online store with secure payments, multiple shipping methods, custom themes, and more. PrestaShop written in PHP is highly customizable, supports all the major payment services, is translated in many languages and localized for many countries, has a fully responsive design (both front and back-office), etc.

• This article assumes you have at least basic knowledge of Linux, know how to use the shell, and most importantly, you host your site on your own VPS. The installation is quite simple and assumes you are running in the root account, if not you may need to add ‘sudo‘ to the commands to get root privileges. I will show you through the step-by-step installation of PrestaShop e-commerce software on a Debian 11 (Bullseye).

=> ↺ How to Install Asterisk VoIP Server on Debian 11 | 10 – Linux Shout

• In this tutorial, we will discuss some of the steps and commands to install the Asterisk VoIP server on Debian 11 Bullseye or 10 Buster using the terminal to call over Android or iPhone using a local network.

=> ↺ How to install Docker-ce on Ubuntu 21.10 – NextGenTips

• In this tutorial am going to show you how you can install Docker-ce on Ubuntu 21.10.

• Docker is a set of platform as a service product that uses OS-level virtualization to deliver software in packages called containers. Containers are usually isolated from one another and bundled their own software libraries and configuration files, they can communicate with each other through well-defined channels.

• Docker makes it possible to get more apps running on the same old servers and also makes it easy to package and ship programs.

=> ↺ How to Uninstall Software On Ubuntu

• Regardless of the operating system you are using; there are multiple reasons why you might want to uninstall software. Maybe the software has become corrupted, and it doesn’t function the same as before, or your application is now virus-ridden, so uninstalling it is safe. There are times when you don’t use the software anymore, so you uninstall it to make space.

• We all know that Ubuntu and other Linux distros are different from the commonly used Windows. Users migrating from Windows to Ubuntu can find it hard navigating even the basic stuff. Uninstalling software can be tricky, so this article will help you understand the different ways you can bin software in Ubuntu.

=> ↺ How to Mount USB Drive on Linux

• We live in the modern age of technology where there are multiple important variables to keep track of. But arguably, the biggest variable today is “data”. With some maturing and emerging technologies, everything is being centered around the quantity and quality of data. Thus, gathering and protecting data has become paramount.

• These days, it’s quite common to see people carrying their data around at all times. Different devices and technologies are used for this purpose, including a certain device called USB (Universal Serial Bus).

• A USB is an electronic communication protocol (ECP) most commonly used for computer accessories and other small-end electronic devices, either for data transfer or power transfer. Although USBs are being phased out slowly due to technologies such as “Cloud Computing”, there is a sense of privacy and security with using USBs that you don’t get with other methods.

• Accessing USBs is straightforward. It is a plug-and-use device, so the stick only needs to be connected to your computer via a USB port. Usually, USBs mount themselves automatically to your system regardless of the operating system, but there are instances where there is a problem, and the USB refuses to connect.

• For such times, if you are using a Linux distro, it is best to use the Terminal and execute your way to mount the USB in your computer. This article will be guiding you on how exactly you can achieve this task.

• Although it is time-consuming, once you know how to mount a USB in Linux, you will feel lightened, and it will be easier for you to perform it the next time when needed. So follow these instructions to get a proper hang of it.

=> ↺ How do I change my homepage in WordPress?

• This brief tutorial explains how to change the homepage in WordPress. After reading this tutorial, you’ll learn the two common ways to define your website homepage by editing WordPress settings. This article also includes instructions to create a new page to set as a homepage or a posts page if you have not created a home page.

• All steps described in this tutorial include real screenshots and can be followed by any WordPress level user.

=> ↺ How do I Rename a Column in MySQL?

• MySQL is a popular database management system that provides the backbone for a huge portion of today’s internet. Developed and maintained by Oracle, MySQL is an open-source RDBMS (relational database management system) with a client-server model. It offers secure database storage, fast performance, and powerful features.

• This guide will showcase how to rename a column in MySQL.

=> ↺ What Are Environment Variables in Linux? Everything You Need to Know

• If you’ve been using Linux for a while, you may be wondering how to set certain parameters from the command line that can keep your settings across programs. Environment variables are how you do this.

• By the end, you’ll have a deep understanding of what environment variables are, and how you can create such variables from the command line.

=> ↺ SysMonTask – SparkyLinux

• There is a new application available for Sparkers: SysMonTask

Games

=> ↺ Godot Engine – Multiplayer in Godot 4.0: Scene Replication (part 1)

• It’s finally time for the long-awaited post about the new multiplayer replication system that is being developed for Godot 4.0. Below, we will introduce the concepts around which it was designed, the currently implemented prototype, and planned changes to make it more powerful and user-friendly.

• Making multiplayer games has historically been a complex task, requiring ad-hoc optimizations and game-specific solutions. Still, two main concepts are almost ubiquitous in multiplayer games: some form of messaging, and some form of state replication (synchronization and reconciliation).

• While Godot does provide a system for messaging (i.e. RPC), it does not provide a common system for replication.

• In this sense, we had quite a few #networking meetings in August 2021 to design a replication API that could be used for the common cases, while being extensible via plugins or custom code.

=> ↺ Proton 6.3-8 supports DLSS via DirectX 11 and 12 – LinuxStoney

• Competition has forced NVIDIA to take better care of the Linux desktop, a market in which it has traditionally swept by idling due to its rivals failing to do better. Luckily, the appearance of FidelityFX Super Resolution and the proximity of dedicated graphics from Intel and XeSS forced the green giant to move forward to bring DLSS to Proton, adopt Wayland standards and even publish as its rescaling technology Open Source .

• Now, with the release of Proton 6.3-8 (the latest version of the stable branch), Linux users can officially run DLSS via DirectX 11 and 12 , whose instructions are translated into Vulkan via DXVK and VKD3D respectively. To make use of this support, in the launch parameters of the game you have to put PROTON_USE_WINED3D=1 %command%, while in the file ‘ dxvk.conf ‘ you have to set the option ‘dxgi.nvapiHack’ to False ( dxgi.nvapiHack = False).

• Regarding Windows games that use Vulkan natively, such as DOOM Eternal, No Man’s Sky and Wolfenstein: Youngblood, NVIDIA already said at the time that they can make use of DLSS , its well-known supersampling technology supported by Artificial Intelligence. which is responsible for reducing the performance impact caused by ray tracing and opening the door to consolidate 4K and 8K resolutions in PC video games.

=> ↺ Nvidia’s DLSS Has Come To Linux Gaming

• Years after its failed Steam Machines, Valve is slowly but surely improving the state of Linux gaming.

=> ↺ Nvidia’s DLSS has come to Linux gaming (but not the Steam Deck obviously)

• Years after its failed Steam Machines, Valve is slowly but surely improving the state of Linux gaming. The company’s upcoming Steam Deck handheld runs atop Linux, and its Proton compatibility layer lets it — and other computers — play Windows games as well. Now, Valve has officially added support for Nvidia’s DLSS machine learning temporal upscaling technique to Proton, potentially bringing big FPS boosts and less flicker in games that support the technology.

=> ↺ NVIDIA DLSS Landing On Proton Is A Win For Linux Gaming But There Are Caveats

=> ↺ Proton now officially supports Nvidia DLSS, but it won’t come to Valve’s Steam Deck | PCGamesN

• Valve is paving the way for us to ditch Windows and dive into Linux PC gaming, as the Steam Deck leads the charge with SteamOS and its Proton compatibility layer. Now, with the release of Proton 6.3-8 (via Videocardz), the company hopes to tempt even more players to jump ship with official support for Nvidia DLSS.

• The proprietary upscaling technology can help boost fps in games like Call of Duty: Vanguard or Back 4 Blood, without sacrificing much in the way of image quality. Unfortunately, team green’s upscaling technology won’t be supported on the Steam Deck as it uses an AMD Zen2-based SoC, and Nvidia DLSS requires an RTX chip.

=> ↺ Nvidia DLSS Upscaling Will Not Be Compatible With Steam Deck

• Upscaling is fast becoming the industry standard in modern AAA gaming, if it isn’t already. Nvidia and AMD have their own versions, with Intel working on one for its upcoming range of GPUs, though “team green’s” algorithm is probably the more popular one. The likes of Back 4 Blood use Nvidia’s DLSS, or Deep Learning Super Sampling, with the purpose to improve visual fidelity using machine learning. However, not every system is going to be compatible with it, as it turns out that Valve’s upcoming Steam Deck handheld PC won’t have this specific upscaling technology.

• According to a recent report, it won’t be possible for the Steam Deck to use DLSS, which may be a concern for some people. However, the reason why is quite simple. Nvidia’s technology requires one of its own graphics cards, specifically one from the RTX range, such as the RTX 3070 Ti for example. Given that the Deck uses an AMD product under the hood, it won’t be compatible with the rival upscaling algorithm. But that does mean it can run AMD’s own FidelityFX Super Resolution, or FSR, instead so it will still have upscaling, just not Nvidia’s. It’s also possible that it could be compatible with Intel’s upcoming Xe Super Sampling as well.

Desktop Environments/WMs

K Desktop Environment/KDE SC/Qt

=> ↺ October/November in KDE Itinerary

• Since the last summary KDE Itinerary has been moving with big steps towards the upcoming 21.12 release, with work on individual transport modes, more convenient ticket access, trip editing, a new health certificate UI, better transfer handling and many more improvements.

• Current ticket access

• A small but very convenient new addition is the “Current ticket” action, which immediately navigates you to the details page of the most current element on the itinerary. That comes in handy when having to show or scan your ticket and avoids having to find the right entry in the list in a rush.

• This action is now also accessible from jump list actions in the taskbar on Linux, or app shortcuts on Android. Combined with the easily accessible barcode scanmode mentioned last time it’s now just two clicks or taps to get ready for a ticket check.

GNOME Desktop/GTK

=> ↺ ColorTint Adds Translucent Overlay To Help People with Dyslexia, Scopic Sensitivity | UbuntuHandbook

• For people with dyslexia, scopic sensitivity, and related conditions, GNOME has an extension to adds a a translucent colored overlay over your desktop that may help.

• It’s ‘ColorTint’ that adds an indicator applet in system tray area. User may click the drop down menu options to enable/disable the overlay, change the color via RGB slider bar, and adjust transparency via the Alpha slider.

Distributions

BSD

=> ↺ GhostBSD 21.11.24 Update Download – itsfoss.net

• The release of the desktop-oriented distribution kit GhostBSD 21.11.24 , built on the basis of FreeBSD 13-STABLE and offering a user environment MATE, has been published. By default, GhostBSD uses the ZFS file system. Both work in Live-mode and installation on a hard disk are supported (using its own installer ginstall, written in Python). Boot images are built for the x86_64 architecture (2.6 GB).

• The new version includes the ghostbsd-version utility to display the version of GhostBSD, the base FreeBSD version, the FreeBSD kernel used and the system environment. The repos package has been added to the repository with information about the current version of the repository. On the system, version information has been added to the / etc / version file updated by the ghostbsd-build toolkit and the update installation manager. In the dialog shown after the installation of updates is complete, the restart button is now displayed first on the right.

Devices/Embedded

Open Hardware/Modding

=> ↺ Ham Radio Gets Brain Transplant | Hackaday

• Old radios didn’t have much in the way of smarts. But as digital synthesis became more common, radios often had as much digital electronics in them as RF circuits. The problem is that digital electronics get better and better every year, so what looked like high-tech one year is quaint the next. [IMSAI Guy] had an Icom IC-245 and decided to replace the digital electronics inside with — among other things — an Arduino.

=> ↺ My phone – November 2021

• My current phone is the Google Pixel 3a from 2019. It’s running the LineageOS operating system without the Open GApps stack (GApps is short for “Google Apps”). This means there’s no proprietary software or tracking from Google on the phone by default.

=> ↺ PiGlass V2 Embraces The New Raspberry Pi Zero 2 | Hackaday

• Well, that certainly didn’t take long. It’s been just about a month since the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 hit the market, and we’re already seeing folks revisit old projects to reap the benefits of the drop-in upgrade that provides five times the computational power in the same form factor.

• Take for example the PiGlass v2 that [Matt] has been working on. He originally put the Pi Zero wearable together back in 2018, and while it featured plenty of bells and whistles like a VuFine+ display, 5 MP camera, and bone conduction audio, the rather anemic hardware of the original Zero kept it from reaching its true potential.

Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

=> ↺ Samsung One UI 4.0 (Android 12) update tracker: Eligible devices & more

=> ↺ Android 12 doesn’t have to be what you see on Google’s Pixel phones | Android Central

=> ↺ Xiaomi certifies a new budget Redmi smartphone running Android 11 and MIUI 12.5 with a 50 MP camera – NotebookCheck.net News

=> ↺ How To Use Android’s Focus Mode To Avoid Distracting Notifications

=> ↺ The 6 Best Wi-Fi Analyzer Apps for Android

=> ↺ Act fast, charge faster: Spigen dual USB-C wall charger is here to rescue Android devices for $23, 36% off | Android Central

=> ↺ The Best New Games for Android This Week – Peace, Death! 2 and Jump Jerboa – Droid Gamers

=> ↺ 3 Simple Steps to Declutter Your Android Phone Without Regrets

=> ↺ 2022 could bring the biggest change ever for Android smartphones, but you won’t even notice it | TechRadar

=> ↺ 5 Android apps you shouldn’t miss this week – Android Apps Weekly

Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

=> ↺ Libreboot 20211122 Released, a completely free Coreboot distribution – itsfoss.net

• Published release free firmware boot Libreboot 20,211,122 . This is the third release of the GNU Project and continues to be touted as a test release as it requires additional stabilization and testing. Libreboot develops a completely free project fork of the CoreBoot, providing a binary-stripped replacement for proprietary UEFI firmware and BIOS that are responsible for initializing CPU, memory, peripherals and other hardware components.

• Libreboot is aimed at creating a system environment that allows you to completely do without proprietary software, not only at the operating system level, but also firmware that provides loading. Libreboot not only removes non-free components from CoreBoot, but also enhances it with tools to make it easier for end users to use, creating a distribution that can be used by any user with no special skills.

FSF

GNU Projects

=> ↺ Loongson Posts Patch Series For Bringing Up LoongArch In GCC Compiler – Phoronix

• China’s Loongson continues bringing up LoongArch processor support for Linux with this MIPS64-based ISA now seeing the complete patch series for review to enable the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC).

• For months Loongson has been working on LoongArch support for the Linux kernel to varying extents from the new CPU ISA functionality to copying a lot of existing MIPS64 code and adding in new IDs. That Linux kernel support is still in the works.

Programming/Development

=> ↺ An Introduction to MATLAB: Structure and Application

• Programming is the core of a modern computer. You can not even think of an alive computer without programming. There are several languages to do computer programming, and each of them has its special field. Some are known for scientific computation, and some are specialized for making the building blocks of an operating system. MATLAB is also a very popular programming language. Today we are going to get an absolute introduction to MATLAB and its wide application in today’s world.

• Although there is a wide variety of programming languages available there in the virtual world, we have chosen MATLAB for several important reasons. It is a compact language for heavy-duty works. We are going to discover each and every detail of MATLAB in this journey. Stay with us to learn. The more you know, the more you grow.

Perl/Raku

=> ↺ p6steve: raku at Monterey Docks (part II)

Python

=> ↺ Convert a String to JSON Python

• In Python, strings are a series of elements or items. The strings are unchangeable objects. We cannot change the string after their declaration. “JavaScript Object Notation” is the full form of JSON. In Python, the ‘JSON files contain information that is readable for humans. The elements appear in the form of pairs.

• In web APIs, the information we send and receive is usually in the form of a dictionary string. To utilize this information, we extract consequential data. For this, we have to convert this information to dictionary format for more operations. JSON provides several techniques for serializing and deserializing “JSON”. The process of changing the string to “JSON” is called serializing. And the process of converting the JSON to a string is known as deserializing. Serialization is the opposite of deserialization. Several methods are used to convert strings to JSON.

=> ↺ How Do You Repeat a String n Times in Python?

• In Python, we utilize the asterisk operator to repeat a string. This operator is indicated by a “*” sign. This operator iterates the string n (number) of times. The “n” is an integer value. After repetition, a new string is created. The operation requires two arguments: a string and an integer value. We multiplied the string by a specific number for the repetition of string n times. Repeating the string merges the copy into an identical string. The asterisk operator repeats the string up to a definite length.

=> ↺ How Do I Check If a String Is Empty in Python?

• The strings are unchangeable. We cannot modify the string after defining it. Different operations are performed on strings. If we have a string that contains only whitespaces in it, that string is not considered empty. It contains the size of the non-zero value. So, if len() method and “not” operator is applied on this type of string, it considers whitespace as an element of the string. Sometimes in Python, we want to check whether the specified string is blank or not. To check the emptiness of the given string, use the “not” operator to utilize the variable of string instead of a condition, or utilize the equal operator to match an empty string. Now, we are going to explain numerous methods…

C++

=> ↺ Static Method C++

• A method in C++ is also known as a function, and using methods in C++ promotes the concept of modular programming and code reusability. It means the methods that are once written can be called repetitively for as many times as needed without having the necessity of writing them every time.

=> ↺ C++ Unsigned Integers

• The integer data type in C++ is further divided into many sub-types. One such sub-type is the unsigned integers. The unsigned integers are capable of storing only the positive whole numbers. The unsigned integers in C++ are preferred while manipulating bits in operating systems since you have limited storage space. Moreover, they can also be used for array indexing since the index of an array can never be negative. This article is devoted to the discussion of the unsigned integers in C++ in Ubuntu 20.04.

=> ↺ C++ Getline function

• Getline() is used to get the input string from the user in one or more lines until a special character comes (delimiter). It is a predefined function and uses a library in the program, as its definition is present inside the library’s header file.

=> ↺ C++ Pointer Arithmetic

• Within mathematics, we have always used the term raise to the power for calculating a number having some power exponent on it. This can be said as (base number) raise to the power (exponent). How an exponent can be used for raising a number to a certain power in C++ is discussed in this article.

=> ↺ Exponents in C++ to Raise a Number in Power

• Within mathematics, we have always used the term raise to the power for calculating a number having some power exponent on it. This can be said as (base number) raise to the power (exponent). So, within today’s article, we will see how an exponent can be used for raising a number to a certain power in C++. Make sure to have a G++ compiler already installed and configured on your Linux operating system. Let’s start implementing today’s article by opening the shell terminal using the shortcut “Ctrl+Alt+T”. As the terminal is opened now, we can start implementing our examples.

=> ↺ Bit masking in C++

• Bit masking is a process that is used to access a specific bit in the bytes of data. This phenomenon is used when you are performing the process of iteration. A bitmask is said to be a mask of a sequence of N –bits that are used to encode a part of our collection.

• These elements of the mask can be set or cannot be. There are bitwise operators to create or toggle the bits. These operators are used to turn on the off bit or vice-versa. To use the C++ programs in executing them on Linux, you need to have the Ubuntu file configured and in running state. Moreover, the user must have some knowledge of the C++ language. C++ source codes are written in the text editor. Whereas for the execution process, use the Ubuntu terminal.

• A bitmask is also said to be a simple mask that is a sequence of n bits. It encodes the subset of the collection. The element ‘I’ is present in the subset of the ‘ith’ bit is set in the mask. For the set of elements having nth bytes, there are chances of having a 2N mask corresponding to a subset.

=> ↺ Deep Copy C++

• The copy means the same to the same replica of an original object. Within programming, there are different methods to create copies of objects. The copy of objects, variables can be done with a copy constructor or using the default assignment operator “=”. Two types of copies can be made within the C++ code, i.e., shallow and deep copy. You can use one to copy any variable or object in the code. When our object has variables that are dynamically allocated throughout the program, we need to create a Deep copy of such type of object. This article will see how a Deep copy can be created in C++.

Leftovers

Hardware

=> ↺ Indoor Blimp Sails Through The Air Using Ultrasonic Transducers | Hackaday

• Quadcopter type drones can be flown indoors, but unless you have a lot of space, it usually just ends in a crash. The prospect of being hit in the face by the propellor blades, spinning at 10k RPM doesn’t bear thinking about, and then there’s the noise. So, as a solution for indoor photography, or operating in public spaces, they are not viable. Japanese mobile operator DOCOMO has a new take on an old idea; the blimp. But, surely even a helium filled vehicle needs blades to steer around the room, we hear you cry? Not so, if you use a pair of specialised ultrasonic transducer arrays to move the air instead! (Video, embedded below)

• [...]

• Blimps are by no means scarce on these fine pages, here is a Blimpduino, an Arduino controlled 3D printed blimp, an illuminated blimp art installation by Japanese artist [Kensho Miyoshi] and if using helium is just too darn safe for you (or if you want to help prevent this allegedly precious resource from being lost into space) you could just build a remote controlled blimp using hydrogen instead. Just don’t light a match.

=> ↺ Impressive Off-Grid Hydroelectric Plant Showcases The Hacker Spirit | Hackaday

• We all know the story arc that so many projects take: Build. Fail. Improve. Fail. Repair. Improve. Fail. Rebuild. Success… Tweak! [Kris Harbour] is no stranger to the process, as his impressive YouTube channel testifies.

=> ↺ Finally, Tame The Si5351! | Hackaday

• The Si5351 is an extremely useful device, containing multiple clock generators with many versatile programming options that go well beyond its original purpose of providing a clock for digital circuitry. It has in particular found a spot in RF projects, where it provides a cheap and effective stand-in for a variable frequency oscillator in everything from receivers to VNAs. It’s fair to say that programming the Si5351 isn’t the easiest of tasks though, and joining the various attempts to make this simpler is [MR-DOS], who has created an Si5351 library for the STM32 range of ARM Cortex M processors. Fortunately for those afflicted by the semiconductor shortage there’s the advice that porting it to other architectures should only require the relatively manageable task of modifying the i2c function for the new hardware.

=> ↺ Perovskites Understood | Hackaday

• The usual solar cell is made of silicon. The better cells use the crystalline form of the element, but there are other methods to obtain electric energy from the sun using silicon. Forming silicon crystals, though, can be expensive so there is always interest in different solar technologies. Perovskite is one of the leading candidates for supplanting silicon. Since they use lead salts, they are cheap and simple to construct. The efficiency is good, too, even when the material is not particularly well ordered. The problem is every model science has on what should make a good solar cell predicted that orderly compounds would perform better, even though this is not true for perovskite. Now scientists at Cambridge think they know why these cells perform even in the face of structural defects.

=> ↺ Spiral Music Visualization | Hackaday

• LEDs display different pitches in a sunburst pattern Displaying notes live as they are being played can be a really powerful learning tool, but it’s usually used to learn how to play a specific instrument. This take on the topic is actually a neat way to learn more about music theory — how pitches work together to build the sounds that we hear. The visual tack chosen arranges each of 12 notes into a spiral. As you continue to go up the scale through more octaves, pitches that share the same name line up into a line like a ray projecting out from the sun. So there are 12 rays for the notes in the scale: C, C#/D♭, D, D#/E♭,F, etc.

• [mechatronicsguy] built it a few years back but just now got around to documenting it, and we’re sure glad he did. The layout of notes at first looks just like a colorful visualization. But as he mentions in his description, this assigns a shape to each different type of cord. A major cord will have the same shape whether it is played with C, G#, B♭, or any other note as the root. The shape simply rotates around the axis based on that root note. Higher octaves will be shown further out on the radius, but the chord shape will still be the same. Minor, augmented, even modal chords and those with added pitches all have their own unique shape on the display.

Integrity/Availability

Proprietary

Security

=> ↺ Vulnerability in firmware of MediaTek DSP chips used in many smartphones – itsfoss.net

• Researchers from Checkpoint have identified three vulnerabilities (CVE-2021-0661, CVE-2021-0662, CVE-2021-0663) in the firmware of MediaTek DSP chips, as well as a vulnerability in the MediaTek Audio HAL audio processing layer (CVE-2021- 0673). In case of successful exploitation of vulnerabilities, an attacker can organize eavesdropping on the user from an unprivileged application for the Android platform.

• In 2021, MediaTek accounts for approximately 37% of shipments of specialized chips for smartphones and SoCs (according to other data, in the second quarter of 2021, MediaTek’s share among manufacturers of DSP chips for smartphones was 43%). Among other things, MediaTek DSP chips are used in flagship smartphones by Xiaomi, Oppo, Realme and Vivo. MediaTek chips, based on the Tensilica Xtensa microprocessor, are used in smartphones to perform operations such as processing sound, images and video, in computing for augmented reality systems, computer vision and machine learning, as well as implementing fast charging.

=> ↺ CronRAT: A New Linux Malware That’s Scheduled to Run on February 31st

• Researchers have unearthed a new remote access trojan (RAT) for Linux that employs a never-before-seen stealth technique that involves masking its malicious actions by scheduling them for execution on February 31st, a non-existent calendar day.

• Dubbed CronRAT, the sneaky malware “enables server-side Magecart data theft which bypasses browser-based security solutions,” Sansec Threat Research said. The Dutch cybersecurity firm said it found samples of the RAT on several online stores, including an unnamed country’s largest outlet.

=> ↺ Unexpected database server downtime, affecting bugs, forums, wiki

• Due to an unexpected breakage on our database servers, several Gentoo websites are currently down. In particular, this includes Forums, Wiki, and Bugzilla. Please visit our Infrastructure status page for real-time monitoring and eventual outage notices.

Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

=> ↺ FTP vs TFTP compared

• In today’s digital world, it is common to transfer files over the internet and it is crucial to choose a protocol that defines your organization’s needs. So, there are different protocols available that can do this job and two of the most important ones are the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP). In this article, we will focus on these two protocols and their significance along with some drawbacks so that you can choose accordingly as per your requirement.

Monopolies

Patents

Software Patents

=> ↺ You Can’t Patent Software, Right?! …Or Can You?

• Most jurisdictions place limits on patenting software inventions, and the guidance published by different patent offices around these limitations has not always been clear. Moreover, software patents are an area of patent law that is still in flux though eligibility requirements are becoming increasingly well-defined and harmonized. Many people also confuse the code, which cannot be protected by a patent, with the functional aspects of the software, which can be patentable.

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