This Flatpak runs a 30-year old version of GIMP – pre-GTK

Every wondered what famed FOSS image editor GIMP was like in 1996? Well, now you can find out. Developer balooii has packaged GIMP 0.54 into a Flatpak that runs on modern 64-bit Linux desktops with Wayland. It’s apparently the earliest version of the app with the source code still available to build. This is not not an official GIMP effort, but a community effort. It’s also something of a work-in-progress – of an ancient work-in-progress – with the maintainer promising they’ll share more era-specific plugins and tutorials on using this ancient build in time. Before you skip to the install […]

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Ubuntu 26.10 Snapshot 2 is out (with a ‘breaking change’)

Ubuntu logo behind stingray in the ocean.Ubuntu 26.10 Snapshot 2 is available to download, the second of four snapshots planned for the ‘Stonking Stingray’ development cycle ahead of a stable release in October. As with the first snapshot, there’s not a lot “new” stuff to see or test out, so unless you’re a developer or an avid bug hunter there’s little reason to rush off and try it. Canonical’s Utkarsh Gupta, announcing the release on Ubuntu’s developer mailing list, warns of a “breaking change” – don’t panic: it’s not in the image itself, but the URL it’s accessed from. Over the past few weeks the Ubuntu […]

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Fed up with complex note taking apps? Try Whisp for Linux

Whisp scratchpad showing notes, backgrounds and data picker.New GTK4/libadwaita app Whisp is positioning itself as the note-taking app for people fed up with note-taking apps (the best one is always the next one, right?). Scratch that; Whisp pitches itself as “the anti-note for GNOME”, a riff on Antinote, a macOS app with a similar look and feature set. Developer Tanay Bhomia describes it as “a fluid, gesture-driven scratchpad designed for absolute speed”. The website takes shots at the complexity of Obsidian and Notion, but Whisp isn’t out to compete with either. It’s a foil to notes relying on databases, hierarchies and corkboard-and-red-string organisational complexity. Me? I am a disorganised savage. […]

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Ubuntu brings Livepatch to arm64 for rebootless kernel updates

Kernel mascot on Ubuntu logo against tv static.Canonical has brought Livepatch to Arm64 devices for the first time, allowing Ubuntu systems on Arm hardware to apply critical kernel security patches without a full reboot. Livepatch is one of Ubuntu’s best hidden security features – it’s not enabled by default, requires Ubuntu Pro – as it allows kernel security updates to be applied in memory while your system is running. Normally, a restart is needed. Perfect if you’re a bit lazy running a task or workload you don’t want interrupted. Livepatch is now available on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and Ubuntu Core 26 running on Arm64 devices for the first time […]

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Pine64 launch $50 smart speaker for Home Assistant tinkerers

Close-up shot Pine64 PineVoice smart speaker showing its top-mounted buttons, microphone mute icon and plastic grille design.Open-hardware manufacturer Pine64 has launched a $50 smart speaker that runs open-source software on a RISC-V chip. PineVoice (previously known as PineVox) is built around a Bouffalo Lab BL606P RISC-V SoC with integrated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0 and Zigbee radio interfaces. It’s equipped with dual microphone array and speaker with support for ‘local wake word detection’, and top-mounted buttons allow you to mute (with LED indicator), start/stop and adjust volume. The factory-shipped firmware is built on Alibaba’s open-source YoC platform and runs the Wyoming Satellite protocol, which turns the device into a local microphone and speaker for a self-hosted, Linux-based Home […]

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Fedora Governance Changes Take Effect as Project Refines Leadership, Policy, and Contributor Oversight

Fedora Governance Changes Take Effect as Project Refines Leadership, Policy, and Contributor Oversight

A series of Fedora governance updates are now taking effect, marking another step in the project’s ongoing effort to modernize decision-making processes, improve transparency, and better support Fedora’s growing contributor community. The changes come as the Fedora Council and other leadership bodies continue refining how one of the Linux world’s largest community-driven projects is managed.

While these updates may not be as visible as a new desktop environment or kernel release, they play a critical role in shaping Fedora’s future direction, community initiatives, and long-term sustainability.

How Fedora Governance Works

Fedora’s governance structure is built around several key organizations that guide different aspects of the project.

These include:

  • The Fedora Council, which oversees strategic direction
  • FESCo (Fedora Engineering Steering Committee), responsible for technical and engineering decisions
  • Mindshare, which focuses on community outreach and contributor engagement
  • Various Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and working groups that manage specific initiatives and technologies

Together, these groups help coordinate thousands of contributors spread across the globe.

Greater Focus on Strategic Planning

Recent Fedora Council discussions have emphasized long-term planning and governance modernization. One major area of focus has been defining clearer processes for evaluating and managing new initiatives through what Fedora leaders call an Innovation Lifecycle framework.

The proposed framework aims to:

  • Better evaluate experimental projects
  • Establish clearer entry and review phases
  • Define expectations for community initiatives
  • Improve oversight as projects mature

The goal is to create a more predictable path for new ideas while maintaining Fedora’s culture of innovation.

Refining Contributor Representation

Another governance topic receiving significant attention involves contributor participation and voting eligibility.

Fedora leadership has been examining questions such as:

  • What defines an active contributor?
  • How should voting rights be determined?
  • How can elections remain fair while staying inclusive?
  • How should dormant accounts be handled?

These discussions stem from concerns that existing systems may not always accurately reflect current contributor activity.

While no single solution has been finalized, governance bodies are actively working toward policies that balance openness with accountability.

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