Do we need a separate, dedicated software center application for Flatpaks? I don't know and I don't want to go in this debate anymore. For now, I am going to share this new marketplace that I have come across and found intriguing.

Bazaar is a modern Flatpak app store designed with GNOME styles. It focuses on discovering and installing Flatpak apps, especially from Flathub. In can se you did not know already, bazaar means market or marketplace. A suitable name, I would say.

Bazaar: More than just a front end for Flathub

As you'll see in the later sections, Bazaar is not perfect. But then nothing is perfect in this world. There are scopes for improvement but overall, it provides a good experience if you are someone who frequently and heavily use Flatpaks on GNOME desktop. There is a third-party KRunner plugin for KDE Plasma users.

Let's explore this Bazaar and see what features it offers. If you prefer videos, you can watch its features in our YouTube video.

Apps organized into categories

Like GNOME software, several app categories are available in Bazaar. You can find them on the homepage itself. If you are just exploring new apps of your interest, this helps a little.

Search and install an app

Of course, you can search for an application, too. Not only you can search with its name, you can also search for its type. See, Flathub allows tagging apps and this helps 'categorizing' apps in a way. So if you search for text editor, it will show the applications tagged with text editor.

When you hit the install button, you can see a progress bar on the top-right. Click on it to open the entire progress bar as a sidebar.

It shows what items and runtimes are being installed. You can scroll down the page of the package to get more details, screenshots of the project, and more.

Accent colors

The progress bar you saw above can be customized a little. Click the hamburger menu to access preferences and then go to the Progress Bar section. You'll find the options to choose a theme for the progress bar. These themes are accent colors represent LGBTQ and their sub-catrgories.

You can see an Aromantic Flag applied for the progress bar in the screenshot below.

Show only open source apps

Flathub has both open source and proprietary software available. The licensing information is displayed on an individual application page.

Now, some people don't want to install proprietary software. For them, there is the option to only show open source software in Bazaar.

You can access this option by going to preferences from the hamburger menu and toggle on the button, "Show only free software".

Refresh the content using the shortcut CTRL + R and you should not see proprietary software anymore.

Application download statistics

In an app page, you can click on the Monthly Downloads section to get a chart view and a map view.

The map view shows the download per region of that app.

The chart view gives you an overview of the download stats.

Other than that, if you click on the download size of an application in the app page:

You can see a funny download size table, comparing the size of the Flatpak applications with some facts.

Easily manage addons

Some apps, like OBS Studio, have optional add-on packages. Bazaar indicates the availability of add-ons in the Installed view. Of course, the add-ons have to be in Flatpak format. This feature comes from Flathub.

When you click the add-ons option, it will show the add-ons available for installation.

Removing installed Flatpak apps

You can easily remove installed Flatpak apps from the Installed view.

This view shows all the installed Flatpak packages on your system, even the ones you did not install via Bazaar.

More than just Flathub

By default, Bazaar includes applications from Flathub repository. But if you have added additional remote Flatpak repositories to your system, Bazaar will include them as well.

It's possible that an application is available in more than one remote Flatpak repositories. You can choose which one you want to use from the application page.

Although, I would like to have the ability to filter applications by repositories. This is something that can be added in the future versions.

Installing Bazaar on Linux

No prizes for guessing that Bazaar is available as a Flatpak application from Flathub. Presuming that you have already added Flathub remote repo to your system, you can install it quickly with this command:

flatpak install flathub io.github.kolunmi.Bazaar

If you are using Fedora or Linux Mint, you can install Bazaar from the software center of respective distributions as well.

Wrapping Up

Overall, this is a decent application for Flatpak lovers. There is also a 'curated' option available for distributors. Which means if some new distros want to package Bazaar as ist software center, they can have a curated list of applications for specific purpose.

Is it worth using it? That is debatable and really up to you. Fedora and Mint already provide Flatpak apps from their default software center. This could, however, be a good fit for obscure window managers and DEs. That's just my opinion and I would like to know yours. Please share yours in the comment section.

Halloween is here. Some people carve pumpkins, I crafted a special set up for my Arch Linux 🎃

In this tutorial, I'll share with you all the steps I took to give a Halloween-inspired dark, spooky makeover with Hyprland. Since it is Hyprland, you can relatively easily replicate the setup by getting the dot files from our GitHub repository.

If videos are your thing, you can watch all the steps in action in this video on our YouTube channel.

Step 1: Install Hyprland and necessary packages

First, install all the essential Hyprland packages to get the system up and running:

sudo pacman -S hyprland xdg-desktop-portal-hyprland hyprpolkitagent kitty

The above will install Hyprland and necessary packages. Now, install other utility packages.

sudo pacman -S hyprpaper hyprpicker hyprlock waybar wofi dunst fastfetch bat eza starship nautilus

What do these packages do? Well, here are some info:

• hyprpaper: Hyprland Wallpaper utility
• hyprpicker: Color picker
• hyprlock: Lock screen utility
• waybar: Waybar is a Wayland panel
• wofi: Rofi launcher alternative, but for Wayland. Rofi can be used. In fact, we have some preset config for Rofi in our GitHub repository. But Wofi was selected for this video.
• dunst: Notification daemon.
• fastfetch: fastfetch is a system information display utility.
• bat: Modern alternative for cat command.
• eza: Modern ls command alternative
• starship: Starship is a prompt customization tool.
• nautilus: Nautilus is the file manager from GNOME.

Step 2: Install and enable display manager

You need a display manager to login to the system. We use SDDM display manager. GDM also works fine with Hyprland.

sudo pacman -S sddm

Once SDDM package is installed, enable the display manager on boot time.

sudo systemctl enable sddm.service

Now, reboot the system. When login prompt appears, login to the system.

Step 3: Install other utility packages

Once essential Hyprland packages are installed and you are logged in, open a terminal in Hyprland using Super + Q. Now install Firefox browser using:

sudo pacman -S firefox

It's time to install theme packages. Hyprland is not a desktop environment in the sense of what GNOME or KDE is. Yet you may still use some apps developed for GNOME (GTK apps) or Qt apps.

To theme, you need to install theme managers for respective system:

• nwg-look: To apply theme to GTK apps.
• qt5ct: To apply theme to Qt5 apps.

Install these packages using the command:

sudo pacman -S qt5ct nwg-look

Step 4: Change the monitor settings

In most cases, Hyprland should recognize the monitor and load accordingly. But in case you are running it in a VM, it will not set the display size properly.

Even though we give full configuration at a later stage, if you want to fix the monitor, use the command:

monitor=<Monitor-name>,1920x1080,auto,auto

It is important to get the name of the monitor. Use this command:

hyprctl monitors

Remember the name of your monitor.

Step 5: Download our custom Hyprland dot files

Go to It's FOSS GitHub page and download the text-script-files repository.

You can also clone the repo, if you want using the command:

git clone https://github.com/itsfoss/text-script-files.git

But the above needs git installed.

If you have downloaded the zip file, extract the archive file. Inside that, you will find a directory config/halloween-hyprland. This is what we need in this article.

Step 6: Copy wallpaper to directory

Copy the images in the wallpapers folder to a directory called ~/Pictures/Wallpapers. Create it if it does not exist, of course.

mkdir -p ~/Pictures/Wallpapers

Step 7: Download GTK theme, icons and fonts

Download the Everforest GTK theme dark borderless macOS buttons.

Download Dominus Funeral icon theme dark style.

Download the "Creepster" font from Google Fonts website.

Next, create ~/.themes, ~/.icons, and ~/.fonts respectively:

mkdir -p ~/.themes ~/.icons ~/.fonts

And we need to paste theme, icon, and font files in their respective locations:

• Extract the "Creepster" font file and place it at ~/.fonts.
• Extract the theme file and paste it at ~/.themes.
• Extract the icon file and paste it at ~/.icons

Step 8: Install other nerd fonts

Install Nerd fonts like:

• Firacode Mono Nerd Font and Caskaydia Nerd font: Download from Nerd Fonts website.
• Font awesome free desktop fonts
• JetBrains Mono

If you are in Arch Linux, open a terminal and run the command:

sudo pacman -S ttf-firacode-nerd ttf-cascadia-code-nerd ttf-cascadia-mono-nerd woff2-font-awesome ttf-jetbrains-mono

Step 9: Verify Waybar and Hyprland config

Open the config.jsonc file on the downloaded directory and replace any occurrence of Virtual-1 with your monitor name.

For GNOME Box VM, it is Virtual-1. On my main system, I have two monitors connected. So, the names for my monitors are HDMI-A-1 and HDMI-A-2. Note the name of the monitors as we saw in Step 4:

hyprctl monitors

Now in the Waybar config, change the monitor name from Virtual-1 to the name of your monitor. Change all such occurrences.

Also, take a look at the panel item. If you see any item that is not needed in the panel, you can remove it from the [modules-<position>] part.

👉 Similarly, open the hyprland config in the downloaded directory. Change all reference to Virtual-1 to your monitor name. Similarly, replace monitor name in the hyprlock and hyprpaper config files.

Step 10: Copy and paste config files

Copy the following directories (in the downloaded GitHub files) and paste it to the ~/.config folder.

• waybar: Waybar panel configs and styles.
• wofi: Application launcher config
• dunst: Customized dunst notification system.
• starship.toml: Customized starship prompt.

If you are using a GUI file manager, copy all file/folders except hypr, wallpaper, and README.

Step 11: Replace Hyprland config

We did not copy hypr folder, because there is already a folder called hypr in every Hyprland system, which contains the minimal config.

I don't want to make it vanish. Instead, keep it as a backup.

cp ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf.bak

Now, exchange the content of the hyprland.conf in your system with the customized content. Luckily, the mv command has a convenient option called -exchange.

mv --exchange ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf /path/to/new/hyprland/config

Step 12: Paste hyprlock and hyprpaper configs

Now, copy the hyprlock.conf and hyprpaper.conf file to ~/.config/hypr directory.

Step 13: Change themes

Open the NWG-Look app and set the GTK theme and font (Creepster font) for GTK apps:

Now, change icon theme:

This app automatically adds necessary file links in the ~/.config/gtk-4.0. Thanks to this feature, you don't need to apply theme manually to the GTK4 apps.

Open the Qt5ct app and change the theme to darker.

Now, apply icon theme:

And change the normal font to "Creepster":

Step 14: Set Starship and aliases

First, paste some cool command aliases for the normal ls and cat command, using the modern alternatives eza and bat respectively. This is optional, of course.

Open ~/.bashrc in any editor and paste these lines at the bottom of this file:

alias ls='eza -lG --color always --icons'
alias la='eza -alG --color always --icons'
alias cat='bat --color always --theme="Dracula"'

Now, to enable Starship prompt, paste the starship eval line to the ~/.bashrc and source the config.

eval "$(starship init bash)"

source ~/.bashrc

Once all this is done, restart the system, and log back in to see the Halloween themed Hyprland.

Enjoy the spooky Hyprland set up. Happy Halloween 🎃

It's Halloween so time to talk spooky stuff 👻

If solving Linux mysteries sounds thrilling, SadServers will be your new haunted playground. I came across this online platform that gives you real, misconfigured servers to fix and real-world inspired situations to deal with. This is perfect for sharpening your troubleshooting skills, specially in the Halloween season 🎃

What LeetCode? I Found This Platform to Practice Linux Troubleshooting Skills

Move over theory and practice your Linux and DevOps skills by solving various challenges on this innovative platform. A good way to prepare for job interviews.

It's FOSS NewsAbhishek Prakash

💬 Let's see what else you get in this edition:

• A new KDE Plasma and Fedora 43 release.
• An Austrian ministry kicking out Microsoft.
• Ubuntu 25.10 users encountering another bug.
• App that gives you Pomodoro with task management.
• And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes!
• This edition of FOSS Weekly is supported by Proton Mail.

Ghosts aren’t the only ones watching 👀 — Big Tech is too. Protect your inbox from creepy trackers and invisible eyes with Proton Mail, the privacy-first, end-to-end encrypted email trusted by millions. Make the switch today and exorcize your inbox demons. 🕸️💌

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📰 Linux and Open Source News

• KDE Plasma 6.5 has been released with some neat upgrades.
• Ubuntu Unity maintainers have sounded the alarm for their survival.
• Canonical Academy is here to make you an Ubuntu-certified Linux user.
• Google Safe Browsing has managed to flag Immich URLs as dangerous.
• Ubuntu 25.10 briefly introduced a bug that broke the automatic upgrade system.
• Fedora 43 is finally out after a brief delay. It packs in many useful refinements.

Fedora 43 is Out with Wayland-Only Desktop, GNOME 49, and Linux 6.17

RPM 6.0 security upgrades, X11 removal from Workstation, and many other changes.

It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra

🧠 What We’re Thinking About

Austria's BMWET has moved away from Microsoft in a well-organized migration to Nextcloud.

Good News! Austrian Ministry Kicks Out Microsoft in Favor of Nextcloud

The BMWET migrates 1,200 employees to sovereign cloud in just four months.

It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra

🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings

Ghostty is loaded with functionality; join me as I explore some of them.

Forks happen when freedom matters more than control.

Community Strikes Back: 12 Open Source Projects Born from Resistance

From BSL license changes to abandoned codebases, see how the open source community struck back with powerful forks and fresh alternatives.

It's FOSSPulkit Chandak

Don't forget to utilize templates feature in LibreOffice and save some time.

Comparing two of the best open source but mainstream password managers.

Bitwarden vs. Proton Pass: What’s The Best Password Manager?

What is your favorite open-source password manager?

It's FOSSAnkush Das

👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner

Discover what’s next for tinkerers in the post-Qualcomm world.

Arduino Alternative Microcontroller Boards for Your DIY Projects in the Post-Qualcomm Era

If Arduino being acquired puts a bad taste in your mouth, or even if you just want to explore what the alternatives offer, this article is for you.

It's FOSSPulkit Chandak

TerraMaster has launched two flagship-class hybrid NAS devices that pack a punch.

🛍️ Deals You Should Not Miss

The 16-book library also includes just-released editions of The Official Raspberry Pi Handbook 2026, Book of Making 2026, and much more! Whether you’re just getting into coding or want to deepen your knowledge about something more specific, this pay-what-you-want bundle has everything you need. And you support Raspberry Pi Foundation North America with your purchase!

Humble Tech Book Bundle: All Things Raspberry Pi by Raspberry Pi Press

Learn the ins and outs of computer coding with this library from Raspberry Pi! Pay what you want and support the charity of your choice!

Humble Bundle

✨ Project Highlights

An in-depth look at a super cool Pomodoro app for Linux.

Pomodoro With Super Powers: This Linux App Will Boost Your Productivity

Pomodoro combined with task management and website blocking. This is an excellent tool for productivity seekers but there are some quirks worth noticing.

It's FOSSRoland Taylor

📽️ Videos I Am Creating for You

Giving a dark, menacing but fun Halloween makeover to my Arch Linux system.

💡 Quick Handy Tip

In GNOME desktop, you can use the ArcMenu extension for a heavily customizable panel app menu. For instance, you can get 20+ menu layouts by going to Menu → Menu Layout → Pick a layout of your choice.

🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse

We have got a spooky crossword this time around. Can you identify all the FOSS ghosts?

Ghosts of Open Source [Halloween Special Crossword]

A spooky crossword challenge for true FOSS enthusiasts!

It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash

Actually, there is a whole bunch of Halloween themed puzzles and quizzes for you to enjoy 😄🎃

• Cyber boogeymen crossword
• Spooky Linux Commands Quiz
• Linux Halloween Quest
• Pick up the Pieces of Halloween Tux

🤣 Meme of the Week: Yeah, my Windows partition feels left out.

🗓️ Tech Trivia: On October 30, 2000, the last Multics system was shut down at the Canadian Department of National Defence in Halifax. Multics was a groundbreaking time-sharing operating system that inspired Unix and introduced ideas like hierarchical file systems, dynamic linking, and security rings that shaped modern computing.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community: Pro FOSSer Neville has shared a fascinating take on arithmetic.

Arithmetic and our Sharing Culture

We al learn to do division “If there are 6 cakes and 3 children, how many cakes does each child get” Division is about sharing But it does not always work “It there are 2 sharks and 8 people in a pool, how many people does each shark get?” Division can not answer that question. Because that example is not about sharing , it is about competition Whether division works depends on what are called the “Rules of Engagement” We all learnt to multiply “If 10 children each bring 2 apples, how m…

It's FOSS Communitynevj

❤️ With love

Please share it with your Linux-using friends and encourage them to subscribe (hint: it's here).

Share the articles in Linux Subreddits and community forums.

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Opt for It's FOSS Plus membership and support us 🙏

Enjoy FOSS 😄

When I first started using Linux, I did not care much about the terminal applications. Not in the sense that I was not using the terminal but more like I never cared about trying other terminal application (or terminal emulators, if you want to use the correct technical term.)

I mean, why would I? The magic is in the commands you run, after all. How does it matter if it's the default terminal that comes with the system or something else?

Most terminals are pretty much the same, or so it feels. But still, there are numerous terminal emulators available for Linux. Perhaps they are more in number than the Arch-based distros.

Last year, HashiCorp founder Mitchell Hashimoto developed another new terminal called Ghostty. And it took the developer world by storm. It seemed like everyone was talking about it.

But that didn't bother me much. I attributed all the buzz around Ghostty to the Hashimoto's stature, never cared about trying it until last month.

And when I tried it, I discovered a few features that I think makes it a favorite for pro terminal dwellers. If videos are your thing, this video shows Ghostty features in action.

What makes Ghostty special?

Ghostty is a relatively new terminal emulator for Linux and macOS, that provides a platform native UI and GPU acceleration.

Easy to use configuration

Ghostty does not require a configuration file to work. This is one of the cool features for a terminal emulator that comes with no GUI-based settings manager.

It's not that you cannot edit the config file. It's just that the defaults are so good, you can just get on with your commands.

For example, Ghostty supports nerd-fonts by default. So, your glyph characters and funny CLI tools like Starship prompt will just work out-of-the-box in Ghostty.

Editing the configuration file of Ghostty is very simple; even for less tech-savvy people. The configuration file, usually stored at ~/.config/ghostty/config, is just a plain text file with a bunch of key-value pairs.

Let's say you want to hide the mouse while typing. You just add this line to the config file:

mouse-hide-while-typing = true

And reload the config with Ctrl+Shift+, or choosing the option from hamburger menu.

How will you know what key-value you can use in Ghostty? Well, Ghostty keeps a fantastic, easy to understand documentation.

You can start reading this doc, understand what a key is all about, and then add it to the config. It's that simple!

Windows, tabs, splits and overview

If you have used Kitty, you probably are aware of the various windows and split options. Ghostty provides a very similar experience. I won't deny, Ghostty borrows a lot of features from Kitty.

So, here, you have one main window, and can have multiple tabs. Almost every terminal has multiple tab options these days. But Ghostty also allows you to have multiple window splits.

It's not as effective as using Tmux or screen command but this is good if you want to use multiple terminals in the same screen. A feature that made Terminator a popular choice a decade ago.

This window split is mostly inclined to power users, who want to control multiple things at the same time. You can use keyboard shortcuts or the menu.

Another interesting feature in this section is the tab overview. You can click on the overview button on the top bar.

This is convenient, as this intuitive look introduces some kind of organization to your terminal usage. Somewhat like GNOME overview.

More importantly, you can search tabs as well! As you can see in the above screenshot, there is a proper name for each tab that was automatically assigned based on the last command you ran. So, if you ever reach a point where like browser tabs, you have numerous terminal tabs opened, you can search for it relatively easier ;)

This overview feature is also available through keyboard shortcuts and that is my next favorite Ghostty feature in this list.

Trigger Sequence Shortcuts

There are a whole lot of actions properly documented on the Ghostty documentation for you. These can be assigned to various keybindings of your preference.

Ghostty keybindings will allow you to assign trigger sequences, which Vim users are familiar with. That is, you can use a trigger shortcut and then enter another key to complete the action. For example, in my Ghostty config, I have set:

keybind = ctrl+a>o=toggle_tab_overview

What this does is, I can press ctrl+a and then press o to open the tab overview! How cool is that, to have a familiar workflow everywhere!

Custom keybindings are also placed in Ghostty config file.

Action Reference - Keybindings

Reference of all Ghostty keybinding actions.

Ghostty

Performable Keybindings

This is a new feature introduced in version 1.2.0. With performable keybinding, you can assign a keyboard shortcut to multiple action. But the keybinding is activated only if the action is able to be performed.

The Ghostty team itself provides a convenient example of how this works:

keybind = performable:ctrl+c=copy_to_clipboard

What it does is, use Ctrl+C to copy text only when there is something selected and available to copy. Otherwise, it works as the interrupt signal! No more accidental interrupts when you try to copy something.

Kind of difficult for me to show it in the screenshot and thus I'll skip adding any image to this section.

Image support

Not all terminals come with image protocol support. Only a few do. One of them is Kitty, which developed its own image rendering protocol, the Kitty Image Protocol. Ghostty implements the same Kitty Image Protocol in the terminal so that you can view images right from the terminal.

Now, a simple user may not find the use of images support in the terminal. But there are a few use cases of image support. Simply speaking, this image rendering helps Ghostty to display images in fun tool like Fastfetch to reading manga right-within the terminal.

Watch our video on fun stuff you can do in Linux terminal.

Ligature and fancy fonts

Ghostty also has ligature support. Now what is the purpose of ligatures, and what is its use within the terminal?

If you are into coding, there are symbols that are a combination of two symbols. Let's say, "Not equal to", usually denoted as != but mathematically displayed as ≠ . Now, with a ligature supported terminal, you will get the proper symbol for this operation. See the difference for yourself.

This makes code more human readable and understandable.

Built-in themes with light and dark variant

With Ghostty, you have no reason to search the web for color schemes. There is a huge list of color schemes, baked right in to the application. All you have to do is, note its name and use it in the config.

To list all the available color schemes/themes, use the command:

ghostty +list-themes

This new interface lists every theme available, along with a live preview. Note the name of a theme from the left sidebar. Use q to exit the preview.

Let's say I want to use the Adventure dark theme. All I have to do is to add a line in the config:

theme = Adventure

There are light and dark variants of themes available to choose from. You can define themes for both light and dark mode. So if you system uses dark mode, the terminal theme will be the one you chose for dark mode and vice versa.

theme = dark:Moonkai Pro Machine,light:Catppuccin Latte

How does it matter? Well, operating systems these days also come with feature that automatically switches between dark and light modes based on the time of the day. And if you opt for that feature, you'll have a better dark/light experience with Ghostty.

Native UI

Many apps use the same frameworks on all the operating system and that might not blend well. This is specially true for applications built on top of Electron framework often look out of place in Linux.

Ghostty for Linux is developed using the GTK4 toolkit, which makes it looks native in various Linux distributions. Popular distributions like Ubuntu, Fedora, etc uses GNOME as their default desktop offering. Thus, you will get a familiar look and feel for the window, along with overall system uniqueness.

On macOS, Ghosttty app is built using Swift, AppKit, and SwiftUI, with real native macOS components like native tabs, native splits, native windows, menu bars, and a proper settings GUI.

Installing Ghostty on Linux

If you are an Arch Linux user, Ghostty is available in the official repository. You can install it using the pacman command:

sudo pacman -Syu ghostty

For Ubuntu users, there is an unofficial user-maintained repository, offering deb files. You can download it from the releases page.

You can check other official installation methods in the installation manual.

Wrapping Up

If you are new to Ghostty and want to get an overview of the config file format, you can refer to our sample Ghostty configuration. Don't forget to read the README!

Ghostty indeed is a worthy choice if you are looking for some all-rounder terminal emulators. But only if you are looking for one because most of the time, the default terminal works just fine. With a little configuration tweaking, you could get many of the discussed Ghostty features, too. Take KDE's Konsole terminal customization as an example.

What's your take on Ghostty? Is it worth a try or would you rather stick with your current terminal choice? Share your views in the comments please.

Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) version 7 is available now. For people who like Debian more than Ubuntu and Linux Mint's Cinnamon more than anything, this is the perfect choice.

LMDE 7 “Gigi” Released: Linux Mint’s Debian-Based Alternative Gets Major Upgrade

A stable Debian base meets a polished Linux Mint desktop experience.

It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra

Sometimes I wonder if LMDE should be the default choice for Linux Mint. Am I the only one who thinks this?

💬 Let's see what you get in this edition:

• Me pitching Proton Mail against Gmail.
• A new LMDE release based on Debian 13.
• DIY kindle alternatives.
• And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes!
• This edition of FOSS Weekly is supported by PrepperDisk.

PrepperDisk gives you a fully offline, private copy of the world’s most useful open-source knowledge—so your access doesn’t depend on big platforms, networks, or gatekeepers.

Built on Raspberry Pi, it bundles projects like Wikipedia, maps, and survival manuals with tools we’ve built and open-sourced ourselves. It’s a way to safeguard information freedom: your own secure, personal archive of open knowledge, ready anywhere—even without the internet.

Explore PrepperDisk

📰 Linux and Open Source News

• NordVPN has made the GUI code for its Linux app open source.
• Valkey 9.0 release adds multi-database clusters and now supports 1 billion requests per second
• The beloved open source game SuperTuxKart gets many refinements in the latest release.
• ONLYOFFICE Docs 9.1 is here with PDF redaction and editor upgrades.
• LMDE 7 "Gigi" has arrived with a Debian 13 base and many improvements.

LMDE 7 “Gigi” Released: Linux Mint’s Debian-Based Alternative Gets Major Upgrade

A stable Debian base meets a polished Linux Mint desktop experience.

It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra

🧠 What We’re Thinking About

Proton Mail is a better choice than Gmail. That's what I think. And I discovered a ProtonMail feature that works better than Gmail.

That One (of the several) Feature ProtonMail Does Better Than Gmail

The newsletters can be a mess to manage. ProtonMail gives you better features than Gmail to manage your newsletter subscriptions.

It's FOSS NewsAbhishek

GNOME all the way

I thought of sharing some neat tips and tweaks that relate to various components of the GNOME desktop environment. Basically, they let you discover some lesser known features and customization. Perhaps you'll discover your next favorite trick here.

• Enhance the functionality of the Nautilus file manager with these tips.
• Learn to get more out of the search feature in the file manager.
• Why restrict yourself with file manager? Explore the full potential of the activity search in GNOME.
• Let's take it further and customize the top panel in GNOME to get applet indicator and more such features.
• For a long time, I relied on GNOME Tweaks until I discovered Just Perfection. GNOME customization was never the same.
• Here are a few tips to save time by combining the terminal and the file manager on your GNOME system.

🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings

• Learn the difference between PipeWire and PulseAudio.
• Explore comic book readers on Linux for .cbr files.
• Unravel the mystery of loop devices in Linux.

👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner

For AI enthusiasts, here is a way to go from zero keys to full AI integration in one step. The Puter.js library allows integrating mainstream AI in your web projects without needing their API keys.

I Used This Open Source Library to Integrate OpenAI, Claude, Gemini to Websites Without API Keys

This underrated open source JavaScript library lets you integrate popular commercial LLMs without needing their paid API. You can test it out within minutes on your Linux system with this tutorial.

It's FOSSBhuwan Mishra

Also, if you are fed up with Amazon's Kindle, then you can build your own eBook reader.

Looking for Open Source Kindle Alternatives? Build it Yourself

There are no easy options. You have to take the matter in your hand, quite literally.

It's FOSSPulkit Chandak

The FSF is going all in with the Librephone project.

🛍️ Deal Alert: Raspberry Pi eBook Bundle

Learn the ins and outs of coding your favorite retro games and build one of your own with Code the Classics Volume II. Give your tech-savvy kids a head start in computer coding with Unplugged Tots.

The 16-book library also includes just-released editions of The Official Raspberry Pi Handbook 2026, Book of Making 2026, and much more! Whether you’re just getting into coding or want to deepen your knowledge about something more specific, this pay-what-you-want bundle has everything you need. And you support Raspberry Pi Foundation North America with your purchase!

Humble Tech Book Bundle: All Things Raspberry Pi by Raspberry Pi Press

Learn the ins and outs of computer coding with this library from Raspberry Pi! Pay what you want and support the charity of your choice!

Humble Bundle

✨ Project Highlights

NebiOS is a beautiful approach to how an Ubuntu-based distro with a custom desktop environment can be built.

NebiOS is an Ubuntu-based Distro With a Brand New DE Written for Wayland from Ground Up

Exploring a new Ubuntu-based distro. By the way, it’s been some time since we had a new distro based on Ubuntu.

It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra

COSMIC is shaping up well, we tested it to see how it performs.

I Tested Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS Beta: A Few Hits and Misses But Mostly on the Right Track

COSMIC has come a long way, but is it enough?

It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra

📽️ Videos I Am Creating for You

The terminal makeover video is nearly at 100K views. With so many people enhancing the looks of their terminal, I thought you might want to give it a try, too.

💡 Quick Handy Tip

Too much GNOME in this newsletter? Let's switch to KDE.

If you are using desktop widgets in KDE Plasma and don't know how to add the system monitor sensor to it, then do this. Open the System Monitor app and right-click on any telemetry you want to add. Then select "Add chart as Desktop Widget".

That's it. The selected chart will be added to your desktop. You can change its appearance by going to Edit mode later.

🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse

This crossword-style challenge mixes up popular Linux text editors. From timeless command-line classics to sleek modern tools. Sharpen your brain, embrace your inner geek, and see how many you can decode!

The Scrambled Linux Editors Crossword

Think you know your Linux text editors? From Vim to Nano, these jumbled names will challenge even seasoned coders. Try to unscramble them and see how many you can get right!

It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash

🤣 Meme of the Week: Probably not true anymore but still funny.

🗓️ Tech Trivia: On October 20, 2004, Ubuntu 4.10 "Warty Warthog" was released! Backed by Mark Shuttleworth’s Canonical, Ubuntu aimed to make Linux simple and human-friendly, its name loosely translates to "humanity." Two decades later, it’s dominating the Linux desktop space.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community: Long-time FOSSer Cliff is looking for help with a Realtek Wi-Fi issue on his MX Linux system. Can you help?

MX Linux Realtek Wi-fi Issues

I have MX Linux KDE, most recent update. It runs on kernel 6.1.0-40. I am using a mini pc with a Realtek 8852BE network card. I had always had wired internet for that machine, but now I have to be happy with wifi. The problem, unlike any of my other OSs, is that it sees each wifi channel as having a 0 signal strength and fails to activate wlan0. I went around for hours with Claude AI to solve it and it was unable to resolve the issue. It finally suggested just going to MX Tools, Package Install…

It's FOSS Communitycliffsloane

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Opt for It's FOSS Plus membership and support us 🙏

Enjoy FOSS 😄

In the previous newsletter, I asked what kind of advice someone looking to switch from Windows to Linux would have. I got so many responses that I am still replying to all the suggestions.

I am also working on the 'Windows to Linux migration' page. Hopefully, we will have that up by next week.

Hope to see more people coming to Linux as Windows 10 support has ended now.

💬 Let's see what you get in this edition:

• Mastering alias command.
• A bug that broke Flatpaks on Ubuntu 25.10.
• Controversy over Framework supporting Hyprland project.
• New Flatpak software center.
• Open source game development arriving on iPhone.
• And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes!

📰 Linux and Open Source News

• Xogot is now available on Apple iPhone for open source game development.
• The German state of Schleswig-Holstein has completed a massive transition to open source email systems.
• Ubuntu 25.10 has been released as the second and final interim release of Ubuntu for 2025, with a bug briefly breaking flatpak installations on it.
• Zorin OS 18 is also available now, looking prettier than ever.

Framework has found itself in a controversy over its recent endorsements of Hyprland project.

Framework is Accused of Supporting the Far-right, Apparently for Sponsoring the Hyprland Project

The announcement has generated quite some buzz but for all the wrong reasons.

It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra

🧠 What We’re Thinking About

Telegram banned our community group without reasons. It's a deja vu moment, as Facebook was also banning links to Linux websites some months ago.

Telegram, Please Learn Who’s a Threat and Who’s Not

Our Telegram community got deleted without an explanation.

It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra

Proprietary ecosystems are great at keeping creative people locked in, but you can break free with the power of FOSS.

5 Signs Your Proprietary Workflow Is Stifling Your Creativity (And What You Can Do About It)

If these signs feel familiar, your creativity may be stifled by proprietary constraints.

It's FOSS NewsTheena Kumaragurunathan

🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings

• You can greatly improve your efficiency in the Linux terminal by using aliases.
• Ubuntu/GNOME customization tips.
• Our beginner's guide to the Nano text editor will teach you the basics without overwhelming you.
• Understanding software update management in Linux Mint.

Getting Started With Manjaro

This is a collection of tutorials that are useful for new Manjaro users.

It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash

👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner

We have a Pironman alternative for you that saves your wallet and desk space.

The Affordable Pironman Alternative Mini PC Case for Raspberry Pi 5

We have a new option in tower cases for Raspberry Pi 5. This one has a lower price tag but does that make it worth a purchase?

It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash

Ubo Pod is an open source AI assistant that works for you, not for your data. It is based on Raspberry Pi.

Bhuwan tried them all but llama.cpp finally nailed the local LLM experience.

I have been using Keychron mechanical keyboard for two years now. I recently came across their upcoming product that has ceramic mechanical keyboards. Interesting materials choice, right?

🎫 Event Alert: First Ever UbuCon in India

The Ubuntu India LoCo is hosting the first ever UbuCon event in India, and we are the official media partners for it!

India’s First UbuCon Set to Unite Ubuntu Community in Bengaluru This November

India gets its first UbuCon!

It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra

Proprietary ecosystems are great at keeping creative people locked in, but

✨ Project Highlights

Bazaar is getting all the hype right now; it is a neat app store for GNOME that focuses on providing applications and add-ons from Flatpak remotes, particularly Flathub.

GitHub - kolunmi/bazaar: New App Store for GNOME

New App Store for GNOME. Contribute to kolunmi/bazaar development by creating an account on GitHub.

GitHubkolunmi

A new, open source personal finance application.

John Schneiderman’s - DRN

An application to manage your personal finances using a budget.

DRNJohn Schneiderman

📽️ Videos I Am Creating for You

Your Linux Mint setup deserves a stunning makeover!

💡 Quick Handy Tip

In KDE Plasma, open settings and go into Colors & Themes → Window Decorations → Configure Titlebar.

Here, add the "On all desktops" and "Keep above other windows" options to the title bar by dragging and dropping. Click on "Apply" to confirm the changes.

Now, you can use:

• The On all desktops button to pin an app to all your desktops.
• The Keep above other windows button to keep a selected window always on top.

🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse

Can memory match terminal shortcuts with their actions?

Memory Match Terminal Shortcuts With Their Actions

An enjoyable way to test your memory by matching the Linux terminal shortcuts with their respective actions.

It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash

🤣 Meme of the Week: Windows 10 will be missed by many, but there are much better Linux choices to replace it with.

🗓️ Tech Trivia: On October 16, 1959, Control Data Corporation introduced the CDC 1604, one of the first fully transistorized computers. It was designed by Seymour Cray, who later became known as the father of supercomputing. The CDC 1604 was among the fastest machines of its time and was used for scientific research, weapons control, and commercial data processing.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community: Windows 10 has reached end of life, and our FOSSers are discussing the event.

Windows 10 reaches EOL tomorrow!

Hi everybody, it’s that time again, that happens approx. every 10 or so years: A Windows version is reaching its end of life. I was doing some research and asked Brave Search about it. And the facts said that Windows 10 has 47% of overall Windows market share, which is roughly 35% of the overall share. Let’s just hope that they will do the right thing and switch to Linux. I wanted to know: what are others opinions on this? Do you know somebody who migrated from Windows?

It's FOSS CommunityGeorge1

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Enjoy FOSS 😄

SunFounder's Pironman cases for Raspberry Pi are a huge hit. This bestselling device converts the naked Raspberry Pi board into a miniature tower PC. The RGB lighting, OLED display and glass casing make it look cool. Full HDMI ports, NVMe ports and active-passive cooling options enhance the functionality of the Pi 5.

This great gadget is too expensive for some people to buy at $76 for the Pironman and $95 for the dual-NVMe NVMe Pironman Max.

SunFounder knows it and that's why they have introduced Pironman 5 Mini at $45 but have removed the OLED display, full HDMI ports and reduced the number of fans. Dealbreaker? Maybe. Maybe not. But I have come across a new case that has most of the features at a much lower price.

Elecrow's Pitower

Like SunFounder, Elecrow's has been offering gadgets and accessories for Raspberry Pi and other embedded devices for years. Their CrowView Note and all-in-one starter kits have been popular among SBC enthusiasts.

They have just revealed a new product, a mini PC case for your Raspberry Pi 5 and Jetson Orin Nano. Yes, that doubles the excitement.

And all this comes at a lower price tag of nearly $40 (more on this later). That sounds tempting, right? Let's see how good this case is.

Features meet affordibility

Let's take a look at the appearance of Elecrow's mini PC case. It is slightly bigger than the Pironman cases and has a more boxy looks somehow.

The OLED display and power button are at the top. The micro SD card outlet is at the bottom and to accommodate it, the case has taller feet.

There is nothing in the front of the device except a transparent acrylic sheet. The main look of the case comes from the side that gives you a broader look at the circuits. It looks magnificent with the RGB lights. The GPIO pins are accessible from here and they are duly marked.

There are three RGB fans here. Two in the back throw air out and one at the top sucks air in. This is done to keep the airflow in circulation inside the case. The official Raspberry Pi Active Cooler is also added to provide some passive cooling.

All the other ports are accessible from the back. In addition to all the usual Raspberry Pi ports, there are two full-HDMI ports replacing the mini HDMI ports.

The NVMe board is inside the case and it is better to insert the SSD while assembling the case. Yes, this is also an assembly kit.

Assembling the case

Since Elecrow's tower case is clearly inspired from SunFounder's Pironman case, they also have kept the DIY angle here. This simply means that you have to assemble the kit yourself.

It is while assembling that you can decide whether you want to use it for Raspberry Pi 5 or Jetson Orin Nano. Assembling instructions differ slightly for the devices.

There is an official assembly video and you should surely watch it to get a feel of how much effort is required for building this case.

In my case, I was not aware of the assembly video as I was sent this device at the time the product was announced. I used the included paper manual and it took me nearly two hours to complete the assembly. If I had had the help of the video and if I had not encountered a couple of issues, this could have been done within an hour.

Did I say issues? Yes, a few. First, the paper manual didn't specifically mention connecting one of the FPC cables. The video mentions it, thankfully.

One major issue was in putting in the power button. It seems to me that while they sized the hole according to the power button, they applied the black coating later on. And this reduced the size of the hole from which the power button passes through.

I don't see the official assembly video mentioning this issue and it could create confusion. The workaround is to simply use an object to remove the coating. I used scissors to scrape it.

Another issue was putting in the tiny screws in even tinier spaces at times. The situation worsened for me as the paper manual suggested joining the main board and all the adapter boards in the initial phases. This made putting the screws in even harder. As the video shows, this could be done in steps.

My magnetic screwdriver helped a great deal in placing the tiny screws in narrow places, and I think Elecrow should have provided a magnetic screwdriver instead of a regular one.

User experience

To make full use of all the cool features, i.e., OLED display, RGB fans, etc., you need to install a few Python scripts first.

And here's the thing that I have noticed with most Elecrow products: they are uncertain about the appropriate location for their documentation.

The paper manual that comes with the package has a QR code that takes you to this Google Drive that contains various scripts and a readme file. But there is also an online Wiki page and I think this page should be considered and distributed as the official documentation.

After running 12 or so commands, including a few that allow 777 permissions, the OLED screen started showing system stats such as CPU temperature and usage, RAM usage, disk stats, date and time. It would have been nice if it displayed the IP address too.

Like Pironman, Elecrow also has RGB lighting of fans out of sync by a few milliseconds. Not an issue unless you have acute OSD. The main issue is that it has three fans and the fans start running as soon as the device is turned on. For such a tiny device, three continuously running fans generate considerable noise.

The problem is that there is no user-facing way of controlling the fans without modifying the scripts themselves.

Another issue is that if you turn off Pi from the operating system, i.e., use the shutdown command or the graphical option of Raspberry Pi OS, the RGB lights and fans stay on. Even the OLED screen keeps on displaying whatever message it had when the system was shut down.

If you shut down the device by long pressing the power button, everything is turned off normally. This should not be the intended behavior. I have notified Elecrow about it and hopefully their developers will work on fixing their script.

Barring these hiccups, there are plenty of positives. There is an RTC battery to give you correct time between long shutdowns, although it works only with Raspberry Pi OS at the moment. The device stays super cool thanks to three fans maintaining a good airflow and the active cooler adding to the overall cooling. The clear display with RGB lights surely gives it an oomph factor.

Conclusion

There is room for improvement here, and I hope Elecrow updates their scripts to address these issues in the future:

• Proper handling of lights/fans shutdown instead of relying on the power button.
• Provide options to configure the RGB lights and control the fans.
• Include IP address in OLED display (optional).

Other than that, I have no complaints. The case is visually appealing, the device remains cool, and the price is reasonable in comparison to the popular Pironman cases.

Coming to the pricing. The device costs $32 for the Jetson Nano version and $40 for the Raspberry Pi version. I am guessing this is because the Pi version includes the additional active cooler.

Do note that the pricing displayed on the website DOES NOT include shipping charges and customs duty. Those things will be additional.

Alternatively, at least for our readers in the United States of America, the device is available on Amazon (partner link) but at a price tag of $59 at the time of writing this review. You don't have to worry about extra shipping or custom duty fee if you order from Amazon.

Microsoft is all set to kill existing methods to set up a local account on fresh Windows 11 installs. I am not really surprised. This is Microsoft being Microsoft.

Microsoft Kills Windows 11 Local Account Setup Just as Windows 10 Reaches End of Life

Local account workarounds removed just before Windows 10 goes dark.

It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra

And this comes just days before Windows 10 support is scheduled to end. And that is a pivotal moment for us desktop Linux users. I have seen an influx of people migrating to Linux when Windows XP and 7 support ended. Some of those went back to Windows with newer systems, whereas some became lifelong Linux users.

We are reorganizing and also creating new guides to make the Windows 10 to Linux migration smooth for new users. Please provide your suggestions on what difficulties a new user may face when they switch to Linux and what kind of questions that might have about switching to Linux. Let's work to a broader Linux userbase 💪

💬 Let's see what you get in this edition:

• A new openSUSE Leap release.
• Codes of Conduct being called a disaster.
• Linus being unhappy with some Rust code.
• And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes!

📰 Linux and Open Source News

• Linus Torvalds recently called out Rust format checking.
• openSUSE Leap 16 is here with major modernization work.
• The FSF has turned 40 and has launched the LibrePhone initiative.
• Amazon launches the 'Linux-based' Vega OS for its Fire TV devices.
• Wikidata has launched an open source vector database for use with AI.

By the way, Ubuntu 25.10 will be releasing today. Do check out the new features it is getting.

Ubuntu 25.10: Release Date and New Features in Questing Quokka

Take a look at the new features and changes you’ll see in the upcoming Ubuntu 25.10 release.

It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra

🧠 What We’re Thinking About

Open Source legend, Eric S. Raymond, says Codes of Conduct are a disaster.

The Man Who Started Open Source Initiative Advocates for Abolishing Codes of Conduct

Between Anarchy and Bureaucracy: The Code of Conduct Debate Ignited by Eric Raymond.

It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra

You can balance cost and effort if you go the FOSS way as a creative.

Beyond Free: The Value Proposition of Open Source for Creatives

FOSS is free as in cost, but not free as in effort. The loss of convenience is real, especially at the start. But for creatives who are willing to invest, the long-term rewards—flexibility, control, and a workflow built to last—are more than worth the price.

It's FOSS NewsTheena Kumaragurunathan

🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings

• Obsidian + Git = simple version control for ideas.
• Learn the pros and cons of using Btrfs on a Linux system.
• Skip the syntax and focus on writing with WYSIWYG Markdown editors for Linux.

Speaking of Obsidian and Markdown editors, the popular open source notes software Joplin can be made more effective with these tips.

Mastering Joplin Notes: Tips and Tweaks

Joplin is an awesome open source note taking application. Here’s how you can make the best of it.

It's FOSSSreenath

👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner

IBM has launched Granite 4.0, their hybrid AI model that beats rivals twice its size.

IBM Unveils Granite 4.0 Hybrid Model That Competes with Rivals Twice Its Size

These models sure pack a punch.

It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra

✨ Project Highlights

telekasten.nvim is a Neovim Lua plugin that lets you manage a markdown-based zettelkasten/wiki + journal inside Neovim.

GitHub - nvim-telekasten/telekasten.nvim: A Neovim (lua) plugin for working with a markdown zettelkasten / wiki and mixing it with a journal, based on telescope.nvim

A Neovim (lua) plugin for working with a markdown zettelkasten / wiki and mixing it with a journal, based on telescope.nvim - nvim-telekasten/telekasten.nvim

GitHubnvim-telekasten

📽️ Videos I Am Creating for You

I don't usually do rant videos but this is a first. An argument against 'sudo apt update' and 'sudo apt upgrade'. Is it time to unify these two into a single command? Please take this opinion video lightly even if you disagree (and you have every right to disagree and express your opinion).

💡 Quick Handy Tip

In the GNOME Files app (Nautilus), you can left-click and drag to select multiple items. To add more items to your selection, hold the CTRL key while dragging; this lets you include additional files lower in the list without losing your previous selection.

🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse

Take this personality quiz to find out what kind of terminal user you are.

What Type of Terminal User Are You? [Personality Quiz]

Find out which terminal persona you are because your Linux habits say more about you than your horoscope ever could.

It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash

🤣 Meme of the Week: Linux, the savior of old hardware and those wronged by Microsoft and Apple.

🗓️ Tech Trivia: On October 06, 1942, Chester Carlson patented electrophotography, a way to make dry copies of text and images on paper without using ink or chemicals. A few years later, the Haloid Company licensed his patent, renamed the process xerography, and eventually became Xerox, turning document copying into a global industry.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community: FOSSers are talking about the planned Android sideloading policy change from Google. Got any insights to add?

About Android Sideloading Apps Policy Changes

I’ve been reading and seeing videos about some Google policy changes that would affect side-loading of apps on Android in the next few years. Doesn’t sound like it’s going to be a positive change for developers or Free and Open Source projects like F-Droid. I’m wondering what others think of the situation and if they’ve come across any interesting work-arounds to keep side-loaded apps on their phones.

It's FOSS CommunityLaura_Michaels

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Please share it with your Linux-using friends and encourage them to subscribe (hint: it's here).

Share the articles in Linux Subreddits and community forums.

Follow us on Google News and stay updated in your News feed.

Opt for It's FOSS Plus membership and support us 🙏

Enjoy FOSS 😄

Last month, Austria's armed forces ditched Microsoft Office for LibreOffice. This is surely positive news, but it also makes us think about something crucial. The move to switch to open source is often driven by monetary benefits. Since these organizations often save a hefty amount, should they not contribute some part of their savings back to the open source project they are relying on? What do you think?

Austria’s Armed Forces Gets Rid of Microsoft Office (Mostly) for LibreOffice

The Austrian military prioritizes independence over convenience.

It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra

💬 Let's see what you get in this edition:

• ZimaOS adding a paid tier.
• A new Linux kernel release.
• GUI apps in terminal.
• Fedora floating a proposal on AI.
• Revamped Proton Mail mobile apps.
• And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes!

📰 Linux and Open Source News

• Calibre eBook reader has introduced its first AI feature.
• Kali Linux 2025.3 is a packed release with many new tools.
• The mobile apps for Proton Mail have received a major revamp.
• Austria's armed forces have moved away from Microsoft Office.
• Linux 6.17 has landed with many performance and reliability buffs.
• Homelab focused ZimaOS 1.5 adds a paid tier while keeping the core features untouched.
• The Fedora Project is looking for feedback on its policy for AI-assisted contributions.

Fedora 43 is due soon. Here are the new features arriving with it:

Fedora 43 Release Date and New Features

A close look at the new features coming in Fedora 43.

It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra

🧠 What We’re Thinking About

FOSS is an important consideration for creatives in 2025.

From Disillusionment to Freedom: Why Creatives Need FOSS Now More Than Ever

More than ever, creative professionals need to exert control over their digital footprint. Big tech will not give us control—we have to take it. Free and Open Source (FOSS) software gives us a path forward. The path isn’t easy, but I argue nothing worthwhile is.

It's FOSS NewsTheena Kumaragurunathan

Ruby's ecosystem is under threat from corporations.

🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings

Explore terminal shortcuts to enhance your efficiency. I have shared it in the past too but it's worth a reshare.

Speaking of enhancing efficiency, here are a few tips Linux users can use to be more productive.

I understand that not everyone is a keyboard shortcut maestro, so here are a few tips to master the finger swipe gesture in GNOME desktop environment.

👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner

These 3D-printed cases for the Raspberry Pi will not disappoint.

13 Amazingly Innovative 3D Printed Cases for Raspberry Pi I Came Across

So what if I don’t have a 3D printer to print these cases. I can at least appreciate the creativity.

It's FOSSAbhishek Kumar

Raspberry Pi has quietly launched the 500+, a blingy, faster version of the original 500 model.

WebScreen is a crowdfunded secondary display for gamers and creators.

The Raspberry Pi can be used for retro gaming, you know. The other Abhishek shows it with his latest work.

✨ Project Highlights

I recently discovered Sync-in, an open source platform that facilitates file sharing, sync, and collaboration.

Sync-in

The secure, open-source platform for file storage, sharing, collaboration, and syncing. - Sync-in

GitHub

Another interesting tool I discovered is term.everything which allows you to run 'any' GUI app in the terminal. I am still exploring it and will be doing a full review soon.

GitHub - mmulet/term.everything: Run any GUI app in the terminal❗

Run any GUI app in the terminal❗. Contribute to mmulet/term.everything development by creating an account on GitHub.

GitHubmmulet

🛍️ Deal worth a look

This ebook bundle from No Starch is a curated collection of titles to help you explore embedded electronics with Raspberry Pi and Arduino. Plus, your purchase supports the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Humble Tech Book Bundle: Electronics for the Curious by No Starch

Pay what you want to deepen your knowledge of video games and technology with our latest Tech Book Bundle: Electronics for the Curious.

Humble Bundle

📽️ Videos I Am Creating for You

Zorin OS 18 is coming up with new features specially planned for new Linux users who are migrating from Windows 10. I discuss those features in the latest video.

💡 Quick Handy Tip

In Firefox, you can forget about one site, by erasing its browsing history, download history, cookies, login, etc. First, go to Menu → History → Manage History.

Here, locate the website you want to forget about (one of those spicy ones, perhaps?), right-click on the website, and then select "Forget About This Site..." When asked, click on "Clear data" to clear any data related to that website.

Following this method means that the website will be gone forever from your history, unless you visit it again.

🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse

Seeing Halloween is close, are you in the mood to hunt a Daemon in our latest crossword?

Daemon Hunter: Crossword Edition

Background processes, foreground fun! Can you summon all the daemons and solve this Linux crossword?

It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash

🤣 Meme of the Week: One of the worst crimes in the world of Linux.

🗓️ Tech Trivia: On October 2, 1955, the ENIAC, the world’s first general-purpose electronic computer, was retired. Built by John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert, it could perform 5,000 operations per second.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community: Pro FOSSer Neville asked a really important question in the forum a few days ago, and the replies on that so far have been wonderful.

Why do people come to this forum? Feedback please

Lets see if we can find out what aspects of this forum are most appreciated by our members. I will start it off. What I mostly appreciate from this forum is some mental challenge helping to solve computing issues inspiration… the flow of new ideas Can each of you attempt to summarize what you see as important or rewarding in our forum.?

It's FOSS Communitynevj

Fellow Pro FOSSer Xander started a thread, asking for ideas to make the most unusable desktop environment.

❤️ With love

Please share it with your Linux-using friends and encourage them to subscribe (hint: it's here).

Share the articles in Linux Subreddits and community forums.

Follow us on Google News and stay updated in your News feed.

Opt for It's FOSS Plus membership and support us 🙏

Enjoy FOSS 😄

There were two smartphone launches recently, both with hardware kill switches. One is the Murena-powered HIROH Phone, and the other is the Furi Labs FLX1s. FLX1s uses a Debian based operating system.

Now, these are not necessarily for everyone, and they sure are not cheap. I mean, they might not be as expensive as iPhones or Samsung Galaxy S series, but they are surely in the mid-range.

These are more suited for journalists and activists who have to protect sensitive data and hence the kill switch. That doesn't mean a privacy aware regular Joe (or Jane) cannot opt for them. It's just that lack of some mainstream features could cause frustration. What do you think?

💬 Let's see what you get in this edition:

• Apt receiving a much-needed upgrade.
• Lots happening in the open source space.
• An early look at LMDE 7 and Zorin OS 18.
• And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes!

📰 Linux and Open Source News

• OBS Studio 32.0 introduces a new plugin manager.
• Apt is finally getting support for a history command.
• The eBPF Foundation has awarded $100K in research grants.
• Git 3.0 might make Rust mandatory, though this is not yet final.
• LMDE 7 beta is here with a Debian 13 base and lots of new bits.
• Zorin OS 18 beta is here with a fresh design and many new features.
• A new proposal has been floated to make Linux multi-kernel friendly.

New Proposal Looks to Make Linux Multi-Kernel Friendly

If approved, Linux could one day run multiple kernels simultaneously.

It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra

🧠 What We’re Thinking About

A coalition of open source organizations has called out predatory practices.

Open Source Infrastructure is Breaking Down Due to Corporate Freeloading

An unprecedented threat looms over open source.

It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra

If you are around South Korea, then you should definitely attend this year's Open Source Summit Korea!

🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings

• Learn how to make the best out of Polybar in Xfce.
• If you have ever wondered what an immutable distro is, then we have got you covered.
• These distros and tools offer Hyprland preconfigured.

Hyprland Made Easy: Preconfigured Beautiful Distros

Here are the projects that lower the entry barrier by providing a preconfigured Hyprland option.

It's FOSSSourav Rudra

👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner

Cool down your Raspberry Pi in style with these mini PC cases.

Raspberry Pi 5 Tower Cases to Give it Desktop Gaming Rig Look

Pi 5 is a remarkable device and it deserves an awesome case. Transform your Raspberry Pi 5 into a miniature desktop tower PC with these cases.

It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash

Also explore some must know Ollama commands to manage local AI models.

✨ Project Highlight

Net Commander is a new project from Elelab that brings network troubleshooting, Wi-Fi surveys, SSH jumping, CIDR calculations, and more into VS Code.

The author had reached out to us, but we haven't tested the plugin extensively yet.

GitHub - elelabdev/net-commander: Net Commander supercharges Visual Studio Code for Network Engineers, DevOps Engineers and Solution Architects streamlining everyday workflows and accelerating data-driven root-cause analysis.

Net Commander supercharges Visual Studio Code for Network Engineers, DevOps Engineers and Solution Architects streamlining everyday workflows and accelerating data-driven root-cause analysis. - ele…

GitHubelelabdev

📽️ Videos I Am Creating for You

Explore DuckDuckGo's lesser known features in our latest video.

💡 Quick Handy Tip

In GNOME's Nautilus file manager, you can drag and drop a tab from one window to another Nautilus window, just like browsers. Or, drag it out to open it as a new window.

See below to learn how. 👇

🎋 Fun in the FOSSverse

🧩 Quiz Time: Open source is full of forks; can you match the projects with their community-based forks/alternatives?

Community Strikes Back [Puzzle]

Forked it!

It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash

🤣 Meme of the Week: The contempt is real, people. ☠️

🗓️ Tech Trivia: On September 22, 1986, a U.S. federal judge ruled that computer code could be copyrighted, giving software the same legal protections as books and other written works.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 From the Community: One of our regular FOSSers has a question about terminals. Can you help?

Terminal: What app do you to see a .log file through pagination and with colors?

Hello Friends In a Terminal: What app do you to see a .log file through pagination and with colors? I did do a quick research in the web and I found https://lnav.org/ (not tested yet) But just being curious if you have your own recommendation. It to be used with https://logback.qos.ch where is used the following Logger Levels: trace,debug,info,warn,error If I use Visual Studio Code for long files (20MB-50MB) it consumes ram as a wolf, it even worst for many .log files opened at the same tim…

It's FOSS CommunityManuel_Jordan

❤️ With love

Please share it with your Linux-using friends and encourage them to subscribe (hint: it's here).

Share the articles in Linux Subreddits and community forums.

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Opt for It's FOSS Plus membership and support us 🙏

Enjoy FOSS 😄

We hit a major milestone on our Mastodon account. We crossed the 40,000 mark. It's a pleasant surprise. We have a lot more people on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and even YouTube. But seeing this number on a non-mainstream platform like Mastodon gives a positive uplift🕺

💬 Let's see what you get in this edition:

• Ubuntu making a major change.
• A long-time KDE contributor leaving.
• The Apache Software Foundation's rebranding.
• And other Linux news, tips, and, of course, memes!
• This edition of FOSS Weekly is supported by TigerData.

TigerData, the creators of TimescaleDB, are on a mission to make Postgres the fastest database for modern workloads. See how Postgres can scale to 2 PB and 1.5 trillion metrics per day—all without proprietary black boxes or hidden tools. With Tiger Postgres, you get massive scale without sacrificing the SQL you already know and love.

TigerData Postgres Scaling

📰 Linux and Open Source News

• Jonathan Riddell has left KDE after 25 years.
• The Apache Software Foundation has turned a new leaf.
• SUSE's Agama installer recently received a major update.
• CUDA will be directly offered via Ubuntu's repositories soon.
• Ubuntu has made a move to Dracut, replacing initramfs-tools.
• The OpenSearch Foundation has a new Executive Director leading it.

GNOME 49 is released. Ubuntu 25.10 and Fedora 43 will have them. Rolling distros like Arch should have them in a week or so, hopefully.

GNOME 49 Launches With New Apps, Nautilus Redesign, and GNOME Shell Upgrades

Many fresh applications and a refined user interface mark this release.

It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra

🧠 What We’re Thinking About

The Rustification of Ubuntu has some performance hurdles to tackle.

Rust Coreutils Are Performing Worse Than GNU Coreutils in Ubuntu

Ubuntu’s Rust move shows promise, but questions remain on performance.

It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra

🧮 Linux Tips, Tutorials, and Learnings

• Compose Key in GNOME makes typing € ♥ © and more super easy.
• Here's how the classic sudo compares to the Rust-based sudo-rs.
• Avoid these 10 mistakes if you are a new Linux user.

Top 10 Mistakes New Linux Users Make

Every Linux user makes these rookie mistakes. Get to know them before you do, or have you already got into trouble?

It's FOSSAnkush Das

👷 AI, Homelab and Hardware Corner

Turn your Pi into a powerhouse with the Pironman 5 Max.

Running local LLMs on your phone isn't science fiction! You can try running a local AI on your Android smartphone. Don't expect a superb experience, but it can help in some cases.

And I tried my hands on a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 kit. It's a well-thought-out device primarily aiming to help children get into STEM.

Review: Elecrow’s All-in-one Starter Kit for Pico 2

For anyone looking to introduce themselves or their children to the exciting world of electronics and programming, this starter kit offers a good entry point into these essential modern skills.

It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash

✨ Project Highlight

Readest is a solid eBook reader choice that runs great on Linux (but is not limited to).

This Could Be My New Favorite eBook Reader App on Linux

Readest offers a modern cross-platform eBook reading experience on Linux.

It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra

📽️ Videos I Am Creating for You

Learn about using and managing AppImages in Linux in our latest YouTube video.

🧩 Quiz Time

What's in a Container? A lot, if you can solve it.

Crossword: What’s in the Container?

Containers are fun… until they’re in a crossword. 🧩Test your Docker IQ and see if you can solve this without running docker --help in panic mode.

It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash

💡 Quick Handy Tip

You can easily save sessions in KDE Plasma. First, go into KDE Settings -> Session -> Desktop Session. Here, under the "Session Restore" section, toggle on the "When session was manually saved" button.

This will add a new "Save Session" button to your Power Menu, as shown in the screenshot above (on the right). Click on it to make Plasma remember the apps that are open and restore them on the next login.

To customize the behavior further, open the apps you need at login and click the button again to change the apps.

🤣 Meme of the Week

You never know when you might need them!

🗓️ Tech Trivia

The Association for Computing Machinery was founded on September 15, 1947. Today it has over 100,000 members worldwide and organizes conferences and workshops to advance computing knowledge and technology.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 FOSSverse Corner

One of our readers has sent over a reimagination of what Tux, the mascot of Linux, can be.

Tux Redesign... Unofficial

Hey FOSSers, A reader, Michael Kolesidis, sent me an email and shared a redesigned, modern, and simplified version of our beloved Tux mascot that he designed and released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. I am sharing them with you here: There is also a I <3 Tux styled version: You can find the new designs on Wikimedia. 🔗 Redesigned Tux: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tux_Redesign.svg ❤ “I Love Linux” derivative: https://…

It's FOSS Communityabhishek

❤️ With love

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Share the articles in Linux Subreddits and community forums.

Follow us on Google News and stay updated in your News feed.

Opt for It's FOSS Plus membership and support us 🙏

Enjoy FOSS 😄

Raspberry Pi Pico 2 starter kit from Elecrow is an educational device that integrates multiple sensors and components onto a single board for learning electronics and programming. Built around the dual-core Raspberry Pi Pico2 RP2350 chip, the kit includes 17 sensors, 20 RGB LEDs, and a 2.4-inch TFT color touchscreen in a portable case format.

The kit is designed to eliminate the need for breadboarding, wiring, and soldering, allowing users to focus on programming concepts and sensor functionality. It comes with 21 structured tutorials that progress from basic to advanced levels, using Arduino IDE as the programming environment.

In this article, I'll share my experience with this starter kit.

Technical specification

The kit comes in the form of a briefcase-styled plastic case. It weighs less than 350 gram and has a size of 19.5x17x4.6 cm.

At the core of this kit lies Raspberry Pi Pico2 RP2350. There is a 2.4 inches TFT touch screen surrounded by seventeen sensors. These sensors are connected to Pico 2 already son you don't need to do any manual connections to access them. It is powered by a type C port and the same is used for transferring the project files to the board.

My experience with Elecrow Pico 2 Starter Kit

The kit comes preloaded with a few games and a program that lets you enable the LED lights and change their patterns. The games are Dinosaur Jump (the one you see in Chrome) and Snake.

The games are not as interesting as I would want them to be. Dianousr moves way too slow in the first stage. Even my four-years old didn't have enough patience to play this 'slow game'. While the Snake game is better, there is a slight delay in button press and the response on screen.

But this is not what the kit is for. It is for exploring programming all those sensors on the board.

Easier if you are familiar with the Arduino ecosystem

Here's the thing. If you are familiar with Arduino board and their ecosystem, things will be a lot easier for you. I have been using Raspberry Pi for years but never used an Arduino or other microcontroller like the Pico board here.

I learned a few things for sure. You have to 'burn' the project code on the board and you have to do it each time you have a new project. Which means if you ran a program that sounds the buzzer and next you want to try a program that interacts with the ultrasound sensor, you have to put this new code on Pico 2.

Elecrow does provide more than one documentation, but they are inconsistent with each other. The getting started guide should be improved, especially for beginners. It took me some time to figure things out based on the two documents and some web searches.

The web-based documentation does not mention that version 4.2.0 of the Raspberry Pi Pico/RP2040/RP2350 has to be explicitly added to the board manager in Arduino IDE. It is mentioned in the user manual PDF, though.

Elecrow provides source code for around 15 projects. Wiki on the web mentions a different source code link and the PDF user manual mentions the source code on GitHub.

It doesn't end here. Most of the sample project codes on GitHub have different name for their folders and the .ino files. In the Arduino ecosystem, both .ino code file and folder that contains it must have the same name; otherwise, the sketchbook won't be visible in Arduino IDE.

In my opinion, things would have been smoother if I were familiar with Arduino and the documentation was a bit more straightforward.

Sample projects are simple and fun

I did manage to overcome the initial hurdle and was able to run several of the provided projects.

Now, the provided user manual does an excellent job at explaining the sample projects. It explains the objective of the experiment, actions that should be performed, working principles, and key elements of the program.

Projects are mostly simple and explore various sensors present on the kit. Simple projects like LED controlling with a button, oscillating the servo motor, showing room temperature and humidity, measuring obstacle distance with an ultrasound sensor, etc.

The projects that involved an infrared receiver didn't compile. I'll debug the issue later and if I am unable to fix it, I'll perhaps open a bug report on Elecrow's GitHub repo.

To experiment, I even changed the code slightly. I can see that there is potential to modify the existing code into something else. For example, if the room temperature reaches a certain level, the servo motor starts rotating. There is potential here to explore and have fun.

Above all, exploring this device made me familiar with Arduino. New skill unlocked 💪

Conclusion

This is a suitable option for schools, as they can have a bunch of these kits in their STEM lab. Children can start working on modifying the codes for their lab projects instead of struggling with wiring and soldering. The briefcase-style case also makes it easier to store without worrying about disturbing the wire connections. Perhaps there could be a discount on bulk orders; I am just guessing.

Parents who have a little bit of Arduino experience or the willingness to learn can also get this as a present for their children. With a little guidance, they can build new things upon the existing sample projects, and that will help them explore the exciting world of electronics and programming.

To the makers, if they could improve their getting-started guide and provide code consistent with Arduino IDE requirements, it would surely flatten the learning curve.

This kit is available for $37.99, which is a fair price for what it offers. Do refer to the official manual beforfe starting, if you purchase the kit.