Ubuntu Snaps into Firefox, easy packaging with makedeb, cross-platform MSpaint, and 1080p60 capture on Linux for under $70.
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Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
03:05 Ubuntu makes Firefox a Snap
08:41 Firefox defaults to Bing
13:31 EVGA XR1 lite review
18:11 Easy *.deb with makedeb
21:16 Kernel 5.15 RC2 and birthdays
25:31 MSpaint in javascript
33:01 Raspberry Pi gets 45M cash infusion
38:36 Emails
Mozilla finally Snaps
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubuntu-release-upgrader/+bug/1943840
- Firefox will be a Snap in Ubuntu 21.10.
- Cross-platform support? Like the *.bz2?
- Isn’t it going to be slow? Long answer short? Yes.
- I’m not going to participate in the Snap hate-train.
- But I’m not going to pretend they make any sense on the Desktop.
- While snap can work, theoretically, in all distros, I’m almost willing to bet that there are more distributions which support debs than snaps by default.
- And judging by the reception of snaps and the constant attempts to cram them down people’s throats, under the guise of “ease of maintenance” or some other conveniently vague terms, snaps will continue to remain the least popular alternative for that same segment of the community.
- I already stopped using Firefox as my main browser, so this doesn’t really bother me.
- Or the other questionable decision Mozilla made last week.
- I think it is great that Mozilla and Ubuntu are collaborating.
- This should help the transition be more seamless than the Chromium Snap one.
- The Firefox tar.bz2 build I have been using for years on my newer and older 32-bit machines will still be around.
- The new version of Firefox is also available as a Flatpak, and an older version of Firefox is available as an AppImage.
- I’m still waiting for someone to sell me on the idea of containerized apps on the Desktop ™.
Firefox Bing!
https://www.ghacks.net/2021/09/17/firefox-experiment-is-testing-bing-as-the-default-search-engine/
- Check out about:studies and see if you’re in.
- I am not in this experiment, though I was in 3 of them at one point without realizing it.
- Yeah, that was a “oh, really?” Moment.
- What’s the endgame here?
- Like it or not Mozilla exists at Google’s whim so this could be revenue option B?
- Since Google’s search contract runs out in 2023, it makes sense that Mozilla is looking for another option for income.
- Especially because the search contract gives them the most revenue.
- Also, I very rarely use the Firefox browser address bar to search.
- Instead I make duckduckgo or frontpage search as my homepage.
EVGA XR1 lite review
https://linuxgamecast.com/2021/09/evga-xr1-lite-60-1080p60-hdmi-capture-card-for-linux/
- At the end of the day we have a USB3 capture card that does 1080p 60 and 4K passthrough for under $70.
- That’s around $40 less than the Elgato Cam Link 4K.
- You’re trading the ability to capture 4K 30 for 4K passthrough and for most people that’s what you wanted in the first place.
- Linux support is plug-and-play, there are no drivers to install.
- It does lack the 3.5mm audio holes, garish red knob, and annoying RGB blinky nonsense of the XR1 but she’s got it where it counts.
- 1080p capture is solid, no issues with 4K passthrough, worked with my DSLR.
- So If you’re here for some confirmation bias, ya made a good purchase.
makedeb (Strider)
https://github.com/makedeb/makedeb
https://makedeb.hunterwittenborn.com/home/installing/apt-repository/
- This is makedeb, it takes Arch PKGBUILD files and creates Debian packages installable with APT.
- A PKGBUILD is a shell script containing the build information required by Arch Linux packages.
- Example:
- “makedeb –install handbrake” creates a Debian package.
- Then “sudo apt install handbrake” to install it with apt!
- And, tada, type handbrake in the terminal and it launches!
- Another great project from the creator of Pacstall that we talked about on LWDW280.
- The Pacstall app lets you use the Arch User Repository on Ubuntu.
- Thank you to the developer hwittenborn, who contacted Strider to bring this awesome project to our attention!
- This one allows for what I asked.
- You point it at the pkgbuild of an existing AUR package and it will spit out a Deb.
- Thank you!
5.15 RC2
https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/20/linux_5_15_rc2/
- New RC2 continues the -Werror experiment.
- Linus drops the well actually, since the original RC for the kernel was packaged on the 17th of September 91.
- According to the time tag on the tar.
- Linus has said in the past that there are actually three dates that could be celebrated as Linux’s birthday, and this is one of them.
- Linus, I like that the kernel development was slow enough that you could still worry: “Who knew I’d still worry about some odd EISA driver on alpha, after all these years?”
- You are keeping my DEC Alpha alive :-)
- Being forced to go back and look over “odd and grotty code” is not a bad thing.
Electron Paint
https://github.com/i5ik/jspaint.exe
- The original Paint from Win 9X was around 300K.
- Yup, it opens up a cleverly disguised CEF window.
- Unfortunately I immediately noticed it because the translation pop-up appeared the moment it started.
- This is JS Paint but recreated as a cross-platform native desktop app using Grader.
- GRaderJS turns a NodeJS application into a downloadable cross-platform binary.
- JS Paint is a web-based remake of MS Paint by Isaiah Odhner.
- Thank you for creating a Linux 32-bit executable of jspaint as well so I can use it on my old machines.
- And because it is jspaint, it has some fun extras, like dark mode.
- I wonder if Venn likes the “Occult” red theme ;-)
- And you can upload your pic to imgur.
Slice of Pi
45M Pi
https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/21/raspberry-pi-gets-45m-to-meet-demand-for-low-cost-pcs-and-iot/
- The sale of stakes in the company to Lansdowne Partners and the Ezrah Charitable Trust will provide 45M in funding without needing to go public.
- Not being beholden to shareholders is a good thing.
- Short term it will allow them to invest more in the supply chain.
- Long term, they can start to hire new engineers to make the next gen of Pi.
Feedback
Using it wrong
https://linuxgamecast.com/bradley/?AlbWHb9
- So true probono, but it is so nice to have another option to find AppImages.
- It is very convenient to see what AppImages are available in the terminal, install them, and have search capabilities for them.
- Using AppMan saves me time!
- Also, one of the complaints Linux users and software developers have of AppImages, is that they didn’t have a unified repository, like Flatpaks or Snaps.
- And now that they do, maybe there will be greater adoption.
- And, yes, AppImages are the oldest containerized format for installing apps on Linux, and my personal favorite.
- Also there is https://www.appimagehub.com/browse to easily search and install ApoImages online.
