LinuxNation

BSDun: Running FreeBSD Binaries Directly on Linux

Sun, 5 Jul 2026 22:00:00 +0000

A new project called BSDun is taking on an unusual challenge: running FreeBSD binaries directly on Linux without recompiling them. The project is only about two weeks old, but its early progress is already noteworthy.

What is BSDun?

BSDun is a Linux kernel module that teaches the kernel how to recognize and load FreeBSD ELF executables. The programs run against a FreeBSD userland under /compat/freebsd, which must be populated with the required libraries and base system components. The concept mirrors FreeBSD's Linuxulator, which allows FreeBSD to run Linux binaries. BSDun does the opposite.

What already works?

According to the project's GitLab page, created on June 23, 2026, BSDun already supports a considerable range of FreeBSD software and features:

FreeBSD's /bin/sh and shell functionality
Statically and dynamically linked programs (using ld-elf.so.1, libc.so.7, and libthr.so.3)
Networking and DNS resolution
FreeBSD's pkg package manager
ping, kqueue/kevent, and threading
Command-line tools including sed, awk, grep, find, stat, tail, and others

How does it work?

BSDun registers a FreeBSD ELF handler in Linux's binary format chain. When a program is started, the module checks the ELF OSABI field or a FreeBSD ABI note to determine whether it is a FreeBSD binary.

If it is, BSDun loads the ELF image, creates a FreeBSD-compatible auxiliary vector, and redirects the runtime environment to the FreeBSD compatibility root. The module also handles system call and signal translation, along with additional ABI compatibility between FreeBSD and Linux.

Limitations

BSDun is still experimental. It is not part of the upstream Linux kernel and should not be considered a stable subsystem. Many parts are still under active development, and compatibility continues to improve. One security-related limitation is that Capsicum calls are currently treated as successful no-ops because Linux does not implement FreeBSD's Capsicum sandboxing model. As a result, some applications may run without matching FreeBSD's security behavior exactly.

Conclusion

BSDun is only about two weeks old and has not yet published any releases. Even so, the project already demonstrates how far binary compatibility between Unix-like operating systems can be pushed. Whether it will eventually become a practical solution for everyday use remains to be seen.

Linux Weekly Roundup: Top News from Week 27

Sun, 5 Jul 2026 22:00:00 +0000

Plenty of news this week: GNOME 51 Alpha, COSMIC 1.2, a new experimental project running FreeBSD binaries on Linux, security updates for OpenSSH and OpenVPN, and Canonical pushing ARM64 as a first-class architecture. Plus a heated discussion about AI-generated code attribution in the Linux kernel.

LINUX DISTRIBUTIONS

linuxnation.social: Kali Linux 2026.2: GNOME 50, KDE Plasma 6.6, and Kernel 6.19
linuxnation.social: Mageia 10 Is Here: The Mandriva Successor Keeps Going
linuxiac.com: Arch Linux July ISO with kernel 7.0.14 and archinstall 4.4
linuxiac.com: Tails 7.9.1 fixes DirtyClone kernel flaw, updates Tor Browser
linuxiac.com: Canonical confirms Ubuntu fixes for DirtyClone kernel flaw
linuxiac.com: Hannah Montana Linux is back, and yes, it's real
linuxiac.com: AerynOS lands versioned repositories (Phase 2)
linuxiac.com: System76 debuts 2026 Lemur Pro with 18-hour battery and Wi-Fi 7

SOFTWARE UPDATES

linuxnation.social: Git 2.55 Brings FSMonitor to Linux
linuxnation.social: GNOME 51 Alpha: First Preview Arrives with Numerous Enhancements
linuxnation.social: ClamAV 1.5.3 Patches Multiple Security Flaws
linuxnation.social: YSERVER 1.3: The Vibe-Coded X11 Server Gets Usable
linuxiac.com: KDE Plasma 6.7.2 with KWin, Wayland, and AMD GPU fixes
phoronix.com: COSMIC Epoch 1.2
linuxiac.com: DXVK 3.0.1 with fixes for GTA IV, Fallout 3, Black Mesa
linuxiac.com: OpenSSH 10.4 patches security issues in SSH, SCP, and SFTP
linuxiac.com: KDE Plasma 6.8 promises smoother animations
linuxiac.com: OpenVPN 2.7.5 with seven CVE fixes
linuxiac.com: VirtualBox 7.2.12 fixes Linux host kernel panic
linuxiac.com: Immich 3.0 with big upgrades for self-hosted photo libraries
linuxiac.com: Calibre 9.11 adds HTML export for e-book annotations
linuxiac.com: fwupd 2.1.6 improves firmware updates on Linux
linuxiac.com: BleachBit 6.0.2 now available as AppImage
linuxiac.com: Phosh 0.56 adds new top-bar load meter

HARDWARE UPDATES

linuxiac.com: System76 debuts 2026 Lemur Pro with 18-hour battery life and Wi-Fi 7
linuxiac.com: Juno Tab 4 WiFi Brings Intel Core Ultra Power to a Premium Linux Tablet

WORTH READING

linuxnation.social: Ladybird Browser: June Update Brings Downloads, History, and Linux Sandboxing
linuxnation.social: ReactOS Can Now Run Half-Life 2
linuxiac.com: Experimental BSDun kernel module runs FreeBSD binaries on Linux
phoronix.com: Canonical: Ubuntu ARM64 becomes a first-class architecture
linuxiac.com: Linux tops 2026 CVE charts
linuxiac.com: GNU Guix package manager hit by four security flaws
linuxiac.com: Fedora rethinks community initiatives after AI desktop backlash
linuxiac.com: Ubuntu reverts Rust cp after it breaks live image builds
linuxiac.com: Asahi Linux gets closer to full M3 support on Apple Silicon Macs
linuxiac.com: WSL gets its own Linux container runtime with Docker-like commands
phoronix.com: Linux kernel developers discuss AI agent attribution again

WORTH WATCHING

youtube.com: Playlist

Phosh 0.56: New Load Meter, App Hiding for Immutable Systems and Tablet Improvements

Sun, 5 Jul 2026 22:00:00 +0000

Phosh 0.56 has been released. The GNOME-based shell for Linux smartphones and tablets focuses mainly on improvements for immutable systems and tablets. Users of immutable distributions benefit from new app management options, while the release also includes various bug fixes and usability improvements.

New Load Meter in the Top Bar

Phosh 0.56 adds a new plugin for the top bar: a Load Meter that displays the current system load. It provides a quick way to check whether the device is currently under heavier load due to background activity.

Hide Apps on Immutable Systems

One of the most notable changes targets immutable systems such as postmarketOS Duranium and BengalOS, Phosh's Debian-based immutable image variant. On these systems, many applications are part of the read-only base image and cannot simply be removed.

With Phosh 0.56, these apps can now be hidden from the app overview. They can also be restored later through Mobile Settings if needed.

Mobile Settings Adds OS Updates

The Mobile Settings application has also received new features. A new panel allows managing atomic operating system updates on supported immutable systems using systemd-sysupdate.

The app can also manage hidden applications, and the Syncthing plugin can now be enabled directly from the settings interface.

Improvements to the On-Screen Keyboard

The Stevia on-screen keyboard received several improvements as well. Applications can now use a custom default layout, for example a terminal layout for Emacs. Arrow keys are also available by default in the shortcut bar, and key repeat support has been improved.

Tablet Improvements

On tablets, the lock screen can now rotate. Changes to the cutout configuration, such as notch handling, are applied immediately. The lock screen design has also received several improvements.

Other Improvements

Notifications are shown when an application cannot be uninstalled
Faster app startup handling, including improvements for apps like Firefox
Bluetooth quick settings no longer get disabled when audio outputs change
Various crash and memory leak fixes

Conclusion

In my opinion, Phosh remains one of the best options for Linux smartphones and tablets. Version 0.56 is not a major release with a large number of new features, but it improves many details that matter in daily use. The changes for immutable systems in particular solve a problem that has been common on mobile Linux platforms.

Ladybird Browser: June Update Brings Downloads, History, and Linux Sandboxing

Sat, 4 Jul 2026 22:00:00 +0000

The independent open-source browser Ladybird published its June monthly update. The browser, still in active development and working toward its first alpha release, now ships several features users expect from a modern browser.

File Downloads and History Finally Arrive

Two of the biggest additions: Ladybird can now save files locally. The update adds a toolbar download indicator, a popover showing active downloads with progress, an about page, download cancellation support, and a confirmation prompt when quitting during active downloads.

Browsing history is here too. A new about page lists local browsing history, supports searching, and allows deleting individual entries. Right-clicking or long-pressing the back and forward buttons opens a native history menu with saved page titles and favicons.

DevTools and Media Playback

Developers get a new Storage tab in DevTools for inspecting and modifying cookies, localStorage, sessionStorage, and IndexedDB databases. CSS rule inspection now shows individual declarations behind computed values, including overridden and invalid rules with working jump-to-source links.

On the media side, Ladybird now supports playback speed changes. Audio is time-stretched so pitch stays stable when speeding up or slowing down.

Default Linux Sandboxing

The most security-relevant change: sandboxing is now enabled by default. Helper processes on Linux run inside real security sandboxes using seccomp and Landlock. macOS uses Seatbelt profiles.

Additionally, GPU access has moved into the sandboxed compositor process. WebContent processes no longer need direct GPU access, improving isolation between web content and graphics operations.

JavaScript and WebAssembly

The LibJS engine now uses its optimized assembly interpreter across all platforms. JavaScript strings moved to UTF-16 internally, matching the language specification and reducing conversion overhead. WebAssembly GC support and parts of the exception-handling proposal also landed in LibWasm.

To try Ladybird, check out the source on GitHub. The browser remains open source, though public code contributions are now limited to maintainers.

ReactOS Can Now Run Half-Life 2

Sat, 4 Jul 2026 22:00:00 +0000

Just a month ago, the original Half-Life ran on ReactOS. Now the open-source operating system, which aims to provide Windows binary compatibility, has reached another milestone: Half-Life 2 is now running as well.

From Half-Life to Half-Life 2 in 30 Days

In early June, ReactOS already demonstrated running the original Half-Life on an Intel Sandy Bridge desktop with an NVIDIA GeForce 8400 GS. This week, the project announced on X that Half-Life 2 is also running successfully. Testing was performed using a GeForce GTX 960, the NVIDIA 368.61 legacy Windows driver, and Creative Sound Blaster Audigy Windows drivers.

User Aotori Hibiki recorded a demo on YouTube showing the game in action. The footage suggests that the game runs smoothly, which is notable for an operating system that is still considered to be in alpha development after nearly three decades of work.

First Windows NT6 System Call

In a separate milestone, ReactOS recently implemented its first Windows NT6 system call. While small in scope, this represents an important step toward compatibility with Windows Vista and later versions. Until now, development has primarily focused on NT5.x compatibility (Windows XP / Server 2003).

What Is ReactOS?

ReactOS is an open-source operating system designed to run Windows applications and drivers natively, without modification. The project has been in development since 1996 and remains in an alpha stage. It is not based on Linux, but instead aims to reimplement the Windows NT architecture and APIs from scratch.

For gaming enthusiasts, the ability to run Half-Life 2 is a strong signal of progress. If an open-source Windows-compatible system can handle a demanding 3D title like this, it highlights steady improvements in driver support and API implementation. More information is available on the ReactOS project website.

GNOME 51 Alpha: First Preview Arrives With Numerous Enhancements

Fri, 3 Jul 2026 22:00:00 +0000

The GNOME project has published the first alpha build of GNOME 51. The stable release is scheduled for September 16, 2026, but this alpha already provides a thorough look at where the desktop environment is heading. There is no single headline feature instead, the update polishes the Linux desktop across many small areas.

What's new?

GNOME 51 follows the version 50 ("Tokyo") release from March and brings a number of refinements. These include improvements to the Nautilus file manager, which now reloads views noticeably faster. The Loupe image viewer reads extended metadata such as copyright and lens models for the first time, while GNOME Maps now supports offline map downloads.

In the system settings, the info page has been completely reorganized. A new widget shares Wi-Fi credentials quickly via QR codes, and the touchpad can now be configured to disable automatically whenever an external mouse is connected. Furthermore, the Sushi file preview tool has been fully ported to GTK4.

For screencasting, a new H.264 rate-control mechanism via VA-API reduces system resource consumption, and the integrated remote desktop tool now supports hardware acceleration with AMD graphics drivers. On the Wayland side, GNOME Shell adopts the second version of the text_input_v3 protocol for better input methods.

One highlight is the ongoing performance work. GNOME has gained measurable speed in recent releases, and the 51 cycle continues that trajectory. The improvements touch both the rendering pipeline and responsiveness to user input.

How to get the alpha build?

The alpha build is explicitly not intended for production use. If you want to try GNOME 51 risk-free, the best approach is to install the latest GNOME OS ISO image in a virtual machine using the native GNOME Boxes environment.

If you rely on stability, you should wait for the beta in August or the final release in September.

Outlook

GNOME 51 looks like a solid incremental update. It may not deliver massive headlines, but it brings exactly the kind of quality-of-life adjustments that make a real difference in daily use. The alpha is available for testing now, with the beta period expected to start in August.

More details are available on the official GNOME Forum.

ClamAV 1.5.3 Patches Multiple Security Flaws in Open-Source Antivirus Scanner

Thu, 2 Jul 2026 22:00:00 +0000

ClamAV 1.5.3 has been released as a security update for the open-source antivirus engine widely deployed on Linux and Unix systems, particularly for mail gateway scanning and automated malware detection.

Seven CVEs Closed

The update fixes several vulnerabilities in file parsing. CVE-2026-20217 affects the PESpin unpacker cleanup path, where a bug can free pointers into the scanned file buffer and crash the scanner. CVE-2026-20213 is an integer overflow in PE rebuild size calculations, triggered by a malformed Aspack-packed PE file, leading to a heap buffer overflow.

Archive scanning also received critical fixes. CVE-2026-20216 patches an InstallShield extraction limit bypass that could exhaust storage. CVE-2026-20243 addresses ALZ parser size-handling bugs that can panic or abort the scanner. The 7z parser fix for CVE-2026-20215 prevents out-of-bounds writes caused by a substream count overflow in malformed archives.

Additionally, ClamAV 1.5.3 hardens quarantine operations in clamscan, clamdscan, and clamonacc against time-of-check/time-of-use race conditions. Users still on the older 1.4 branch should upgrade to ClamAV 1.4.5, which includes the same security fixes.

How to Update

Package manager users will receive the update through normal distro channels. Manual installations are available from the ClamAV downloads page, GitHub releases, and Docker Hub.

Given the severity of the heap overflows and archive parser vulnerabilities, administrators should deploy this update promptly, especially on systems running ClamAV for email scanning or file server protection.

YSERVER 1.3: The Vibe-Coded X11 Server gets usable

Wed, 1 Jul 2026 22:00:00 +0000

If you were skeptical a month ago when an X11 server "vibe-coded" in Rust with Claude Code was announced, version 1.3 is worth another look. YSERVER is becoming genuinely usable. Whether the project has a long-term future, however, is another question.

What's new in 1.3?

Developer Jos Dehaes has been busy. Recent additions include:

FreeBSD support: Tested and working on GhostBSD. musl/Alpine builds work too.
Xinerama: The multi-monitor extension is now supported.
Display hotplug: Connect and disconnect monitors at runtime.
Direct VT switching: Switch between virtual consoles without detours.
RANDR gamma correction: redshift actually works with this.
Runtime XKB layout switching with keyboard LEDs driven from XKB state.
xauth support: Authentication for remote X sessions.

Tested with real desktops

YSERVER now runs full desktop sessions: MATE, Xfce, and Cinnamon have all been tested. Window manager testing includes Compiz, Openbox, Awesome, Enlightenment, FVWM3, and Window Maker. Hardware testing spans AMD, Intel, Snapdragon, and Apple Silicon graphics.

Should anyone care?

A month ago I would have said: cool experiment, nothing more. But version 1.3 shows real progress. No, this isn't replacing Xorg or XWayland anytime soon. And the fact that a significant chunk of the code was written by an AI raises legitimate maintenance questions.

Still, a working X11 server in Rust with FreeBSD support and multi-monitor capabilities just weeks after its public debut is noteworthy. "Vibe coding" may not be a sustainable approach for critical infrastructure, but the results are quite impressive at this stage.

Source code is on GitHub.

Kali Linux 2026.2: GNOME 50, KDE Plasma 6.6, and Kernel 6.19

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 22:00:00 +0000

Kali Linux 2026.2 has been released with a substantial update: GNOME 50, KDE Plasma 6.6, and kernel 6.19. If you use Kali regularly for penetration testing or as your working environment, this release deserves a closer look.

GNOME 50 for the first time in Kali

Kali is one of the first distributions to ship GNOME 50. The Activities overview has been redesigned, window management feels more responsive, and Wayland support has improved noticeably. Whether switching from X11 makes sense depends on your specific setup, but the direction is clear.

KDE Plasma 6.6

KDE users get Plasma 6.6 with this release. The Wayland session runs more stably, KWin received several fixes, and the Dolphin file manager performs faster. HiDPI displays cause fewer issues. A solid update without major surprises.

Kernel 6.19

The new kernel brings better hardware support for current CPUs and GPUs, patches for known security vulnerabilities, and performance improvements. If you don't pin your kernel manually, you'll receive this update automatically.

New tools

Kali integrated 9 new security tools. The details are in the official changelog. In short: updates to network analysis and exploit frameworks are included.

Upgrading

If you already have Kali installed:

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade -y

Fresh ISOs are available at kali.org/get-kali.

Conclusion

Kali 2026.2 is the most modern release of the distribution to date. GNOME 50 and kernel 6.19 alone make the upgrade worthwhile. Whether GNOME or KDE is the better choice comes down to personal preference. Both desktops receive significant attention in this release.

Mageia 10 Is Here: The Mandriva Successor Keeps Going

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 22:00:00 +0000

Mageia 10 has been released. The distribution traces its roots back to Mandriva Linux, which ran into financial difficulties in 2010. Since then, an active community has continued developing the project without corporate backing, focusing on providing a reliable desktop Linux distribution.

What's New?

The desktop environments have received significant updates. KDE Plasma 6.5.5 now uses Wayland by default, while GNOME 49, Xfce, and LXQt remain available for users with different preferences. Linux kernel 6.18 LTS and Mesa 26.0 improve support for modern hardware.

Package management has also been modernized. Alongside the traditional urpmi, Mageia 10 now ships with DNF 5, powered by the new RPM 4.20 backend for improved performance. Updated drivers and system components also improve support for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth hardware.

Technical Details

One notable change is that 32-bit installation images now require SSE2-capable processors (i686 instead of i586). As a result, very old systems are no longer supported. Overall, 32-bit support continues to shrink as more upstream projects discontinue 32-bit builds.

The new wallpapers and screensavers use the JPEG XL (JXL) image format at a resolution of 3840 × 2160 pixels, making them suitable for 4K displays. Compared to traditional JPEG images, JXL provides higher image quality at similar file sizes.

Who Is It For?

Mageia has never tried to compete directly with Ubuntu or Fedora. Instead, it targets users looking for a stable and predictable Linux distribution that avoids disruptive changes every few months while offering a mature installer and administration tools. The Mageia Control Center (MCC) remains one of the most comprehensive graphical configuration utilities available on Linux.

Download

Installation and Live ISO images are available from mageia.org. For a complete overview of the changes in Mageia 10, see the official release notes.