📰 An Early Run With Ubuntu 26.04 On AMD EPYC Turin - The Current Performance Gains Over Ubuntu 24.04 LTS

There still are several months to go until the official Ubuntu 26.04 LTS release -- including one month until the feature freeze and the future Linux 6.20~7.0 kernel is expected to land too before the latter kernel freeze in early April. But for those curious how Ubuntu 26.04 is looking so far for servers, here are some very early benchmarks of it on AMD EPYC 9005 "Turin" in its present development state.

🔗 Source: https://www.phoronix.com/review/ubuntu-2604-jan-amd-epyc

📰 Wireshark 4.6.3 Released with Updated Protocol and Capture File Support

Wireshark 4.6.3 open-source network protocol analyzer is now available to download with various bug fixes and updated protocol and capture file support.

🔗 Source: https://9to5linux.com/wireshark-4-6-3-released-with-updated-protocol-and-capture-file-support

📰 GRUB 2.14 Bootloader Released With EROFS Support, Shim Loader Protocol

More than two years after the release of GRUB 2.12, GRUB 2.14 shipped today as the newest feature release of this widely-used bootloader on Linux systems and elsewhere...

🔗 Source: https://www.phoronix.com/news/GRUB-2.14-Released

📰 Orion Browser Releases Its First Linux Alpha

An alpha release of Orion for Linux, a new Webkit-based web browser from paid search engine Kagi, is out for testing – and early impressions are positive.You're reading Orion Browser Releases Its First Linux Alpha, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.

🔗 Source: https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/01/orion-browser-for-linux-alpha

📰 Another RADV Ray-Tracing Merge Lands Some Additional Gains For Mesa 26.0

Separate from the Mesa merge request talked about earlier today for new RADV code that can deliver 10x faster ray-tracing pipeline compilation for this open-source Radeon Vulkan driver, another merge request landed today in Mesa 26.0 that was also carried out by Valve contractor Natalie Vock. That second merge request now in Mesa 26.0 delivers some additional gains for at least some ray-tracing games on RDNA3 and RDNA4 GPUs...

🔗 Source: https://www.phoronix.com/news/RADV-RT-RDNA3-RDNA4-Wave32

📰 Debian Plans to Remove GTK2 Before Debian 14

Debian maintainers argue that shipping dead upstream software, such as GTK2, is a growing security and stability liability.

🔗 Source: https://linuxiac.com/debian-plans-to-remove-gtk2-before-debian-14/

📰 You Can Now Use ONLYOFFICE on Raspberry Pi Like ARM Devices

Native ARM support expands the open source office suite's reach.

🔗 Source: https://itsfoss.com/news/onlyoffice-desktop-editors-arm-support/

📰 oVirt 4.5.7 Released After Two Years With New OS & CPU Support

The oVirt 4.5.7 open-source virtualization management platform released this week after not seeing any new releases in two years. While Red Hat had started the oVirt open-source project for which their Red Hat Virtualization platform is based, since they shifted that to maintenance mode to focus on the Red Hat OpenShift platform and stopped contributing to oVirt, it's been up to the open-source community to keep it going...

🔗 Source: https://www.phoronix.com/news/oVirt-4.5.7

📰 Tails 7.4 Released With Persistent Language and Keyboard Settings

Tails 7.4, a privacy-focused Linux distro, introduces persistent language and keyboard settings, along with Tor Browser 15.0.4.

🔗 Source: https://linuxiac.com/tails-7-4-released-with-persistent-language-and-keyboard-settings/

📰 Raspberry Pi 5 gets LLM smarts with AI HAT+ 2

40 TOPS of inference grunt, 8 GB onboard memory, and the nagging question: who exactly needs this? Raspberry Pi has launched the AI HAT+ 2 with 8 GB of onboard RAM and the Hailo-10H neural network accelerator aimed at local AI computing.…

🔗 Source: https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2026/01/15/pi_5_ai_hat_2/

📰 D7VK 1.2 Released For Improving Direct3D 6 Front-End

Started last year was D7VK as a project bringing Direct3D 7 implemented over the Vulkan API for enjoying better performance and support for legacy Windows games on Linux, akin to DXVK and VKD3D-Proton for newer versions of Direct3D over Vulkan that is used by Valve's Steam Play (Proton). Back in December D7VK added a Direct3D 6 front-end for allowing even older game titles to be accelerated using the modern Vulkan API. Today D7VK 1.

🔗 Source: https://www.phoronix.com/news/D7VK-1.2-Released

📰 Kdenlive 25.12.1 Brings Welcome Screen Polishing and Audio Fixes

Kdenlive 25.12.1, an open-source video editor, is out with stability fixes, workflow improvements, and continued polishing of the new welcome screen.

🔗 Source: https://linuxiac.com/kdenlive-25-12-1-video-editor-released/

📰 EndeavourOS Ganymede Neo Is Out with Linux Kernel 6.18 LTS and KDE Plasma 6.5.4

EndeavourOS Ganymede Neo distribution is now available for download with Linux kernel 6.18 LTS, KDE Plasma 6.5.4, and other changes. Here’s what’s new!

🔗 Source: https://9to5linux.com/endeavouros-ganymede-neo-rolls-out-with-linux-kernel-6-18-lts-and-kde-plasma-6-5-4

📰 Using a modern fork of this 90s Linux desktop was a nostalgic nightmare

Ever since I went full-time with Linux about nine months ago, I've had a soft spot for KDE Plasma. In fact, I'd even go so far as to claim that KDE's desktop environment and tools were a big reason as to why I didn't bounce back onto Windows. I think if I would have gone back to Windows if I was stuck with GNOME as my daily driver. I really don't like it.

🔗 Source: https://www.xda-developers.com/i-used-a-modern-fork-of-a-linux-de-from-the-90s/

📰 GNOME 49.3 Desktop Released with More Improvements and Bug Fixes

GNOME 49.3 is now available as the third point release to the GNOME 49 desktop environment series with various bug fixes and improvements.

🔗 Source: https://9to5linux.com/gnome-49-3-desktop-released-with-more-improvements-and-bug-fixes

📰 GNOME 50 Alpha Released With The X11 Code Gutted

The GNOME 50 Alpha "50.alpha" release is now available for testing ahead of this open-source desktop's official release in March...

🔗 Source: https://www.phoronix.com/news/GNOME-50-Alpha

📰 Opera GX Gaming Browser is Coming to Linux

Opera confirms it's working on a Linux version of Opera GX, its gaming-focused browser. No release date yet, but after years of users asking it's happening.You're reading Opera GX Gaming Browser is Coming to Linux, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.

🔗 Source: https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/01/opera-gx-linux-version-being-worked-on

📰 Raspberry Pi Imager 2.0.4 Improves Handling for Files Larger Than 4GB

Raspberry Pi Imager 2.0.4 SD card flashing utility is now available for download with improved handling of files larger than 4GB and other changes. Here's what's new!

🔗 Source: https://9to5linux.com/raspberry-pi-imager-2-0-4-improves-handling-for-files-larger-than-4gb

📰 Ready for a newbie-friendly Linux? Mint team officially releases v 22.3, 'Zena'

Newer kernel, newer Cinnamon, new tools, and even new icons The timing is right if you're looking to try out Mint. New improved "Zena" is here – still based on Ubuntu Noble, but now with Cinnamon 6.6 and improved Wayland support, plus better internationalization, new System Information and System Administration tools, and clearer icons.…

🔗 Source: https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2026/01/16/linux_mint_223_zena_officially_release/

📰 COSMIC Desktop Adds Rounded Corners and Window Shadows

COSMIC Desktop now supports rounded corners and window shadows across all apps, with new appearance options available in Settings.

🔗 Source: https://linuxiac.com/cosmic-desktop-adds-rounded-corners-and-window-shadows/