Untitled Linux Show 270

Overview

This episode is a wide-ranging Linux/tech roundtable. The hosts begin by comparing audiobook readers, then quickly pivot into security, cross-platform compatibility, open-source governance, and a set of practical command-line tips.

Notable highlights & key moments

Ubuntu Pro “looks updated” but isn’t fully secure

Rob discovers an Ubuntu server scan flagging CVE-2026-24425—described as a Twig PHP sandbox escape leading to potential authenticated remote code execution.

The twist: running a normal apt update shows no pending fixes because the patched package is only available via Ubuntu Pro (ESM), even on a fresh 26.04 LTS install.

The group discusses how security/compliance scanning can mark the issue as high/serious, while the admin’s system reports fully updated, arguing this mismatch is harmful for broader ecosystem security.

Windows + ARM compatibility via Bottles

Ken shares progress in Bottles (a Wine-based app runner) supporting ARM64.

A standout story: someone successfully runs Microsoft 365 (Word, with 2FA and OneDrive integration) on Linux via Bottles. They debate whether this could eventually push enterprises toward Linux—while noting real-world deployments are constrained by wider ecosystem realities.

Switzerland tests Open Source office (OpenDesk)

Jeff explains Switzerland’s pilot program moving 3,000 government computers off Microsoft 365 toward OpenDesk—a German-led open-source “suite” built from components such as Calabor(a), Nextcloud, Element, and others.

Motivations include:

• Digital sovereignty
• Legal exposure (including US data access risk)
• Vendor lock-in
• Rising licensing costs

A proof-of-concept is also mentioned with mixed results, including limitations around video conferencing.

“Task Manager OG” comes to Linux

Rob introduces TMOG—a modern “Task Manager”-style system monitor created by the original Windows Task Manager author, Dave (“Dave Plameumber”).

It supports detailed monitoring (CPU/GPU/memory/network/thermals and more), but it’s heavy enough that it visibly loads the system. The group jokes that it’s like Windows Task Manager… but fancier, and they discuss the lack of open-source availability.

The big legal saga (SCO vs Linux) finally appears to be over

Jeff recaps the long-running SCO litigation: after decades of court battles, recent decisions largely shut down remaining claims.

The tone is grimly comedic, with the episode landing on the idea that Linux ownership is essentially “nobody gets to own it”, with only a small chance of further appeal.

Xorg still gets updates, Wayland is the future

Rob covers Xorg Server 26.1, a long-awaited feature release after a 5-year gap.

However, the thread effectively argues that Wayland/Xwayland is what matters now. There’s lively debate and satire about XLibre vs Xorg, including a story that some distros tried XLibre but rolled back after bug reports.

KDE Plasma 6.8: the “kills off X11” moment

Jeff discusses KDE Plasma 6.8 launching Oct 14, 2026, timed to KDE’s 30th anniversary. It also removes the native X11 session:

• Everything runs on Wayland
• Older X11 apps still run via XWayland

They also mention performance improvements for multi-GPU/external GPU setups and the return of classic KDE 4 theme elements.

Command-line tips that actually land

• XMLStarlet: querying RSS feeds from the terminal via curl | xmlstarlet sel to print episode titles/links cleanly.
• Metaflac: batch-fixing FLAC metadata (sample rate, tags, removing junk tags, and bulk editing/export/import).
• UpdateCLI: a “creative sysadmin” idea—run periodically or integrate with systemd so git-based update pushes can auto-deploy to a live system.

Jokes / banter

• Repeated light teasing about audiobook audio/voice recognition, plus the idea of remembering faces vs hearing voices.
• Rob’s “Ubuntu Pro” rant evolves into a broader “compliance vs reality” joke: systems are “updated,” but patches require payment.
• The show title recap is packed with clickbait-y pseudo-problem phrases (e.g., “bet on heat death,” “it’s over again”).
• TMOG’s AI-like UI and “vibe coding” commentary become a meta-joke about AI fingerprints in dashboards.

People / personas mentioned (by role/name)

• Jonathan Bennett (host)
• Rob (Robert; main Linux/security/system monitor commentator)
• Ken (Linux/ARM/Bottles/OpenDesk discussion; hardware enthusiast)
• Jeff (Windows/Microsoft/open-source adoption perspective; also contextualizes command-line tips)
• Mario D (listener donor mentioned)

Voices / narrators referenced

• Ray Porter
• Ron Perlman
• Walton Goggins
• Jeffrey Keifer

Outside creators / historical figures referenced

• Dave Plameumber (Task Manager OG)
• Daryl McBride (SCO CEO, historically)
• Swiss/OpenDesk-related researchers