Raspberry Pi has reduced the price on all 4GB and 8GB Compute Module 4 boards by $5-10, making embedded projects more affordable to try out.
You're reading Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 Gets a Price Cut, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
The Linux boot process is a sequence of events that initializes a Linux system from a powered-off state to a fully operational state. The knowledge of Linux boot process is essential when it comes to technical interviews, but sometimes it becomes difficult to remember or recall the key steps in the process. This article discusses a quick and easy way to remember it - Best Geeks Know It! Yes, you only need to remember that.
Best Geeks Know It -> B – G – K – I -> BIOS – GRUB – KERNEL – INIT
This BGKI acronym provides a high-level overview of the Linux boot process. Each step builds upon the previous one, gradually bringing the system to a fully operational state. Of course, there are more detailed processes within each step, but this simplified version should give you a good foundation for understanding and remembering the Linux boot sequence.
Here's a concise expansion of B-G-K-I:
B - BIOS/UEFI
G - GRUB
K - KERNEL
I - INIT (systemd in modern systems)
Key files to remember
/boot/grub/grub.conf - GRUB configuration
/etc/systemd/system/ - systemd unit files
/etc/inittab - Init configuration (traditional)
Go to Full ArticleHuawei has unwrapped its latest Linux notebook, the MateBook X Pro 2024 Linux Edition — alas, it’s only available in China. The Windows-free MateBook X Pro 2024 uses the same hardware as the Windows version, but clocks in at CN¥300 cheaper thank to a lack of Windows license fee and a government subsidy discounting tech that, from what I can gather, use a domestic OS. Chinese consumers can reportedly claim an extra discount of CN¥2000 on the purchase price as part of a national subsidy to promote usage of homegrown tech in general. With US sanctions in play, Microsoft is reportedly not […]
You're reading Huawei MateBook X Pro 2024 (Linux Edition) Goes on Sale, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
Hello community, here we have another set of package updates. Since I’m still recovering from my move back to Europe from Asia, I might be less responsive on the forum. So lets test these packages thoroughly so we can do another stable branch snap.
Current PromotionsGet our latest daily developer images now from Github: Plasma, GNOME, XFCE. You can get the latest stable releases of Manjaro from CDN77.
Our current supported kernelsPackage Changes (Tue May 6 12:33:52 CEST 2025)
A list of all package changes can be found here.
Check if your mirror has already synced:
11 posts - 9 participants
Open source system cleaning app BleachBit has put out its first major update in more than a year, adding improved cleaning capabilities, security fixes, and stability buffs. For the benefit of those with dusty memories, BleachBit is a free, open source system cleaner for Windows and Linux, written in Python and GTK 3. Similar to other apps of its type, BleachBit helps free up disk space by cleaning out caches, cookies, and other transient cruft. It can also delete files securely, wipe unallocated disk space, and squeeze Firefox and Chrome’s SQLite databases to improve performance. BleachBit 5.0, released this week, expands its […]
You're reading System Cleaner BleachBit Gets First ‘Major Update’ Since 2023, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
Google’s search deal with Mozilla is such a sizeable portion of its overall income that without it, Firefox would struggle to compete – or even survive, say Mozilla. It’s no secret that Google has paid Mozilla handsomely for its search engine to be set default in the Firefox web browser for decades. Mozilla’s financial report for 2023 revealed that the amount of money accrued from its “search deals” that year made up roughly three quarters of its entire income (specific amounts and from whom is confidential; it’s lumped together). While that figure is a bit less than it used to be, […]
You're reading Google Search Deal Critical to Firefox’s Future, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
Linux system monitoring app Mission Center has put out its first update in 6 months – and it’s a big one! Mission Center 1.0 adds new hardware tracking, UI tweaks, and refactors its backend to provide palapble performance improvements, boost the app’s responsiveness and minimise ‘time deviations between refresh cycles’. The latter may sound a tad dry on the ‘excitement’ scale but, arguably, it’s a big thing: a real-time monitoring app is used for, well, real-time monitoring and those tweaks ensure hardware and system process info shown is more precise. For a closer lookout the “visible” changes in this release, […]
You're reading Mission Center 1.0: New Features, Better Performance, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
Hello community, here we have another set of package updates. Since I’m still recovering from my move back to Europe from Asia, I might be less responsive on the forum.
Current PromotionsGet our latest daily developer images now from Github: Plasma, GNOME, XFCE. You can get the latest stable releases of Manjaro from CDN77.
Our current supported kernelsPackage Changes (Sun Apr 27 09:11:49 CEST 2025)
A list of all package changes can be found here.
Check if your mirror has already synced:
89 posts - 57 participants
If you use the Papirus icon theme on Ubuntu, you’ll be pleased to hear a new version is available to download. Frequent updates are a major reason why the Papirus icon set is so popular with Linux users. After all, it’s annoying to switch to a stylish icon set that doesn’t have icons for most of your apps, ruining the vibe. Not so with Papirus. It’s perpetually expanding its coverage through regular updates. Papirus’s second update this year adds 69 new icons—nice—and 18 updated ones. It also includes packaging and DE changes, and deprecates its ePapirus variants since elementaryOS 8 […]
You're reading Papirus Icon Set Update Adds New Icons, Plasma 6 Support, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
Canonical has announced the first official Ubuntu desktop image for the Qualcomm DragonWing platform. A beta image of Ubuntu 24.04 desktop compatible with Qualcomm Dragonwing QCS6490 and QCS5430 processors, and specifically tailored for the Qualcomm RB3 (Gen 2) Vision Kit and RB3 (Gen 2 Lite) Vision Kit is available for testing. Ubuntu 24.04 server images were previously available for the same model vision kits, so it’s the addition of desktop builds that is an interesting development. Canonical say marrying a full Ubuntu desktop experience married with “powerful AI acceleration with high-performance graphics” in the Dragonwing devices provides “a powerful development environment […]
You're reading Canonical Brings Ubuntu 24.04 to Qualcomm Dragonwing Vision Kit, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
Development today opened on Ubuntu 25.10 “Questing Quokka”, the next short-term release of Ubuntu, due for release in October. Canonical engineer Utkarsh Gupta fired the figurative starting pistol for developers in a post to the Ubuntu mailing list, announcing the opening, and the enabling of auto-sync. “As usual, we expect a large influx of builds and autopkgtests in this initial period, which will cause delays. Please help fixing any breakage that occurs,” Gupta adds. It’s only been a couple of weeks since the Ubuntu 25.04 release, but the dedicated devs who spent 6 months diligently shaping that release don’t get much time […]
You're reading We’re Off — Ubuntu 25.10 Opens for Development, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
In a world teeming with Linux distributions — from Ubuntu to Arch, Debian to Fedora — the idea of building your own may seem daunting, if not redundant. Yet, for many technologists, enthusiasts, and developers, creating a custom Linux distribution isn't just an exercise in reinvention; it's an act of empowerment. Whether your goal is to tailor a lightweight OS for embedded devices, create a secure workstation, develop an education-focused system, or simply understand Linux more intimately, building your own distribution is one of the most fulfilling journeys in open-source computing.
This guide walks you through every stage of creating your own Linux distribution — from selecting core components to building, customizing, and distributing your personalized operating system.
Understanding the Basics What is a Linux Distribution?A Linux distribution (or "distro") is a complete operating system built on the Linux kernel. It includes:
Kernel – The core interface between hardware and software.
Init System – Handles booting and service management (e.g., systemd, OpenRC).
Userland Tools – Basic utilities from projects like GNU Coreutils and BusyBox.
Package Manager – Tool to install, upgrade, and remove software (e.g., APT, Pacman, DNF).
Optional GUI – A desktop environment or window manager (e.g., GNOME, XFCE, i3).
Reasons vary, but common motivations include:
Learning – Deepen your understanding of system internals.
Performance – Remove bloat for a leaner, faster system.
Branding – Create a branded OS for an organization or product.
Customization – Tailor software stacks for specific use-cases.
Embedded Applications – Create firmware or OS images for hardware devices.
Start by asking:
Who is the target user?
What hardware should it support?
Will it be a desktop, server, or headless system?
Should it boot live or be installed?
You can either:
Build from scratch: Using projects like Linux From Scratch (LFS).
Welcome to the new monthly unstable branch thread.
Recent News Valkey to replace Redis in the [extra] Repository (click for more details)Get our latest daily developer images now from Github: Plasma, GNOME, XFCE. You can get the latest stable releases of Manjaro from CDN77.
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68 posts - 22 participants
April saw a solid set of software updates land for an slew of popular Linux apps. In this post, I run through a number of recent releases that didn’t get the “full article” treatment on this blog. Sometimes it’s a challenge to cover everything I want to (especially in an Ubuntu release month, as April was), and some updates are rather minor and hard to say too much about. Also, covering updates relies on me knowing they’re out in a timely fashion. I track as much as I can, as best as I can. But it’s easy for things to […]
You're reading Linux App Release Roundup (April 2025), a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
Luna brings moon phases to your Ubuntu desktop with a simple GNOME Shell extension. Track current phase, illumination percentage, and upcoming changes right from your panel.
You're reading Track Moon Phases From Your Ubuntu Desktop With Luna, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
Data loss is a nightmare for any computer user, and Linux users are no exception. Despite the robust architecture of Linux operating systems, disasters can strike in the form of accidental deletions, corrupted partitions, or failing storage devices. Whether you're a system administrator, developer, or everyday Linux user, understanding how to recover data can be the difference between a minor inconvenience and a major setback.
This guide will walk you through the practical strategies and essential tools for recovering lost or corrupted files on Linux.
Understanding Data Loss on Linux Common Causes of Data LossData loss can occur for various reasons:
Accidental Deletion: Files removed with rm or cleared trash.
Filesystem Corruption: Caused by improper shutdowns, power failures, or software bugs.
Partition Issues: Misconfigured or overwritten partition tables.
Hardware Failures: Hard drive degradation, bad sectors, or failing SSDs.
Linux filesystems like ext4 don’t immediately erase data when a file is deleted. Instead, the filesystem marks the file's space as free. Until that space is overwritten, the data may be recoverable. This behavior is the cornerstone of most recovery techniques.
First Steps After Data LossThe most critical step is to minimize system activity on the affected drive. Any write operation can potentially overwrite recoverable data.
Disconnect and Mount Read-OnlyIf the loss happened on a secondary drive, physically disconnect it and mount it read-only on another machine:
sudo mount -o ro /dev/sdX1 /mnt/recovery
Create a Disk ImageUse tools like dd or ddrescue to create a complete image of the drive for analysis:
sudo dd if=/dev/sdX of=/mnt/external/backup.img bs=4M status=progress
Or with ddrescue, which handles read errors more gracefully:
sudo ddrescue /dev/sdX /mnt/external/recovery.img /mnt/external/logfile
Work from the image to preserve the original drive.
Boot from a Live EnvironmentTo avoid using the target system, boot into a Live Linux distribution like:
SystemRescueCD – tailored for system repair.
Ubuntu Live CD – user-friendly and widely available.
At long last, Mozilla Firefox has GUI profile management features – obvious, easy to use and don’t require poking around the browser’s backend and creating custom shortcuts. The feature, which begins rolling out in today’s Firefox 138 update, is the latest “big ticket” feature the browser has belatedly sought to add, following recent long-requested supported for vertical tabs and tab grouping capabilities. Last month’s Firefox 137 release added the aforementioned tab grouping features, give its address bar a chip-laden overhaul, and flipped the switch on HEVC video playback on Linux. Firefox 138 has a number of notable changes to match those […]
You're reading Firefox 138 Released with Long-Awaited Profile Manager, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
If you’re looking for an easy way to “scrobble” music on Linux, no matter which music player you use, check out a new app called Turntable — and even if you don’t scrobble you should! Before I go any further I should bring those unfamiliar with what a “scrobble” is, up to speed. “Scrobbling” is—no, not one of those old fashioned British words I’m fond of using—the term given to logging the music you listen to, as you listen to it, on services like Last.fm and Libre.fm. When you play a track in a media player connected to a compatible […]
You're reading Turntable is a Universal Scrobbler App for Linux, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
Talos Linux is a specialized operating system designed for running Kubernetes. First and foremost it handles full lifecycle management for Kubernetes control-plane components. On the other hand, Talos Linux focuses on security, minimizing the user’s ability to influence the system. A distinctive feature of this OS is the near-complete absence of executables, including the absence […]
The post A Simple Way to Install Talos Linux on Any Machine, with Any Provider appeared first on Linux.com.
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