Podcast Title: All TWiT.tv Shows (Audio)
Episode: Untitled Linux Show 182: Sketchy Patches
Release Date: December 15, 2024
Hosts: Leo Laporte and Jeff
Description: Leo Laporte brings some of the most interesting personalities in technology together to talk about the most important issues. Fun, relaxed, informative, and always entertaining, count on TWiT for the best tech podcasts in the world.
Introduction
In the 182nd episode of the Untitled Linux Show titled "Sketchy Patches," hosts Leo Laporte and Jeff delve into a myriad of topics ranging from new hardware releases to critical security vulnerabilities and software updates. Recorded on December 14th, the episode promises an engaging discussion packed with insights for both novice and seasoned Linux enthusiasts.
Intel's Battlemage Video Cards
Leo Laporte kicks off the conversation by highlighting Intel's recent release of the Battlemage video cards, specifically the B580 model. He shares insights from Michael Larabal over at Phronix, noting the card's competitive performance in both compute and gaming benchmarks.
"The Intel 580 card... is crushing AMD and Nvidia in cost versus performance."
— Jeff [03:55]
The Battlemage cards utilize Intel's XE2 graphics architecture and require kernel version 6.12 or higher along with Mesa 24.3 for optimal performance. While the B580 shows impressive performance for its $250 price point, it currently faces stock shortages across major retailers. Jeff emphasizes the card's value, especially for users who seek high performance without the hefty price tag associated with top-tier GPUs.
"It's a good card, it's good value and it's definitely a recommended purchase across all the different reviewers."
— Jeff [11:03]
Security Alert: Bad RAM Attack on AMD's Secure Virtualization
Transitioning to security concerns, Leo introduces the concept of "Bad RAM," an attack targeting AMD's secure virtualization. This vulnerability exploits the EEPROM on RAM modules to create aliasing in memory addresses, potentially allowing malicious processes to tamper with protected virtual machines.
"Bad RAM is all about the idea of aliasing bits so that you can get to them more than once. And it is quite a security problem."
— Leo [21:30]
Jeff adds that while this attack is more pertinent to cloud environments running virtual machines, it's not a significant threat to individual users due to the complexity of physically accessing RAM modules.
KDE Updates: KDE Gear 24.12 and Plasma 6.3
The hosts then shift focus to the latest developments in the KDE ecosystem. Jeff provides an overview of KDE Gear 24.12, highlighting updates to applications like Okular, Krita, Dolphin, and KdenLive. Enhancements such as improved accessibility in Dolphin and the porting of K Wave to Qt6 are noted as significant improvements.
"There are now better fractional scaling support... designers and artists should love to see this feature."
— Jeff [27:52]
Leo echoes the excitement, mentioning personal experiences with KdenLive's rendering issues on Fedora and noting improvements in the Flatpak version.
Fedora Cosmic Desktop Spin Proposal
Leo brings up Fedora's proposal to introduce a full-fledged Cosmic desktop spin in Fedora 42. Cosmic aims to be a fresh desktop environment, potentially positioning itself alongside established players like KDE and GNOME.
"It's going to be cool."
— Leo [30:19]
Jeff expresses optimism about Cosmic's growth and its potential to become a top choice among Linux desktops in the coming years.
Gaming Enhancements: Proton 9.04 Release and NTsync Driver Improvements
A significant portion of the discussion centers around the new Proton 9.04 release, which enhances gaming on Linux by improving compatibility and performance for a range of titles.
Jeff lists several games now playable with Proton 9.04, including "Conqueror's Blade," "Disgaea 4 Complete," and "Sniper Elite Nazi Zombie Army 2." He also mentions under-the-hood updates like support for Nvidia Optical Flow API and DLSS3, which contribute to smoother gameplay.
"Proton 9.04 has been released and... you can install a new Proton and go enjoy some games."
— Jeff [37:44]
Leo introduces the NTsync driver improvements, noting dramatic frame rate enhancements for games like "Dirt 3" and "Resident Evil 2."
"Resident Evil 2 was running at 26 FPS and with the patches, it's running at 77 FPS."
— Leo [42:17]
Kernel Support Challenges: Qualcomm's Role and Community Efforts
The conversation takes a critical turn as Leo discusses Qualcomm's lack of upstream support for mitigating Spectre vulnerabilities in their ARM processors. He laments that engineers like Douglas Anderson from Google are left to guess and patch the Linux kernel without official guidance from Qualcomm.
"Qualcomm never bothered to upstream any of that information into the Linux kernel."
— Leo [44:45]
Jeff reinforces this frustration, emphasizing the importance of companies contributing adequately to open-source projects.
Exploring Arch Linux Kernels
Jeff provides a comprehensive overview of the various kernel options available for Arch Linux users, including:
- Standard Kernel: The default option for Arch users.
- LTS Kernel: Offers long-term support with stability.
- Hardened Kernel: Enhanced security features.
- Real-Time Kernel: Prioritizes time-sensitive tasks for applications like audio production.
- Zen Kernel: Optimized for gaming and performance.
He also touches on unofficial kernels like Liquorix and XANmod, catering to specific user needs.
"There are five official kernels for Arch... and five more unofficial kernels focused on specific use cases."
— Jeff [50:16]
Leo adds insights into the Arch User Repository (AUR), clarifying the semi-official status of certain kernels and the community-driven nature of Arch.
CentOS Stream 10 Release
The hosts discuss the general availability of CentOS Stream 10, outlining its role as a bridge between Fedora releases and Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 10. Jeff points out the maintenance plan extending to 2030, though Leo humorously corrects a miscalculation regarding the timeline.
"CentOS Stream 10 is out and plan to be around until 2030, so definitely something interesting to think about."
— Leo [66:22]
Command Line Tips: Cargo and Switcheroo_ctl
To assist listeners in optimizing their Linux experience, Jeff introduces Cargo, the Rust package manager, explaining its functionalities and basic commands.
"Cargo is the Rust package manager. Basically, it downloads your Rust packages, dependencies, compiles your packages..."
— Jeff [67:01]
Leo complements this with a tip on Switcheroo_ctl, a tool for managing multiple GPUs, particularly useful for laptops with integrated and discrete graphics cards.
"Switcheroo is the program to use to launch something and pin it to the right video card."
— Leo [70:42]
Closing Remarks
The episode wraps up with a touch of humor and a brief poetry corner, followed by expressions of gratitude towards listeners. Leo mentions upcoming content, including hardware hacks on his YouTube channel, and teases a short break around Christmas before the next episode airs.
"Happy Rusting."
— Jeff [67:04]
Notable Quotes
- Jeff [03:55]: "The Intel 580 card... is crushing AMD and Nvidia in cost versus performance."
- Leo [21:30]: "Bad RAM is all about the idea of aliasing bits so that you can get to them more than once. And it is quite a security problem."
- Jeff [37:44]: "Proton 9.04 has been released and... you can install a new Proton and go enjoy some games."
- Leo [42:17]: "Resident Evil 2 was running at 26 FPS and with the patches, it's running at 77 FPS."
- Leo [44:45]: "Qualcomm never bothered to upstream any of that information into the Linux kernel."
- Jeff [50:16]: "There are five official kernels for Arch... and five more unofficial kernels focused on specific use cases."
- Leo [66:22]: "CentOS Stream 10 is out and plan to be around until 2030, so definitely something interesting to think about."
Conclusion
Untitled Linux Show 182: Sketchy Patches offers a comprehensive overview of recent developments in the Linux and broader tech ecosystem. From new hardware releases and security vulnerabilities to software updates and community-driven projects, Leo and Jeff provide listeners with valuable insights and actionable information. Whether you're a gamer seeking the latest Proton improvements or a developer navigating Cargo for Rust projects, this episode serves as a rich resource for staying informed and empowered in the ever-evolving world of technology.