Untitled Linux Show 220: "It Hardly Ever Bricks Your Computer"

Date: September 14, 2025
Host: Jonathan Bennett
Co-Hosts: Rob Campbell, Ken
Unique Theme: A fast-paced roundtable covering the week’s hottest Linux and open source news, sprinkled with personal anecdotes and technical insights.

Episode Overview

This episode dives into a multitude of recent updates, controversies, and advancements in the Linux and open source ecosystem. The hosts discuss:

Microsoft’s landmark open sourcing of its ancient 6502 BASIC interpreter,
The state and future of the Bcachefs filesystem after kernel drama,
Noteworthy PipeWire and CUPS updates,
Changes at the Apache Software Foundation,
Firefox’s “blitz” of new features,
Evolving video driver standards,
SAMBA updates,
Wine and NTsync progress,
Hands-on Linux command line tips and automation (Ansible spotlight).

The tone is informal, occasionally nostalgic, with lots of running jokes and direct, honest opinions about the tech landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Microsoft Open Sources 6502 BASIC ([02:12])

Background: Microsoft released the 6502 BASIC source code to GitHub, a core part of many vintage computers (Commodore PET, VIC-20, C64).
Importance: Preserves history, allows hacking and learning.
Cool Fact: Hidden Bill Gates Easter egg, all packed into 8K of RAM.

Quote:
"48 years after its release, Microsoft BASIC for the 6502 is back and is now open sourced and available on GitHub for folks like you to continue to hack on and enjoy for years to come." – Rob Campbell, [03:55]

Debate:
- Jonathan laments long copyright terms and the loss of digital history:
  
  “...Such a long time that we have multiple important pieces of history that are getting lost to history because that copyright time is so long and people can't legally archive them.” — [06:17]

2. PipeWire 1.4.8 Release ([08:14])

Notable Changes:
- Improved low latency for FireWire devices,
- Apple HomePod mini compatibility (RAOP module),
- Razer Black Shark V3 support,
- Various memory safety and compatibility fixes.
Security Concern: Jonathan worries over pointer/memory bug fixes:

"My security guy spider sense just tingled..." — [10:23]
Anecdotes:
- Fun stories about audio causing hardware failures, e.g. the Janet Jackson song destroying certain hard drives.
- “...when you play that song at full volume, it will crash the laptop because it disables the hard drive.” – Jonathan, [11:08]

3. Apache Software Foundation (ASF) Name & Logo Change ([13:35])

Details: ASF drops the “Apache” name and feather logo for the more neutral ‘ASF’ and an oak leaf, in response to requests from Native American groups.
Mixed Opinions:
- Jonathan: “I believe that we have jumped the shark. I would say that this is sort of the Apache Software foundation jumping the shark and trying too hard.” — [15:31]
Sociolinguistic Side Discussion: How names and terms change cultural meaning over time (e.g., "blackballing", "gay 90s").

4. Firefox Blitz—A Wave of New Features ([18:39])

Rob’s “blitz” covers a rapid series of updates to Firefox:

Built-in Copilot (AI assistant) joins sidebar chatbots (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Mistral).
Work on “Page Buddy,” an on-device AI for summaries and tasks.
Integration of Google Lens for image search.
Long-awaited MKV (Matroska) media playback support lands, closing an 8-year bug ([21:24]).

Quote:
"Got a new copilot if you want to feel a little more Windowsy and Gemini if you want to be a little more googly—and you can watch MK videos." – Rob, [22:12]

Jonathan's Take: Praises move towards local/on-device AI, sees privacy benefits ([22:17]).

5. CUPS and SAMBA Updates ([24:39])

CUPS 2.4.9:

Security: Fixes key CVEs (details not yet disclosed).
Usability: Adds a ‘print-as-raster’ attribute for better compatibility.

SAMBA 4.23:

Highlight: Adds SMB over QUIC; SMB3 extensions support improved POSIX semantics for Unix/Linux clients ([27:11]).
Technical Deep Dive: Host explains pros/cons of UDP (QUIC) vs TCP.

6. Shifts in Linux Video Driver Landscape ([30:35])

Mesa drops VDPAU: Now focusing on VA-API for accelerated video decode; VDPAU is legacy NVIDIA, VA-API is more open and widely compatible ([30:35]).
Notable Departure: Colin Ian King leaves Intel for NVIDIA, potential impact on open NVidia Linux drivers.
Industry Note: NVIDIA’s market cap hits a record $4 trillion ([36:19]).

7. Bcachefs Filesystem—Post-Kernel Dispute ([38:32])

Background: Linus marks Bcachefs as “externally maintained”—no new code in mainline until further notice.
Downstream Impact: OpenSUSE disables Bcachefs.
Lead Dev’s Response: Planning DKMS (Dynamic Kernel Module Support) approach, similar to ZFS workarounds.
AI’s Take on Bcachefs (via Rob):
- Reliability, performance, storage tiering, deduplication, snapshots.
- Some claims are “perhaps aspirational” given real-world experience.

Quote:
"I think this might be the beginning of the end for them... I asked AI why should I use bcachefs and it did provide some compelling reasons..." – Rob, [42:14]

8. FWUPD: Linux Firmware Updates ([49:51])

FWUPD 2.0.16:
- Adds support for NVIDIA network cards.
- Improved search/source reporting, FreeBSD bug fixes.
- Continues to “just work”—“...sort of runs in the background, that you don't always necessarily realize…” – Jonathan, [51:45]

9. Wine 10.15 & NTsync ([53:02])

Improvements: Support for Unicode 17, 7zip64, 16 bug fixes.
Wine Staging: 300+ experimental patches for advanced features; brushing up NTSync kernel support ([57:03]).
Significance:
- NTsync is in kernel 6.14+ and enables much better Windows kernel emulation (sync primitives); critical for gaming, Proton, etc.
- Proton GE (Glorious Eggroll’s flavor) ships early, working NTSync ([70:09]).

Notable Quotes

"When you play [the Janet Jackson] song at full volume, it will crash the laptop because it disables the hard drive." – Jonathan, [11:08]
"I believe that we have jumped the shark... trying too hard." – Jonathan on ASF’s rebranding, [15:31]
"AI is helpful... I actually used AI quite a bit to refine and build [Ansible Playbooks]." – Rob, [67:53]
"It hardly ever breaks your computer." – Jonathan, running joke, [51:45]
"Nvidia is the first company to reach a market cap of $4 trillion. Trillion with a T." – Jonathan, [36:19]

Hands-on Command Line Tips

Ken: Demonstrates wpctl clear-default for PipeWire—clearing and resetting default audio sources/sinks ([58:01]).
- Practical for complex audio setups, ensures "nothing plays unless you want it to."
Rob: Dives into Ansible for automating multi-server actions:
- Shows scripts and playbooks for updating Proxmox VMs, underscores AI’s help with troubleshooting ([63:27], [67:53]).
Jonathan: Walks through enabling/testing NTsync for Wine/Proton:
- Covers checking module, using modprobe, and expected performance improvements in gaming ([69:20]).

Engaging and Memorable Moments

Audio Tech Mishaps: Janet Jackson's song disabling hard drives; shattering glass door with resonance ([12:01]).
Historical Tech Debates: Copyright duration and digital preservation.
AI Banter: The team jokes about using AI for adjectives and troubleshooting ([01:22]).
ASF Rename Hot Takes: Sharp opinions and jokes about the real origins of "Apache" ([15:31]).
CLI Tip Banter: Ken considers live-testing his webcam routing with PipeWire on-air, but opts for post-show ([63:12]).

Additional Resources & Community Plugs

Ken: Demos “fastfetch” on a Chromebook and Gemini AI for shell/web troubleshooting ([73:27], [74:15]).
Rob: Promotes his personal site for more content, offers a “buy me a coffee” link for listeners ([76:18]).
Jonathan: Invites listeners to check out his work on Hackaday and mentions Club TWiT benefits for ad-free feeds and more ([77:10]).

Segment Timestamps

[00:00] — Episode teaser, topics rundown
[02:12] — Microsoft open sources BASIC 6502
[08:14] — PipeWire updates
[13:35] — Apache Software Foundation rebrand discussion
[18:39] — Firefox features “blitz”
[24:39] — CUPS, printing, and SAMBA news
[30:35] — Mesa, video decode APIs, GPU driver shifts
[36:19] — Nvidia’s market cap, industry shifts
[38:32] — Bcachefs fallout
[49:51] — FWUPD and Linux firmware
[53:02] — Wine, NTSync, Proton GE
[58:01] — Command line tip: wpctl and PipeWire
[63:27] — Command line tip: Ansible for server automation
[69:20] — Command line tip: NTSync for gaming/Wine
[73:27] — Ken's fastfetch/Gemini demo
[76:18] — Plugs, show wrap-up

Tone & Style

Conversational, direct, geeky, laced with inside jokes and war stories from tech veterans. Everyone’s encouraged to have their “hot take” or drop a tech anecdote, but with time for deep dives when topics warrant it.

Perfect for:

Linux and open source enthusiasts
Developers and sysadmins curious about the latest in desktop/server Linux
Anyone keeping tabs on evolving copyright, open source, and product trends

Missed the episode?

With this summary, you’re fully caught up on the latest drama, improvements, and insights rocking the Linux world—along with a toolkit of practical command line tricks for your next project!

Untitled Linux Show 220: "It Hardly Ever Bricks Your Computer"

Episode Overview

This episode dives into a multitude of recent updates, controversies, and advancements in the Linux and open source ecosystem. The hosts discuss:

Microsoft’s landmark open sourcing of its ancient 6502 BASIC interpreter,
The state and future of the Bcachefs filesystem after kernel drama,
Noteworthy PipeWire and CUPS updates,
Changes at the Apache Software Foundation,
Firefox’s “blitz” of new features,
Evolving video driver standards,
SAMBA updates,
Wine and NTsync progress,
Hands-on Linux command line tips and automation (Ansible spotlight).

The tone is informal, occasionally nostalgic, with lots of running jokes and direct, honest opinions about the tech landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Microsoft Open Sources 6502 BASIC ([02:12])

Background: Microsoft released the 6502 BASIC source code to GitHub, a core part of many vintage computers (Commodore PET, VIC-20, C64).
Importance: Preserves history, allows hacking and learning.
Cool Fact: Hidden Bill Gates Easter egg, all packed into 8K of RAM.

Debate:
- Jonathan laments long copyright terms and the loss of digital history:
  
  “...Such a long time that we have multiple important pieces of history that are getting lost to history because that copyright time is so long and people can't legally archive them.” — [06:17]

2. PipeWire 1.4.8 Release ([08:14])

Notable Changes:
- Improved low latency for FireWire devices,
- Apple HomePod mini compatibility (RAOP module),
- Razer Black Shark V3 support,
- Various memory safety and compatibility fixes.
Security Concern: Jonathan worries over pointer/memory bug fixes:

"My security guy spider sense just tingled..." — [10:23]
Anecdotes:
- Fun stories about audio causing hardware failures, e.g. the Janet Jackson song destroying certain hard drives.
- “...when you play that song at full volume, it will crash the laptop because it disables the hard drive.” – Jonathan, [11:08]

3. Apache Software Foundation (ASF) Name & Logo Change ([13:35])

Details: ASF drops the “Apache” name and feather logo for the more neutral ‘ASF’ and an oak leaf, in response to requests from Native American groups.
Mixed Opinions:
- Jonathan: “I believe that we have jumped the shark. I would say that this is sort of the Apache Software foundation jumping the shark and trying too hard.” — [15:31]
Sociolinguistic Side Discussion: How names and terms change cultural meaning over time (e.g., "blackballing", "gay 90s").

4. Firefox Blitz—A Wave of New Features ([18:39])

Rob’s “blitz” covers a rapid series of updates to Firefox:

Built-in Copilot (AI assistant) joins sidebar chatbots (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Mistral).
Work on “Page Buddy,” an on-device AI for summaries and tasks.
Integration of Google Lens for image search.
Long-awaited MKV (Matroska) media playback support lands, closing an 8-year bug ([21:24]).

Quote:
"Got a new copilot if you want to feel a little more Windowsy and Gemini if you want to be a little more googly—and you can watch MK videos." – Rob, [22:12]

Jonathan's Take: Praises move towards local/on-device AI, sees privacy benefits ([22:17]).

5. CUPS and SAMBA Updates ([24:39])

CUPS 2.4.9:

Security: Fixes key CVEs (details not yet disclosed).
Usability: Adds a ‘print-as-raster’ attribute for better compatibility.

SAMBA 4.23:

Highlight: Adds SMB over QUIC; SMB3 extensions support improved POSIX semantics for Unix/Linux clients ([27:11]).
Technical Deep Dive: Host explains pros/cons of UDP (QUIC) vs TCP.

6. Shifts in Linux Video Driver Landscape ([30:35])

Mesa drops VDPAU: Now focusing on VA-API for accelerated video decode; VDPAU is legacy NVIDIA, VA-API is more open and widely compatible ([30:35]).
Notable Departure: Colin Ian King leaves Intel for NVIDIA, potential impact on open NVidia Linux drivers.
Industry Note: NVIDIA’s market cap hits a record $4 trillion ([36:19]).

7. Bcachefs Filesystem—Post-Kernel Dispute ([38:32])

Background: Linus marks Bcachefs as “externally maintained”—no new code in mainline until further notice.
Downstream Impact: OpenSUSE disables Bcachefs.
Lead Dev’s Response: Planning DKMS (Dynamic Kernel Module Support) approach, similar to ZFS workarounds.
AI’s Take on Bcachefs (via Rob):
- Reliability, performance, storage tiering, deduplication, snapshots.
- Some claims are “perhaps aspirational” given real-world experience.

Quote:
"I think this might be the beginning of the end for them... I asked AI why should I use bcachefs and it did provide some compelling reasons..." – Rob, [42:14]

8. FWUPD: Linux Firmware Updates ([49:51])

FWUPD 2.0.16:
- Adds support for NVIDIA network cards.
- Improved search/source reporting, FreeBSD bug fixes.
- Continues to “just work”—“...sort of runs in the background, that you don't always necessarily realize…” – Jonathan, [51:45]

9. Wine 10.15 & NTsync ([53:02])

Improvements: Support for Unicode 17, 7zip64, 16 bug fixes.
Wine Staging: 300+ experimental patches for advanced features; brushing up NTSync kernel support ([57:03]).
Significance:
- NTsync is in kernel 6.14+ and enables much better Windows kernel emulation (sync primitives); critical for gaming, Proton, etc.
- Proton GE (Glorious Eggroll’s flavor) ships early, working NTSync ([70:09]).

Notable Quotes

"When you play [the Janet Jackson] song at full volume, it will crash the laptop because it disables the hard drive." – Jonathan, [11:08]
"I believe that we have jumped the shark... trying too hard." – Jonathan on ASF’s rebranding, [15:31]
"AI is helpful... I actually used AI quite a bit to refine and build [Ansible Playbooks]." – Rob, [67:53]
"It hardly ever breaks your computer." – Jonathan, running joke, [51:45]
"Nvidia is the first company to reach a market cap of $4 trillion. Trillion with a T." – Jonathan, [36:19]

Hands-on Command Line Tips

Ken: Demonstrates wpctl clear-default for PipeWire—clearing and resetting default audio sources/sinks ([58:01]).
- Practical for complex audio setups, ensures "nothing plays unless you want it to."
Rob: Dives into Ansible for automating multi-server actions:
- Shows scripts and playbooks for updating Proxmox VMs, underscores AI’s help with troubleshooting ([63:27], [67:53]).
Jonathan: Walks through enabling/testing NTsync for Wine/Proton:
- Covers checking module, using modprobe, and expected performance improvements in gaming ([69:20]).

Engaging and Memorable Moments

Audio Tech Mishaps: Janet Jackson's song disabling hard drives; shattering glass door with resonance ([12:01]).
Historical Tech Debates: Copyright duration and digital preservation.
AI Banter: The team jokes about using AI for adjectives and troubleshooting ([01:22]).
ASF Rename Hot Takes: Sharp opinions and jokes about the real origins of "Apache" ([15:31]).
CLI Tip Banter: Ken considers live-testing his webcam routing with PipeWire on-air, but opts for post-show ([63:12]).

Additional Resources & Community Plugs

Ken: Demos “fastfetch” on a Chromebook and Gemini AI for shell/web troubleshooting ([73:27], [74:15]).
Rob: Promotes his personal site for more content, offers a “buy me a coffee” link for listeners ([76:18]).
Jonathan: Invites listeners to check out his work on Hackaday and mentions Club TWiT benefits for ad-free feeds and more ([77:10]).

Segment Timestamps

[00:00] — Episode teaser, topics rundown
[02:12] — Microsoft open sources BASIC 6502
[08:14] — PipeWire updates
[13:35] — Apache Software Foundation rebrand discussion
[18:39] — Firefox features “blitz”
[24:39] — CUPS, printing, and SAMBA news
[30:35] — Mesa, video decode APIs, GPU driver shifts
[36:19] — Nvidia’s market cap, industry shifts
[38:32] — Bcachefs fallout
[49:51] — FWUPD and Linux firmware
[53:02] — Wine, NTSync, Proton GE
[58:01] — Command line tip: wpctl and PipeWire
[63:27] — Command line tip: Ansible for server automation
[69:20] — Command line tip: NTSync for gaming/Wine
[73:27] — Ken's fastfetch/Gemini demo
[76:18] — Plugs, show wrap-up

Tone & Style

Perfect for:

Linux and open source enthusiasts
Developers and sysadmins curious about the latest in desktop/server Linux
Anyone keeping tabs on evolving copyright, open source, and product trends

Missed the episode?

With this summary, you’re fully caught up on the latest drama, improvements, and insights rocking the Linux world—along with a toolkit of practical command line tricks for your next project!

Untitled Linux Show 220: It Hardly Ever Bricks Your Computer

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Summary

Untitled Linux Show 220: "It Hardly Ever Bricks Your Computer"

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Microsoft Open Sources 6502 BASIC ([02:12])

2. PipeWire 1.4.8 Release ([08:14])

3. Apache Software Foundation (ASF) Name & Logo Change ([13:35])

4. Firefox Blitz—A Wave of New Features ([18:39])

5. CUPS and SAMBA Updates ([24:39])

CUPS 2.4.9:

SAMBA 4.23:

6. Shifts in Linux Video Driver Landscape ([30:35])

7. Bcachefs Filesystem—Post-Kernel Dispute ([38:32])

8. FWUPD: Linux Firmware Updates ([49:51])

9. Wine 10.15 & NTsync ([53:02])

Notable Quotes

Hands-on Command Line Tips

Engaging and Memorable Moments

Additional Resources & Community Plugs

Segment Timestamps

Tone & Style

Perfect for:

Missed the episode?

Summary

Untitled Linux Show 220: "It Hardly Ever Bricks Your Computer"

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Microsoft Open Sources 6502 BASIC ([02:12])

2. PipeWire 1.4.8 Release ([08:14])

3. Apache Software Foundation (ASF) Name & Logo Change ([13:35])

4. Firefox Blitz—A Wave of New Features ([18:39])

5. CUPS and SAMBA Updates ([24:39])

CUPS 2.4.9:

SAMBA 4.23:

6. Shifts in Linux Video Driver Landscape ([30:35])

7. Bcachefs Filesystem—Post-Kernel Dispute ([38:32])

8. FWUPD: Linux Firmware Updates ([49:51])

9. Wine 10.15 & NTsync ([53:02])

Notable Quotes

Hands-on Command Line Tips

Engaging and Memorable Moments

Additional Resources & Community Plugs

Segment Timestamps

Tone & Style

Perfect for:

Missed the episode?