Untitled Linux Show 227: Ancient Stack Tax
Date: November 1, 2025
Host: Jonathan Bennett (A)
Panelists: Rob (B), Ken (C), Jeff (D)
Episode Overview
In Episode 227, the Untitled Linux Show’s panel dives deep into the evolving Linux and open source landscape, with a focus on the "ancient stack tax"—the mounting technical debt of old code in core Linux components. Key discussions include the surge of AI features in enterprise Linux distributions, open source funding highlights (with a spotlight on FFmpeg’s new grant), critical vulnerabilities in X.org, desktop and distro updates (Pop!_OS, Cosmic, Unity, Arch, and more), and practical tips for users and contributors alike. The crew keeps it lively and conversational, touching on software nostalgia, hardware headaches, and the importance of community in open source.
Key Topics & Insights
1. Advent of Code and Programming Languages ([03:08])
- Jonathan: Looks back at last year’s Advent of Code and plans to try again in Rust, joking about only getting three days in.
- "Maybe I can finish the Advent of Code this year. It's going to depend upon some other things in life, but I think it'd be fun if I could do it." (A, 03:19)
- Rob: Not jumping into an unfamiliar language, favors PHP for familiarity.
- "I'd probably start with something I know really well first." (B, 04:09)
- Panel banter: Fun back-and-forth about language popularity, scripting languages, and the viability of Bash for programming challenges.
2. Enterprise Linux & AI Features ([07:15])
[Rob’s Deep Dive]
- SUSE SLES 16: Introduces "Agentic AI" using Model Context Protocol (MCP), up to 16-year lifecycle, and ships with Ansible, ButterFS, Python 3.13.
- "They're pitching it as the first enterprise Linux with Agentic AI built in." (B, 07:34)
- Red Hat RHEL: Bundles Nvidia CUDA toolkit in RHEL, Red Hat AI, OpenShift—streamlining AI workflows and GPU scaling.
- "Red Hat's Reinking emphasizes they're not building a walled garden, they're building a bridge between Open Hybrid Cloud and Nvidia's AI stack." (B, 10:44)
- All three majors (Canonical/Ubuntu, SUSE, Red Hat) are racing to minimize barriers for enterprise AI projects.
- Panel discussion: Skepticism about the AI bubble, likely future of AI being a background tool (like spell check), and licensing barriers for non-enterprise users.
Notable Quotes
- "The market's signaling as a lot of us... are turning around to understand that AI, it's going to be there for the future." (B, 11:45)
- "In 10, 20 years we're going to look at this like spell check... It's going to be a nice tool… just gonna be there and we're gonna use it, not think twice about it." (D, 12:57)
3. FFmpeg Receives Major Grant ([15:41])
- Ken: FFmpeg receives $100,000 donation from India's Floss Fund/Zerodha for its pivotal role in multimedia processing.
- "FFmpeg... powers everything from streaming platforms like YouTube and Netflix to video editing software such as Blender." (C, 15:53)
- Acknowledgment from FFmpeg team and donor that FOSS needs more sustainable funding.
- Zerodha CEO Nithin Kamath: “FOSS projects that the world depends on ought to receive financial backing as the norm.” (C, 17:13)
- Panel discusses how $100k, while substantial, is “not as much money as it sounds” for such a core technology; legal and tax challenges with handling global funding for open source.
4. Arch Linux & Pacman/Installer Updates ([23:16])
- Jeff: Shares about recent improvements to core package manager (Pacman 7.1) and installer (Archinstall 3.0.12), including increased sandboxing, reproducibility, and GTK3 text editor support.
- "Pacman is seeing a lot of love and continually improving." (D, 24:10)
- Fun nostalgia about the "joys" of installing from floppy disks versus modern tooling.
5. Pop!_OS and Cosmic Desktop Updates ([32:37])
- Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS and Cosmic Epoch 1 are set for Dec 11, 2025. Future releases will sync with Ubuntu LTS schedules.
- "Now that they have Cosmic out as a 1.0... it should set them up... with 26.04." (A, 34:28)
- Rob: Excited for new desktop paradigms, notes Cosmic spin available for Fedora.
- Panel: Debates desktop environments (KDE vs. Gnome-esque Cosmic), plans to invite System76’s Carl Ritchell back on FLOSS Weekly.
6. Ubuntu Unity at a Crossroads ([39:02])
- Rob: Details the decline of the Unity desktop, as key young maintainer Rudra Saraswat moves on for university; urgent call for contributors.
- "Development has largely stalled… They need maintainers and contributors with the right skills or Unity risks drifting back into dormancy." (B, 41:13)
- The open source project cycle: when passion projects lose key contributors, community engagement is vital for survival.
- Panel reminisces about project burnout, succession, and the youthful beginnings of notable maintainers.
7. Kodi 21.3 and 22 (Peers) Alpha Released ([48:42])
- Ken: Summarizes new features: improved Blu-ray and HDR support, better library management, FFmpeg 8 support, and anime-fan-friendly audio/language features.
- "Kodi is everywhere… it is absolutely the backbone of what we do as a world with video." (A, 18:35/51:09)
- Entertaining sidetrack on anime, subtitles vs. dubs, and parental controls.
8. AMD GPU Driver Support Changes (Windows vs. Linux) ([54:04])
- Jeff: AMD putting RX5000/6000 series into "maintenance mode" on Windows; no such worries for Linux—kernel drivers maintain support for much older cards.
- "All the issues about support and optimization won't be an issue on Linux because we can change the code…" (D, 55:20)
- “AMD Fine Wine” meme: driver quality improves with time (not so much now for Windows).
9. HDR Support Coming to Krita on Wayland/KDE ([59:21])
- Jonathan: Krita (a KDE project) brings HDR and 10bit color support—current focus on Wayland/KDE setups.
- Rob: "This is just one more reason why everybody should be on Wayland." (B, 60:56)
- Panel: More reasons to buy good monitors; debate smart vs. dumb displays.
10. Xorg/X11 “Ancient Stack Tax” Vulnerabilities ([63:12])
- Rob: Three new CVEs in X.org & XWayland, with code bugs dating back 30+ years.
- Wayland: Improved security and smaller attack surface compared to legacy X11.
- "The longer we cling to Xorg, the more time we spend on emergency plumbing instead of the desktop experience." (B, 66:00)
- Discussion about how Red Hat engineers maintain X.org for RHEL; longer-term future of X11 looking grim.
11. Debian vs. systemd: The /var/lock Kerfuffle ([74:55])
- Jeff: Debian Technical Committee overrules systemd maintainers: /var/lock permissions must stay relaxed until wider software ecosystem shifts to modern locking methods.
- "Packages must comply with the File System Hierarchy Standard as incorporated into Debian policy…" (D, 84:00)
- Insightful breakdown of Debian’s governance (CTTE), policy adherence, and the difficulties of changing long-ingrained Linux filesystem standards.
12. Linux Kernel in WebAssembly ([84:44])
- Jonathan: Excited by a project compiling the Linux kernel to WebAssembly, runnable in-browser.
- Not just curiosity—potential for educational or virtualized environments.
13. Tips & Tricks Segment ([88:36])
Quick Practical Linux Tips from Hosts:
- Rob:
doxx— fast .docx viewer for the terminal (rust-based). - Ken: Explanation of absolute vs. relative paths for shell navigation and scripting.
- Jonathan: Reminder about the
whoamiutility (“Who am I?”) — classic for scripting context checks. - Jeff:
btrfs scrub— how and why to run filesystem scrubbing on Btrfs for checksumming and health.
14. Community, Poetry Corner & Closing ([103:28])
- Jeff: Shares a USB cord-themed poem in his “poetry corner.”
- Panel: Swaps trivia about international power standards, the glut of C13 power cords, and their collective nostalgia.
Memorable Quotes & Moments
- On AI hype: “I personally think the bubble is bursting and we're already out looking for the next big thing.” (A, 12:33)
- On open source factors: “It is just a fact of life—people move on, get busy, lose interest, get burnt out... If a project's going to survive, you have other people come in and fill the gap.” (A, 44:32)
- On legacy code: “Two of these bugs predate USB sticks becoming common… The X11 code base is ancient and sprawling.” (B, 63:56)
- On distro adventurousness: "I've never run Arch… Some days I think maybe I should, but then I quickly come back to my senses…" (A, 27:44)
- On anime watching: "Some people are purists with their anime and they must only watch with the original Japanese audio because the English voice actors are terrible." (A, 51:09)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- [03:08] – Advent of Code and languages
- [07:15] – AI in SUSE SLES/Red Hat/Canonical
- [15:41] – FFmpeg funding news
- [23:16] – Arch Linux updates (Pacman, installer)
- [32:37] – Pop!_OS and Cosmic news
- [39:02] – Ubuntu Unity project at risk
- [48:42] – Kodi 21.3/22 Alpha overview
- [54:04] – AMD GPU driver drama (Windows vs Linux)
- [59:21] – Krita and Linux HDR progress
- [63:12] – Xorg “ancient stack tax” CVEs & Wayland advocacy
- [74:55] – Debian/systemd /var/lock dispute
- [84:44] – Linux Kernel in WebAssembly
- [88:36] – Tips & Tricks roundtable
- [103:28] – Poetry Corner, closing plugs
Conclusion
Episode 227 showcases both the vibrancy and the fragility of modern Linux and open source. Whether it’s exciting AI workflows in enterprise distros, core software projects seeking sustainable funding (or new maintainers), progress in desktop environments, or the ongoing push to modernize ancient stacks, the panel expertly weaves technical insight with humor, nostalgia, and practical advice. If you missed this episode, you’ll want to tune in for the deep context, grounded opinions, and the always-geeky camaraderie that make Untitled Linux Show essential for Linux users and fans.