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Linus Torvalds Explains Why Aging Linux Developers Is a Good Thing

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Linus Torvalds explains why aging Linux developers are a good thing

The sensible pillar of Linux, Linus Torvaldssays that despite long-standing reports of open source development burnoutLinux is as strong as ever — though I admit its project is maybe a bit unique in its scale and scope.

In conversation with Verizon’s open source chief Dirk Hohndel on the Linux Foundation conference Open Source Summit Europe In Vienna on Monday, Torvalds addressed a topic that always comes up in Linux World AND aside from: some aging developer community vulnerable to burnout.

“It’s absolutely true that the (Linux) kernel maintainers are getting older, but there’s something positive about that,” Torvalds said. “How many (open source) projects have maintainers who have been around for literally more than three decades? That’s very unusual. So when people say ‘programmers burn out and leave’ — yes, that’s true, but that’s kind of normal. What’s not normal is people actually staying for decades, that’s unusual, and I think that’s a good sign to some extent.”

Historically, Linux has been largely a C-centric kernel, but in 2022 the project official support for Rust introduceduniversal open-source programming language supported by many well-known technology corporations. Just a few weeks ago, the leader of the Rust for Linux project, Wedson Almeida Filho announced They quit after almost 4 years because they felt they “lacked the energy and enthusiasm” to take care of a few of the “non-technical crap” related to the project.

AND back in januarySenior Engineer Rust Jyn Nelson also noted that the issue of burnout may be very real. “The number of people who have left the Rust project due to burnout is shockingly high,” Nelson wrote. “The number of people on the project who are close to burnout is also shockingly high.”

Trust factor

Linux is arguably essentially the most successful open-source project of all time, connecting all the pieces from web servers and ATMs to the operating systems of desktop computers and mobile devices. In those years of growth, Torvalds branched out and created a ubiquitous version control system referred to as Git. But some 33 years later from LinuxSince its inception, Torvalds has been the core maintainer of the kernel, with support tens of 1000’s of collaborators from corporations depending on Linux, in addition to from closer sources corresponding to a member of the Linux Foundation Greg Kroah-Kartmanwhich is chargeable for the stable version of the Linux kernel.

“I think part of the problem with having a lot of developers is that we’ve always had a lot of people who are very competent and could grow,” Torvalds said. “Greg wasn’t always Greg—before Greg, there were the Andrews and the Allens, and after Greg, there will be the Shannons and the Steves. There are people who have been around for decades, and the real problem is that you have to have a person—or a group—that people in the development community can trust. And part of trust is basically being around ‘long enough’ for people to know how you work.”

Torvalds admitted, nonetheless, that such an ecosystem will be intimidating and difficult for younger or less experienced developers to enter, especially once they see the present ones who’ve been around for thus long. But there are still newcomers who manage to get into the guts of the Linux project.

“We have core developers who are the core maintainers of core subsystems who have come in over the course of just a few years,” Torvalds said. “It’s not instantaneous, but you have new people coming in who are core developers in three years. It’s not impossible. I think we have a pretty healthy core developer subsystem, but this whole monkey dance about programmers, programmers, programmers… we have them. The fact that we also have these old, graying people—I don’t see that as a big deal.”

This article was originally published on : techcrunch.com
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US medical device giant Artivion says hackers stole files during a cybersecurity incident

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Artivion, a medical device company that produces implantable tissue for heart and vascular transplants, says its services have been “disrupted” resulting from a cybersecurity incident.

In 8-K filing In an interview with the SEC on Monday, Georgia-based Artivion, formerly CryoLife, said it became aware of a “cybersecurity incident” that involved the “compromise and encryption” of information on November 21. This suggests that the corporate was attacked by ransomware, but Artivion has not yet confirmed the character of the incident and didn’t immediately reply to TechCrunch’s questions. No major ransomware group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

Artivion said it took some systems offline in response to the cyberattack, which the corporate said caused “disruptions to certain ordering and shipping processes.”

Artivion, which reported third-quarter revenue of $95.8 million, said it didn’t expect the incident to have a material impact on the corporate’s funds.

This article was originally published on : techcrunch.com
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It’s a Raspberry Pi 5 in a keyboard and it’s called Raspberry Pi 500

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Manufacturer of single-board computers Raspberry Pi is updating its cute little computer keyboard device with higher specs. Named Raspberry Pi500This successor to the Raspberry Pi 400 is just as powerful as the present Raspberry Pi flagship, the Raspberry Pi 5. It is on the market for purchase now from Raspberry Pi resellers.

The Raspberry Pi 500 is the simplest method to start with the Raspberry Pi because it’s not as intimidating because the Raspberry Pi 5. When you take a look at the Raspberry Pi 500, you do not see any chipsets or PCBs (printed circuit boards). The Raspberry Pi is totally hidden in the familiar housing, the keyboard.

The idea with the Raspberry Pi 500 is you could connect a mouse and a display and you are able to go. If, for instance, you’ve got a relative who uses a very outdated computer with an outdated version of Windows, the Raspberry Pi 500 can easily replace the old PC tower for many computing tasks.

More importantly, this device brings us back to the roots of the Raspberry Pi. Raspberry Pi computers were originally intended for educational applications. Over time, technology enthusiasts and industrial customers began using single-board computers all over the place. (For example, when you’ve ever been to London Heathrow Airport, all of the departures and arrivals boards are there powered by Raspberry Pi.)

Raspberry Pi 500 draws inspiration from the roots of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, a non-profit organization. It’s the right first computer for college. In some ways, it’s a lot better than a Chromebook or iPad because it’s low cost and highly customizable, which inspires creative pondering.

The Raspberry Pi 500 comes with a 32GB SD card that comes pre-installed with Raspberry Pi OS, a Debian-based Linux distribution. It costs $90, which is a slight ($20) price increase over the Raspberry Pi 400.

Only UK and US keyboard variants will probably be available at launch. But versions with French, German, Italian, Japanese, Nordic and Spanish keyboard layouts will probably be available soon. And when you’re in search of a bundle that features all the things you would like, Raspberry Pi also offers a $120 desktop kit that features the Raspberry Pi 500, a mouse, a 27W USB-C power adapter, and a micro-HDMI to HDMI cable.

In other news, Raspberry Pi has announced one other recent thing: the Raspberry Pi monitor. It is a 15.6-inch 1080p monitor that’s priced at $100. Since there are quite a few 1080p portable monitors available on the market, this launch is not as noteworthy because the Pi 500. However, for die-hard Pi fans, there’s now also a Raspberry Pi-branded monitor option available.

Image credits:Raspberry Pi

This article was originally published on : techcrunch.com
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Apple Vision Pro may add support for PlayStation VR controllers

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Vision Pro headset

According to Apple, Apple desires to make its Vision Pro mixed reality device more attractive for gamers and game developers latest report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

The Vision Pro was presented more as a productivity and media consumption device than a tool geared toward gamers, due partly to its reliance on visual and hand controls moderately than a separate controller.

However, Apple may need gamers if it desires to expand the Vision Pro’s audience, especially since Gurman reports that lower than half one million units have been sold to this point. As such, the corporate has reportedly been in talks with Sony about adding support for PlayStation VR2 handheld controllers, and has also talked to developers about whether they may support the controllers of their games.

Offering more precise control, Apple may also make other forms of software available in Vision Pro, reminiscent of Final Cut Pro or Adobe Photoshop.

This article was originally published on : techcrunch.com
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