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Systemd is the system and service manager used by most Linux-based operating systems. It is responsible for initializing the system during boot, starting and subsequently managing services and background processes, handling D-Bus service activation, and managing dependencies between services using a transactional, dependency-based model.

Building on all of this, the systemd community is currently developing their own experimental Linux distribution called ParticleOS.

What's Happening: I got to know about this development from Brodie's latest video, where he discussed the presentation by systemd maintainer Daan De Meyer during the FOSDEM 2025 event.

As for what it is, ParticleOS is a fully customizable immutable Linux distribution developed by the systemd community for users who want complete control over their system images. It enables users to choose the base distribution, select installed packages, and cryptographically sign the image for added security.

ParticleOS' GitHub repository.

What to Expect: ParticleOS uses mkosi for building images, letting users craft an image-based Linux distribution that's signed with their own keys, allowing full control over the Linus system's packages, update process, security mechanisms, and more.

The user even has the freedom to pick between different Linux distro bases like Fedora and Arch Linux, with additional distro support opening up when the necessary config files are provided.

At any given time, ParticleOS is in sync with the latest systemd features, often incorporating the latest improvements before they are widely adopted in mainstream Linux distributions.

In its current state, ParticleOS seems well-suited for developers who want full control over their system. However, I doubt that this will appeal to most regular users due to its specialized nature, which involves having knowledge of custom image building and how systemd works.

Suggested Read 📖

Git is More Popular than Linux: TorvaldsLinus Torvalds reflects on 20 years of Git.It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra

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Linus Torvalds is one of the most influential figures in the tech world, with his creations Linux and Git completely transforming the information technology industry, becoming indispensable tools that fuel the information age.

To celebrate Git’s 20th anniversary, GitHub hosted a Q&A with him, where he reflected on Git’s origins, early challenges, and the lasting impact it has had.

Linus Reflects on Git's 20-Year Journey

Source: GitHub (Did you spot the Spider-Man logo?)

Yep, you heard that right. Git is more popular than Linux, at least in certain circles.

Linus then goes on to share how Git was never a big thing for him, but a means to an end that prevented the Linux kernel from descending into chaos over the absence of a version control system.

You see, before Git, Linux used BitKeeper for version control, but its proprietary licensing didn't sit too well with other Linux contributors, and Linus Torvalds had to look for alternatives.

As it turned out, existing tools like CVS and Subversion were too slow for the job at hand, prompting him to build a new tool from scratch, with the coding part just taking 10 days for an early self-hostable version of Git.

In its initial days, there were some teething issues, where users would complain about Git to Linus, even finding it too difficult to use, but things got calmer as the tool developed further.

Linus added that:

I think one of the reasons people found Git to be very hard to use was that most people who started without using Git were coming from a background of something CVS like.

And the Git mindset, I came at it from a file system person’s standpoint, where I had this disdain and almost hatred of most source control management projects, so I was not at all interested in maintaining the status quo.

Interestingly, Linus maintained Git for only 3–4 months, handing over the reigns to Junio Hamano shortly after, who has been at the helm for over 19 years now. This transition marked a significant milestone in Git's history, as Junio's leadership has been instrumental in its widespread adoption and continued development.

When asked about Git's role in shaping software development, he shared that, while GitHub and other similar services like GitLab, Gitea, Codeberg, etc. have made life easier for developers, there are plenty of abandoned projects that are the result of such accessibility.

For the kernel specifically, Linus points out that he keeps on going because the kernel needs to stay in sync as the hardware keeps evolving and that it also caters to the diverse needs of other users.

Never in my life would I need all of the features that the kernel does. But I’m interested in kernels, and I’m still doing that 35 years later.

When it came to Git, it was like Git did what I needed within the first year. In fact, mostly within the first few months. And when it did what I needed, I lost interest. Because when it comes to kernels, I’m really interested in how they work, and this is what I do. But when it comes to SCMs, it’s like—yeah, I’m not at all interested.

📋SCM ⇾ Software configuration management.

And when asked what's the next big thing from him, Linus humorously noted that he prefers others solve his problems. He views his creations like Linux and Git as solutions to unsolved problems.

At this point, he hasn't felt compelled to start anything new, saying, “So me having to come up with a project is actually a failure of the world—and the world just hasn’t failed in the last 20 years for me.”

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Mozilla, and by extension its flagship product, Firefox, have been facing increasing scrutiny by users and journalists alike. Once a bright light in the dark, privacy-pitfall-ridden web, Mozilla has made executive decisions that have rubbed many users the wrong way—prompting some to switch to alternatives like Brave and LibreWolf.

And their sudden pivot towards integrating AI-powered features only makes me wonder: Do they even have a clear vision anymore?

Regardless, a recent report sheds light on what they have been working on. Let's check it out.

Firefox AI Link Previews: What to Expect?

Spotted first by OMG! Ubuntu, Firefox's latest Nightly build now has an experimental AI Link Previews feature that runs locally on a user's device to serve up neat summaries of a link's content before the user visits it.

Currently, I am not sure which AI model is underneath, but my bet is on an open weight model that's not too heavy on system resources.

I tested it on an Ubuntu 25.04 laptop with an NVIDIA RTX 3050 GPU, and there were inconsistencies in terms of getting the link previews to load up. When they did load, most articles were summarized well.

📋If you were wondering, the stable release for this new AI-powered feature is planned with the upcoming Firefox 138 release.

However, for one article, Firefox showed me the wrong information, giving out bits of information that were not related to the news at hand. You see, the first two points about a meeting of CEOs in China were right, but that was not related to the article I selected.

Only the part about the 34% tariff on US goods was correct, but it also had errors, where it blurted out that Xi Jinping made the announcement, whereas, in reality, the Chinese authorities did so.

I know it is a work in progress, and the AI Link Previews dialog always shows a disclaimer at the bottom. But I sincerely hope the Mozilla developers can refine the AI model underneath so it isn't prone to such basic mistakes.

Can't Wait? Want to Try it Out Now?

🚧Try this with a spare Firefox installation, not on your primary one. If you are not the one who likes to tweak and troubleshoot, avoid such experiments and wait for the stable release of Firefox version 138.

Users on Ubuntu can check out AI Link Previews on Firefox Nightly 139.0a1. First, open up the App Center and look for Firefox under Manage if you have it installed, or search for it using the Search bar if you are starting a fresh installation.

Once you open the page for Firefox, click on the Channel dropdown and scroll until you find the latest/edge channel with the version number 139.0a1, and click on it.

Now, depending on whether you have an existing installation or a new installation, you will be either shown Update or Install. In that case, just click on the green button to get Firefox Nightly installed.

Following that, type about:config in a new tab and agree to the cautionary message that appears. Now, search for the term browser.ml.linkPreview.enabled and toggle it to True.

Now comes the tricky part: hover your mouse cursor on an article in a new Firefox tab and press Shift + Alt and wait for the dialog to appear. You might have to spam that key combo or restart your browser to get the AI-generated summary.

Users of other Linux distros will have to manually install Firefox Nightly and follow the steps shown in the video above. Alternatively, they could also fire up a virtual machine with a recent Ubuntu version installed and test this new feature.

Firefox Nightly 139.0a1

💬 Did you like what you saw? Couldn't be bothered with AI shenanigans in a web browser? Let me know below!

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Neuroscience and Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) have revolutionized the way we understand and interact with the human brain. From decoding brain activity to enabling direct communication between flesh and machine, the field has made major gains both in terms of research and application.

In this ever-changing space, PiEEG has put forward an intriguing new offering that’s definitely worth your attention.

🚧This device is not intended for medical use. It is designed solely for research and educational purposes.

PiEEG Kit: What is It?

As the brainchild of Ildar Rakhmatulin, the PiEEG Kit is an open source, Raspberry Pi-powered biosignal tool that can be used to analyze EEG, EMG, EKG, and EOG signals for neuroscience research and educational purposes.

It supports seamless integration with ChatGPT for interactive data analysis and a connector that allows serial transmission for robot control.

On the hardware side of things, the PiEEG kit is powered by the PiEEG Shield, which connects directly to a Raspberry Pi, handling the capture of biosignals like EEG, EMG, EKG, and EOG.

Overview of the PiEEG Kit board on the left and the PiEEG Shield on the right.

Along with the core hardware, the kit comes loaded with essential test accessories like an EEG electrode cap and electrodes, allowing users to capture and monitor various biosignals.

All that data can be accessed using the screen, mouse, and keyboard on a custom Raspberry Pi software interface that allows users to perform a wide range of tasks. All of this is packed into a portable carry case, making it easy to transport and setup wherever needed.

The PiEEG Kit is powered by a power supply that requires an external battery, and its functionality can be expanded through various available expansion ports. It is designed for a range of users, including machine learning and data scientists, researchers, startups, students, and tech enthusiasts.

The technical paper is a must-read if you are searching for more details or the results of the assessment tests.

Want to Get/Build Yours?

If you want a fully assembled, ready-to-go solution, then you will want to keep an eye on the Indiegogo page for the PiEEG Kit. If you are up for a DIY adventure, then you can refer to the project's GitHub repo, where you will find the software, the SDK, the schematics, etc.

PiEEG Kit (Indiegogo)

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A Raspberry Pi 5-Powered Handheld Computer? This Looks So Cool!If you are on the lookout for an exciting gadget, this might be it.It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra

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APT, or Advanced Package Tool, is an offering by the Debian project that is used on Debian and its derivatives like Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and elementary OS for effortless package management.

Around this time last year, a new user interface for APT was introduced, marking the start of the development cycle for APT 3.0. That has now reached its end with the official introduction of the APT 3.0 stable series.

APT 3.0: What's New?

Dedicated to Steve Langasek, the APT 3.0 release represents a major milestone for the package manager, introducing some much-needed improvements that most users will appreciate.

APT 3.0 is powered by Solver3, a new, more efficient package dependency resolver that significantly improves how package installations and upgrades are handled. As a backtracking algorithm, it allows for more efficient dependency resolution and better handling of complex package conflicts.

Besides that, there are the new coloring changes that show up when installing, removing, or upgrading a package. As you can see below, when installing a new package, all its dependencies are shown in a familiar green color.👇

_ Installing a new package using APT 3.0._

I also checked out some other APT commands, such as the one for removing a package and all of its related dependencies. It showed me all the dependencies to be removed in red. I also ran the list command, which listed all the available packages for installation in a paginated list.

These additions, coupled with the column padding, have definitely improved the readability of APT outputs by a big margin, and the slick progress bar at the bottom is like the cherry on top. See for yourself!👇

_ Removing an existing package and listing available packages using APT 3.0._

Another important set of upgrades are the removal of GnuTLS and gcrypt in favor of OpenSSL for providing better cryptographic support, replacement of GnuPG with Sequoia , and introduction of the modernize-sources command.

The latter of which automatically updates and optimizes package source configuration files with the latest recommended formats and repository structures.

There are some additional changes that include things like:

• Removal of remote connection methods like FTP, RSH, and SSH.
• Recommended/suggested packages are now shown for upgrade actions as well.
• autoremove is now more aggressive, removing unnecessary packages to prevent clutter.
• Essential package removals are now highlighted with color to prevent accidental system nuking.
• Translation upgrades for Simplified Chinese, Dutch, Czech, Romanian, Catalan, German, Brazilian, and French.

The changelog ( go up from 2.9.0 ) has additional information if you are up for a longer read.

When and how to APT 3.0

Since it is just released, you'll have to wait for the new distro releases to provide them.

Ubuntu 25.04 is the most straightforward way of checking out this APT release. If you can wait, then the upcoming Debian 13 " Trixie " release will feature this as its default package manager.

🚧

I don't recommend this on systems that are meant for general/production use.

Currently, the unstable repo of Debian ( Sid ) has APT 3.0 live. That's how we tested it for this article. Those up to manually install/upgrade to this release can do so by editing the sources.list file and adding the unstable branch to their Debian installation.

APT 3.0 (unstable)

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Using apt Commands in Linux [Ultimate Guide]This guide shows you how to use apt commands in Linux with examples so that you can manage packages effectively.It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash

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