Destination Linux

Welcome to episode 463 of Destination Linux! This week, we explore the growing movement to RESIST the limitations of modern streaming services as users rediscover the reliability of physical media and self-hosted solutions.

We also take a deep dive into the technical side of things with the release of Proton 11 for ARM, discussing what this means for the future of Linux gaming on non-x86 hardware. In the news roundup, we look at the latest modular innovations from Framework, including their new laptop and keyboard designs. Finally, we tackle a heavy dose of privacy news, from the controversial expansion of live facial recognition in the UK to a significant national ID data breach in France.

Show Note References

https://sandflysecurity.com/

https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Proton

https://frame.work/

https://www.bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/

https://www.cnil.fr/en

New T-Shirt Design: https://shop.deviantairwaves.com/en-usd/products/resist

Time Stamps

00:00:00 Welcome to Destination Linux

00:02:30 Community Feedback

00:15:52 Sponsored by Sandfly Security

00:18:38 Shout Out to Our Supporters

00:22:37 Proton 11 on ARM

00:45:47 The Streaming Services Dilemma

00:51:30 A Resurgence of Physical Media

01:06:55 News Roundup: Framework's New Laptop

01:11:55 Framework's New Keyboard

01:18:19 Live Facial Recognition in the UK

01:25:41 France ID Data Breach

01:29:44 Closing Thoughts

In episode 462, the Destination Linux crew breaks down one of the most significant wins for digital sovereignty in years: the French government’s official mandate to transition 2.5 million civil servants to Linux. We explore "FranceOS," the sovereign cloud stack, and what this means for the global future of the Linux desktop.

Then, things get real as Ryan shares receipts on the Q1 2026 tech layoffs. With nearly 80,000 jobs cut, almost half attributed to AI automation...is the tech industry in a permanent state of reduction, or is this the ultimate opportunity for open-source talent to rise? We discuss how to "own the pipeline" using local AI tools like Ollama.

Plus, we cover the massive release of Linux 7.0 featuring Rust adoption and self-healing filesystems, Google’s "Free Upgrade" push for Windows 10 users to ChromeOS Flex, and Linus Torvalds being his classic, unfiltered self regarding kernel patches.

00:00:00 Welcome to Destination Linux

00:01:20 Community Feedback: Trying Linux in a VM

00:06:58 Sponsored by Sandfly Security

00:11:21 France's Migration to Linux

00:23:42 Tech Industry Layoffs

00:39:51 Open Source AI Solutions

00:53:39 News Roundup: ChromeOS Flex Upgrade for Windows 10 PCs

00:59:20 Digital ID Developments in the UK

01:02:36 Linux 7.0 Released

01:07:13 Linus Torvalds' Still Got It

01:08:35 Closing Thoughts

Show Links & Resources

Contact the Show: https://deviantairwaves.com/contact/

Sandfly Security (Sponsor): https://deviantairwaves.com/sandfly

ZDNet - France Leaves Windows for Linux: https://www.zdnet.com/article/france-leaves-windows-for-linux-desktop/

Tom's Hardware - Q1 2026 Layoff Data: https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/tech-industry-lays-off-nearly-80-000-employees-in-the-first-quarter-of-2026-almost-50-percent-of-affected-positions-cut-due-to-ai

CNN - Block Layoffs & AI Strategy: https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/26/business/block-layoffs-ai-jack-dorsey

AI Resources & Layoff Tracker: https://programs.com/resources/ai-layoffs/

Forbes - Google’s ChromeOS Flex Upgrade: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2026/04/12/googles-free-windows-pc-upgrade-offer-you-must-act-before-its-too-late/

UK Parliament - Digital ID Briefing: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10369/

BBC - UK Digital ID Backlash: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3385zrrx73o

OMG! Ubuntu - Linux 7.0 Features: https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/04/linux-7-0-kernel-features

Phoronix - Linus Torvalds on Linux 7.1 Patches: https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linus-Rejects-Linux-7.1

In this episode of Destination Linux, we are joined by Red Hat design legend Máirín Duffy (Mo) to tackle some of the biggest shifts in the open-source ecosystem. We start with the massive news that Linux has officially surpassed 5% market share on the Steam Survey, a historic milestone driven by the Steam Deck and the end-of-life for Windows 10.

Next, Mo provides an expert breakdown of how AI is revolutionizing security research. From Project Glasswing to the Alpha Omega project, we look at how frontier models are being used to find (and fix) vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure like the Linux kernel. We discuss the "personality quirks" of different AI models and why human expertise is still the "apex predator" in the security chain.

Ryan also shares an update on his "GIMP Challenge," revealing how he’s successfully moved his professional thumbnail workflow to open source. This leads to a deep dive into Adobe’s recent "bad behavior," including $150 million settlements and secret modifications to system hosts files. We ask the tough question: When does commercial software become malware?

Plus, we cover the latest news, including Linux 7.0-rc7, Firefox’s new free VPN, and Zorin OS’s firm stance against mandatory age verification laws.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Welcome to Destination Linux

00:02:13 Community Feedback: TLDR vs. Manpages

00:05:40 Store Update: Pastel Tumblers & New Desk Mats

00:08:18 Sponsored by Sandfly Security

00:10:16 Steam Linux Milestone: Breaking 5%!

00:23:16 AI in Open Source Security & curl Reports

00:25:03 AI Security Projects: Alpha-Omega and Project Glasswing

00:50:34 Using Open Models for Security Research

00:54:05 Red Hat Evaluates Security Bugs Reported by Mythos

01:00:52 The GIMP Challenge: Ryan’s Workflow Shift

01:06:03 Adobe's Bad Behavior: Software or Malware?

01:13:03 News Roundup: Linux 7.0-rc7 Released

01:14:06 Firefox Adds Free VPN

01:15:01 PacHub: A Sleek GUI for Pacman and AUR

01:16:09 ZorinOS Rejects Mandatory Age Verification

01:25:16 Closing Thoughts

Show References & Links

Community & Tools:

TLDR Pages: https://tldr.sh/

GIMP 3 Themes (GitHub): https://github.com/bunnywaffle/GIMP-3-Themes/tree/main

G'MIC Plugin for GIMP: https://gmic.eu/download.html

Articles & News:

Linux Smashes Past 5% on Steam Survey: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/04/linux-smashes-past-5-percent-on-the-steam-survey-for-the-first-time/

Adobe Secretly Modifies Your Hosts File (OSNews): https://www.osnews.com/story/144737/adobe-secretly-modifies-your-hosts-file-for-the-stupidest-reason/

Zorin OS Says No to Mandatory Age Verification: https://linuxiac.com/zorin-os-says-no-to-mandatory-age-verification-in-linux/

Firefox Free VPN Enabled: https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/04/firefox-free-vpn-enabled

Linux 7.0-rc7 Released: https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-7.0-rc7-Released/

Security & AI Research:

Aisle: AI Cybersecurity After Mythos: https://aisle.com/blog/ai-cybersecurity-after-mythos-the-jagged-frontier

Aisle Wall of Fame (Vulnerability Research): https://aisle.com/wall-of-fame

Red Hat: Navigating the Mythos Haunted World: https://www.redhat.com/en/blog/navigating-mythos-haunted-world-platform-security

Humorous Video on DNF5 & Age Verification: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flH17X32MrY

Support the Show:

Destination Linux Official Store: https://shop.deviantairwaves.com/

Sandfly Security (Agentless Linux Security): https://deviantairwaves.com/sandfly

Is it actually possible to run a professional media company using nothing but Open Source software? This week on Destination Linux, Jill, Ryan, and Zeb provide a massive update on their Open Source Startup journey.

We break down the technical stack keeping Deviant AirWaves running:

Infrastructure: How Nextcloud has become our "absolute savior" for RSS, Markdown notes, and document security.

Production: The "superb quality" of VDO.Ninja and OBS Studio for remote recording without the monthly fees of closed-source alternatives.

Communication: Moving the needle with Signal, KeePassXC, and our brand-new Mumble server.

Web & Editing: Why we stick to WordPress and how Kdenlive and Audacity handle our heavy-lift editing.

We also take a look at the Orion Web Browser, a WebKit-powered alternative that just hit public Beta on Linux. To wrap things up, we cover Zeb’s Quick-fire News, including a high-severity Snap vulnerability, Linus Torvalds’ thoughts on AI tools in kernel development, and a heartfelt thank you to Martin Wimpress as he seeks new maintainers for Ubuntu MATE.

Show Resources & Community

Official Website: deviantairwaves.com

Merch Store: shop.deviantairwaves.com

Patreon Support: patreon.com/destinationlinux

Community Discord: deviantairwaves.com/discord

Topic: Running a Small Business with Open Source

Sponsor: Sandfly Security: deviantairwaves.com/sandfly

Mumble Server Address: mumble.deviantairwaves.com

Video Production Tool: vdo.ninja

Kdenlive: https://kdenlive.org/

KeePassXC: https://keepassxc.org/

PhotoPea: https://www.photopea.com/

WordPress: https://wordpress.com/

DigitalOcean: https://www.digitalocean.com/

Audacity: https://www.audacityteam.org/

Topic: Orion Web Browser

Orion for Linux Beta Release https://orionbrowser.com/

Quick Fire News

Linux Kernel 7.0-rc5 Announcement: lore.kernel.org/lkml/7.0-rc5

Ubuntu Snapd Vulnerability: phoronix.com/news/Ubuntu-Snapd-High-Vulnerability

Ubuntu AppArmor Security Issues (Mentioned): phoronix.com/news/Ubuntu-AppArmor-Security-Issues

iPhone Hacking Tool (Ars Technica): arstechnica.com/security/2026/03/hundreds-of-millions-of-iphones-can-be-hacked

Opera GX for Linux: omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/03/opera-gx-linux-released

Ubuntu MATE Seeking Maintainers: discourse.ubuntu.com/t/ubuntu-mate-seeking-maintainers/79264

Chapters List:

00:00:00 Welcome to Destination Linux

00:01:29 Community Feedback

00:12:43 Artemis 2 Launch Reflection

00:19:02 Sponsored by Sandfly Security

00:22:32 Running a Business with Open Source Part 2, NextCloud Update

00:25:02 VDO.Ninja Update

00:29:53 Making Our Website with Wordpress

00:36:20 Matrix Update

00:41:15 Editing with Open Source Tools

00:45:58 New Mumble Server

00:54:44 Orion Web Browser Linux Public Beta

01:00:30 Zeb's Quickfire News Roundup, Opera GX Linux Release

01:05:59 Linux 7.0 Release Candidates

01:08:38 AppArmor and Snap Vulnerabilities

01:10:42 DarkSword iPhone-Hacking Technique

01:17:42 Ubuntu MATE Seeking Maintainers

01:27:05 Closing Remarks and Sign Off

Welcome to Destination Linux Episode 459! This week, we are jacking into the digital frontier with a packed mission log. Joining hosts Ryan and Jill is a "High-Tier" summon: Mathieu from Lutris, the man ensuring Linux gaming stays as smooth as a Gundam flight suit.

We kick things off with a critical look at Healthcare Data Security. With the recent Navia benefit solutions breach affecting millions, we discuss why companies are demanding sensitive data they clearly cannot protect—and why it’s time to push back on providing Social Security numbers.

Then, we break down the FCC’s official ban on foreign-made consumer routers. This move has effectively frozen the release of next-gen hardware like Wi-Fi 7 in the U.S. market. We explore the implications for your privacy and why Open-Source firmware (OpenWrt) and DIY hardware (OPNsense/pfSense) are now the ultimate safeguards for your digital sovereignty.

Jill also returns with Part 2 of her SCaLE 23x highlights, featuring heartwarming reunions with Linux legends like Jon “Maddog” Hall and John Robinson (developer of Window Maker), plus a look at the Ubuntu Academy project.

Finally, we cover the latest in Linux Gaming and AI, including Steam Client updates, VR gaming improvements in GE-Proton, and how TurboQuant is revolutionizing AI memory efficiency.

Set your phasers to "Open Source" and join us for a "Plus Ultra" level of geekery!

Timestamps

[00:00:00] Welcome to Destination Linux

[00:04:43] Community Feedback

[00:18:13] Sponsored by Sandfly Security

[00:21:34] Personal Security Stories

[00:28:25] The Social Security Dilemma

[00:34:20] Navia Data Breach

[00:40:07] Highlights from SCaLE 23x

[00:51:42] FCC Bans Foreign-made Routers

[00:57:02] Building Your Own Router

[01:04:44] Steam Client and SteamOS Updates

[01:09:08] VR Gaming in GE-Proton

[01:16:46] TurboQuant Improves AI Memory Efficiency

[01:19:34] Closing Thoughts and Sign Off

References

Community & Tools

FreeDroidWarn Solutions: https://github.com/woheller69/FreeDroidWarn?tab=readme-ov-file#solutions

Sandfly Security (Sponsor): https://deviantairwaves.com/sandfly (Use code DESTINATION50 for 50% off Home Edition)

Navia Healthcare Data Breach: https://lifehacker.com/tech/navia-data-breach-social-security-numbers

SCaLE 23x Photo & Video Gallery: https://imgur.com/a/ZzVIzSA

Jill’s Treasure Hunt (Eee PC/Window Maker): https://youtu.be/AQ5b1pLNSUc