Nvidia enables Linux
support for Turing
Nvidia provides signed firmware files
to the Nouveau developers.
GRAPHICS
SOFTWARE SOFTWARE
arktable (www.darktable.org), an open
source photo editor and workflow
application, has reached a major
milestone, as it now has a full-time developer –
Aurélien Pierre. Pierre’s job involves making
“Darktable an industry-ready working tool for
those photographers that need spot-on colour
rendition and believable tone and colour
adjustments.” As well as being a developer, Pierre
is also a photographer, with first-hand knowledge
of using Darktable to edit photos. Explaining his
goals for Darktable, Pierre explains how this role
will be full time, which is why he’s using Liberapay
to raise funds so he can have a weekly wage. To
find out more
donate, visit
http://bit.ly/
LXF260darktable.vernote (https://evernote.com) is a
popular application for creating notes,
as well as organising them and also
building to-do lists, but its lack of availability on
Linux has long been a source of frustration for
many users.
However, it looks like that could soon change,
with Ian Small, CEO of Evernote, promising in a
2020 Update (which you can read at http://bit.
ly/LXF260Evernote 2020 ) that there will be
“new clients for Windows, Mac, and (yes!) Linux,
along with the ongoing re-architecture and data
migration we’ve been doing in the cloud.”
The brief mention of Linux will be welcome
news for people who’d been waiting for the app,
even though Small doesn’t give any hint of when
we can expect it.
Evernote’s slowness to finally come over to
Linux could mean this move is too late, however,
as many potential users have already given up
waiting for it to be available and have looked for
viable alternatives elsewhere. In this very issue,
for example on page 60 we show you how to
migrate your notes to Joplin.Darktable has
a full-time dev
Evernote is
coming to Linux
The photo-editing app raises
funds to pay a living wage.
Popular note-taking app is
finally coming to Linux.
vidia has been dragging its feet when it
comes to open source support for its
graphics cards, in stark contrast to its
chief rival AMD, but it now seems that the
company is softening its stance somewhat with
the news that Nvidia has provided the team
behind Nouveau, the open source driver for
Nvidia cards, with signed firmware files for its
current Turing graphics cards. This follows a
move back in 2019, where Nvidia provided
GPU hardware documents to the team for
its older Pascal, Maxwell and Kepler GPUs(see TechRadar’s report at
http://bit.ly/LXF260Nvidia).
Recent firmware for Nvidia cards are signed,
which means they can only be provided by Nvidia
itself, which has meant the Nouveau developers
have had to rely on Nvidia, which has often been
standoffish with the project. The code allows
graphics acceleration for GeForce RTX 2000
series cards, but not the cheaper GTX 1600
series. So while this is a step in the right
direction, we’re still a long way off Nvidia
embracing the open source community fully.Darktable has now
got a full-time
developer – and it
needs help paying
their wage.OPINION
Most of us who use
Linux in a professional
capacity will be either
system administrators or
developers. Both jobs need
talented, smart people, but
it’s a rare person who is
skilled and talented at both.
It’s made worse by the
fact that many developers
know a bit about setting up
Linux systems, and many
sysadmins know a bit about
writing code.
But don’t conflate the
roles. If you’re a sysadmin
and you need a quick script
to automate or simplify
some process, go ahead and
write it. Similarly, if you’re a
developer and you need to
create a test VM, there’s no
reason why you shouldn’t
create it.
But when it comes to
building a production Linux
infrastructure that’s fit for
purpose, the developer
should step back. Designing
and supporting a production
system that’s secure,
resilient and available is a
very specialist job. Similar
considerations should also
be applied to the designing
of a robust, production-
quality application.
If you manage such
people, don’t compromise
your business by asking
them to do something
they’re not qualified to do.
Use a specialist. It’s cheaper
in the long run.Keith Edmunds
is Tiger Computing Ltd’s MD,
which provides support for
businesses using Linux.ADMINS
VS DEVS
N
D E
CREDIT:TechRadarNvidia is softening its opposition to open
source drivers for its GeForce RTX 2000 series.8 LXF260 March 2020 http://www.linuxformat.comNEWSDESK
Nvidia enables Linux
support for Turing
Nvidiaprovidessignedfirmwarefiles
totheNouveaudevelopers.
GRAPHICS
SOFTWARE SOFTWARE
arktable(www.darktable.org), anopen
sourcephotoeditorandworkflow
application,hasreacheda major
milestone,asit nowhasa full-timedeveloper–
AurélienPierre.Pierre’sjobinvolvesmaking
“Darktableanindustry-readyworkingtoolfor
thosephotographersthatneedspot-oncolour
renditionandbelievabletoneandcolour
adjustments.”Aswellasbeinga developer,Pierre
isalsoa photographer,withfirst-handknowledge
ofusingDarktabletoeditphotos.Explaininghis
goalsforDarktable, Pierreexplainshowthisrole
willbefulltime,whichiswhyhe’susingLiberapay
toraisefundssohecanhavea weeklywage.To
findoutmore
donate,visit
http://bit.ly/
LXF260darktable.vernote(https://evernote.com) isa
popularapplicationforcreatingnotes,
aswellasorganisingthemandalso
buildingto-dolists,butitslackofavailabilityon
Linuxhaslongbeena sourceoffrustrationfor
manyusers.
However,it lookslikethatcouldsoonchange,
withIanSmall,CEOofEvernote, promisingina
2020 Update(whichyoucanreadathttp://bit.
ly/LXF260Evernote 2020 ) thattherewillbe
“newclientsforWindows,Mac,and(yes!)Linux,
alongwiththeongoingre-architectureanddata
migrationwe’vebeendoinginthecloud.”
ThebriefmentionofLinuxwillbewelcome
newsforpeoplewho’dbeenwaitingfortheapp,
eventhoughSmalldoesn’tgiveanyhintofwhen
wecanexpectit.
Evernote’sslownesstofinallycomeoverto
Linuxcouldmeanthismoveistoolate,however,
asmanypotentialusershavealreadygivenup
waitingforit tobeavailableandhavelookedfor
viablealternativeselsewhere.Inthisveryissue,
forexampleonpage 60 weshowyouhowto
migrateyournotestoJoplin.Darktable has
a full-timedev
Evernote is
coming to Linux
Thephoto-editingappraises
fundstopaya livingwage.
Popularnote-takingappis
finallycomingtoLinux.
vidiahasbeendraggingitsfeetwhenit
comestoopensourcesupportforits
graphicscards,instarkcontrasttoits
chiefrivalAMD,butit nowseemsthatthe
companyissofteningitsstancesomewhatwith
thenewsthatNvidiahasprovidedtheteam
behindNouveau,theopensourcedriverfor
Nvidiacards,withsignedfirmwarefilesforits
currentTuringgraphicscards.Thisfollowsa
movebackin2019,whereNvidiaprovided
GPUhardwaredocumentstotheteamfor
itsolderPascal,MaxwellandKeplerGPUs(seeTechRadar’sreportat
http://bit.ly/LXF260Nvidia).
RecentfirmwareforNvidiacardsaresigned,
whichmeanstheycanonlybeprovidedbyNvidia
itself,whichhasmeanttheNouveaudevelopers
havehadtorelyonNvidia,whichhasoftenbeen
standoffishwiththeproject.Thecodeallows
graphicsaccelerationforGeForceRTX 2000
seriescards,butnotthecheaperGTX 1600
series.Sowhilethisisa stepintheright
direction,we’restilla longwayoffNvidia
embracingtheopensourcecommunityfully.Darktablehasnow
gota full-time
developer– andit
needshelppaying
theirwage.OPINION
Mostofuswhouse
Linuxina professional
capacitywillbeeither
systemadministratorsor
developers.Bothjobsneed
talented,smartpeople,but
it’sa rarepersonwhois
skilledandtalentedatboth.
It’smadeworsebythe
factthatmanydevelopers
knowa bitaboutsettingup
Linuxsystems,andmany
sysadminsknowa bitabout
writingcode.
Butdon’tconflatethe
roles.If you’rea sysadmin
andyouneeda quickscript
toautomateorsimplify
someprocess,goaheadand
writeit.Similarly,if you’rea
developerandyouneedto
createa testVM,there’sno
reasonwhyyoushouldn’t
createit.
Butwhenit comesto
buildinga productionLinux
infrastructurethat’sfitfor
purpose,thedeveloper
shouldstepback.Designing
andsupportinga production
systemthat’ssecure,
resilientandavailableisa
veryspecialistjob.Similar
considerationsshouldalso
beappliedtothedesigning
ofa robust,production-
qualityapplication.
If youmanagesuch
people,don’tcompromise
yourbusinessbyasking
themtodosomething
they’renotqualifiedtodo.
Usea specialist.It’scheaper
inthelongrun.KeithEdmunds
isTigerComputingLtd’sMD,
whichprovidessupportfor
businessesusingLinux.
ADMINS
VS DEVS
N
D E
CREDIT:TechRadarNvidiaissofteningitsoppositiontoopen
sourcedriversforitsGeForceRTX 2000 series.8 LXF260 March 2020 http://www.linuxformat.comNEWSDESK