Linux Format - UK (2019-12)

System76 Linux laptops

running on Coreboot

The company is offering two laptops

running the open-source BIOS alternative.

LAPTOPS

3D SOFTWARE CODECS

lender (www.blender.org), the open

source 3D creation suite, is going from

strength to strength, and has received a

major boost with two high-profile companies,

AMD and Nvidia, joining the Blender Foundation

Development Fund at the patron level. The

money from AMD will go to investment in general

development, Vulkan migration and supporting

AMD technology, while Nvidia’s investment will

enable two more developers to work on core

Blender development, and to help support

Nvidia technology.

Nvidia and AMD are the two biggest names in

graphics card technology, so to have their

support is a huge win for Blender. We’re not just

talking in the financial sense either, as being

associated with those two companies shows

how respected Blender has become. In LXF253,

we reported on how Epic and Ubisoft, two other

big players in game development, have joined

the Development Fund. To find out more about

the fund, visit https://fund.blender.org.

ooks like AV1 (AOMedia Video 1), the

open-source, royalty-free video codec

for online media, is pretty much ready

to be widely adopted. Developed by the Alliance

for Open Media (AOMedia), AV1 has taken its

time getting here, but in a blog post entitled

“AV1 is ready for prime time” (http://bit.ly/

LXF257Av1), Ewout ter Hoeven delves into

its improved performance.

He found that SVT-AV1 (backed by Netflix

and Intel) can offer better quality, bitrates and

encoding and decoding speeds compared to

x265. The blog goes into a lot of details, so it’s

well worth reading in full.

Ever yone

loves Blender

AV 1 is (f in a lly)

ready to go

AMD and Nvidia have joined

the Blender Foundation Fund.

The open source video codec

has been a long time coming.

ystem76 is a PC maker that’s already in

our good books thanks to its line of

Linux-powered laptops, and now it’s

going even farther in its support of open-source

hardware by selling two laptop models with

Coreboot firmware.

Coreboot, once known as LinuxBIOS, is aimed

at replacing proprietary firmware, and System

will sell its Galago Pro and Darter Pro laptops

with System76 Open Firmware, based on

Coreboot, pre-installed (see http://bit.ly/

LXF257GalagoPro and http://bit.ly/

LXF257DarterPro). These laptops are available

to order, and will be shipping by the time you

read this. Not only does the Corebook-based

firmware offer an open-source alternative to

BIOS and UEFI, but it is also claimed to be faster

than proprietary firmware, thanks to it running

only essential tasks when booting.

Both laptops feature impressively slim and

light designs, plus modern components such as

10th generation Intel Core processors and dual-

channel DDR4 memory. They both run

System76’s own Pop!_OS Linux distro as well.

The Darter Pro starts at $999, with the

Galago Pro starting at $949. As usual, you can

configure either laptop to best suit your needs

and budget.

AV1 could

finally be

freeing us

from HEVC

licencing!

OPINION

The words ‘amateur’

and ‘professional’

are often taken to mean

‘unpaid’ and ‘paid’

respectively. I’d like to

suggest different definitions.

The real difference

between amateur and

professional is attitude.

There’s a sign hanging on

the meeting room wall here,

attributed to Henry Ford,

that says, “Quality means

doing it right when no one is

looking”. I think that neatly

defines professionalism, too.

We’ve all been there.

While working on one

problem, we uncover a

deeper or different problem.

We know it will impact the

reliability or security of the

system. One response is,

“If I ignore this, no one will

know”. Those are the words

of an amateur.

By contrast, there are

volunteers who work at the

deepest level of the Linux

kernel, yet they carry out

this hugely complex work

every bit as conscientiously

as the kernel hacker paid by

Red Hat.

We who design, build and

manage Linux systems are

in a privileged position. Few

get to work with such

amazing technology for the

good of other people and

businesses. Whether you’re

paid or working as a

volunteer, please do so

with pride, with

professionalism.

AMATEUR

HOUR?

S

B L

The System76 Darter is a powerful

Linux-powered laptop that runs on

System76 Open Firmware.

Keith Edmunds

is Tiger Computing Ltd’s MD,

which provides support for

businesses using Linux.

8 LXF257 December 2019 http://www.linuxformat.com

NEWSDESK

CREDIT:

System

CREDIT: Alliance for Open Media

System76 Linux laptops

running on Coreboot

Thecompanyisofferingtwolaptops

runningtheopen-sourceBIOSalternative.

LAPTOPS

3DSOFTWARE CODECS

lender(www.blender.org), theopen

source3Dcreationsuite,isgoingfrom

strengthtostrength,andhasreceiveda

majorboostwithtwohigh-profilecompanies,

AMDandNvidia,joiningtheBlenderFoundation

DevelopmentFundatthepatronlevel.The

moneyfromAMDwillgotoinvestmentingeneral

development,Vulkanmigrationandsupporting

AMDtechnology,whileNvidia’sinvestmentwill

enabletwomoredeveloperstoworkoncore

Blenderdevelopment,andtohelpsupport

Nvidiatechnology.

NvidiaandAMDarethetwobiggestnamesin

graphicscardtechnology,sotohavetheir

supportisa hugewinforBlender.We’renotjust

talkinginthefinancialsenseeither,asbeing

associatedwiththosetwocompaniesshows

howrespectedBlenderhasbecome.InLXF253,

wereportedonhowEpicandUbisoft,twoother

bigplayersingamedevelopment,havejoined

theDevelopmentFund.Tofindoutmoreabout

thefund,visithttps://fund.blender.org.

ookslikeAV1(AOMediaVideo1),the

open-source,royalty-freevideocodec

foronlinemedia,isprettymuchready

tobewidelyadopted.DevelopedbytheAlliance

forOpenMedia(AOMedia),AV1hastakenits

timegettinghere,butina blogpostentitled

“AV1isreadyforprimetime”(http://bit.ly/

LXF257Av1), EwoutterHoevendelvesinto

itsimprovedperformance.

HefoundthatSVT-AV1(backedbyNetflix

andIntel)canofferbetterquality,bitratesand

encodinganddecodingspeedscomparedto

x265.Thebloggoesintoa lotofdetails,soit’s

wellworthreadinginfull.

Ever yone

loves Blender

AV 1 is (f in a lly)

ready to go

AMDandNvidiahavejoined

theBlenderFoundationFund.

Theopensourcevideocodec

hasbeena longtimecoming.

ystem76isa PCmakerthat’salreadyin

ourgoodbooksthankstoitslineof

Linux-poweredlaptops,andnowit’s

goingevenfartherinitssupportofopen-source

hardwarebysellingtwolaptopmodelswith

Corebootfirmware.

Coreboot,onceknownasLinuxBIOS,isaimed

atreplacingproprietaryfirmware,andSystem

willsellitsGalagoProandDarterProlaptops

withSystem76OpenFirmware,basedon

Coreboot,pre-installed(seehttp://bit.ly/

LXF257GalagoProandhttp://bit.ly/

LXF257DarterPro). Theselaptopsareavailable

toorder,andwillbeshippingbythetimeyou

readthis.NotonlydoestheCorebook-based

firmwareofferanopen-sourcealternativeto

BIOSandUEFI,butit isalsoclaimedtobefaster

thanproprietaryfirmware,thankstoit running

onlyessentialtaskswhenbooting.

Bothlaptopsfeatureimpressivelyslimand

lightdesigns,plusmoderncomponentssuchas

10thgenerationIntelCoreprocessorsanddual-

channelDDR4memory.Theybothrun

System76’sownPop!_OSLinuxdistroaswell.

TheDarterProstartsat$999,withthe

GalagoProstartingat$949.Asusual,youcan

configureeitherlaptoptobestsuityourneeds

andbudget.

AV1could

finallybe

freeingus

fromHEVC

licencing!

OPINION

Thewords‘amateur’

and‘professional’

areoftentakentomean

‘unpaid’and‘paid’

respectively.I’dliketo

suggestdifferentdefinitions.

Therealdifference

betweenamateurand

professionalisattitude.

There’sa signhangingon

themeetingroomwallhere,

attributedtoHenryFord,

thatsays,“Qualitymeans

doingit rightwhennooneis

looking”.I thinkthatneatly

definesprofessionalism,too.

We’veallbeenthere.

Whileworkingonone

problem,weuncovera

deeperordifferentproblem.

Weknowit willimpactthe

reliabilityorsecurityofthe

system.Oneresponseis,

“IfI ignorethis,noonewill

know”.Thosearethewords

ofanamateur.

Bycontrast,thereare

volunteerswhoworkatthe

deepestleveloftheLinux

kernel,yettheycarryout

thishugelycomplexwork

everybitasconscientiously

asthekernelhackerpaidby

RedHat.

Wewhodesign,buildand

manageLinuxsystemsare

ina privilegedposition.Few

gettoworkwithsuch

amazingtechnologyforthe

goodofotherpeopleand

businesses.Whetheryou’re

paidorworkingasa

volunteer,pleasedoso

withpride,with

professionalism.

AMATEUR

HOUR?

S

B L

TheSystem76Darterisa powerful

Linux-poweredlaptopthatrunson

System76OpenFirmware.

KeithEdmunds
isTigerComputingLtd’sMD,
whichprovidessupportfor
businessesusingLinux.

8 LXF257 December 2019 http://www.linuxformat.com

NEWSDESK

CREDIT:

System

CREDIT: Alliance for Open Media