Linux User & Developer 196 - Optimise Linux

98 Pages·2018·6.901 MB·English

by  Chris Thornett

Special ediTiON Light & Fast distros
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The essenTIal magazIne
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Go light! Make
lEaNEr
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lIGhTEr
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faSTEr setup today
DEvEloPEr GuIDE
ExPErT fEaTurE
Pick the
The Future of
perfect IDE
Moore’s Law
15 editors and tools to try
hEaD-To-hEaD
If it’s dead, what happens next?
vIrTualbox vS
vMwarE worKSTaTIoN
45
DEv INTErvIEw
Nate Graham on KDE: Pages of
TuTorIalS
“We want our software
to be a lean, mean > S-TuI: visualise your stress tests > run .NET
Core apps on the Pi > Essential bash > learn to
productivity machine”
program in Go > PyInstaller: share your projects
Disc cloning tools Secure your system Kernel column
Group Test Image and roll out Expert Guide What hackers look for Explained L1 terminal fault
multiple machines with ease and what you need to change now + the latest kernel dev news

The magazine for
The GNU GeNerAtIoN
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Editorial
Editor Chris Thornett
[email protected]
01202 442244
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Editor in Chief, Tech Graham Barlow
Senior Art Editor Jo Gulliver to issue 196 of Linux User & Developer
Contributors
Dan Aldred, Mike Bedford, Joey Bernard, Chris Binnie,
Christian Cawley, Neil Bothwick, John Gowers, Toni Castillo
Girona, Tam Hanna, Georgine Hodsdon, Lewis Leong, In this issue
Jon Masters, Paul O’Brien, Calvin Robinson, Mayank Sharma,
Shashank Sharma, Kevin Wittmer

All copyrights and trademarks are recognised and respected.
Linux is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. » Optimise Linux, p18
and other countries.
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Contents
18 32
56
Pick The
PeRFecT
IDE
OpenSource Features Tutorials
06 News 18 Optimise Linux 36 Essential Linux: cfdisk
Redis abandons open source in its Mainstream Linux distros have to Learn how to use cfdisk to partition
database modules. Plus: Steam! appeal and work with a wide range disks, and how to install Linux
of users and hardware, so they’re not
10 Letters always the fastest. Our guide shows 40 S-TUI: Stress-test your CPU
Your final batch of beautiful words you how to streamline and optimise a U se S-TUI to monitor your CPU and run
distro for your own use case a stress test from the command line
12 Interview
KDE developer, Nate Graham on the 56 Pick the Perfect IDE 42 CompSec: Plug those gaps
project’s bug-fixing blitz Linux provides a powerful platform for Fix the more obvious threats to your
software developers and offers a wide system and that includes printers
16 Kernel Column choice of Integrated Development
Jon Masters on the latest updates Environments. Discover which one 46 Python: Pyinstaller
best meets your needs How to more easily share your Python
SpecialReport projects using various utilities
64 The Future of Moore’s Law
Is Gordon Moore’s famous dictum 50 Programming: Go
32 Coding a murderer really no longer applicable – and In part 3, we integrate an SQL
How the Murder Accountability Project if so, what can we expect from the database with our video-sharing
is helping to catch killers hardware of the future? server to enable keyword searching
4
issue 196
September 2018
facebook.com/LinuxUserUK 94 Free downloads
Twitter: @linuxusermag We’ve uploaded a host of
new free and open source
software this month
86
70
42
vS
76 88
Practical Pi Reviews Back page
70 Introducing MidiIdentifier 81 Group test: Disk cloning tools 96 Goodbye, dear reader
By hooking up a MIDI keyboard to a Pi, How well do Clonezilla, FOG Project, A montage of some of the many covers
Andreas Scholz and karsten Schick G4L and Redo Backup & Recovery we’ve produced over the years.
created a piano that attempts to guess perform when it comes to imaging and
what you’re playing… rolling out multiple machines at once?
72 Build an image auto-uploader 86 Hardware SuBScRiPTion oFFeR
for the Raspberry Pi Beyerdynamic’s new Amiron Wireless
SuBScRiBe ToDAY
Your phone can automatically upload headphones promise audio perfection
pictures to the cloud, so why not the Pi over Bluetooth – but you may need a Get a free high-speed uSB
Camera? Learn how to build and code second mortgage to buy them
charger when you subscribe!
a Dropbox-enabled solution in Python
Turn to page 30 for more information
88 VMware Workstation 14.1.3
76 Run .NET Core web apps on vs VirtualBox 5.2.18
the trusty Pi One is open source, the other is
FRee
With Microsoft’s .NET Core now proprietary, but which one is better?
GiFT!
supporting ARM chips, it’s possible
to run it on a reasonably recent Pi. 90 Fresh FOSS
Discover how to get everything set up HSTR 1.27.0, Mattermost 5.2, Tardis
for coding .NET apps 1.0.2 and Audacious 3.10 reviewed
www.linuxuser.co.uk 5
06News & Opinion | 10Letters | 12Interview | 16 Kernel Column

business
Database maker Redis makes its
module code proprietary
A timely reminder that open source is not for life…
Redis Labs has announced that its range of
Redis Modules are no longer open source.
By abandoning the AGPL licence, in favour
of combining Apache v2.0 with Commons
Clause, in-house modules extending the
functionality of the Redis database software
are now off-limits to third-party cloud
service providers.
Modules affected by this change include
RediSearch, Redis Graph and ReJSON. Redis
Labs cofounder and CTO Yiftach Shoolman
justified the development in a blog post,
complaining that “Cloud providers have
been taking advantage of the open source
community for years […]. This discourages
the community from investing in developing
open source code, because any potential
benefit goes to cloud providers rather than
the code developer.”
To understand the implications of this,
we spoke to Shashank Sharma (www.
menschlaw.in), a trial lawyer and software
licensing expert who has been writing about
open source software for more than 14 years. Similarly, the Open Source Definition has
He told us that while the Redis project a set of conditions defining open source
remains BSD-licensed, only RedisLabs’ Redis software. By adopting the Commons Clause,
Modules have been switched to the “so- Redis is eroding, or fundamentally altering,
called Apache+Commons Clause license. these freedoms. “Redis call the new licence
[However,] the Redis community can still for Redis Modules Apache + Commons
contribute modules to the project, under Clause, which may lead to people mistakenly
their own chosen licences, such as AGPL. concluding that Redis Modules are still open
In fact, the lead developer in a blog post source. Any alteration of the licence terms to
confirmed that his current Redis module, limit the freedoms/permissions that it allows Above Redis says it doesn’t want third-party cloud
Disque, will be released under AGPL.” changes the licence from open source to providers profiting from its software
The important distinction, notes Sharma, proprietary.”
is that “just because the source is available Redis claims it wants to limit how cloud fees for hosting or consulting/support
doesn’t make software open source or free. providers can profit from Redis deployments services related to the Software), a product
There are essential freedoms (as the FSF and support services, ensuring any money or service whose value derives, entirely or
calls them) which makes software Free.” made with its software isn’t by third parties. substantially, from the functionality of the
But Sharma told Linux user & Developer that Software.”
Just because the the adoption of the Commons Clause has Not only will this impact cloud providers,
“broader implications,” referring specifically but also Linux support companies and
source is available to this line of the clause: individual consultants. Sharma concludes:
“‘Sell’ means practising any or all of the “The real issue for anyone using Redis is
doesn’t make software
rights granted to you under the Licence to how much of the reliance is on Redis Core,
open source or free provide to third parties, for a fee or other and whether anyone can use Redis without
consideration (including without limitation relying on Redis Modules.”
6
DistRo FeeD
Top 10
(Average hits per day, 30 days to 24 August)
1. Manjaro 3691
2. Mint 2080
3. MX Linux 1884
4. elementary 1818
5. Ubuntu 1447
6. Debian 1028
7. Zorin 869
8. Fedora 718
9. openSUSe 667
gAMing 10. Solus 631
Steam Play brings more
This month
Windows games to Linux
■ In development (3)
■ Stable releases (7)
The Arch Linux-based
Modified Wine and new DirectX layer Manjaro continues to
dominate the Linux
promises great Linux gaming scene, but distros
from the Debian family
continue to dominate
Just months after it seemed Valve might upstream if they’re compatible with the goals Linux overall.
have given up on Linux gaming, a new beta and requirements of the larger Wine project;
Highlights
version of steam Play has been released, as a result, Wine users have been benefitting
bringing compatibility to a big selection of from parts of this work for over a year now.”
previously Windows-only games. As well Second is compatibility with Direct3D ArcoLinux
as giving Linux Steam users access to a graphics, thanks to vkd3d. This Previously known as ArchMerge,
larger catalogue of games, Valve hopes that implementation of Direct3D 12 uses Vulkan this distro is available in a choice
developers will be able to more easily port for high-performance graphics. DXVK is also of two projects: the main desktop option
projects from other platforms. included – another Vulkan implementation, and a minimal option.
Whether you use the Steam client on your this time for Direct3D 11. This has involved
Linux PC or you’re running Valve’s own Linux- “direct support from our open-source swagArch
based SteamOS, this development means graphics group to fix Mesa driver issues This German-based distro runs
that a number of top games, such as Star affecting DXVK,” and collaboration with Xfce and uses the Calamares
Wars: Battlefront 2, Tekken 7, Fallout Shelter “Khronos, NVIDIA, Intel and AMD to graphical system installer. A number of
and most of the Doom titles (including the coordinate Vulkan feature and driver open source apps are preinstalled.
2016 VR version) can now run on Linux. support.”
Steam Play supports Windows games Meanwhile, to improve the overall gaming ArchMan/gnu Linux
which don’t have a native Linux version to experience, full-screen graphics and Again using Calamares, this
be installed and run within the Linux Steam multithreading have all been enhanced. Turkish Linux distro includes a
client. This is made possible thanks to a two- Full-screen games will now be “seamlessly preconfigured desktop environment. The
tier approach. stretched to the desired display without Octopi package manager is also included.
First is the work Valve has done with interfering with the native monitor resolution
Codeweavers in developing Proton, a or requiring the use of a virtual desktop.”
modified version of the Wine compatibility Additionally, all Steam-supported controllers Latest distros
layer. Valve’s announcement post explains should now be automatically recognised by available:
that “modifications to Wine are submitted supported games.
filesilo.co.uk
www.linuxuser.co.uk 7
OpenSource Your Source of Linux News & Views
hARDWARe
Lenovo finally joins the Linux Vendor
Firmware Service
ThinkPad firmware updates will soon be easier to install
Running a Linux-powered thinkPad, the
laptop range launched by ibM and acquired
by Lenovo in 2005, is a generally pleasing
experience. However, without the right
firmware updates, which need to be sought
out, it’s unlikely to be perfect. Thanks to
Lenovo joining the Linux Vendor Firmware
Service, this has just become a lot easier.
The LVFS enables equipment
manufacturers to distribute UeFI firmware
directly to users, while making the process
as safe and reliable as possible, with the
minimum of reboots. According to the LVFS
introduction at https://fwupd.org, “The LVFS
runs on a dedicated virtual private server
and uses a public CDN for metadata. every
month there are over 50 million files being
downloaded from 10 million clients. There are Above Lenovo’s popular Linux ThinkPad line will benefit from LVFS membership
currently 281 devices supported on the LVFS
with 758 available firmware versions.” late. If anyone from HP is reading this, you’re reasons.” The LVFS only supports Lenovo
Various manufacturers are supporting now officially late.” hardware “produced fairly recently” however;
Linux in this way, but not all. Announcing Bringing Lenovo into the LVFS hasn’t just “There’s no point looking for updates on your
the news in his blog, Red Hat’s Richard happened overnight. Many changes have beloved T61” is the official advice. There’s
Hughes noted: “I do think Lenovo should been made to accommodate the move, such also little word on what devices from the
be applauded for the work done so far due as “…changes to the low level fwupdate Chinese manufacturer will be supported in
to the enormity of the task, rather than library, fwupd, and even the LVFS admin future, but it’s certainly a step in the right
chastised about coming to the party a little portal itself for various vendor-defined direction for now.
DistRo
Chrome os 69 to include Linux support
six months on from the announcement complete the set up, they’ll see a terminal regardless of hardware. Older games and
of Project Crostini, Chrome os 69 is in the Chrome launcher. Developers can use those without graphics acceleration should
set to introduce the ‘Linux (beta) for the terminal to install apps or packages, and run, however.
Chromebooks’ feature in its 4 september the apps will be securely sandboxed inside a Software that can be expected to run
release. employing virtual machines and virtual machine.” based on success under Crostini includes
sandboxed containers, the feature enables Once running, Chrome OS users will be the image manipulation toolw GIMP and
the installation of Linux apps, development able to install these apps from the launcher, Inkscape, as well as the Kdenlive video
environments and other utilities on Google’s just like any other. While basic apps should editing suite. Meanwhile, LibreOffice should
Chrome OS. work without a problem, those requiring also run, providing a strong alternative to the
As the release notes for Chrome OS 69 accelerated graphics and video decoding are limits of Google’s cloud-based office suite.
explain: “Linux (Beta) for Chromebooks unlikely to deliver at this stage. A list of supported devices – that is, those
allows developers to use editors and HD video editing applications and that run virtual machines – can be found at
command-line tools by adding support for graphics-intensive video games from Steam www.chromium.org, with Chromebooks from
Linux on a Chrome device. After developers are thus unlikely to work at this stage, Acer, HP, and Lenovo among them.
8
opinion
Security automata
What can you do when infrastructures are too performant
for humans to monitor effectively?
The cloud is all the rage and it has been, in one Cloud Custodian, for example, has the ability to power
form or another, for at least a decade. Vendors and down EC2 instances for patching runs, shout loudly about
organisations alike continue to get caught up in what we logins by the root user, and take care of storage volumes
now call cloud-native technologies and their many facets. which aren’t attached to anything useful any longer. It
The CNCF (Cloud Native Computing Foundation) helps to can additionally alert and then delete gaping-wide open
propagate the adoption of cloud-native tech and “open security groups (those boasting 0.0.0.0/0 IP Address
source, vendor-neutral projects” in order to improve the ranges, for example) and also notify users when their
accessibility of innovations in the cloud space. access keys need rotating – and deny the user access
According to the CNCF, the definition of cloud-native entirely if they don’t comply within a reasonable time! Chris Binnie
relates to scalable architecture which is both resilient In the same vein, the CloudBots framework from Chris’ book Linux
and which offers the ability to make changes to critical, Dome9 also provides “active remediation”. In a busy Server Security: Hack
live services seamlessly. As such, “containers, service working environment where new software features and Defend teaches
meshes, microservices, immutable infrastructure, and keep the lights on, and therefore the bosses happy, you to make servers
declarative APIs exemplify this approach.” it’s common for security and housekeeping (which invisible and mitigate
However with innovation come new attack vectors, sometimes introduces other security implications) to slip attacks. See www.
which need to be carefully considered by all parties devsecops.cc
involved. The result is that old-school security thinking no
With innovation come
longer applies. The approach of “We’ll just wade through
the seemingly endless code in our (micro)services and
new attack vectors, which
then secure and remediate any issues” simply doesn’t
wash in the new cloud-native world we live in.
need to be carefully
Numerous security tools have sprung up from varying
vendors to help deal with the new and revised attack
considered by all parties
surfaces which now pose a security risk to organisations.
But while auditing in an automated manner to check for
changes to your cloud code is a valuable exercise, there’s
still a degree of operational monitoring and human down priority lists. Thankfully both tools emphasise their
interaction required. ability to automate away these concerns, which means
In the high-paced, dynamic world of cloud apps, just that key issues are dealt with promptly and without much
auditing your security issues sadly doesn’t get anywhere fanfare in most cases.
near to cutting the mustard. Thanks to the many Clearly a high degree of testing is required before
events taking place during any given minute – such as actions are written into rules which affect production
containers automatically spinning up as soon as another environments, but in the case of development and
fails, subtle automated changes to network security staging environments, the testing is more accessible.
groups and encrypted secrets being passed back and The fact that these tools also run off coded rulesets
forth – to my mind we’ve already created infrastructure means of course that the GitHubs and BitBuckets of this
that is too performant for humans to monitor in an world can be successfully used for revision control and
effective manner. sanity testing.
The solution is actually relatively straightforward; Let’s not forget, either, that misconfiguration is also
rolling it out across a critical server estate is however the bane of a security professional’s life, and thus some
much easier said than done. Two tools which can provide automated sweeping-up here and there is an undeniably
the required functionality are Cloud Custodian (https:// welcome extra functionality.
capitalone.github.io/cloud-custodian/docs) and Dome9 In short, you could say that we’re already at the point
(https://dome9.com). Among their feature-sets is the where we need computers to run our other computers.
ability to highlight and then automatically remediate We may be 21 years down the line from when Skynet was
security and compliance issues based on a set of first meant to be activated, but let’s not forget that the
predetermined rules. damned thing learns fast…
www.linuxuser.co.uk 9
OpenSource Your Source of Linux News & Views
Comment
Your letters
Questions and opinions about the mag, Linux and open source
Above Linux and small board computers go together well, and tinkering with them both can open up the prospect of a career
Linux 4 life
top tweet
not a bad tweet Dear LU&D, I was introduced to Linux many years ago for next-gen interfaces as I am, Project Soli is particularly
to end on… a game project, but just did the work on a small system fascinating as it demonstrates an interaction sensor chip
edward Snowden and didn’t pay much attention to it. A few years ago I using radar technology. The chip is able to pick up tiny
reminds us how started doing contract work for Google ATAP (Advanced finger movements, such as simulating the turn of a dial
important Linux Technology and Projects) that involved prototyping on the with a finger and thumb.
is for users Pi, which started a whole new chapter in my life.
seeking a secure I’ve been working with them ever since and it’s my Fred Linux
operating system. favourite job, but the Linux side has taken on a life of its
own. I dove in head first to learn everything I could about Dear LU&D, I don’t know if anyone has mentioned it
“@Snowden If IoT devices/marketplace and Linux has been a major part already, but I would love to learn how to make my own
you’re serious of it. I’ve been working my way through the popular IoT GNU/Linux distribution and maybe desktop environment
about security, electronics (MCUs, SBCs, displays, sensors and motor in a future issue. Not necessarily writing one from
@QubesOS is the controllers and so on) by buying the part, reading the scratch, but creating bootable media of your current
best OS available datasheet, writing custom code and then publishing it on system and making it installable.
today. It’s what GitHub (https://github.com/bitbank2). Frederik Scholl
I use, and free. I’ve learned a ton and have come to appreciate the
Nobody does VM power and simplicity of Linux. I’m able to write portable
isolation better.” C code that can run on any CPU from a $7 ARM board
to a $3,000 laptop. Now I’ve started to use my Linux
experience and IoT knowledge to expand my client
list and get new jobs in both software and hardware
development.
Laurence Bank
Chris: Thanks, Laurence. Everyone’s journey with Linux
is different and it’s exciting to think that 25 years on from
the release of the Linux kernel, it’s commonplace to see
people making a living from Linux in all its many, many
forms. If you’ve not come across Google ATAP (https:// Above You can still use Open Build Services while it and SUSE
atap.google.com), it’s worth a look. Being interested in Studio are merging, but Bodhi Builder is a good option for Ubuntu
10