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#51
Ubuntu Blog / How Canonical Support solves ...
Last post by tim - Jun 03, 2026, 04:03 AMHow Canonical Support solves hard Linux performance bugs – even in 12-year old code
Some support cases are straightforward. Others lead deep into legacy code, where a single logic bug can quietly turn a routine command into a major performance problem. This series looks at how Canonical Support and Sustaining Engineering work together to investigate, patch, and upstream difficult issues that standard troubleshooting alone cannot solve. In this second post, a 12-year-old bug in libnss-db caused getent enumeration to slow to a crawl – and showed how far expert support can go when a customer brings the right evidence and the right question.
What went wrong
Getent is a standard Linux command used to query the system's name service for information such as users, groups, hosts, and services. In this case, it was being used to enumerate groups on Ubuntu, and a customer reported severe performance problems when using the `nssdb` backend. The `nssdb` backend is one way Linux can provide that information, by reading account and group data from Berkeley DB files instead of from LDAP, local flat files, or other identity sources.
In an environment with more than 24,000 user and group entries, enumeration had become so slow that the backend was effectively unusable. The slowdown was severe enough to block practical use of the system for the customer's workload. The customer had already tested alternatives and found they did not deliver the performance profile they needed.
Starting with the evidence
Solving frequent issues in new packages is hard enough, but this investigation was made harder by something different: the problem lived in an older component that had not been actively touched in more than 12 years .
The customer had already narrowed the issue to libnss-db: a component behind the nssdb backend, a legacy name service library that implements nssdb. They also pointed to one small but important piece of logic: stayopen.
Reproducing the slowdown
The Canonical support engineer soon determined that stayopen handling was the likely source. Stayopen is a flag that determines whether the database connection remains open across repeated lookups or is reopened for each operation.
The support engineer reproduced the issue and confirmed that the performance degradation was both real and severe. However, what initially looked like a generic lookup slowdown turned out to be repeated database activity during enumeration, with the cost of each operation compounding across a very large directory. At that scale, the result was a system that could no longer complete the work in a reasonable time.
To truly understand the problem, the next step required a closer inspection of the software's source code. That result shifted the investigation from surface-level troubleshooting to source-level analysis. Solving the problem meant examining libnss-db itself: an independent package whose C source had remained largely unchanged for more than a decade.
Digging into legacy C code
At that point, the work became a code-level deep dive for our Support team. Our engineer traced how libnss-db handled Berkeley DB access during enumeration and followed the control flow through code that, in some places, was roughly 12 years old.
Our engineer soon found the source of all the problems: a logic bug in how the library handled database connections during enumeration. This was not the kind of issue that can be solved with a quick setting change or a routine package update. The library was repeatedly opening and closing the database files instead of keeping the connection open throughout the enumeration sequence.
The line of code that mattered
That open-close cycle had a dramatic effect at scale. During a single enumeration, it triggered 48,422 repeated disk reads, creating a major performance bottleneck and slowing the system far beyond what the customer could accept. The cost was large enough to overwhelm the lookup path entirely.
The customer's suspicion about stayopen turned out to be exactly right. Once that behavior was confirmed in the code, our engineer created a patch to force the database connection to remain open during enumeration.
How performance was restored
The fix improved the lookup behavior immediately. By keeping the database open across the full enumeration sequence, it eliminated the repeated disk reads and restored performance for the customer.
After validating the patch provided by a member of our Support team, the case was escalated to Canonical Sustaining Engineering so the issue could be tracked formally and moved toward a broader fix. A Launchpad bug was then created to document the problem and propose the change upstream, including for newer Ubuntu releases such as Noble.
Why this case stands out
This case is a good example of what technical support looks like when the answer is deeper than a package upgrade, a configuration change, or a standard workaround. Those are usually faster options because they can solve problems without changing the software itself. Here, however, the issue lived in the code, so a deeper investigation was required. The resolution depended on careful reproduction, close collaboration with a technically knowledgeable customer, and a willingness to read through old source code until the underlying behavior was fully understood.
It also highlights the practical value of long-term support. Even though this issue lived in an old component that had long since fallen outside the attention of most of the broader community, it was still possible to investigate, patch, and escalate it because the customer had an Ubuntu Pro with Support subscription. That combination of long-term security maintenance and direct engineering expertise made it possible to solve a problem that otherwise might have remained unresolved.
If you're looking to understand how Canonical Support works, or explore the value, stability, and reliability it can bring to your organization and systems, we recommend you visit our dedicated Support page.
And if you're looking for help with a custom project, or just want to find out what your available support options are, please don't hesitate to contact us .
More from this series
When an upstream change broke smartcard FIPS authentication and how we fixed it
A 12-year-old bug in libnss-db caused getent enumeration to slow to a crawl – and showed how far expert support can go when a customer brings the right evidence and the right question.
Categories: Bug-fix support, Support
Source: https://ubuntu.com//blog/support-solves-bugs-in-12-year-old-code Jun 01, 2026, 04:56 PM
Some support cases are straightforward. Others lead deep into legacy code, where a single logic bug can quietly turn a routine command into a major performance problem. This series looks at how Canonical Support and Sustaining Engineering work together to investigate, patch, and upstream difficult issues that standard troubleshooting alone cannot solve. In this second post, a 12-year-old bug in libnss-db caused getent enumeration to slow to a crawl – and showed how far expert support can go when a customer brings the right evidence and the right question.
What went wrong
Getent is a standard Linux command used to query the system's name service for information such as users, groups, hosts, and services. In this case, it was being used to enumerate groups on Ubuntu, and a customer reported severe performance problems when using the `nssdb` backend. The `nssdb` backend is one way Linux can provide that information, by reading account and group data from Berkeley DB files instead of from LDAP, local flat files, or other identity sources.
In an environment with more than 24,000 user and group entries, enumeration had become so slow that the backend was effectively unusable. The slowdown was severe enough to block practical use of the system for the customer's workload. The customer had already tested alternatives and found they did not deliver the performance profile they needed.
Starting with the evidence
Solving frequent issues in new packages is hard enough, but this investigation was made harder by something different: the problem lived in an older component that had not been actively touched in more than 12 years .
The customer had already narrowed the issue to libnss-db: a component behind the nssdb backend, a legacy name service library that implements nssdb. They also pointed to one small but important piece of logic: stayopen.
Reproducing the slowdown
The Canonical support engineer soon determined that stayopen handling was the likely source. Stayopen is a flag that determines whether the database connection remains open across repeated lookups or is reopened for each operation.
The support engineer reproduced the issue and confirmed that the performance degradation was both real and severe. However, what initially looked like a generic lookup slowdown turned out to be repeated database activity during enumeration, with the cost of each operation compounding across a very large directory. At that scale, the result was a system that could no longer complete the work in a reasonable time.
To truly understand the problem, the next step required a closer inspection of the software's source code. That result shifted the investigation from surface-level troubleshooting to source-level analysis. Solving the problem meant examining libnss-db itself: an independent package whose C source had remained largely unchanged for more than a decade.
Digging into legacy C code
At that point, the work became a code-level deep dive for our Support team. Our engineer traced how libnss-db handled Berkeley DB access during enumeration and followed the control flow through code that, in some places, was roughly 12 years old.
Our engineer soon found the source of all the problems: a logic bug in how the library handled database connections during enumeration. This was not the kind of issue that can be solved with a quick setting change or a routine package update. The library was repeatedly opening and closing the database files instead of keeping the connection open throughout the enumeration sequence.
The line of code that mattered
That open-close cycle had a dramatic effect at scale. During a single enumeration, it triggered 48,422 repeated disk reads, creating a major performance bottleneck and slowing the system far beyond what the customer could accept. The cost was large enough to overwhelm the lookup path entirely.
The customer's suspicion about stayopen turned out to be exactly right. Once that behavior was confirmed in the code, our engineer created a patch to force the database connection to remain open during enumeration.
How performance was restored
The fix improved the lookup behavior immediately. By keeping the database open across the full enumeration sequence, it eliminated the repeated disk reads and restored performance for the customer.
After validating the patch provided by a member of our Support team, the case was escalated to Canonical Sustaining Engineering so the issue could be tracked formally and moved toward a broader fix. A Launchpad bug was then created to document the problem and propose the change upstream, including for newer Ubuntu releases such as Noble.
Why this case stands out
This case is a good example of what technical support looks like when the answer is deeper than a package upgrade, a configuration change, or a standard workaround. Those are usually faster options because they can solve problems without changing the software itself. Here, however, the issue lived in the code, so a deeper investigation was required. The resolution depended on careful reproduction, close collaboration with a technically knowledgeable customer, and a willingness to read through old source code until the underlying behavior was fully understood.
It also highlights the practical value of long-term support. Even though this issue lived in an old component that had long since fallen outside the attention of most of the broader community, it was still possible to investigate, patch, and escalate it because the customer had an Ubuntu Pro with Support subscription. That combination of long-term security maintenance and direct engineering expertise made it possible to solve a problem that otherwise might have remained unresolved.
If you're looking to understand how Canonical Support works, or explore the value, stability, and reliability it can bring to your organization and systems, we recommend you visit our dedicated Support page.
And if you're looking for help with a custom project, or just want to find out what your available support options are, please don't hesitate to contact us .
More from this series
When an upstream change broke smartcard FIPS authentication and how we fixed it
A 12-year-old bug in libnss-db caused getent enumeration to slow to a crawl – and showed how far expert support can go when a customer brings the right evidence and the right question.
Categories: Bug-fix support, Support
Source: https://ubuntu.com//blog/support-solves-bugs-in-12-year-old-code Jun 01, 2026, 04:56 PM
#52
Ubuntu Blog / Securing AI agent workflows o...
Last post by tim - Jun 03, 2026, 04:03 AMSecuring AI agent workflows on Ubuntu with the new NVIDIA OpenShell snap
Previewing at COMPUTEX 2026: NVIDIA publishes a verified OpenShell snap for secure agentic AI workflows on Ubuntu.
TAIPEI – COMPUTEX – June 1, 2026: Canonical today announced a new collaboration with NVIDIA to integrate the NVIDIA OpenShell runtime for agents directly into the Ubuntu ecosystem. By packaging OpenShell as a snap, Canonical is enabling enterprises to confidently run next-generation agentic workflows across local devices, hybrid environments, and private clouds. Snap packaging provides rapid, reliable updates and confinement for this fast-moving software which is critical for new enterprise workflows.
"Sandboxing is the critical foundational layer of agentic workflows," said Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Canonical Ubuntu. "The agentic revolution begins with software engineering but will touch almost every discipline. OpenShell provides a securely-designed sandbox for agent work of any sort. Snaps deliver rapid and reliable updates as well as enterprise control of this critical new infrastructure. Developers and enterprises can have both cutting edge technology and rigorous governance thanks to snap containers, updates and channels."
NVIDIA OpenShell is an open source runtime that governs how autonomous AI agents operate and access resources such as files, networks, and tools. As AI technology transitions from chatbots to always-on agent coworkers, OpenShell offers the guardrails and governance tools enterprises need. It runs each agent in its individual, isolated sandbox and enforces corporate policies while ensuring data protection and administrative oversight. Every session is secured, every resource is metered, and every permission is verified by the runtime before execution.
"AI agents are moving from the lab into enterprise infrastructure, and that demands a runtime built for trust and control," said Justin Boitano, vice president, Enterprise AI Platforms, NVIDIA. "By packaging NVIDIA OpenShell as a snap on Ubuntu, Canonical gives enterprises a seamless, secure path to deploy autonomous agents at scale — from edge workstations to data center clusters."
Delivering OpenShell as a snap ensures effortless, one-command installation, automated updates, and strict workload isolation on Ubuntu. Snaps streamline the software lifecycle by bundling all necessary dependencies into a single package. This provides a consistent, predictable runtime environment across diverse hardware infrastructure, from NVIDIA DGX Spark and DGX Station, toNVIDIA RTX PRO workstations to data centerNVIDIA DGX systems , while reducing the overhead of maintaining software across fragmented distributions.
Get started
Get your AI agent runtime up and running in Ubuntu in two commands:
# 1. Install the NVIDIA OpenShell runtime
sudo snap install openshell
# 2. Spin up an isolated sandbox for the agent to safely execute workflows
openshell sandbox create
About Canonical
Canonical, the publisher of Ubuntu, provides open source security, support, and services. Our portfolio covers critical systems, from the smallest devices to the largest clouds, from the kernel to containers, from databases to AI. With customers that include top tech brands, emerging startups, governments and home users, Canonical delivers trusted open source for everyone.
Learn more at https://canonical.com/
Read about Canonical's collaboration with NVIDIA.
By packaging OpenShell as a snap, Canonical is enabling enterprises to confidently run next-generation agentic workflows across local devices, hybrid environments, and private clouds.
Categories: AI, AI/ML, nvidia
Source: https://ubuntu.com//blog/nvidia-openshell-ubuntu-announcement Jun 01, 2026, 08:30 AM
Previewing at COMPUTEX 2026: NVIDIA publishes a verified OpenShell snap for secure agentic AI workflows on Ubuntu.
TAIPEI – COMPUTEX – June 1, 2026: Canonical today announced a new collaboration with NVIDIA to integrate the NVIDIA OpenShell runtime for agents directly into the Ubuntu ecosystem. By packaging OpenShell as a snap, Canonical is enabling enterprises to confidently run next-generation agentic workflows across local devices, hybrid environments, and private clouds. Snap packaging provides rapid, reliable updates and confinement for this fast-moving software which is critical for new enterprise workflows.
"Sandboxing is the critical foundational layer of agentic workflows," said Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Canonical Ubuntu. "The agentic revolution begins with software engineering but will touch almost every discipline. OpenShell provides a securely-designed sandbox for agent work of any sort. Snaps deliver rapid and reliable updates as well as enterprise control of this critical new infrastructure. Developers and enterprises can have both cutting edge technology and rigorous governance thanks to snap containers, updates and channels."
NVIDIA OpenShell is an open source runtime that governs how autonomous AI agents operate and access resources such as files, networks, and tools. As AI technology transitions from chatbots to always-on agent coworkers, OpenShell offers the guardrails and governance tools enterprises need. It runs each agent in its individual, isolated sandbox and enforces corporate policies while ensuring data protection and administrative oversight. Every session is secured, every resource is metered, and every permission is verified by the runtime before execution.
"AI agents are moving from the lab into enterprise infrastructure, and that demands a runtime built for trust and control," said Justin Boitano, vice president, Enterprise AI Platforms, NVIDIA. "By packaging NVIDIA OpenShell as a snap on Ubuntu, Canonical gives enterprises a seamless, secure path to deploy autonomous agents at scale — from edge workstations to data center clusters."
Delivering OpenShell as a snap ensures effortless, one-command installation, automated updates, and strict workload isolation on Ubuntu. Snaps streamline the software lifecycle by bundling all necessary dependencies into a single package. This provides a consistent, predictable runtime environment across diverse hardware infrastructure, from NVIDIA DGX Spark and DGX Station, toNVIDIA RTX PRO workstations to data centerNVIDIA DGX systems , while reducing the overhead of maintaining software across fragmented distributions.
Get started
Get your AI agent runtime up and running in Ubuntu in two commands:
# 1. Install the NVIDIA OpenShell runtime
sudo snap install openshell
# 2. Spin up an isolated sandbox for the agent to safely execute workflows
openshell sandbox create
About Canonical
Canonical, the publisher of Ubuntu, provides open source security, support, and services. Our portfolio covers critical systems, from the smallest devices to the largest clouds, from the kernel to containers, from databases to AI. With customers that include top tech brands, emerging startups, governments and home users, Canonical delivers trusted open source for everyone.
Learn more at https://canonical.com/
Read about Canonical's collaboration with NVIDIA.
By packaging OpenShell as a snap, Canonical is enabling enterprises to confidently run next-generation agentic workflows across local devices, hybrid environments, and private clouds.
Categories: AI, AI/ML, nvidia
Source: https://ubuntu.com//blog/nvidia-openshell-ubuntu-announcement Jun 01, 2026, 08:30 AM
#53
Ubuntu Blog / Canonical announces optimized...
Last post by tim - Jun 03, 2026, 04:03 AMCanonical announces optimized Ubuntu images for TPU virtual machines by Google Cloud
This new release brings the stability, security, and expansive ecosystem of Ubuntu to Cloud TPU virtual machines on Google Cloud.
May 28, 2026 – Today, Canonical and Google Cloud announced the availability of certified Ubuntu images for Google's Cloud TPU Virtual Machines, which are included by default when setting up the VMs.
By combining Google's custom AI accelerators with the reliability and familiarity of Ubuntu, we are providing a streamlined path for developers and enterprises to adopt the newest AI infrastructure on Google Cloud.
As AI is entering the Age of Inference, the focus has shifted from training massive models to powering real-time interactions. Agentic workflows require seamless coordination between general-purpose compute and machine learning acceleration, which is why Google Cloud and Canonical are working together to make it easier for organizations to adopt advanced AI infrastructure.
With this launch, Cloud TPU VMs offer a simplified user experience, with Ubuntu preinstalled, that mirrors launching any other standard Google Cloud Compute Engine instance. Developers benefit from the stable foundation and broad ecosystem offered by Ubuntu, paired with direct access to Google's seventh-generation custom silicon, Ironwood (TPU 7x). To ensure continuity for existing production environments, Cloud TPU v5 and Trillium (v6) instances are paired with Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, allowing teams to maintain their current workflows without disruption.
A broad ecosystem and operational efficiency from Day One
Different AI workloads demand different infrastructure configurations, but they all require a reliable software foundation. Canonical has collaborated closely with Google Cloud to ensure that the Ubuntu-based TPU VM environment provides AI innovators with out-of-the-box readiness and comprehensive support for the machine learning lifecycle. This deep integration includes validation and optimization of:
This streamlined foundation ensures that organizations can move from experimentation to production faster than ever before.
Getting started
To get started, simply select your desired Cloud TPU machine type—including TPU 7x, v6e, v5p, or v5e—when creating a VM in Compute Engine, and your optimized Ubuntu OS will be automatically provisioned and ready to use out of the box.
gcloud compute instances create –image-project=ubuntu-os-accelerator-images –machine-type=[SELECT TPU Machine TYPE] –zone=[SELECT AVAILABLE ZONE] [INSTANCE NAME]
About Canonical
Canonical, the publisher of Ubuntu, provides open source security, support and services. Our portfolio covers critical systems, from the smallest devices to the largest clouds, from the kernel to containers, from databases to AI. With customers that include top tech brands, emerging startups, governments and home users, Canonical delivers trusted open source for everyone. Learn more athttps://canonical.com/
Read more
Canonical and Google Cloud announced the availability of certified Ubuntu images for Google's Cloud TPU Virtual Machines.
Categories: Google Cloud, TPU, Ubuntu
Source: https://ubuntu.com//blog/canonical-announces-optimized-ubuntu-images-for-tpu-virtual-machines-by-google-cloud May 28, 2026, 10:00 PM
This new release brings the stability, security, and expansive ecosystem of Ubuntu to Cloud TPU virtual machines on Google Cloud.
May 28, 2026 – Today, Canonical and Google Cloud announced the availability of certified Ubuntu images for Google's Cloud TPU Virtual Machines, which are included by default when setting up the VMs.
By combining Google's custom AI accelerators with the reliability and familiarity of Ubuntu, we are providing a streamlined path for developers and enterprises to adopt the newest AI infrastructure on Google Cloud.
As AI is entering the Age of Inference, the focus has shifted from training massive models to powering real-time interactions. Agentic workflows require seamless coordination between general-purpose compute and machine learning acceleration, which is why Google Cloud and Canonical are working together to make it easier for organizations to adopt advanced AI infrastructure.
With this launch, Cloud TPU VMs offer a simplified user experience, with Ubuntu preinstalled, that mirrors launching any other standard Google Cloud Compute Engine instance. Developers benefit from the stable foundation and broad ecosystem offered by Ubuntu, paired with direct access to Google's seventh-generation custom silicon, Ironwood (TPU 7x). To ensure continuity for existing production environments, Cloud TPU v5 and Trillium (v6) instances are paired with Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, allowing teams to maintain their current workflows without disruption.
A broad ecosystem and operational efficiency from Day One
Different AI workloads demand different infrastructure configurations, but they all require a reliable software foundation. Canonical has collaborated closely with Google Cloud to ensure that the Ubuntu-based TPU VM environment provides AI innovators with out-of-the-box readiness and comprehensive support for the machine learning lifecycle. This deep integration includes validation and optimization of:
- Open-source AI frameworks: Seamless access and optimized performance for industry-standard frameworks like JAX, PyTorch, and TensorFlow, alongside tools like Ray for scaling ML workloads.
- Operational consistency: Platform and MLOps teams can use familiar tooling for monitoring, automation, and configuration management (from Kubernetes to Snap packages), backed by up to five years of standard security maintenance through Ubuntu LTS.
- Sustainability and efficiency: Ubuntu's lightweight footprint minimizes system overhead, directing compute resources to the models themselves. Combined with the performance-per-watt efficiency of Cloud TPUs and Google's commitment to 24/7 carbon-free energy, these workloads represent one of the most sustainable ways to run large-scale AI.
- Enterprise-grade AI security (coming Q3 2026): Customers will soon have the choice to use Ubuntu Pro for Cloud TPUs, introducing advanced capabilities for mission-critical environments. This will include live kernel patching for security updates on long-running training jobs and Expanded Security Maintenance (ESM) for over 30,000 open-source packages for up to 15 years with the Legacy add-on for Ubuntu Pro.
This streamlined foundation ensures that organizations can move from experimentation to production faster than ever before.
Getting started
To get started, simply select your desired Cloud TPU machine type—including TPU 7x, v6e, v5p, or v5e—when creating a VM in Compute Engine, and your optimized Ubuntu OS will be automatically provisioned and ready to use out of the box.
gcloud compute instances create –image-project=ubuntu-os-accelerator-images –machine-type=[SELECT TPU Machine TYPE] –zone=[SELECT AVAILABLE ZONE] [INSTANCE NAME]
About Canonical
Canonical, the publisher of Ubuntu, provides open source security, support and services. Our portfolio covers critical systems, from the smallest devices to the largest clouds, from the kernel to containers, from databases to AI. With customers that include top tech brands, emerging startups, governments and home users, Canonical delivers trusted open source for everyone. Learn more athttps://canonical.com/
Read more
Canonical and Google Cloud announced the availability of certified Ubuntu images for Google's Cloud TPU Virtual Machines.
Categories: Google Cloud, TPU, Ubuntu
Source: https://ubuntu.com//blog/canonical-announces-optimized-ubuntu-images-for-tpu-virtual-machines-by-google-cloud May 28, 2026, 10:00 PM
#54
Ubuntu News / Canonical’s Steam Snap for AR...
Last post by tim - Jun 03, 2026, 04:03 AMCanonical's Steam Snap for ARM64 is now stable
Canonical has bumped its Steam Snap for ARM64 to the stable channel. First announced in January, the snap has been tested across ARM64 hardware including the NVIDIA DGX Spark, Radxa Orion O6 and Lenovo ThinkPad X13s, with Canonical now reporting 'solid performance' across many popular games. Valve doesn't provide a native ARM Linux client (not yet, anyway), so Canonical bundles the Intel/AMD Steam binary with the FEX emulator. The stable release of the Steam snap for ARM64 exposes FEX's configuration options to users, including its library forwarding ("thunking") toggles, of which which Mitchell Augustin, a software engineer on Canonical's NVIDIA DGX [...]
You're reading Canonical's Steam Snap for ARM64 is now stable , a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu . Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
Categories: News, arm, Canonical, Gaming, linux gaming, Snaps
Source: https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/06/steam-arm64-snap-stable Jun 02, 2026, 11:15 PM
Canonical has bumped its Steam Snap for ARM64 to the stable channel. First announced in January, the snap has been tested across ARM64 hardware including the NVIDIA DGX Spark, Radxa Orion O6 and Lenovo ThinkPad X13s, with Canonical now reporting 'solid performance' across many popular games. Valve doesn't provide a native ARM Linux client (not yet, anyway), so Canonical bundles the Intel/AMD Steam binary with the FEX emulator. The stable release of the Steam snap for ARM64 exposes FEX's configuration options to users, including its library forwarding ("thunking") toggles, of which which Mitchell Augustin, a software engineer on Canonical's NVIDIA DGX [...]You're reading Canonical's Steam Snap for ARM64 is now stable , a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu . Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
Categories: News, arm, Canonical, Gaming, linux gaming, Snaps
Source: https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/06/steam-arm64-snap-stable Jun 02, 2026, 11:15 PM
#55
Ubuntu News / Play Catan in your terminal w...
Last post by tim - Jun 03, 2026, 04:03 AMPlay Catan in your terminal with El Poblador, a TUI clone
El Poblador is a fully playable Settlers of Catan clone that runs entirely in your terminal. Written in Go by developer vicho, El Poblador is a compete rendition of the iconic competitive board game, which is all about resources, trading, building settlements and blocking your opponents. All of Catan's core mechanics are accounted for, albeit free of the tactile joy of handling and placing tiny wooden blocks in the real game. It's a game designed for 3-4 players, so you'll want to huddle around a laptop or on a PC to play it. You use arrow keys to navigate the [...]
You're reading Play Catan in your terminal with El Poblador, a TUI clone , a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu . Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
Categories: News, Catan, linux gaming, terminalgames
Source: https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/06/settlers-of-catan-terminal-game Jun 02, 2026, 02:09 AM
El Poblador is a fully playable Settlers of Catan clone that runs entirely in your terminal. Written in Go by developer vicho, El Poblador is a compete rendition of the iconic competitive board game, which is all about resources, trading, building settlements and blocking your opponents. All of Catan's core mechanics are accounted for, albeit free of the tactile joy of handling and placing tiny wooden blocks in the real game. It's a game designed for 3-4 players, so you'll want to huddle around a laptop or on a PC to play it. You use arrow keys to navigate the [...]You're reading Play Catan in your terminal with El Poblador, a TUI clone , a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu . Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
Categories: News, Catan, linux gaming, terminalgames
Source: https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/06/settlers-of-catan-terminal-game Jun 02, 2026, 02:09 AM
#56
Ubuntu News / Flathub bans AI-coded apps – ...
Last post by tim - Jun 03, 2026, 04:03 AMFlathub bans AI-coded apps – with some exceptions
You'll have to sift through fewer vibe-coded apps on Flathub in future, as the store has announced a policy change on software made using AI tools. Flathub, the de-facto place to find and install Flatpak applications, is banning the use of "AI" coded applications and automated submissions going forward. It's not a blanket ban – mature projects with AI code are allowed A change to the store's policy note says "applications containing AI-generated or AI-assisted code, documentation, or other content are not allowed". A carve out will allow "mature, well-maintained projects" to include AI generated code and use AI tools [...]
You're reading Flathub bans AI-coded apps – with some exceptions , a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu . Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
Categories: News, AI/ML, flathub
Source: https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/06/flathub-bans-ai-coded-apps Jun 01, 2026, 08:08 PM
You'll have to sift through fewer vibe-coded apps on Flathub in future, as the store has announced a policy change on software made using AI tools. Flathub, the de-facto place to find and install Flatpak applications, is banning the use of "AI" coded applications and automated submissions going forward. It's not a blanket ban – mature projects with AI code are allowed A change to the store's policy note says "applications containing AI-generated or AI-assisted code, documentation, or other content are not allowed". A carve out will allow "mature, well-maintained projects" to include AI generated code and use AI tools [...]You're reading Flathub bans AI-coded apps – with some exceptions , a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu . Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
Categories: News, AI/ML, flathub
Source: https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/06/flathub-bans-ai-coded-apps Jun 01, 2026, 08:08 PM
#57
Ubuntu News / Linux App Release Roundup (Ma...
Last post by tim - Jun 03, 2026, 04:03 AMLinux App Release Roundup (May 2026)
May 2026 delivered a sizeable set of Linux software updates, including the set I've rounded up for your reading pleasure in this post. The month also saw a buffet of big browser updates, including Firefox 151 with new-look new tab page, Vivaldi 8.0 with a new-look generally and a new public beta of Kagi's Orion. Elsewhere, Ubuntu 26.04 LTS support was added to VMware Workstation (and Fusion for macOS), while open-source system cleaner BleachBit debuted a TUI for interactive command-line based spring cleaning. Below, I run through a crop of other Linux app releases that landed in May and caught my eye. [...]
You're reading Linux App Release Roundup (May 2026) , a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu . Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
Categories: News, App Updates, Euphonica, Haruna, LRR, PhotoFlare, qt apps, scrcpy
Source: https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/05/linux-app-release-roundup-may-2026 Jun 01, 2026, 01:46 AM
May 2026 delivered a sizeable set of Linux software updates, including the set I've rounded up for your reading pleasure in this post. The month also saw a buffet of big browser updates, including Firefox 151 with new-look new tab page, Vivaldi 8.0 with a new-look generally and a new public beta of Kagi's Orion. Elsewhere, Ubuntu 26.04 LTS support was added to VMware Workstation (and Fusion for macOS), while open-source system cleaner BleachBit debuted a TUI for interactive command-line based spring cleaning. Below, I run through a crop of other Linux app releases that landed in May and caught my eye. [...]You're reading Linux App Release Roundup (May 2026) , a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu . Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
Categories: News, App Updates, Euphonica, Haruna, LRR, PhotoFlare, qt apps, scrcpy
Source: https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/05/linux-app-release-roundup-may-2026 Jun 01, 2026, 01:46 AM
#58
Ubuntu News / Ubuntu 26.10 Snapshot 1 is no...
Last post by tim - Jun 03, 2026, 04:03 AMUbuntu 26.10 Snapshot 1 is now available to download
Canonical has released the first monthly snapshot of Ubuntu 26.10 'Stonking Stingray'. This is the first of 4 planned testing builds in the lead up to the final, stable release of Ubuntu 26.10 on 15 October, 2026. Utkarsh Gupta announced the release on the Ubuntu developer mailing list, noting that a couple of images – including the ubiquitous Intel/AMD64 build most of us use – are missing from the first snapshot. Those will return in time for Snapshot 2. Ubuntu monthly snapshots are not alpha builds. They exist as a way for Ubuntu's engineers to fine-tune new, automated build processes. [...]
You're reading Ubuntu 26.10 Snapshot 1 is now available to download , a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu . Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
Categories: News, Monthly Snapshot, Ubuntu 26.10
Source: https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/05/ubuntu-2610-snapshot-1 May 30, 2026, 03:47 AM
Canonical has released the first monthly snapshot of Ubuntu 26.10 'Stonking Stingray'. This is the first of 4 planned testing builds in the lead up to the final, stable release of Ubuntu 26.10 on 15 October, 2026. Utkarsh Gupta announced the release on the Ubuntu developer mailing list, noting that a couple of images – including the ubiquitous Intel/AMD64 build most of us use – are missing from the first snapshot. Those will return in time for Snapshot 2. Ubuntu monthly snapshots are not alpha builds. They exist as a way for Ubuntu's engineers to fine-tune new, automated build processes. [...]You're reading Ubuntu 26.10 Snapshot 1 is now available to download , a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu . Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
Categories: News, Monthly Snapshot, Ubuntu 26.10
Source: https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/05/ubuntu-2610-snapshot-1 May 30, 2026, 03:47 AM
#59
Ubuntu News / Canonical takes over Flutter ...
Last post by tim - Jun 03, 2026, 04:03 AMCanonical takes over Flutter desktop maintenance
Google confirmed at Google I/O 2026 that Canonical is the new lead maintainer and 'strategic steward' of Flutter desktop for Windows, macOS and Linux. The announcement of an expanded partnership with Canonical came during the 'What's new in Flutter' presentation at Google I/O 2026, where Kate Lovett, Engineer Manager on the Flutter Framework team at Google, touched on their existing work: "[The Flutter] desktop experience has reached a new level of maturity this year, driven by our incredible engineering partnership with Canonical, the publisher of Ubuntu". She later confirmed that Canonical's 'deep technical expertise' will now oversee maintenance of Flutter [...]
You're reading Canonical takes over Flutter desktop maintenance , a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu . Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
Categories: News, Canonical, flutter
Source: https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/05/flutter-desktop-canonical-maintained May 29, 2026, 05:58 PM
Google confirmed at Google I/O 2026 that Canonical is the new lead maintainer and 'strategic steward' of Flutter desktop for Windows, macOS and Linux. The announcement of an expanded partnership with Canonical came during the 'What's new in Flutter' presentation at Google I/O 2026, where Kate Lovett, Engineer Manager on the Flutter Framework team at Google, touched on their existing work: "[The Flutter] desktop experience has reached a new level of maturity this year, driven by our incredible engineering partnership with Canonical, the publisher of Ubuntu". She later confirmed that Canonical's 'deep technical expertise' will now oversee maintenance of Flutter [...]You're reading Canonical takes over Flutter desktop maintenance , a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu . Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
Categories: News, Canonical, flutter
Source: https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/05/flutter-desktop-canonical-maintained May 29, 2026, 05:58 PM
#60
9to5Linux / Calibre 9.9 E-Book Manager Up...
Last post by tim - May 28, 2026, 06:45 PMCalibre 9.9 E-Book Manager Updates and Improves the WolneLektury Store
Calibre 9.9 open-source e-book management software is now available for download with support for accurate page counting of fixed layout EPUB files, updated and improved WolneLektury store, and new news sources.
The post Calibre 9.9 E-Book Manager Updates and Improves the WolneLektury Store appeared first on 9to5Linux - do not reproduce this article without permission. This RSS feed is intended for readers, not scrapers.
Categories: Apps, News, Calibre, ebook editor, ebook manager, ebook organizer, ebook viewer
Source: https://9to5linux.com/calibre-9-9-e-book-manager-updates-and-improves-the-wolnelektury-store May 28, 2026, 11:28 AM
Calibre 9.9 open-source e-book management software is now available for download with support for accurate page counting of fixed layout EPUB files, updated and improved WolneLektury store, and new news sources.
The post Calibre 9.9 E-Book Manager Updates and Improves the WolneLektury Store appeared first on 9to5Linux - do not reproduce this article without permission. This RSS feed is intended for readers, not scrapers.
Categories: Apps, News, Calibre, ebook editor, ebook manager, ebook organizer, ebook viewer
Source: https://9to5linux.com/calibre-9-9-e-book-manager-updates-and-improves-the-wolnelektury-store May 28, 2026, 11:28 AM