This week in our forums…
Key Stats
In the past week, our Linux forums had the following activity and key statistics:
Total New Posts: 434
Total New Topics: 38
Top Members
- @ericmarceau: 67 posts, 151 likes received
- @hydn: 66 posts, 153 likes received
- @Brian_Masinick: 36 posts, 97 likes received
- @andreas: 30 posts, 92 likes received
- @pavlos: 26 posts, 77 likes received
- @IronRod: 24 posts, 76 likes received
- @ugnvs: 25 posts, 75 likes received
- @Jymm: 12 posts, 56 likes received
- @toadie: 16 posts, 55 likes received
- @tkn: 14 posts, 44 likes received
Interesting Topics
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In #linux-support, @ericmarceau dug into a cold-boot networking failure in Erratic periodic event where there is no recognition of networking hardware at boot time. Community triage from @ugnvs and @pavlos ranged from hardware aging and ASPM power quirks to udev triggers, BIOS checks, and even module power-save tuning for the atl1e driver. @IronRod outlined a solid data-gathering plan to capture driver and PCIe state when the NIC vanishes, setting up the next round of troubleshooting.
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@andreas started a showcase in Showcase with Laser - A simple CD ripping application, a modern GTK4/Libadwaita ripper that fetches metadata and covers, and outputs to AAC, FLAC, MP3, OPUS or WAV. Feedback rolled in from @toadie on previews and progress indicators, and a broader conversation with @Jymm and @Norm24 about physical media longevity and best practices for backups.
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In General Discussions, @Brian_Masinick asked Is Linux really real-time? RTOS, QNX and the PREEMPT_RT kernel, prompting a thoughtful back-and-forth with @ericmarceau, @tkn, @ugnvs, and @rogerp. The thread contrasts real-time guarantees with low-latency kernels, highlights commercial RT Linux efforts and niche distros like RedHawk, and clarifies what determinism requires at the kernel and scheduler level.
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@ericmarceau flagged a key Ubuntu packaging shift in Ubuntu with Ubuntu to purge any remaining System V holdovers. The discussion zeroed in on rc.local compatibility under systemd, with @tkn sharing the stock rc-local.service unit and @hydn explaining how newer systemd releases upstream removed the generator that used to auto-wire rc.local at boot.
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In Ubuntu, @pavlos gave everyone a heads up in Ubuntu Pastebin Decommissioning end of May 2026. @hydn suggested drop-in replacements, including quick terminal sharing via termbin.com, and explained why paste services are increasingly hard to keep clean given bot and spam pressure.
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@hydn spotlighted a Debian-based alternative in Showcase with Anyone here tried SpiralLinux?, a set of Debian spins that aims for sensible defaults and out-of-the-box usability. Folks weighed stability, security posture, and community support, with several members adding it to their “test soon” list.
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@hydn kicked off a thought experiment in General Discussions, If your DE or WM disappeared, what would you switch to?. Choices spanned MATE to KDE Plasma and Xfce, while tiling fans eyed Sway or Mango. The thread is a nice snapshot of how people trade modernity for control and vice versa.
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In General Discussions, @Sanket_Survase asked a practical question for newcomers in What should a new Linux Admin never do?. The best advice clustered around the classics: never run destructive commands blind, always test in lab first, keep versioned backups, and save original configs. @hydn, @ugnvs and @ericmarceau each added field-tested guardrails.
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@J_J_Sloan proposed carving out space for Perl in General Discussions with Perl programming. That sparked language-war-free nostalgia and utility talk, from one-liners and sysadmin scripts to cross-language benchmarking and teaching resources. The consensus: Perl remains a sharp tool when text and glue are the job.
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In Ubuntu, @Jymm shared a timely analysis in How Ubuntu Plans to Add AI Without Taking Over Your PC. Members debated opt-in vs. bloat, local vs. cloud, and the broader risk calculus. @andreas highlighted Canonical’s opt-in messaging while cautioning on long-term trust, and @hydn offered security context on AI-accelerated attacks driving the need for thoughtful adoption.
Activity by the @staff Group
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@hydn enabled footnote markdown and broadened the solved workflow in Enable citations, pairing it with a smart “question” tag approach so Q&A-style threads work across categories without enabling the plugin everywhere.
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@toadie shipped a substantial update to the certificate toolchain in Go cert-checker. The 1.2 release adds a config file, cleaner output modes, and better report handling, with @ugnvs suggesting tiered UIs for “simple” vs “advanced” flows that are now taking shape.
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@system launched a new weekly digest thread, Linux Weekly News: Key Stories from the Past Week, to centralize upstream highlights, releases and recommended reads. It’s meant as a living index you can reply to with your finds each Monday morning.
Best Reply or Topic of the Week
- Best Reply: @pavlos’ precise fix for misrouted HTML links on Ubuntu MATE in Browser link to html - not opening default browser after update. When desktop URL launchers started opening Slack instead of Firefox, he zeroed in on MIME associations and recommended editing ~/.config/mimeapps.list to point text/html and x-desktop at firefox.desktop. The change made the default browser stick again after reboot, which the OP confirmed solved the issue.
“for some unknown reason it prepended firefox_ to existing lines… Your binary should be just firefox, not firefox_firefox.”
That’s the kind of practical, reproducible answer that saves people hours.
Thanks for reading. See you again next week! 
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