This summary is generated with ChatGPT and edited by me

Heya folks! It’s news time! Here’s the latest roundup from Solus.

Kernel Updates:

** kernels are updated to v6.9.10 (current) and v6.6.41 (LTS). The BORE scheduler is also updated to v5.2.4 on linux-current. These kernel updates include significant changes to the initrd:

• Removed previous init implementation that relied on symlink hacks.
• Added additional firmware paths to enable proper firmware file pickup.
• Included a depmod.conf file to adjust the kernel module search path within the initrd.
• Added a /.dracut-depmod-invalidate file to NVIDIA kernel module initrds to run depmod in the initrd, generating a new index.
• Adapted NVIDIA modules to the new changes.
• Temporarily moved the nvidia-glx-driver linux-current initrd to a subpackage due to user reports of issues with the 6.9 kernel.
• Disabled firmware initrd generation for NVIDIA drivers older than v555.x.

These changes make early KMS for NVIDIA cleaner and more maintainable. We’re looking for testers to join the packaging channel on Matrix to help improve this process further!

KDE Updates:

• KDE Plasma:

  • Updated to 6.1.3.
  • Bugfix release with translations and fixes including:
    • KWin Plugins nightlight: Relax custom times constraints.
    • KWin Tiling: Don’t put maximized windows in tile.

• KDE Frameworks:

  • Updated to 6.4.0.

MariaDB Update:

• MariaDB:
  • Updated to v10.11.
  • Changes to the package:
    • mariadb-libs is now mariadb-common.
    • Moved libmariadbd.so to mariadb-server, reducing mariadb-common size.
    • Reorganized utilities and man pages, added mariadb-errmsg.
    • Made mariadb and libdbi-drivers stateless.
    • Added perl-dbd-mariadb to replace perl-dbd-mysql.

Other Notable Updates:

• OBS Studio: Updated to 30.2 with UI updates, Hybrid MP4 recording, multitrack video output, and Nvidia NVENC support. Full release notes.
• Pipewire: Updated to v1.2. Read more.
• Abseil C++ (abseil-cpp): Updated to v20240116.2. Testing libraries moved to -devel package, reducing install size.
• PPP: Updated to 2.5.0. Many VPN packages updated. Please report any breakages.
• typos: Added to the repository. A tool to find and correct spelling mistakes in source code.

Deprecations:

• Kodi: Deprecated due to rebuild issues. Users are recommended to switch to the flatpak version or explore alternatives like Jellyfin.
• yubikey-manager-qt and ajour: Also deprecated.

Taskforce Updates:

Our Solus Package Taskforce has been diligently working to bring the repository up to current standards:

• Appstream Metainfo: 216 packages (down 13) need appstream metainfo added.
• Homepage Key: 307 packages (down 12) left without homepages.
• Build Failures: 16 packages (down 2) do not build.
• Obsolete Macros: 6 cargo packages (down 15).
• Tagged for Deprecation: 42 packages (down 2).

Security Updates:

• graalvm: Updated to 22.3.3-7. Includes fixes for CVE-2023-22006, CVE-2023-22036, CVE-2023-22041, CVE-2023-22044, CVE-2023-22045, CVE-2023-22049, CVE-2023-22051.
• libraw: Updated to 0.21.2-19. Includes fixes for CVE-2023-1729.
• nasm: Updated to 2.16.03-19. Includes fixes for CVE-2022-46456.
• openvpn: Updated to 2.6.12-36. Includes fixes for CVE-2024-5594.
• qt5-base: Updated to 5.15.14-106. Includes fixes for CVE-2024-39936.
• qt6-base: Updated to 6.7.2-30. Includes fixes for CVE-2024-39936.

Be sure to install all updates for the latest security protections.

That’s all for this week, folks! Tune in next week for more Solus news.