BeagleV, Asahi Linux, JingPad A1, and more | biweekly #5
This post is the 5th biweekly roundup of noteworthy news articles, blog posts, launches, and other cool Linux-related content that I’ve come across over the past two weeks two months. It has been a heart-wrenching past two months. Sadly, my father died on January 20th, 2021, at the age of 66.
Recently, I’ve been catching up on what I’ve missed in the Linux world. Below I’ve gathered up a few of the standouts. Please feel free to add suggestions to the comments section or to drop me an email.
Thanks for all your support and messages not only during this time but over the years. At the end of this roundup, I’ve left a message I wrote for my father at his funeral, if you’d like to read it. Everything I am today is a result of both my parents, for which I’m immensely grateful.
Table of Contents
BeagleV board – Designed to Run Linux.
BeagleV (pronounced “Beagle Five”) is an affordable RISC-V open-hardware single-board computer running Linux and other Open Source software. The BeagleV will be available with 4 GB and 8 GB of RAM. Register your interest in BeagleV or join the community. – beaglev.seeed.cc
Github project Outrun
Outrun lets you execute a local command using another Linux machine’s processing power without installing the command on the other machine. Just reference local files and paths like you would normally. – github.com/Overv/outrun
Linux on Apple Silicon
Asahi Linux is a project and community porting Linux to Apple Silicon Macs, starting with the 2020 M1 Mac Mini, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro. Their goal is not just to make Linux run on these machines but to polish it to the point where it can be used as a daily OS. – asahilinux.org
JingPad A1 Linux-powered tablet.
The JingPad A1 is a consumer-level Linux Tablet with a 2K+ Display, 5G/4G support, detachable keyboard with a trackpad, powered by Linux-based JingOS. Specs: 11″, 4:3, 2K Screen, 6G RAM, 128G ROM, 8-cores ARM-based CPU, 16MP back camera and 8MP front camera, Made by best quality materials, and 8000mAh battery. – en.jingos.com/jingpad-a1
Shells – virtual cloud desktops
Shells.com offers a virtual cloud computer that can be accessed from any web-enabled device. They offer multiple Linux distributions preloaded on the virtual desktop; it allows the user to use the operating system that they want on the device that they want.
It can also be used by new users who would like to give Linux a test run without installing it on their hardware or for developers who would like to test and deploy all on one device. – Shells.com
CentOS 8 replacement
In January 2014, CentOS announced it was officially joining with Red Hat while staying independent from Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) under a new CentOS governing board. However, in December 2020, Red Hat requisitioned that CentOS terminate the development of CentOS 8.
They also announced that support would be shifting to a CentOS alternative rolling-release Linux distribution, midstream between the upstream development in Fedora and the downstream development for RHEL. Let’s look at viable CentOS alternatives in the article What CentOS alternative distro should you choose?
Also, see Linux Mint screensaver lock bypassed by a kid mashing keys. :)
Check back here every two weeks for more Linux roundups, subscribe for a reminder, and feel free to reply directly to me or leave a comment with any feedback or suggestions.
Message about my father – 07/31/1954 – 01/20/2021
My Dad always said, don’t waste time worrying about the things you cannot control and in that regard, he led by example. He didn’t dwell on anything negative, and he never blamed others. I can’t remember him ever telling us, “I told you so” or try to discipline us by putting us down or making us feel guilty. Instead, he used our failures as teachable moments.
He had so much faith in both of us, our abilities and potential. When he said, “These are my kids,” you could feel his pride. I can say without reservation I learned how to love from my dad. He loved our mom unconditionally until her dying day.
He made so many things that he did in life look easy. Anyone who knew my father knows that he always found a better, faster, or more efficient way of doing almost anything! From making healthy meals quickly, to tips on solving mathematics equations faster, to the art of procuring just about anything from overseas for less than anyone else could. Even on his work computer, he would show me shorter ways of doing certain things, and then he would joke and say… “wait!? I thought you’re supposed to be the technology man?!”
Dad also held himself and those around him to a very high standard. He told me to do things right the first time. He would often give us and others everyday advice on how to be better at what we are doing. Somehow, he was able to tell people what they were not doing or not doing properly, and they’d feel energized after he’d spoken to them. Because of this, we grew to appreciate the value of criticism. When Dad gave me things to do, he wouldn’t say, “good job son.” Nope. You would know if you’re meeting his criterion if he gave you more to do. If you failed, he’d ask for space and do it himself, and that was it, until the next time you had the opportunity to prove yourself.
With my Dad, the absence of any criticism would make me so happy to hear just the words “it’s ok” or “not bad” when he asked about something I did or created. He didn’t try to spare us tho. When something we did was lacking, he would say it. Often he would turn it into a joke which softened the words a bit. So we learned to laugh at ourselves from a young age. Then we would start over and try again.
In just the short time since he’s been gone, I’ve learned of so many things that he had done for others, which he had never spoken of. He gave so much of himself without expecting anything in return. I will miss our father every single day as I also miss our mother. The resurrection hope has become even more real to me now as I look forward to welcoming them both back.