445: Linus Tech Tips Explodes Linux: Our Reaction & The 2025 Gift Guide

What’s Inside: The 5% Milestone: We analyze the data behind the massive surge in Linux desktop adoption and why gaming is the secret weapon. The UpTech Project: Máirín Duffy introduces us to a student-led initiative bridging the digital divide with Linux. 2026 Predictions: From RISC-V taking over wearables to the COSMIC desktop challenging the status quo, we look at where the "Time Machine" is headed. And so much more! 00:00:00 Intro: Linux Time Machine to 2026 00:01:50 Extended Intro: Meet Captain Ryan, Jill & Mo 00:02:20 Show Schedule Update: New Flight Plan 00:02:59 Community Feedback: The Great Cranberry Sauce Debate 00:12:40 AI and Energy: Hungry Models, Huge Power Bills 00:15:51 Empowering Youth Through Linux & Tech 00:29:11 2025 Highlights: Linux Market Share Levels Up 00:33:18 Outtake: Technical Turbulence in the Time Machine 00:34:16 Shifting to Linux & AI: Hype, Hope, and Worry 00:40:38 Steam Machines Dream: PC Gaming’s Second Chance 00:43:38 SteamOS on ARM: Deck Power Everywhere 00:45:34 Wayland Takes the Bridge: Desktop Evolution 00:49:07 Red Hat Lightspeed: AI Co‑Pilot for Sysadmins 00:56:58 Destination Linux Grew: 2025 Community Wins 00:58:32 Linux 2026: Bold Predictions & Future Trends 01:03:00 Cosmic Becomes the Top DE? 01:06:41 Windows’ AI Future: Copilot All the Things 01:09:13 Linux Desktop Market Share: Past 5%, Aiming Higher 01:09:38 Subscription Backlash: Users Hit Unsubscribe 01:11:27 Return to Physical Ownership: Discs, Devices & Freedom 01:15:28 Old Is Better: Vintage Gear vs Disposable Tech 01:21:09 AI’s Role in Linux Development: Help or Hassle? 01:24:57 A Bold Prediction: Jill’s 2026 Mohawk 01:26:19 Future Show Tease: More Linux, Less Bloat 01:26:44 Thanks Mo: Red Hat Wisdom in the Time Machine 01:27:07 Outro: See You in 2026

This week on Destination Linux, we are joined by a special guest host: Craig Rowland, the CEO of Sandfly Security! We’re diving deep into the reality of modern security—specifically when third-party code knocks over your castle. From malicious VSCode extensions to the "React2Shell" vulnerability, we discuss why "Open Source" doesn't automatically mean "Safe" and how to protect your supply chain. Then, is it possible to have the macOS experience without the Apple ecosystem? Ryan explores ravynOS, a daring new project with "macOS vibes and a BSD soul." It’s attempting to bring the Aqua interface—and eventually Mac app compatibility—to the open-source world. Plus, Jill brings us massive news from Canonical and AMI. You might soon be installing Ubuntu directly from your motherboard's BIOS without ever needing a USB drive. We break down how this partnership changes the game for hardware. Finally, we read an incredible listener story. Show Notes: 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:39 Extended Intro: Open Source or Bust 00:03:08 Community Feedback: A Pentester’s Origin Story 00:10:03 Guest Host: Sandfly Security & Agentless Protection 00:15:53 Security Deep Dive: Supply Chain Attacks, Malicious VSCode Extensions & React2Shell 00:44:31 ravynOS: The Open Source Mac Killer? 00:56:05 News: Canonical + AMI: Installing Ubuntu from the BIOS 01:08:07 Outro 01:09:33 Post-Show Shenanigans Support the Show: Sponsored by Sandfly Security: destinationlinux.net/sandfly - Get 50% off the Home Edition with code DESTINATION50 Special Guest: Craig Rowland.

The Ultimate Geek Gift Guide for 2025 is here! Don't buy that RAM yet—we explain the massive AI-driven price spikes. Also, testing the powerful VDO Ninja for streaming and our reaction to Linus Tech Tips' latest Linux takes. 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:54 Community Feedback 00:07:34 Testing Out VDO Ninja: Open Source or Bust 00:09:15 Sandfly Security 00:11:37 AI Sends RAM Prices to the Stratosphere 00:19:46 DasGeek’s 2025 Ultimate Geek Gift Guide 00:33:21 Linus Tech Tips vs Linux: Reaction from the Highlands 01:01:50 Outro 01:03:20 Post-Show Shenanigans Hosted by: Ryan (DasGeek) = dasgeek.net Jill Bryant = jilllinuxgirl.com

Matt from Linux Out Loud guest hosts with Jill and Ryan to dive into major internet events and Linux news! We tackle Ryan's "disappointing" take according to a listerner on EU censorship and free speech, discuss the massive Cloudflare outage that took half the internet down, debate if antivirus is necessary on Linux, and look at ProtonDB and the Steam Survey to see if Linux gaming has already won. Plus, we highlight Rclone as the Software Pick. 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:54 Community Feedback: “Disappointed in Ryan” (EU Censorship & Free Speech) 00:31:10 Sandfly Security – Agentless Defense for Linux 00:33:48 Cloudflare Falls Over: When Half the Internet Trips 00:34:38 Game Preservation: Keeping Delisted Classics Alive 00:47:03 Kaspersky on Linux: Do We Even Need Antivirus? 00:54:28 ProtonDB & Steam Survey: Has Linux Gaming Already Won? 01:04:15 Software Pick: Rclone – RSync for All Your Clouds 01:06:29 Outro Hosted by: Ryan (DasGeek) = dasgeek.net Jill Bryant = jilllinuxgirl.com Special Guest = Matt (Linux Out Loud)

Support the show by becoming a patron at tuxdigital.com/membership or get some swag at tuxdigital.com/store Hosted by: Ryan (DasGeek) = dasgeek.net Jill Bryant = jilllinuxgirl.com And Special Guest = Sherard Griffin https://www.redhat.com/en/authors/sherard-griffin 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:59 Community Feedback 00:13:02 Sandfly Security Segment 00:15:53 Main Topic: Linux, AI, and the End of Distro Wars? 00:47:32 Ryan’s Essential Linux Apps: Must Installs on Every Setup 01:02:59 OMG! A new Steam Machine 01:15:55 Outro

Support the show by becoming a patron at tuxdigital.com/membership or get some swag at tuxdigital.com/store Hosted by: Ryan (DasGeek) = dasgeek.net Jill Bryant = jilllinuxgirl.com Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:44 Community Feedback: New Linux User and Maya Issues 00:12:50 Ryan's New PC Build Update 00:16:18 SPECIAL Sponsor Ad w/ Q&A On Sandfly Security 00:22:50 Does TOR really keep you anonymous? 00:52:13 Nvidia & Crowdstrike Partner on open-source security ecosystem 01:08:30 Linux Kernel Flaw Under Active Exploit 01:19:40 Outro Special Guest: Craig Rowland CEO of Sandfly Special Guest: Craig Rowland.

video: https://youtu.be/v5hrjVzsj20 Download as MP3 (https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/32f28071-0b08-4ea1-afcc-37af75bd83d6/ff0c4bfd-ed89-4a64-8771-5a1821bd8ce7.mp3) Support the show by becoming a patron at tuxdigital.com/membership (https://tuxdigital.com/membership) or get some swag at tuxdigital.com/store (https://tuxdigital.com/store) Hosted by: Ryan (DasGeek) = dasgeek.net (https://dasgeek.net) Jill Bryant = jilllinuxgirl.com (https://jilllinuxgirl.com) Michael Tunnell = michaeltunnell.com (https://michaeltunnell.com) Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:48 Community Feedback 00:07:45 Sponsor: Sandfly Security 00:11:25 Tech Troubles: RAM, Network, & Arch Linux 00:19:42 New PC Build & Hardware Upgrades 00:26:00 Ubuntu Launches Canonical Academy 00:36:20 System76 COSMIC Desktop, COSMIC Sync & Final 00:51:23 Gaming: Darkenstein 3D & Wolfenstein Memories 01:05:10 Software Pick: Reins Chat for Ollama 01:10:29 Support the Show 01:12:33 Outro

video: https://youtu.be/kLb0SYw3KJI Download as MP3 (https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/32f28071-0b08-4ea1-afcc-37af75bd83d6/b78998f0-d068-4c46-bef8-470191c15c56.mp3) Support the show by becoming a patron at tuxdigital.com/membership (https://tuxdigital.com/membership) or get some swag at tuxdigital.com/store (https://tuxdigital.com/store) Hosted by: Ryan (DasGeek) = dasgeek.net (https://dasgeek.net) Jill Bryant = jilllinuxgirl.com (https://jilllinuxgirl.com) Michael Tunnell = michaeltunnell.com (https://michaeltunnell.com) Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:05 Community Feedback: BlackBerry and Alternate OS 00:10:14 Microsoft Surface Duo 2 00:17:17 Sponsor: Sandfly Security 00:19:46 AWS Outage Details and Impact 00:36:00 Zorin OS 18 Highlights 00:45:33 Europe Digital Sovereignty 00:56:19 Application Review: MangoJuice 01:04:28 Support the Show 01:05:44 Outro 01:06:12 Post Show

video: https://youtu.be/Vq1lqxvmaWQ This episode dives into a wild mix of major Linux and tech news — from Microsoft teasing a mysterious “big” Windows announcement (and our sarcastic predictions about it), to Ubuntu’s brand-new Questing Quokka release, to a refreshed Raspberry Pi OS that modernizes its entire desktop experience. We also unpack the heated community debate around Fedora’s new AI policy and what it means for open-source projects going forward. Forum Discussion Thread (https://destinationlinux.net/forum) Download as MP3 (https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/32f28071-0b08-4ea1-afcc-37af75bd83d6/c15f9cfa-fafe-448c-9434-1bd0af7eb72e.mp3) Support the show by becoming a patron at tuxdigital.com/membership (https://tuxdigital.com/membership) or get some swag at tuxdigital.com/store (https://tuxdigital.com/store) Hosted by: Ryan (DasGeek) = dasgeek.net (https://dasgeek.net) Jill Bryant = jilllinuxgirl.com (https://jilllinuxgirl.com) Michael Tunnell = michaeltunnell.com (https://michaeltunnell.com) Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:56 Community Feedback 00:07:17 Help for Michael & TuxDigital Gratitude 00:09:33 Sandfly Security 00:12:12 Guess What Microsoft is Doing 00:20:58 Canonical releases Ubuntu 25.10 Questing Quokka 00:34:08 Raspberry Pi Trixie 00:44:23 Fedora’s AI Policy - A Project Divided 01:04:25 Software Spotlight: Lenspect 01:09:56 Support the Show 01:11:40 Outro 01:13:17 Post Show Special Guest: Wendy Hill.

video: https://youtu.be/GWF9d5CDF9g Sponsored by Sandfly Security: the revolutionary agentless platform designed for Linux. Visit https://destinationlinux.net/sandfly to experience security that's not just effective but gives you peace of mind. No agents. No downtime. Just cutting-edge protection. In this episode of Destination Linux, the team dives into global privacy laws and how the UK’s proposed child protection and filtering systems could reshape the internet as we know it. Ryan breaks down Google’s latest developer decree that threatens the very existence of F-Droid and other open-source Android app stores, while Jill takes us on a nostalgic journey through her boxed Linux collection—from Red Hat 5 to Corel Linux and Mandrake 7.0. Nate wraps things up with a look at Samsung’s bizarre decision to push advertisements on $1,800 smart refrigerators. Privacy, history, and a little bit of corporate absurdity all collide in this week’s show. Forum Discussion Thread (https://destinationlinux.net/forum) Download as MP3 (https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/32f28071-0b08-4ea1-afcc-37af75bd83d6/14fee361-101b-4f8f-834b-68c94975eedc.mp3) Support the show by becoming a patron at tuxdigital.com/membership (https://tuxdigital.com/membership) or get some swag at tuxdigital.com/store (https://tuxdigital.com/store) Hosted by: Ryan (DasGeek) = dasgeek.net (https://dasgeek.net) Jill Bryant = jilllinuxgirl.com (https://jilllinuxgirl.com) Michael Tunnell = michaeltunnell.com (https://michaeltunnell.com) Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:58 Update on Michael & The Two-Week Hiatus 00:05:12 Community Feedback: UK Privacy Laws & Router Control 00:23:09 Sponsor: Sandfly Security 00:25:30 Is Google Killing F-Droid? Android's Open Source Dilemma 00:43:18 Jill’s Treasure Hunt: Unboxing Classic Linux Distros 00:45:50 Red Hat 5.0 Hurricane: The Shift from UNIX to FOSS 00:53:29 Corel Linux OS: Industry Graphics and the Wine Breakthrough 01:07:29 Linux Mandrake 7.0: The Distro That Detected Your Sound Card 01:15:06 Treasure Hunt Wrap Up 01:15:35 Samsung's Ad-Riddled ,800 Refrigerator 01:40:44 Over Time 01:41:44 Support the Show 01:43:35 Outro 01:44:36 Post Show Links: Community Feedback https://destinationlinux.net/comments (https://destinationlinux.net/comments) https://destinationlinux.net/forum (https://destinationlinux.net/forum) Sandfly Security https://destinationlinux.net/sandfly (https://destinationlinux.net/sandfly) Is Google Killing F-Droid? Android's Open Source Dilemma https://f-droid.org/en/2025/09/29/google-developer-registration-decree.html (https://f-droid.org/en/2025/09/29/google-developer-registration-decree.html) Samsung's Ad-Riddled ,800 Refrigerator https://fortune.com/2025/09/19/samsung-family-hub-refrigerators-advertisements/ (https://fortune.com/2025/09/19/samsung-family-hub-refrigerators-advertisements/) Support the Show https://tuxdigital.com/membership (https://tuxdigital.com/membership) https://store.tuxdigital.com/ (https://store.tuxdigital.com/) Special Guests: Nathan Wolf and Wendy Hill.