329: Linux 6.18, New Valve Hardware, COSMIC 1.0, NixOS, LXQt, Raspberry Pi, & more Linux news

video: https://youtu.be/cKQEl5Jho8Y This week in Linux, I'm Back! and this time, I mean I'm back and TWIL is back. This episode is going to have some stuff that happened between now and the last episode from a month ago but starting next week, the show is back on a weekly basis. On this week's show, we've got a new release of the Linux kernel with 6.18. We've also got some new distro releases to look at from NixOS, Solus, and more. Then we've got some news from the Raspberry Pi Foundation and also some really cool news that Framework is the first sponsor of LVFS. All of this and more on This Week in Linux, the weekly news show that keeps you up to date with what’s going on in the Linux and Open Source world. Now let's jump right into Your Source for Linux GNews! Sponsored by Sandfly Security: the revolutionary agentless platform designed for Linux. Visit https://thisweekinlinux.com/sandfly to experience security that's not just effective but gives you peace of mind. No agents. No downtime. Just cutting-edge protection. Download as MP3 (https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/2389be04-5c79-485e-b1ca-3a5b2cebb006/c9aa33bb-607d-4f5c-8755-8da6045e26f4.mp3) Support the Show Become a Patron = tuxdigital.com/membership (https://tuxdigital.com/membership) Store = tuxdigital.com/store (https://tuxdigital.com/store) Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:56 Linux Kernel 6.18 03:48 Valve announces the new Steam Frame, Steam Controller and Steam Machine with SteamOS 09:02 Framework becomes first OEM to sponsor Linux Vendor Firmware Service (LVFS) 10:31 Sandfly Security, agentless Linux security 12:05 COSMIC Desktop 1.0 & Pop!_OS 24.04 14:25 LXQt Desktop 2.3 Released 16:21 Raspberry Pi Announced 1GB and Price Increase due to RAM Market 19:30 NixOS 25.11 Released 22:31 Solus 4.8 Released 23:42 FreeBSD 15.0 Released 25:43 Outro Links: Linux Kernel 6.18 https://lwn.net/Articles/1048703/ (https://lwn.net/Articles/1048703/) https://kernelnewbies.org/Linux_6.18 (https://kernelnewbies.org/Linux_6.18) https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-6.18-Released (https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-6.18-Released) Valve announces the new Steam Frame, Steam Controller and Steam Machine with SteamOS https://store.steampowered.com/sale/steammachine (https://store.steampowered.com/sale/steammachine) https://store.steampowered.com/sale/steamcontroller (https://store.steampowered.com/sale/steamcontroller) https://store.steampowered.com/sale/steamframe (https://store.steampowered.com/sale/steamframe) https://www.phoronix.com/news/Steam-Machines-Frame-2026 (https://www.phoronix.com/news/Steam-Machines-Frame-2026) https://9to5linux.com/valve-announces-steam-machines-steam-controller-and-steam-frame-vr-headset (https://9to5linux.com/valve-announces-steam-machines-steam-controller-and-steam-frame-vr-headset) https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2025/11/valve-reveal-the-new-steam-frame-steam-controller-and-steam-machine-with-steamos/ (https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2025/11/valve-reveal-the-new-steam-frame-steam-controller-and-steam-machine-with-steamos/) https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2025/11/of-course-dbrand-is-doing-a-steam-machine-companion-cube/ (https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2025/11/of-course-dbrand-is-doing-a-steam-machine-companion-cube/) Framework becomes first OEM to sponsor Linux Vendor Firmware Service (LVFS) https://mastodon.social/@hughsie/115628170779065489 (https://mastodon.social/@hughsie/115628170779065489) https://www.phoronix.com/news/Framework-Sponsoring-LVFS (https://www.phoronix.com/news/Framework-Sponsoring-LVFS) https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/1p9xcs1/frameworkbecomesfirstoemtosponsorlinux/ (https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/1p9xcs1/framework_becomes_first_oem_to_sponsor_linux/) Sandfly Security, agentless Linux security https://thisweekinlinux.com/sandfly (https://thisweekinlinux.com/sandfly) COSMIC Desktop 1.0 & Pop!_OS 24.04 https://blog.system76.com/post/pop-os-letter-from-our-founder (https://blog.system76.com/post/pop-os-letter-from-our-founder) https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2025/12/pop_os-24-04-lts-stable-release (https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2025/12/pop_os-24-04-lts-stable-release) LXQt Desktop 2.3 https://lxqt-project.org/release/2025/11/05/release-lxqt-2-3-0/ (https://lxqt-project.org/release/2025/11/05/release-lxqt-2-3-0/) https://lwn.net/Articles/1045140/ (https://lwn.net/Articles/1045140/) https://www.phoronix.com/news/LXQt-2.3-Released (https://www.phoronix.com/news/LXQt-2.3-Released) https://9to5linux.com/lxqt-2-3-desktop-environment-released-with-new-features-and-enhancements (https://9to5linux.com/lxqt-2-3-desktop-environment-released-with-new-features-and-enhancements) Raspberry Pi Announced 1GB and Price Increase due to RAM Market https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/1gb-raspberry-pi-5-now-available-at-45-and-memory-driven-price-rises/ (https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/1gb-raspberry-pi-5-now-available-at-45-and-memory-driven-price-rises/) NixOS 25.11 https://nixos.org/blog/announcements/2025/nixos-2511/ (https://nixos.org/blog/announcements/2025/nixos-2511/) https://9to5linux.com/nixos-25-11-released-with-gnome-49-cosmic-beta-and-firewalld-support (https://9to5linux.com/nixos-25-11-released-with-gnome-49-cosmic-beta-and-firewalld-support) https://www.phoronix.com/news/NixOS-25.11-Released (https://www.phoronix.com/news/NixOS-25.11-Released) Solus 4.8 https://getsol.us/2025/11/29/solus-4-8-released/ (https://getsol.us/2025/11/29/solus-4-8-released/) https://www.phoronix.com/news/Solus-4.8-Released (https://www.phoronix.com/news/Solus-4.8-Released) https://9to5linux.com/solus-4-8-released-with-linux-kernel-6-17-gnome-49-kde-plasma-6-5-and-more (https://9to5linux.com/solus-4-8-released-with-linux-kernel-6-17-gnome-49-kde-plasma-6-5-and-more) FreeBSD 15.0 https://www.freebsd.org/releases/15.0R/announce/ (https://www.freebsd.org/releases/15.0R/announce/) https://www.phoronix.com/news/FreeBSD-15.0-RELEASE (https://www.phoronix.com/news/FreeBSD-15.0-RELEASE) Support the show https://tuxdigital.com/membership (https://tuxdigital.com/membership) https://store.tuxdigital.com/ (https://store.tuxdigital.com/)