August 26, 2026

ARMBIAN

One board, two architectures: Armbian on the Milk-V Duo S

The Milk-V Duo S is a very cheap and small board. It runs a Sophgo SG2000 with
an Arm Cortex-A53 and a RISC-V C906, 512 MB of RAM, and a physical slide switch decides which
one boots. Armbian now supports both architectures. PR #10326 landed the port (175 files) as two thin board targets – milkv-duos-arm and milkv-duos-riscv – over a single shared family include, so the bootloader pins can&apost drift apart. PR #10510 moved the edge branch to kernel 7.1.

Standing on the shoulders of others

There are at least 2 projects the port owes a lot to: queenkjuul/milkv-duo-ubuntu (Ubuntu on a mainline kernel 7.0, RISC-V) and Fishwaldo/sophgo-sg200x-debian (Debian sid, vendor kernel 5.10). Armbian takes the mainline route, adds arm64, and builds the entire boot chain from source: no prebuilt fip.bin.

What the patches add

Kernel (57 patches per branch, one series for both architectures – the arm64
device tree includes the RISC-V ones): thermal sensor, watchdog, PWM, eFuse, DMA, MDIO mux, I2S, mailbox, the C906L coprocessor, correct eMMC and
microSD pin muxing, USB gadget mode, ramoops, and overlays for the 26-pin header (I²C, SPI, UART, PWM) and USB device mode.

U-Boot (vendor 2021.10): distroboot: the standard armbianEnv.txt + boot.scr mechanism works and overlays are chosen at boot rather than at build (like in other implementations), plus a fix for the SD slot being powered down when empty.

1050 MHz as a default RISC-V speed. Provided by a build option
SOPHGO_CPU_OVERDRIVE.

Both bootloaders ship in every image, so one image boots from microSD or eMMC – but flashing to the eMMC still requires special treatment using sophgo-emmc-install.

./compile.sh build BOARD=milkv-duos-arm BRANCH=edge

Usage example

The board runs under 1 W, so it can make a nice always-on serial console.
milkv-duos-uart turns a Duo S into a recorder for Rockchip boards (or any others!): enable the UART2 overlay, connect three pins, and it keeps a 32 MiB RAM ring buffer you can follow, dump as history, or attachand use like a normal console. This way a guest&aposs boot log can survive even it it dies.

What are your ideas for this board?

26 August, 2026 03:31PM by Łukasz Sobala

Univention Corporate Server

AI Governance Is Key to Digital Sovereignty: How Today’s Decisions Will Shape Tomorrow’s Digital Independence

Last week, I spoke at the Bremen Fast Forward AI Festival about why digital sovereignty is being decided anew today and what role open-source AI plays in this. Here, I have summarized my key points for future reference.

Digital Sovereignty Means the Ability to Control, Shape, and Switch

In 2020, the IT Planning Council described digital sovereignty as “the capabilities and opportunities of individuals and institutions to exercise their role(s) in the digital world independently, autonomously, and securely.” In practice, this boils down to three questions: Who is in control? Who can shape the outcome? And can we switch when conditions change?

For large parts of our economy and public administration, the answer to all three questions is unfortunately: not us. From office software to cloud operations, the systems that matter most are predominantly supplied by US companies. A study commissioned by the German federal government and conducted by PwC identified these dependencies as early as 2019 and recommended building alternatives. Too little has happened since then.

Meanwhile, we can increasingly see these dependencies being used to exert political or economic pressure: the blocked email accounts of judges at the International Criminal Court, VMware price increases of up to 1,500 percent, Ukraine’s temporary loss of access to important mapping data, and much more. These are unmistakable signs of our vulnerability to coercion.

This is happening at a time of steadily increasing geopolitical tension. Russia’s war against Ukraine continues. The United States, too, is seeking to pursue its objectives by every means, including military force, while the American IT industry remains a close ally of its government. Russia, the United States, and China share one important characteristic: none of them has an interest in a strong Europe capable of determining its own course.

Open Source Is the Key

Open source provides a path to digital sovereignty. Access to the source code creates transparency and opportunities for control, makes it possible to adapt systems to specific requirements, facilitates replacement, enables reuse and further development, strengthens resilience, and improves scalability.

Ironically, hyperscalers understand this as well and use open source across a wide range of areas. The political recognition is there, too: the coalition agreement commits to digital sovereignty and open source, the EU Tech Sovereignty Package marks an important milestone, and countries such as France, Italy, and the Netherlands are already taking decisive steps toward open software.

Whether open source becomes a binding requirement in procurement will be crucial to the success of this strategy.

AI Raises the Stakes

Moving from on-premises servers to the cloud significantly increased the critical importance of digital sovereignty, because software became subject to a much greater degree of external control. AI adds another layer of dependency.

Virtually all processes in business, public administration, software development, and communication are likely to be shaped by AI in the future. Anyone who relies exclusively on so-called frontier models from a handful of providers risks losing control over their own digital processes and surrendering the data they generate themselves.

Anthropic’s temporary loss of access to its models showed how quickly this can have tangible consequences. Whoever controls the AI platforms will increasingly influence decisions, knowledge work, and innovation.

Bias is another important concern. Models form assessments based on their training data and can therefore influence public opinion. A federal lawsuit against Workday was recently allowed to proceed in the United States. The provider is accused of using AI functions that systematically disadvantage applicants on the basis of their age, background, or disability.

What matters most is not simply that bias occurs, but that closed models make it impossible to determine or correct where it comes from.

What Open-Source AI Makes Possible

Open-source AI means that models can be used, understood, reviewed, adapted, and operated independently—not merely consumed. Yet “open” does not always mean the same thing. There is a significant difference between software that is open only for operating a model, model weights that are publicly available, and training data that is accessible as well.

Several advantages stand out. Organizations become less dependent on individual providers because they can operate and further develop models themselves while keeping their data in-house. Greater transparency makes it possible to identify security issues and bias independently by analyzing the training data. Open models also support broader competition by providing a shared foundation on which many companies can build.

Performance is another argument in favor of this approach. In terms of general capabilities, open models now trail the best closed models by only a few months in many areas. At the same time, they have reached a level that is sufficient for many productive applications.

We use this approach at Univention as well. All our employees have access to open-source AI, and we are gradually connecting more of our systems to it. This allows us to work with our internal data without handing it over to an external provider.

Implementation Is What Matters Now

Whether digital sovereignty matters is no longer the question. The issue is where to begin. A pragmatic starting point is any situation in which a decision is already pending – for example, when a new solution is being introduced or a contract is up for renewal.

These are the moments when an existing dependency is either extended for several more years or dismantled. It is also important to recognize that switching is rarely free: migration, integration, operations, and training all require money, time, and expertise.

Even so, the effort is worthwhile. Open source can change two important things: resources flow into building internal capabilities and creating value in Europe instead of into licenses whose prices are set by others. In addition, an open model cannot easily be blocked or shut down.

My appeal is therefore this: whenever AI is introduced – and in most cases, its introduction should be pursued decisively – organizations should also ensure that open models can be used, whether under their own control or in trusted data centers.

Der Beitrag AI Governance Is Key to Digital Sovereignty: How Today’s Decisions Will Shape Tomorrow’s Digital Independence erschien zuerst auf Univention.

26 August, 2026 01:49PM by Peter Ganten

GreenboneOS

CVE-2026-64849: SSRF Flaw in MLflow Actively Exploited

CVE-2026-64849 (CVSS 9.3, EPSS ≥ 95th pctl) is a critical-severity unauthenticated full-read server-side request forgery (SSRF) flaw [CWE-918] in MLflow webhook delivery. The CVE affects all versions prior to 3.15.0. The root cause is flawed redirect handling and DNS rebinding. The flaw is exploited by bypassing the _validate_webhook_url protections in the default MLflow Tracking Server […]

26 August, 2026 10:37AM by Joseph Lee

ARMBIAN

SBC storage

Modernizing SBC Storage: From Qualcomm EDL Flashing to SPI-to-NVMe Boots

For years, single-board computer (SBC) storage followed a simple, predictable pattern: flash an image onto a microSD card or eMMC module, plug it in, and turn on the board. However, as modern embedded hardware approaches laptop-grade performance, that legacy approach is starting to break down.

The latest quarter of Armbian development highlights a major shift toward modern storage pipelines. By combining Qualcomm Emergency Download (EDL) flashing in Armbian Imager 2.0 with a redesigned installation engine, Armbian is making high-performance hardware far easier to set up.

Direct Qualcomm flashing with Imager 2.0

As boards like the Radxa Dragon Q6A and Q8B bring Qualcomm Snapdragon chips to developers, standard image writers no longer work. These devices require low-level vendor tools to write to storage before an operating system can even start.

Armbian Imager 2.0 now handles EDL flashing directly over USB without third-party software, automatically tailoring the setup to the specific hardware:

Radxa Dragon (Q6A & Q8B): Flashes directly to high-speed UFS storage, setting up the board’s custom UEFI boot environment.(Note: Users will need to enter the UEFI menu and set the boot order manually after flashing to boot from UFS).

Arduino Qualcomm Boards: Flashes directly to onboard eMMC storage, setting up a U-Boot environment.

Because EDL writes straight to the main storage, it leaves external SPI flash completely untouched, providing a clean, single-step recovery or setup process.

Decoupling boot files for faster drives

On powerful boards like those using the Rockchip RK3588, running an entire system from an SD card or eMMC creates a storage bottleneck. The ideal setup separates where the board starts from where it runs: loading basic boot files from tiny onboard memory (SPI NOR flash), then handing the heavy lifting off to a fast NVMe SSD or SATA drive.

26 August, 2026 03:37AM by Michael Robinson

Deepin

(中文) 少切换、少设置、少混乱：小U同学三大更新，用起来更省心！

Sorry, this entry is only available in 中文.

26 August, 2026 02:12AM by xiaofei

August 25, 2026

ARMBIAN

Armbian release 26.8

Rebuilding the tools you actually touch

Kernel 7.1 across the tree, a rewritten installer, Imager 2.0, and UEFI ISO images

Three rewrites in one cycle

Most releases are a long list of small improvements. This one had three larger pieces landing at roughly the same time, and all three touch parts of Armbian that people use directly rather than parts they only read about in changelogs.

The installer was rewritten. Armbian Imager reached 2.0. And our CI moved out of the repository it had outgrown into one built for the job. None of these were planned to coincide; they simply reached the point where postponing them again would have cost more than doing them.

The installer rewrite is the one I expect people to notice first. It now ships as an armbian-config module, which means it is unit-tested, the same way the rest of armbian-config is tested, rather than living as a script that everyone was slightly afraid to touch. It can target SPI and MTD, treats eMMC and NVMe as separate flows instead of pretending they are the same thing, can flash a bootloader on its own, and — this one is overdue — reports when a bootloader write fails instead of printing "Done." and leaving you to find out at the next boot.

As always, every image in this release was manually validated for basic functionality. The automation keeps improving, but a board that boots in CI and a board that boots on a desk are still two different things.

Igor
Project Manager

Changes overview

This release advances on three fronts: kernel and firmware baselines moved forward across the entire tree, the tooling around installing and writing images was rebuilt, and the build and CI infrastructure was restructured onto Debian Trixie with a weekly stable cadence.

Kernels and firmware

Mainline support moves to 7.1 stable, with 7.2 available on edge branches for rockchip64, meson64, mvebu64, sunxi and bcm2711. U-Boot went to v2026.07 across most of boards, including the Rockchip RK35xx family, Amlogic, i.MX6, and the mvebu.

A number of long-carried patches were finally dropped this cycle because upstream fixed them properly — the 8250 DMA reopen crash, the SysRq-via-BREAK handling, several sunxi and meson64 patches. Carrying fewer patches is not a headline feature, but it is what makes the next kernel bump cheaper than the last one.

Wireless driver cleanup

The rtl8852bs, rtl8189es, rtl8192eu and uwe5622 drivers now live in dedicated Armbian repositories, build against up to 7.2, and are several thousand compiler warnings quieter than they were in June. That work was not cosmetic: going through the warnings surfaced a use-after-free in the uwe5622 probe path, a NULL dereference on efuse allocation failure, a leaked path reference, and a handful of unbounded copies in ioctl handlers. Vendor Wi-Fi blobs have been the least-inspected code in the tree for years. They are meaningfully less so now.

Incoming hardware

New this cycle: Anbernic RG DS and RG Vita Pro, Radxa Cubie A7Z and Dragon Q6A/Q8B, Seeed reComputer RK3576 and RK3588 DevKits, TI BeagleBadge and TMDS64EVM, Orange Pi 4 Pro and Zero 3W, Sovol Zero and SV08, Walnut Pi Box and 1B, EmbedFire LubanCat 5IO, LuckFox Nova, SpacemiT K3 Pico-ITX, Milk-V DuoS, Avnet MaaXBoard 8ULP, NanoPi NEO3 Plus, KICKPI K3B, Graperain G3568 v2, EASY EAI Nano, Mellow Fly C5, CIX P1, Xiaomi Pad 6S Pro and Tanix TX6S. Fourteen existing boards were promoted to standard support, a few dropped to community support, and Banana Pi R2 came back from the dead on 6.18.

Imager and image formats

Armbian Imager 2.0 adds QDL and UFS flashing for Qualcomm targets, pulls the board registry from the Armbian API rather than shipping a copy that goes stale, and enumerates devices more carefully on both Windows and Linux.

UEFI images can now be built as bootable live ISOs through the new image-output-iso extension. This makes Armbian directly usable over IPMI virtual CD and in cloud environments where an ISO is the only accepted input. The download and redirector infrastructure was extended to carry those ISOs alongside the compressed raw images.

Build framework and CI

CI moved out of armbian/os into its own armbian/ci repository. Runners register through NetBox, each one carrying its own proxy and cache export configuration, and a watchdog automatically retries runs killed by stalled runners rather than leaving a red cross for someone to notice in the morning. Stable builds now run weekly.

The default build host and Docker base image are Debian Trixie, which forced a long tail of fixes to older U-Boot trees against GCC 14 and SWIG 4.3 — the kind of work that is invisible when it succeeds. riscv64 images are now generated natively, and kernel patch rewriting runs in parallel with stricter From-header hygiene.

Every board, every promotion and every one of the 787 merged pull requests is listed in the release notes.

Thank you

787 pull requests went into this release, from long-standing team members and from people who showed up once to fix a device tree on a board nobody else owns. Both matter. The wireless cleanup in particular was one contributor deciding that thousands of warnings were worth working through, one file at a time.

And to our partners and donors — hardware, infrastructure, engineering time, and money — thank you. The infrastructure work in this release is expensive in exactly the way that is hard to fundraise for, and it happened because you make it possible.

25 August, 2026 08:49PM by Michael Robinson

ZEVENET

NetScaler Vulnerability CVE-2026-8452: What It Means for ADC Security

Security vulnerabilities in Internet-facing infrastructure call for a clear operational response: determine whether your environment is exposed and, if it is, apply the vendor’s remediation.

The recent NetScaler vulnerability CVE-2026-8452 is no exception. NetScaler describes it as a memory overflow affecting ADC and Gateway appliances under specific Gateway or AAA configurations. Subsequent independent security research has gone further, analyzing a SAML-related memory corruption and demonstrating unauthenticated remote code execution.

Those descriptions are related, but they are not identical. Understanding the difference is important both for assessing the incident accurately and for considering its broader implications for ADC security.

For organizations running affected NetScaler systems, the immediate priority is the vendor’s security guidance and the relevant software updates. Beyond remediation, however, the incident raises a useful architectural question: which responsibilities should an Internet-facing ADC perform, and how should application delivery, application security and identity functions be separated?

What is the NetScaler CVE-2026-8452 vulnerability?

NetScaler’s official security bulletin was initially published on June 30, 2026. It describes CVE-2026-8452 as a memory overflow vulnerability that can lead to unpredictable or erroneous behavior and Denial of Service.

The stated precondition is that the appliance is configured as a Gateway — including SSL VPN, ICA Proxy, CVPN or RDP Proxy — or as an AAA virtual server. NetScaler assigns it a CVSS v4.0 base score of 8.8, classified as High.

The supported releases identified as affected are:

Product / branch	Affected versions
NetScaler ADC and NetScaler Gateway 14.1	Before 14.1-72.61
NetScaler ADC and NetScaler Gateway 13.1	Before 13.1-63.18
NetScaler ADC FIPS 14.1	Before 14.1-72.61 FIPS
NetScaler ADC FIPS and NDcPP 13.1	Before 13.1-37.272

NetScaler recommends upgrading affected systems to the corresponding fixed releases as soon as possible. Its bulletin also provides configuration checks that administrators can use to determine whether an appliance meets the CVE-2026-8452 preconditions.

That is the vendor-confirmed description. The discussion around SAML and pre-authentication remote code execution comes from subsequent independent research.

What did security researchers find?

On August 14, 2026, watchTowr Labs published a technical analysis based on differences between vulnerable and patched NetScaler builds. While testing a vulnerable NetScaler 13.1 appliance configured to use SAML, the researchers identified a remotely reachable memory corruption in SAML processing and demonstrated a path to pre-authentication remote code execution.

There is one important nuance. watchTowr believes the issue it analyzed corresponds to CVE-2026-8452, but it cannot confirm that mapping with absolute certainty because several vulnerabilities were fixed in the same NetScaler update. The researchers themselves reflect this uncertainty by referring to “CVE-2026-8452(?)” in their analysis.

The incident has also attracted attention beyond the original advisory. On August 17, the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security reported that open-source information indicated exploitation of CVE-2026-8452 in the wild and recommended that affected organizations apply the vendor’s updates.

Why does the architecture behind the vulnerability matter?

The important point for ADC teams is that the issue described in the independent research is not related to the basic task of distributing traffic between backend servers. It appears in SAML authentication processing.

SAML, or Security Assertion Markup Language, is an XML-based standard used to exchange authentication and authorization information between an Identity Provider (IdP) and a Service Provider (SP). It is widely used for enterprise Single Sign-On.

Whether an ADC participates directly in that authentication process depends on how the platform is designed and configured.

That distinction matters because two ADC platforms can provide similar application-delivery capabilities while handling identity in very different ways. A vulnerability affecting one vendor’s authentication-processing path therefore does not automatically imply that another ADC exposes the same component or code path.

This is where the SKUDONET architecture becomes relevant.

How does SKUDONET handle SAML differently?

SKUDONET does not place the ADC inside the SAML authentication and identity-validation chain described in the independent NetScaler research.

Authentication remains the responsibility of the application, its SAML Service Provider and the Identity Provider.

A typical architecture is:

User
↓
SKUDONET ADC / WAF
↓
Application / SAML Service Provider
Identity Provider

The Identity Provider and Service Provider remain responsible for authenticating the user and validating SAML assertions. SKUDONET, meanwhile, handles the application-delivery layer: balancing, inspecting, protecting and delivering application traffic.

For this reason, SKUDONET is not affected by CVE-2026-8452, and the SAML authentication-processing path analyzed by watchTowr is not part of SKUDONET’s ADC architecture.

This should not be interpreted as a claim that SKUDONET — or any other Internet-facing software — is immune to vulnerabilities. It means that the specific component and processing path involved in this incident are not present in SKUDONET.

Can SKUDONET inspect SAML traffic without processing authentication?

Yes. Participating in SAML authentication and inspecting the traffic that carries SAML messages are two different responsibilities.

SAML messages are based on XML and are normally transported over HTTP or HTTPS. SKUDONET’s Web Application Firewall can inspect HTTP requests and structured request payloads before they reach the protected application.

The WAF uses ModSecurity as its inspection engine. XML request bodies can be parsed and inspected so that security policies can evaluate their structure and content.

For a SAML endpoint behind SKUDONET, the processing path is:

Incoming SAML/XML request
→
SKUDONET ADC
→
WAF inspection
→
XML parsing and security rules
→
Application / SAML Service Provider
→
Identity validation

The distinction is deliberate: the WAF does not replace the cryptographic validation of a SAML assertion. That remains the responsibility of the identity layer.

Instead, the WAF provides an independent application-security layer that can inspect HTTP/S and XML traffic before it reaches the component responsible for identity processing.

For SAML security, those layers are complementary rather than interchangeable.

What does CVE-2026-8452 tell us about ADC security architecture?

One lesson from this incident is that ADC security should not be evaluated only by counting available security features.

It also matters where those capabilities are implemented and which component is responsible for each function. Separation of responsibilities does not mean removing integrated application-security functionality.

SKUDONET can combine application delivery and application protection through capabilities such as load balancing and WAF inspection while leaving identity authentication and cryptographic SAML validation to the application and identity infrastructure.

Put simply:

ADC: application delivery
WAF: application security and traffic inspection
IdP / SP: authentication and identity validation

This architecture does not eliminate vulnerabilities; no Internet-facing architecture can reasonably make that claim. What it does is establish defined functional boundaries.

A security issue affecting one type of functionality does not automatically mean that every ADC platform contains the same component or processes the same information in the same way.

Determining whether another ADC would be exposed to the same vulnerability therefore requires understanding its architecture and processing path, not simply comparing feature names.

What should organizations review after an ADC security incident?

The first response to a vulnerability should be operational, not commercial. Organizations running an affected NetScaler configuration should identify exposed systems and follow the vendor’s remediation guidance.

Once that immediate work is complete, some security and infrastructure teams may also use the incident as an opportunity to review how responsibilities are distributed across their architecture.

Useful questions include:

Which Internet-facing components process authentication?
Which components terminate or inspect application traffic?
Where does identity validation occur?
Which services provide remote access?
How are application-delivery and security policies managed?
How dependent is the environment on platform-specific configuration?

That review does not automatically imply replacing an ADC. For many organizations, applying the relevant fixes and retaining the current architecture will be the appropriate response.

For others, security reviews may coincide with broader considerations around licensing, operational complexity, infrastructure strategy, vendor dependency or future architecture.

If that wider evaluation is already taking place, our guide to NetScaler alternatives covers the platform-comparison perspective separately from this technical vulnerability analysis.

Keeping those two topics separate is deliberate: a vulnerability should be understood and remediated on its technical merits, while a platform decision should consider the broader requirements of the infrastructure.

If an ADC reassessment leads to migration, configuration is usually the hard part

A NetScaler migration usually is not about replacing an appliance; it is about replacing years of application-delivery configuration.

A mature NetScaler environment can contain hundreds of interconnected objects, including:

Content Switching virtual servers
Load Balancing virtual servers
Content Switching policies
Service groups
Services and backend servers
Persistence configurations
Health monitors
SSL certificates
SNI configurations
Host and URL routing rules
Network dependencies

Those objects cannot necessarily be treated as isolated lines of configuration because their relationships define how applications are actually delivered.

Recreating those dependencies manually on another ADC can require considerable engineering effort and introduce migration risk. That is why an ADC migration is more than a syntax-conversion exercise: the intent behind the existing configuration also needs to be understood.

SKUDONET is developing NetScaler-to-SKUDONET migration technology that analyzes existing configurations and identifies how their objects and relationships can be translated into the corresponding SKUDONET architecture.

For example:

NetScaler
Content Switching vServer
↓
Content Switching policies
↓
Load Balancing vServers
↓
Service Groups
↓
Services / Backends
↓
Health monitoring

These relationships can be analyzed against the corresponding SKUDONET farms, services, routing rules, backends and health-checking configuration.

The objective is to preserve the existing application-delivery logic while changing the ADC platform wherever an equivalent is supported.

The migration process can analyze dependencies, identify supported equivalences, highlight potential migration risks and distinguish between what can be translated automatically and what needs human review.

SKUDONET’s migration tooling is currently being validated against real-world NetScaler environments containing more than 650 configuration objects, including complex relationships between Content Switching virtual servers, Load Balancing virtual servers, policies, service groups, services, certificates, persistence, health monitoring and backend infrastructure.

For organizations with an active migration project, configuration analysis can form part of a technical assessment to understand feasibility, dependencies and potential migration effort before production changes are planned.

Frequently asked questions about CVE-2026-8452

What is CVE-2026-8452?

CVE-2026-8452 is a memory overflow vulnerability affecting specific NetScaler ADC and NetScaler Gateway versions and configurations. NetScaler states that it can cause unpredictable or erroneous behavior and Denial of Service when an appliance is configured as a Gateway or AAA virtual server.

For the main supported branches, affected versions include NetScaler ADC and Gateway 14.1 before 14.1-72.61 and 13.1 before 13.1-63.18, together with the corresponding affected FIPS and NDcPP releases.

Is CVE-2026-8452 a SAML vulnerability?

NetScaler’s official bulletin does not specifically describe CVE-2026-8452 as a SAML vulnerability.

Independent researchers at watchTowr analyzed a SAML-processing memory corruption and demonstrated pre-authentication remote code execution, which they believe corresponds to CVE-2026-8452. They also explicitly acknowledge that the public information does not allow definitive attribution.

Is CVE-2026-8452 being exploited?

The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security updated its advisory on August 17, 2026, stating that open-source reporting indicated CVE-2026-8452 was being exploited in the wild.

Organizations operating affected NetScaler configurations should follow the vendor’s guidance and apply the relevant updates.

Is SKUDONET affected by CVE-2026-8452?

No. CVE-2026-8452 applies to NetScaler products, and the SAML authentication-processing component described in the independent research is not part of SKUDONET’s ADC architecture.

With SKUDONET, authentication and SAML assertion validation remain the responsibility of the application, Service Provider and Identity Provider.

Can SKUDONET protect an application that uses SAML?

Yes. Applications using SAML can be delivered through SKUDONET.

Since SAML messages are XML and are commonly transported over HTTP/S, the SKUDONET WAF can inspect structured request traffic before it reaches the application. The WAF does not replace SAML signature or identity validation, which remain the responsibility of the identity layer.

Can an existing NetScaler configuration be assessed for migration to SKUDONET?

SKUDONET is developing migration technology that analyzes NetScaler configuration objects and their dependencies to identify supported equivalents, potential migration risks and areas requiring manual review.

The tooling is currently being validated against real-world environments containing more than 650 interconnected NetScaler configuration objects.

Already evaluating a NetScaler migration?

If your organization is actively reassessing its ADC strategy, the first step is to understand the scope, dependencies and migration requirements of your current environment.

Talk to the SKUDONET team about your NetScaler environment. As part of a migration assessment, we can determine whether configuration analysis is appropriate and evaluate how existing application-delivery logic could map to SKUDONET.

This gives your infrastructure team a clearer view of migration feasibility and potential effort before making changes to production.

25 August, 2026 12:33PM by Isabel Perez

ARMBIAN

Github Highlights

This week&aposs changes center on expanded board and platform support, a modernized build and release pipeline anchored on Debian Trixie and ISO output, and a substantial documentation and release-process overhaul.

On the hardware side, the EmbedFire LubanCat 4 (RK3588S) and Xiaomi Pad 6S Pro (sheng) join as new boards, Tanix TX6S is promoted to Supported, and Banana Pi R2 (MT7623) returns with kernel 6.18, edge 7.1, and U-Boot 2026.07. The reComputer RK3588 moves to the Panthor open-source GPU stack, NanoPCT6 U-Boot advances to v2026.07, and reComputer RK3576/RK3588 receives U-Boot fixes for SPI boot, NVMe, and rockusb. Several Rockchip and Qualcomm device trees are corrected, and RTL8852BS, RTL88x2CS, and related wireless drivers are refreshed with substantial warning cleanup.

Build infrastructure sees the official host and default Docker image switch to Debian Trixie, Ubuntu Noble dropped from release and SDK targets, and image signing extended to every format. UEFI current/edge targets now ship as ISO for both minimal and desktop variants, nightly builds are restricted to platinum boards, and SDK CI moves to self-hosted runners with auto-retry and dispatch-driven index updates. A weekly stable build with automatic version bump is now scheduled.

Documentation and release tooling receive extensive rework: armbian-config pages are reorganized under /config/ with per-subcategory splits, per-app SEO pages and category hubs are emitted, and the manual changelog is replaced by per-release pages with a quarterly digest published to docs.armbian.com. Release-summary generation now groups by source repository, recovers PR links, and is anchored to release windows.

#Armbian #EmbeddedLinux #Rockchip #DebianTrixie #ReleaseEngineering

Changes

action: include .iso images in the release assets manifest. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10495
action: sign every image format, not only .img.xz. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10497
Add board: EmbedFire LubanCat 4 (RK3588S). by @miskin-lee in armbian/build#10505
Add support for Xiaomi Pad 6S Pro (sheng). by @code002-2 in armbian/build#9988
arm64: dts: rockchip: rk3588s-orangepi-5: route ES8388 MCLK to the IO…. by @defcom5-rockchip in armbian/build#10493
arm64: dts: rockchip: youyeetoo-r1: fix PCIe reset gpio and drop spi0 stub. by @SuperKali in armbian/linux-rockchip#530
assets: add 8 missing app logos + improve the Home Assistant logo. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#994
Banana Pi R2 (mt7623): back from the dead — kernel 6.18 + edge 7.1, u-boot 2026.07. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10457
board-images: add lubancat-4.png. by @miskin-lee in armbian/armbian.github.io#418
board: add BT support to bananpim5pro edge kernel. by @efectn in armbian/build#10445
board: rk3588: switch reComputer RK3588 to Panthor open-source GPU stack. by @Mkiring in armbian/build#10320
Board: tanix-tx6s-axp313 promote to Supported. by @alnahian2011 in armbian/build#10459
bootscripts: seeed-rk35xx: harden armbianEnv.txt import against CRLF and invalid fdtfile. by @Mkiring in armbian/build#10474
chore(license): declare GPL-2.0-or-later and add SPDX headers. by @SuperKali in armbian/imager#182
ci: also publish an .iso from the SDK build. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/sdk#38
ci: auto-retry SDK runs killed by runner stalls. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/sdk#42
ci: compress qcow2 again + move image builds to self-hosted runners. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/sdk#41
ci: dispatch download-index from the build, drop the separate workflow + watchdog. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/sdk#44
ci: keep the mirror schedule alive. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/phytium-linux-kernel#1
ci: weekly stable build on Mondays + automatic version bump. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/ci#56
config: add git_sources.json with pinned source SHA1s. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10453
css: uniform app-page logo size (.app-logo). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/documentation#981
delete-old-releases: keep last N stable releases by version. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/ci#57
docs(markdown): clean up the armbian-config section pages. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#995
docs(markdown): emit per-app SEO pages + category link hubs. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#991
docs(markdown): point in-page armbian-config links at /config/. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#996
docs(markdown): tag app-page logos with .app-logo for uniform sizing. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#993
docs: move armbian-config pages to /config/ (keep old URLs). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/documentation#992
docs: official build host is Debian Trixie. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/documentation#974
docs: split armbian-config System into per-subcategory pages. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/documentation#989
external: add arm64 to google-chrome. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/os#485
feat(flash): show the kernel version in the confirm summary. by @SuperKali in armbian/imager#184
Fix -Warray-bounds, -Wformat-truncation and -Wframe-larger-than (73/8/2 -> 0). by @iav in armbian/wifi-rtl8852bs#19
Fix two clang findings: sscanf %7s overflow in mp ioctl, uninitialised max_bw in rtw_vht. by @iav in armbian/wifi-rtl8852bs#21
fix(firstlogin): remove .not_logged_in_yet marker via EXIT trap. by @Mkiring in armbian/build#10450
fix(rockchip64-6.18): drop 8250 DMA reopen patch, fixed upstream in 6.18.y. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10482
fix(rockchip64-7.1): drop 8250 DMA reopen patch, fixed upstream in 7.1.9. by @iav in armbian/build#10479
fix(sm8250-6.18): rebase fastrpc revert patches onto current 6.18.y. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10483
fix(system): make overlayfs work out of the box. by @f00b4r0 in armbian/configng#989
generate-armbian-images-json: fix empty nightly (ci) feed. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#415
generate_CODEOWNERS: handle multi-dir KERNELPATCHDIR (fixes malformed spacemit-k3 entry). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10499
generate_targets: assemble riscv64 images on X64 runners, not native riscv. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#409
generate_targets: update artifact/image runner mappings. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#405
hal_ld_file: compose the external parameter file path after the folder is known. by @iav in armbian/wifi-rtl8852bs#25
hal_ld_file: restore the missing continue in the TX power limit column-define stage. by @iav in armbian/wifi-rtl8852bs#24
image-output-abl: wait for loop partition node before blkid (fix flaky build). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10491
images json: promote an image in .iso as well as .img.xz. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#412
install-engine: silence null-byte warnings from the Rockchip probe. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#986
kernel config hash: ignore modifications the source config already declares. by @iav in armbian/build#10367
kernel-debug-tiers: tier 2 enables PROC_KCORE and KALLSYMS_ALL for post-mortem tooling. by @iav in armbian/build#10458
make-yaml-redirector: pass inputs through env, not inline ${{ }}. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/actions#38
mirrors: add Poland and Sweden to the flag map. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/documentation#976
nanopct6(-lts): u-boot: bump to v2026.07. by @rpardini in armbian/build#10511
nav: point Unit Test Status at the unit tests. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/documentation#987
osdep_service_linux: release the path reference taken by kern_path(). by @iav in armbian/wifi-rtl8852bs#23
patching: tolerate non-ASCII From:/Subject: headers (fix sunxi &aposgot Header&apos build abort). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10481
phytium-embedded: switch to Armbian kernel mirror, rename current->vendor, drop legacy. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10467
PocketBeagle 2 - Disable building Desktop images. by @Grippy98 in armbian/build#10466
proc: read only what was written in the sa_query / tx_deauth / tx_auth handlers. by @iav in armbian/wifi-rtl8852bs#22
reComputer RK3576/RK3588: U-Boot fixes for SPI boot, NVMe, rockusb. by @Mkiring in armbian/build#10471
recomputer-rk3588: do not fail the image when Panthor firmware is absent. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10487
recomputer-rk35xx-common: drop bluez juggle vs fcs960k-aic-bluez. by @rpardini in armbian/build#10358
redirector: use download_path_archive for the archive variant. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#416
Refactor CDN redirector workflow (dedupe + fix status classification). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#404
release targets: drop Ubuntu noble. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#413
release-doc: group by source repo, recover missing PR links. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#423
release-summary: publish the quarterly digest to docs.armbian.com. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#420
release-summary: push the docs PR as armbianworker. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#422
release-summary: weekly-only GitHub releases, release-anchored quarterly window. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#421
release-targets: add Raspberry Pi 5 virtual board. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#408
release-targets: nightly only for platinum boards, block the rest. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#410
release-targets: ship generic UEFI apps as .iso, not raw. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#414
release-targets: UEFI current/edge images output ISO (minimal + desktop). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#411
releases: replace the manual changelog with per-release pages. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/documentation#984
replace patch From: headers across the framework with something meaningful. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#10472
RK3506: Update ddr / tee / loader blobs. by @vidplace7 in armbian/rkbin#51
rockchip64: rk356x rkvdec2: drop stray 4th interrupt cell. by @iav in armbian/build#10455
rtl8852bs: bump driver to 58840d11 (2026-08-18). by @iav in armbian/build#10460
rtl88x2cs: bump driver to a2066739 (2026-08-20). by @iav in armbian/build#10501
runner-clean: ensure gh and mktorrent on self-hosted runners. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/actions#39
runners: authenticate the release lookup and verify before removing anything. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#990
RV1103/RV1106: Update ddr / tee / loader blobs. by @vidplace7 in armbian/rkbin#52
sc8280xp: drop DP patches now upstreamed in the 7.0.11 vendor kernel. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10504
sdk: ship .iso and .img.qcow2 uncompressed. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/sdk#40
sdk: stop generating noble images. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/sdk#37
seo: per-app software pages + per-page og/meta tags. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/documentation#978
Silence -Wmaybe-uninitialized (84 -> 0) and bound the mp ioctl input copy. by @iav in armbian/wifi-rtl8852bs#20
sm8550-sheng: scope clang to kernel build (fix linux-headers postinst clang: not found). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10468
SpacemiT K1: Revert USB boot and add SPI flash support to Musebook & MusePi Pro. by @pyavitz in armbian/build#10462
spacemit-k3: fix ethercat K3 stmmac build (xsk_tx_metadata_request 4-arg API). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10484
Switch the build host and default Docker image to Debian Trixie. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10494
Tune low-memory Beagle board release targets. by @Grippy98 in armbian/armbian.github.io#403
v4l2loopback-dkms: raise kernel skip cutoff from 6.12 to 7.2. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10490
wireless drivers: bump rtl8189es pin, re-point rtl8723ds pin. by @iav in armbian/build#10502
xiaomi-sheng: add resolute (Ubuntu 26.04) to supported userspaces. by @code002-2 in armbian/build#10464
youyeetoo-r1: fix M.2 PCIe reset gpio. by @SuperKali in armbian/build#10469

25 August, 2026 11:59AM by Michael Robinson

GreenboneOS

The Cyber Resilience Act at Two Weeks: What’s Actually Ready, and What Isn’t

Two weeks before Article 14 reporting becomes mandatory, the infrastructure behind it is still under construction. The Commission’s guidance is approved but not yet formally in force. The reporting platform is in testing, not live. Not one harmonised standard has a citation in the Official Journal. Each of those gaps puts more weight on the […]

25 August, 2026 11:37AM by Greenbone AG

Volumio

Hi Fi Streaming for Better Sound at Home

A favorite record can reveal a system’s character in seconds: the weight of a kick drum, the air around a vocal, the way a cymbal fades rather than simply stops. Hi fi streaming is about preserving those details while making your complete music collection easier to enjoy. It brings subscription services, radio, and locally stored albums to the hi-fi system you already value, without turning listening into a sequence of app changes and connection workarounds.

For some listeners, the appeal begins with access to millions of tracks. For others, it is finally hearing a carefully collected library through the main system rather than from a computer or phone. The best result is both: all your music in one place, presented with the care your speakers, amplifier, and room deserve.

What hi fi streaming actually means

Streaming is often mistaken for a simple handoff from a phone to a speaker. A hi-fi streamer does more. It is a dedicated network music player designed to retrieve music from a streaming service or local storage, organize it in a useful interface, and send an audio signal to a DAC or integrated amplifier.

That dedicated role matters. A phone is a remarkably capable device, but it is also managing notifications, calls, background processes, battery life, and an interface built for dozens of unrelated tasks. A purpose-built music player is focused on playback. It can sit quietly in the rack, remain available whenever you want to listen, and be controlled from a phone, tablet, or computer without making that device the source of the music.

The phrase also implies intent. Hi fi streaming is not automatically better because a file has a large number printed beside it. Sound quality comes from the whole playback chain: the source material, network player, digital output or internal DAC, analog circuitry, amplifier, speakers, and room. The goal is not to chase specifications in isolation. It is to create a reliable, natural path from music to listener.

The signal path matters, but so does the experience

A streamer usually receives music over Ethernet or Wi-Fi. It may play files from network-attached storage, a USB drive, or a shared computer folder. It then either converts the digital signal to analog internally or passes it to an external DAC through USB, coaxial, optical, or AES/EBU, depending on the component.

There is no single correct arrangement. If you own an integrated amplifier with an excellent DAC section, a digital transport streamer can be the sensible choice. If your amplifier is purely analog, or if you want to simplify the system, a streamer with a strong built-in DAC may be a better fit. Separating the streamer and DAC can offer more flexibility for future changes, while an all-in-one design reduces cables and boxes.

The listening interface deserves equal attention. If finding an album requires moving between a service app, a local-library app, and a separate remote-control app, the system gradually becomes less inviting. A unified music player should let you search across services and personal files, browse artists and genres, build playlists, and return to recent favorites from one familiar place. Convenience is not separate from serious listening. It is what makes serious listening happen more often.

Start with the music you actually use

Before comparing formats, outputs, or chassis materials, consider your everyday listening. Do you primarily use TIDAL, Qobuz, Spotify, internet radio, or a mix of each? Do you have thousands of downloaded albums, live recordings, rare releases, and rips that cannot be found on a subscription service? The answers should shape the streamer, not the other way around.

Local libraries remain one of the strongest reasons to choose dedicated streaming hardware. They preserve ownership and often contain the versions listeners know best: an original master, a favorite CD rip, a bootleg, or a carefully tagged classical collection. Good library management makes these files feel like an extension of the streaming catalog rather than a neglected archive on a hard drive.

Metadata is central here. Artist names, album artists, composers, release dates, genre tags, artwork, and track numbers determine whether a collection is a pleasure to explore or a confusing wall of filenames. A capable platform can help organize the experience, but clean tags still pay off. Spending an evening correcting a few important albums may improve daily listening more than changing an accessory.

Lossless quality is useful, not a finish line

Lossless streaming has made excellent source material widely available. With a compatible service and device, the digital data can arrive without the information discarded by traditional lossy compression. That is meaningful, especially with resolving equipment and recordings you know well.

Still, lossless is not a guarantee of superior sound. The mastering of an album often has a greater influence than its file resolution. A well-mastered CD-quality recording can sound more convincing than a poorly mastered high-resolution version. Some releases are offered in multiple editions, and the one with the biggest numbers is not always the most musical.

High-resolution playback can be worthwhile when the recording and master support it, but it should not become a distraction from the fundamentals. Stable playback, a well-designed DAC, sensible gain structure, speaker placement, and room acoustics all have a voice in the final result. Trust familiar music and sustained listening over quick comparisons.

Build for reliability first

The best streaming system is one you never hesitate to use. That begins with a stable network. Ethernet is often the simplest answer for a fixed hi-fi installation because it offers a consistent wired connection and avoids local wireless congestion. Wi-Fi can work very well when a cable is impractical, particularly with a strong router and good signal near the listening room.

Avoid assuming that every network issue is an audio issue. Dropouts are more commonly caused by weak Wi-Fi coverage, crowded router settings, or an overworked network than by a streamer itself. Start by placing the router well, updating its firmware, and using a wired connection where it makes sense. Expensive network accessories are rarely the first move when basic coverage has not been addressed.

Power supply design also matters, though its importance depends on the component and system. Quiet, stable power can support the performance of sensitive digital and analog circuits. A thoughtfully engineered external linear power supply may be a meaningful upgrade for compatible equipment, but it should follow a system that is already working reliably. Solve everyday usability before pursuing finer refinements.

Choose control that keeps you close to the music

A good controller should disappear quickly. You should be able to choose an album from the sofa, queue a discovery from a radio station, or move from a local jazz recording to a newly released orchestral album without interrupting the mood. Multiroom support may matter for a whole-home setup, while a single focused listening room may benefit most from a clean, responsive interface and dependable playback.

Voice control can be useful in casual settings, but it is not essential to a satisfying hi-fi experience. Many listeners prefer a visual interface that shows credits, artwork, formats, and queue information. Others want a tactile remote for the simplest commands. It depends on how you listen and who shares the system.

This is where an ecosystem can make a tangible difference. Volumio brings streaming services, local libraries, connected devices, and playback control into one music-first environment, while giving listeners a path from a Raspberry Pi project to dedicated components hand-assembled in Florence. The common idea is straightforward: technology should reduce friction between you and the next song.

A sensible path to a better setup

If you are beginning, connect a capable streamer to the DAC already in your amplifier or receiver, use the streaming service you know, and spend time with familiar albums. If your library is important, add it early and make sure the browsing experience feels natural. Once the basics are established, compare connection types or DAC options based on the needs of your system rather than online consensus.

For builders, software support and device compatibility are as important as the board itself. A small computer can become a genuinely rewarding network player when the operating system, audio output, and control interface are designed to work together. For established systems, dedicated hardware can offer quieter operation, better connectivity, stronger construction, and a more refined everyday experience.

Give yourself permission to stop optimizing and listen. Put on an album you have lived with for years, let it play past the tracks you usually test, and notice whether the system makes you want to hear one more side, one more movement, one more song. That is the standard a hi-fi streaming setup should meet.

The post Hi Fi Streaming for Better Sound at Home appeared first on Volumio.

25 August, 2026 05:15AM

August 24, 2026

Volumio Primo Plus Wins EISA Streamer Award 2026-2027

We are proud to announce that the Volumio Primo Plus is the winner of the 2026-2027 EISA Streamer award. Primo Plus is all about streaming quality audio with utmost clarity, and depth through its dual mono ESS design, low noise power architecture, and precision clocking.

The DAC streamer was designed to enhance the original Primo, elevating performance by combining 2 x ESS ES9039Q2M in a dual mono layout with upgraded OPAMPs, an ultra-low noise dual linear power supply, refined filtering, and a high-precision clock that cuts jitter and lifts overall resolution.

EISA Awards

In case you haven’t heard about them before, the EISA (Expert Imaging and Sound Association) represents the biggest worldwide editorial collaboration of consumer electronics. Currently with over 50 international expert magazines, every year they gather and select the best consumer electronic products, giving the EISA award to only the very best products in their category.

Primo Plus is the third Volumio product to receive an EISA award. The Volumio Rivo accepted the 2023-2024 EISA award for best digital player. Rivo delivers the best digital signal with utmost simplicity, providing top-notch digital streams to your DAC or integrated amplifier without any fuss. We are incredibly honored to receive a third award from EISA.

About Primo Plus

Engineered to extract the absolute purest signal from your music, the Primo Plus begins with a high-precision clock that minimizes phase noise and jitter for a remarkably stable, clean performance. Its sophisticated power design employs LC filtering alongside independent regulation for the analog and digital sections, protecting micro-details and maintaining effortless control.

You can tailor your listening experience using eight selectable DAC filters, or bypass them entirely with NOS mode for a pure, unprocessed sound. With a fully balanced output stage ensuring exceptional channel separation, and an integrated volume control, you can connect the Primo Plus directly to your power amp for a sleek, ultra-high-performance system.

Primo Plus: Advanced listening experience, studio-grade playback

Volumio Primo Plus is all about tailoring the audio to your ears. Tweak and fine-tune your sound using the selectable DAC filters, or let the pre-automated system handle the heavy lifting. With the fully balanced architecture and integrated capabilities, Primo Plus is more than just a streamer. It is a true game-changer, combining advanced audio technology, effortless ease of use, and uncompromising playback to enhance your listening experience.

Learn more about the Primo Plus and what makes it an award-winning streamer.

The post Volumio Primo Plus Wins EISA Streamer Award 2026-2027 appeared first on Volumio.

24 August, 2026 12:57PM by Priyal Talwar

GreenboneOS

CVE-2026-19478: GitLab CE/EE GraphQL Unauthenticated Flaw Actively Exploited

GitLab has released fixes for CVE-2026-19478 (CVSS 9.4, EPSS 0.7% (51st percentile)), a critical-severity code injection flaw [CWE-94]. The vulnerability affects the GraphQL directive in GitLab Community Edition (CE) and Enterprise Edition (EE). According to GitLab, the flaw can allow an unauthenticated attacker to remotely modify or delete public projects and user data under certain […]

24 August, 2026 11:33AM by Joseph Lee

Deepin

(中文) 应用商店｜deepin 电脑管家正式上线，一键守护你的系统安全！

Sorry, this entry is only available in 中文.

24 August, 2026 02:02AM by xiaofei

August 23, 2026

Volumio

Best DACs for Network Streaming Explained

A great network streamer can put an extraordinary catalog at your fingertips, but the DAC is where those digital files become music in your room. The best DACs for network streaming are not simply the models with the highest sample-rate figure or the longest specification sheet. They are the ones that suit your streamer, amplifier, speakers, listening habits, and priorities.

For some systems, that means a transparent standalone DAC that lets a dedicated transport do its best work. For others, it means choosing a streamer with a well-executed DAC already inside it, reducing boxes and cables without giving up musical involvement. The right choice begins with understanding what the DAC actually contributes.

What a DAC changes in a streaming system

A digital-to-analog converter receives the streamer’s digital signal and turns it into the analog signal your amplifier can use. That simple description hides a great deal of engineering: clock management, power regulation, digital filtering, analog output stages, and circuit layout all influence the final result.

A good DAC should not impose a personality on every recording. It should preserve the timing, tonal color, space, and dynamic contrast already present in the music. When a system gets this right, bass lines are easier to follow, vocal phrasing feels more natural, and dense arrangements remain intelligible instead of becoming a flat wall of sound.

That does not mean every listener wants the same presentation. Some prefer a highly revealing sound with sharply defined transients. Others value a more relaxed, full-bodied character that makes long listening sessions inviting. Neither preference is wrong. The best choice is the one that makes you want to play one more album.

Start with your streamer, not the DAC chip

It is easy to compare converter chips and assume that a particular name or number tells the whole story. In practice, the chip is only one part of the design. Two DACs built around the same chip can sound noticeably different because their power supplies, clocks, output stages, and implementation choices differ.

Begin with the digital outputs on your network streamer. USB is often the most flexible connection for high-resolution playback and can carry PCM and DSD formats at high rates. AES/EBU is a balanced professional-style connection valued for its secure locking connector and excellent noise rejection. Coaxial S/PDIF is widely available, dependable, and capable of superb sound. Optical can be useful where electrical isolation is the priority, though it may have more limited format support depending on the equipment.

If your streamer offers a dedicated USB audio output, look for a DAC with a well-designed asynchronous USB input. In this arrangement, the DAC controls the timing of the data transfer rather than relying on the source device’s clock. This can help reduce timing errors and gives the DAC’s own clocking architecture a more central role.

Integrated DAC or separate components?

An integrated streamer-DAC is the elegant answer for listeners who want fewer components and a simpler system. It combines network playback, control, and conversion in one chassis, often with a shorter signal path and less cable clutter. For a second system, a compact listening room, or anyone who wants excellent playback without building a rack full of equipment, this approach makes a great deal of sense.

A separate streamer and DAC offers more freedom. You can select a digital transport for its interface, software experience, and isolation, then pair it with a DAC chosen for its analog character and connectivity. It also makes future upgrades more focused. If streaming technology evolves, you can replace the transport while keeping a DAC you already love.

The trade-off is that separate components require more care. Digital cable choice, placement, power quality, and gain matching can all matter. This is not a reason to avoid separates. It is simply a reason to choose them with purpose rather than assuming more boxes automatically mean better sound.

The features that matter most

Format compatibility matters, but only in proportion to the music you play. A DAC that handles high-resolution PCM files and the formats supported by your preferred services will cover the needs of most listeners. Native DSD capability may be relevant if you own a library in that format, but it should not outweigh more fundamental qualities such as a quiet analog stage and stable operation.

Pay closer attention to inputs and outputs. A DAC with USB, coaxial, optical, and AES/EBU inputs gives a system room to grow and can accommodate a CD transport, television, or computer alongside your streamer. Balanced XLR outputs are useful when your amplifier supports them, especially with longer cable runs. Well-designed RCA outputs remain an excellent choice for many systems.

Volume control deserves particular thought. Some DACs offer a variable output that can feed a power amplifier directly. This can create a remarkably clean, minimal system, but only if the DAC’s volume implementation is genuinely strong and your sources are limited. A dedicated preamplifier may still be preferable when you need multiple analog inputs, tone shaping, or a particular kind of drive and presence in the system.

Do not underestimate power and isolation

Network playback joins sensitive audio circuitry with processors, wireless radios, Ethernet connections, and switching power supplies. A thoughtfully designed DAC protects its analog section from unwanted electrical noise through careful grounding, shielding, regulation, and component layout.

This is one reason specifications alone cannot tell the whole story. A very low distortion measurement is valuable, but it does not fully describe how a DAC handles a complex recording at realistic volume. Listen for the quiet between notes, the stability of an image, and whether cymbals retain texture without becoming brittle.

External power supplies can be worthwhile in the right design, but they are not a universal upgrade. First make sure the DAC itself is a strong match for your system. Better fundamentals will usually bring greater rewards than adding accessories to compensate for a poor fit.

How to audition the best DACs for network streaming

When possible, audition with familiar music, not only demonstration tracks. Choose a sparse vocal recording, an acoustic piece with natural decay, a rhythmically demanding track, and a densely arranged song you know well. These reveal different strengths.

Keep volume levels closely matched. A slightly louder component often appears more detailed or exciting, even when it is not more accurate. Give each DAC enough time, too. Initial impressions are useful, but the better question is whether you remain engaged after an hour of listening.

Listen for musical clues rather than hi-fi fireworks. Does a piano have convincing weight and harmonic complexity? Can you follow the bass player without losing the kick drum? Do voices feel placed in a believable space? Is the presentation involving at low volume as well as loud? A DAC that impresses immediately but becomes fatiguing is rarely the long-term answer.

Match the DAC to the rest of the chain

A revealing DAC can be wonderful with warm, forgiving speakers and an amplifier with good tonal density. In an already forward or highly detailed system, the same DAC may push the sound toward fatigue. Conversely, a smoother DAC can bring balance to bright room acoustics, but may feel too soft in a heavily damped room or with laid-back speakers.

Consider your amplifier’s input sensitivity and the DAC’s output voltage as well. Most combinations work without issue, but a mismatch can leave you with a narrow useful range on the volume control or excessive gain. If you use a tube amplifier, a high-efficiency speaker, or a direct-to-amp setup, this detail becomes especially relevant.

Your room remains part of the system. Before replacing a capable DAC in search of more bass or a wider soundstage, check speaker placement, seating position, and basic room treatment. Those changes can be more dramatic than a component swap.

A better way to choose

Set a clear budget for the complete digital front end, including the streamer, DAC, and the connections required to use them properly. Then decide what matters most: maximum simplicity, broad connectivity, a direct-to-amplifier path, upgrade flexibility, or a particular sonic balance.

For listeners building a refined streaming system, the most satisfying result often comes from treating software and hardware as one experience. A platform such as Volumio can bring local files and favorite streaming services into one focused interface, while a carefully chosen DAC gives that library the scale, color, and emotional immediacy it deserves.

Trust the listening experience over feature anxiety. The right DAC will make technology recede, leaving the performance in front of you and the next record already calling from the queue.

The post Best DACs for Network Streaming Explained appeared first on Volumio.

23 August, 2026 05:12AM

August 22, 2026

Qubes

Qubes OS Summit 2026: Proposals closing soon; tickets still available!

As previously announced, the call for proposals for Qubes OS Summit 2026 will end on 2026-08-31. If you’d like to present at the Summit, please submit your proposal soon! As a reminder:

You may present either on site or virtually from anywhere in the world.
If your proposal is accepted and you wish to present in person, you’ll be issued an on-site ticket free of charge, no purchase necessary.
If you select “Don’t record this session” when submitting your proposal, your presentation will not be livestreamed or recorded. Online attendees will not be able to view it.

When and where

Friday, October 30 @ 9:30 AM — Sunday, November 1 @ 3:00 PM (GMT+1)
(A more specific schedule will be published after the speaker lineup is finalized.)

Refugio Berlin
Lenaustraße 3-4
12047 Berlin
View on OpenStreetMap

Attend in person or online

There are three ways to attend the Summit:

In person at Refugio Berlin
- Requires a paid on-site ticket
- Grants access to the hackathon (including interactive workshops) and any design sessions (depending on conference schedule)
- Provides the opportunity to socialize, network, and mingle with like-minded individuals who are passionate about secure computing
- Grants exclusive access to any non-livestreamed, non-recorded presentations (see below)
- Grants access to attend presentations and participate as a live audience member
Actively participate online
- Requires a free virtual ticket
- For those who are presenting remotely
- For those who are attending presentations remotely and wish to ask questions or engage in active discussion in a live chat during the presentations
- Does not grant access to the hackathon or any design sessions
- Does not provide the opportunity to socialize, network, or mingle with like-minded individuals who are passionate about secure computing
- Does not grant access to any non-livestreamed, non-recorded presentations (see below)
- Does not grant access to attend presentations as a live audience member
Passively view online
- No ticket or registration required
- For those who simply wish to watch the presentations via the public livestream and recorded videos
- Does not provide the ability to ask questions or engage in active discussion during the presentations
- Does not grant access to the hackathon or any design sessions
- Does not provide the opportunity to socialize, network, or mingle with like-minded individuals who are passionate about secure computing
- Does not grant access to any non-livestreamed, non-recorded presentations (see below)
- Does not grant access to attend presentations as a live audience member

Note: As mentioned above, presenters have the option to request that their presentations not be recorded. If a presenter opts out of recording, there will be a “no recording” icon next to that presentation in the conference schedule. Only on-site attendees will be able to view that presentation. It will not be livestreamed or recorded for later viewing.

Conference schedule

We’re still reviewing proposals from prospective presenters, so the list of talks has not been decided yet. We’ll publish a detailed conference schedule after the speaker lineup has been finalized.

If you or your organization are interested in sponsoring Qubes OS Summit 2026 or becoming a Qubes Partner, please contact us at funding@qubes-os.org.

Code of conduct

This event is covered by the Qubes OS Project’s code of conduct.

22 August, 2026 12:00AM

August 21, 2026

GreenboneOS

Wiz Loves OPENVAS! Our Take on Being a Top Vulnerability Management Tool of 2026

When Wiz recently published its roundup of the Best Vulnerability Management Tools for 2026, something caught our attention, but didn’t surprise us: OPENVAS received a top spot and a great review. Wiz describes OPENVAS as the “open-source equivalent” to commercial vulnerability scanners. The review calls OPENVAS “the most comprehensive coverage available in a single platform”. […]

21 August, 2026 10:56AM by Greenbone AG

Volumio

What a Music Server Brings to a Hi-Fi System

A favorite record can disappear behind a handful of apps, account logins, input changes, and a phone that keeps interrupting the moment. A music server changes that equation. It gives your hi-fi system one considered place to find, organize, and play the music you already own, alongside the services and radio stations you enjoy.

For listeners who care about both sound and the ritual of choosing an album, this is not simply another box on the network. It is the component that turns digital music from a collection of disconnected sources into a library worth living with.

What is a music server?

A music server is a dedicated device or software-based system that stores, indexes, and delivers digital music to your audio system. In a typical setup, it connects to your home network and feeds music to a DAC, integrated amplifier, active speakers, or network-capable hi-fi component.

The term covers a few different roles. A server may hold a local library on internal storage, a USB drive, or a network-attached storage device. It may also bring together streaming subscriptions, internet radio, podcasts, and music stored elsewhere on the network. Some products combine server and player functions in one chassis; others focus on sending a clean digital signal to an external DAC.

That flexibility matters because there is no single right system. A listener with thousands of carefully tagged CDs in FLAC files has different needs from someone who mostly streams new releases in high resolution. The strongest music server setups accommodate both without making either feel secondary.

Why a dedicated music server feels different

A computer can play music, and a phone can stream it to many devices. Neither is automatically a poor choice. But general-purpose devices are designed to do everything at once. Notifications arrive, operating systems update, applications compete for attention, and the music interface is often an afterthought.

A dedicated server has a narrower purpose: to make playback reliable, easy to control, and appropriate for a serious audio system. It stays available in the rack or on the network, ready to play without opening a laptop or changing cables. Its interface can present albums, artists, composers, genres, playlists, and favorites in one view rather than separating your listening life by source.

There is a sound-quality dimension as well, although it deserves a measured view. Digital audio is not made better by mystique. The quality of the DAC, clocking, power supply, network implementation, and downstream system all influence the result. A well-designed music server can reduce unnecessary noise and provide stable, bit-perfect playback, particularly when paired with resolving electronics. How much you hear will depend on the rest of your system and your listening priorities.

The more immediate benefit is often behavioral. When your library and streaming catalog are easy to browse from one app, you listen more deeply. You return to old purchases, compare recordings, build playlists for an evening, and spend less time managing technology.

Local music, streaming, and radio in one place

A good music server should not force a choice between owning music and subscribing to it. Local files remain valuable. They may include rare releases, live recordings, downloads unavailable on streaming services, and the carefully curated collection you have built over years. They also remain available when a catalog changes or an internet connection does not cooperate.

Streaming adds a different kind of pleasure: immediate access to new artists, editorial recommendations, and an enormous catalog that would be impractical to own outright. Internet radio brings another layer, from local stations to specialist broadcasts from around the world.

The experience becomes far more satisfying when these sources appear in a single music environment. You should be able to move from a saved album in your library to a related streaming release, then cue a radio station, without treating each source as a separate system. This is where thoughtful software matters as much as hardware.

Volumio is built around that simple promise: all your music in one place. Its ecosystem supports local collections, major streaming services, web radio, and connected devices through a unified interface designed for listening rather than app switching.

The parts of a music server setup

Before choosing a music server, consider the role it will play in your system. The first question is whether it includes a DAC. If your integrated amplifier or separate DAC already has a digital input you love, a dedicated network transport can be the cleaner choice. It handles music playback and sends a digital signal to the DAC you already own.

If you are building a system from scratch, a server with an integrated DAC may simplify the path. It can reduce the number of components and cables while providing a carefully matched digital front end. For some systems, that is ideal. For others, separate components offer more room to tailor the sound over time.

Storage is another decision. Internal or directly attached USB storage can be straightforward and fast, especially for a modest library. Network-attached storage is useful when your collection is large, shared among several systems, or kept in another room. The trade-off is that network storage requires more setup and a little more attention to file organization.

Finally, think about control. Most listeners want a responsive phone or tablet interface, but a good server should not make the device in your hand feel like the source of the music. The phone is simply the remote. Playback continues at the server, leaving your listening session free from calls, notifications, and battery anxiety.

File formats and sound quality: what actually matters

It is easy to get lost in specifications. Support for common lossless formats such as FLAC, ALAC, WAV, and AIFF is essential for most local libraries, while DSD support may matter to collectors with compatible files and hardware. Yet file compatibility alone does not define the listening experience.

Start with well-ripped or well-purchased music, accurate metadata, and a system that plays your preferred formats without conversion you did not ask for. Then consider the signal path. If you use an external DAC, make sure the server provides the output you need, whether USB, coaxial, optical, or AES/EBU. If you use an integrated solution, assess the quality of its analog stage and whether it suits the character of your amplifier and speakers.

High-resolution audio can be worthwhile when the source recording and mastering justify it. It is not a substitute for a great performance or a thoughtful master. A favorite album at CD quality, played reliably through a system you understand, can be more compelling than an unfamiliar high-resolution file selected only because its numbers are larger.

Metadata is part of the music

Digital libraries can become frustrating when they are treated as folders instead of collections. Album artwork, correct artist credits, release dates, composers, genres, and track numbering all shape how easily you can rediscover music.

A capable music server scans your library and turns those details into useful ways to browse. Classical listeners may want composer, conductor, ensemble, and work information. Jazz fans may look for personnel and recording sessions. Rock and electronic collections often benefit from consistent album artist and genre tags. The right level of organization is personal, but clean metadata gives the system something meaningful to work with.

This is also why a server should be forgiving. Libraries built over decades are rarely perfect. The software should help you enjoy the collection now while giving you practical ways to refine it gradually, album by album, as you notice what needs attention.

Choosing the right path for your system

For a first system, ease of setup may matter most. A purpose-built streamer or all-in-one player can bring local music and streaming into a traditional hi-fi in a single step. For an established system, a focused transport may be the better fit when you already own a DAC whose presentation you value.

Makers have another path. A Raspberry Pi or PC-based player running dedicated audio software can be an exceptionally rewarding project. It offers freedom to choose a case, power supply, storage approach, and output hardware while benefiting from an interface built for music playback. The trade-off is time: DIY invites experimentation, and the best result comes from enjoying the process rather than rushing it.

Whichever path you choose, start with the music you play most often. Make sure your server supports the services you use, reads your library reliably, connects properly to your DAC or amplifier, and feels pleasant to browse from across the room. A specification sheet can confirm compatibility, but only daily use tells you whether a component belongs in your system.

The best music server does not ask you to admire the technology. It makes the next album easier to choose, lets the first note arrive without distraction, and gives your collection the presence it has always deserved.

The post What a Music Server Brings to a Hi-Fi System appeared first on Volumio.

21 August, 2026 05:16AM

Deepin

(中文) 从用户到首次开发者：我在deepin社区的第一次“动手”

Sorry, this entry is only available in 中文.

21 August, 2026 04:47AM by xiaofei

August 20, 2026

VyOS

Your Network Shouldn't Wait in Line Behind an AI Data Center

Ask anyone who has tried to buy a networking appliance recently, and you will hear the same story. The quote takes longer to arrive, the price is higher than budgeted, and the delivery date has quietly moved from weeks to quarters. Industry lead-time tracking through 2026 puts network switches at 40 to 56 weeks in some categories, and high-speed optical components at 36 to 50 weeks, against a historical baseline of three to four months. Some of our customers report waiting six months or more for hardware from traditional vendors before a single packet moves.

This is not a temporary blip, and it is not really about routers at all.

20 August, 2026 11:59AM by Santiago Blanquet (yago.blanquet@vyos.io)

ZEVENET

SKUDONET Community Edition: From 7.1 to 7.2.1, and What Comes Next

SKUDONET Community Edition 7.2.1, released on 21 November 2024, remains the current stable release of SKUDONET’s open-source load balancer. Development of the next Community Edition version is already underway, with work focused on reintroducing URL rewriting capabilities similar to proxy_pass, adopting OWASP Core Rule Set v4 as the default WAF ruleset, and adding cluster configuration from the web interface, among other changes.

Since Community Edition 7.1.0 was released in June 2024, the project has added a ModSecurity-based Web Application Firewall in 7.2.0, followed by updates to the web interface, base system, SNMP configuration and certificate management in 7.2.1.

What’s being developed next

Development of the next Community Edition version is currently underway, with work covering HTTP/S traffic management, clustering, security, performance and the web interface.

One of the areas being worked on is URL rewriting similar to proxy_pass for HTTP/S traffic. This capability is not available in the current 7.x Community Edition releases and is now being implemented on the current HTTP/S proxy.

Another significant change under development is cluster configuration directly from the web management interface. Clustering is already supported in Community Edition, but setting it up currently requires configuration directly on the system. The new implementation will bring that process into the web interface, reducing the amount of manual system-level configuration required to set up and manage a cluster.

Other areas currently under development include:

OWASP Core Rule Set v4 as the default ruleset for the Web Application Firewall.
Optimisation of farm startup and statistics processing.
A redesigned web interface aligned with the interfaces used across other SKUDONET products.

These changes are still work in progress. The final scope may change during development, and there is currently no confirmed release date. Full release notes and upgrade information will be published once the new version is ready.

Community Edition 7.2.1: the current stable release

The web interface was updated to Angular 18, while the underlying system moved to Debian 12.8.

SNMP configuration was also extended to support multiple scopes, allowing more than one source IP to query the load balancer over SNMP.

Other changes affected certificate management, including additional checks when deleting Let’s Encrypt certificates and a fix for cases where the SSL certificate list could appear empty.

Community Edition 7.2: WAF support

Community Edition 7.2.0, released on 22 October 2024, added the IPDS Web Application Firewall module, based on ModSecurity v3.

The release also added geolocation support for WAF rules, Lua 5.2 support and syntax highlighting for SecLang and Lua configurations.

Outside the WAF, SSLv2 and TLSv1 were disabled by default in HTTPS farms, additional checks were introduced for DHCP processes, Farm Guardian binaries were added to backups, and networking and package-update issues were corrected.

Earlier changes: Community Edition 7.1

SKUDONET Community Edition 7.1.0 was released on 19 June 2024. The v7 branch was already based on Debian 12 Bookworm and Linux kernel 6.1, following the migration introduced with Community Edition 7.0 in September 2023.

Version 7.1 added DHCP configuration for NIC and VLAN interfaces, support for using an FQDN as a backend address in HTTP farms, and a TLS 1.3 directive for HTTPS farms. It also added more handling modes for HTTP 100-Continue, QEMU hypervisor detection in the dashboard, a UDP check for Farm Guardian and changes to Let’s Encrypt renewal handling, along with fixes for package dependencies, farm graphs and other system components.

Following the project

SKUDONET Community Edition remains publicly available as the open-source edition of the SKUDONET Application Delivery platform. It provides L4 and L7 load balancing, HTTP/S traffic management, SSL/TLS termination, health checks and, since 7.2, an integrated Web Application Firewall based on ModSecurity v3.

Releases and source code are available on GitHub. Changes across Community Edition versions are also documented in the SKUDONET Timeline, and the Community Forum remains available for technical questions, issue reports and discussions around the platform.

20 August, 2026 10:57AM by Isabel Perez

Volumio

Does DAC Quality Matter in a Hi-Fi System?

A familiar recording can reveal the question quickly. Put on a well-recorded vocal, piano trio, or acoustic guitar track, settle into a system you know well, and switch between two DACs. Sometimes the change is subtle. Sometimes the singer seems to step out from between the speakers, cymbals lose their glare, and the room around the recording becomes easier to follow. So, does DAC quality matter? Yes, but its impact depends greatly on the rest of the system, the recording, and how you listen.

A digital-to-analog converter is not a magic upgrade, nor is it merely a commodity hidden inside every streamer, phone, and amplifier. It is the component that turns a stream or music file into the analog signal your amplifier and speakers can reproduce. Its job is foundational. But a better DAC cannot repair poor speakers, an untreated room, or a compromised recording.

Does DAC Quality Matter? The Honest Answer

DAC quality matters most when the rest of your system is transparent enough to expose the difference. In a revealing hi-fi setup, a well-designed DAC can improve clarity, timing, tonal naturalness, spatial detail, and the sense of ease that makes long listening sessions rewarding. In a modest system, or one limited by speaker placement and room acoustics, the difference may be smaller than expected.

This is why opinions about DACs can sound contradictory. One listener swaps a DAC and hears a profound improvement. Another hears almost nothing. Both can be right. They may be using different speakers, different amplifiers, different recordings, or different output levels. They may also value different aspects of reproduction.

The useful question is not whether expensive DACs always sound better. It is whether your current digital front end is the limiting factor in your own system.

What a DAC Actually Changes

A DAC receives digital samples and reconstructs the continuously varying electrical waveform that represents music. That description is simple. Executing it well involves careful choices in circuit design, clocking, power regulation, digital filtering, output stages, grounding, and physical layout.

The conversion chip itself matters, but it is only one part of the story. Two products can use the same converter chip and sound different because the surrounding implementation is different. The analog output stage, for example, has a direct influence on how the converted signal is delivered to the next component. A noisy power supply or poorly managed digital interference can reduce the benefits of an otherwise capable design.

A quality DAC is often less about adding a dramatic sonic signature and more about removing distractions. You may notice cleaner decay from a piano note, more stable placement of instruments, or less hardness when a dense chorus rises. The presentation can feel more composed and more believable rather than simply brighter or more detailed.

Resolution is not the same as musicality

Specifications such as high sample-rate support, bit depth, dynamic range, and total harmonic distortion are useful. They show whether a product meets meaningful engineering targets. Yet they do not tell the full story of listening pleasure.

A DAC with impressive measurements can still be paired with an output stage that feels flat or fatiguing in a particular system. Conversely, a carefully voiced and engineered DAC may make music feel more natural even if its feature list is less dramatic. This is not an argument against measurements. It is an argument for considering them alongside thoughtful design and real listening.

Jitter and noise are part of the picture

Digital audio is often described as perfect because data can be transmitted accurately. The music file may indeed arrive intact, but conversion is an analog event. Timing errors, electrical noise, and interference can affect how that data becomes an audio signal.

Modern digital audio hardware has made major progress in controlling these issues. Good designs use stable clocks, effective isolation, clean power, and careful board layouts to keep unwanted noise away from sensitive analog circuitry. The audible result is rarely a single obvious effect. More often, it is a quieter background, cleaner transients, and a more relaxed presentation when the music becomes complex.

When a Better DAC Makes the Biggest Difference

A DAC upgrade is most likely to be worthwhile when you already have capable speakers or headphones, a competent amplifier, and a well-organized listening setup. If your system reveals changes in recordings and source material, it can probably reveal changes upstream as well.

It can also make sense when you are moving from a basic built-in conversion stage to a dedicated unit designed for serious listening. Many televisions, computers, budget streamers, and integrated amplifiers include DACs for convenience. Some are excellent. Others are designed primarily to meet a price point and deliver sound without fuss. A dedicated DAC gives the designer more room to focus on power, isolation, analog circuitry, and connection options.

There is another practical reason to choose a better DAC: system flexibility. A dedicated unit may provide USB, coaxial, optical, or balanced analog connections that make it easier to integrate a computer, CD transport, television, network streamer, or music server. The gain is not only sonic. It can simplify how you live with your music.

When You Should Spend Elsewhere First

If your speakers are poorly positioned, start there. Moving speakers away from walls, adjusting toe-in, and creating a stable listening triangle can transform imaging and bass far more than changing a DAC. The room itself has an equally large voice, especially at low frequencies.

Speakers and headphones also remain the largest tonal influence in most systems. If voices sound thin, bass is uncontrolled, or treble is harsh, a DAC may not be the right first solution. Amplifier-speaker matching, room reflections, and the speakers’ own character deserve attention before assuming the converter is at fault.

Source quality matters too, though not always in the way marketing suggests. Lossless music from a well-managed local library or a high-quality streaming service provides a strong foundation. A poor master will remain a poor master through any DAC. By contrast, a great recording can sound compelling through relatively modest equipment.

For many listeners, the sensible upgrade order is speakers and placement first, then amplification where needed, then the digital front end. This is not a rigid rule. A system built around high-resolution headphones, for example, may benefit from DAC and headphone amplifier improvements earlier in the process.

How to Listen Without Fooling Yourself

DAC comparisons are easy to exaggerate because they are often made under unfair conditions. A difference as small as a fraction of a decibel in output level can make one component seem clearer, fuller, or more dynamic. If possible, level-match the units closely and use the same track sections.

Choose music you know deeply rather than audiophile test tracks you would never normally play. Listen for vocal texture, bass definition, the decay of acoustic instruments, and whether busy passages remain intelligible. Give yourself time. The most meaningful differences often appear not in the first ten seconds, but in whether you want to keep listening for an hour.

It also helps to avoid treating every difference as an improvement. Some DACs may sound more forward, softer, warmer, or sharper in a way that initially grabs attention. The better fit is the one that serves your system and your music collection without making recordings feel artificially polished or relentlessly analytical.

Building a Digital Front End Around Your Music

A satisfying digital system begins with reliable playback and easy access to the music you love. Local files, streaming favorites, internet radio, and connected devices should feel like parts of one collection, not a series of technical obstacles. Once that foundation is in place, you can make more confident decisions about where sound quality needs attention.

A dedicated streamer paired with an external DAC is a flexible route for listeners who want to tailor each part of the chain. An all-in-one player can be the better choice when simplicity, space, and a coherent design matter more. Neither approach is inherently superior. The right one is the one that invites you to play more music.

For systems ready for a dedicated converter, Volumio Preciso reflects the value of treating digital conversion as a serious analog and digital engineering task, while preserving the pleasure and directness of music playback. For builders, a carefully configured network player can also be an excellent way to hear what a capable external DAC brings to a familiar system.

The Upgrade That Should Feel Like Music

The best DAC does not announce itself every time you press play. It lets recordings breathe, preserves the character of instruments, and gives you fewer reasons to think about equipment. If your current system already does that, enjoy it. If it does not, listen carefully before you buy, make the change that addresses the real limitation, and let the next great record make the case for you.

The post Does DAC Quality Matter in a Hi-Fi System? appeared first on Volumio.

20 August, 2026 09:10AM

GreenboneOS

CVE-2026-8037 Now Actively Exploited! Unauthenticated RCE in Progress Kemp LoadMaster and ECS Connection Manager

CVE-2026-8037 (CVSS 9.8, EPSS >= 100th pctl) is a critical, unauthenticated remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability in Progress Kemp LoadMaster and Progress ECS Connection Manager. eSentire reported that exploitation attempts began on June 29th, 2026, and the flaw has now been added to CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) list. watchTowr Labs published a separate technical […]

20 August, 2026 09:04AM by Joseph Lee

Deepin

DeepSeek Harness and ChatGPT Clients Now Available on the Linyaps Store

Summary Linyaps is expanding its application ecosystem with two high‑profile AI desktop offerings: DeepSeek Harness and the official ChatGPT Linux client are now published on the Linyaps Store. Leveraging Linyaps’ cross‑distribution container‑packaging technology, users across deepin, Ubuntu, Debian, Arch Linux and other mainstream Linux distributions are able to install these AI applications with one click. Complex manual deployment and dependency configuration are no longer required, further enriching the AI‑focused software library available within the Linyaps ecosystem. The Linyaps Store Community Edition serves as the unified desktop gateway to the cross‑distribution Linyaps application ecosystem. Once installed on Ubuntu, Arch Linux or ...Read more

20 August, 2026 01:52AM by xiaofei

August 19, 2026

GreenboneOS

Patch Now! Two Actively Exploited CVEs Affecting VMware vCenter Server and More

Broadcom published VMSA-2026-0006 on July 29th, 2026, to address five vulnerabilities affecting VMware ESX, VMware vCenter Server, VMware Workstation, and VMware Fusion. The highest-risk issues are CVE-2026-59309 (CVSS 9.8) and CVE-2026-59310 (CVSS 9.8) affecting VMware vCenter Server. Both can be exploited by an unauthenticated attacker with network access to achieve remote code execution (RCE). Technical […]

19 August, 2026 07:02AM by Joseph Lee

Volumio

How to Set Up Spotify Connect Playback at Home

A great listening session should not begin with pairing modes, input switching, or a search for the right cable. When you set up Spotify Connect playback correctly, your phone becomes a thoughtful remote while the music is streamed directly to the player connected to your hi-fi system. You keep the familiar Spotify experience, but give it a proper place in the listening room.

Spotify Connect is particularly useful when your music moves easily between headphones, a kitchen speaker, and a dedicated stereo system. Start an album on your phone, then send it to the system where the music can breathe. The phone is free to take calls, leave the room, or run out of battery without interrupting playback.

What Spotify Connect does differently

Spotify Connect is not conventional Bluetooth streaming. With Bluetooth, your phone sends audio to a receiver, and its connection quality, notifications, and distance can affect the experience. With Spotify Connect, the compatible playback device connects to Spotify through your home network and receives the stream itself. Your phone, tablet, or computer simply tells that device what to play.

That distinction matters in a hi-fi setup. The network player handles playback and passes audio to its internal DAC, an external DAC, or an amplifier, depending on your system. The result is a cleaner, more dependable arrangement with fewer everyday compromises.

It also makes handoffs feel natural. You can begin listening on a laptop, open Spotify on your phone, choose the same player, and take over the queue without starting again. Volume and playback controls remain in the Spotify app, while the dedicated audio component stays focused on its job: playing music well.

What you need before you set up Spotify Connect playback

The essentials are straightforward: a Spotify account with access to Connect on your chosen device, a Spotify Connect-compatible music player or speaker, and a stable home network. Your controller device and playback device should normally be connected to the same local network during setup.

For a traditional stereo, the player needs a path into your system. That may be an analog connection to an integrated amplifier, a digital connection to an external DAC, or a network-capable amplifier with Spotify Connect built in. The best choice depends on the equipment you already own and how you prefer to manage digital conversion.

Wired Ethernet is worth considering when the player is close to your router or network switch. Wi-Fi can work extremely well, especially with strong coverage, but Ethernet removes one variable from a system designed for long, uninterrupted sessions. If your player is in a rack, behind metal cabinetry, or far from the router, network stability deserves attention before you blame the music service.

You should also make sure the player is fully updated. Firmware and software updates can improve device discovery, account behavior, and network compatibility. On a Volumio music player, for example, Spotify Connect capability can bring the Spotify app directly into a system built around local libraries and other streaming services.

Set up Spotify Connect playback step by step

Start by connecting your playback device to your amplifier, DAC, or active speakers. Select the correct input on the receiving component and confirm that the player has power. If your system uses an external DAC, choose the appropriate digital output from the player and make sure the DAC is set to that input.

Next, connect the music player to your home network. Ethernet is generally automatic once connected. For Wi-Fi, use the player’s setup interface or companion app to select your network and enter the password. Wait until the player confirms it has joined the network before opening Spotify.

Now open Spotify on your phone, tablet, or computer and begin playing any track. Tap the device-selection icon, usually shown as a speaker and screen, then look for your music player in the available-device list. Its name may be the manufacturer default, a custom room name, or the name you assigned during setup.

Select the player. Spotify should move the current track and queue to that device within a moment. Turn the volume down before the first full-volume test, then raise it gradually from the control that makes the most sense in your system. In many hi-fi setups, the amplifier should remain the main volume control. This gives you a predictable reference point and avoids surprises when switching sources.

Once music is playing, spend a minute confirming the basics. Pause and resume from your phone. Skip a track. Browse an album and add it to the queue. Then walk into another room with your phone. If playback continues without interruption, the player is streaming independently, exactly as it should.

Name the player for the way you listen

A clear device name makes a larger difference than it seems. “Living Room Hi-Fi,” “Studio System,” or “Upstairs Listening Room” is easier to recognize than a model number, especially in a household with multiple streaming devices.

If you have more than one compatible system, naming is also how you avoid sending music to the wrong room. Keep names short, distinct, and based on location rather than technical details. You should be able to choose the right system at a glance when a favorite record comes to mind.

Choose the right connection for your system

Spotify Connect handles the stream, but the rest of the signal path still shapes how your system works day to day. An all-in-one streaming amplifier is the simplest route: connect it to your speakers, join the network, and select it in Spotify. It is ideal for listeners who want fewer boxes and less cabling.

A separate network player and DAC offer more flexibility. This arrangement lets you choose the digital-to-analog conversion that suits your system and makes future upgrades more targeted. It can also be the better fit for an existing preamp and power amplifier setup, where each component already has a clear role.

Analog output from a streamer is often the most direct option when its internal DAC is a good match for your system. Digital output makes sense when you own a DAC you enjoy or when your integrated amplifier includes a capable digital section. Neither approach is automatically better. The right answer depends on the voicing you prefer, available inputs, and how much complexity you want in the rack.

If your Spotify Connect device does not appear

When a player is missing from Spotify’s device list, the cause is usually network-related rather than audio-related. First, confirm that the player is powered on, connected to the network, and not in a setup or standby state that disables network playback.

Then check that your phone and player are on the same network. Guest Wi-Fi networks, mesh-network settings, VPNs, and separate 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz network rules can prevent devices from seeing each other even when both have internet access. Temporarily disconnecting a VPN and moving both devices to the primary home network often resolves discovery issues.

Restarting the Spotify app, the controller device, and the player can refresh the connection. If the issue persists, restart the router and check for software updates on the player. Avoid factory-resetting a component as a first response. It is time-consuming and rarely necessary for a simple discovery problem.

If playback starts but drops out, test the network before changing audio settings. Try Ethernet if practical, move the Wi-Fi access point closer, or reduce interference around the player. High-resolution local playback can place different demands on a network, but Spotify Connect should still be stable on a healthy home connection.

Make it part of a better listening routine

Spotify Connect is at its best when it removes friction without taking attention away from the music. Use it for quick discovery, shared queues, and those moments when someone wants to hear one more track before dinner. Then let your dedicated player remain the center of the system, ready for local files, other services, and focused album listening.

The small setup decisions matter: a reliable network, sensible device names, and a signal path you understand. Get those right once, and choosing a song becomes the only control you need to think about.

The post How to Set Up Spotify Connect Playback at Home appeared first on Volumio.

19 August, 2026 04:36AM

Tails

Tails 7.11

Changes and updates

Update Tor Browser to 15.0.20.

Fixed problems

Fix activation of Persistent Storage on some computers. (#19913)

For more details, read our changelog.

Get Tails 7.11

To upgrade your Tails USB stick and keep your Persistent Storage

Automatic upgrades are available from Tails 7.0 or later to 7.11.
If you cannot do an automatic upgrade or if Tails fails to start after an automatic upgrade, please try to do a manual upgrade.

To install Tails 7.11 on a new USB stick

Follow our installation instructions.

The Persistent Storage on the USB stick will be lost if you install instead of upgrading.

To download only

If you don't need installation or upgrade instructions, you can download Tails 7.11 directly:

19 August, 2026 12:00AM

August 18, 2026

Deepin

(中文) 开源之夏 2026｜deepin 社区两大课题，丰厚奖金等你来赢！

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18 August, 2026 10:16AM by xiaofei

Volumio

DAC Reviews: How to Hear What Matters Most

A reviewer calls a DAC “revealing,” another hears it as “smooth,” and a third publishes measurements that appear nearly perfect. DAC reviews can be genuinely useful, but only when you read them as part of a larger listening picture. The right digital-to-analog converter is not simply the one with the highest specification or the most dramatic description. It is the one that helps your music feel more present, more natural, and easier to return to in your own system.

For listeners building a serious digital front end, the question is rarely whether a DAC matters. It is how much it matters within the rest of the chain, and which qualities deserve your attention before you buy.

What DAC Reviews Can Actually Tell You

A good review should do more than declare a product excellent. It should explain the setup, the source material, the associated amplifier and speakers or headphones, and the reviewer’s priorities. A DAC heard through revealing studio monitors in a treated room may produce a different impression than the same DAC in a warm, full-range living room system.

This does not make reviews unreliable. It makes context essential. Look for writers who separate observation from verdict. “The treble felt more forward in this system” is useful. “This is the best DAC for everyone” is far less useful.

Technical measurements add another valuable layer. Noise, distortion, channel matching, output voltage, and jitter performance can show whether a design is operating cleanly and predictably. Excellent measurements are reassuring, especially when comparing components at a similar price. But they do not settle every listening question. A measurement suite cannot tell you whether the output level suits your preamplifier, whether the input options match your streamer, or whether you enjoy the overall character of your system after three albums rather than three minutes.

Read for repeatable evidence

The most helpful DAC reviews identify the music used and describe specific moments: a vocal’s placement, the decay of a cymbal, the body of a cello, or the space around a live recording. Those details let you test similar material yourself.

Pay attention when several credible reviewers, using different systems, report a similar trait. If multiple listeners note strong image focus, low background noise, or an especially convincing midrange, that pattern is more meaningful than a single enthusiastic phrase. Still, treat it as a starting point for your own listening, not a substitute for it.

Start With Your System, Not the Spec Sheet

A DAC does not play music alone. Its performance is shaped by the streamer or transport feeding it, the connection between components, the amplifier, the loudspeakers, and the room. If your speakers already lean bright, a DAC described as highly incisive may not be the direction you want. If your system feels soft or closed-in, greater transient clarity and separation may be welcome.

Begin with the practical questions. Do you need USB from a computer, coaxial or optical from a streamer, or an I2S connection from a compatible source? Will the DAC feed an integrated amplifier, a separate preamplifier, active speakers, or headphones? Do you need fixed output for a traditional hi-fi chain, or a high-quality volume control to connect directly to a power amplifier?

These choices narrow the field faster than converter-chip branding. Two DACs using the same chip can sound and function differently because the analog stage, power supply, clocking, filtering, layout, and implementation all matter. The chip is one ingredient, not the finished performance.

For a network-based system, consider the handoff between streaming and conversion as a whole. A dedicated streamer paired with a standalone DAC can offer welcome flexibility: upgrade one part without replacing the other, choose the connection that suits your system, and keep digital noise away from sensitive analog circuitry. A carefully designed component such as Volumio Preciso is built around that principle, with the DAC treated as a focused part of the listening chain rather than an afterthought.

Listen Beyond Detail

“More detail” is probably the most common phrase in audio, and one of the least precise. A presentation can seem detailed because the upper frequencies are emphasized, because the noise floor is lower, or because microdynamic changes are more clearly resolved. Those are not the same thing.

When evaluating a DAC, listen first for ease. Can you follow a bass line without straining? Does a singer remain believable as the arrangement grows dense? Do reverberant cues emerge naturally, or do they feel artificially spotlighted? Resolution that serves music often makes recordings feel less congested, not more analytical.

Four listening cues worth using

Use familiar recordings with different demands. A small acoustic ensemble can reveal timing, tone, and image stability. A well-recorded vocal can reveal whether the midrange feels solid and unforced. Dense electronic or orchestral music tests separation when many sounds compete for space. Finally, play an album you know well but have not used as an audiophile test track. The most meaningful question is often simple: do you want to keep listening?

Avoid making a decision from a quick A/B switch alone. Fast comparisons can highlight obvious differences, but they can also favor a slightly louder output or a more immediately vivid sound. Match levels as closely as possible, then spend time with each component. A DAC that impresses in 30 seconds may become tiring over an evening. Another may sound understated at first, then reveal better flow and depth across a full record.

Features Matter When They Remove Friction

Sound quality is central, but daily use shapes long-term satisfaction. The best DAC for your home should fit the way you listen. If most sessions begin with a network streamer and a Qobuz playlist, dependable digital inputs and straightforward source switching may matter more than a long list of rarely used formats. If you maintain a local library of high-resolution recordings, format support and library integration may rise higher on the list.

Consider output options with equal care. Balanced connections can be useful in systems designed around them, particularly with long cable runs or compatible balanced electronics. They are not automatically superior in every setup. A well-executed single-ended connection can be exceptional, and compatibility is more valuable than checking a box.

Filter choices, oversampling modes, display settings, and remote control behavior are also worth considering, but keep their significance in proportion. If changing filters creates only subtle differences, choose the setting that sounds most natural to you and spend the evening with music. The goal is not to turn every listening session into a laboratory exercise.

How to Handle Conflicting DAC Reviews

Conflicting opinions are normal because systems, rooms, hearing, and musical priorities differ. Rather than trying to find the one review that agrees with your first impression, identify why the opinions diverge.

One reviewer may value incisive leading edges and wide images. Another may prioritize tonal density and relaxed long-session listening. Neither is necessarily wrong. Their conclusions may simply reflect different reference systems and different definitions of musical realism.

Be cautious with absolute claims about burn-in, cable changes, or tiny specification differences presented as universal truths. Some system changes are easy to hear; others are subtle, inconsistent, or dependent on setup. A trustworthy reviewer acknowledges uncertainty and explains what was controlled during the evaluation.

Owner comments can help identify usability patterns, such as a confusing menu, a reliable input, or a particularly successful pairing. They are less useful when they rely only on superlatives. Read enough comments to find recurring practical observations, then return to your own priorities.

A Better Way to Choose

Before auditioning, write down what your current system does well and what you would like to improve. Perhaps you want a quieter background, more dimensional vocals, easier integration with your streamer, or simply a clearer route from your digital library to your amplifier. This gives every review and listening session a purpose.

Then narrow your choices to DACs that meet your connection, output, and budget needs. Read a few thoughtful reviews rather than dozens of quick rankings. Listen with familiar music at matched levels whenever possible, and give the component enough time to become part of the system.

The right DAC will not make every recording sound spectacular. It will make the best recordings more emotionally convincing, while allowing imperfect favorites to remain enjoyable. Choose the one that encourages another album, another late-night session, and a closer relationship with the music you already love.

The post DAC Reviews: How to Hear What Matters Most appeared first on Volumio.

18 August, 2026 09:19AM

ARMBIAN

Github Highlights

This week&aposs development centered on kernel and toolchain progression, expanded board support, and substantial wireless driver cleanup.

Mainline tracking advanced with kernel bumps to 7.2-rc7, Rockchip edge promoted to 7.2, and sunxi edge moved to 7.1.y. Platform work included loong64 migration from debian-ports to the main Debian archive with corresponding apt repository publishing, mainline kernel and U-Boot enablement on the Avaota A1, restored CONFIG_DWMAC_SUN8I for sunxi64, and a new RK3528 bl32/DDR blob update. Rockchip64 also received backported fixes for an 8250 DMA reopen crash and for CAN TX stalls.

Board coverage grew across multiple vendors, with the NanoPi NEO3 Plus (RK3528A) added and standard-support promotions for the Anbernic RG DS and RG Vita Pro, LubanCat 5IO, Luckfox Nova, and Qidi X-6. UEFI device-tree support was extended with Qualcomm X1E patches and new CIX mainline support, while the Radxa E24C was reworked against U-Boot 26.07 and the v7.2-rcX kernel.

Wireless stacks saw a coordinated quality pass: the rtl8852bs driver had thousands of compiler warnings resolved across missing prototypes, unused functions and variables, enum conversions, and empty-body cases, alongside a NULL-dereference fix and stricter proc write handling. The uwe5622 (unisocwifi) driver received parallel structural cleanups, including a flexible array conversion and forward-declaration hygiene, with both drivers rebased to their August 2026 upstreams.

#Armbian #EmbeddedLinux #Rockchip #Allwinner #MainlineKernel #WirelessDrivers #LoongArch

Changes

Add board image for gateway-gz80x (Amper Gateway AM-GZ80x). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#395
Add board-images/nanopineo3plus.png. by @cjkoenig in armbian/armbian.github.io#392
armbian-config: make sure LC_ALL is consistent. by @efectn in armbian/configng#982
armbian-install: add standalone "flash bootloader (u-boot) only" option. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#978
armbian-kernel.sh: reword display alert for accuracy. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#10405
bluetooth-hciattach: only deploy the service on BSP (vendor/legacy) branches. by @defcom5-rockchip in armbian/build#10410
board-images: add easy-eai-nano + vendor logo. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#399
board-images: add graperain-g3568-v2 + vendor logo. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#400
board-images: add hinlink-hnas. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#401
board-images: add r69-xr821. by @sormy in armbian/armbian.github.io#397
board-images: add xiaobao-nas. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#398
board: add NanoPi NEO3 Plus (RK3528A). by @cjkoenig in armbian/build#10409
board: promote Anbernic RG DS to supported. by @crackerjacques in armbian/build#10415
board: promote Anbernic RG Vita Pro to supported. by @crackerjacques in armbian/build#10426
board: promote LubanCat 5IO to supported. by @lch08 in armbian/build#10424
board: promote Luckfox Nova to supported. by @crackerjacques in armbian/build#10432
build-standard-support: publish images under images/ not stable/. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/ci#51
ci: add a base-files-only build workflow. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/ci#53
Cleanup sunxi patches. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#10418
delete-old-releases: retain stable per release-series + trunk (version-aware). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/ci#50
deprecated various channels and helper service. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/documentation#970
docker: forward CPUTHREADS into the build container. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10414
drivers: bump uwe5622 to d6bec75 (Aug 15, 2026). by @iav in armbian/build#10439
drivers: bump wifi-rtl8852bs to 3e7d964 (Aug 14, 2026). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10419
drivers: bump wifi-rtl8852bs to 6099b02 (Aug 15, 2026). by @iav in armbian/build#10441
Drop unused locals in sdiohal and cfg80211. by @iav in armbian/uwe5622#14
easepi: normalize BOARD_VENDOR to lowercase &aposlinkease&apos. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10397
Enable mainline kernel & u-boot on Avaota A1. by @juanesf in armbian/build#10434
firmware: novatek: add nt36532_n81a_fw_csot.bin for Xiaomi Pad 6S Pro. by @code002-2 in armbian/firmware#139
Fix -Wmissing-prototypes warnings across the driver (2179 → 42). by @iav in armbian/wifi-rtl8852bs#7
Fix -Wunused-variable: 1545 -> 48 (DEBUG=n) / -> 4 (DEBUG=y). by @iav in armbian/wifi-rtl8852bs#17
Fix build with podman - no .Server.Arch. by @cfraz89 in armbian/build#10438
Fix ethernet on tx6s-axp-313. by @alnahian2011 in armbian/build#10443
Fix misc warning tail: unused labels, no-effect statements, set-but-unused parameters (22 -> 0). by @iav in armbian/wifi-rtl8852bs#13
Fix mixed-enum usage outside h2cb_alloc (-Wenum-conversion 143 -> 116). by @iav in armbian/wifi-rtl8852bs#14
Fix NULL dereference on efuse alloc/parameter failure. by @iav in armbian/wifi-rtl8852bs#16
fix(api): key partner tiers on company_slug. by @SuperKali in armbian/website#41
fix(autoconfig): replace existing preset contents. by @Guflly in armbian/imager#179
install-engine: drop per-scenario LC_ALL=C (handled globally). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#983
install: keep the Rockchip reserved window. by @sormy in armbian/configng#981
loong64: migrate from debian-ports to the main Debian archive. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10404
mainline: bump to 7.2-rc7. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#10396
maintenance-rewrite-kernel-patches: enable parallel patch rewriting. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10308
nanopi-r4s: add missing #cooling-cells to pwm-fan node. by @iav in armbian/build#10431
orangepizero: remove tve from DEFAULT_OVERLAYS. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#10417
pack-debian: publish loong64 in the apt repo architecture list. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/scripts#93
partners: expose company_slug in partners.json. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#396
Qidi X-6: promote board config to standard support. by @Shadowrom2020 in armbian/build#10412
radxa-e24c: rework u-boot 26.07 + v7.2-rcX kernel with USB. by @rpardini in armbian/build#10421
release: build uefi-loong64 only as Debian sid CLI minimal. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#391
Remove unused static functions (-Wunused-function 140 -> 6). by @iav in armbian/wifi-rtl8852bs#15
Rename board-images/nanopineo3plus.png. by @cjkoenig in armbian/armbian.github.io#394
rk3528: new bl32 v1.08 and ddr 1.14. by @rpardini in armbian/rkbin#50
rkr7.2: Revert "ARM: dts: rockchip: add rv1126b-evb1-v12-4x-cam.dts". by @vidplace7 in armbian/linux-rockchip#522
rockchip64: backport 8250 DMA reopen crash fix. by @lch08 in armbian/build#10420
rockchip64: fix CAN TX stalls and races. by @lch08 in armbian/build#10423
rockchip: bump edge kernel to 7.2. by @paolosabatino in armbian/build#10400
rtl8852bs: drop RTW_WARN_LMT sed workaround. by @iav in armbian/build#10428
rtw_proc: reject unparsable input in three write handlers. by @iav in armbian/wifi-rtl8852bs#18
runner-clean: cap CPUTHREADS from the runner&aposs NetBox field. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/actions#37
servers feed: expose cputhreads in github-runners.jq. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#393
setup-usbgadget-network.sh: fix breaking copy&paste flaw. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#10406
SpacemiT K1: Exclude Musebook from USB boot. by @pyavitz in armbian/build#10435
sunxi-edge: update kernel config to 7.1. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#10436
sunxi64: restore CONFIG_DWMAC_SUN8I (Allwinner EMAC) on current & edge. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10430
sunxi: bump edge to 7.1.y. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#10399
targets-compositor: add include-eos for userspace inventory. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10425
uefidt-edge: add qcom x1e patches back. by @amazingfate in armbian/build#10394
uefidt: add cix mainline support. by @amazingfate in armbian/build#10411
unisocwifi: forward-declare struct sprdwl_intf in intf_ops.h. by @iav in armbian/uwe5622#11
unisocwifi: make pcie_addr_buffer::pcie_addr a flexible array member. by @iav in armbian/uwe5622#16
unisocwifi: map sm_state onto wifi_connection_state in llstat. by @iav in armbian/uwe5622#12
unisocwifi: mark the two intentional switch fall-throughs. by @iav in armbian/uwe5622#15
Update odroidxu4-current to 6.6.151. by @belegdol in armbian/build#10413
wcn_boot: stop ordering-comparing the int_ap gpio_desc pointer. by @iav in armbian/uwe5622#13
wireless: eliminate -Wempty-body (239 -> 0), fix CONFIG_RTW_DEBUG=n build. by @iav in armbian/wifi-rtl8852bs#11
wireless: fix h2cb_alloc PHL prototype enum type (-Wenum-conversion 143 -> 27). by @iav in armbian/wifi-rtl8852bs#12

18 August, 2026 12:40AM by Michael Robinson

August 17, 2026

GreenboneOS

August 16, 2026

Volumio

Raspberry Pi Roon Alternative for Better Listening

A Raspberry Pi can do far more than sit on a workbench running a small experiment. Paired with the right operating system, it becomes a quiet, capable music player that brings your library, streaming services, and hi-fi system into one place. For listeners searching for a raspberry pi roon alternative, the real question is not simply which software costs less. It is which experience makes you want to sit down and listen.

Roon has set a high bar for music-library management, multiroom playback, and discovery. But it is not the only path to a considered digital listening system. A Raspberry Pi-based player can be an excellent alternative when you value control, a focused interface, flexible hardware choices, and an approach that feels proportionate to your system and listening habits.

What a Raspberry Pi Roon Alternative Should Deliver

A good network player should disappear once the music starts. Before comparing features, define what that means in your own home. For some listeners, it means playing a carefully tagged collection of FLAC files from a NAS. For others, it means moving easily from a Qobuz discovery session to an old live recording stored on a hard drive. Many want both, without switching among unrelated apps.

The essentials are straightforward: reliable playback, support for the services you use, clear library browsing, and an output path that respects the rest of your system. A Raspberry Pi can provide all of this, but the software determines whether the experience feels like a real music player or a collection of settings screens.

Sound quality matters too, although it should be approached sensibly. The Pi is a small computer, not a DAC. Its USB output can feed an external DAC, while compatible audio boards can add digital or analog outputs directly to the build. Power supply quality, network stability, DAC implementation, and system setup all affect the result. The best choice depends on how resolving your system is and how much experimentation you enjoy.

Why Build a Raspberry Pi Music Player?

The appeal begins with freedom. You can select the Pi model, case, storage, DAC or digital output board, and power supply that fit your budget and system. A modest build can serve a second room beautifully. A carefully specified build can sit confidently beside serious amplification and speakers.

There is also a satisfying sense of ownership. You are not buying a sealed-purpose appliance with a fixed feature set. You are creating a player around your music and your priorities. If your needs change, you can move the Pi to another system, change the output hardware, or install a different version of the operating system.

That flexibility comes with trade-offs. A DIY player requires a little patience at the beginning. You will need to flash a microSD card or other storage device, connect the player to your network, select an output, and point the system toward your music library. None of this requires programming, but it is still more hands-on than unboxing a finished streamer.

For many music lovers, that is a fair exchange. The initial setup is a short project. The reward is a dedicated player designed around listening rather than general computing.

Choosing Software: The Experience Matters More Than Specs

When evaluating a Raspberry Pi Roon alternative, avoid comparing only codec support and checklists. Most established music-player platforms handle the major file formats and common network protocols. The more meaningful differences emerge every day: how quickly you find an album, how clearly the app presents credits and artwork, whether streaming and local music feel connected, and how often you need to troubleshoot.

A strong platform should give your collection proper attention. That means browsing by artist, album, genre, and folder when useful, along with effective search and dependable indexing. Your own files should not feel like an afterthought beside streaming catalogs. For collectors with decades of rips, downloads, and high-resolution purchases, this is often the deciding factor.

Streaming integration deserves the same scrutiny. Consider the services you already pay for, how they appear in the interface, and whether playback control stays consistent across sources. If you use both a local library and streaming, the ideal system lets you move between them naturally. The album you own and the album you are sampling should be a few taps apart.

Volumio is built around this music-first idea: bringing local libraries, popular streaming services, web radio, and connected audio devices into a unified player experience. Its free OS is available for Raspberry Pi and is designed to make a DIY build feel less like a computer project and more like a component in your hi-fi system.

The Hardware Path: Keep It Simple First

For a first build, simplicity is usually the wisest move. A current Raspberry Pi, a quality power supply, a case, a network connection, and an existing USB DAC are enough to start. This approach lets you evaluate the software experience before committing to extra hardware.

If your DAC has a reliable USB input, use it. USB avoids the need to choose an audio HAT immediately and gives you a clean baseline for comparison. Ethernet is preferable where practical, especially if your network is busy or your library contains many high-resolution files. Wi-Fi can work well, but a wired connection removes one variable from the equation.

Once you know what you want from the player, you can refine the system. A dedicated digital output board may make sense for a DAC with a preferred coaxial or optical input. An analog DAC board can create an exceptionally compact player for a desktop system, powered speakers, or a secondary room. Better power supplies may also be worth exploring in a revealing setup, although they should not be the first upgrade when the speakers, DAC, or room still need attention.

The order matters. Start with dependable playback. Then make changes one at a time and listen over several familiar albums. A streamer should serve your music, not turn every evening into a test session.

Local Music, Streaming, and Multiroom Use

A Raspberry Pi player is especially compelling when it acts as the meeting point for several ways of listening. You may keep a personal library on a NAS, browse new releases through a subscription service, and use radio to find something unexpected while cooking. A well-designed interface makes these feel like parts of one collection rather than separate technologies.

Library maintenance is worth doing before you judge any platform. Clear album artist fields, consistent artwork, accurate genres, and sensible file naming make a meaningful difference. Metadata is not merely administrative. It is the map you use to rediscover music you already love.

Multiroom playback is more dependent on your expectations. If you need tightly synchronized sound in several rooms, confirm that the platform and your devices support the specific grouping method you plan to use. If you simply want separate players around the house, controlled from one familiar app, a Pi-based system can be wonderfully practical. A small player near the kitchen speakers and a more ambitious build in the main listening room can share the same ecosystem without requiring identical hardware.

When a Raspberry Pi Is Not the Best Fit

A Raspberry Pi is not automatically the right answer for every listener. If you want an all-metal component with a display, remote control, warranty support, and no assembly, a purpose-built network player may be the better investment. It brings polish and convenience, particularly in a primary system where appearance and physical integration matter.

Likewise, listeners who depend on a very specific ecosystem feature should verify that it is available before migrating. There is no universal definition of a replacement. Some people need rich editorial metadata and recommendation tools. Others care most about stable playback, a beautiful queue, and immediate access to their own music. Those are different priorities, and they lead to different choices.

The Raspberry Pi route is strongest when you appreciate its balance: affordable entry, real upgrade potential, and a direct connection to the hardware and software that play your music. It can be a first step into network audio, a serious long-term source, or both.

Set aside an hour, build the simplest version of the system you can, and queue an album you know by heart. The right alternative will not announce itself through a feature chart. It will be the one that keeps you listening through the final track.

The post Raspberry Pi Roon Alternative for Better Listening appeared first on Volumio.

16 August, 2026 07:54AM

August 15, 2026

Choosing a Network Music Player for Qobuz

A network music player for Qobuz should make a high-resolution catalog feel like part of your own system, not another app competing for your attention. The goal is simple: sit down, choose an album, and hear the character of the recording through the system you have carefully assembled. Getting there depends on more than a logo on a streaming-services list.

Qobuz appeals to listeners who care about album context, liner-note culture, editorial discovery, and high-resolution sound. A good player respects those habits. It should bring your Qobuz favorites, purchases, playlists, and local music together in a clear interface, while delivering a reliable digital signal to your DAC or amplifier.

What a network music player does for Qobuz

A network music player connects to your home network, signs in to your Qobuz account, and sends music to the rest of your hi-fi system. Depending on the model, it may include a DAC and analog outputs, or it may function as a dedicated digital transport for an external DAC.

That distinction matters. A player with a built-in DAC can simplify a system: connect it to an integrated amplifier or active speakers and start listening. A transport gives you more freedom to retain a DAC you already love, or to shape the sound of your system through a separate component.

Unlike playing Qobuz from a phone over a basic wireless connection, a dedicated network player is designed to take over the playback work. Your phone or tablet becomes the controller, while the player remains focused on receiving, processing, and delivering the music. That arrangement is often more stable, more convenient, and better suited to serious listening.

Choose the right Qobuz playback path

The first question is not which box to buy. It is how your system is built and how you prefer to listen.

Built-in DAC or separate DAC?

For a compact, elegant setup, a network player with a quality onboard DAC is often the sensible choice. You need fewer cables, fewer power supplies, and less equipment competing for shelf space. This can be especially satisfying in a living room system, with powered speakers, or with an integrated amplifier that has analog inputs.

If your system already includes a DAC with a sound you know well, choose a network transport with the digital output you need. USB, coaxial S/PDIF, AES/EBU, and optical connections each have practical uses. USB is common for modern DACs and can support high-resolution playback; coaxial and AES/EBU remain excellent choices for many established components. The best connection is the one that suits your DAC and keeps the system straightforward.

There is no universal winner here. Separates can offer flexibility and a more tailored upgrade path. An integrated player can reduce complexity and deliver excellent results with fewer decisions.

Wired or wireless network connection?

Ethernet is the preferred connection where it is practical. It offers a stable path for high-resolution streaming, avoids dependence on wireless conditions, and lets you concentrate on the music rather than network troubleshooting.

Wi-Fi can still work very well, particularly when running a cable is not realistic. The key is signal strength and a well-configured home network. If your listening room sits at the edge of Wi-Fi coverage, a wired connection or a carefully positioned access point may make a more meaningful improvement than changing audio hardware.

Native control and unified music access

A Qobuz integration should feel natural from the first search. Look for access to albums, artists, favorites, playlists, purchases, recommendations, and editorial content without constant handoffs between services. Search should be responsive and useful when an artist name, composer credit, or album title is not quite what you remember.

For many music lovers, the larger benefit is bringing streaming and locally stored files into one library. Your own ripped CDs, downloaded albums, and Qobuz discoveries should be easy to browse in the same place. That continuity changes listening habits. An obscure live recording in your library can lead naturally to a new studio album on Qobuz, without making you switch devices or rethink the system.

Sound quality is a system question

Qobuz offers music in CD quality and high resolution, but the file format alone does not determine the experience. The player, DAC, amplification, speakers, room, and setup all contribute. A well-matched system playing a favorite album in CD quality can be more compelling than a poorly integrated system chasing the highest available number.

Still, a capable network player should support the resolution offered by your Qobuz subscription and handle playback without unwanted conversion where possible. It should also provide honest information about the format currently playing, so you can understand what is reaching your system.

Pay attention to the basics that shape everyday satisfaction: low-noise power design, a thoughtfully implemented digital output, stable software, and a responsive control experience. Specifications are useful, but they do not replace listening. If a player makes you want to hear one more record before bed, it is doing something right.

Volume control deserves consideration as well. Some players offer digital volume adjustment and can connect directly to a power amplifier or active speakers. This can create a beautifully minimal system, but it requires care. Make sure the control behavior, maximum output level, and day-to-day usability suit your amplifier and speakers. If you prefer the familiar feel of your integrated amplifier or preamp, use it. Convenience should never come at the expense of confidence.

The interface matters more than you think

A beautiful playback system can be undermined by a frustrating app. When evaluating a Qobuz player, spend time with the control interface rather than treating it as an accessory. Can you quickly return to recently played music? Does it display album art and credits clearly? Is queue management easy when friends are choosing records? Can everyone in the household understand it without an explanation?

The best interfaces make discovery feel unforced. They let you follow a thread from a performer to a collaboration, from a new release to an earlier recording, or from a Qobuz favorite to a local file. They also keep playback controls visible and dependable. A listening session should not become a session of finding the right menu.

Multiroom capability may also matter, though it is not essential for every listener. If you want Qobuz in the kitchen, office, and main listening room, consider how devices are grouped and controlled. If the primary goal is focused two-channel listening, a dedicated player in the main system may be all you need.

Hardware, software, and the freedom to grow

Dedicated hardware is a strong choice when you want a finished component, a refined enclosure, purpose-built connectivity, and support from a single ecosystem. It belongs naturally in a hi-fi rack and can become the dependable center of a system that serves you for years.

A software-based approach can be equally rewarding for builders. A Raspberry Pi, PC, or compatible single-board computer can become a capable streamer with the right operating system, interface, and digital output hardware. This route offers a lower barrier to experimentation and the satisfaction of making the system your own. It also asks for more curiosity around setup, cases, power, storage, and connectivity.

Volumio brings both paths together: an accessible software platform for people who want to create, and dedicated Italian-assembled players for listeners who want a finished high-fidelity component. In either case, the principle is the same: all your music should have a home, and the control of it should remain in your hands.

Questions to ask before you buy

Before choosing a network music player for Qobuz, look at the equipment you already own. Confirm the inputs on your DAC or amplifier, the outputs on the player, and whether you need analog or digital connection. Think about where the component will live, whether Ethernet is available, and who will control it.

Also consider your listening life rather than only your future upgrade plans. If you play music casually while cooking, a quick and welcoming interface may matter most. If you spend evenings with full albums in a dedicated room, a transport feeding a favorite DAC may be the better fit. If your collection includes thousands of local files, library organization and metadata handling should carry real weight.

Finally, give yourself time to learn the player after setup. Add favorites, rebuild playlists, explore Qobuz recommendations, and revisit records you have not played in years. The right component does not simply stream a catalog. It makes the distance between curiosity and listening almost disappear.

The post Choosing a Network Music Player for Qobuz appeared first on Volumio.

15 August, 2026 08:01AM

August 14, 2026

AI Music Discovery for Audiophiles, Done Well

A recommendation can be technically accurate and still feel completely wrong. If you love the tension of a late-period Coltrane quartet, a generic suggestion based on “jazz” may send you toward polished background playlists. If you collect well-mastered electronic records, another track with a similar tempo says very little about whether its production, dynamics, or sense of space will hold your attention.

That is the real opportunity for AI music discovery for audiophiles. Done well, it should not merely keep music playing. It should make connections between the records you already value and the listening experiences you want next – while leaving room for surprise, context, and your own judgment.

Why audiophile discovery needs a different standard

Most recommendation engines are built around engagement. They learn what people skip, replay, save, or add to a queue, then optimize for another easy click. That model can be useful when you want something familiar, but it tends to narrow quickly. A listener who plays one ambient album may receive an endless stream of low-contrast ambient music. Someone who explores a classic rock catalog may be led back to the same famous tracks and safe adjacent artists.

Audiophiles often listen with a different intention. The album matters. The mastering can matter. So can personnel, label history, recording technique, a particular era of an artist’s work, or the way a piece reveals itself through a carefully assembled system. Discovery is not only about finding a new artist. It is about finding the right record, perhaps even the right version, at the right time.

That requires a recommendation system to treat musical taste as more than a list of genres. A well-organized library may connect chamber music, dub, contemporary classical, soul, and experimental electronica through qualities that genre labels miss: tonal color, rhythmic patience, live-room atmosphere, compositional detail, or a preference for records that reward uninterrupted listening.

What AI can actually hear and understand

AI can assist music discovery in several ways, and each has value. Collaborative signals compare your listening habits with those of people whose behavior overlaps with yours. Metadata-based systems use credits, release dates, labels, instruments, genres, and related artists. Audio analysis can examine characteristics such as tempo, timbre, density, energy, and arrangement.

The most useful results come from combining these signals rather than treating one as definitive. Metadata can tell you that two records share a producer. Audio analysis can recognize that they occupy a similarly spacious sonic world. Your own behavior can indicate whether you listen to complete albums, revisit specific tracks, or move on after a few minutes.

There are limits. AI does not experience emotional resonance, and it cannot reliably judge whether a recording will suit your room, speakers, headphones, DAC, or preferred volume. It may identify a similar vocal texture while missing the lyricism, restraint, or cultural context that makes an artist meaningful to you. Those gaps are not failures to hide. They are reasons to keep the listener in control.

Similar is useful, but sameness is not

A good recommendation system needs a balance between relevance and range. Too much relevance produces a loop: more of what you already know, slightly rearranged. Too much novelty feels random and quickly loses trust.

For serious listening, the strongest recommendations often sit one or two steps away from the obvious choice. A listener drawn to ECM-era jazz may appreciate modern artists working with similar space and restraint, but could also find a connection in Nordic folk, minimalist composition, or spacious post-rock. The link is not a genre label. It is an aesthetic thread.

This is where AI can be most helpful: not as an authority declaring what you will love, but as a patient guide that surfaces plausible paths you might not have found by searching artist names alone.

Start with the library you have built

Your personal collection is one of the richest inputs for discovery. It represents years of decisions: albums purchased, files carefully tagged, favorites returned to, and records that have survived every format change. A service that only sees a few recent streams has an incomplete picture of your taste.

When local files and streaming favorites can sit together, recommendations gain context. The obscure 1970s pressing in your library, the live set you play every Sunday morning, and the new release you saved from a streaming service can all contribute to a more honest profile. This also keeps discovery from becoming detached from ownership and curation.

Clean metadata helps more than many listeners realize. Consistent album artists, composer information, release years, genres, and artwork make it easier to browse and easier for intelligent tools to recognize connections. Perfection is not required, but a library that is reasonably organized gives both you and the software a clearer foundation.

Volumio is built around this idea: all your music in one place, whether it begins with a local library, a preferred streaming service, or a connected source. The value is not simply fewer apps. It is a listening environment where discovery can remain connected to the collection and system you have chosen with care.

Make recommendations earn your trust

The best way to use AI discovery is actively. Treat a recommendation as a lead, not a verdict. Play the full track when possible, then explore the album. Look at the credits. Notice the label, the players, the producer, and the period in which it was made. A single good suggestion often opens a much larger musical trail.

Feedback matters, too. Save records that genuinely belong in your library. Skip tracks that are merely competent. Revisit recommendations after different listening sessions. A late-night headphone session and an afternoon with the main system can invite different kinds of music, and your habits should not be flattened into one permanent mood.

It also helps to protect time for intentional listening. Autoplay is convenient, but it can make every record feel disposable. Set aside an evening to follow one connection: a session musician across several albums, a label catalog from a single year, or a producer’s work beyond their best-known release. AI can suggest the starting point; curiosity does the deeper work.

Sound quality still shapes the discovery experience

Finding exceptional music is only part of the pleasure. Hearing why it is exceptional is the other part. A recommendation that sounds compressed, poorly matched to a system, or buried beneath interruptions may never receive a fair hearing.

This is especially relevant when comparing versions of a record. A high-resolution release is not automatically better, and a familiar album may be more moving in a well-mastered standard-resolution edition than in a louder remaster. AI can help identify available releases and related recordings, but critical listening remains essential.

A capable streaming system also changes how readily you explore. When playback is responsive, your library is easy to browse, and the interface does not force you to switch between disconnected services, following a musical thread becomes natural. Friction may seem minor, but it can be the difference between investigating a promising artist and returning to the same old favorite.

The human element is the point

There is a temptation to frame AI as a replacement for the knowledgeable record-store owner, radio host, friend, or forum member who introduced us to something unforgettable. It is better understood as another source of informed prompts. Its advantage is scale: it can examine patterns across a large library and surface connections in seconds. Its weakness is that it does not know why a particular song became part of your life.

The most rewarding discovery habits combine both. Let intelligent recommendations reveal a path, then bring your ears, memory, and standards to the decision. Share the records that move you. Read the liner notes. Ask other listeners what they hear. Build playlists that reflect a point of view rather than an algorithmic category.

The next great addition to your collection may arrive through AI, but the moment it becomes yours happens in the listening chair: when a new record fills the room, reveals another layer, and makes you want to hear it again tomorrow.

The post AI Music Discovery for Audiophiles, Done Well appeared first on Volumio.

14 August, 2026 08:03AM

Deepin

(中文) 应用商店 | 三款玲珑格式看书神器，办公学习阅读全搞定

Sorry, this entry is only available in 中文.

14 August, 2026 06:02AM by xiaofei

August 13, 2026

Purism PureOS

Refurbished Librem 16 Laptops Now Available!

We have some refurbished Librem 16 that sell at a discounted price. You can order them directly from the shop.

The post Refurbished Librem 16 Laptops Now Available! appeared first on Purism.

13 August, 2026 08:19PM by Purism

Univention Corporate Server

NOVA Is Gaining Momentum – How We Are Bringing the Sovereign Workplace into Municipal Practice

A look behind the scenes at the KRZN InnoLab: Why the combination of openDesk standards, strong partnerships, and local line-of-business application integration is the key to digital sovereignty for our municipalities.

The digital sovereignty of public administration is not a theoretical luxury problem, but a tangible strategic necessity. For the Municipal Data Processing Centre Niederrhein (KRZN), sovereignty above all means securing the long-term ability of its 46 affiliated municipalities to act independently and determine their own technology. The goal is to have the freedom to make decisions about IT infrastructure independently at any time and in an emergency.

The NOVA project is developing precisely this answer: a modern administrative workplace based entirely on Open Source. But how do you take such an ambitious project from theory into the real, highly complex infrastructure of a municipal data center?

NOVA_Nutzerfreundliche Opensource Verwaltungs-Arbeitsplatz

The Milestone: Successful Deployment in the Test Environment

A major and pioneering step has already been achieved: the initial software installation in the KRZN data center was successful! NOVA has now left the purely conceptual phase.

An important focus of the chosen approach: this is not an isolated Open Source island. For a digital workplace to gain acceptance in everyday municipal administration, it must integrate seamlessly into the established, highly diverse application landscape. NOVA therefore combines leading Open Source components from the ZenDiS openDesk environment – such as Open-Xchange for groupware, Nextcloud for collaboration, and Collabora Online for document editing – with integration into the existing infrastructure.

This includes, above all, connecting the central municipal line-of-business applications and integrating the KRZN’s document management system, the Fabasoft eGov-Suite. Only this way can a seamless and genuine alternative for everyday administrative work be achieved.

Univention as Strategic Coordinator and Enabler

To orchestrate this complex ecosystem, KRZN relies on Univention GmbH as its strategic partner. With the Nubus Identity and Access Management system, Univention provides the indispensable technological foundation for managing identities, user accounts, and access rights, as well as Single Sign-on (SSO) to the connected services. The Bremen-based IT company also takes on a central coordination role: It keeps the various Open Source vendors aligned and enables KRZN to gradually transition the cloud deployment into a resilient, dedicated on-premises installation.

This transfer of knowledge and the partnership-based support were a real accelerator for the InnoLab team. Without Univention and its partner viakom, who have excellent knowledge of the groupware standards from the openDesk environment, we would probably have needed an enormous amount of our own resources to acquire the in-depth knowledge required to build a functioning environment.

How Does the Project Continue?

The successful installation in the test environment provides the foundation for the next steps. An intensive hardening and stabilization phase will now follow. Together with the InnoLab working group, which includes users from the municipalities, the first practical tests have already begun.

The goal is clear: By autumn 2026, a well-founded cost-effectiveness and effort assessment is to be prepared. It will provide the transparent basis for decision-making by the KRZN committees, enabling NOVA to transition from the InnoLab into a permanent, productive project for the more than 16,000 workstations in the Lower Rhine region. This will make NOVA a central, practical component of KRZN’s comprehensive sovereignty concept, which is currently being developed together with sovereignty expert Ilja Doert.

We at KRZN look forward to continuing this journey together with our partners and municipalities – for a self-determined, innovative, and future-proof administration.

If you would like to learn more about the goals of NOVA and its range of functions, you should watch my presentation at the Univention Summit 2026:

NOVA – The Open Source Administrative Workplace

How do you feel about the topic of Open Source in public administration? Do you have questions about the NOVA project? Feel free to write to us in the comments or contact the KRZN InnoLab at ernst.mayer@krzn.de.

Der Beitrag NOVA Is Gaining Momentum – How We Are Bringing the Sovereign Workplace into Municipal Practice erschien zuerst auf Univention.

13 August, 2026 02:17PM by Vanessa Knoop

Volumio

Linear Power Supply Audio Streamer Sound Benefits

A linear power supply audio streamer is not a shortcut to better sound. It is a considered system choice: one that can lower electrical noise around a sensitive digital source, but only when the streamer, DAC, cabling, and the rest of the system allow that improvement to be heard. For listeners who have already brought local files, streaming services, and favorite albums into one music library, it is often a worthwhile question.

The reason is simple. A network streamer sits at the meeting point of computing and music reproduction. It receives data over a network, processes it, manages clocks, and sends audio to a DAC or integrated amplifier. Each task depends on power. The quality of that power does not alter the musical data itself, but it can influence the electrical environment in which the device operates.

Why Power Supplies Matter in Digital Audio

Every electronic component needs a stable DC supply. Most modern devices use compact switching power supplies because they are efficient, affordable, and practical. A switching supply converts power at high frequencies, then regulates it for the device. Well-designed examples can perform exceptionally well, particularly when filtering and internal power regulation are carefully executed.

A linear power supply takes a different approach. It typically uses a mains transformer, rectification, filtering capacitors, and voltage regulation to provide DC power. Its design is physically larger and less energy-efficient, but it avoids the high-frequency switching behavior associated with many compact adapters.

That distinction matters because unwanted electrical noise can travel through a power connection and interact with sensitive circuitry. In a streamer, potential areas of sensitivity include clocking circuits, digital output stages, USB connections, and the ground relationship between the streamer and DAC. The result is not always dramatic, and it is not always audible. But in a revealing hi-fi system, reducing noise can contribute to a quieter background, more stable imaging, cleaner transients, and a greater sense of ease in complex recordings.

A good linear supply is not defined simply by its weight or its transformer size. Regulation quality, low ripple, grounding, shielding, component selection, and the ability to deliver current under changing load all matter. A poorly designed linear unit can hum, run hot, or perform no better than the supply it replaces.

Switching Supply vs. Linear Supply: The Real Trade-Off

It is tempting to frame this as a simple contest, with linear always superior and switching always compromised. Audio systems are more interesting than that.

A high-quality switching supply may have extremely low measured noise and excellent regulation. It can also be better suited to a device with specific efficiency or current requirements. Conversely, a linear power supply can introduce transformer vibration, magnetic fields, or ground-related issues if it is poorly built or placed too close to other components.

The practical question is not, “Are linear supplies better?” It is, “Is the existing power supply the limiting factor in this system, and is the replacement designed correctly for this streamer?”

That is why a purpose-built supply is preferable to a generic aftermarket box. The voltage, current capacity, connector type, polarity, and noise behavior must all be right. Audio performance comes after safety and compatibility.

What a Linear Power Supply Audio Streamer Can Change

The most credible improvements tend to be subtle but meaningful over long listening sessions. Rather than making a system sound artificially brighter or more detailed, a well-matched linear supply may reduce a layer of electronic hash that was previously riding underneath the music.

Listeners sometimes describe this as more space around instruments, better separation in dense arrangements, or a calmer presentation at low volume. On an intimate vocal recording, the room around a voice may feel more natural. With orchestral music, sections can remain easier to follow when the arrangement grows louder. With electronic music, bass may seem more controlled, not necessarily bigger.

These descriptions are system-dependent, and expectation can play a role in any upgrade evaluation. The best approach is to listen to familiar tracks over several sessions, at matched volume, without rushing to a verdict. If possible, ask someone else to switch the supply while you listen without knowing which one is connected.

The streamer’s output type also affects the likely benefit. If your streamer sends a digital signal to an external DAC, the DAC remains the component that performs the digital-to-analog conversion. In this setup, a cleaner streamer supply may help by reducing noise reaching the digital output or shared ground, but the DAC’s own power design is still central to the final result.

If the streamer includes an internal DAC and analog output stage, power quality can have a more direct relationship with what reaches your amplifier. Even then, implementation matters more than the label on the power supply.

How to Choose a Linear Supply for Your Streamer

Start with the device manufacturer’s requirements. This is not the place for approximation. Check the specified DC voltage, minimum current, connector dimensions, and polarity. A supply with the wrong voltage can damage equipment. Reversed polarity can do the same. More available current is generally acceptable when the voltage and polarity are correct, because the device draws only what it needs, but the supply should be appropriately specified rather than oversized for its own sake.

Look for stable regulation at the streamer’s operating load. A supply may measure well with no load connected yet behave differently once the streamer is actively processing music, communicating over Wi-Fi or Ethernet, and driving a USB device. Good regulation helps maintain consistent voltage as demand changes.

Noise specifications deserve context. A very low number can be useful, but the measurement bandwidth, load condition, and test method should be known. Marketing claims without conditions tell you little. Build quality matters just as much: a properly enclosed transformer, thoughtful grounding, quality connectors, and a short, suitably rated DC cable all contribute to a dependable result.

Placement is also part of the installation. Keep a transformer-based supply away from phono stages, turntable cartridges, and especially sensitive analog components. If you hear a mechanical buzz from the supply itself, it may be reacting to DC offset or noise on the AC line. That is not necessarily a sign of electrical danger, but it is a reason to investigate the mains environment and placement.

Do Not Ignore the Rest of the Chain

A linear supply will not correct a weak network connection, a noisy USB connection, an underperforming DAC, or speakers that do not suit the room. It also will not make a compressed recording sound like a great master.

Before changing power supplies, make sure the fundamentals are working. Use reliable network connectivity, organize your library accurately, verify that your streamer is configured for the desired output mode, and give your speakers sensible placement. These steps often produce larger gains in day-to-day enjoyment than a component swap.

For DIY listeners, the appeal is clear: a capable computer-based player can become the center of a serious music system with careful choices around enclosure, power, storage, and output. For owners of dedicated streamers, a matching external linear supply can be an elegant refinement rather than another complicated project. Volumio’s Lineo5 is an example of this approach, designed as a dedicated low-noise power option for compatible playback hardware rather than a one-size-fits-all accessory.

When the Upgrade Makes Sense

A linear supply is most worth considering when your system is already transparent enough to reveal small changes. That often means a quality DAC, resolving amplifier, capable speakers or headphones, and a listening space where you can hear low-level detail without constant background noise.

It can also make sense when the supplied adapter is clearly a basic switching unit, when you are troubleshooting audible noise linked to a digital source, or when you want to refine a system you already enjoy rather than replace it. In contrast, if you are building your first system, your budget may go further toward speakers, room setup, or a better DAC before a power upgrade.

There is value in keeping the decision music-first. Put on the recordings that make you stop analyzing and start listening: the live album with the audience atmosphere, the jazz trio whose timing you know by heart, the track that always asks a little more of your system. If a linear supply helps those records feel more present and involving, it has earned its place. If it does not, the best system is still the one that invites you back for another album.

The post Linear Power Supply Audio Streamer Sound Benefits appeared first on Volumio.

13 August, 2026 08:15AM

August 12, 2026

GreenboneOS

Threat Report July 2026: Vulnpocolypse – Just Scratching the Surface?

Plenty of new risks to enterprise IT defenders emerged in July 2026. Earlier this month, our blog covered emerging issues such as active exploitation of WordPress Core [2], Adobe ColdFusion [3] and Check Point SmartConsole [4]; new critical-severity flaws in Cisco products [5], BeyondTrust RS and PRA [6], and Citrix NetScaler ADC and Gateway [7]; […]

12 August, 2026 11:18AM by Joseph Lee

Volumio

Multiroom Local Music Streaming, Done Right

A hard drive full of carefully collected music should not become less useful the moment you leave the listening room. Multiroom local music streaming lets your personal library follow you through the house: an album in the main system, a favorite station in the kitchen, or the same track playing together across several rooms.

For listeners who have spent years building a collection of CD rips, downloads, high-resolution files, and live recordings, this is about more than convenience. It is about keeping ownership, sound quality, and listening habits intact while making music easier to enjoy every day.

Why local music deserves a place in every room

Streaming services are excellent for discovery, but they do not replace a personal library. Your local collection may include unavailable releases, carefully chosen masterings, concert recordings, box sets, and metadata refined over years. It is music you selected, organized, and want to hear without wondering whether a catalog change will remove it tomorrow.

A good multiroom system treats those files as a first-class source. Rather than moving between USB drives, computer folders, and separate apps for each room, you browse one library and send music where you want it. That can mean different albums in different rooms, or one synchronized listening session across the home.

The distinction matters because local playback is not simply a backup plan for when the internet goes down. It can be the center of a more personal music system, especially when the playback chain is designed to preserve the quality of the files you own.

What makes multiroom local music streaming work

At its best, multiroom playback feels simple because several technical jobs happen quietly in the background. The music library must be available on the network, each player needs reliable access to it, and grouped rooms need to stay in time. If any one of these elements is poorly configured, the result can be slow browsing, dropouts, or a distracting echo between rooms.

Start with one well-organized music library

Your files can live on a NAS, a shared computer folder, or storage connected to a network player. A NAS is often the most practical option for a larger collection because it can remain available without leaving a computer running all day. Directly attached storage can be ideal for a single player or a simpler system.

Organization matters more than perfection. Consistent artist, album, track, genre, and artwork tags make browsing enjoyable on a phone or tablet. A well-tagged collection lets you find the 1997 remaster, the original release, or the live version without scrolling through duplicate, anonymous folders.

Use lossless formats where possible if sound quality is a priority. FLAC and ALAC preserve the original audio data while using less space than uncompressed files. WAV can sound excellent too, though its metadata support is less convenient in some libraries. The right format is the one your system reads reliably and that you can manage comfortably.

Give each room a proper playback endpoint

A multiroom setup does not require identical systems throughout the home. The main listening room may have a dedicated network streamer connected to a DAC and full hi-fi system. A study might use an integrated amplifier, while a kitchen or bedroom may call for a compact powered speaker or smaller active system.

What matters is that each endpoint can join the same ecosystem and receive music from the shared library. This lets the system fit the room rather than forcing every room to have the same equipment. It also gives you the freedom to improve one zone at a time.

For makers, a compact computer-based player can be a compelling way to bring an older amplifier or pair of powered speakers into the system. For a more finished installation, a purpose-built streamer provides a dedicated interface, carefully considered audio hardware, and a cleaner path into an existing hi-fi setup.

Synchronization is more than playing at once

When rooms are grouped, they must play in close sync. A small delay may not matter when rooms are far apart, but it becomes obvious in an open-plan home or hallway. Hearing the same vocal arrive at slightly different times is enough to break the spell of a great record.

Reliable synchronization depends on the playback platform, the network, and sometimes the processing chosen for each zone. Wired Ethernet is the strongest foundation for fixed players, particularly where high-resolution files or several simultaneous rooms are involved. Modern Wi-Fi can work very well, but signal strength, busy networks, and distance from the router all affect consistency.

Build the system around how you actually listen

Before choosing equipment, think in listening moments rather than product categories. Do you want the same record throughout the house while cooking and entertaining? Do family members need independent control of different rooms? Is the listening room the priority, with secondary zones mainly for casual playback?

These answers determine where to spend most of the budget. The main system deserves the best DAC, amplification, speakers, and network connection you can justify. Secondary rooms may benefit more from straightforward control and dependable grouping than from pursuing the last degree of resolution.

A sensible setup process looks like this:

Put the full local library in one dependable, backed-up location.
Connect the primary player to the network, ideally by Ethernet where practical.
Add one secondary room and test browsing, independent playback, and grouped playback.
Check Wi-Fi coverage and network stability before adding more zones.
Name rooms clearly, then create groups that reflect daily life, such as Downstairs or Evening Listening.

Starting with two rooms exposes the real variables without turning setup into a weekend-long project. Once the core experience is stable, adding another zone becomes much easier.

Sound quality in a whole-home system

Multiroom listening involves a useful trade-off: convenience invites more music into your day, while critical listening asks more of the system. The answer is not to lower standards everywhere. It is to give each room the level of performance it needs.

For the main system, pay attention to the complete signal path. A quality streamer feeding a capable DAC, a stable network connection, and careful amplifier and speaker matching can reveal the depth, timing, and tonal character already present in local files. Avoid unnecessary conversion or processing when a native path is available and appropriate for your system.

In secondary rooms, volume matching is often more valuable than chasing identical tonal balance. A room that plays too loudly compared with the next one can make a grouped session feel uneven. Take a few minutes to set sensible default levels, especially when combining large hi-fi speakers with compact active speakers.

High-resolution files also deserve a realistic view. They can be rewarding with revealing equipment and well-made recordings, but file resolution alone does not guarantee better sound. Mastering quality, speaker placement, room acoustics, and the quality of the original recording still matter more. A great 16-bit album played reliably is far more satisfying than a high-resolution file that stutters or is difficult to find.

One interface changes the daily experience

The real pleasure of a well-built system is not technical complexity. It is choosing music without friction. You should be able to browse local albums alongside streaming favorites, select a room or group, and keep listening rather than managing devices.

Volumio approaches this as one music-player ecosystem: local libraries, streaming services, and connected playback devices can live under a unified interface. That is especially useful for listeners who want their collection to feel current, not separated from the music they discover elsewhere.

This also makes shared listening less complicated. One person can start an album in the living room, another can choose a different source in the office, and a group can bring everyone back together for a house-wide session. The system should support those changes naturally, without asking every listener to understand network audio.

Avoid the common weak points

Most multiroom frustrations are preventable. Do not rely on an aging router placed at the far end of the house if several rooms will use Wi-Fi. Do not treat backup as optional just because the library is stored on a NAS. And do not overlook metadata until the library has grown too messy to browse.

It also helps to separate control from playback in your thinking. A phone or tablet is usually the remote, not the source of the music. When the network player accesses the library directly, playback can continue even if the control device leaves the room, receives a call, or runs low on battery.

Finally, leave room for the system to grow. A network, library structure, and platform that work for two rooms should not force a complete restart when you add a patio system, a workshop, or a second listening space.

The best multiroom setup is the one that brings more of your own music into ordinary moments. Start with the room where music matters most, make it sound right, then let the rest of the home join the performance when it is ready.

The post Multiroom Local Music Streaming, Done Right appeared first on Volumio.

12 August, 2026 08:24AM

August 11, 2026

ZEVENET

Enterprise SaaS Load Balancer: When Does a Managed Service Make Sense?

Choosing a load balancer is not only a technical decision.

It is also a decision about how much infrastructure your organization wants to deploy, maintain and operate.

Some companies need complete control over the underlying application delivery infrastructure. They may prefer physical appliances, virtual appliances, bare-metal deployments or software running inside their own cloud environment.

Other organizations want to control application traffic, security policies and availability without taking responsibility for the infrastructure behind the platform.

That is where a managed enterprise SaaS load balancer such as SkudoCloud can make sense.

A managed service does not remove technical control. It changes where that control is applied.

Instead of maintaining servers, patches, updates and redundant infrastructure, the technical team can focus on applications, traffic policies, security requirements and service availability.

What is an enterprise SaaS load balancer?

An enterprise SaaS load balancer is a managed cloud service that distributes incoming traffic across multiple application servers, services or endpoints.

Unlike a self-managed load balancer, the customer does not deploy or maintain the underlying load balancing infrastructure.

A SaaS load balancer can provide capabilities such as:

Layer 4 and Layer 7 traffic distribution.
Automated health checks.
Traffic rerouting and failover.
Session persistence.
SSL and TLS management.
Application and API protection.
Traffic monitoring and security visibility.
Centralized policy management.

The organization still decides how applications should be published, routed and protected. The service provider manages the infrastructure required to deliver those capabilities.

This distinction is important.

Managed infrastructure should not mean unmanaged outcomes.

The customer must retain visibility into traffic, policies, application health and security events.

When does a SaaS load balancer make sense?

There is no single deployment model that is right for every organization.

However, a managed SaaS load balancer can be particularly relevant in the following situations.

1. Your application is growing across multiple servers or services

A growing SaaS application rarely remains on a single server.

As demand increases, the architecture may expand across:

Multiple application servers.
Microservices.
API endpoints.
Different availability zones.
Several cloud environments.
Geographically distributed services.

Traffic must be distributed without directing users toward unavailable or overloaded endpoints.

A load balancer provides a common entry point and routes requests according to backend availability, connection levels, response times or other traffic policies.

For a fast-growing SaaS application, a managed service can add this capacity without requiring the team to build and maintain a separate load balancing layer.

2. Availability is becoming a business requirement

Load balancing is not only about performance.

It is also a critical component of service continuity.

When an application supports customers, transactions, internal operations or revenue-generating services, the failure of one backend should not make the entire application unavailable.

A SaaS load balancer can continuously monitor endpoints and reroute traffic when a service becomes unhealthy.

This is especially relevant when:

Downtime affects customers or revenue.
The application has multiple redundant backends.
Manual failover is too slow.
Services must remain available during maintenance.
The organization requires a repeatable availability model.

The managed platform operates the load balancing infrastructure, while the customer defines how applications and services should respond to failures.

3. Your team operates in a multi-cloud or distributed environment

Multi-cloud and hybrid architectures can reduce dependency on a single infrastructure provider, but they also introduce new operational challenges.

Applications may be distributed across:

Public cloud providers.
Private cloud environments.
Data centres.
Hosted infrastructure.
External platforms and APIs.

A SaaS multi-cloud load balancer can provide a centralized traffic layer in front of services running in different environments.

This allows the organization to manage traffic according to application requirements rather than tying the complete delivery model to a single cloud provider.

Before choosing a service, the team should verify its supported architectures, routing options, health-check capabilities, data flows and regional availability.

4. You need application delivery and security to work together

Traffic availability and application protection are closely connected.

The same traffic entering an application may need to be:

Routed to an available backend.
Inspected for malicious requests.
Limited according to application or API policies.
Protected against denial-of-service attempts.
Encrypted with SSL or TLS.
Logged for investigation and monitoring.

Managing each requirement through a separate platform can create fragmented policies, dashboards, logs and responsibilities.

A managed platform can bring traffic management, application protection and service availability into a common operational model.

The objective is not merely to combine more features.

It is to reduce the number of disconnected processes required to protect and deliver an application.

SkudoCloud is one example of a managed platform built around this principle, bringing traffic management and application security into a single operational model — covered in more detail later in this article.

5. Every new application is becoming another infrastructure project

Publishing a new application can involve more work than expected:

Provisioning infrastructure.
Configuring redundancy.
Installing software.
Managing certificates.
Integrating monitoring.
Creating security rules.
Planning updates.
Documenting the environment.
Assigning operational ownership.

This may be justified for applications with specific infrastructure requirements.

But when the same process must be repeated for every new website, API or digital service, the operational burden grows quickly.

A SaaS load balancer creates a more repeatable model:

Add the application or service.
Configure the endpoints.
Define traffic and security policies.
Validate availability.
Monitor the results.
Repeat the process for the next application.

The value is not simply faster deployment. It is preventing every new application from creating another permanent infrastructure responsibility.

6. Your technical team can manage the infrastructure—but should not have to

Organizations do not choose managed services because their engineers lack technical knowledge.

They often choose them because experienced engineers understand the real cost of operating the infrastructure.

That cost includes:

Patching.
Version management.
Certificate renewals.
Capacity planning.
High-availability configuration.
Monitoring integrations.
Troubleshooting.
Documentation.
Incident response.
Knowledge transfer.

A self-managed deployment may still be the right decision when these responsibilities provide meaningful control or meet a specific requirement.

But when infrastructure maintenance consumes time without creating strategic differentiation, a SaaS model can allow engineers to concentrate on application architecture, reliability, automation and security outcomes.

7. You want a managed service without losing operational visibility

One of the main concerns surrounding managed platforms is loss of control.

Technical teams may worry that the service will become a black box:

Why was a request blocked?
Which policy was applied?
Is an endpoint healthy?
Where is traffic being routed?
What happened during an incident?
Can the team change the configuration directly?

A suitable enterprise SaaS load balancer should provide visibility into traffic, application health, security events and active policies.

The relevant distinction is not managed versus controlled.

It is:

who maintains the infrastructure;
and who governs the applications.

The provider can manage platform availability, updates and underlying capacity while the customer retains control over applications, endpoints, routing decisions and security requirements.

When might another deployment model be more appropriate?

A SaaS load balancer is an additional deployment option, not a universal replacement for self-managed infrastructure.

A physical, virtual, bare-metal or customer-managed cloud deployment may be more appropriate when an organization requires:

Complete control of the underlying infrastructure.
Operation inside an isolated or disconnected network.
Dedicated hardware.
Specific network-level integrations.
Highly customized platform behaviour.
Strict data-location or infrastructure policies.
Direct administration of every platform component.
An existing operational model built around self-managed ADC infrastructure.

The correct decision depends on the application, architecture, team and regulatory environment.

The objective is not to choose SaaS because it is newer. It is to choose the model that provides the required balance between control, flexibility, security and operational responsibility.

Enterprise SaaS load balancer decision checklist

Before choosing a managed load balancing service, consider the following questions:

Does the application require high availability?
Is traffic distributed across multiple servers or services?
Are workloads expected to grow or fluctuate?
Does the organization operate across multiple cloud environments?
Are application and API protection also required?
Does the team want to maintain the underlying platform?
What visibility is available for traffic, policies and security events?
What support is included during onboarding and incidents?
Are pricing and scaling conditions clear?
Are there infrastructure, compliance or isolation requirements?
Can the solution be tested before production deployment?

The answers will help determine whether a SaaS service or another deployment model is the best fit.

Where SkudoCloud fits

SkudoCloud is SKUDONET’s fully managed SaaS platform for protecting applications, controlling traffic and maintaining service availability, distinct from SKUDONET Enterprise Edition and its self-managed deployment options.

It provides Layer 4 and Layer 7 load balancing, automated health checks, failover, session persistence, SSL/TLS termination with end-to-end encryption and automated certificate management via Let’s Encrypt, and centralized monitoring. WAF protection, configurable rate limiting and DDoS protection are available depending on the selected plan.

SKUDONET manages the underlying platform, while customers retain control over their applications, traffic rules, endpoints and security policies.

SkudoCloud can be particularly relevant for growing applications, APIs, multi-cloud services, temporary projects and organizations that want to reduce infrastructure maintenance without losing operational visibility.

Keep control of your applications without maintaining the infrastructure behind them.

Explore SkudoCloud

11 August, 2026 10:30AM by Isabel Perez

Volumio

How to Play Qobuz on Hi-Fi Without Compromise

A great Qobuz album can reveal the difference between music that is merely playing and music that is present in the room. To play Qobuz on hi-fi, the goal is not to build the most complicated system. It is to create a clean, dependable path from the streaming service to your amplifier and speakers, while keeping control of your music close at hand.

Qobuz offers lossless and high-resolution streaming, but the listening experience depends on more than the badge beside an album. Your player, network, digital-to-analog converter, volume control, and system setup all have a part to play. Get the foundations right and you can spend less time troubleshooting apps and more time hearing what made you choose your system in the first place.

What You Need to Play Qobuz on Hi-Fi

At its simplest, a Qobuz hi-fi system needs an active Qobuz subscription, a device that can access Qobuz, and a connection to your amplifier or powered speakers. A phone or computer can work, especially for a desk system, but a dedicated network music player is often the more satisfying choice for a main listening room.

A streamer receives music over your home network and sends it onward as either an analog signal or a digital signal. If it has an onboard DAC, connect its analog outputs to an available line-level input on your integrated amplifier, preamplifier, or active speakers. If you already own a DAC you love, choose a streamer with a suitable digital output and let that DAC handle conversion.

This separation matters because it lets you build around the parts of your system that matter most to you. Some listeners value the simplicity of one component. Others prefer a dedicated transport and DAC, with room to refine each part over time. Neither approach is automatically better. The best choice is the one that fits your system, space, and listening habits.

Choose the Right Playback Path

There are three common ways to bring Qobuz into a hi-fi system. Each can sound excellent when properly implemented.

Streamer with built-in DAC

This is the straightforward route. The streamer connects to your network, converts the Qobuz stream to analog, and feeds your amplifier. It reduces cable clutter and makes setup approachable, particularly if you are moving from a Bluetooth receiver or a computer-based setup.

Look for stable Qobuz integration, a clear control interface, and analog outputs that suit your amplifier. If your system is revealing, the quality of the onboard DAC and analog stage becomes more significant. It is worth choosing a component designed for serious listening rather than treating streaming as an afterthought.

Streamer plus external DAC

A separate streamer and DAC gives you flexibility. The streamer focuses on reliable network playback, while the DAC handles digital conversion. You can connect them with USB, coaxial, or optical, depending on the components and the resolutions you want to support.

USB and coaxial are often preferred when you want access to the highest sample rates your DAC accepts. Optical can be a very useful choice too, particularly where electrical isolation is desirable, though some optical connections have lower maximum resolution limits. Check the specifications of both components rather than assuming every input behaves the same way.

Computer or mobile device into a DAC

A computer can be an effective Qobuz source, particularly for nearfield listening or an existing desktop setup. Connect it to a USB DAC and select the DAC as the audio output in your playback software. For phones and tablets, a compatible external DAC may be needed.

The trade-off is convenience. Notifications, background processes, battery management, and a device that leaves the room with you can interrupt the ritual of listening. A dedicated player puts the music system in its own place, ready whenever you are.

Set Qobuz Playback Quality Intentionally

Qobuz offers music in multiple resolutions, from CD quality to high-resolution files where available. In your Qobuz settings, choose the highest streaming quality that your subscription, player, DAC, and network can support comfortably.

Higher resolution is not a guarantee of a better recording or a better musical experience. A well-mastered CD-quality release can be more compelling than a high-resolution version with an aggressive master. Think of high resolution as access to more information when the source and system can make good use of it, not as a replacement for careful listening.

If you see an album playing at a lower rate than expected, start with the basics. The specific release may not be available in higher resolution, your playback device may have a limit, or its output may be set to resample everything to one fixed rate. Fixed-rate output is not always a problem, but it means the displayed rate may no longer match the original stream.

Preserve Signal Integrity Without Chasing Perfection

Many listeners want bit-perfect playback, meaning the digital data reaches the DAC without software resampling or unwanted processing. This can be a sensible target, especially if you want the DAC to receive each track at its native sample rate.

However, bit-perfect playback is only one part of the picture. Digital volume control, room correction, equalization, and DSP can all alter the signal, often for good reason. If subtle equalization improves your speakers in your room, it may be more valuable than preserving a strictly untouched data path.

A practical approach is to begin with direct playback and no processing. Listen for several days using familiar recordings. Then add only the adjustments that solve a real problem, such as a difficult bass peak or a speaker placement limitation. Your ears, your room, and your music should make the final decision.

Be thoughtful with volume as well. If your streamer feeds a conventional integrated amplifier, it is usually simplest to set the streamer to a fixed line-level output and use the amplifier’s volume control. If you are feeding a power amplifier or active speakers directly, a high-quality variable output may be appropriate. Just make sure the system starts at a safe volume level.

Give Your Network the Attention It Deserves

High-resolution streaming does not require an exotic network, but it does need a stable one. A wired Ethernet connection between your router and streamer is the most dependable option, particularly in a busy household or a room far from the router.

Wi-Fi can work very well when signal strength is strong and the network is well managed. If albums pause, take too long to start, or disappear from the control app, do not assume the problem is Qobuz or your audio equipment. Router placement, mesh node position, congestion, and power-saving settings are frequent causes.

Avoid placing a network switch, router, or streamer in a sealed cabinet with poor ventilation. Use sound cable management, but resist the idea that every network accessory requires an audiophile upgrade. Start with reliable hardware, good signal coverage, and solid connections. Those basics solve far more problems than expensive experimentation.

Keep Qobuz and Your Library in One Listening Space

The real pleasure of streaming is not just instant access to new releases. It is the ability to move naturally between discovery and ownership: a new Qobuz find, an old CD rip, a high-resolution download, and the albums you return to every year.

A unified music player makes that flow easier. With Volumio, Qobuz can sit alongside local music libraries and connected audio devices in one focused interface, so your listening does not begin with deciding which app to open. Search, favorites, playlists, and personal files become parts of the same collection rather than separate digital islands.

Take time to organize favorites around how you actually listen. Build a short list for late-night sessions, another for testing changes to your system, and a few albums that simply make you happy. This is more useful than endlessly auditioning technical tracks, and it turns Qobuz from a vast catalog into a living library.

Hear the System, Then Hear the Music

Once Qobuz is playing reliably, resist the urge to change three things at once. Start with speaker placement, because a few inches of movement can alter imaging and bass more than a new cable ever will. Then confirm that your streamer is outputting at the expected level and that your DAC input is correctly selected.

Use recordings you know well, but do not limit yourself to audiophile favorites. Listen to the vocal phrasing, the decay of a piano, the weight of a kick drum, and the ease of a dense chorus. A good Qobuz hi-fi setup should invite longer listening, not constant analysis.

The most rewarding system is the one that disappears when the first track begins. Give your Qobuz setup a stable signal path, a reliable network, and a control experience you enjoy using. Then leave the settings alone for an evening and let the music take over.

The post How to Play Qobuz on Hi-Fi Without Compromise appeared first on Volumio.

11 August, 2026 08:25AM

ARMBIAN

Github Highlights

This week&aposs work centers on kernel 7.2 enablement across out-of-tree drivers, a redesigned armbian-install with expanded boot topologies, and new UEFI cloud ISO delivery alongside board additions.

The mainline bump to 7.2-rc6 drove a coordinated pass through wireless and peripheral drivers, with compatibility updates landing for uwe5622, rtl8723ds, rtl8852bs, and radxa-aic8800, plus a broader rewrite of kernel configs and patch sets for the new baseline. Rockchip received targeted fixes including RGA3 upscaling flicker correction, scoped rk3576 HS400 DLL calibration, RK808 clkout cell naming, and a switch to CUBIC congestion control as the default. Additional platform work covers mvebu64 kernel bumps to 6.12/6.18/7.1, SpacemiT K1 patch cleanup now that changes are upstream, imx93 build repair on 6.18.42, and a btrfs-enabling CRC32C config change applied across all boards.

The armbian-install tool was redesigned as a tested armbian-config module, gaining eMMC/NVMe boot fixes, a split boot-from-eMMC installer, SPI/MTD boot with root on NVMe/SATA/USB, and clearer diagnostics for blocked dual-boot scenarios such as BitLocker or dirty NTFS volumes. Companion configng modules add Proxmox VE on Debian trixie, virt-manager alongside Cockpit for desktop hosts, UEFI defaults for new x86 VMs, and docker-buildx on distro-maintained installs.

Image delivery expands with a new image-output-iso extension producing bootable live ISOs from UEFI images for cloud and IPMI virtual CD use, backed by CI changes to sign, torrent, and publish ISO artifacts, and a website update surfacing the new image type. Board support grows with the Milk-V DuoS (aarch64+riscv64), Walnut Pi Box and 1B DDR3 variant, Tanix TX6S, Odin3 bringup, and a promotion pass moving tested boards into supported configuration.

#Armbian #EmbeddedLinux #Kernel72 #Rockchip #UEFI #RISCV

Changes

action: derive image version from latest distribution release (drop os/stable.json). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10371
add 7.2 compatibility. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/uwe5622#10
add compat for 7.2. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/rtl8723ds#9
Add CONFIG_RTW88_8821AU=m to rockchip64 kernel config. by @adeepn in armbian/build#10322
Add iso mapping to action.yml. by @efectn in armbian/actions#36
Add Milk-V DuoS, an aarch64+riscv64 board. by @lukaszsobala in armbian/build#10326
Add Milk-V vendor logo and Milk-V DuoS board images. by @lukaszsobala in armbian/armbian.github.io#376
Add opi zero3w picture. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#389
Add tanix-tx6s-axp313 board image. by @alnahian2011 in armbian/armbian.github.io#374
Add Walnut Pi Box (CM1) and 1B DDR3 variant. by @TallGuy74 in armbian/build#10342
Add Walnut Pi Box and 1B-DDR3 board images. by @TallGuy74 in armbian/armbian.github.io#379
arm64: dts: sun50i-h618: bananapi-m4-zero: fix EMAC1 to use AC300 internal EPHY. by @juliovendramini in armbian/build#10328
armbian-firstlogin: restart ssh.service instead of reload. by @Mkiring in armbian/build#10330
armbian-install: don&apost offer eMMC boot0/boot1/rpmb as install targets. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#962
armbian-install: eMMC/NVMe boot fixes + boot-from-eMMC split install. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#972
armbian-install: redesign as a tested armbian-config module. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#951
armbian-install: tell the user why dual-boot can&apost proceed (BitLocker vs dirty NTFS). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#974
armbian-install: wire up "boot from SPI/MTD, root on NVMe/SATA/USB". by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#973
auto-retry: fix workflow_run subscription name for standard-support. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/ci#43
BeagleBadge prerelease add-ons. by @Grippy98 in armbian/build#10333
BeagleY - Fix Patch warnings and add PWM/DSI/Arcade Overlays. by @Grippy98 in armbian/build#10356
BeagleY - Fix small broken GRS Arcade Button Mapping. by @Grippy98 in armbian/build#10360
bleedingedge: rewrite various kernel configs for 7.2. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#10393
board-images: add uefi-arm64-dt board image. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#388
board: orangepi-5b: fix BT host-wake IRQ direction. by @defcom5-rockchip in armbian/build#10372
boards: adjust support status (CSC / supported). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10377
boards: promote tested boards to conf + maintainer cleanup. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10368
build-apps: publish apps images to armbian/distribution. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/ci#48
build-lists: rename apps extensions (applications-*) and drop openHAB. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#385
Build-Switches: document SKIP_COMPRESSING. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/documentation#951
ci: add Delete Old Releases workflow (keep newest 3). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/distribution#13
ci: bump create-pull-request v7 → v8 (Node 20 → Node 24). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/ci#44
ci: push dropdown updates with ACCESS_TOKEN_ARMBIANWORKER (workflow scope). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/ci#45
compress-checksum: SKIP_COMPRESSING to leave chosen formats uncompressed. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10323
Correct filename. by @lukaszsobala in armbian/armbian.github.io#377
data: fix base-files loong64/sid fetch and harden against missing arches. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#382
docs: refresh README (AI-assisted). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/distribution#14
downloads: support the ISO image type. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/website#40
drivers: fix out-of-tree wifi build on 6.12.101 (cfg80211 set_monitor_channel). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10332
drivers_network.sh remove version guards, rtl8723ds update hash & bind to family. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#10353
Enable (=m) USB serial, ACM, printer support for RV1106/RK3506 families. by @vidplace7 in armbian/build#10388
Extensions-List: document the image-output-iso extension. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/documentation#949
extensions: add docker-ce and applications-{ha,kali,omv}. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10369
extensions: add image-output-iso — bootable live ISO from UEFI images (cloud/IPMI virtual CD). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10314
Feat/add tanix tx6s axp313. by @alnahian2011 in armbian/build#10290
fix build on Linux 7.2. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/wifi-rtl8852bs#10
Fix maintainers-sync / CODEOWNERS job errors. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10385
fix(ci): resolve the AppImage path before cd in the unbundle step. by @SuperKali in armbian/imager#177
fix(ci): un-bundle libwayland from the AppImage to stop the EGL abort (#67). by @lukaszsobala in armbian/imager#170
fix(rockchip): default to CUBIC congestion control, not Reno. by @yisding in armbian/build#10315
generate-actions-report: scan ci repo instead of os. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#390
generate-armbian-images-json: support UEFI cloud .iso artifacts. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#387
H50 and T9 led , display and other overlays update. by @gpaesano in armbian/build#10359
Handle .iso images in build-images-chunk (torrent + GPG sign). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/ci#42
image-output-iso: accept vmlinux-* kernels (arm64 cloud branch). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10325
imx93: fix kernel-imx93-current build — drop redundant blk-ctrl.c hunk (6.18.42). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10331
installer: default to SPI/MTD boot for NVMe/SATA/USB installs. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#976
k3-6.18: make BeagleBadge e-ink overlay patch apply on all branches. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10392
kernel-debs: normalize misnamed arm64 vmlinux-* boot image back to vmlinuz-*. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10340
kernel: enable CONFIG_CRYPTO_CRC32C=y so btrfs mounts on every board. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10350
kernel: k3-6.18: fix BeagleBadge e-ink overlay patch not applying. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10380
mainline: bump to 7.2-rc6. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#10321
maint: rewrite various patch sets. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#10384
module_cockpit: install UEFI firmware and default new x86 VMs to UEFI. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#969
module_cockpit: install virt-manager GUI when a desktop is present. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#964
module_docker: install docker-buildx on distro-maintained installs. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#967
module_proxmox: add Proxmox VE (Debian trixie), keep the Armbian kernel. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#965
mtty: tty_alloc_driver returns ERR_PTR, not NULL. by @iav in armbian/uwe5622#8
mvebu64: bump kernels — legacy 6.12, current 6.18, edge 7.1. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10338
nanopi-m5: drop GMAC tx_delay to stop the gigabit link flapping. by @SuperKali in armbian/build#10354
Odin3 bringup. by @kasimling in armbian/build#10229
odroidm1: clear SPI u-boot env on every (re)flash (fixes NVMe boot from SPI). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10351
Process_CI: fix broken release-target links (wrong branch + workflow name). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/documentation#952
Process_CI: point automation docs at armbian/ci (armbian/os deprecated). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/documentation#950
pull-mirrors: fix null mirror flags (rate-limited geoip) + show table in run summary. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/documentation#956
radxa-aic8800: bump conditional to allow Linux version 7.2. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#10339
radxa-dragon-q6a: bump alsa-ucm-conf backport to 1.2.16.1-radxa-1. by @SuperKali in armbian/build#10337
radxa-dragon-q8b: pick up EDID changes behind the HDMI bridge. by @SuperKali in armbian/build#10343
readme-updater: include armbian/distribution. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#386
release-targets: live ISO for the cloud UEFI images (uefi-x86 + uefi-arm64). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#375
release: build UEFI cloud ISO for Debian stable (trixie) minimal. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#380
Remove interaction with CPUFreq limits. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/uwe5622#9
reporting: fix download-images report — archive is the download, distribution is appliances. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#372
rk35xx: isolate ttyGS0 getty in a private device namespace. by @Mkiring in armbian/build#10313
rkr7.2: fixup RGA3 flickering pixels during upscaling. by @nyanmisaka in armbian/linux-rockchip#519
rkr7.2: clk: rk808: fix platform_device_id names for the clkout cells + regulator, rtc, pwrkey cells. by @rpardini in armbian/linux-rockchip#518
rockchip64: remove obsolete pll hdmi timings patches. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#10352
rockchip64: RG Vita Pro drivers - address CodeRabbit review comments from #10321. by @crackerjacques in armbian/build#10376
rockchip64: scope the rk3576 HS400 DLL calibration to rk3576 only. by @crackerjacques in armbian/build#10375
rtl8852bs: bump to 7.2. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#10347
Run closing finalization for stable builds, not only nightly. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/ci#41
runner-clean: drop "Register qemu binfmt handlers" step. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/actions#35
software modules: fix status-branch syntax, unsafe rm, and plex dispatch. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#966
sophgo-sg200x-aic8800: don&apost git-fetch the driver during config-dump. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10381
SpacemiT K1: Remove patches that made it upstream. by @pyavitz in armbian/build#10344
sun60iw2: fix libbpf const build error on resolute (gcc 15). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10383
sunxi-6.12: fix AP6275P brcmfmac patch (BRCM_CC_43752 now upstream). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10391
sunxi64: a64-olinuxino u-boot — build eMMC device tree (fix eMMC boot). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10349
uefi-cloud: enable SQUASHFS so the live ISO boots. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10345
uefidt: bump edge kernel to 7.1. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10373
Update Armbian build action version. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/sdk#32
uwe5622: bump commit hash, include Linux 7.2 support. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#10348
youyeetoo-yy3568: bump to mainline U-Boot v2026.07. by @hqnicolas in armbian/build#10365
📣 Call for testers: new armbian-install. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10176

11 August, 2026 01:10AM by Michael Robinson

August 10, 2026

SparkyLinux

Sparky 8.4

There is the fourth update of Sparky 8 – 8.4 available to download. This is a quarterly update of the Sparky 8 “Seven Sisters” release of the stable line. Sparky 8 is based on and is fully compatible with Debian 13 “Trixie”. SparkyLinux was created 14 years ago as a fully configured, ready-to-use operating system that can replace other, heavier, commercial operating systems. Sparky was and is…

Source

10 August, 2026 07:15PM by pavroo

GreenboneOS

The Greenbone MSSP Program: vulnerability management, licensed for the way you sell it

As of now, the Greenbone MSSP Program is open to service providers in Europe and beyond. It puts OPENVAS, the world’s most widely used open-source vulnerability management solution, in the hands of providers who deliver it as a service, on commercial terms built around how managed services actually make money: one platform for every customer […]

10 August, 2026 10:25AM by Greenbone AG

Deepin

Linyaps Releases 3‑in‑one Packaging‑Agents‑Toolset 1.0.0 to Automate Debian‑rule Conversion and Linglong‑yaml Generation

Summary Application packaging has long remained technically challenging within the Linux ecosystem. Working with Debian build specifications, hand‑written linglong.yaml configurations and multi‑format package conversion drains plenty of repetitive work even for seasoned developers. Now the community gains an intelligent workaround. Version 1.0.0 of the Linyaps‑packaging‑agents‑toolset‑1.0.0 is officially available for open‑source contributors. This full‑chain AI‑agent toolkit covers build‑rule generation, packaging‑script creation and template‑based project deployment. It delivers optimal performance when operated under deepin 25. Introduction to Linyaps Packaging‑Agent Toolkit The toolkit integrates three independent agents with clear‑cut responsibilities: Agent Function Description debian‑rules‑to‑linyaps‑rules Parses Debian source‑package build specifications and outputs the complete ...Read more

10 August, 2026 10:12AM by xiaofei

Volumio

Bit Perfect Playback Software: Does It Matter?

A familiar track can sound unexpectedly flat when a computer, phone, or network player quietly changes the audio before it reaches your DAC. The album file may be lossless, the DAC may be excellent, and yet the playback chain can still introduce resampling, level adjustment, or system mixing. Bit perfect playback software is designed to prevent those changes, delivering the digital audio stream to a compatible DAC exactly as intended.

For listeners who have invested time in a music library and care about their hi-fi system, that promise is meaningful. But it is also easy to overstate. Bit-perfect playback is a valuable foundation for high-quality digital listening, not a guarantee that every recording will suddenly sound better. The recording, DAC implementation, amplification, speakers, room, and your own preferences remain part of the experience.

What Bit Perfect Playback Software Actually Does

Digital music is stored and transmitted as a sequence of numbers. A 16-bit/44.1 kHz CD-quality track has a defined bit depth and sample rate. A high-resolution release might use 24-bit/96 kHz or 24-bit/192 kHz. In a bit-perfect path, the player sends those values to the DAC without changing their resolution, sample rate, or level.

That sounds straightforward, but general-purpose operating systems are built to mix sound from many sources. A notification, web browser, video call, and music app may all need to play at once. To make that possible, the operating system can route audio through a shared mixer, where it may convert every stream to a common sample rate or apply volume processing before output.

Dedicated playback software can avoid that shared path by taking exclusive control of the audio output. When configured correctly, it recognizes the incoming file format and instructs the DAC to receive the appropriate stream. A 44.1 kHz album can remain at 44.1 kHz; a 96 kHz release can reach the DAC at 96 kHz. No unnecessary conversion is required.

The goal is not to make a file more detailed than it is. It is to preserve the information already present and let the DAC perform its intended conversion from digital data to analog music.

Why Resampling Can Matter

Resampling changes a digital signal from one sample rate to another. It is not automatically bad. Modern resampling can be technically excellent, and some DACs deliberately upsample internally as part of their design. The distinction is who performs the conversion, when it happens, and whether it is a deliberate choice.

If a computer converts all music to 48 kHz before output, a 44.1 kHz album has been processed even though the DAC may have handled its native format directly. Depending on the software and settings, that conversion can be transparent, subtly different, or simply unnecessary. Bit-perfect playback gives you confidence that the player is not making that decision in the background.

It also preserves format switching across a varied library. Many music collections include CD rips, high-resolution downloads, live recordings, and streaming releases with different sample rates. A player that follows each track’s native format can keep that variety intact rather than forcing every album through one fixed setting.

This matters most to listeners who want a clear, controlled signal path. It may matter less for casual background playback on a compact wireless speaker, where convenience and room placement have a much greater influence on what you hear.

Bit Perfect Does Not Mean DSP-Free by Default

A bit-perfect signal path requires more than selecting an option labeled “high quality.” Any process that alters the samples breaks bit-perfect delivery, even when that process is useful.

Digital volume control is a common example. Lowering volume in the digital domain changes the data values. At sensible operating levels and with a modern high-resolution DAC, this may be audibly insignificant. Still, it is not technically bit perfect. If preserving the original stream is the priority, many listeners set software volume to full output and control level with an analog preamp, integrated amplifier, or DAC that is designed for that role.

Equalization, room correction, crossfade, replay gain, and upsampling also modify the signal. None of these features should be treated as mistakes. Room correction can deliver a larger audible improvement than bit-perfect playback in many real listening rooms. EQ can make headphones more natural. Replay gain can make a long listening session more comfortable by reducing sudden jumps in level.

The useful question is not, “Is DSP allowed?” It is, “Do I want this processing, and do I understand where it happens?” A well-designed system lets you choose: a direct path for critical listening, or carefully applied processing when it serves the music and the room.

What to Look for in Bit Perfect Playback Software

The best software is not merely a technical switch. It should make your entire music collection easier to enjoy. For a serious home system, look for native sample-rate switching, exclusive audio output, and clear confirmation of the format being sent to the DAC. If you use DSD files, check whether the player supports the method your DAC expects, such as native DSD or DoP.

Library handling matters just as much. A bit-perfect player should make local files, internet radio, and supported streaming services feel like parts of one music collection rather than disconnected destinations. Good metadata, reliable search, album navigation, playlist management, and control from a phone or tablet turn a technically correct setup into one you will use every day.

Device compatibility deserves equal attention. USB DACs are common, but some systems use network-connected players, integrated amplifiers, or DACs with their own digital inputs. The right software should fit your equipment and listening habits without requiring a complicated routine every time you want to play an album.

Finally, consider how the software handles updates and discovery. A system that preserves sound quality but makes it difficult to find music will eventually feel limiting. The pleasure of a great playback chain is not only hearing familiar recordings with care. It is also returning to an overlooked record because it is right there in your library.

Setting Up a Clean Digital Path

Start by identifying where your music player, operating system, and DAC each have control over the signal. If your playback software offers an exclusive or direct output mode, select the actual DAC rather than a generic system output. Disable unwanted operating-system sound effects and avoid having other applications send alerts through the same device during focused listening.

Next, choose whether you want volume managed digitally or downstream. If you use an integrated amplifier or preamp, a fixed full-level software output is often the cleanest approach. If your DAC feeds powered speakers directly, digital volume may be necessary. In that case, prioritize a player and DAC combination designed to handle it well, and use reasonable volume limits to protect your system.

Then test format switching. Play files with different sample rates and check the DAC display or status screen, if available. A 44.1 kHz file should report 44.1 kHz when native playback is active, while a 96 kHz file should report 96 kHz. This is more reliable than assuming a “lossless” badge means the whole chain is untouched.

For network playback, wired Ethernet can be worthwhile in a fixed hi-fi installation. Wi-Fi is often perfectly capable, especially for standard-resolution streaming, but a wired connection removes one variable when diagnosing dropouts or intermittent discovery issues.

The Value of a Purpose-Built Music Player

A general computer can deliver excellent results, but it asks one device to handle work, notifications, updates, browsers, and music playback at the same time. A dedicated network player has a simpler role: organize your music, retrieve it from local storage or streaming services, and deliver it reliably to your audio system.

This is where a focused ecosystem earns its place. Volumio brings local libraries, supported streaming services, and connected audio devices into one music-first interface, while giving listeners control over the playback path. It can run on accessible DIY hardware or serve as the foundation for a dedicated streamer, depending on how far you want to take your system.

The benefit is practical as well as technical. You spend less time changing inputs, checking computer settings, and moving between apps. More of the listening session belongs to the album, not the setup.

When Bit-Perfect Playback Is Worth Prioritizing

Bit-perfect playback is especially worthwhile when you have a capable external DAC, a revealing headphone or speaker system, and a library that includes multiple sample rates. It gives you a known baseline: the player is not performing hidden conversion before the DAC receives the music.

It is also worthwhile for anyone building a system gradually. Getting the digital path right early prevents confusion later. When you change a DAC, amplifier, or speakers, you can evaluate the change without wondering whether a computer setting is resampling every track first.

Still, do not let technical purity become a barrier to enjoying music. A carefully chosen EQ curve, a convenient playlist, or a room-correction profile may serve a real listening need better than an untouched signal. The best system is the one that respects the recording while making you want to press play again. Start with a clean path, make deliberate choices, and let the music decide what stays.

The post Bit Perfect Playback Software: Does It Matter? appeared first on Volumio.

10 August, 2026 08:31AM

August 09, 2026

Audiophile PC Music Player Software That Sounds Better

A computer can hold a lifetime of music, yet too often it treats that collection like a folder of office documents. Great audiophile PC music player software changes the relationship. It gives your files, streaming favorites, and listening room a proper front end – one designed for the moment you press play, not for managing spreadsheets.

For many music lovers, the goal is not simply bit-perfect playback, though that matters. It is a calmer, more direct route from a favorite recording to the hi-fi system that makes it meaningful. The right software should make high-resolution albums easy to find, preserve the quality of the source, and stay out of the way once the music begins.

What Audiophile PC Music Player Software Should Do

A serious PC music player has a different job from a standard media app. It needs to communicate reliably with DACs, network players, and USB audio devices while handling a library that may include everything from CD-quality FLAC to DSD, WAV, ALAC, and high-resolution downloads. Just as importantly, it should make those formats feel like one coherent collection rather than a technical project.

Sound quality begins with clean audio handling. On a Windows PC, that commonly means using an audio path that can avoid unnecessary system mixing and resampling when your DAC supports it. On any platform, the player should correctly identify a track’s sample rate, pass compatible formats to your hardware, and provide sensible settings rather than burying essential choices under menus meant for engineers.

But specifications alone do not create a satisfying listening experience. You should be able to browse by artist, composer, genre, release date, or folder structure without losing your place. Album art, credits, search, queue management, and gapless playback all matter because they remove friction between curiosity and music.

The best approach depends on how you listen. A desk-based headphone system may need dependable USB DAC output and quick keyboard control. A PC that serves a dedicated stereo system may benefit more from network playback, control from a phone or tablet, and the freedom to leave the computer out of the listening room.

Start With Your Listening System, Not a Feature List

Before choosing software, map the path your music takes. If your PC is directly connected to a DAC, compatibility with that DAC and your operating system comes first. A stable connection and correct output settings will matter more than an elaborate interface you rarely use.

If your computer stores the library but music plays through a network streamer, look for software that can organize the library centrally while handing playback to the right device. This arrangement can be especially rewarding in a shared household: the computer remains a quiet library server, while everyone controls music from the device already in hand.

Streaming deserves equal consideration. Switching among a local NAS, a hard drive, Qobuz, TIDAL, and internet radio can interrupt the flow of an evening. A player that brings sources into one interface lets you move from a newly released album to a long-forgotten rip without changing apps or mentally changing systems.

That is why a music-first ecosystem can be more valuable than a long checklist of file formats. Volumio brings local libraries, streaming services, and connected audio devices into one familiar environment, whether you are building a PC-based player or adding a purpose-built component to a hi-fi system.

Bit-Perfect Playback Is a Starting Point

The phrase “bit-perfect” is often used as shorthand for quality, and it has real value. In simple terms, it means the audio data reaches a compatible DAC without unwanted alteration by the operating system or player. If a 24-bit/96 kHz file is supported by the full chain, the software should not quietly convert it to a different rate merely because that is the computer’s default setting.

Still, bit-perfect playback is not the whole story. A poorly organized library, unreliable device discovery, or an app that makes every playback session feel like IT support will reduce the pleasure of a very accurate signal path. Good software combines technical care with confidence: you know what is playing, where it is playing, and why it sounds the way it does.

There are also legitimate exceptions. DSP, room correction, crossfeed for headphones, and carefully chosen upsampling can be useful tools. The key is control. Audiophile software should let you choose when processing is active and understand its effect, rather than applying changes invisibly.

Library Management Is Part of Sound Quality

This may sound surprising, but metadata has a place in serious listening. An album tagged inconsistently can disappear from an artist view, split into multiple copies, or become impossible to locate when friends ask what is playing. A well-managed library keeps the focus on the performance rather than the file path.

Start with a consistent approach to artist names, album titles, dates, genres, and artwork. For classical collections, include composer, conductor, ensemble, and work information where possible. For jazz and rock, credits and release versions can help distinguish original albums from remasters, deluxe editions, and live recordings.

Your player should respect the organization you already value. Some listeners prefer a polished album view; others trust carefully named folders and want direct access to them. Neither approach is more audiophile. What matters is that the software supports your habits while offering useful discovery tools when you want to hear beyond the familiar.

A good search function has disproportionate value. It should find a track even when you remember only part of a title, a guest musician, or a composer. The more gracefully a player handles imperfect memory, the more often your deeper collection gets heard.

Connectivity Determines How the System Feels

Audio quality is often discussed in terms of DAC chips and file resolution, but daily enjoyment is shaped by connectivity. A player that sees your USB DAC one day and loses it the next will quickly become frustrating. A network library that takes minutes to refresh is equally discouraging.

Wired Ethernet is usually the sensible choice for a fixed music system, particularly when a library includes high-resolution files or the network serves several rooms. Wi-Fi can work beautifully when coverage is strong, but it introduces more variables. If playback occasionally stalls, test the network before assuming the audio software is at fault.

For direct USB playback, avoid treating the PC as a generic appliance. Disable intrusive notification sounds, confirm that the intended DAC is selected, and give the system time to recognize the device after a restart. These small habits can prevent the kind of interruptions that make a fine system feel unreliable.

Remote control is another practical dividing line. A PC monitor and mouse are perfectly reasonable at a desk. Across a living room, they are less inviting. Software with a clear mobile or tablet interface can turn a computer-based source into something that feels like a dedicated music component, while retaining the flexibility of a computer underneath.

Build for Listening, Then Refine

The most rewarding PC audio systems rarely appear fully formed on day one. Begin with a stable setup: a known-good DAC or network endpoint, a properly indexed library, and one or two streaming services you actually use. Spend time listening before changing advanced settings.

Then refine according to a real observation. If albums are hard to find, improve tags or browsing views. If the sound seems wrong, check output resolution, volume settings, and the playback path before replacing hardware. If the system is inconvenient, consider remote control or moving playback to a network device. Each adjustment should solve a listening problem, not merely add another option.

There is room for experimentation, especially for makers using a PC, Raspberry Pi, or a custom network player. That spirit is part of what makes digital audio compelling. Yet the final test is wonderfully simple: does the system make you choose another album after the first one ends?

The right player software does not ask you to admire its complexity. It gives your collection a home, gives your hi-fi system a capable source, and leaves a little more room for the music that brought you here.

The post Audiophile PC Music Player Software That Sounds Better appeared first on Volumio.

09 August, 2026 08:31AM

August 08, 2026

Tinker Board Music Player Setup That Sounds Right

A Tinker Board can become far more than a small computer sitting beside your router. With the right audio output, power, and playback settings, it becomes a focused network player that brings local files and streaming services to the hi-fi system you already love. A thoughtful tinker board music player setup is less about adding every possible feature and more about building a reliable path from your music to your amplifier.

The goal is simple: choose an album from the listening chair, press play, and hear your system at its best. That means making a few decisions before the software image ever reaches a microSD card.

Start with the audio path, not the board

A Tinker Board is the control center of the player, but the DAC and its connection determine much of the final experience. If you already own an external DAC, a USB connection is usually the most direct place to begin. It is widely supported, easy to configure, and lets you keep using a DAC whose character already suits your system.

An I2S DAC board is another compelling option. I2S carries digital audio over the board’s GPIO header and can make for an exceptionally compact player. It also requires more care: the DAC must be physically compatible with the board, and the correct device configuration must be selected in the operating system. For a first build, USB gives you fewer variables. For a compact, purpose-built component, I2S can be worth the added attention.

Avoid treating the analog headphone or line output on a single-board computer as the finished answer for a serious hi-fi system. It can be useful for initial testing, but a dedicated DAC gives your music a more appropriate foundation.

Before you begin, gather the essentials: a compatible Tinker Board, a quality microSD card, a stable power supply, a network connection, and your chosen DAC. If your music lives on a USB drive or network share, have that ready as well. Ethernet is strongly recommended for initial setup and for large high-resolution libraries. Wi-Fi can work very well once configured, but a wired connection removes one possible source of interruption while you establish the player.

Install your Tinker Board music player software

Start by confirming that the specific Tinker Board model you own is supported by the operating system image you plan to use. Board revisions can differ in meaningful ways, so choosing the right image matters more than chasing the latest-looking download.

Write the music-player image to a microSD card with a reliable imaging utility, then insert the card before connecting power. Attach Ethernet if possible, connect the DAC, and power on the board. Give the first boot a few minutes. The player will normally appear on your network through its device name or local IP address, where you can complete setup from a phone, tablet, or computer browser.

Volumio OS is designed to make this process feel like setting up a music component rather than administering a general-purpose computer. Its interface brings library playback, streaming services, radio, and connected audio devices into one place, so you do not need a keyboard and monitor permanently attached to the board.

During the first-run process, set your time zone, choose Ethernet or Wi-Fi, and name the player clearly. A name such as “Living Room Player” is more useful than a default hostname when you have multiple networked devices in the home.

Configure the DAC before changing sound settings

Once the interface is available, go directly to the playback output settings. Select the USB DAC or I2S DAC that is actually connected, then save the selection and restart playback services if prompted. This step tells the player where digital music should go. If you hear no sound later, return here before assuming there is a hardware fault.

For a USB DAC, start with the default output mode and leave resampling disabled. Many DACs report their supported formats automatically, and the cleanest first test is to send a file at its native sample rate. Play a familiar CD-quality track, then a high-resolution track if you have one, and verify that the DAC’s display or indicator reflects the expected incoming format.

For an I2S DAC, choose the exact driver or DAC profile specified for the hardware. A nearly correct setting is not correct enough. The wrong profile can result in silence, distorted playback, or audio that runs at the wrong speed. If the DAC has its own documentation, follow its clocking and configuration guidance rather than experimenting with random hardware profiles.

Set the output volume mode with the rest of your system in mind. If your DAC or preamp provides high-quality volume control, fixed output from the player is often the right choice. If the Tinker Board player feeds directly into a power amplifier or active speakers, software volume control may be necessary. Start at a low level when changing this setting. A fixed output is full-level output, and your speakers should never be the test instrument for a configuration mistake.

Do not enable every DSP option at once. Volume normalization, resampling, equalization, and crossfeed all have valid uses, but they also change the signal path. Begin with native playback and no processing. Listen for a few days. Then make one purposeful change at a time, using music you know well enough to notice whether the change serves the system or merely sounds different.

Bring your library and streaming together

A good music player earns its place by reducing friction. Add local music from a USB drive, a network-attached storage device, or a shared folder on a computer that is routinely available. For a large collection, a wired NAS connection is generally the most dependable choice. It keeps the library separate from the player and makes future storage upgrades easier.

Use clear folder names and accurate album metadata before asking the player to build its library. A well-tagged collection gives you useful artist pages, album art, composer credits, and search results. A poorly tagged collection still plays, but it turns choosing music into a filing exercise.

Streaming can live beside your own files rather than replacing them. Connect the services you use, then explore by mood, artist, label, or release instead of jumping between unrelated apps. This is especially satisfying when your library includes purchases, live recordings, and older albums that are not consistently available through streaming catalogs.

For everyday control, use the web interface from the device already in your hand. A tablet makes an excellent full-size controller at the listening position, while a phone is ideal for choosing an album from another room. The Tinker Board stays near the system, quiet and out of the way.

Tune the setup for dependable listening

The most expensive cable is rarely the answer to a player that drops off the network or stutters during high-resolution playback. Start with basics: a reliable power source, a healthy microSD card, a stable network, and enough free space for the operating system to work properly.

Power deserves sensible attention. A low-quality supply can cause boot failures, USB disconnects, and unpredictable behavior long before it becomes a question of sound quality. Use a supply with the correct voltage and sufficient current for the board and attached peripherals. If you add a bus-powered USB drive or a demanding DAC, consider whether it needs its own power rather than asking the Tinker Board to carry the load.

Keep the player away from excessive heat and do not block its ventilation. A small case with sensible airflow is usually enough for normal music playback. If your board runs hot because of its enclosure or room placement, address that first. Long listening sessions should be ordinary, not a thermal stress test.

Ethernet remains the easiest recommendation for a fixed hi-fi rack. Still, Wi-Fi is a good fit where running cable is impractical, particularly for standard-resolution and CD-quality playback. If Wi-Fi struggles, move the player closer to the access point, use a less congested band where available, or test with Ethernet before changing audio settings. Network problems can look like audio problems.

When something does not sound or behave right

No sound usually comes down to output selection, volume mode, or an incorrect DAC configuration. Confirm that the DAC is powered and visible, select it again in playback settings, and test with a standard 16-bit/44.1 kHz file. If USB playback is inconsistent, try another cable or port before changing advanced settings.

Clicks, dropouts, or pauses are more often related to the network, storage device, or power than to the music file itself. Test a locally attached drive, then test Ethernet. Changing one variable at a time gives you an answer; changing five at once creates a mystery.

If the library appears incomplete, check the path to the music source and the permissions on the shared folder. Then run a library rescan and give the process time to finish. Large collections with detailed artwork do not index instantly, and patience here is more useful than repeated scans.

The best Tinker Board player is the one that disappears when the first track begins. Give the hardware a careful start, keep the signal path honest, and let the system earn its place through the music you return to night after night.

The post Tinker Board Music Player Setup That Sounds Right appeared first on Volumio.

08 August, 2026 08:42AM

August 07, 2026

How to Organize a Digital Music Library Well

A music library becomes frustrating long before it becomes unplayable. It starts with two copies of the same album, an artist filed under three different names, a compilation scattered across the alphabet, or a beautiful high-resolution release that appears with no cover art. Learning how to organize digital music library files is less about making every folder look perfect and more about making every listening session feel effortless.

For a serious collection, organization also protects the work you have put into acquiring music. Clean metadata makes an artist catalog easy to explore, reliable backups keep rare files safe, and a consistent structure helps a network player index your library correctly. The goal is simple: all your music, ready when you want it, without hunting through file names or switching between sources.

Start with one master library

Before changing tags or moving folders, decide where the authoritative version of your collection will live. This is your master library: the place you update when you add an album, correct an artist name, or replace a low-resolution file with a better release.

For a smaller collection, an internal computer drive may be enough. For larger libraries or a system used by more than one listener, a dedicated external drive or network-attached storage device is often the better choice. A network location allows compatible music players to access the same collection without leaving a computer running in the listening room.

Avoid maintaining several active versions of the library on different drives. It seems convenient until one version has corrected artwork, another has new purchases, and neither is complete. Keep one master, then create backups from it.

A practical folder structure is straightforward:

“`text Music/ Artist Name/ 1997 – Album Title/ 01 – Track Title.flac 02 – Track Title.flac “`

This format is readable, portable, and useful even if you later use different playback software. Including the year before an album title helps distinguish multiple releases with similar names and keeps an artist’s work in a sensible order when browsing folders.

For box sets, live recordings, and deluxe editions, consistency matters more than a single universal rule. You might use `2019 – Album Title (Deluxe Edition)` or place discs in `CD1` and `CD2` subfolders. Choose a convention you can remember and apply it going forward. You do not need to rebuild your entire library in one weekend.

Let metadata do the real organizing

Folders provide a foundation, but metadata is what makes digital music enjoyable to browse. Your player uses embedded tags to group tracks into albums, identify artists, sort composers, display artwork, and build views by genre or date. A perfectly named folder cannot compensate for incomplete or conflicting tags.

At minimum, check these fields for every album: album artist, artist, album title, track title, track number, disc number, release year, genre, and embedded cover art. For classical, jazz, and other repertoire where the performer is not always the primary point of entry, composer, conductor, ensemble, and work tags can be equally valuable.

The distinction between Artist and Album Artist prevents many common library problems. For a standard studio album, they may be identical. For a guest appearance, the track artist can include both performers while the album artist remains the main artist. For compilations, set the album artist consistently to `Various Artists`. This keeps one soundtrack or anthology together instead of creating a separate album entry for every track performer.

Be deliberate with artist names. `David Bowie`, `Bowie, David`, and `David Bowie feat. …` can all become separate entries. Use one preferred spelling for the artist field, and reserve featured artists for the track title or a dedicated contributing-artist field if your tagging application supports it.

Keep genres useful, not theoretical

Genres can either help you choose music or become a cloud of near-duplicates. If your collection includes `Rock`, `Alternative Rock`, `Alt Rock`, `Indie Rock`, and `Indie`, that may be exactly right if you browse by those distinctions. If you never do, it creates noise.

Use a limited set of genres that matches how you listen. Many collectors are well served by broad categories such as Rock, Jazz, Classical, Electronic, Folk, Soul, Hip-Hop, Pop, Country, and World, with a few carefully chosen subgenres where they matter. The right system depends on your collection and your habits, not on a database’s idea of precision.

Choose formats and protect sound quality

A library can contain several formats, but it helps to know which files are your archival masters. Lossless formats such as FLAC and ALAC preserve the full audio signal while allowing metadata and artwork to travel with the file. WAV can sound excellent, but its metadata support is less consistent across software and devices. AIFF is another lossless option with stronger tagging support than WAV in many environments.

Lossy files still have a place. A well-encoded AAC or MP3 file can be useful for a car, portable player, or a legacy device with limited storage. The key is not to confuse a convenience copy with your master. Keep the lossless original, then create portable copies only when you need them.

Do not upsample or convert a lossy file to a high-resolution format expecting more detail. It produces a larger file, not more musical information. When possible, replace poor-quality files with a genuine lossless or high-resolution source instead.

Handle album art with care

Album art is part of the pleasure of owning music. It also makes a library far easier to navigate from across the room. Use a square image with enough resolution to look clean on a tablet, television, or music player display. Around 1,000 by 1,000 pixels is a sensible target for most collections.

Whenever possible, embed the artwork in the audio files themselves. You can also keep a `cover.jpg` file in each album folder as a fallback for systems that read folder art. Embedded art is generally more portable, while a folder image can be simpler to replace across a whole album. Using both is reasonable if storage space is not a concern.

Avoid placing unrelated scans, PDFs, and image files in the same album directory unless you know your library software handles them well. Booklets can be worth keeping, especially for classical releases and box sets, but a separate `Booklets` folder beside the music library may keep scanning and indexing cleaner.

Treat compilations, classical, and multi-disc albums as special cases

These are the releases most likely to expose inconsistent tagging. For compilations, use `Various Artists` as the album artist, retain the individual performer in the artist field, and make sure the album title is identical on every track. Include disc numbers for multi-disc sets even when there is only one disc in most of your library. That small habit prevents track 1 from disc two appearing directly after track 1 from disc one.

Classical organization is more personal. Some listeners browse by composer first, while others choose by performer, conductor, orchestra, or work. There is no wrong answer, but your tags should support the route you actually take. A useful approach is to set the album artist to the principal performer or ensemble, complete the composer field carefully, and format track titles so the work and movement remain clear. Consistent work and movement tags become especially valuable in large collections.

Live albums deserve equally clear labeling. If an album has both studio and live versions, include the venue, city, or `Live` designation in the album title rather than relying on a vague folder name. Future you will be grateful.

Build listening paths, not just a database

Once your core tags are clean, add organization that reflects the way you spend time with music. Favorites, recently added albums, five-star records, and playlists can turn a large library from an archive into a living collection.

Keep playlists purposeful. A playlist for late-night jazz, a Sunday-morning selection, a reference set for evaluating a hi-fi system, or a road-trip sequence is more useful than hundreds of abandoned queues. For long-term portability, consider saving playlists in a widely supported format such as M3U8 and use relative paths when possible. Relative paths are more likely to keep working if the storage device changes location.

This is also where a unified music-player ecosystem earns its place. A platform such as Volumio can bring local files, connected storage, and supported streaming services into one interface, so browsing a cherished download and playing a new discovery feel like parts of the same experience. Good organization makes that unified view more accurate and more enjoyable.

Back up before you trust the cleanup

Editing tags is usually safe, but moving folders, batch-renaming files, and replacing artwork can create mistakes quickly. Back up the master library before any major cleanup, then keep at least one additional copy on a separate drive. For truly irreplaceable purchases, recordings, and personal transfers, keep another copy away from the home as well.

The familiar 3-2-1 approach remains sensible: three copies of your data, on two different types of storage, with one copy stored elsewhere. Your playback library does not need to be complicated, but it should not be the only place your music exists.

After making changes, rescan your music player and inspect a few problem areas: compilations, albums with featured guests, multi-disc sets, and classical recordings. Correcting a handful of edge cases reveals whether your system is working before you apply it to thousands of tracks.

Make organization a small ongoing habit

The best library is not the one with the most elaborate taxonomy. It is the one you can maintain. When a new album arrives, check its metadata, artwork, format, and folder placement before adding it to the master collection. That takes a few minutes and prevents a pile of unfinished work months later.

Leave room for exceptions. A rare bootleg, an archival radio session, or an unusual composer credit may not fit your rules neatly. Give it the clearest information you have, preserve the music, and return to listening. A well-organized library should make the path to a favorite record shorter, then get out of the way.

The post How to Organize a Digital Music Library Well appeared first on Volumio.

07 August, 2026 12:06AM

August 06, 2026

Deepin

Overview of deepin community data for July 2026

Summary This-July community bulletin covers the official roll-out of deepin 25.2.0 image, brand-new scheduled-task capability for Xiao-U Assistant, the launch of the open-source deepin-skills AI-development toolkit, community feedback statistics, SIG-team development updates and application-ecology progress. Multiple desktop-environment optimisations, kernel-hardware compatibility upgrades, security patches and multi-architecture adaptation work were completed in July, alongside continuous expansion of the Linyaps app ecosystem. Community Product deepin 25.2.0 Official Image Release: Improved Usability for Treeland and Text-Based Image Search within File Manager The deepin 25.2.0 stable image was officially published on July 8. This release prioritises Treeland desktop-environment stability and usability, file-manager search performance, DDE interaction optimisation and ...Read more

06 August, 2026 10:31AM by xiaofei

Volumio

Choosing a Music Streamer With TIDAL Connect

The appeal of a music streamer with TIDAL Connect is immediate: choose an album in the TIDAL app, select your hi-fi system from the device list, and let the streamer take over playback. Your phone becomes a remote rather than the source of the audio. That distinction matters when your system has been assembled carefully, from the network connection to the DAC, amplifier, and speakers.

For many listeners, TIDAL Connect is the missing link between the streaming service they enjoy and the listening experience their equipment deserves. But the badge alone does not make every streamer the same. Sound quality, local-library support, control options, hardware design, and the quality of the streaming platform all determine whether a player will feel at home in your system for years.

What TIDAL Connect Actually Does

TIDAL Connect lets a compatible network player receive music directly from TIDAL’s servers after you initiate playback in the TIDAL app. Once music is playing, the streamer handles the stream itself. You can use your phone for other tasks, leave the room, or even close the app without turning it into an audio transport tethered to your system.

This is different from basic Bluetooth playback, where the phone remains central to the audio path and may apply its own limitations. It is also different from screen mirroring or a generic cast feature that may not expose the same playback information or sound-quality options. With TIDAL Connect, the familiar TIDAL interface stays in front of you, including its albums, playlists, editorial recommendations, and search, while the dedicated player does the serious work of delivering music to your DAC or integrated amplifier.

That convenience is valuable, but it should be understood as one part of a streamer rather than the whole product. A great listening system needs more than a good handoff from an app.

Choosing a Music Streamer With TIDAL Connect

Start with the role the streamer will play. If you already own a DAC you love, a digital transport with a well-implemented USB, coaxial, or optical output may be the right answer. It keeps conversion in the DAC and focuses the streamer on network playback, clocking, power delivery, and a clean digital signal.

If your current system has open inputs but no DAC, a streamer with a built-in converter can reduce box count and simplify setup. This can be an excellent route for a secondary system, a desktop setup, or a living room where elegance matters as much as capability. The trade-off is flexibility: an external DAC makes later upgrades easier, while an integrated design is often more compact and direct.

Also consider whether the player supports the connections your system actually uses. USB is common with modern DACs, but coaxial and optical remain useful, particularly with established hi-fi components. Balanced analog outputs can make sense when connecting to a balanced preamp or active speakers, while standard RCA outputs remain the practical choice for many integrated amplifiers. More connections are not automatically better. The right connections are the ones that avoid adapters, work reliably, and suit the equipment you already enjoy.

Native TIDAL control and a unified music experience

TIDAL Connect is ideal when you want to browse TIDAL exactly as TIDAL presents it. Yet most serious listeners do not live entirely inside one streaming app. They may have a NAS full of carefully tagged albums, a USB drive of purchases, internet radio favorites, and subscriptions to more than one service.

A streamer with its own strong music-management environment adds value here. It should make local music feel like a first-class source, not an afterthought hidden behind folders. It should also offer a clear mobile or web interface for times when you want to queue music from several sources, adjust playback settings, or explore your own collection without switching devices.

This is where ecosystem design becomes personal. Some listeners want the TIDAL app to remain their main command center. Others want one place for TIDAL, local files, web radio, and other services. The best choice is not the one with the longest feature sheet. It is the one that matches the way you discover, organize, and return to music.

Sound quality depends on the whole chain

A TIDAL Connect logo confirms compatibility, not a guaranteed sonic result. Network hardware, power supply design, digital output implementation, DAC quality, and system matching still matter. So does the recording. A revealing streamer will not turn every master into an audiophile release, but it can make a well-recorded performance more immediate, stable, and emotionally convincing.

If possible, listen through your own system or one close to it. Pay attention to the qualities that matter over a full album: the natural decay of a piano, the separation of voices in a dense mix, the weight and timing of bass, and whether brighter recordings remain listenable. Quick comparisons can favor exaggerated detail. Long listening often reveals the value of balance, low noise, and freedom from fatigue.

Resolution support deserves the same clear-eyed approach. TIDAL offers a range of audio formats and quality levels, and compatible playback can vary with the device, subscription, release, and software implementation. A streamer should handle the formats relevant to your listening, but format support should not distract from fundamentals. Reliable playback and musical coherence will matter more than a specification you rarely use.

Network Setup Is Part of the Product

Streaming is only as dependable as the connection feeding it. Ethernet is usually the straightforward choice for a fixed hi-fi rack, particularly where Wi-Fi signal strength is inconsistent. A wired connection can reduce variables and provides welcome confidence when you are settling in for a long evening of music.

Wi-Fi can still be an excellent option when running a cable is impractical. Place the streamer where it has a stable signal, avoid crowding it with network hardware or metal obstructions, and make sure the router is capable of serving the rooms where you listen. If playback skips, drops from the device list, or takes too long to start, investigate the network before assuming the audio component is at fault.

A good streamer should also feel approachable during setup. You should be able to connect it to the network, install updates, name the device, and begin listening without becoming an IT administrator. At the same time, advanced listeners benefit from meaningful settings for output mode, volume behavior, library scanning, and digital processing. The art is making those controls available without making them mandatory.

Consider the Life of the Streamer After Purchase

Unlike a turntable or a traditional amplifier, a network streamer is partly defined by software that will evolve after it arrives. Streaming services update their requirements. Mobile operating systems change. New playback features appear, while occasional bugs need attention. Look for a platform with a clear history of support, active development, and an engaged user community.

This is especially relevant for builders using a Raspberry Pi or PC-based player. DIY can be remarkably rewarding: it lets you choose your enclosure, power approach, storage, and DAC while learning exactly how the system works. But it also asks for a little patience. A dedicated streamer trades some of that experimentation for a finished, purpose-built component designed to live comfortably in a hi-fi rack.

Volumio offers both paths, bringing local libraries, streaming services, and connected audio devices into a single music-player ecosystem, whether you prefer to build a player or choose hand-assembled Italian hardware. That flexibility is useful because a first streamer is rarely the last word in a music system. Systems change, collections grow, and listening habits develop.

The Small Details That Make Listening Easier

Before buying, think about daily use rather than only the first setup. Will the streamer wake quickly? Can everyone in the household select music without asking for help? Does the display, if included, show enough information from across the room? Can you control volume safely if the streamer feeds a power amplifier directly?

Multiroom capability may matter if you want the kitchen, office, and main system to share music, though it is worth checking how it works with the services you use most. Gapless playback matters for live recordings, classical works, and albums designed as continuous performances. A responsive queue matters whenever an evening moves from intentional listening to spontaneous requests.

These are not glamorous specifications, but they shape whether a component becomes part of your routine. The finest DAC architecture is less satisfying if the player regularly loses its connection or makes your own library difficult to find.

Choose the streamer that makes it easier to press play on the records you already love, then leaves enough room for the next musical obsession to find you.

The post Choosing a Music Streamer With TIDAL Connect appeared first on Volumio.

06 August, 2026 08:21AM

GreenboneOS

Patch Now! CVE-2026-18577 in N-able N-central Actively Exploited

! Update August 14th, 2026 N-able has released N-central 2026.3 Hotfix 2 (build 2026.3.1.10) after the vendor identified another attack path associated with CVE-2026-18577. Hotfix 2 adds further hardening measures and supersedes Hotfix 1 (2026.3.1.7). N-able states that the new mitigation was deployed to hosted N-central environments on August 6, while self-hosted customers must upgrade […]

06 August, 2026 06:47AM by Joseph Lee

August 05, 2026

Univention Corporate Server

From Nubus to an Automated Linux Desktop: A Case Study from pro mente tirol

A social services organization in Tyrol, 24 locations, and the conviction that our data belongs in our own network: Here’s how we put that principle into practice with Nubus and Ubuntu.

Since 2014, I have been heading the IT department at pro mente tirol, a non-profit organization providing social psychiatric services for people with mental health conditions. We operate 24 locations across Tyrol, employ around 300 people, and are 100% publicly funded. At some point, Windows 7 reached the end of its lifecycle. The question was: Should we move to Windows 10 or should we consider something different for the desktop? I’ve been an open source enthusiast since my university days, so we decided to explore an alternative.

In this article, I’ll explain how, together with Siedl Networks, we made the transition from Windows to Ubuntu, using Univention Nubus as our Identity & Access Management foundation, Ansible for automation, and custom Python scripts to configure network shares. I’ll also explain what the migration cost, how our employees responded, and how we organized support after each site migration.

Our Data, Our Infrastructure

Before deciding which operating system our employees would use, we first had to answer a much more fundamental question: Where should our data reside, and who should control it? Our management’s answer was clear: As much data as possible should remain within our own network. We do not rule out external solutions, but we carefully evaluate where the servers are located.

The second strategic decision was not about the infrastructure but about the applications themselves. Early on, we decided to move as many applications as possible into the browser. Today, most of our applications run as web applications, including email, document management, collaboration tools, and client documentation. Locally installed software is essentially limited to a web browser, LibreOffice, and printer drivers. That gave us considerable flexibility when choosing a desktop operating system because the more runs in the browser, the less it depends on the operating system itself.

That flexibility ultimately became our opportunity. Windows 7 had reached end of support, and around 220 PCs needed to be replaced or upgraded. At standard market prices, new hardware and software would have cost us around €170,000. Even with discounts available to non-profit organizations, the total would still have been approximately €120,000. To be fair, obtaining those discounts involves a significant amount of administrative work: forms, proof of non-profit status, and the same paperwork every year. It all ended up on my desk.

In the end, our migration to Linux cost around €15,000, including my own working time and the development work carried out by Siedl Networks. And there’s more: We were able to keep around 90% of our existing hardware. We installed a few SSDs, added RAM where necessary, and occasionally replaced a power supply.

Ubuntu as Our Linux Desktop: Why We Chose It

Linux Mint, Zorin OS, and a dozen other distributions, we’re often asked why we didn’t choose one of those instead. As an administrator, one factor stood out above all else: Ubuntu is the most widely used Linux distribution. There’s a good chance that some employees have already encountered it at home. That’s preparation I don’t have to do myself.

Ubuntu is also backed by a large online community, including a very active German-language forum that provides answers to many user questions. In addition, Ubuntu includes much of what we need out of the box. It was important to me that we install as little additional software as possible.

For us, 2018 was the year of preparation. We defined the core principles that would guide everything that followed.

From Nubus and Ansible to an Automated Desktop

At pro mente tirol, Nubus is the central control point for desktop management, and LDAP groups are the key to making it work. We first create a group in Nubus, then create a network share, and finally assign that share to the group. The reason is simple: We work with team accounts, not individual user accounts. Which network drives someone sees depends on their group membership, not on an individual user account.

When setting up a workstation, we still perform several tasks manually: installing the operating system, configuring SSH remote access, setting up printers, and installing remote support software. These tasks cannot be meaningfully automated because they depend on the individual location. We then join the PCs to the UCS domain. Only at that point does the system know that the computer exists and can assign it to the appropriate groups, shares, and permissions.

After that, Ansible takes over. The playbooks install all required packages, including software for accessing Samba network shares and a LibreOffice build from our own Personal Package Archive (PPA) repository. The Snap version of LibreOffice provided with Ubuntu also includes help and developer files, which noticeably slows startup on older hardware, although this is hardly noticeable on newer machines. Using our own PPA also means we are not dependent on Canonical’s package maintenance and receive updates directly from the software vendor.

The Ansible playbooks also deploy a variety of configuration settings, including the browser’s home page and extensions, history and cache behavior, and the default application for opening PDF files.

A custom-developed Python script then reads the directory service to determine which network shares are assigned to which groups. Based on this information, it automatically generates two files: a bookmarks file for the Nautilus file manager so that network drives appear in the sidebar, and a configuration file that automatically mounts the Samba shares when users log in, just as Windows users are accustomed to after signing in to a domain.

During the very first login, users must sign in twice. The first login checks the network drives; after the second login, everything is in place: bookmarks, application shortcuts, assigned network drives in the file manager, and the taskbar. From then on, everything is configured automatically each time the user signs in. Even if someone rearranges their icons, they’ll be back in the expected places after the next login.

For asset management, that is, keeping track of our devices, we initially experimented with Landscape, Canonical’s commercial management solution. After two years, we switched to a leaner approach: our own Cockpit server, which provides an overview of all our devices. The same server also runs Ansible for automation.

Linux in Everyday Work: What Our Users Had to Say

Office compatibility was initially one of the key topics for our support team. During the migration phase, Linux users could access a Windows environment with Office 365 via a Terminal Server if they ran into problems with a document. We have since discontinued this access: users have not needed it for around four years. We now handle the remaining compatibility cases using OnlyOffice in our Nextcloud.

And we approached the issue from the other direction as well: all Windows PCs now use the ODF open file format as the default, so our Windows colleagues also create ODT and ODS files. For remote access to virtual desktops, we now use KASM, which replaced Guacamole. Since the beginning of 2026, we have no longer provided Windows desktops there either.

What surprised us positively was the feedback on performance. Logging in is faster and applications start more quickly—even on older hardware. Our users mentioned this repeatedly. One of our employees told us that they no longer go for a coffee while waiting for their PC to boot.

The look and feel of the new environment was not a problem for most people. One employee, for example, said that the interface felt pleasantly neutral. Another commented that working with it was just like working on her Mac. Of course, there are other opinions as well, and some users still consider Microsoft indispensable, but those critical voices are becoming fewer and fewer.

Rollout Across 24 Locations: Preparation, Support, and Follow-Up

We started the first rollouts in 2019. We proceeded one location at a time, from Reutte to Landeck, then Imst and Schwaz, all the way to Kufstein and Lienz. By late summer 2020, all PCs scheduled for migration had been converted. In 2021, we then quickly upgraded all systems from Ubuntu 18.04 to Ubuntu 20.04. Since the end of 2024, all of our Linux PCs have been running Ubuntu 24.04.

The next Ubuntu upgrade, however, will have to wait a little longer. Ubuntu 26.x uses Wayland by default, and that creates a problem for our support team. When issues arise, we often log in to employees’ desktops unattended in order to investigate them directly. Wayland does not easily allow this: screen sharing and remote input require a consent dialog that the logged-in user must confirm every time. That simply does not work when a workstation is unattended or still at the login screen.

The rollout process for employees was always essentially the same. Around one month before the migration, we contacted the respective team and scheduled a meeting. Two or three hours in which we explained what they could expect: what the new desktop would look like, which applications they would find, where compatibility issues might occur—and why we were making the change. We showed the cost comparison, talked about data security, and explained the reduced attack surface compared to ransomware. Those are convincing arguments, even for employees who are not particularly interested in IT.

After the migration, we dedicated ourselves exclusively to that team for two weeks. All other tickets were put on hold so that the priorities were clear. Anyone who encountered a problem contacted us and received immediate support.

At the same time, we established a tiered support model: first look into the issue yourself, then ask your colleagues, and only then call IT support or open a ticket. In some teams, a technically minded person naturally emerged as the first point of contact, collecting questions and passing them on to support, a welcome side effect. The better a team works together, the more people help one another, and we have experienced that time and again over the years.

From the Desktop to the Portal: Where the Journey Is Headed

The move from Windows to Ubuntu was only half the story. Equally important was the parallel transition from locally installed applications to web applications.

The portal is now the central point of entry: our employees sign in once via Single Sign-on and then have access to all applications assigned to them, regardless of whether those applications are hosted internally or externally.

The role-based system behind it makes administration much easier. Which tiles someone sees in the portal depends on their group membership, the very same logic we already use for our network shares. New employees automatically receive access to the right applications without us having to configure every account individually.

The more applications we can integrate in this way, the less depends on the individual desktop computer. The portal becomes the actual workspace and the operating system underneath becomes secondary.

Nubus and Linux Desktops: What We Learned

The move to Linux desktops for our employees has been a success. I don’t say that because everything went smoothly, but because we were able to deal with the problems that arose. The performance improvements were real and immediately noticeable. The costs were significantly lower than those of a Windows upgrade. And we were able to continue using around 90% of our existing hardware.

What we underestimated was Office compatibility during the initial rollout phase. We also underestimated the fact that the open source world is constantly evolving something that often remains invisible to users but regularly creates additional work for administrators.

Our most important lesson, however, is this: If you bring your employees on board before the first PC is migrated, you will face much less resistance later on.

Our data stays with us. Our infrastructure belongs to us. That was the fundamental decision – and it still is today.

One open question for the community: the Wayland issue is currently preventing us from moving to Ubuntu 26.x. If you manage a similarly distributed Linux environment and have already found a solution without sacrificing security features, we’d be happy to hear from you in the comments below this article.

Der Beitrag From Nubus to an Automated Linux Desktop: A Case Study from pro mente tirol erschien zuerst auf Univention.

05 August, 2026 09:28AM by Vanessa Knoop

Purism PureOS

Making Videos With Absolute Freedom

As with every video that we make at Purism, we have made the Librem 16 launch video in house with Librem hardware running PureOS, and using free software only. This blog post will give a quick overview of the steps that we went through for making this video. It will also show how to run a video project with total freedom, away from proprietary constraints. Finally, it underlines how amazing the Librem laptops are when used in a professional creative environment.

The post Making Videos With Absolute Freedom appeared first on Purism.

05 August, 2026 07:37AM by Purism

Volumio

How to Stream Local Music to Hi-Fi Systems

A hard drive full of carefully collected albums should not feel like a relic from the CD-ripping era. Whether your collection lives on a NAS drive, a computer, or a USB disk, you can stream local music to hi-fi equipment with the same ease you expect from a modern streaming service – while keeping the master files, artwork, and listening choices in your hands.

The difference is not simply getting sound from storage to speakers. A well-built local streaming setup turns your personal library into a living part of your system: searchable from the listening chair, playable in high resolution, and available alongside the services you use every day.

Why local music still belongs in a modern hi-fi system

Streaming subscriptions are excellent for discovery, but a local library offers something different. It may contain out-of-print releases, live recordings, alternate masters, purchased downloads, or years of music organized with care. It also gives you consistency. The version of an album you choose is the version you hear, without catalog changes or shifting availability.

For many listeners, sound quality is another reason. Local files can be played in their original resolution, including CD-quality FLAC and high-resolution PCM or DSD files where your hardware supports them. That does not mean every high-resolution file will automatically sound better. The quality of the recording, master, DAC, amplifier, speakers, and room still matter more than a number on a file label. But local playback removes unnecessary compromises between your collection and your system.

There is also a practical advantage: your music remains available even when internet service is unreliable. The player only needs access to your home network or directly attached storage, depending on how you configure it.

What you need to stream local music to hi-fi

At its simplest, local streaming requires three things: a place where music files are stored, a network music player that can find and play them, and a connection to your hi-fi system.

Your storage can be a computer, a network-attached storage device, or a USB drive connected directly to the player. A NAS is often the best long-term choice for larger libraries because it stays on independently of your computer and can serve music to more than one listening zone. A computer is perfectly suitable for a smaller collection or a first setup, especially if it is already on when you listen.

The music player is the bridge between your library and your stereo. It connects to the network, scans your files into a browsable library, and sends audio to an integrated amplifier, external DAC, or active speakers. Some systems include digital and analog outputs, while others are designed as digital transports for listeners who already own a DAC they love.

A stable wired Ethernet connection is preferable when possible, particularly for large high-resolution libraries or a busy household network. Good Wi-Fi can work very well, but distance from the router, dense walls, and network congestion can affect reliability. If playback occasionally stops or albums take too long to appear, the network is usually the first place to investigate.

Choose files your system can read

FLAC is a sensible default for most local libraries. It is lossless, supports metadata and artwork, and is widely compatible. ALAC offers similar benefits for collections built around Apple software. WAV and AIFF can sound excellent but tend to consume more storage space, and WAV metadata support is less consistent across software.

MP3 and AAC remain useful for casual listening or older collections, though they are lossy formats. There is no need to replace a beloved collection overnight. Start by playing what you own, then use lossless files for new rips and downloads when sound quality and archiving matter to you.

Build a library that is satisfying to browse

The best player interface cannot rescue a poorly organized library. Before your first scan, spend time on filenames, album folders, artwork, and metadata. This work pays off every time you search for an artist, browse by genre, or select an album without reaching for a keyboard.

A simple folder structure is usually enough: Artist, then Album, then tracks. Keep multi-disc releases together in a clearly labeled album folder. Use consistent album-artist tags for compilations and box sets, or those releases may be scattered across multiple artist pages.

Metadata deserves particular attention. Artist, album artist, album title, track number, disc number, release year, genre, and embedded cover art are the fields that most directly improve daily browsing. Classical and jazz listeners may also want to tag composer, conductor, ensemble, soloist, and recording date. The right approach depends on how you actually look for music. A collection organized around composers needs different detail than one centered on performers and albums.

Artwork should be embedded in the files when possible. Folder images can work, but embedded artwork travels with the music if you later move files to another drive or server. Avoid enormous image files if your library scan becomes slow; a clean square image at a sensible resolution is more than enough for most control screens.

Connect the player to the rest of your system

The connection you choose depends on the role of your player. If you have an external DAC, use a digital output such as USB, coaxial, or optical, according to the inputs your DAC supports. USB can support very high sample rates and DSD on compatible equipment, while coaxial and optical can be excellent, straightforward choices within their format limits.

If your streamer has a high-quality built-in DAC and your amplifier accepts analog inputs, connect it with RCA or balanced XLR where available and appropriate. Balanced connections are not automatically superior in every system, but they can help reject noise over longer cable runs and suit components designed for balanced operation.

Keep the setup honest and simple. Expensive cables will not correct a weak network, messy metadata, or a poor speaker position. Put your attention first on reliable networking, sensible component matching, and a speaker setup that lets the music breathe.

Avoid unwanted resampling and volume mistakes

For the most direct playback path, configure your player to preserve the source file’s native sample rate when your DAC supports it. This is often called bit-perfect playback. It ensures the player does not resample every track to a fixed rate before output.

That said, bit-perfect playback is not a requirement for musical enjoyment. Some systems intentionally use DSP, room correction, upsampling, or digital volume control. These can be worthwhile features, especially if they solve a real issue in your room. The key is to understand where processing happens and avoid stacking multiple volume controls at low levels, which can reduce usable resolution or create awkward gain settings.

Make local files feel as convenient as streaming

Once the music is indexed, local playback should not require a technical ritual. You should be able to open one control interface, browse new additions, search an artist, queue an album, and move from your own files to a streaming service without changing devices or rebuilding playlists.

This is where a dedicated music-player ecosystem earns its place. Volumio brings local libraries, supported streaming services, internet radio, and connected playback hardware into one focused interface, so the music source does not dictate how you listen. For makers, the same approach can begin with a Raspberry Pi or PC-based player. For a finished system, a dedicated streamer can provide a more refined physical and electrical foundation.

Playlists are especially useful for closing the gap between ownership and discovery. Build one around a favorite label, a live set, a particular producer, or a mood that crosses formats. A local track can sit next to a streamed album and a radio discovery without turning your evening into an exercise in app switching.

Troubleshoot the issues that matter most

When local music does not appear, the cause is often basic: the player cannot see the shared folder, login credentials have changed, or the storage device is asleep. Confirm that the folder is shared on the network, that the player has permission to read it, and that both devices are on the same network.

If an album appears with missing artwork or tracks in the wrong order, inspect the tags before blaming the player. Track and disc numbers, album-artist fields, and embedded cover art solve a surprising number of library problems. After editing metadata, trigger a library rescan so the changes are reflected.

Dropouts point more often to network conditions than file quality. Try Ethernet, move the player away from sources of wireless interference, or reserve Wi-Fi for lower-demand locations. If you are playing from a USB drive, test another cable or power source before assuming the drive itself has failed.

A local library is not about rejecting streaming. It is about giving your own music the same care as the rest of your hi-fi system. Put on the album you know by heart, let it play without interruption, and make room for the next record waiting in your collection.

The post How to Stream Local Music to Hi-Fi Systems appeared first on Volumio.

05 August, 2026 12:03AM

Tails

Tails 7.10.1

This release is an emergency release to fix critical security vulnerabilities in the Linux kernel and the expat XML library.

Changes and updates

Update the Linux kernel to 6.12.100, which fixes CVE-2026-64560, a vulnerability that could allow Tor Browser in Tails to gain administrator privileges.

For example, if a malicious website that you visit is able to exploit CVE-2026-64560, they might take full control of your Tails and deanonymize you.

This attack is very unlikely but could be performed by a strong attacker, such as a government or a hacking firm. We are not aware of this attack being used in practice so far.
Update the expat XML library to 2.8.2, which fixes DSA-6404-1, a set of vulnerabilities that could allow different applications in Tails to gain administrator privileges.

For example, if an attacker tricks you into opening a malicious file in an application that uses expat, such as LibreOffice, Audacity, or Git, they might then use one of these vulnerabilities to take full control of your Tails and deanonymize you.

This attack is very unlikely but could be performed by a strong attacker, such as a government or a hacking firm. We are not aware of this attack being used in practice so far.
Compress automatic upgrades with zstd for a faster startup, as we already did for the USB image in Tails 7.0.
Make USB images and automatic upgrades 70 MB smaller by removing unused firmware.

For more details, read our changelog.

Get Tails 7.10.1

To upgrade your Tails USB stick and keep your Persistent Storage

Automatic upgrades are available from Tails 7.0 or later to 7.10.1.
If you cannot do an automatic upgrade or if Tails fails to start after an automatic upgrade, please try to do a manual upgrade.

To install Tails 7.10.1 on a new USB stick

Follow our installation instructions.

The Persistent Storage on the USB stick will be lost if you install instead of upgrading.

To download only

If you don't need installation or upgrade instructions, you can download Tails 7.10.1 directly:

05 August, 2026 12:00AM

August 04, 2026

Deepin

deepin 25.2.1 Update

Learn more about deepin on DistroWatch: https://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=deepin The deepin 25.2.1 update is here! This update brings numerous feature optimizations and bug fixes, focusing on file management & search, system upgrade reliability, general application compatibility, and system security. We welcome all deepin community members and open-source enthusiasts to install the latest release and share your feedback! Feel free to discuss and share your thoughts and experiences in the comments — thank you all! Key Updates Intelligent Search Is Now Available: File Manager and Global Search now support more natural ways to find local files. You can search with phrases such as ...Read more

04 August, 2026 03:11AM by xiaofei

(中文) 重磅更新！小U同学「全局知识库」上线：你的本地文件，终于"活"起来了

Sorry, this entry is only available in 中文.

04 August, 2026 02:04AM by xiaofei

ARMBIAN

Github Highlights

This week&aposs work centers on a consolidated uwe5622 Wi-Fi/Bluetooth driver, CI and repository infrastructure changes, and board and toolchain enablement across multiple SoC families.

The uwe5622 driver has been relocated to a dedicated repository and unified across kernel versions. Initial commits address a use-after-free in mtty_probe(), resolve 157 -Wmissing-prototypes warnings, correct dev_addr const guards for kernels 5.17–6.18 under clang, and fix sdio_pub_int_init for the newer gpiod int_ap API on GCC 14. The build system now sources the driver from this repository, adds a GitHub Actions test workflow, and refactors the associated DVFS patch and kernel configuration.

CI and publishing pipelines received substantial attention. Nightly images have moved from the os to the ci release channel, with the download portal, router, and reporting scripts updated to match. The community build now publishes to its own repository and version series, dispatch inputs have been trimmed, and board/maintainer dropdowns are auto-generated for standard-support builds. Stall recovery gained a five-attempt budget with a >50% success gate, later raised back to ten attempts. On the repository side, repo-reprepro now skips missing .deb files rather than aborting and logs a single count of skipped packages.

Platform work spans several architectures. New boards include the Anbernic RG Vita Pro (RK3576) handheld and the Recomputer RK3576 devkit, while EasePi-A2/R2 mainline U-Boot advances to v2026.07. Toolchain fixes enable imx8ulp libbpf builds on GCC 15, fit the AM62P/AM62-LP R5 SPL into SRAM under GCC 13, and correct a sunxi-6.12 Bluetooth quirk for the pre-6.16 API. Additional user-visible changes include a new BTRFS_CHECKSUM build switch, F2FS enabled across all kernels via a central config hook, and parallelized patch rewriting scaled to nproc.

#Armbian #EmbeddedLinux #RK3576 #uwe5622 #CI

Changes

Add a BTRFS_CHECKSUM build switch for choosing the checksum algorithm. by @dlitz in armbian/build#10288
Add board: Anbernic RG Vita Pro (RK3576 gaming handheld). by @crackerjacques in armbian/build#10128
add parallel patching switches. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/documentation#945
auto-retry-stalled: 5-attempt budget, retry only when >50% of jobs succeed. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/ci#36
board: set HAS_VIDEO_OUTPUT at board level so the build-list inventory sees it. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10309
Build firmware paths with a single bounded snprintf. by @iav in armbian/uwe5622#6
build-community: trim dispatch inputs to match nightly. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/ci#37
Build-Switches: document BTRFS_CHECKSUM. by @dlitz in armbian/documentation#946
ci: auto-generated board/maintainer dropdowns for standard-support builds. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/ci#40
ci: community publishes to armbian/community with its own version series. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/ci#38
ci: raise stall-recovery retry budget back to 10 attempts. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/ci#39
cix-p1: edge: update patches for 7.1.5, remove version pin. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#10297
cli-patch: generalize to-git push (PUSH_TO_GITHUB / PUSH_TO_REPO), for u-boot too. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10193
docs: document the show-extensions build command. by @iav in armbian/documentation#944
Fix -Wmissing-prototypes warnings (157 → 0). by @iav in armbian/uwe5622#5
Fix dev_addr const guards for kernels 5.17-6.18 (clang). by @iav in armbian/uwe5622#3
Fix use-after-free in mtty_probe() error path. by @enromytase in armbian/uwe5622#4
fix(sc8280xp-vendor): rebase DP retrain patch onto moving radxa 7.0.11 branch. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10305
gha: add test workflow based on armbian. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/uwe5622#7
hetzner: stop masking create_servers.py errors on failure. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/actions#34
imx8ulp: enable scoped kernel patches so the libbpf/gcc-15 fix applies. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10312
imx8ulp: fix libbpf const-discard so resolve_btfids builds on gcc 15. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10310
json: fix duplicate and over-length menu IDs. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#957
k3: fit am62p/am62-lp R5 SPL into SRAM (GCC 13 + per-SoC size handling), fix tispl rename & u-boot artifact hashing. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10237
kernel: enable F2FS on all kernels (central config hook). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10178
map: key nightly/ prefix on download_repository "ci" (nightly moved os→ci). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian-router#42
recomputer-rk3576-devkit: edge/mainline enablement. by @rpardini in armbian/build#10235
Refactor DVFS patch and clean up uwe5622 driver kernel configuration. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#10316
repo-reprepro: log a count of skipped debs, not one line each. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10303
repo-reprepro: skip debs missing on disk instead of aborting the whole repo. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10301
reporting: download-images report (versions provided + anomalies) to job summary. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#371
rewrite patches: speed up the process up to nproc. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#10163
rockchip64-6.18: overlays: rewrite README.md. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#10295
rockchip64: add NanoPi NEO3 onboard fan (CON4) pwm-fan overlay. by @tenox7 in armbian/build#10291
rootfs: bump force-rebuild counter to 007. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10311
runner-clean: keep qemu-user-static current (fixes stale-qemu cross-arch failures). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/actions#33
scripts: source nightly images from armbian/ci releases (moved from os). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#370
software/jellyfin - Add host mounts for music, books. by @jjg in armbian/configng#955
sun60iw2: enable CONFIG_TUN as module for VPN support (Tailscale/WireGuard). by @diegodsgarcia in armbian/build#10302
sunxi-6.12: fix bluetooth park-link quirk to use pre-6.16 API (test_bit). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10299
uboot: bump EasePi-A2/R2 mainline U-Boot to v2026.07 and add resolute release support. by @ifroncy01 in armbian/build#10274
update readme. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/uwe5622#2
uwe5622: bump driver commit. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#10317
uwe5622: source the driver from armbian/uwe5622 (incl. the >=7.1 gpiod fix). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#10300
uwe5622: switch to unified driver in dedicated repo. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#10113
wcn_boot: fix sdio_pub_int_init for the >=7.1 gpiod int_ap (GCC14 -Wint-conversion). by @igorpecovnik in armbian/uwe5622#1

04 August, 2026 01:34AM by Michael Robinson

August 26, 2026

Standing on the shoulders of others

What the patches add

Usage example

Digital Sovereignty Means the Ability to Control, Shape, and Switch

Open Source Is the Key

AI Raises the Stakes

What Open-Source AI Makes Possible

Implementation Is What Matters Now

Modernizing SBC Storage: From Qualcomm EDL Flashing to SPI-to-NVMe Boots

Direct Qualcomm flashing with Imager 2.0

Decoupling boot files for faster drives

August 25, 2026

Rebuilding the tools you actually touch

Three rewrites in one cycle

Changes overview

Kernels and firmware

Wireless driver cleanup

Incoming hardware

Imager and image formats

Build framework and CI

Thank you

What is the NetScaler CVE-2026-8452 vulnerability?

What did security researchers find?

Why does the architecture behind the vulnerability matter?

How does SKUDONET handle SAML differently?

Can SKUDONET inspect SAML traffic without processing authentication?

What does CVE-2026-8452 tell us about ADC security architecture?

What should organizations review after an ADC security incident?

If an ADC reassessment leads to migration, configuration is usually the hard part

Frequently asked questions about CVE-2026-8452

What is CVE-2026-8452?

Is CVE-2026-8452 a SAML vulnerability?

Is CVE-2026-8452 being exploited?

Is SKUDONET affected by CVE-2026-8452?

Can SKUDONET protect an application that uses SAML?

Can an existing NetScaler configuration be assessed for migration to SKUDONET?

Already evaluating a NetScaler migration?

Changes

What hi fi streaming actually means

The signal path matters, but so does the experience

Start with the music you actually use

Lossless quality is useful, not a finish line

Build for reliability first

Choose control that keeps you close to the music

A sensible path to a better setup

August 24, 2026

EISA Awards

About Primo Plus

Primo Plus: Advanced listening experience, studio-grade playback

August 23, 2026

What a DAC changes in a streaming system

Start with your streamer, not the DAC chip

Integrated DAC or separate components?

The features that matter most

Do not underestimate power and isolation

How to audition the best DACs for network streaming

Match the DAC to the rest of the chain

A better way to choose

August 22, 2026

When and where

Attend in person or online

Conference schedule

Become a sponsor

Code of conduct

August 21, 2026

What is a music server?

Why a dedicated music server feels different

Local music, streaming, and radio in one place

The parts of a music server setup

File formats and sound quality: what actually matters

Metadata is part of the music

Choosing the right path for your system

August 20, 2026

What’s being developed next

Community Edition 7.2.1: the current stable release

Community Edition 7.2: WAF support

Earlier changes: Community Edition 7.1

Following the project

Does DAC Quality Matter? The Honest Answer