September 2024 - Arch-dev-public - lists.archlinux.org

RFC: Streamline the RFC writing process
by Robin Candau 15 Nov '24

15 Nov '24

A new RFC (request for comment) has been opened here: https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/rfcs/-/merge_requests/43 Please visit the above link for discussion. Summary: Streamline the writing and publishing of RFCs by relying on markdown and dedicated spellcheckers and linters. -- Regards, Robin Candau / Antiz

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zlib-ng
by Jelle van der Waa 11 Nov '24

11 Nov '24

Hey All, I noticed Fedora is discussing switching from zlib to zlib-ng. zlib-ng is a fork of zlib, which seems to offer ~ 40% better performance and a new API. We have about ~ 1000 packages depending on zlib, zlib-ng does offer a compat option to keep zlib API compatibility. [1] # Proposal From a discussion in #archlinux-staff. It was determined that a possible plan would be to introduce zlib-ng as package in [extra] with the modern API enabled, we can then migrate packages over that are compatible to the new API. A zlib-ng-compat package can be provided, as proposed by Fedora, that activates the zlib API compatibility mode and directly provides libz.so. This package can provide/conflict the original zlib package, and potentially be target to replace zlib all together. In short: zlib-ng would provide libz-ng.so zlib-ng-compat would provide libz.so # Packages which might be able to use zlib-ng Alpine offers a package which has 6 required packages.[2] Debian's codesearch suggests a few packages seem to mention a possible zlib-ng compatibility. [3] These notes where written down last Thursday, in the meantime, Anthraxx uploaded zlib-ng to [extra], so we can start switching packages which use the modern API over. Replacing zlib with zlib-ng-compact is something we need to discuss, I've overheard so far that some test suites fail because they check the compressed test artifact's hash which with zlib-ng can be different. [1] https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/devel%40lists.fedoraproject.o… [2] https://pkgs.alpinelinux.org/package/edge/community/x86/zlib-ng [3] https://codesearch.debian.net/search?q=zlib-ng&literal=1&perpkg=1 Greetings, Jelle van der Waa & Anthraxx

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Arch Linux and Valve Collaboration
by Levente Polyak 27 Sep '24

27 Sep '24

We are excited to announce that Arch Linux is entering into a direct collaboration with Valve. Valve is generously providing backing for two critical projects that will have a huge impact on our distribution: a build service infrastructure and a secure signing enclave. By supporting work on a freelance basis for these topics, Valve enables us to work on them without being limited solely by the free time of our volunteers. This opportunity allows us to address some of the biggest outstanding challenges we have been facing for a while. The collaboration will speed-up the progress that would otherwise take much longer for us to achieve, and will ultimately unblock us from finally pursuing some of our planned endeavors. We are incredibly grateful for Valve to make this possible and for their explicit commitment to help and support Arch Linux. These projects will follow our usual development and consensus-building workflows. [RFCs] will be created for any wide-ranging changes. Discussions on this mailing list as well as issue, milestone and epic planning in our GitLab will provide transparency and insight into the work. We believe this collaboration will greatly benefit Arch Linux, and are looking forward to share further development on this mailing list as work progresses. [RFCs]: https://rfc.archlinux.page/

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RFC Final Comment Period: License Package Sources
by Sven-Hendrik Haase 21 Sep '24

21 Sep '24

An RFC has now entered its Final Comment Period. In 14 days, discussion will end and the proposal will either be accepted, rejected or withdrawn: https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/rfcs/-/merge_requests/40 Please visit the above link for discussion. Summary: Our package sources currently do not have explicit licenses. This RFC proposes to license all Arch Linux package sources under the terms of the Zero-Clause BSD license.

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Arch Linux in August 2024
by Levente Polyak 18 Sep '24

18 Sep '24

## Staff We would like to welcome [Quentin Michaud][0] as part of the Arch Linux Package Maintainer team. ## RFC A previously proposed [Distribution Developer Manual RFC][1] has been accepted with the intention to document how to run the distribution while leveraging GitLab's collaboration features and streamlined workflows for maintaining and evolving the resulting specifications. We have proposed an [RFC to license all Arch Linux package sources][2] under the terms of the Zero-Clause BSD license. We have proposed an [RFC to streamline the writing and publishing of RFCs][3] by relying on markdown and dedicated spellcheckers and linters. ## archinstall We have released [archinstall up to v2.8.6][4], featuring Limine configuration changes, optimized mirror listing including improved handling of speed tests, and several bug fixes. These updates also add support for Catalan translation. ## Infrastructure We have deployed Tempo as an APM (Application Performance Monitoring) within our infrastructure and connected it as a data source in Grafana. The first integration has been implemented in AURWeb, allowing us to trace individual requests and database queries for better performance insights. Furthermore we enabled the [body Sieve extension in Dovecot][5] for our staff, allowing for more advanced email filtering as well as rolled out HTTP/3 for several of our services. ## Packaging ### Ruby We have successfully rebuilt all relevant packages for Ruby 3.2.4 including collaborative effort to make packages ready for the new interpreter version. Ruby 3.2.4 is now available in the official repositories. ### Statistics In this month, we’ve successfully rolled out 4797 package updates addressing various enhancements and rebuilds, including 2354 package upgrades. Additionally, we’ve received 163 new package issues, while resolving a total of 131 issues. [0]: https://lists.archlinux.org/archives/list/aur-general@lists.archlinux.org/t… [1]: https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/rfcs/-/merge_requests/21 [2]: https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/rfcs/-/merge_requests/40 [3]: https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/rfcs/-/merge_requests/43 [4]: https://github.com/archlinux/archinstall/releases/tag/v2.8.6 [5]: https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/infrastructure/-/merge_requests/862

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Arch Linux in July 2024
by Levente Polyak 18 Sep '24

18 Sep '24

## Pacman [Pacman v7.0.0][0] has been released as a major feature version. A new `DownloadUser` configuration option allows for dropping privileges when downloading files to a temporary directory. On top of this security measure, the new Landlock sandbox also prevents writing outside the restricted download directory. Additionally, `makepkg` removes `GITFLAGS` support, as it required breaking changes to git source handling. Furthermore this release addresses unstable git checksumming influenced by specific user configuration. On top, it now prevents `PKGBUILD` from overriding `BUILDENV` to avoid undesired side effects. ## ArchWeb We have released [ArchWeb 2024-07-29][1], featuring improvements in rebuilderd integration for reproducible builds status, enhanced caching for several pages, and implementation of a Django Prometheus exporter for better monitoring inside our Grafana dashboards. ## ArchISO [ArchISO v79][2] is a minor update that introduces reproducibility for the ext4 image, thanks to improvements related to `tune2fs`. ## infrastructure ArchWeb now exports Prometheus metrics via the `/metrics` endpoint, including request duration data. We are now scraping the endpoint and added visualization in our Grafana dashboards. ## SPI We have drafted a project status update highlighting our major achievements and key focus areas for the [2023 Annual SPI Report][3]. ## Packaging ### Statistics In this month, we’ve successfully rolled out 6084 package updates addressing various enhancements and rebuilds, including 2476 package upgrades. Additionally, we’ve received 200 new package issues, while resolving a total of 143 issues. [0]: https://gitlab.archlinux.org/pacman/pacman/-/releases/v7.0.0 [1]: https://github.com/archlinux/archweb/releases/tag/release_2024-07-29 [2]: https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/archiso/-/tags/v79 [3]: https://www.spi-inc.org/corporate/annual-reports/2023.pdf

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Arch Linux in June 2024
by Levente Polyak 18 Sep '24

18 Sep '24

## archinstall The [archinstall v2.8.1][0] update has been released, featuring several bug fixes and improvements to partitioning and desktop profiles, along with the introduction of experimental LVM support and the addition of Finnish translation. ## ArchWeb [ArchWeb 2024-06-12][1] has been rolled out, which includes an update to Django's latest major version, Django 5.0 as well as small improvements within our Ruff configuration used as our Python linter. ## devtools We have released [devtools v1.2.1][2], which includes several small bug fixes as well as the ability in `mkarchroot` to specify a file destination inside the chroot and support for bind mounting a tmpfs with `makechrootpkg`. ## bugbuddy We have released [bugbuddy v0.3.0][3], our GitLab bot, which now automatically assigns security team members when the `scope::security` label is set for any issues or merge requests. ## Packaging ### Ruby We have completed the bootstrapping of Ruby 3.2.4 and will now begin the initial migration work toward its full release. ### Statistics In this month, we’ve successfully rolled out 4054 package updates addressing various enhancements and rebuilds, including 2259 package upgrades. Additionally, we’ve received 197 new package issues, while resolving a total of 183 issues. [0]: https://github.com/archlinux/archinstall/releases/tag/v2.8.1 [1]: https://github.com/archlinux/archweb/releases/tag/release_2024-06-12 [2]: https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/devtools/-/releases/v1.2.1 [3]: https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/bugbuddy/-/releases/v0.3.0

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Arch Linux in May 2024
by Levente Polyak 18 Sep '24

18 Sep '24

## Staff We would like to welcome [Bert Peters][0] (bertptrs) as well as [Giovanni Harting][1] (anonfunc) as part of the Arch Linux Package Maintainer team. ## RFC An [RFC has been accepted][2] to introduce "Arch Linux Ports" as testbed for unofficial architectures until they are integrated in the main Arch Linux repositories. ## devtools We have released [devtools v1.2.0][3], featuring several new enhancements and improvements. This release includes distro flag changes, notably the addition of `no-omit-frame-pointer` flags and `_FORTIFY_SOURCE` level 3. A new `pkgctl version setup` command has been implemented to automatically detect and configure nvchecker. We also added `pkgctl repo clean` which allows for the removal of untracked files. `arch-nspawn` now supports Pacman `CacheServer`, and offload building fetches logs from the remote server, making debugging easier for packagers. Additionally, `pkgctl release` now ensures split package uploads are released as a single batch, fixing a race condition when releasing in parallel. ## mkinitcpio We have released [mkinitcpio v39][4], featuring various improvements and fixes. The use of global variables for retrieving cmdline parameters is now deprecated, and hook authors should update their hooks to use the getarg function. This release also adds support for ARM zImage and introduces a new `acpi_override` hook for ACPI table upgrades and overrides. Additionally, `lsinitcpio` now supports listing, analyzing, and extracting UKIs. ## AurWeb We have released [AurWeb v6.2.10][5], which includes several improvements such as adding a maximum limit for comment length. Additionally, all application dependencies have been updated, and leftover mentions of `[community]` have been replaced with `[extra]`. ## ArchISO We have released [ArchISO v78][6], which includes several improvements and bug fixes. Notable changes include fixing the check for microcode update files in initramfs images and formatting the EFI system partition as FAT32 with a reduced size of 36 MiB, down from 512 MiB. ## Infrastructure We have added GitLab packages for pacman at [pacman.archlinux.page][7], which now serves as the new homepage for our package manager. ## ArchWeb We have released [ArchWeb 2024-05-02][9], featuring minor HTML fixes and an updated bootstrap tarball extension to align with ArchISO v77's switch from gzip to zstd compression. Additionally, this release includes compatibility dependency updates for Python 3.12. ## Gluebuddy [Gluebuddy v0.6.2][8], our infrastructure automation tool, now allows external contributors to remain part of our GitLab group without being automatically offboarded. ## Packaging ### Statistics In this month, we’ve successfully rolled out 5383 package updates addressing various enhancements and rebuilds, including 2604 package upgrades. Additionally, we’ve received 285 new package issues, while resolving a total of 323 issues. [0]: https://lists.archlinux.org/archives/list/aur-general@lists.archlinux.org/t… [1]:https://lists.archlinux.org/archives/list/aur-general@lists.archlinux.or… [2]: https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/rfcs/-/merge_requests/32 [3]: https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/devtools/-/releases/v1.2.0 [4]: https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/mkinitcpio/mkinitcpio/-/releases/v39 [5]: https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/aurweb/-/tags/v6.2.10 [6]: https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/archiso/-/tags/v78 [7]: https://pacman.archlinux.page/ [8]: https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/gluebuddy/-/releases/v0.6.2 [9]: https://github.com/archlinux/archweb/releases/tag/release_2024-05-11

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Arch Linux in April 2024
by Levente Polyak 18 Sep '24

18 Sep '24

## Staff ### Project Leader Election Recently, we held our [Arch Linux Project Leader][0] election, and the current Project Leader, Levente "anthraxx" Polyák, was the sole nominee. As per our election rules, he has been re-elected for another term. Congratulations to Levente, and we wish him continued success in his leadership! ## RFC An [RFC has been accepted][1] to grant all Arch Linux staff members, not limited to those in packaging roles, the privilege to initiate RFCs directly, aligning with the broad range of topics these documents encompass. ## archinstall [Archinstall v2.8.0][2] has been released, bringing various fixes and improvements, including enhancements in microcode handling, partitioning, and an increase in ESP size to 1 GiB. ## ArchISO We have released [ArchISO v77][3], which adds a Memtest86+ boot entry for systemd-boot. Additionally, this version now uses mkinitcpio's microcode hook instead of external microcode images and switches the UEFI boot loader from GRUB to systemd-boot. ## ArchWeb We have released [ArchWeb 2024-04-28][4], introducing the ability for packagers to easily add notes to Todo lists via our HedgeDoc instance. Additionally, references to external microcode images have been removed, as ArchISO v77 now includes microcode within the single initramfs. ## Packaging ### Python We have successfully bootstrapped Python 3.12 and rebuilt all relevant packages including collaborative effort to make packages ready for the new interpreter version. Python 3.12.3 is now available in the official repositories. ### Statistics In this month, we’ve successfully rolled out 7186 package updates addressing various enhancements and rebuilds, including 2335 package upgrades. Additionally, we’ve received 282 new package issues, while resolving a total of 265 issues. [0]: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/DeveloperWiki:Project_Leader [1]: https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/rfcs/-/merge_requests/31 [2]: https://github.com/archlinux/archinstall/releases/tag/v2.8.0 [3]: https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/archiso/-/tags/v77 [4]: https://github.com/archlinux/archweb/releases/tag/release_2024-04-28

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Arch Linux in March 2024
by Levente Polyak 18 Sep '24

18 Sep '24

## Staff We would like to welcome [Carl Smedstad][0] as part of the Arch Linux Package Maintainer team. Furthermore, we would like to welcome svartkanin as Support Staff for the archinstall project, assisting with issue tracking and handling of merge requests. ### Project Leader Election The 2024 [Arch Linux Project Leader][1] election process has started, with the nomination period now officially open for candidate submissions. ## RFC A previously proposed [RFC has been accepted][2] to create a dedicated role for the moderation of the AUR that supports and eventually replaces the Package Maintainers as the current moderators. An [RFC has been proposed][3] to introduce "Arch Linux Ports" as testbed for unofficial architectures until they are integrated in the main Arch Linux repositories. An [RFC has been proposed][4] to grant all Arch Linux staff members, not limited to those in packaging roles, the privilege to initiate RFCs directly, aligning with the broad range of topics these documents encompass. ## mkinitcpio [mkinitcpio v38.1 has been released][5] as a bugfix update, addressing various regressions. Additionally, the encrypt and sd-encrypt hooks now always include the hid-generic module, which is required for FIDO tokens. ## Pacman [Pacman 6.1.0][6] introduces several key features and improvements. Cache server support has been added, allowing cache servers to be tried before non-cache servers, though they won't be used for database files. The update also replaces libdepends and libprovides with autodeps, enabling automatic addition of libraries to the depends and provides arrays. Additionally, a new `verify()` function has been implemented for custom source verification, allowing for the use of verification schemes not natively supported by makepkg. Lastly, checksum support for git, mercurial, and bzr sources has been added, enabling packagers to use simple refnames in the `PKGBUILD` while ensuring the security of immutable build inputs. ## ArchWeb The ArchWeb 2024-03-05 release includes several small changes, like ISO downloads are now linked exclusively via HTTPS mirrors, improving user security in certain scenarios. Additionally, the ability to add blogs to "ArchWeb Planet" has been restricted to official Arch Linux staff only. ## archinstall We have released [archinstall v2.7.2][7], featuring several improvements and fixes, including enhancements related to Unified Kernel Images (UKIs). ## Infrastructure We have made the "Geo Mirrors" dashboard and metrics [publicly available][8]. This offers valuable insights for mirror administrators and mirror owners, allowing them to monitor performance and distribution more effectively. ## Packaging ### Spring Cleanup We successfully completed our [annual spring cleanup][9], adopting orphaned packages and removing obsolete or unmaintained ones from the official repositories. This effort led to a significant reduction of abandoned packages, keeping our repositories well-maintained and relevant. ### Statistics In this month, we’ve successfully rolled out 7777 package updates addressing various enhancements and rebuilds, including 2684 package upgrades. Additionally, we’ve received 306 new package issues, while resolving a total of 303 issues. [0]: https://lists.archlinux.org/archives/list/aur-general@lists.archlinux.org/t… [1]: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/DeveloperWiki:Project_Leader [2]: https://rfc.archlinux.page/0019-aur-moderator-role/ [3]: https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/rfcs/-/merge_requests/32 [4]: https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/rfcs/-/merge_requests/31 [5]: https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/mkinitcpio/mkinitcpio/-/releases/v38… [6]: https://gitlab.archlinux.org/pacman/pacman/-/releases/v6.1.0 [7]: https://github.com/archlinux/archinstall/releases/tag/v2.7.2 [8]: https://dashboards.archlinux.org/d/EWz2Faunz/geo-mirrors [9]: https://lists.archlinux.org/hyperkitty/list/arch-dev-public@lists.archlinux…

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