hackernews

1. Using FreeBSD to make self-hosting fun again Total comment counts : 8 Summary Seeking change in tech habits, the author embraced BSD, choosing FreeBSD for its multi-workload capabilities over OpenBSD. They set up a Hetzner server using BastilleBSD for jails and vm-bhyve for VMs, documenting the learning curve and personal process. They praise BSD for its simplicity, thorough docs, and long-term compatibility, with community support helping them overcome questions about base system release cycles....

1. Updated practice for review articles and position papers in ArXiv CS category Total comment counts : 29 Summary error Overall Comments Summary Main point: The discussion centers on how LLMs and AI-generated content are disrupting academic publishing (preprints, reviews, and arXiv policies) and what reforms might be needed. Concern: The main worry is that incentive systems reward volume over quality, inviting noisy, AI-generated content and gaming, while policy changes risk stifling legitimate work or lagging behind technology....

1. Introducing architecture variants Total comment counts : 23 Summary Ubuntu 25.10 adds architecture variants, letting packages be optimized for x86-64-v3 (amd64v3) while preserving older hardware compatibility. Changes to dpkg, apt, and Launchpad enable multiple package versions for different x86-64 levels. Some packages are opt-in amd64v3-enabled in 25.10 (about 2000 main-source packages); testing is still light. In 26.04 LTS, all packages will be rebuilt and rigorously tested. Expected gains are modest ( ~1% on average, larger for numerically intense workloads)....

1. Affinity Studio now free Total comment counts : 90 Summary It warns that the user is on an old or unsupported browser and directs them to update to a recent version of a supported browser to continue using the product. Overall Comments Summary Main point: The Affinity suite, originally three standalone one-time-purchase apps by Serif, was acquired by Canva and relaunched as a single freemium app with AI features, marking a shift away from the old pay-once model....

1. Uv is the best thing to happen to the Python ecosystem in a decade Total comment counts : 52 Summary uv is a free, open-source Python tool by Astral that simplifies installing and managing Python projects. Written in Rust for speed, it creates per-project virtual environments based on a pyproject.toml, enabling consistent environments across machines. Install with a simple one-liner—it won’t disrupt existing Python setups. Use uv init to scaffold a project, uv run (or uvx) to execute commands within the correct env, and uv add to add dependencies and automatically update pyproject....

1. What we talk about when we talk about sideloading Total comment counts : 20 Summary The post rebuts Google’s new Developer Program and the claim that sideloading will continue. It defines sideloading as installing software from non-vendor sources and argues Google’s rules will block users from choosing what runs on their devices. By requiring developers to register, pay fees, provide ID, and accept non-negotiable terms, Android updates could curb direct installs, undermining openness and digital sovereignty....

1. Claude for Excel Total comment counts : 43 Summary Claude for Excel is a beta research-preview that embeds Claude in Excel to analyze an entire workbook, including nested formulas and multi-tab dependencies. It provides cell-level citations for explanations, lets you update assumptions across the model while preserving formulas, and highlights changes when you test different scenarios. It can trace #REF!, #VALUE!, and circular references to their sources and explain fixes....

1. Nvidia DGX Spark: When Benchmark Numbers Meet Production Reality Total comment counts : 7 Summary error Overall Comments Summary Main point: The discussion centers on using NVIDIA DGX Spark with llama.cpp/transformers, highlighting impressive performance and ease of use for some while exposing significant stability and memory-related issues. Concern: The primary worry is instability and driver/memory fragmentation problems that can degrade training and inference, potentially limiting real-time serving viability. Perspectives: Viewpoints range from enthusiastic users praising ease of use and strong model performance to critics warning of bleeding-edge instability, memory fragmentation, and conflicting benchmark claims....

1. The Journey Before main() Total comment counts : 3 Summary Linux starts programs via execve, passing the executable path, argv, and envp. Higher-level wrappers resolve paths; shebang lines invoke interpreters. Executables are ELF files (ELF32 for RV32). ELF contains sections like .text, .data, .bss, .plt, symbol tables, and dynamic sections for shared libraries. The kernel loads the loadable sections, applies security measures (ASLR, NX), loads libc (musl or glibc), relocates pointers, and performs dynamic linking....

1. The Swift SDK for Android Total comment counts : 8 Summary Swift’s Android workgroup released nightly previews of the Swift SDK for Android, enabling native Swift Android development and cross-platform interoperability with Java via the swift-java project. The SDK is available on Windows, Linux, and macOS, with Getting Started guides and end-to-end Android examples. Developers can port Swift packages (over 25% of Swift Package Index now Android-ready) and use bindings generators....