Notices by Christine Hall (brideoflinux@mastodon.opencloud.lu)

The optional birthDate field gives other projects a standardized data source for age verification compliance: Systemd’s New Feature Brings Age Verification Option to Linux https://itsfoss.com/news/systemd-age-verification/

Just published on FOSS Force: Germany’s Sovereign Digital Stack Mandates ODF: a Landmark Validation of Open Document Standards https://fossforce.com/2026/03/germanys-sovereign-digital-stack-mandates-odf-a-landmark-validation-of-open-document-standards/

A bootable Linux system for disk partitioning, is out with Debian Sid updates, and the stable GParted 1.8.1 release: GParted Live 1.8.1 Released With Linux Kernel 6.19 https://linuxiac.com/gparted-live-1-8-1-released-with-linux-kernel-6-19/

It was created as a symbol of resistance. The new distro, called Ageless Linux, follows a similar idea. It’s essentially Debian Linux but without age verification: Ageless Linux Emerges to Protest OS-Level Age Verification Laws https://itsfoss.com/news/ageless-linux/

Nadella put the onus on the consumer for ignoring a lot of Microsoft’s terrible choices as it relates to AI, whether it’s the ample lazy AI slop that fills the company’s MSN portal, the rushed integration of AI into software in a way that poses major new security risks, their undercooked AI copyright bots, the company’s efforts to shovel Copilot down the throats of people: Microsoft Locks Down Discord Server After People Wouldn’t Stop Making Fun Of AI ‘Microslop’ https://www.techdirt.com/2026/03/16/microsoft-locks-down-discord-server-after-people-wouldnt-stop-making-fun-of-ai-microslop/

Enables users to access alternative characters by holding supported keys, similar to mobile keyboards: KDE Plasma 6.7 Set to Bring Press-and-Hold Character Input Feature https://linuxiac.com/kde-plasma-6-7-set-to-bring-press-and-hold-character-input-feature/

If true, that's unacceptable: 77 percent of IT teams don’t have full visibility across all their systems https://betanews.com/article/77-percent-of-it-teams-dont-have-full-visibility-across-all-their-systems/

"Going from Linux to Windows felt like taking one step forward and two steps back. Here's a list of what went wrong": After decades with Linux, I tried to use Windows 11 - and found 9 glaring issues https://www.zdnet.com/article/i-ditched-linux-for-windows-11-9-big-problems/

Thunderbird works OK as an RSS client: Using Thunderbird for RSS https://rubenerd.com/using-thunderbird-for-rss/

Here's an interesting story I published yesterday, in case you missed it: Participation Required a Microsoft License — Until Citizens Pushed Back - FOSS Force https://fossforce.com/2026/03/participation-required-a-microsoft-license-until-citizens-pushed-back/

To house the hundreds or thousands of temporary workers needed to build an AI data center, developers are increasingly relying on temporary villages known as man camps: Owner of ICE detention facility sees big opportunity in AI man camps | TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/08/owner-of-ice-detention-facility-sees-big-opportunity-in-ai-man-camps/

"I sit on the board of Bluesky. That said, I had absolutely no idea this lawsuit existed until recently. Which, honestly, tells you something about how much of a legal non-event it was": The NFL Won A Lawsuit Over Its Bluesky Ban. Its Social Media Strategy Is Still A Loser https://www.techdirt.com/2026/02/27/the-nfl-won-a-lawsuit-over-its-bluesky-ban-its-social-media-strategy-is-still-a-loser/

As usual, a big new release with 6.6 that added numerous features also came with a number of problems that needed to be solved: KDE Plasma 6.6.1 rolls out with lots of fixes for KWin https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/02/kde-plasma-6-6-1-rolls-out-with-lots-of-fixes-for-kwin/

I didn't trust Alexa when it didn't have a brain, so I definitely don't trust it now: Amazon's AI-powered Alexa+ gets new personality options | TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/25/amazons-ai-powered-alexa-gets-new-personality-options/

Surprise! Surprize! It Looks Like The FBI Straight Up Lied To A Judge To Get Permission To Seize Georgia Voting Records https://www.techdirt.com/2026/02/19/it-looks-like-the-fbi-straight-up-lied-to-a-judge-to-get-permission-to-seize-georgia-voting-records/

Can't live without Adobe? Get on board WinBoat – or WinApps sails a similar course: Contain your Windows apps inside Linux Windows https://www.theregister.com/2026/02/14/winapps_and_winboat/

Musk told employees that xAI needs a lunar manufacturing facility, a factory on the moon that will build AI satellites and fling them into space via a giant catapult: With co-founders leaving and an IPO looming, Elon Musk turns talk to the moon | TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/10/with-co-founders-leaving-and-an-ipo-looming-elon-musk-turns-talk-to-the-moon/

New York is at least the sixth state to consider pausing construction of new data centers: New York lawmakers propose a three-year pause on new data centers | TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/07/new-york-lawmakers-propose-a-three-year-pause-on-new-data-centers/

"The last ten days or so provide a slew of examples of what I’m tentatively calling, “the big shift” — very obvious examples where we can show Trump taking funds away from something good and spending those funds on something horrible": Marco Rubio Will Let 2.5 Million Children Die so Sarah Rogers Can Fund Far Right Extremists in Europe - emptywheel https://emptywheel.net/marco-rubio-will-let-2-5-million-children-die-so-sarah-rogers-can-fund-far-right-extremists-in-europe/

The bug itself was reported all the way back in November 2024, and the issue is still present for current Snap versions of VS Code and even VSCodium: Microsoft's VS Code in Ubuntu's Snap Format Eats Up Disk Space Like Bloatware Even After Removal https://itsfoss.com/news/vscode-snap-disk-space-issue/