The badges are displayed when users select the profile icon in the Start Menu. They provide "quick access to important account-related notifications" according to Microsoft.

Logged in Windows users see notifications asking them to back up their files or "protect their memories". Users logged in with a local account may see an error badge instead, which is a devious attempt to gain the attention of local account users, as Microsoft is trying to get them to switch to a Microsoft account instead.

Local users see messages such as "sign in to your Microsoft account", "use Microsoft 365 for free", or "keep your account safer" when they click or tap on the profile icon.

Soon, Windows 10 customers will get these badges as well on their systems. Microsoft launched the change in the latest Release Preview build for Windows 10. These changes are usually introduced on the fourth Tuesday of the month as an optional update and then on the second Tuesday of the following month for all devices running Windows 10.

Here is Microsoft's full message announcing the introduction of the badges: "This update expands the roll out of notification badging for Microsoft accounts on the Start menu. A Microsoft account is what connects Windows to your Microsoft apps. The account backs up all your data and helps you to manage your subscriptions. You can also add extra security steps to keep you from being locked out of your account. This feature gives you quick access to important account-related notifications."

It is safe to ignore the badge.

Windows 11 includes options to turn these off in the following way:

1. Open Settings, for instance via Start > Settings, or by using the keyboard shortcut Windows-I.
2. Go to Personalization > Start.
3. Toggle "Show account related notifications in Start".

It is likely that Microsoft is going to introduce a similar setting on Windows 10 devices.

Now You: good option to notify users or desperate attempt at pushing Microsoft accounts and paid upgrades?

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This week, Microsoft released build 19045.3391 for testing in the Release Preview Channel. After installing the update, users discovered an announced change: the new Windows Backup app. You can run the program from the Start menu to back up folders, apps, credentials, and settings in your OneDrive.

Interestingly, build 19045.3391 cannot restore from a OneDrive backup during the onboarding experience, leading to some speculating about Microsoft bringing the application to Windows 10 to make migrating to Windows 11 easier.

Other changes in Windows 10 build 19045.3391 include various under-the-hood improvements. For example, the operating system is now better at detecting your location (no, not for spying) for providing better weather, news, traffic information, and other geo-based data. The update also introduces new account-related notifications, daylight saving time changes for new countries, and various fixes. You can learn more by checking out the release notes.

Microsoft bringing the new backup experience is a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one. The OS is slated to reach its end of life in one year, and Microsoft has already made it clear that users should not expect new feature updates or major changes. Still, the company continues supporting Windows 10 with the necessary security fixes and small changes for improving the experience, including moving from a Windows 10 device to one running Windows 11. The new Windows Backup app seems just like that kind of upgrade.

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If you were looking for a decent speech-to-text (STT), text-to-speech (TTS) app for Linux desktops which is free to use, then this is it.

Introducing “Speech Note”, an open-source software seamlessly combines the power of Speech to Text (STT), Text to Speech (TTS), and Machine Translation (MT), enabling users to effortlessly transcribe, read, and translate notes in multiple languages.

But what truly sets Speech Note apart is its commitment to preserving your data integrity and privacy – all processing occurs locally on your computer without any reliance on a network connection.

Speech Note: Features

Here are the key technologies which are working under the hood of this app.

Speech to Text (STT): Harnessing the prowess of industry-leading STT engines like Coqui STT, Vosk, and whisper.cpp, Speech Note transforms spoken words into digital text with astonishing accuracy. Bid farewell to the tedious task of manual transcription, and say hello to a new era of efficiency.

Text to Speech (TTS): Bringing your notes to life is easier than ever with Speech Note’s TTS capabilities. With options like espeak-ng, MBROLA, Piper, and Coqui TTS at your disposal, your notes can be read back to you in a natural and engaging voice, enabling a deeper understanding of your content.

Machine Translation (MT): The integration of Bergamot Translator empowers users to translate their notes, fostering cross-cultural communication and understanding effortlessly.

How to install

It is available as Flatpak via Flathub. Installation via Flatpak on Flathub is a breeze, accomplished with a simple command below. Do set up your system for Flatpak before running the command.

flatpak install flathub net.mkiol.SpeechNote

Please note the initial download size exceeds 600 MB due to its offline capabilities. Upon running the software, a user-friendly interface guides you through the effortless process of downloading essential language models.

Running the app

Here’s a sample video on how to use the app and a quick demo for you:

There are plenty of software options out there that can do what Speech Note does. But what’s really cool about this app is that it’s free and open-source, and you don’t even need an internet connection to use it. You can record audio, translate languages, and do all sorts of other things with it easily and smoothly.

It’s great to see how impressive Speech Note’s current offerings are, but it’s even more exciting to think about what’s to come in the future. With the software’s development roadmap, we can expect even more improvements, optimization, and language support expansion, which will solidify Speech Note’s position as a leader in its segment.

You should give it a try. Learn more @ Github.

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"Chrome will begin supporting X25519Kyber768 for establishing symmetric secrets in TLS, starting in Chrome 116, and available behind a flag in Chrome 115," Devon O'Brien said in a post published Thursday.

Kyber was chosen by the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as the candidate for general encryption in a bid to tackle future cyber attacks posed by the advent of quantum computing. Kyber-768 is roughly the security equivalent of AES-192.

The encryption algorithm has already been adopted by Cloudflare, Amazon Web Services, and IBM.

X25519Kyber768 is a hybrid algorithm that combines the output of X25519, an elliptic curve algorithm widely used for key agreement in TLS, and Kyber-768 to create a strong session key to encrypt TLS connections.

"Hybrid mechanisms such as X25519Kyber768 provide the flexibility to deploy and test new quantum-resistant algorithms while ensuring that connections are still protected by an existing secure algorithm," O'Brien explained.

While it's expected to take several years, possibly even decades, for quantum computers to pose severe risks, certain kinds of encryption are susceptible to an attack called "harvest now, decrypt later" (aka retrospective decryption) in which data that's encrypted today is harvested by threat actors in hopes of decrypting it later when cryptanalysis becomes easier due to technological breakthroughs.

This is where quantum computers come in, as they are capable of efficiently performing certain computations in a manner that can trivially defeat existing cryptographic implementations.

"In TLS, even though the symmetric encryption algorithms that protect the data in transit are considered safe against quantum cryptanalysis, the way that the symmetric keys are created is not," O'Brien said.

"This means that in Chrome, the sooner we can update TLS to use quantum-resistant session keys, the sooner we can protect user network traffic against future quantum cryptanalysis."

Source

For example, you’re able to capture images and record your Windows 10 or Windows 11 screen with it.

Even more, Snipping Tool lets you customize the area you want to capture, so it’s even more useful when you don’t want to capture the whole screen, but just a part of it.

And the best part? It’s completely free, and Microsoft makes sure to keep it updated. Plus, it’s incredibly easy to use. We’ll show you just how easy it is to screen record your Windows 11 with it.

How to screen record on Windows 11

1. Go to your Windows 11’s Setting bar and type in Snipping Tool.
2. Open Snipping Tool.

    

   

    

3. With your Snipping Tool open, go to the top bar, and click on the Camera icon to select the screen recording feature.

    

   

    

4. Next, click on the + New button and select the area that you want to record.

    

   

    

5. After you selected it, click on the Start button, to start recording.

    

   

    

6. To stop the recording, click on the red button.

And that’s it. You’ve just recorded your screen on Windows 11 for free.

To save the video, you just need to click Ctrl + S, and it will open the Save window. You will be able to save the screen recording in your preferred folder.

However, you should know that Snipping Tool only saves files in the MP4 format, and there aren’t any other formats available.

Will you use Snipping Tool to screen record on Windows 11? If you do so, let us know your experience with it.

Source

How to always show the widgets board open in Windows 11

According to Microsoft, to pin the board open, simply click the pin icon in the top right corner of the board. Once your board is pinned open, the widgets board will no longer light dismiss.

While the board is pinned, you can still close it by:

• Open the widgets board via the Widgets button on the taskbar.
• Pressing the ESC key while Widgets is in the foreground.
• Swiping on the left edge of the screen if you have a touch device.

However, for now, this only works if you’re in the Windows Insider Program.

And, according to Windows enthusiast, @PhantomOfEarth, to be able to see this feature you need to:

1. Install the latest Windows Web Experience Pack version.
2. Run the following command: vivetool /enable /id:43636169

Are you seeing this feature? How do you like it?

Source

Live on the app’s beta channel at that time, version 2.2322.1.0, has a screen-sharing feature that lets you share the content of your screen on Windows by selecting the option available within the video call bottom control. This can be extremely useful, especially if you’re on an important business call and you want to share a PowerPoint presentation or a Word document.

The good news is, you can project your entire screen or just a specific window or portion of your screen.

Curious about how it works? Here’s how you can try screen sharing on Windows using WhatsApp.

How to do screen sharing on Windows using WhatsApp

1. Download the latest version of the WhatsApp beta app from the Microsoft Store. 

2. Click Get Started then scan the barcode from your WhatsApp app on mobile.

3. After the login is complete, click the phone icon on the top left of your screen.

4. Select the contact you want to call and click the video call button.

5. Click the Start screen sharing button on the bottom of your screen

6. Select the screen that you’d like to share, then hit OK.

With that being said, however, screen sharing on Windows using WhatsApp is currently only available to beta users on the operating system. However, not all devices are supported for screen sharing. If your device is one of the selected devices, you can try out this feature. We’ll keep you updated once the feature is rolled out for general users.

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Keeping your browser up to date is a good first step in keeping your computer secure while you’re surfing the web. Starting with Chrome 116, Google plans to start shipping Stable updates every week. Previously, Chrome would only provide one Stable channel update (also called “Stable Refresh”) between each new milestone release. Milestone releases occur every four weeks, which means Chrome users were getting an update every two.

According to Google, the change is an effort to combat bad actors who could potentially take advantage of issues Chrome has identified but not released a fix for yet.

“When a Chrome security bug is fixed, the fix is landed in the public Chromium source code repository. The fix is then publicly accessible and discoverable. After the patch is landed, individuals across Chrome are working to test and verify the patch, and evaluate security bug fixes for backporting to affected release branches,” says Chrome Security Team member Amy Ressler.

“Security fixes impacting Stable channel then await the next Stable channel update once they have been backported. The time between the patch being landed and shipped in a Stable channel update is the patch gap…we believe it’s really important to ship security fixes as soon as possible, to minimize this 'patch gap.'"

Google says that by switching to weekly updates, it will be able to ship security fixes an average of 3.5 days sooner.

You’ll find out an update is available through browser notifications. You can also manually check to ensure you're running the current version of Chrome by clicking the three dots in the top-right corner of the browser, selecting Settings and clicking About Chrome.

Source

Google writes in the announcement blog post:

We’re introducing a feature that lets you highlight or emphasize key content while you present in Google Slides. With the new pen tool, you can circle, underline, draw connections or make quick notes directly on your presentation. Whether in a board meeting or a brainstorming session, annotations can help make your presentations more engaging, interactive, and impactful.

A similar feature has been long available on Microsoft Powerpoint, which lets you draw onscreen with a digital pen to highlight a point or show connections.

Google explains annotating your Slides presentation is a breeze. You can start by entering 'slideshow mode' through the dedicated button in the app bar. Next, navigate to the lower-left corner of the viewer and access the three-dot menu by selecting the ellipsis icon. From here, opt for the "Turn on the pen" feature to enable annotation.

If you need to remove annotations, use the eraser tool located in the lower-left corner of the viewer's menu[.]

As for availability, the new annotations feature will start rolling out to most Google Slides users in the two weeks following August 23rd. Users on a rapid-release domain will get the feature in the next couple of weeks. All Google Workspace accounts and free Google accounts will have access to annotations.

Google has added lots of new features to its services recently. It recently gave G Suite users an option to eSign documents directly in Google Docs or Google Drive. The company is also reportedly planning to integrate generative AI into Gboard to help users write better.

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Aside from Windows, Microsoft also rolled out Office security updates for Outlook, Excel, Word, and more, which fix issues like spoofing and remote code execution (RCE). So you should probably update if you haven't already (find the download links here).

Speaking of security updates, this month's Patch enables a kernel security vulnerability fix by default, something Microsoft had cautioned back in June that it could potentially break something on your system, though it didn't really go into much detail about it. The support page for the issue has been updated with the following message now:

IMPORTANT The resolution described in this article introduces a potential breaking change. Therefore, we are releasing the change disabled by default with the option to enable it. We recommend that you validate this resolution in your environment. Then, as soon as it is validated, enable the resolution as soon as possible.

NOTE The resolution described in this article has now been released enabled by default.

[...]

IMPORTANT The resolution described in this article has been released enabled by default. To apply the enabled by default resolution, install the Windows update that is dated on or after August 8, 2023. No further user action is required.

Here is a summary of the vulnerability as provided by Microsoft. The flaw, a Windows kernel information disclosure vulnerability is tracked under ID "CVE-2023-32019":

Summary

An authenticated user (attacker) could cause an information disclosure vulnerability in Windows Kernel. This vulnerability does not require administrator or other elevated privileges.

The attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could view heap memory from a privileged process that is running on the server.

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to coordinate the attack with another privileged process that is run by another user in the system.

You can find the support document on Microsoft's site under KB5028407.

Source

The main benefit of a new point release is for those who are going to be downloading Ubuntu 22.04 LTS soon and want all the available updates rolled into the ISO. This can save time when installing Ubuntu as there will be fewer updates to download and install.

You can find a complete list of bug fixes over on Ubuntu Discourse but frankly, unless you’re looking for something specific, it’s a pretty boring read. If you want to download it then you can get it now over on the Ubuntu download page.

Aside from updating Ubuntu, official spins have also been updated. These ‘flavours’ include Kubuntu, Ubuntu Budgie, Ubuntu MATE, Lubuntu, Ubuntu Kylin, Ubuntu Studio, and Xubuntu. The update is also available for Ubuntu Server and Cloud products.

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS came out in April 2022 and gets updates for five years (the other flavours only get three years of support). Being in 2023, Ubuntu 22.04.3 LTS is the ideal Linux operating system if you’re looking for a stable base to get your work done.

There is Ubuntu 23.04 but this is not a long-term release and loses support after just nine months. If you decide to enable Expanded Security Maintenance on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, you can even get updates for your system out to 2032, which is perhaps a little excessive for a personal computer.

The next long-term support version of Ubuntu is planned for release next April, however, if you want to upgrade from Ubuntu 22.04, you’ll have to wait for Ubuntu 24.04.1 which should drop around August 2024.

To see whether you're on Ubuntu 22.04.3 yet, just press the power menu in the top-right and press Settings. In the Settings left-hand pane, scroll down to About then look under OS Name, if you're on the latest version it should say Ubuntu 22.04.3 LTS.

Source: Ubuntu

Source

Here is the changelog:

• New! This update improves how Windows detects your location. This helps to give you better weather, news, and traffic information.
• This update makes daylight saving time (DST) changes for Israel.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Group Policy Service. It will not wait for 30 seconds, which is the default wait time, for the network to be available. Because of this, policies are not correctly processed.
• This update adds a new API for D3D12 Independent Devices. You can use it to create multiple D3D12 devices on the same adapter. To learn more, see D3D12 Independent Devices.
• This update addresses an issue that affects a WS_EX_LAYERED window. The window might render with the wrong dimensions or at the wrong position. This occurs when you scale the display screen.
• This update addresses an issue that affects print jobs that are sent to a virtual print queue. They fail without an error.
• This update addresses an issue that causes high CPU use. This occurs when you enable the “fBlockNonDomain policy.”
• This update addresses an issue that affects disk partitions. The system might stop working. This occurs after you delete a disk partition and add the space from the deleted partition to an existing BitLocker partition.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Resultant Set of Policy (RSOP). The Windows LAPS “BackupDirectory” policy setting was not being reported. This occurs when the setting is set to 1, which is “Back up to AAD.”

You can find the full blog post here.

Source

Here is the changelog:

• New! This update adds new functionality that affects app defaults. To learn more, see A principled approach to app pinning and app defaults in Windows.
• New! This update adds a new hover behavior to the search box gleam. When you hover over it, the search flyout box appears. You can adjust this behavior by right clicking the taskbar. Then choose Taskbar settings to change your search box experience.
• New! This release adds a new policy called “Enable optional updates.” Administrators can use it to configure the monthly, optional cumulative updates for commercial devices. You can also use this policy for the gradual Controlled Feature Rollouts (CFR).
• This update makes daylight saving time (DST) changes for Israel.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Group Policy Service. It will not wait for 30 seconds, which is the default wait time, for the network to be available. Because of this, policies are not correctly processed.
• This update adds a new API for D3D12 Independent Devices. You can use it to create multiple D3D12 devices on the same adapter. To learn more, see D3D12 Independent Devices.
• This update addresses an issue that affects a WS_EX_LAYERED window. The window might render with the wrong dimensions or at the wrong position. This occurs when you scale the display screen.
• This update addresses an issue that affects print jobs that are sent to a virtual print queue. They fail without an error.
• This update addresses an issue that causes high CPU use. This occurs when you enable the “fBlockNonDomain” policy.
• This update addresses an issue that affects disk partitions. The system might stop working. This occurs after you delete a disk partition and add the space from the deleted partition to an existing BitLocker partition.
• This update addresses an issue that causes Windows to fail. This occurs when you use BitLocker on a storage medium that has a large sector size.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Remote Desktop sessions. Sometimes you receive a wrong error message when you try to sign in to a session.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the search icon. When you select it, the Search app does not open. This occurs after a machine has been asleep.
• This update improves the reliability of the Search app.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the TAB key. Using it to browse search results requires additional actions.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Narrator. It does not give distinct context between the search box on the taskbar and search highlights within the search box.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Start menu icons. They are missing after you sign in for the first time.
• This update addresses an issue that affects settings. They do not sync even if you turn on the toggle on the Windows backup page in the Settings app.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Resultant Set of Policy (RSOP). The Windows LAPS “BackupDirectory” policy setting was not being reported. This occurs when the setting is set to 1, which is “Back up to AAD.”

You can find the full blog post here.

Source

What’s new in Build 23521

Changes and Improvements

[Windows 365]

• Windows Insiders in the Dev and Beta Channels can participate in the public preview of Windows 365 Switch. Windows 365 Switch provides the ability to easily move between a Windows 365 Cloud PC and the local desktop using the same familiar keyboard commands, as well as a mouse-click or a swipe gesture through Task View on the Windows 11 taskbar. Please read this blog post for all the details on how to participate.

Easily switch between a Windows 365 Cloud PC and the local desktop via Task View.

[Windows Copilot]

• Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel who login and are managed by AAD (soon to be Microsoft Entra ID) will see Windows Copilot enabled for them again without the need to enable it via Group Policy Editor.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• To make it easier to enable never combined mode on the taskbar, we have updated the settings. You can turn never combined mode on by simply adjusting “Combine taskbar buttons and hide labels” to always. And we provide a separate setting for turning this on for other taskbars (multiple monitor scenarios for example).

Updated settings for never combined mode.

[Dynamic Lighting]

• You can now instantly sync your Windows accent colour with the devices around you with the “Match my Windows accent colour” toggle under “Effects” for Dynamic Lighting via Settings > Personalization > Dynamic Lighting. This improvement started rolling out in last week’s Dev Channel flight.
• We have added the ability to choose a custom colour to light up your devices with.

[Task Manager]

• We’ve updated the Task Manager settings page to match the design principles of Windows 11. The design has a similar look and feel to the Settings in Windows 11 and provides a cleaner UI separating categories into different sections. Oh, and we updated some dialogs in Task Manager too.

Redesigned Task Manager settings.

[Windows Spotlight]

• After doing an OS update, in certain cases such as using the default Windows 11 background or a solid colour – Windows Spotlight may be enabled for you. If you decide you don’t want Windows Spotlight enabled, you can turn it off and in future OS updates it should not be enabled for you again unless you choose to re-enable the experience.

[Search on the Taskbar]

• Windows Search now uses the Microsoft Bing Search app to return web content and search results. In the European Economic Area (EEA), you can enable installed Microsoft Store apps that implement a web search provider to return web content and search results in Windows Search through Settings.

[Settings]

• The end task feature under System > For Developers no longer requires Developer Mode to be enabled first before it can be used.

[Other]

• In the European Economic Area (EEA), Windows will now require consent to share data between Windows and other signed-in Microsoft services. You will see some Windows features start to check for consent now, with more being added in future builds. Without consent to share data between Windows and other signed-in Microsoft services, some functionality in Windows features may be unavailable, for example certain types of file recommendations under “Recommended” on the Start menu.

Fixes

[File Explorer]

• Fixed an issue where you couldn’t drag a file out of an archived folder to extract it with one of the newly supported archive formats.
• Fix an issue where when extracting one of the newly supported archive formats using the Extract All option in the context menu, it wasn’t working unless Windows Explorer was set as the default for that file type.
• When trying to extract one of the new archive formats and the file is password encrypted, it will now show a message saying this isn’t currently supported.
• Fixed a bug where Insiders may have experienced a File Explorer crash when dragging the scroll bar or attempting to close the window during an extended file-loading process.

We fixed the following issues for Insiders who have the modernized File Explorer address bar that began rolling out with Build 23475:

• Fixed an issue which was causing the search box in File Explorer to not work well with IMEs.
• Fixed an issue where pasting using the context menu in the address bar wasn’t working (or other context menu actions in the address bar).

We fixed the following issues for Insiders who have the modernized File Explorer Home that began rolling out with Build 23475:

• Fixed an issue where when trying to scroll with touch on Home might result in everything getting selected.
• Fixed a white flash in dark theme when switching between Home and Gallery.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

• Fixed an issue that removed the USB icon and its options from the system tray.
• Fixed an issue where the titles were missing from taskbar previews when turning on tablet-optimized taskbar while using uncombined taskbar.
• Fixed an issue where uncombined taskbar’s app indicators weren’t shown correctly after it showed something was being downloaded.
• Fixed an explorer.exe crash impacting system tray reliability.
• Fixed an issue where the End Task feature wasn’t working if you tried it when there were multiple windows open of that app.
• Fixed an issue where using End Task on certain apps would cause other unrelated apps to close.

[HDR Backgrounds]

• Fixed an issue where your HDR wallpaper might appear washed out although HDR was enabled.
• Fixed an issue where it wasn’t possible to select .JXL files for your wallpaper slideshow.

[Other]

• If Get Help isn’t installed, when opening one of the troubleshooters in Settings, it will now prompt you to install it, rather than showing an error about not haven’t an app associated for the action.

NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the Dev Channel may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11.

Known issues

[General]

• We’re investigating reports that the taskbar isn’t loading for some Insiders when logging into their PC after installing this build. See this forum post for more details and workaround options.
• We’re working on the fix for an issue causing explorer.exe to crash on the login screen when attempting to enter safe mode.

[Start menu]

• Some apps under All apps on the Start menu, such as PWA apps installed via Microsoft Edge, may incorrectly be labeled as a system component.

[Windows Copilot]

• You can use Alt + Tab to switch out of Windows Copilot, but not back into it. Windows + C will move focus back to Windows Copilot
• When first launching or after refreshing Copilot while using voice access you’ll need to use “Show grid” commands to click in the “Ask me anything” box for the first time.

[Input]

• We’re investigating reports that typing with the Japanese and Chinese IMEs is not working correctly after the last flight.

Widgets Update: Pin widgets board open

We are beginning to roll out an update to Widgets for Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels that lets you pin the widgets board open, so your widgets board is always just a glance away. To pin the board open, simply click the pin icon in the top right corner of the board. Once your board is pinned open, the widgets board will no longer light dismiss.

New pin icon at the top of the widgets board to pin the widgets board open.

While the board is pinned, you can still close it by:

• Open the widgets board via the Widgets button on the taskbar.
• Pressing the ESC key while Widgets is in the foreground.
• Swiping on the left edge of the screen if you have a touch device.

To unpin the board, select the unpin icon in the top right corner of the board.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Widgets.

Snipping Tool Update

We are beginning to roll out an update to Snipping Tool (version 11.2306.43.0 and higher) to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels. This update introduces new buttons to edit in Paint for screenshots and edit in Clipchamp for screen recordings.

New buttons in Snipping Tool for editing screen clips in Paint and screen recordings in Clipchamp.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub by clicking here.

You can find the official blog post here.

Source

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.2191 and Build 22631.2191 (KB5029336) to the Beta Channel.

• Build 22631.2191 = New features rolling out.
• Build 22621.2191 = New features off by default.

The new release includes the new Windows 365 Switch feature for users of the cloud PC service. along with the HDR Background Support and Narrator Natural Voices that were added in previous Windows 11 Preview channel builds.

Here is the changelog:

What’s new in Build 22631.2191

HDR Background Support

You can now set JXR files to be your desktop background and if you have an HDR display, they will render in full HDR.

First – make sure your device has an HDR display or is connected to a HDR display that supports HDR. You can check this by going to Settings > System > Display and checking the HDR toggle.

Next, download an HDR .JXR file to your device. Then right-click on your desktop, choose “Personalize” and then “Background”, and under “Personalize your background” – go and select the .JXR file you downloaded to your device.

You can download example .JXR files here to try this experience out on your HDR-capable device/display.

The background should load on your display. If you have multiple displays attached to your device, the background will show as HDR or SDR depending on each display’s capabilities. When using external displays attached to your device, we recommend running the HDR Calibration app for best picture quality. Please note that for this build, there may be some issues with the HDR version of the desktop background not correctly display on some laptops with HDR.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Desktop Environment > Background and Wallpaper.

Narrator Natural Voices in French, Portuguese, English (India), German and Korea

We are introducing new natural voices in French, Portuguese, English (India), German and Korean that allow Narrator users to comfortably browse the web, read, and write mail, and do more. Natural Narrator voices use modern, on-device text to speech and once downloaded are supported without an internet connection.

To use one of the natural voices, add it to your PC by following these steps:

• Open Narrator Settings by pressing the WIN + Ctrl + N hotkey.
• Under Narrator’s voice, select the Add button next to Add natural voices.
• Select the voice you want to install. You can install all voices, but you must install them separately.
  • The new French voices are Microsoft Denise (Female) and Microsoft Henri (Male)
  • The new Portuguese voices are Microsoft Francisca (Female) and Microsoft Antonio (Male)
  • The new English (India) voices are Microsoft Neerja (Female) and Microsoft Prabhat (Male)
  • The new German voices are Microsoft Katja (Female) and Microsoft Conrad (Male)
  • The new Korean voices are Microsoft SunHi (Female) and Microsoft InJoon (Male)

To start the download of the selected voice, select Install. The new voice will download and be ready for use in a few minutes, depending on your internet download speed.

When the new voice has downloaded, in Narrator settings select your preferred voice from the drop-down menu in Narrator’s voice > Choose a voice.

Note: If your display language is not set to any of the above languages, then in step 3 you will first need to select “Choose a different language” and then select the appropriate language followed by the specific voice.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (Win + F) under Accessibility > Narrator.

Changes and Improvements in Build 22631.2191

[Windows 365]

Windows Insiders in the Dev and Beta Channels can participate in the public preview of Windows 365 Switch. Windows 365 Switch provides the ability to easily move between a Windows 365 Cloud PC and the local desktop using the same familiar keyboard commands, as well as a mouse-click or a swipe gesture through Task View on the Windows 11 taskbar. Please read this blog post for all the details on how to participate.

Easily switch between a Windows 365 Cloud PC and the local desktop via Task View.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

REMINDER:As noted in our Beta Channel flight here, the settings for never combined mode for the taskbar were showing up under Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors but do not enable the experience. We have temporarily removed the settings for this to fix the issue. The feature will be coming to a Beta Channel flight soon.

[File Explorer]

• We’ve added “Share” to the context menu in File Explorer in addition to having the share icon at the top of the context menu.
• Added more fields to show in the Details pane, including image dimensions for pictures, number of pages for .docx, space used and free information for drives, and many others.

[Windows Spotlight]

After doing an OS update, in certain cases such as using the default Windows 11 background or a solid colour – Windows Spotlight may be enabled for you. If you decide you don’t want Windows Spotlight enabled, you can turn it off and in future OS updates it should not be enabled for you again unless you choose to re-enable the experience.

Fixes in Build 22631.2191

[File Explorer]

• Fixed an issue which was causing File Explorer to crash when navigating to Home, as well as some other issues causing crashes.
• Fixed a memory leak in File Explorer with the latest updates which could cause explorer.exe crashes and other issues over prolonged usage.
• Fixed an issue where after refreshing Home, actions to pin and unpin favorite files might not work.
• Fixed an issue where the tooltip would get stuck on the screen when you scrolled Home with touch.
• Fixed an issue where collapsing and expanding the sections of Home didn’t always work.
• Fixed an issue where Home and Gallery could get stuck in the wrong colours if they were open when changing between light and dark mode.
• Fixed an issue where thumbnails in Gallery might not load after changing the view to a smaller icon size (for example, medium to small).
• Made some small adjustments to the size of elements, including reducing the size of the text.
• The ALT + D, CTRL + L, and F4 keyboard shortcuts should work now to set focus to the address bar.
• Fixed an issue where typing drive letters, %localappdata%, and certain other things in the address bar wasn’t causing suggested paths to appear in a dropdown.
• Fixed an issue where the icons displayed in the tabs in File Explorer could become out of sync with the current folder after navigating.
• Fixed an issue which was causing File Explorer to show “Working on it” in an empty folder.
• Fixed an issue where the image in the Details pane might get blurry after resizing the File Explorer window.
• Fixed an issue where the design of the details pane was displaying from left to right instead of right to left when using Hebrew or Arabic display languages.
• Fixed an issue where the text box for naming newly created files or folders on the desktop was showing in the wrong position (far away or way too close) relative to the thumbnail.
• Fixed an issue where ALT + P and Shift + Alt + P keyboard shortcuts weren’t working when focus was set to one of the images in Gallery.
• Fixed an issue where right clicking items in the navigation pane wouldn’t open a context menu after you changed folders.
• Fixed an issue which was causing explorer.exe to crash when trying to access an FTP address.
• Fixed an issue where selecting the dropdown arrows in the address bar was opening a blank menu.

[Dynamic Lighting]

Fixed an issue where devices might show as empty squares in Settings > Personalization > Dynamic Lighting.

Known issues

[General]

We’re working on the fix for an issue causing explorer.exe to crash on the login screen when attempting to enter safe mode.

[File Explorer]

In some cases, the context menu background in File Explorer may appear transparent.

In some cases, the icons on your desktop may all go blank. If this happens, using the refresh option in the desktop context menu should resolve it.

[Taskbar]

We’re working on a fix for an issue causing the safely remove hardware icon to not appear when expected in the system tray.

[Input]

We’re working on the fix for an issue causing typing with the Japanese and Chinese IMEs to not work correctly after the latest flights for some Insiders.

[Narrator]

You may see some of the strings are NOT localized to the selected language. This will be fixed in a future flight.

You can check out the full blog post here.

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The "System Components" section in the Settings app works similarly to the "Installed apps" page: you can browse the list of installed components, filter them alphabetically or drives, search for a specific part, view details, and uninstall or repair if necessary.

The current implementation in build 25926 uses the new page to house inbox applications, Microsoft Edge and its components, codecs, OneDrive, various redistributable packages, and, most importantly, Microsoft Solitaire & Casual Games. The Settings app lets you remove some listed apps, while others are only removable using winget or non-removable at all. Here is how to enable the new "System Components" page using the ViVeTool app:

Caution: Unannounced features are often raw, unstable, or borderline unusable. Back up important data before enabling them with the ViVeTool app.

1. Download ViVeTool from GitHub and unpack the files in a convenient and easy-to-find folder.
2. Press Win + X and select Terminal (Admin).
3. Switch Windows Terminal to the Command Prompt profile with the Ctrl + Shift + 2 shortcut or by clicking the arrow-down button at the top of the window.

    

   
4. Navigate to the folder containing the ViVeTool files using the CD command. For example, if you have placed ViVeTool in C:\Vive, type CD C:\Vive.
5. Type vivetool /enable /id:44702824 and press Enter.
6. Restart your computer.
7. Launch the Settings app and go to System > System Components.

In case you missed it, similar labels recently appeared in the Microsoft Store (for all users). Microsoft also introduced a "System" label for the Start menu to indicate the corresponding stock applications.

Credit for the finding goes to @PhantomOfEarth

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Here is the changelog;

• New! This update improves how Windows detects your location. This helps to give you better weather, news, and traffic information.
• New! This update expands the roll out of notification badging for Microsoft accounts on the Start menu. A Microsoft account is what connects Windows to your Microsoft apps. The account backs up all your data and helps you to manage your subscriptions. You can also add extra security steps to keep you from being locked out of your account. This feature gives you quick access to important account-related notifications.
• This update makes daylight saving time (DST) changes for Israel.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Group Policy Service. It will not wait for 30 seconds, which is the default wait time, for the network to be available. Because of this, policies are not correctly processed.
• This update adds a new API for D3D12 Independent Devices. You can use it to create multiple D3D12 devices on the same adapter. To learn more, see D3D12 Independent Devices.
• This update addresses an issue that affects an app that simulates keyboard input. That app might not send Japanese characters to other apps.
• This update addresses an issue that affects a WS_EX_LAYERED window. The window might render with the wrong dimensions or at the wrong position. This occurs when you scale the display screen.
• This update addresses an issue that affects print jobs that are sent to a virtual print queue. They fail without an error.
• This update addresses an issue that affects disk partitions. The system might stop working. This occurs after you delete a disk partition and add the space from the deleted partition to an existing BitLocker partition.
• This update addresses an issue that affects Remote Desktop (RD) sessions. They disconnect when multiple apps are in use.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the display of the search box.
• This update addresses an issue that affects settings. They do not sync even if you turn on the toggle on the Windows backup page in the Settings app.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the Resultant Set of Policy (RSOP). The Windows LAPS “BackupDirectory” policy setting was not being reported. This occurs when the setting is set to 1, which is “Back up to AAD.”

You can find the full blog post here.

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What is new in Microsoft Edge 117.0.2024.1 Dev?

Added features: 

• Added Touch Mode feature in the Appearance setting.

Improved reliability:  

• iOS:
  • Fixed browser crash when accessing the Password manager page.

Changed behavior: 

• Fixed two close buttons on tabs.
• Fixed the blank Passwords settings page.
• Android:
  • Fixed a high refresh rate issue with certain devices.
• Enterprise:
  • Fixed an SSO issue in certain scenarios.
  • Fixed PERSISTENT_ERROR, EDGE_AUTH_ERROR: 3, 60, 0 error when trying to sign in on macOS.
• WebView2:
  • Fixed WebView2 display issue when the computer wakes from sleep (#3429)

You can try the new Touch Mode by updating Edge Dev to the latest version and heading to Settings > Appearance > Touch Mode. The browser provides three options: Auto (Default), On, and Off. Here is how Touch Mode compares with regular mode:

Before

After

Microsoft Edge 117 is currently available for testing in the Dev and Canary Channels. Developers plan to release the browser in the Beta Channel on the week of August 21, 2023. Those using Microsoft's browser in the Stable Channel can look out for the update on the week of September 14, 2023.

In case you missed it, Microsoft recently added a bunch of great features to its browser. The company is working on restoring the long-anticipated and much-requested EPUB support, the ability to export your browsing history in a CSV file, rewriting capabilities powered by Bing AI, and one questionable feature that wants to take a screenshot of every web page you visit. Finally, Microsoft will soon launch the recently announced Edge for Business Mode.

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The Indian Express reports that the country's Defence Ministry has been developing Maya OS as the replacement for Windows on its PCs. Maya OS is based on Ubuntu, which itself is based on Linux. The article states:

One of the main advantages of Maya OS is that it has a similar interface and functionality as Windows, making it easy for users to adapt to it. It also has a feature called Chakravyuh, which is an end-point anti-malware and antivirus software that creates a virtual layer between the user and the internet, blocking hackers from accessing sensitive data.

The article claims the reason that the Defence Ministry is moving away from Windows is due to fears of cyberattacks on the OS. The country has already dealt with major hacker events over the past few years, including including one on a nuclear power plant in 2019. The agency feels Windows has a large number of malware threats, while Ubuntu attacks are rare.

The article adds:

A team of experts from various government agencies worked on Maya OS for six months, according to sources. The team also collaborated with Indian software companies and academic institutions to test and improve the OS. The OS has been vetted by the three Services – the Navy has already cleared it and the Army and the Air Force are currently evaluating it.

The plan currently is to replace Windows with the new Maya OS in the agency's Internet-connected PCs in the country's South Block by August 15. The Maya OS will be available for all other regions of the Defence Ministry by the end of 2023.

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What is new in EarTrumpet 2.3.0.0?

• Added setting to turn on/off ability to change volume with the scroll wheel anywhere (thanks @Tester798!)
• Added setting to turn on/off ability to change volume with the scroll wheel when hovering over the EarTrumpet icon (thanks @Tester798!)
• Added new community settings area
• Added new community setting to turn on/off use of a logarithmic volume scale (thanks @yonatan-mitmit!)
• Added legacy shortcuts to the context menu pointing to [App volume and device preferences] / [Volume mixer]
• Added ability to use the Windows key in shortcuts (thanks @iamevn!)
• Added linguistic display name sorting for audio devices (thanks @Tester798!)
• Added a workaround for Windows Search (CortanaUI) showing a default asset (X) icon
• Fixed an issue where installation of EarTrumpet via AppInstaller would fail if the Visual C++ libs package was not installed
• Fixed an issue where EarTrumpet tooltips were not updating live while scrolling the mouse wheel on Windows 10 (thanks @krlvm!)
• Forced EarTrumpet to render in software-only mode to keep it off power hungry GPUs.
• Improved the flyout animation (thanks @krlvm!)

You can download EarTrumpet for free from the Microsoft Store. The app supports Windows 10 and 11 but lacks UI optimizations for the latter (volume sliders are Windows 10-like). Still, Windows 11 users may soon want to drop the app as Microsoft is working on a much-improved native volume mixer. The feature is already available for testing in Windows 11 preview builds, with public rollout expected later this year in the Windows 11 23H2 update.

If you are looking for more useful Windows 10 and 11 utilities, check out our articles covering top 11 Windows apps and 10 great programs for fixing Windows 11's inconveniences.

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In a groundbreaking move, CIQ, Oracle, and SUSE have come together to announce the formation of the Open Enterprise Linux Association (OpenELA). The goal of this new collaborative trade association is to foster "the development of distributions compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) by providing open and free enterprise Linux source code."

The inception of OpenELA is a direct response to Red Hat's recent alterations to RHEL source code availability. This new Delaware 501(c)(6) US nonprofit association will provide an open process for organizations to access source code. This will enable it to build RHEL-compatible distributions. The initiative underscores the importance of community-driven source code, which serves as a foundation for creating compatible distributions.

Mike McGrath, Red Hat's vice president of Red Hat Core Platforms, sparked this when he announced Red Hat would be changing how users can access RHEL's source code. For the non-Hatters among you, Core Platforms is the division in charge of RHEL. McGrath wrote, "CentOS Stream will now be the sole repository for public RHEL-related source code releases. For Red Hat customers and partners, source code will remain available via the Red Hat Customer Portal."

This made it much more difficult for RHEL clone vendors, such as AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, and Oracle Linux, to create perfect RHEL variant distributions. AlmaLinux elected to try to work with Red Hat's new source code rules. Oracle restarted its old fighting ways with IBM/Red Hat; SUSE announced an RHEL-compatible distro fork plan; and Rocky Linux found new ways to obtain RHEL code. Now the last two, along with CIQ, which started Rocky Linux, have joined forces.  

Thomas Di Giacomo, SUSE's Chief Technology and Product Officer, emphasized the significance of collaboration in driving innovation. He stated, "Collaboration is critical to fostering innovation, which is why we welcome everyone to be part of this association and help us uphold open community standards." Gregory Kurtzer, CIQ's CEO, echoed this sentiment, marking the announcement as the beginning of a new era for Enterprise Linux.

According to the association, OpenELA is not just about providing open-source code. It's about upholding the spirit of open source and ensuring continuity for all Enterprise Linux downstream distributions. "Many large organizations reached out to us to express the importance of community-driven source code for EL that can act as a starting point for compatible distributions," added Wim Coekaerts, Oracle executive VP of software development, "OpenELA is our response to this need."

SUSE CEO Dirk-Peter (DP) van Leeuwen, added, "We're determined to make choice happen. The Open Enterprise Linux Association aims to give us all open access to source code that will bring the industry together. At the same time, we're committed to continuing our first-class support for SUSE Linux Enterprise. Our conviction is that our customers should be free to decide what works for them."

The OpenELA will only be producing source code. It will not produce its own binary distribution. The members, and anyone wanting to try it, can create their own EL-compatible distributions from the code. 

Specifically, the OpenELA will be delivering the following by year's end.

• All sources necessary to achieve a 1:1 / bug-for-bug compatible version of EL This will be distributed via Git, encouraging community collaboration
• Security errata data
• Compatibility guidelines for downstream distributions to test their build results

• A branding kit for all downstream distributions and supporters
• User and Administration Documentation (Oracle contribution)

OpenELA will provide sources necessary for RHEL-compatible downstreams to exist, with an initial focus on RHEL versions 8, 9, and possibly EL7. The project is committed to indefinitely ensuring the continued availability of OpenELA sources to the community.

As Kurtzer explained, "At this point, the goal of OpenELA is to focus on providing sources from where vendors can download and build their own distro. Community members like Rocky Linux and others will continue producing distros like before." 

He added, "From the Rocky and CIQ side, it is important to remember that while CIQ is supporting this effort to ensure the longevity of all Enterprise Linux distributions, Rocky Linux and the Rocky Linux Enterprise Software Foundation (RESF) is a separate entity and the decision and announcement of that is pending their board of directors."

The association claims its mission revolves around offering a secure, transparent, and reliable Linux source that's accessible globally. OpenELA's core tenets reflect its commitment to transparency, community inclusivity, and public benefit. It aims to provide a consistent and secure upstream location for all interested in Enterprise Linux distribution sources.

The initial OpenELA board of directors will include equal representation from its founding entities, CIQ, Oracle, and SUSE. The group will also welcome other organizations and community members to help "to build a robust, community-driven standard that ensures impartiality and equilibrium in the RHEL ecosystem." 

Check here for how to get involved and join OpenELA via e-mail and Slack. 

And, what does Red Hat make of this? McGrath told me: 

In our view, 'enterprise Linux' isn't an implementation standard; it goes beyond the bits to encompass the expertise, support, and engineering that backs an operating system. This is what makes Red Hat Enterprise Linux an enterprise-level Linux product. We're proud to employ many of the talented minds driving innovation across not just Linux, but open source in general, advancing upstream projects and enterprise applications in tandem. We have always welcomed ongoing contributions to the broader Linux community, whether personally motivated or from companies like Oracle and SUSE, that actually move enterprise-level Linux forward rather than replacing one logo with another.

Source

Also:  Oracle, SUSE and CIQ launch the Open Enterprise Linux Association amid Red Hat controversy

Here is the changelog:

What’s new in Build 25926

New features from the Dev Channel

This build includes new features from the Dev Channel, such improvements for Windows Ink, improved screen casting experience, local file sharing improvements (was available in last week’s Canary Channel flight), and more.

Changes and Improvements

[Taskbar & System Tray]

Notifications will now show as a bell in the system tray and when new notifications come through, the bell will colourize based on your system accent colour. When there are no notifications and the clock is visible, the bell will be empty. Notification counts are no longer shown.

Notification bell in the system tray for new notifications and no notifications.

[Graphics]

Starting with Build 25921, we have added options for tuning intensity and colour boost to the colour filters via Settings > Accessibility > colour Filters. Please note there is an issue in which the labels for the sliders are missing. The first slider is for “Intensity” and the second slider is for “colour Boost”. The labels will appear as expected in a future flight.

Fixes for known issues

We fixed the issue causing devices with mobile broadband connectivity to not be able connect to a wireless network due to an issue in which the APN configuration may get lost on upgrade with Build 25921.

Snipping Tool Update

We are beginning to roll out an update to Snipping Tool (version 11.2306.43.0 and higher) to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels. This update introduces new buttons to edit in Paint for screenshots and edit in Clipchamp for screen recordings.

New buttons in Snipping Tool for editing screen clips in Paint and screen recordings in Clipchamp.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub by clicking here.

You can check out the full blog post here.

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If you are running Windows 10 or Windows 11 on a laptop or tablet, battery life is one of the most essential things you're constantly checking. There is never enough battery for a portable device, so how we manage them is important.

Checking the estimated battery life on your laptop or tablet is super simple. You simply click the battery icon in the notification area to see the percentage of battery left and the estimated time you have to work. That estimate, however, is just that, and it solely depends on what you are doing now. Even though it shows eight hours, you can still get that much time if you start gaming, for instance.

This raises the question: What is your laptop's battery life? In other words, is there an actual battery time from your real-life usage combined with charge and discharge rates? The answer is yes, although to find it is a bit tricky.

This how-to guide will walk you through the steps to create and understand the battery health report of your laptop or tablet, whether it's using Windows 11 or Windows 10.

How to generate a Battery Report on Windows 10 and Windows 11

To create a report of the battery health on Windows 10 (or Windows 11), use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
3. Type the following command to create a battery report on Windows 11 and press Enter: powercfg /batteryreport /output "C:\battery_report.html"

(Image credit: Future)

Once you complete the steps, the command will generate and save a report in the root of the primary drive.

Battery report 

To open and read the report, use these instructions.

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Click on This PC from the left navigation pane.
3. Under the "Devices and drives" section, double-click the "C" drive.
4. Double-click to open the "battery_report.html" file in the browser.

(Image credit: Future)

The system report has a few sections with self-explanatory details. The section with the most information you want is perhaps the "Installed Batteries" section because it includes a general overview of the battery installed on your device, such as name, manufacturer, serial number, chemistry, design capacity, and cycle count.

You can check the "design capacity" and "full charge capacity" to determine whether the battery needs replacement. On my device, the battery reports a capacity of 38,912mWh, and the "full charge capacity" is 38,912mWh, indicating that the battery can still hold 100 percent of the charge.

(Image credit: Future)

 

It's important to note that if the "full charge capacity" is around or less than 50 percent, then it's time to consider replacing the battery.

"Recent Usage" offers useful details on the time, state (active, suspended), power source, and remaining capacity of the battery. In short, this is the record of when the laptop went to sleep, became active, and charged with AC power and the mWh capacity. If your device is waking when it should not, you should see it here. There is also a nifty "Battery Usage" graph below this area.

(Image credit: Future)

 

Other areas like "Usage history" and "Battery capacity" history are good for checking for battery health. It's known that Li-On batteries deteriorate over time, and this is where you can see that happen.

(Image credit: Future)

 

(Image credit: Future)

 

"Battery life estimates" is probably the most interesting section for most users since you can see what the operating system predicts for the battery life with regular usage. This feedback is usually more stable and accurate than the live estimate found by clicking the battery icon.

(Image credit: Future)

 

The more information this tool can collect, the more accurate the report. If you are using a new installation of Windows 11 (or 10), it's best to power cycles and wait a few days to generate the Battery Report to have enough data for it to be valuable.

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Google Chrome’s recent August update has introduced several new features, some of which are very useful, such as the improved screenshot in incognito mode. However, some of the updates have also been met with annoyance by some users, such as the missing download bar and the new “Search Google for …” behavior when you right-click on the browser.

Before the update, users could highlight a word or phrase in Chrome and double-click on it to automatically search for it on Google in a new tab. This was a convenient way to search for information without having to open a new tab manually.

However, the latest update has changed this behavior. Now, when you highlight a word or phrase and double-click on it, the search will take place in the sidebar of the browser instead of in a new tab. This can be inconvenient for users who are used to the old behavior, as it requires them to switch between the main window and the sidebar in order to see the search results.

So, how to disable it, you may ask? Here’s how.

How to stop “Search Google for” opening Side panel search on Chrome

1. Type chrome://flags/ onto the address bar

2. Find these features one by one:

• Allow Omnibox contextual web on-focus suggestions on the SRP (#omnibox-on-focus-suggestions-srp)
• Omnibox on-focus suggestions for the contextual Web (#omnibox-on-focus-suggestions-contextual-web)
• Side search (#side-search)
• CSC (#csc)

3 Click Disabled on the dropdown next to each of these features.

4 Restart the browser.

In this way, when you highlight a word, double-click, and click on Google Search, the browser will take you to a new tab instead.

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I've been using Linux since 1997 and it's only failed me on one rare occasion. Considering the length of time, that's an impressive run. Imagine you've managed to work with an operating system for nearly 30 years and have had minor problems a handful of times and only one serious issue.

That's a win, no matter how you look at it.

But, during those early years, it wasn't exactly easy. That's probably why I became so familiar with the OS very early on… I had to work at it.

Today's Linux is not yesterday's Linux. Now, the platform is incredibly easy to use. There's no more need to use the command line. There's no more need to compile your own kernel. There's no more need to write bash scripts, work with regular expressions, and install your own firmware.

It's just so simple now.

Given that, why aren't more people using Linux on the desktop?

To give you an idea of the numbers, it was recently reported (just about everywhere) that Linux surpassed MacOS as the second most-used operating system for gaming. Couple that with Linux hitting the 3% threshold in desktop market share and, well, the numbers might be something to celebrate but there's really not that much to huzzah over. 

Even so…huzzah!

Here's the thing. Over the last few years, I developed a theory as to why Linux has yet to really take over the desktop. By all accounts, it should have. It's free, it's remarkably stable, secure, and easy to use, and it's fun. On top of that, the majority of desktop use cases these days are centered on the web browser. That alone kind of kicks to the curb the idea that a lack of applications is the issue stopping so many from using Linux.

So, what's the problem?

Open-source community, cover your ears (or your eyes).

The problem is the lack of a representative version of Linux.

Hear me out.

When someone comes to me asking how to get into Linux, they do not need to hear a laundry list of distributions to choose from. When they ask, I don't want to have to say, something akin to, "You could try Ubuntu, Linux Mint, elementary OS, Zorin OS, or Ubuntu Budgie." Although that's true, it can be overwhelming for someone who's never even seen the operating system in action.

But the reality is, every single Linux user has an opinion on what distribution is best-suited for new users. Sadly, that variety of opinions doesn't help the cause. Roughly seven years ago, that very issue led me to an idea, one I believe would vastly benefit Linux.

Consider this: An "official" Linux distribution.

Think about it. If there's one distribution that becomes the official flavor, a few things could possibly happen.

First, there'd be less confusion for new users. If someone wants to try Linux, they turn to Official Linux (or whatever the name would be). That version of Linux would be user-friendly, stable, receive TLS-level updates, and would be geared toward (you guessed it) new users.

Second, companies that want to port their software or make their hardware available to Linux wouldn't be faced with making it work for hundreds of distributions (or even just a handful). They'd only have to work with a single flavor of Linux. That could equate to even more software and hardware being made available to Linux. 

Another added benefit would be that more businesses would be willing to use Linux as a desktop operating system.

The big caveat

Here's the issue: Which distribution should it be? Ubuntu? Linux Mint? elementary OS? Zorin OS? Fedora?

That's where things get tricky. If you ask a Ubuntu user, of course, they'll say the official Linux distribution should be Ubuntu. The same holds true for every distribution and every user. 

To get around this, I would suggest basing the official Linux distribution on Debian but with a few queues from other distros, such as:

• Standard users added to the sudo group.
• Both Snap and Flatpack support are built in.
• User choice of web browser (even with a tool allowing them to easily switch).
• New release software available.

With those bits in place, the distribution would be maintained and controlled by a collective of people from users, developers, and corporations (such as Intel and AMD) with a vested interest in the success of this project. There wouldn't be a single person or company running the show, to maintain a level of autonomy, so everything would be handled via committee. There would also be corporate backing for things like marketing (such as TV commercials).

This could work and I strongly believe it's something that should be considered. I also know people fear change and the open-source community hasn't exactly met this idea with open arms. The biggest argument against this has been the fear that it would eliminate choice and the people at large would fail to see there's a world of choice with Linux.

But the thing is, this official distribution would be used to promote Linux and expand its reach. This wouldn't be about squashing innovation or removing choice. Instead, it would be about reaching a much larger audience with an ease Linux hasn't enjoyed since its inception. In fact, Linux outreach has been pretty bad since, well, the beginning. 

It doesn't have to be that way.

With an official distribution, everyone would know where to point new users and companies would have a much easier time supporting Linux.

I realize it's a very complicated idea but if it's well-implemented, it could work and work well.

What do you think, Linux community? Is this the way to go to help the open-source operating system finally reach a double-digit market share? 

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