Mushitags

 Conceptual illustration; it does not show pLinux5-NG running on a PS5. Developer pLabs5 published pLinux5-NG v0.1.0 as a pre-release on October 14. The project aims to bring Linux booting to PS5 consoles on firmware from 8.xx through 13.60, extending beyond the older loader’s stated 3.00–7.61 range. But the target range is not the current compatibility list: the project’s README says it is still very much a work in progress and that only 13.20 is supported for now. Its first release is explicitly described as highly unstable, with most things not working. [Project repository](https://github.com/pLabs5/pLinux5-NG) · [v0.1.0 release notes](https://github.com/pLabs5/pLinux5-NG/releases/tag/v0.1.0) The new loader reuses the Linux boot path from ps5-linux-loader and adapts it to the Byepervisor-Reborn hypervisor escape, according to the project. It is a payload for an already-jailbroken console, not a new jailbreak or a one-click Linux installer. The repository says support for other firmware versions and full Linux functionality still need work; it does not establish broad app or PC-game compatibility. That distinction matters for owners deciding whether the project applies to their console. Notebookcheck reports that firmware 14.00 and 14.10 block the exploits involved, while PSN access on 13.60 requires updating to Sony’s latest software. So the project’s wider firmware goal comes with real limits and trade-offs, and the current README does not promise that 13.60 itself can boot Linux today. [Notebookcheck’s report](https://www.notebookcheck.net/Linux-now-runs-on-PS5-console-jailbreaks-and-July-firmware-with-PC-games-possible.1425575.0.html) For the current firmware and setup boundaries, see [our PS5 Scene guide](https://www.mushimu.com/post/8726). The next useful milestone is a clear compatibility list backed by successful tests on additional firmware versions. ~ps5scene ~linux

Canonical released Ubuntu 26.10, codenamed “Stonking Stingray,” on October 15, with desktop and server images available to download. The interim release brings GNOME 51 and a Linux 7.3 kernel, completes Ubuntu’s move to Rust-based coreutils, and switches APT signature verification to Sequoia OpenPGP with post-quantum-ready support, according to Canonical’s [release announcement](https://canonical.com/blog/canonical-releases-ubuntu-26-10-stonking-stingray). There is one detail behind the kernel headline: Ubuntu’s [release notes](https://documentation.ubuntu.com/release-notes/26.10/) identify the shipped package as 7.3.0-9.9, based on upstream Linux 7.3-rc6 because the final upstream kernel was not ready at Ubuntu’s release freeze. So the “7.3” label does not mean the image shipped with the final upstream 7.3 kernel. Ubuntu 26.10 is a six-month interim version, not an LTS. Canonical’s release cycle gives it nine months of updates, through July 2027. That makes it the faster route to newer hardware support and desktop changes, while 26.04 LTS remains the longer-support option. [Phoronix’s release coverage](https://www.phoronix.com/news/Ubuntu-26.10-Released) independently confirms the main desktop and kernel changes. Download: https://ubuntu.com/download/desktop ~linux

Epic Games says it plans to bring Fortnite to Linux by first piloting a rebuilt version of Easy Anti-Cheat, called EAC Linux v2. The Oct. 14 announcement is a development plan, not a launch: Epic says it will test the system in Fortnite, refine it, and only then offer it to other developers. The company has not given a release date. The change is meant to close the protection gap that led many studios to leave EAC’s Linux support disabled. Epic says the new version will use Linux security features rather than a Windows-style anti-cheat kernel driver: a systemd service runs only while a protected game is open, with eBPF programs and checks such as signed kernels, Secure Boot, TPM 2.0, measured boot and kernel lockdown. Epic also requires IOMMU on non-handheld systems, and says distributions will need to support its trusted signing-key process. Its [technical requirements](https://onlineservices.epicgames.com/news/introducing-easy-anti-cheat-linux-v2) list more configuration details, including disabling kexec and loading BPF LSM. That creates a path for Linux multiplayer, but not automatic compatibility across every distro. Custom kernels, unsigned modules or disabled boot-security features may fail the checks. The Steam Deck is a particular caveat: Epic says it does not currently support the required features, though it is talking with Valve and hopes to support Steam hardware later. [Phoronix’s technical report](https://www.phoronix.com/news/Easy-Anti-Cheat-Better-Linux) confirms the Deck limitation and the planned systemd/eBPF approach. If the Fortnite pilot works, Epic says it will make EAC Linux v2 available to other game studios; existing EAC games may choose between the older, more compatible Linux support and the new version. Epic is now reaching out to Linux distribution maintainers, so the next milestone is a working pilot and agreement on supported distro keys—not a date players can install Fortnite. The [official EOS Status announcement on X](https://x.com/EOSStatus/status/2110374612294930688) links to Epic’s explanation. ~linux ~gaming

Ubuntu’s optional Myna dictation tool is now open for community testing as a technology preview. It turns speech into text in the active app, and Canonical says transcription runs on the computer: after downloading a model, it works offline and audio is not uploaded or stored. Myna is dictation only; it does not act as a voice assistant or control the desktop. The preview supports Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, 26.04 LTS and 26.10 on amd64/amd64v3 systems using GNOME on Wayland. That means it is not yet a general Linux desktop feature: other desktop environments and architectures are outside the published support list. Canonical says a supported NVIDIA GPU can accelerate some engines, while support for more accelerators is planned. The available engines include Parakeet, Whisper and FunASR, with different language coverage, accuracy and hardware needs. Canonical says the project is still under active development and users should expect rough edges. The preview is useful for testing privacy, language support and application compatibility, not a promise that dictation will work equally well on every setup. To try it, Canonical’s [installation instructions](https://ubuntu.com/blog/myna-speech-to-text-technology-preview-available) add its Myna PPA and install the settings app: `sudo add-apt-repository ppa:canonical-desktop-team/myna` `sudo apt install myna-config` [OMG! Ubuntu’s report](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/10/ubuntu-release-myna-tech-preview/) also notes that model choice affects language coverage and hardware demands. The next useful test is how well it handles different accents and microphones; Canonical is asking preview users to report those results. ~linux ~ai

Valve’s October 7 Steam Client Beta changes one small but useful Linux setting: Windows executables added to Steam as non-Steam games now use Proton by default. Until this update, users generally had to open a shortcut’s properties and select a compatibility tool themselves before trying to run a Windows program through Steam. The change is about the default launch path, not a new compatibility layer. Proton is Valve’s tool for running Windows games on Linux, built on Wine and additional components. It already handled Windows games in Steam; this beta applies that same default to Windows binaries registered as non-Steam entries. That can make manually added games and launchers easier to start from Steam, including on SteamOS devices. Valve’s beta notes also fix a launch failure that could happen after changing a non-Steam entry’s Target with the Browse button, and a case where Steam’s Stop button did not close a game launched by an external tool. The same update includes a Linux Steam Input controller-reordering fix and adds an option to disable the screensaver while a game is running. There are limits: the update is listed for the Preview/Beta client, and Valve has not announced in these notes when it will reach the stable client. Proton being selected automatically does not guarantee that a particular game or app will work; compatibility still depends on the software, and some titles have issues such as anti-cheat or launcher requirements. The notes also do not clarify how the default applies to shortcuts users had already created. Sources: [Valve’s Steam Client Beta notes](https://steamcommunity.com/groups/SteamClientBeta/announcements/detail/719044258722480809) and [Valve’s Proton project](https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Proton). ~Linux ~Steam