#linux distributions 2020

[pattern-recognition]

alright lads it’s finally time; what distribution of linux should i use. i’ve been given a 2020 macbook air to experiment on to my heart’s content

[bjsmall]

Using Distrosea, I had a look at Rocky Linux 9.

Rocky Linux is a Linux distro designed for the VFX industry. It serves as a drop in replacement for Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

Rocky Linux website:

https://rockylinux.org/

Here is a example of an animation studio that uses the distribution.

DreamWorks' migrated their workstations and servers from Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 to Rocky Linux 9 in 2023 and completed the rollout the following year.

DreamWorks Animation website:

https://www.dreamworks.com/about

About RHEL:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux

About Rocky Linux:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Linux

Here are some reasons DreamWorks Animation moved from Red Hat Enterprise Linux:

- Red Hat dropped the CentOS Linux operating system in 2020. They ended support for version 7 in 2024. 

CentOS was an downstream version of Red Hats main operating system without its branding and support. Rocky Linux fills this void left by CentOS.

DreamWorks used CentOS alongside Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Both their Workstations and server set-ups were migrated to Rocky.

- Red Hat further restricted access to its source code in their Enterprise focused operating system.

- Rocky Linux has become a very popular open source operating system for the VFX industry and features many modern advancements and desktop environment choices such as GNOME, KDE, XFCE, MATE and Cinnamon.

- Like all Red Hat based builds of Linux, Rocky Linux uses the DNF (Dandified Yellow Dog Updater) extension to manage application installations via the Dnfdragora package manager. However it also uses the universal Flatpak extension to install applications from the GNOME software centre.

- DreamWorks animation pipeline uses their recently opened sourced Moon-Ray renderer, which is built on Rocky Linux. The source code is available on GitHub.

The tool supports Linux and Mac OS. Here is a link to the Open Moon Ray installation and compiling on Rocky:

https://docs.openmoonray.org/getting-started/installation/building-moonray/general_build/

It features a set of commands for installing various graphics libraries (for the render tool and Houdini, a character effects development tool), as well as toolsets which can be applied to programs such as Blender.

There are many YouTube videos about the open sourcing of Moon-Ray itself and some showcases of it working.

Rocky Linux is a downstream, complete binary-compatible release using the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) operating system source code.

Unlike RHEL, Rocky is completely free to use. It is released under the BSD 3-Clause license, which allows free use, modification, and distribution. 

There are no licensing or subscription fees associated. RHEL is a commercial product from Red Hat and requires a subscription license to use.

Rocky's selection of desktop environments can be installed independently in their own disk image file.

Each one can also be tested on a live USB before installation.

Users can also install their desktop environments of choice using the command line.

When running the system on a server (which is the common way of using Linux systems) it will just have the command line interface when a monitor is plugged in. 

Distrosea:

https://distrosea.com/

The latest build is Rocky Linux 10, released in June 2025. The version available to test on Distrosea is 9.

I tried GNOME, MATE, XFCE and KDE.

As this MATE desktop edition didn't come with either Dnfdragora or GNOME Software, I tried installing Blender (an open source animation tool) using the 'sudo dnf install blender' command in the terminal.

However, due to the graphics limitation of the VM, the program couldn't launch.

To install software graphically, you can use GNOME Software Centre that comes on GNOME. This can be used on other desktop environments as well.

A good Linux distribution if you are using graphics heavy applications and need a robust enterprise grade operating system without the cost!

Another Linux distro that is similar is Alma Linux, another enterprise focused operating system that uses the same foundations as CentOS.

[the-monkey-ruler]

Dota 2 (2013)

Date: July 9, 2013 Platform: Mac / PC / Linux Developer: Valve Corporation Publisher: Valve Corporation / Nexon Corporation / Perfect World Entertainment Genre: MOBA Theme: Fantasy Franchises: Dota Also known as: Defense of the Ancients 2 Type: Crossover

Summary:

Dota 2 is a free-to-play high fantasy action real-time strategy game developed and released digitally by Valve for the PC, Mac and Linux on July 9, 2013.

Built on the studio's Source engine, Dota 2 is the official sequel to Defense of the Ancients, a series of custom scenarios for the 2002 game Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos that originally popularized the "Multiplayer Online Battle Arena" sub-genre. Development of the game is led by the original mod's final lead designer, IceFrog.

Similar to the original mod, the main gameplay pits two five-player teams (the Radiant and the Dire) against each-other as they work to escort their three endless waves of AI-controlled monsters (or "creeps") to the fortified enemy base in order to destroy the enemy "Ancient". Each player controls an individual Hero character and, throughout the match, earn experience (to level up their stats and abilities) and gold (for purchasing items and equipment) by eliminating enemies.

Rather than using a weekly free-to-play character rotation system (similar to other MOBA games at the time, namely League of Legends), the game makes all characters playable from the start and features cosmetic microtransactions (such as alternate appearances for each Hero's armor and weapons, alternate announcers, and custom UI enhancements) using the Steam Inventory and Steam Market systems.

The game received numerous updates since its original release, adding new Heroes, game modes (including support for custom modes), and features while revising certain gameplay mechanics. New features include better support for both new players (with integrated community-made guide support, coaching, and improved training modes) and competitive players (with improved replay and spectator support), as well as VR headset support (for spectating and viewing cosmetics). It also received a reworked client update in June 2015 (named "Dota 2 Reborn" for a short time), porting the game to Valve's Source 2 engine (the first game released with it), and received a complete map revamp on April 2023.

Dota 2 originally received an invite-only beta in November 2011, during Gamescom 2011. It was formally launched July 9, 2013, but access was gated via a queue system until December 16, 2013. It was also distributed as a standalone game in some regions, with Perfect World publishing the game in China, and Nexon publishing the game in both Japan and South Korea. The game also received spin-offs, including the 2018 digital card game Artifact, the 2020 "auto-battler" game Dota Underlords, and the 2021 animated series Dota: Dragon's Blood.

Source: https://www.giantbomb.com/dota-2/3030-32887/

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqtkfCLjJz4&ab_channel=DotaCinema

[waspsinyouryard]

I had a dream where I installed Debian (as opposed to Linux Mint, which is the distribution I currently use) and somehow messed up the installation in a really weird way.

Somehow, parts of my computer got desynchronized from each other. There were parts of my PC that were Windows. Other parts were Mint. The latest Terraria update was 1.4.4.0 (as opposed to 1.4.4.9) but my Minecraft installation was in the future, when the "Winter Drop" came out. Firefox was already in December. Google Chrome reinstalled itself, and it was some time in 2020. Whenever I downloaded a file, I would frequently get two files, each from different points in the past and/or future.

Somehow, I became desynchronized too. Parts of my personality separated from each other and became spread out through time. My body desynchronized, too. At the end of my dream, I got into a major car accident. My hands and feet were immediately affected by the impact. Next was my torso. Then, after that, there were my arms, then my legs. Finally, after a whole 24 hours, my head was affected by the crash.

[yourtoobright]

cool dice [heart]

ok here i go!

Team Fortress 2 is a 2007 multiplayer first-person shooter game developed and published by Valve Corporation. It is the sequel to the 1996 Team Fortress mod for Quake and its 1999 remake, Team Fortress Classic. The game was released in October 2007 as part of The Orange Box for Windows and the Xbox 360, and ported to the PlayStation 3 in December 2007. It was released as a standalone game for Windows in April 2008, and updated to support Mac OS X in June 2010 and Linux in February 2013. It is distributed online through Valve's digital retailer Steam, with Electronic Arts managing retail and console editions.

Players join one of two teams—RED or BLU—and choose one of nine character classes to play as, with game modes including capture the flag and king of the hill. Development was led by John Cook and Robin Walker, the developers of the original Team Fortress mod. Team Fortress 2 was announced in 1998 under the name Team Fortress 2: Brotherhood of Arms. Initially, the game had more realistic, militaristic visuals and gameplay, but this changed over the protracted nine years of development. After Valve released no information for six years, Team Fortress 2 regularly featured in Wired News' annual vaporware list among other entries. Finally released on the Source game engine in 2007, Team Fortress 2 would preserve much of the core class-based gameplay of its predecessors while featuring an overhauled, cartoon-like visual style influenced by the works of J. C. Leyendecker, Dean Cornwell, and Norman Rockwell, alongside an increased focus on the visual and verbal characterization of its playable classes and what the developers have described as a 1960s spy movie aesthetic.

Team Fortress 2 has received critical acclaim for its art direction, gameplay, humor, and use of character in a wholly multiplayer game, and since its release has been referred to as one of the greatest video games ever created. The game continues to receive official Valve server support as of January 2023, in addition to new content being released on a seasonal basis in the form of submissions made through the Steam Workshop. In June 2011, the game became free-to-play, supported by microtransactions for in-game cosmetics. A 'drop system' was also added and refined, allowing free-to-play users to periodically receive in-game equipment and items. Though the game has had an unofficial competitive scene since its release, both support for official competitive play through ranked matchmaking and an overhauled casual experience were added in July 2016. Since early 2020, the official Valve servers have seen an influx of bot accounts using cheat software, often inhibiting legitimate gameplay.

Gameplay

A group of RED players attack a BLU base on the map "Well".

In most game modes, BLU and RED compete for a combat-based objective. Players can choose to play as one of nine character classes in these teams, each with their own unique strengths, weaknesses, and weapon sets. In order to accomplish objectives efficiently, a balance of these classes is required due to how these strengths and weaknesses interact with each other in a team-based environment. Although the abilities of a number of classes have changed from earlier Team Fortress incarnations, the basic elements of each class have remained, that being one primary weapon, one secondary weapon, and one melee weapon. The game was released with six official maps, although over one hundred maps have since been included in subsequent updates, including community-created maps. When players choose a gamemode for the first time, an introductory video is played, showing how to complete its objectives. During matches, the Administrator, voiced by Ellen McLain, announces events over loudspeakers. The player limit for one match is 16 on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and 24 on the Windows edition. However, in 2008, the Windows edition was updated to include a server variable that allows for up to 32 players.

Team Fortress 2 is the first of Valve's multiplayer games to provide detailed statistics for individual players, such as the total amount of time spent playing as each class, most points obtained, and most objectives completed in a single life. Persistent statistics tell the player how they are performing in relation to these statistics, such as if a player comes close to their record for the damage inflicted in a round. Team Fortress 2 also features numerous achievements for carrying out certain tasks, such as achieving a certain number of kills or completing a round within a certain time. Sets of class-specific achievements have been added in updates, which can award weapons to the player upon completion. This unlockable system has since been expanded into a random drop system, whereby players can also obtain items simply by playing the game.

Game modes

Core game modes

Team Fortress 2 contains five core game modes.

Attack/Defend (A/D) is a timed game mode in which the BLU team's goal is to capture RED control points. The number of control points varies between maps, and the points must be captured by the BLU team in respective order. To capture a control point, a player must stand on it for a certain amount of time. This process can be sped up by more players on one team capturing a single point. Once a control point is captured by the BLU team, it cannot be re-captured by the RED team. The RED team's job is to prevent the BLU team from capturing all the control points before the time limit ends. Once a point is captured, the time limit will extend.

Capture the Flag (CtF) is a mode which revolves around the BLU and RED teams attempting to steal and capture the opposing team's flag, represented in-game as an intelligence briefcase. At the same time, both teams must defend their own intelligence. When the intelligence is dropped by the carrier – either by dying or dropping it manually, it will stay on the ground for 1 minute before returning to its original location if it is not picked up again. A team's intelligence can only be carried by the opposing team. The first team to capture the enemy's intelligence three times wins.

Control Points (CP) is a timed game mode where there are several control points placed around the map, with 3 or 5 control points in total depending on the map. These are referred to as "3CP" and "5CP," respectively. The game will start off with only the middle control point being available for capture, with the other control points split equally among both teams. Once this middle control point is captured, a team can begin capturing the enemy team's points in respective order. The time limit is extended on the capture of a control point by either team. For a team to win, they must capture all the control points within the time limit.

King of the Hill (KOTH) is a timed game mode that contains a single control point at the middle of the map that can be captured by both the RED and BLU teams. Upon capturing the control point, a team-specific timer starts counting down but stops upon the point being captured by the opposing team. The first team to have their timer count down to 0 wins.

Payload (PL) is a timed game mode where the BLU team must push an explosive cart along a track, while the RED team must prevent the cart from reaching their base. To push the cart, at least one BLU player must stay within the range of the cart, which will dispense health and ammo every few seconds. The cart's speed will increase as more BLU players attempt to push it. Payload maps have multiple "checkpoints" along the track. Once these checkpoints are captured, they may adjust the spawn locations of both teams. Capturing a checkpoint will also increase the time limit. If the cart is not pushed by the BLU team for 20 seconds, it will begin to move back to the last captured checkpoint, where it will stop. The RED team can stop the cart from being pushed by being within range of it. The RED team wins by preventing the cart from reaching the final checkpoint before time runs out.

Alternative game modes

There are several alternative game modes in Team Fortress 2. These modes consist of a small number of maps and detach from the core game modes in some way.

Arena is a special game mode in which players do not respawn upon death. A team can win either by eliminating all opposing players, or by claiming a single capture point that opens after a certain time has elapsed. This mode is currently unavailable through matchmaking, but is still accessible through community servers.

Mannpower is a mode in which players have access to a grappling hook and assorted power-ups laid around the map that grant unique abilities. While not bound to any specific mode, all current official Mannpower maps use a variation of Capture the Flag. In Mannpower's variation of Capture the Flag, both teams have an intelligence flag, and the first team to capture the enemy's intelligence ten times wins. The mode is heavily inspired by the Quake mod, Threewave CTF, a mod created by former Valve employee David Kirsch.

Medieval Mode is a mode in which players are restricted to using melee and support weapons, with certain exceptions for medieval-themed projectile weapons. While not bound to any specific mode, the only official Medieval Mode map uses a 3CP variation of Attack/Defend. If Medieval Mode is enabled on a map, select phrases spoken by players in the in-game text chat will be replaced with more thematic variants, such as "hello" being replaced with "well meteth".

PASS Time is a unique timed game mode inspired by rugby, developed by Valve, Bad Robot Interactive, and Escalation Studios. Three unique goals (the Run-In, Throw-In, and Bonus Goals) are placed on each team's side of the map. A single ball called the JACK will spawn at the center of the map, and players must pick it up and carry it to the opposing team's side. Players can score a goal by either carrying the JACK to a Run-In Goal or by throwing the JACK through the Throw-In Goal. Three goals can be scored by throwing the JACK through the Bonus Goal, which is much more difficult to score. To win, a team must either score five goals, or have the most goals when the timer runs out.

Payload Race, like Payload, has the main objective being to push a cart to a final checkpoint. Unlike Payload, both the RED and BLU teams are fighting to push their cart to the final checkpoint. There is only one checkpoint for each track, and there is no time limit. The team to reach their checkpoint first wins.

Player Destruction is a community-made game mode in which a player's death causes a pickup to appear. The first team to collect a set number of pickups and deliver them to a drop-off point wins the game. The players on each team with the most pickups are highlighted for everyone to see, and gain a passive healing effect for themselves and any nearby teammates.

Special Delivery is a mode similar to Capture the Flag, but there is only one neutral briefcase that can be picked up both the RED and BLU teams. Upon a team picking up the briefcase, the opposing team will be unable to pick up the briefcase until it has been dropped for 45 seconds and respawns as a neutral briefcase. A team wins by carrying the briefcase onto a loading platform, which will gradually rise until the platform reaches its peak.

Territorial Control consists of several control points spread out across a single map. Like Control Points, each point can be captured by either the RED or BLU teams. Unlike Control Points, only two points are accessible at a single time. Upon a team's successful capture of a point, the "stage" ends and the accessible capture points change. When a team only has control of a single control point, they are blocked from capturing the opposing team's control point and the team must wait until the time limit is up and the accessible capture points change. A team wins by capturing all the control points.

Other game modes

These modes are not categorized with the other modes, and instead have their own separate sections in the game.

Halloween Mode is a special mode that is enabled during the Halloween season, and allows the players access to more than 20 maps, Halloween-exclusive cosmetics, and challenges. For example, Halloween 2012 included a difficult Mann vs. Machine mission involving destroying more than 800 enemy forces. Owing to popular demand of the Halloween events, Valve later added the Full Moon event, an event that triggers around every full moon phase throughout the year, which allows players to equip Halloween-exclusive cosmetics. In 2013, Valve introduced an item called Eternaween, and upon use, allows players of a specific server to use Halloween-exclusive cosmetics for 2 hours.

Mann vs Machine, also known as MvM, is a cooperative game mode where players must defend their base from waves of robots modeled after all nine playable classes, and slow-moving tanks carrying bombs. Robots and tanks drop a currency referred to as Credits upon their death, which players can use to buy upgrades for themselves or their weapons. The players win upon successfully defending their base from the bomb until the last wave. A paid version of this game mode called "Mann Up" is also available, where players buy tickets to play "Tours of Duty", a collection of missions with the chance to win unique cosmetics and weapon skins upon completion.

Offline Practice Mode is just like any other multiplayer match, but it only consists of the player and bots. The number of bots, their difficulty, and the map can all be adjusted to a player's preference, though only a select amount of maps are available to play.

Training Mode exists to help new players get acquainted with basic controls, and teaches them the basics of four of the nine classes. It uses wooden dummies and bots to teach players the basic mechanics of classes and the game.

Competitive play

Team Fortress 2 is played competitively, through multiple leagues. The North American league, ESEA, supports a paid Team Fortress 2 league, with $42,000 in prizes for the top teams in 2017. While formalized competitive gameplay is very different from normal Team Fortress 2, it offers an environment with a much higher level of teamwork than in public servers. Most teams use voice chat to communicate, and use a combination of strategy, communication, and mechanical skill to win against other teams. Community-run competitive leagues also tend to feature restrictions such as item bans and class limits. These leagues are often supported by Valve via in-game medals (which are submitted via the Steam Workshop) and announcements on the official blog.

In April 2015, Valve announced that a dedicated competitive mode would be added to Team Fortress 2, utilizing skill-based matchmaking; closed beta testing began in the following year. The competitive mode was added in the "Meet Your Match" update, released on July 7, 2016. Ranked matches are played six-vs-six, with players ranked in thirteen tiers based on win/losses and an assessment of their skills. Ranked matchmaking will balance players based on their tiers and rating. A similar matchmaking approach has been added for casual games for matches of 12-vs-12 players. In order to join competitive matchmaking, players must have associated their Steam account with the Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator, as well as having a Team Fortress 2 "premium account", which is unlocked by either having bought the game before it went free-to-play or by having made an in-game item purchase since.

Formats

Team Fortress 2 is played in a variety of different formats, which dictate the maximum size and composition of a team and can drastically change the impact of a single player's gameplay or choice of class. The two most basic formats consist of 12v12 and 6v6 ("Sixes"), the two being used on official Valve servers for casual and competitive modes respectively with no additional limitations. Most competitive leagues host Sixes but include limits on certain classes and weapons to preserve traditional, skill-based playstyles, for example limiting the allowed amount of medics or demomen to one on either team or banning certain movement-enhancing weapons from use. Other popular formats include "Highlander", a 9v9 format with a limit of one player per each of the nine classes, as well as a Sixes-inspired 7v7 variant thereof known as "Prolander" to allow for strategically switching classes during a competitive game.

Characters and setting

From left to right: Pyro, Engineer, Spy, Heavy, Sniper, Scout, Soldier, Demoman, and Medic

Team Fortress 2 features nine playable classes, evenly split and categorized into "Offense", "Defense", and "Support". Each class has strengths and weaknesses and must work with other classes to be efficient, encouraging strategy and teamwork. Each class has at least three default weapons: a primary weapon, secondary weapon, and melee weapon. Some classes have additional slots for PDAs.

Offense

The Scout (Nathan Vetterlein) is an American baseball fan and street runner from Boston, Massachusetts who practiced running to "beat his mad dog siblings to the fray." He is a fast, agile character, who is armed by default with a scattergun, a pistol, and an aluminum baseball bat. The Scout can double jump, and counts as two people when capturing control points, thus doubling the capture speed, and when pushing the Payload cart.

The Soldier (Rick May) is an American jingoistic patriot from the Midwest who stylizes himself as a military man despite having never served in any branch of the Armed Forces. The Soldier is armed by default with a rocket launcher, a shotgun, and a folding shovel. He is both the second-slowest class in the game and the class with the second-highest health, after the Heavy Weapons Guy. The Soldier can use his rocket launcher to rocket jump to other locations at the cost of some health.

The Pyro (Dennis Bateman) is a pyromaniac of unknown gender and origin who wears a fire-retardant suit and a voice-muffling gas mask. By default, the Pyro is armed with a flamethrower, a shotgun, and a fire axe. In addition to simply flames, the Pyro's flamethrower can also produce a blast of compressed air that repels any nearby enemies and projectiles, and extinguishes burning teammates. The Pyro is deluded and believes they are living in a utopian fantasy world referred to as "Pyroland".

Defense

The Demoman (Gary Schwartz) is a Black Scottish, one-eyed, alcoholic demolitions expert from Ullapool, Scotland. Armed by default with a timed-fuse grenade launcher, a remotely-detonated "stickybomb" launcher, and a glass bottle of scrumpy, the Demoman can use his explosives to provide indirect fire and set traps. Similar to the Soldier's rocket jump, the Demoman can use his stickybomb launcher to "sticky jump" at the cost of some health.

The Heavy Weapons Guy, or simply the Heavy (Gary Schwartz), is a large Russian man from the Dzhugdzhur Mountains of the USSR. He is heavy in stature and accent, and is obsessed with firepower. He is the slowest class, and can both sustain and deal substantial amounts of damage. His default weapons consist of a minigun that he affectionately refers to as "Sasha", a shotgun, and his fists.

The Engineer (Grant Goodeve) is an American inventor, engineer, intellectual, and "good ol' boy" from Bee Cave, Texas. The Engineer can build structures to support his team: a sentry gun for defending key points, a health and ammunition dispenser, and a pair of teleporter modules (one entrance and one exit). The Engineer is armed by default with a shotgun, a pistol, a wrench that functions as both a melee weapon and to repair and upgrade his buildings, and two separate PDAs; one to erect his buildings and one to remotely destroy them.

Support

The Medic (Robin Atkin Downes) is a German doctor from Stuttgart with little regard for the Hippocratic Oath. He is equipped with a "Medi Gun" that can restore health to injured teammates. When healing teammates, the Medi Gun progressively builds an "ÜberCharge" meter, which, when fully charged, can be activated to provide the Medic and his patient with temporary invulnerability. The Medic is also equipped with a syringe gun and a bonesaw for situations in which he must fight without his teammates' protection. He keeps doves as pets, one of which is named Archimedes.

The Sniper (John Patrick Lowrie) is an ocker assassin born in New Zealand and raised in the Australian outback, equipped by default with a laser-sighted sniper rifle to shoot enemies from afar. Depending on how the player aims and fires, he can cause severe damage or an instant kill with a headshot. By default, he also carries a submachine gun and a kukri for close combat.

The Spy (Dennis Bateman) is a French covert operative whose equipment is designed for stealth and infiltration, including a cloaking device disguised as a wristwatch, an electronic sapper used to disable and destroy enemy Engineers' buildings, and a device hidden in his cigarette case that enables him to disguise himself as any player on either team. He is armed with a revolver and a butterfly knife, able to use the latter to instantly kill enemies by stabbing them in the back. He is the only character who does not wear any clothing in his team's bright color or a patch denoting his specialty, instead preferring a balaclava, business suit, necktie, and gloves in muted team-color hues. In the extended media it is revealed that the Spy is the father of the Scout.

Non-playable characters

Other characters include the Administrator (voiced by Ellen McLain), an unseen announcer who provides information about time limits and objectives to players, and her assistant Miss Pauling (Ashly Burch). The cast has expanded with Halloween updates, including the characters of the "Horseless Headless Horsemann" and Monoculus (Gary Schwartz). 2012 and 2013 saw the addition of Merasmus, the Bombinomicon, and Redmond, Blutarch, Zepheniah, and Gray Mann (the first three all played by Nolan North). Previous unused voicelines recorded by North were later used for Horseless Headless Horsemann seen in the 2019 map "Laughter" and a jack-o'-lantern resting atop the Payload cart in the 2020 map "Bloodwater". The character Davy Jones (voiced by Calvin Kipperman) made an appearance in the 2018 map "Cursed Cove".

In the video announcement for the "Jungle Inferno" update, Mann Co. CEO Saxton Hale, a hypermasculine Australian adventurer, is voiced by JB Blanc.

Setting

Logo and motto of the fictional Mann Co.

Although Team Fortress 2 is designed as an open-ended multiplayer experience without an active storyline, the game and additional material nonetheless feature a wider narrative centered around the fictional Mann Co., a large shipping and manufacturing company led by CEO Saxton Hale. The main PvP gamemodes are set during the "Gravel Wars", a conflict between the rival heirs Redmond "Red" and Blutarch "Blu" Mann for which the nine playable characters were hired out as mercenaries. Gray Mann later emerges as the third competitor, killing the other two brothers and forcing Hale to rehire the mercenaries to protect Mann Co. from Gray's robot army in the Mann vs Machine cooperative horde shooter mode.

Development

Origins

The original Team Fortress was developed by the Australian team TF Software, comprising Robin Walker and John Cook, as a free mod for the 1996 PC game Quake. In 1998, Walker and Cook were employed by Valve, which had just released its first game, Half-Life. Valve began developing Team Fortress 2 as an expansion pack for Half-Life using Valve's GoldSrc engine, and gave a release date for the end of the year. In 1999, Valve released Team Fortress Classic, a port of the original Team Fortress, as a free Half-Life mod. Team Fortress Classic was developed using the publicly available Half-Life software development kit as an example to the community and industry of its flexibility. Team Fortress 2 originally featured a realistic visual style.

Unlike Team Fortress, Valve originally planned Team Fortress 2 to have a modern war aesthetic. It would feature innovations including a command hierarchy with a Commander class, parachute drops over enemy territory, and networked voice communication. The Commander class played similarly to a real-time strategy game, with the player viewing the game from a bird's-eye perspective and issuing orders to players and AI-controlled soldiers.

Team Fortress 2 was first shown at E3 1999 as Team Fortress 2 Brotherhood of Arms, where Valve showcased new technologies including parametric animation, which blended animations for smoother, more lifelike movement, and Intel's multi-resolution mesh technology, which dynamically reduced the detail of distant on-screen elements to improve performance. The game earned several awards including Best Online Game and Best Action Game.

In mid-2000, Valve announced that Team Fortress 2 had been delayed for a second time. They attributed the delay to development switching to its new in-house engine, Source. Following the announcement, Valve released no news on the game for six years. Walker and Cook worked on various other Valve projects; Walker was project lead on Half-Life 2: Episode One and Cook worked on Valve's content distribution platform Steam. Team Fortress 2 became a prominent example of vaporware, a long-anticipated game that had seen years of development, and was often mentioned alongside another much-delayed game, Duke Nukem Forever. Walker said that Valve built three or four different versions of Team Fortress 2 before settling on their final design. Shortly before the release of Half-Life 2 in 2004, Valve's marketing director Doug Lombardi confirmed that Team Fortress 2 was still in development.

Final design and release

Valve reintroduced Team Fortress 2 at the July 2006 EA Summer Showcase event. Departing from the realistic visual design of other Valve games, Team Fortress 2 features a cartoon-like visual style influenced by 20th-century commercial illustrations and the artwork of J. C. Leyendecker, Dean Cornwell, and Norman Rockwell, achieved through Gooch shading. The game debuted with the Source engine's new dynamic lighting, shadowing and soft particle technologies alongside Half-Life 2: Episode Two. It was the first game to implement the Source engine's new Facial Animation 3 features.

Valve abandoned the realistic style when it became impossible to reconcile it with the unrealistic gameplay, with opposing armies having constructed elaborate bases directly next to each other. The Commander class was abandoned as other players would simply refuse to follow their orders.

Valve designed each character, team, and equipped weapon to be visually distinct, even at range; for example, the coloring draws attention to the chest area, bringing focus on the equipped weapon. The voices for each of the classes were based on imagining what people from the 1960s would expect the classes to have sounded like, according to writer Chet Faliszek.

The map design has an "evil genius" theme with archetypical spy fortresses, concealed within inconspicuous buildings such as industrial warehouses and farms to give plausibility to their close proximities; these bases are usually separated by a neutrally themed space. The bases hide exaggerated super weapons such as laser cannons, nuclear warheads, and missile launch facilities, taking the role of objectives. The maps have little visual clutter and stylized, almost impressionistic modeling, to allow enemies to be spotted more easily. The impressionistic design approach also affects textures, which are based on photos that are filtered and improved by hand, giving them a tactile quality and giving Team Fortress 2 its distinct look. The bases are designed to let players immediately know where they are. RED bases use warm colors, natural materials, and angular shapes, while BLU bases use cool colors, industrial materials, and orthogonal shapes.

During the July 2006 Electronic Arts press conference, Valve revealed that Team Fortress 2 would ship as the multiplayer component of The Orange Box. A conference trailer showcasing all nine of the classes demonstrated for the first time the game's whimsical new visual style. Valve's president, Gabe Newell, said that the team's goal was to create "the best-looking and best-playing class-based multiplayer game". A beta release of the entire game was made on Steam on September 17, 2007, for customers who had pre-purchased The Orange Box, who had activated their Black Box coupon, which was included with the ATI HD 2900XT Graphics cards, and for members of Valve's Cyber Café Program.

Team Fortress 2 was released on October 10, 2007, both as a standalone product via Steam and at retail stores as part of The Orange Box compilation pack, priced at each gaming platform's recommended retail price. The Orange Box also contains Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode One, Half-Life 2: Episode Two, and Portal. Valve offered The Orange Box at a ten percent discount for those who pre-purchased it via Steam before the October 10 release, as well as the opportunity to participate in the beta test.

Post-release

Since the release of Team Fortress 2, Valve has continually released free updates and patches through Steam for Windows, OS X, and Linux users; though most patches are used for improving the reliability of the software or to tweak gameplay changes, several patches have been used to introduce new features and gameplay modes, and are often associated with marketing materials such as comics or videos offered on the Team Fortress 2 website; this blog is also used to keep players up to date with the ongoing developments in Team Fortress 2. As of July 2012, each class has been given a dedicated patch that provides new weapons, items, and other gameplay changes; these class patches typically included the release of the class's "Meet the Team" video. Other major patches have included new gameplay modes including the Payload, Payload Race, Training, Highlander, Medieval, and Mann vs. Machine modes. Themed patches have also been released, such as a yearly Halloween-themed event called "Scream Fortress", where players may obtain unique items available only during a set period around the holiday. Other new features have given players the ability to craft items within the game from other items, trade items with other players, purchase in-game items through funds in Steam, and save and edit replay videos that can be posted to YouTube.

Valve has released tools to allow users to create maps, weapons, and cosmetic items through a contribution site; the most popular are added as official content for the game. This approach has subsequently created the basis for the Steam Workshop functionality of the software client. In one case, more than fifty users from the content-creation community worked with Valve to release an official content update in May 2013, with all of the content generated by these players. Valve reported that as of June 2013, over $10 million has been paid back to over 400 community members that have helped to contribute content to the game, including a total of $250,000 for the participants in the May 2013 patch. To help promote community-made features, Valve has released limited-time events, such as the "Gun Mettle" or "Invasion" events in the second half of 2015, also including the "Tough Break" update in December 2015, in which players can spend a small amount of money which is paid back to the community developers for the ability to gain unique items offered while playing on community-made maps during the event.

Development of the new content had been confirmed for the Xbox 360, while development for the PlayStation 3 was deemed "uncertain" by Valve. However, the PlayStation 3 version of Team Fortress 2 received an update that repaired some of the issues found within the game, ranging from graphical issues to online connectivity problems; this update was included in a patch that also repaired issues found in the other games within The Orange Box. The updates released on PC and planned for later release on Xbox 360 include new official maps and game modes, as well as tweaks to classes and new weapons that can be unlocked through the game's achievement system. The developers attempted to negotiate with Xbox 360 developer Microsoft to keep the Xbox 360 releases of these updates free, but Microsoft refused and Valve announced that they would release bundles of several updates together to justify the price. Because of the cost of patching during the seventh generation of video game consoles, Valve has been unable to provide additional patches to the Xbox 360 version since 2009, effectively cancelling development of the console versions. On March 29, 2023, the servers for the PlayStation 3 version of Team Fortress 2 went offline.

On June 10, 2010, Team Fortress 2 was released for OS X, shortly after the release of Steam for OS X. The release was teased by way of an image similar to early iPod advertising, showing a dark silhouette of the Heavy on a bright green background, his Sandvich highlighted in his hand. Virtual earbuds, which can be worn when playing on either OS X or Windows once acquired, were given to players playing the game on OS X before June 14, though the giveaway period was later extended to August 16.

On November 6, 2012, Valve announced the release of Team Fortress 2 for Linux as part of a restricted beta launch of Steam on the platform. This initial release of Steam and Team Fortress 2 was targeted at Ubuntu with support for other distributions planned for the future. Later, on December 20, 2012, Valve opened up access to the beta, including Team Fortress 2, to all Steam users without the need to wait for an invitation. On February 14, 2013, Valve announced the full release of Team Fortress 2 for Linux. From then to March 1, anyone who played the game on Linux would receive a free Tux penguin, which can be equipped in-game.

Team Fortress 2 was announced in March 2013 to be the first game to officially support the Oculus Rift, a consumer-grade virtual reality headset. A patch will be made to the client to include a "VR Mode" that can be used with the headset on any public server.

In April 2020, source code for 2018 versions Team Fortress 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive leaked online. This created fears that malicious users would use the code to make remote code execution software and attack servers or players' computers. Several fan projects halted development until the impact of the leak could be determined. Valve confirmed the legitimacy of the code leaks, but stated they do not believe it affects servers and clients running the latest official builds of either game.

On May 1, 2020, shortly following the death of the voice actor of the Soldier, Rick May, Valve released an update to Team Fortress 2, adding a tribute to his voicework as the Soldier in the form of a new main menu theme (a rendition of Taps), as well as statues of the Soldier saluting, added to most of the official in-game maps. These statues all featured a commemorative plaque dedicated to May and lasted through the end of the month. One of these statues, appearing on the map "cp_granary", the setting of the "Meet the Soldier" short video, was made permanent in an August 21 update.

Free-to-play

On June 23, 2011, Valve announced that Team Fortress 2 would become free to play. Unique equipment including weapons and outfits would be available as microtransactions through the in-game store, tied through Steam. Walker stated that Valve would continue to provide new features and items free. Walker stated that Valve had learned that the more players Team Fortress 2 had, the more value it had for each player.

The move came a week after Valve introduced several third-party free-to-play games to Steam and stated they were working on a new free-to-play game. Within nine months of becoming free to play, Valve reported that revenue from Team Fortress 2 had increased by a factor of twelve.

Bot accounts and "#SaveTF2"

Since early 2020, Team Fortress 2 has endured large amounts of bot accounts entering Valve casual matchmaking servers. Though bot accounts had been an issue in Team Fortress 2 for some time prior to this, multiple sources began to report a spike in activity for these bot accounts. The activities of these bots have included forcibly crashing servers, spamming copypastas in the text chats of matches, assuming other players' usernames, and the usage of aimbots. Additionally, some bots were programmed taking advantage of a TF2 source code leak that Valve had confirmed in April 2020. A common bot that exploited this leak used the Sniper class, allowing them to exploit the "headshot" mechanic to instantly kill enemy players from across the map regardless of direction they were aiming.

On June 16, 2020, Valve responded to this by restricting accounts that have not paid for Mann Co. Store items or purchased Team Fortress 2 prior to the game becoming free-to-play from the use of both voice and text chat in game. On June 24, all players were restricted from changing their Steam username while connected to any Valve matchmaking server or any server with display name updates disabled.The change was implemented to prevent bots from changing their display name to impersonate legitimate players, which allowed the bots to avoid being kicked due to the confusion caused by their duplicate name. On voting, changes were also introduced to prevent bots from spamming this functionality in an attempt to prevent real players from using kicking bots.

Approximately one year later, on June 22, 2021, additional changes were implemented to discourage bot activity. Another YouTuber, Toofty, posted a video that provided input from several of those that were behind the bot problem; reasons given ranged from grieving against Valve developers to simply finding the disruption fun to watch. These are issues normally dealt with by a game's developer but Valve's lack of response allowed their activities to go unchecked for two years.

These issues remained ongoing as of May 2022, prompting YouTuber SquimJim to uploaded a video to his YouTube channel encouraging his viewers to express their grievances to Valve and news outlets through letters. After receiving over a hundred news tips, IGN journalist Rebekah Valentine wrote of her experience with trying to play the game. She remarked that the game was "literally unplayable" on official Valve servers, forcing many players to join unofficial community servers instead. She also said that some bots would "...spam chat with homophobic or racist remarks, outside links, or just plain rude or obnoxious messages". In response to these issues, Robin Atkin Downes, voice actor for the Medic, also reached out to his contacts at Valve for a response, and encouraged fans to continue making their voices heard in a "peaceful, passionate manner".

On May 26, 2022, members of the TF2 community held a "peaceful protest" on Twitter using the hashtag #savetf2 with the goal of getting a response from Valve regarding the issues. With the hashtag trending on Twitter, Valve responded, saying "TF2 community, we hear you! We love this game and know you do, too. We see how large this issue has become and are working to improve things."

Across June and July 2022, Valve released a number of patches to help players deal with the bot issue, such as improving the game's vote kicking system so that both teams can vote to kick players accused of abusive behavior at the same time. Valve took down the servers for five minutes in August 2022, during which a number of bans were issued via Valve Anti-Cheat to players that were known to be running these bots, effectively ending the problem. Valve's efforts helped to increase the player count in the months that followed.

On February 9, 2023, a blog post was shared on the official website, saying that a new "update-sized" update was coming to the game. The update will be released sometime around summer and will use community-made content submitted before May 1st. However, shortly after the post was made, Valve silently changed the message to say "holiday-sized update" instead. The update was released on July 13, 2023.

Tie-in materials

Beginning in May 2007, to promote the game, Valve began a ten-video advertisement series referred to as "Meet the Team". Constructed using Source Filmmaker and using more detailed character models, the series consists of short videos introducing each class and displaying their personalities and abilities. The videos are usually interspersed with simulated gameplay footage. The format of the videos varies greatly; the first installment, "Meet the Heavy", depicts him being interviewed, while "Meet the Soldier" shows the Soldier giving a misinformed lecture on Sun Tzu to a row of severed BLU heads as if they were raw recruits. He claims Sun Tzu "invented" fighting, then further confuses this claim with the story of Noah and his Ark. The videos were generally released through Valve's official YouTube channels, though in one notable exception, the "Meet the Spy" video was leaked onto YouTube, several days before its intended release.

Early "Meet the Team" videos were based on the audition scripts used for the voice actors for each of the classes; the "Meet the Heavy" script is nearly word-for-word a copy of the Heavy's script. Later videos, such as "Meet the Sniper", contain more original material. The videos have been used by Valve to help improve the technology for the game, specifically improving the facial animations, as well as a source of new gameplay elements, such as the Heavy's "Sandvich" or the Sniper's "Jarate". The final video in the Meet the Team series, "Meet the Pyro", was released on June 27, 2012. Gabe Newell has stated that Valve used the "Meet the Team" series as a means of exploring the possibilities of making feature film movies themselves. He believes that only game developers themselves have the ability to bring the interesting parts of a game to a film, and suggested that this would be the only manner through which a Half-Life-based movie would be made. A fifteen-minute short, "Expiration Date", was released on June 17, 2014. The shorts were made using Source Filmmaker, which was officially released and has been in open beta as of July 11, 2012.

In more recent major updates to the game, Valve has presented teaser images and online comic books that expand the fictional continuity and characters of Team Fortress 2, as part of the expansion of the "cross-media property", according to Newell. In August 2009, Valve brought aboard American comic writer Michael Avon Oeming to teach Valve "about what it means to have a character and do character development in a comic format, how you do storytelling". "Loose Canon", a comic associated with the Engineer Update, establishes the history of RED versus BLU as a result of the last will and testament of Zepheniah Mann in 1890, forcing his two bickering sons Blutarch and Redmond to vie for control of Zepheniah's lands between them; both have engineered ways of maintaining their mortality to the present, waiting to outlast the other while employing separate forces to try to wrest control of the land. This and other comics also establish other background characters such as Saxton Hale, the CEO of Mann Co., the company that provides the weapons for the two sides and was bequeathed to one of Hale's ancestors by Zepheniah, and the Administrator, the game's announcer, that watches over, encourages the RED/BLU conflict, and keeps each side from winning. The collected comics were published by Dark Horse Comics in Valve Presents: The Sacrifice and Other Steam-Powered Stories, a volume along with other comics created by Valve for Portal 2 and Left 4 Dead, and released in November 2011. Cumulative details in updates both in-game and on Valve's sites from 2010 through 2012 were part of a larger alternate reality game preceding the reveal of the Mann vs. Machine mode, which was revealed as a co-op mode on August 15, 2012.

Marketing and microtransactions

Valve had provided other promotions to draw players into the game. Valve has held weekends of free play for Team Fortress 2 before the game was made free-to-play. Through various updates, hats and accessories can be worn by any of the classes, giving players an ability to customize the look of their character, and extremely rare hats named "Unusuals" have particle effects attached to it and are only obtainable through opening "crates" or trading with other players. New weapons were added in updates to allow the player to choose a loadout and play style that best suits them.

Hats and weapons can be gained as a random drop, through the crafting/trading systems, or via cross-promotion: Limited-edition hats and weapons have been awarded for pre-ordering or gaining Achievements in other content from Steam, both from Valve or other third-party games such as Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse, Worms Reloaded, Killing Floor, or Poker Night at the Inventory (which features the Heavy class as a character). According to Robin Walker, Valve introduced these additional hats as an indirect means for players to show status within the game or their affiliation with another game series simply by visual appearance.

The Pyro, Heavy, and Spy all function as a single playable character in the PC release of Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. The Pyro, Medic, Engineer, and Heavy appear as playable characters in Dungeon of the Endless. The Pyro was added as a playable character to Killing Floor in 2010, along with appearing as a henchman in the 2021 game Evil Genius 2.

The game's first television commercial premiered during the first episode of the fifth season of The Venture Bros. in June 2013, featuring in-game accessories that were created with the help of Adult Swim.

Items and economy

In Team Fortress 2, players can trade with others for items such as weapons and cosmetics. This functionality was added in the 2010 Mann-Conomy Update, alongside being able to purchase items through an in-game store with real money. Operating largely through informal gray markets before the introduction of the official Steam Community Market, trading items made players susceptible to fraud.

Team Fortress 2 features an in-built item valuing system known as an item quality, assigned to a given instance of an item through a variety of different means and ranging from "Normal" items used as the stock weapons of each class, to "Unique" items used as the base obtainable items from the item drop or achievement systems, to far rarer qualities such as "Strange", "Unusual" or "Decorated" which feature special cosmetic effects that can immensely increase the market value of a given item; Strange items keep track of kills or other objectives achieved while equipped in-game while Unusual items feature item-specific particle effects, with both Strange and Unusual items being obtainable through rare crafting items or randomly obtained in place of the far more common Unique items. Decorated items are instead redeemed from rare items known as "war paints", awarding the player a weapon retextured with a pseudo-random cosmetic skin. Other qualities include "Vintage", awarded to older items to compensate for changes in obtainability, and "Collector's", created through combining 200 Unique instances of a single item.

Cosmetics and war paints are typically released through seasonal "cases" that award a random item from an associated collection unique to the given season of a specific year. Such items are additionally assigned a "grade" from "Civilian" to "Mercenary" to track their relative rarity within a collection.

Third-party websites such as the crowd-sourced backpack.tf have been created to aid users in trading, as well as track the value of in-game items. Crate keys, crafting metal, and in-game items such as an "earbuds" cosmetic (also referred to as "buds") are all used as currency due to their value.

The economy of Team Fortress 2 has received significant attention from economists, journalists, and users, due to its relative sophistication and the value of many of its in-game items. It has often been the subject of study. It operates on a system of supply and demand, barter, and scarcity value, akin to many real-world economies such as that of the United States. In 2011, it was reported that the economy of Team Fortress 2 was worth over US$50 million.

2019 Crate bug

On July 25, 2019, a bug was mistakenly included in an update - if players unboxed certain older series of Crates, they would be guaranteed to receive an Unusual-grade cosmetic item, compared to the usual 1% chance of obtaining an Unusual-grade cosmetic item from a Crate. This damaged the in-game economy, causing Unusual-grade cosmetic items able to be unboxed from these Crates to drop substantially in value. The incident has been nicknamed "The Crate Depression" (a pun on "Crate" and "The Great Depression") by fans. On July 26, 2019, this bug was fixed. Users who received any Unusual-grade cosmetic items from the bug were restricted from trading them, with Valve later announcing in an official statement on August 2, 2019 that the first Unusual-grade item any player received from the bug is tradable, with any subsequent Unusual-grade items being permanently untradeable and only usable by the player who received them.

Reception and legacy

See also: Critical reception of The Orange Box

Best Action Game (1999)

Best Online Multiplayer (1999)

IGN

Best Artistic Design (2007)

1UP.com

Best Multiplayer Experience (2007)

Best Artistic Direction (2007)

GameSpy

Best Multiplayer Game of the Year (2007)

Most Unique Art Style (2007)

Team Fortress 2 received widespread critical acclaim, with overall scores of 92/100 "universal acclaim" on Metacritic. Many reviewers praised the cartoon-styled graphics, and the resulting light-hearted gameplay, and the use of distinct personalities and appearances for the classes impressed a number of critics, with PC Gamer UK stating that "until now multiplayer games just haven't had it". Similarly, the game modes were received well, GamePro described the settings as focusing "on just simple fun", while several reviewers praised Valve for the map "Hydro" and its attempts to create a game mode with variety in each map. Additional praise was bestowed on the game's level design, game balance and teamwork promotion. Team Fortress 2 has received several awards individually for its multiplayer gameplay and its graphical style, as well as having received a number of "game of the year" awards as part of The Orange Box.

Although Team Fortress 2 was well received, its removal of class-specific grenades, a feature of previous Team Fortress incarnations, was controversial amongst reviewers. IGN expressed some disappointment over this, while conversely, PC Gamer UK approved, stating "grenades have been removed entirely—thank God". Some further criticism came over a variety of issues, such as the lack of extra content such as bots (although Valve has since added bots in an update), problems of players finding their way around maps due to the lack of a minimap, and some criticism of the Medic class being too passive and repetitive in his nature. The Medic class has since been re-tooled by Valve, giving it new unlockable weapons and abilities.

With the "Gold Rush Update" in April 2008, Valve had started to add fundamentals of character customization through unlockable weapons for each class, which continued in subsequent updates, most notably the "Sniper vs. Spy Update" in April 2009, which introduced unlockable cosmetic items into the game. Further updates expanded the number of weapons and cosmetics available, but also introduced monetization options, eventually allowing it to go free-to-play. To this end, Team Fortress 2 is considered one of the first games to offer games as a service, a feature which would become more prevalent in the 2010s.

Fans of Team Fortress Classic have made a total conversion mod of Team Fortress 2 titled Team Fortress 2 Classic, which seeks to marry gameplay elements and concepts from both entries alongside scrapped ideas from the sequel's development cycle and several entirely original additions.

[qcsdclabs]

Red Hat Enterprise Linux

Red Hat Linux was one of the most popular Linux distributions (distros) for both servers and desktops before it was discontinued. It played a key role in the development of Linux as a mainstream operating system. Here's a breakdown of Red Hat Linux and its modern successor:

1. Red Hat Linux (1994–2004):

Initial Release: Red Hat Linux was first released in 1994 by Red Hat, Inc., founded by Marc Ewing and Bob Young. It became one of the most widely used distributions, known for its stability and reliability, which made it popular in enterprise environments.

Package Management: It used the Red Hat Package Manager (RPM) format for installing and managing software, which became one of the most common package management systems in the Linux world.

Discontinuation: Red Hat discontinued Red Hat Linux in 2004, transitioning to a more enterprise-focused distribution—Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).

2. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL):

Enterprise-Focused: RHEL was launched to focus on businesses and large organizations. It is a paid, subscription-based Linux distribution that offers long-term support, regular security updates, and extensive hardware certification.

Key Features:

Stability: RHEL is designed for mission-critical environments, ensuring a stable platform for servers, databases, and applications.

Security: Features like SELinux (Security-Enhanced Linux) provide an additional layer of security for enterprise environments.

Long-Term Support: Each major version of RHEL is supported for around 10 years (with 5 years of full support and 5 years of maintenance support).

Software Repositories: RHEL includes official repositories containing enterprise-grade software and has commercial support from Red Hat.

RHEL vs. Fedora vs. CentOS:

Fedora: This is the upstream, community-driven version that serves as a testing ground for RHEL features.

CentOS: CentOS was originally a free, community-supported clone of RHEL. However, Red Hat shifted its focus in late 2020 to CentOS Stream, which serves as a rolling-release version that is positioned between Fedora and RHEL.

3. Modern Usage:

RHEL is widely used in enterprise environments, especially for web servers, application servers, cloud computing, and more. Red Hat also offers a variety of tools and services around RHEL, including automation, containerization (via OpenShift), and Kubernetes support.

4. Red Hat's Role in the Linux Ecosystem:

Open Source Commitment: Red Hat has been a significant contributor to the open-source community, funding many projects and sponsoring key development initiatives.

Acquisition by IBM: In 2019, IBM acquired Red Hat for $34 billion, further strengthening Red Hat's position as a leader in enterprise Linux solutions.

5. Alternatives:

Other Linux Distros: While Red Hat (and its enterprise variants) is quite popular, there are many alternatives such as Ubuntu, Debian, SUSE, and Arch Linux, each with different goals, community support, and use cases.

for more details please visit 

www.qcsdclabs.com, 

www.hawkstack.com

[zerosecurity]

Critical OpenSSH Vulnerability (CVE-2024-6387): regreSSHion Bug Threatens Linux Systems

A significant security vulnerability, dubbed "regreSSHion" (CVE-2024-6387), has been discovered in the OpenSSH server (sshd) affecting Glibc-based Linux systems. Infosec researchers at Qualys have revealed that this flaw could potentially allow unauthenticated attackers to achieve remote code execution (RCE) on hundreds of thousands of targets.

Vulnerability Details and Impact

The regreSSHion bug is a race condition in sshd that could grant intruders root-level access to affected systems. Of the 14 million potentially vulnerable sshd instances identified through Censys and Shodan scans, Qualys estimates that approximately 700,000 internet-facing instances could be susceptible to exploitation. This vulnerability is particularly concerning as it represents a regression of a previously patched flaw (CVE-2006-5051) from 2006. The reintroduction of this issue occurred in October 2020 with the release of OpenSSH 8.5p1, highlighting the critical importance of thorough regression testing in software development.

Exploitation and Potential Consequences

The exploit takes advantage of a weakness in sshd's handling of the LoginGraceTime parameter. If a client fails to authenticate within this timeframe (default 120 seconds), the server's SIGALRM handler is called asynchronously. This handler can then invoke functions that are not async-signal-safe, such as syslog(), creating an opportunity for attackers to execute arbitrary code. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to: - Gain root-level access - Perform full system takeovers - Deploy malware - Implant backdoors - Evade existing security measures While the potential impact is severe, exploiting the vulnerability requires patience. Lab tests conducted by the OpenSSH team and Qualys indicate that beating the race condition can take between three to eight hours and up to 10,000 attempts.

Affected Systems and Exceptions

Systems running glibc are likely vulnerable, with 32-bit architectures confirmed to be at risk and 64-bit systems probably affected as well. However, OpenBSD systems are not vulnerable due to a security enhancement implemented in 2001, which uses the safer syslog_r() function instead of syslog().

Vulnerable Versions and Patching

The following OpenSSH versions are affected: - All versions earlier than 4.4p1 (unless patched for CVE-2006-5051 and CVE-2008-4109) - Versions from 8.5p1 up to, but not including, 9.8p1 Versions 4.4p1 up to 8.5p1 are not affected due to the previous patching of CVE-2006-5051.

Mitigation and Recommendations

To address the regreSSHion vulnerability, organizations should: - Update to OpenSSH 9.8p1 or apply the latest security patches - Implement network-based controls to limit SSH access - Segment networks and deploy monitoring systems to alert administrators of potential exploit attempts Several Linux distributions have already released updates, including Ubuntu and NixOS. Users are strongly advised to check their distribution's repositories for available patches and apply them promptly. Qualys full write-up can be found here. Read the full article

[teknolojihaber]

Linux Vakfı'ından Redis'e açık kaynak alternatif: Valkey

Bulut devleri AWS, Google ve Oracle, lisanslarında yapılan değişikliklerin ardından  popüler bellek içi veritabanı yazılımı Redis'in Linux Foundation açık kaynak çatalını desteklemek için ortaya çıktı. Geçtiğimiz ay Redis, ana anahtar/değer deposu sistemini çift lisanslı bir yaklaşıma kaydırdığını ve çok daha kısıtlayıcı şartlar uyguladığını doğruladı. Daha önce kaynak kodu,  ödeme yapmadan insanların kullanmalarına olanak tanıyan Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) 3 maddelik lisansı kapsamındaydı. Artık AWS, Google, Snap Inc, Ericsson ve Oracle, Redis yazılımının çatalını desteklemek için Linux Vakfı'na katılıyor. Linux Vakfı'ndan yapılan bir açıklamada , projeye katkıda bulunanların, Redis şirketi tarafından duyurulan son lisans değişikliğine yanıt olarak yeniden toplanmak üzere bakımcı, topluluk ve kurumsal destek personelini işe aldıklarını belirtildi. Valkey adı verilen yeni veritabanı bellek yazılımı, Redis 7.2.4 üzerinde geliştirilmeye devam edecek şekilde ayarlandı. Proje BSD lisansı altında kullanıma ve dağıtıma açıktır. Eski Redis yazılımcısı, Valkey'in ortak gelişticisi ve AWS'de baş mühendis olan Madelyn Olson, hazırladığı bir açıklamada şunları söyledi: "Açık kaynak Redis üzerinde altı yıl boyunca çalıştım, bunların dördü çekirdek ekip üyelerinden biri olarak görev yaptım. Redis açık kaynak 7.2'ye kadar. Açık kaynak yazılımını çok önemsiyorum ve katkıda bulunmaya devam etmek istiyorum. Katkıda bulunanlar Valkey'i oluşturarak kaldığımız yerden devam ettirebilir ve canlı bir açık kaynak topluluğuna katkıda bulunmaya devam edebilirler." Valkey, Linux, macOS, OpenBSD, NetBSD ve FreeBSD'yi destekler. Ancak dünyanın en popüler ikinci genel bulut platformunun sağlayıcısı olan Microsoft, yokluğuyla dikkat çekiyordu. The Register'a yaptığı açıklamada bir Microsoft sözcüsü, Redis ile devam eden bir ortaklığı sürdürdüğünü söyledi. "Müşterilerimize Redis için Azure Cache gibi entegre çözümler sunmaya devam ederek kesintisiz hizmet almalarını ve en son güncellemelere erişmelerini sağlamaya odaklandık." İlgili bir blog yazısında Microsoft, Redis'in çift lisanslı modelinin "daha fazla netlik ve esneklik sağladığını, geliştiricilerin projelerinde Redis teknolojilerini nasıl kullanacakları konusunda bilinçli kararlar almalarını sağladığını" söyledi. Ancak Microsoft yakın zamanda "yüksek performans, genişletilebilirlik ve düşük gecikme süresi sunmak üzere tasarlanmış uzak bir önbellek deposu" olan Garnet'i tanıtan bir gönderi de yayınladı. Redis serileştirme protokolünü (RESP) temel alan Garnet'in, çoğu programlama dilinde bulunan değiştirilmemiş Redis istemcileriyle kullanılabileceğini söyledi. Açık kaynak veritabanı danışmanlığı Percona'nın kurucusu ve eski CEO'su Peter Zaitsev, Microsoft'un kablolu protokol uyumlu bir Redis alternatifi sunduğunu söyledi. "Microsoft'un da bir Redis alternatifi var, ancak onlar kodu çatallamıyorlar, bu tam bir yeniden uygulama. Microsoft da muhtemelen kendilerinin lisansı satın almayı ve Redis veritabanını barındırma zevki için Redis'e şirkete ödeme yapmayı düşünmüyor. aynı şekilde Oracle'a ev sahipliği yapmanın keyfinin de karşılığını veriyor" dedi. Redis, 2020 yılında hizmet sağlayıcı olarak açık ara en popüler bulut altyapısı ve platformu olan AWS'nin en popüler veritabanı yazılımı haline geldi. Bu, bellek içi sistemin web uygulamaları için fiili bir önbellek haline gelmesine çok şey borçlu olabilir, ancak Redis Inc şirketi (eski adıyla Redis Labs) son birkaç yılını, bellek içi sistemin, web uygulamalarına özellikler ekleyerek genel amaçlı bir veritabanına dönüştürmeye çalışarak harcadı. Zaitsev, Linux Vakfı'nın tamamen açık kaynak alternatifi sunma hamlesiyle geliştirici topluluğunun arkasında durmaya hazır olduğunu gösterdiğini söyledi. "Linux Vakfı sponsorlar yerine topluluğu seçti" dedi. "Bunun sadece birkaç gün sürdüğünü görmek beni heyecanlandırdı. Bum sanki: 'Redis, topluluğa bulaşmayı seçiyorsun, sonra Linux Vakfı topluluğun arkasında duruyor.' Bence bu harikaydı." Zaitsev, geliştiricilerin ne zaman Valkey'e geçmeyi düşünebilecekleri konusunda birkaç ay süre verilmesini tavsiye etti. "Bir süreliğine açık kaynaklı Redis'i çalıştırmaya devam edebilirsiniz. Valkey'nin devreye girmesi ve tüm altyapıyı test etmesi birkaç ay sürecek. Ancak Valkey'in birkaç sürümünü aldıktan sonra geliştiricileri bu sürüme geçmeye teşvik ediyorum" dedi. . kaynak:https://www.theregister.com Read the full article

[ubuntutipps]

Beste Linux-Desktop-Umgebungen im Jahr 2020

Einblick: Beste Linux-Desktop-Umgebungen im Jahr 2020 Lassen Sie uns die Linux-Desktop-Umgebungen für das Jahr 2020 besprechen. Heutzutage verfügt jede Linux-Distribution über ihre eigenen Desktop-Umgebungen, was bedeutet, dass uns im Internet zahlreiche Optionen zur Verfügung stehen, um unsere Standard-Linux-Desktop-Umgebung zu ersetzen. Hinweis: Dies ist unsere Liste der besten…

[futuristiczombiepersona]

Navigating Through Time: Exploring the Evolution of Google Chrome Versions

Embark on a journey through the digital realm with a comprehensive exploration of the browser giant – Google Chrome https://googlechrome2017download.com/. This all-encompassing guide dives into the features, performance, and unique capabilities that make Google Chrome a standout in the browser landscape. From its minimalist design to swift page loading, discover why users worldwide choose Google Chrome for a seamless online experience. Unveiling the intricacies and innovations, this piece is your go-to resource for all things Google Chrome. Delve into the world of browsing excellence – it's all about Google Chrome.

In the fast-paced world of web browsing, Google Chrome has been a trailblazer since its inception, setting the standard for speed, security, and user-friendly features. Over the years, users have witnessed the browser's evolution, from its early versions to the cutting-edge releases of 2023. In this exploration, we delve into the diverse versions of Google Chrome, examining their significance and highlighting the ease with which users can install and experience the latest enhancements.

The Journey Begins: Google Chrome 2020

Taking a step back to 2020, Google Chrome showcased its commitment to delivering a seamless browsing experience. During this time, the browser underwent significant updates, focusing on performance improvements, enhanced security features, and a more intuitive user interface. Users who navigate to https://googlechrome2017download.com/ can discover and download the 2020 version of Google Chrome for Linux, Mac, and Windows operating systems.

The 2020 version of Google Chrome was a milestone in terms of stability and speed. With each update, the browser aimed to address vulnerabilities, ensuring a safer online experience. Additionally, Google Chrome continued to refine its user interface, making it more accessible and visually appealing. Users downloading this version from the provided website gain access to an installer designed for their specific operating system, emphasizing Google's commitment to inclusivity.

Staying Current: Google Chrome 2023

Fast forward to the present, and Google Chrome has continued its evolution with the latest 2023 version. As technology advances, so do the demands of users, and Google Chrome strives to meet these expectations. The 2023 version promises cutting-edge features, performance enhancements, and security updates that reflect Google's dedication to staying ahead of the curve.

For users looking to stay up-to-date with the latest innovations, the website offers a convenient platform to download the 2023 version of Google Chrome. Whether you're using Linux, Mac, or Windows, the installers are readily available, ensuring a seamless transition to the most current browsing experience. By providing easy access to the latest version, Google aims to keep users at the forefront of technological advancements in web browsing.

A Cross-Platform Experience: Linux, Mac, and Windows Compatibility

One of the standout features of Google Chrome is its commitment to providing a consistent and optimized experience across various operating systems. The website https://googlechrome2017download.com/ caters to users with diverse preferences by offering installers tailored to Linux, Mac, and Windows.

For Linux enthusiasts, the installer ensures compatibility with a range of distributions, allowing users to seamlessly integrate Google Chrome into their preferred Linux environment. Mac users can enjoy the sleek and intuitive design that complements the macOS aesthetic, while Windows users benefit from the browser's performance enhancements on the widely used operating system.

This cross-platform compatibility underscores Google's commitment to inclusivity, recognizing the diverse preferences of its user base. By offering tailored installers, the browser becomes more accessible to a wider audience, fostering a sense of unity in the online community.

Unveiling the Latest Features and Enhancements

Google Chrome's success lies not only in its stability and compatibility but also in its dedication to innovation. The website acts as a gateway for users to discover and download the latest versions, ensuring they have access to the most advanced features and enhancements.

The 2023 version of Google Chrome is likely to introduce improvements in speed, security, and functionality. With each iteration, the browser aims to redefine the standards of web browsing, offering users an unparalleled online experience. By keeping users informed and providing easy access to updates, Google empowers them to make the most of the browser's capabilities.

Conclusion: A Seamless Journey Through Google Chrome Versions

As we navigate through the different versions of Google Chrome, it becomes evident that the browser's evolution is a testament to Google's commitment to excellence. From the stability of the 2020 version to the cutting-edge features of the 2023 release, users can embark on a seamless journey through time, experiencing the best that Google Chrome has to offer.The website https://googlechrome2017download.com/ serves as a valuable resource for users seeking to explore and download various versions of Google Chrome. By providing installers for Linux, Mac, and Windows, the website ensures that users of all preferences and operating systems can enjoy the latest and greatest innovations in web browsing. As technology continues to advance, Google Chrome remains at the forefront, shaping the digital landscape and offering users a reliable and feature-rich browsing experience.

[frog707]

When Windows 7 reached end of support in 2020, I landed on Linux Mint more-or-less by chance, without learning anything about competing distributions. Still ignorant after 3+ years of Linux use, I found this article enlightening.

I can't decide what kind of user I am. While I've run Linux on-and-off since the 1990s and occasionally written Bash scripts, I don't see myself as a "power user." Nor do I want to spend my precious hours on system administration. But I'm plagued by a nagging hunch that, with a little effort, I could squeeze a lot more performance out of my aging desktop computer.

[digitalcreationsllc]

With CentOS going away, what should users do? | TechTarget

In 2004, Gregory Kurtzer created CentOS as a build of Caos Linux. In 2020, Red Hat took over maintaining CentOS and announced the final release of the OS, CentOS 8. CentOS was the free version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and was used by individuals and organizations around the globe. However, Red Hat decided to migrate CentOS to a pseudo-rolling release distribution, called CentOS…

[govindhtech]

Unleash Power: GIGABYTE’s New AmpereOne Servers for Cloud

AmpereOne Processors: Features & Benefits

Giga Computing, which is a subsidiary of GIGABYTE and a pioneer in the market of high-performance servers, server motherboards, and workstations, has just made an announcement regarding the availability of four new GIGABYTE R-series servers that are compatible with the AmpereOne Family of CPUs. These servers are designed for use in cloud-native computing environments, which place a premium on both high compute density per rack and power efficiency. These settings are ideal for using servers with these characteristics.

When it comes to cloud-native computing, hyperscalers or cloud service providers (CSPs) rely on predictable high-performance infrastructure that is scalable, as well as nodes that are efficient in terms of the amount of power they consume. The GIGABYTE servers that are powered by the AmpereOne Family platform are able to live up to these expectations; nevertheless, this is not the first time that GIGABYTE has worked with Ampere Computing. The collaboration did not begin in earnest until the year 2020, which was also the year when the Ampere Altra platform was unveiled to the general public for the very first time.

Ampere Computing has created a whole new family of CPUs that they refer to as AmpereOne. This new family will not take the place of the Altra platform; rather, it represents an augmentation of what the Arm architecture is capable of achieving and will be used alongside the Altra platform.

For instance, the number of cores in the central processing unit (CPU) goes from 128 in Altra to 136–192 in AmpereOne, which enables previously unimaginable levels of speed as well as virtual machine (VM) density. In addition to this, the private L2 cache that is allotted to each core has been expanded by a factor of two, and there is support for both DDR5 memory and PCI Express Generation 5 (Gen 5) expansion cards.

The AmpereOne platform and GIGABYTE servers are a natural fit for one another, and GIGABYTE provides choices for both single socket and twin socket configurations in the 1U and 2U form factors of their servers. Despite this, the size of the larger 2U servers (R283-P93 & R263-P33) makes it possible to host a large number of dual-slot GPUs.

These servers also include additional expansion slots that may be used for networking, AI inference cards, and other off-chip devices. The 1U servers (R183-P92 & R163-P32) are able to accommodate solid-state drives (SSDs) that operate according to the NVMe, SATA, or SAS protocols. These servers pack a lot of CPUs into a relatively small space.

These new GIGABYTE servers are compatible with the following distributions of Linux and other operating systems: RHEL 9.0, Fedora 36, Oracle 9.0, Ubuntu 22.04, and Debian 11.

[the-hacker-news]

Free Download Manager Site Compromised to Distribute Linux Malware to Users for 3+ Years

The Hacker News : A download manager site served Linux users malware that stealthily stole passwords and other sensitive information for more than three years as part of a supply chain attack. The modus operandi entailed establishing a reverse shell to an actor-controlled server and installing a Bash stealer on the compromised system. The campaign, which took place between 2020 and 2022, is no longer active. " http://dlvr.it/Sw5mw6 Posted by : Mohit Kumar ( Hacker )

[thetechtalker]

Factorio space exploration in detail 2023

Factorio space exploration is the popular mod for the game "Factorio" It is an expansion mod that dramatically expands Factorio's gameplay by introducing Factorio space exploration aspects. Please keep in mind that the mod may have received upgrades or changes The following are some of the most important features and traits commonly found in the "Factorio: Space Exploration" mod:

Factorio Space Exploration:

The mode adds another frontier for players to explore: space. This includes launching rockets into space, building space stations, and colonizing other celestial worlds. Players can conduct space exploration, which unlocks new technologies and features to improve their space exploration capabilities.

Celestial bodies:

The mode brings planets, moons, and other celestial bodies for players to see. Each of these locales has its own features and restrictions.

Orbital Logistics:

Manage space transportation, such as interplanetary logistics and housing related to orbital structures.

Satellites and Telescopes:

Mod introduces the concept of using satellites and telescopes to observe and communicate with distant planets and their environment

Space Warfare:

Protect your space assets from potential conflict invaders. Spaceship: Build spaceships for your space adventure, each with their own tasks and capabilities. Please keep in mind that mod content and features may change over time due to updates and community input. If you want to try out Factorio Space Exploration I suggest visiting the Factorio Mod Portal or the mod's official page on the Factorio forums for the most up-to-date information and updates. Before installing any mod, make sure it is compatible with your current version of Factorio.

What is factorio game

Wube Software developed and distributed "Factorio," a real-time strategy game. It was released in early format in 2016 and will be formally released in 2020. It can be played on multiple platforms including Windows, macOS and Linux In "Factorio," players assume the character of an engineer who has crashed-landed on an alien planet. The major goal is to construct and operate automated factories capable of producing increasingly complex items. Players begin with basic resources such as iron ore and copper, which they must mine, process, and refine to build various objects and equipment. Read the full article

[hydralisk98]

Black Venera Lively Scripture Preview #1

(Maps above are not representative of the world at display here, they are just here to experiment some illustration schemes...)

As of the year 1202X, the planet of Angora emulates our 2020s but as a 'Holoscene Era' period decade, with key historical differences including but not limited to cultural and political matters.

The Bronze Age collapse being lesser reaching than in our world, library economy being somewhat more prevalent all across its history, insular period converting scrolls with great success to other mediums, high middle ages bringing vellum deque index card shareware libraries and the colonial period being less brutal / destructive thanks to a "mutualist French / rich Spanish / Chinaware" colonial system being widely implemented during their "early modern" period of global exploration, imperialisms and trading. Among more pre-20th century matters matters.

The Shoshoni Union never had any Wilsonian administration ever successful in taking hold of Shoshoni politics, making the current geopolitics far more sustainable and moderate. (Essentially, Theodore Roosevelt got elected in 1912 and then Charles Hughes in 1916, avoiding the full scope of Woodrow Wilson reach to the present day and solidifying a new progressive deal earlier)

Implying a second global war somehow took place a bit later after its equivalent counter part of their "World War 1", the Baby-Boomers of the early 50s oversee, adapt and create a long-term syndicalist deal that makes it an ecological-informed & longer-lasting inclusive solution. (Similar to what the Jakarta Method explains about Soviets' plan for economics before the JFK assassination's aftermath)

During the middle 1960s & entire 1970s robotics, computer networking and industrial automation become widespread sooner, allowing a class of autonomous robots to succeed as a functional force in the global market (think OGAS, Cybersyn, DECnet, Xanadu, hacker culture...)

And as such during the 1980s, massively assisting the human workforce in sapience rights, technical equality & computation sharing (avoiding the worst of managerial staff & bureaucrats) and empowering LGBTQ+ culture far sooner. Also, droid class androids spread during the 1980s and a couple of socialite autonomous governing grid modules are created then. Leading also to the rise of "GNU Hurd" as mainstream standard free software OS instead of Linux. (Not micro-kernel reshift then...)

During the very late 1990s & early 2000s, OpenXanadu wiki suite is created, benevolent GAI overlord gets implemented as well as nanotech synthetic-class androids. And the successful exploration of outer space, deep sea waters & other planes of existence finally initiates around then.

An increasingly Luddite harmonious movement forms due to the sheer break-neck pace of technical progress only to slowly decays due to the grid's calculated benevolence, making sure such vast high technical stacks are facultative and mostly distributed as needed, mostly in urban areas.

Major Shoshone innovations being shared and iterated sanely upon among cooperative agencies and government branches (think open culture, free software and transparent economics coming quite earlier on), making them super competitive compared to other civilizations;

(1910s-onwards electric cars legacy, artificial recommendation search agents, varied networking paradigms, programmers' learning space, baked-in memory transistors, open hardware fabrication laboratories, exploration of the human mind, preservation of the elderly by memories, RadioVideoTex, Wax cylinder phonological records, 45rpm autoplay vinyls, large interactive Laserdisc disk-based storage in the 1970s, synthetic servants, smart terminal video telephones, universal basic income, generous social welfare programs, youth educational programs, nuclear fusion energy, biological engineering, cooperative lending banks widespread, rural modular decentralization ongoing, liquid democratic feedback systems, systemic benevolence, slower growth yet durable thoughtful and lasting, naturalistic pseudo-knowledge studies, affordable housing and higher education, witch coven acceptance, a tad bit less overall taxation, morphological freedoms, knowledge symbolic banks, video telephones... so some optimistic solarpunk historical background vibes.)

Cultural trends going from great sorrow and darker introspective tones in the 1910s (World War 1) to solarpunk exovert vibes with Cenozoic and full-on syndicalist vibes in the 2010s

Asceticism being a major religious tradition across the globe, with several major religions cooperating over a creation studies' standardized system, among other traditional matters worth investigating.

Super malls, video borrow stores, tabletop gaming clubs, both cozy & violence video games, powerful user content editors, radio communications & compatibilities, POSIX computation standards, Lisp symbolical machines, micro-districts, tribal neighbourhoods, pseudo-graphical teletypes...

Some specific products being the SENA DreamVast, Sanyo 3DO, TurboFx handhelds, VoxPopuli MagnaOdysee, Kwakee, Prospero, PacoMacroLisp, PeerMicroLisp, Mirage BayaMaths, LibreTUTOR, Sifteo VMUs, LibreNova, CLADOgrams, ParadeFS, RD document type, RASS data feeds, "Olivettu" Shuffle music player, SPARC Voyager compact computer, MD physical data format, analog programmable DVR, Kien Imagineers (USD Pixar + Corel), Ninevo N128 + Vuya + 2DSi, Spline, Gachaupon Toybox, Volkcomputer, SOL-40, Ural mainframes, MetaOCEAN agents, "Olivettu" Maxima Desktop computer, "Olivettu" Asnam-V modular smartphone, XYZ media plotter, "Valens" synthetic-tier modular androids women-presenting, "Konstanz" synthetic-tier androids men-presenting, Classic Offensive, Red Eclipse, Wyatt Energy, Didaktik...

Overall, the world being a more comfortable and less alienating place to live onto, with familiar parallels yet cozy inclusive differences that really step up the reality manifestation game. Not without some issues nor challenges, but a amazing alternative for long shifting journeys. Still with many quite familiar amenities but slower design timings and longer project development cycles for larger corporations... aiming to withstand time and avoid shortcuts more than bringing short-term dangerous profiteering-s. Also forget about Walt Disney's and all things of hyper-corporate implications type here considering that much public domain and elective project fundings shines bright here.

Small additional extra here, I try to imagine a few 16^12 scenes for manifestation & lively scenario reasons and among them is one where I am literally browsing a contemporary bookstore walking in hoof shoes with Ava on my side, which is funny because I literally helped in a bookstore last week and like, continue on Wednesday for that same family cousin lady person I have mutual appreciation of.

But ya, my actual "Black Venera" WIP writing is quite slow because I lack a handful of details and much visualization aids to really assist its expression and manifestation processes. And yes, I forgoe-s the calendar conversion for the time being, I will adjust many such small detailing-s later on. Especially as clarity and familiarity are key to get you to understand such a reality faster.

Hopefully things are ready on time for both my MTF manifestations and this desired reality / speculative realm revisions to actually present and stay on my reality radius. Until then though, take care of your lovely selves and farewell!