This Week in TUXEDO OS #15-2026 - TUXEDO Computers

Hello TUXEDO Fans and Open-Source Enthusiasts!

The reliance on centralized platforms is once again revealing its downsides: In recent days, the open-source projects VeraCrypt and WireGuard were temporarily unable to release updates for their Windows versions after their developer accounts were suspended by Microsoft. While the exact causes – ranging from missing authentication steps to short-term enforcement actions – remain disputed, the situation quickly highlighted how even free software can depend heavily on proprietary infrastructure, and how difficult it can be to resolve such blocks when automated support systems are involved.

For Linux distributions in particular, this dependency is not just theoretical: anyone aiming to support Secure Boot relies on keys signed by Microsoft. At TUXEDO, we therefore deliberately take a different approach, disabling Secure Boot by default and working toward long-term alternatives such as Coreboot to gain more control over the platform. However, this is a complex undertaking: technical, organizational, and regulatory requirements all intersect, and numerous stakeholders must collaborate in a coordinated way to establish a sustainable and open solution.

In the new edition of This Week in TUXEDO OS, we then turn our attention skyward and explore the night sky with KStars. We also showcase a particularly practical KDE widget for commuters: the Deutsche Bahn widget brings departure times and delays for your daily route directly to the desktop. As always, we round things off with a compact overview of the latest updates, improvements, and noteworthy developments around TUXEDO OS.

Enjoy reading,
The TUXEDO OS Team

Updates in TUXEDO OS

Linux 6.17.0–112020.20~24.04.1tux1

• Rebased to a new upstream version of the kernel
• Cleanup of TUXEDO-specific patches
• Adoption of already accepted upstream patches where possible

udev-hid-bpf 2.2.0.20251121~tux2

• Added udev as an additional dependency

udev-hid-bpf 2.2.0.20251121~tux1

• Update from version 2.1.0 (including TUXEDO patches) to 2.2.0
• Now includes TUXEDO-specific adjustments already integrated upstream

Nextcloud Desktop 33.0.2~tux1

• Updated to version 33.0.2
• Full release notes: https://github.com/nextcloud-releases/desktop/releases/tag/v33.0.2

Mesa 26.0.x

• Update to the Mesa 26 series, including the following versions:
• 26.0.0 – Release notes (Feb 11, 2026): https://docs.mesa3d.org/relnotes/26.0.0.html
• 26.0.1 – Release notes (Feb 25, 2026): https://docs.mesa3d.org/relnotes/26.0.1.html
• 26.0.2 – Release notes (Mar 12, 2026): https://docs.mesa3d.org/relnotes/26.0.2.html

KDE App of the Week: KStars – A Digital Planetarium for Stargazers

If you enjoy observing the night sky, this week’s KDE app is well worth a look. In this edition, we introduce the digital planetarium KStars, available for Linux, macOS, and Windows.

What KStars offers

With KStars, you can simulate and explore the night sky on your computer in impressive detail. The software accurately renders the sky for any location on Earth at any date and time – past, present, or future – including the Sun, Moon, planets, comets, asteroids, and deep-sky objects such as galaxies, star clusters, and nebulae.

KStars includes around 300,000 stars by default, but can be significantly expanded with additional catalogs such as Tycho-2 (over 2.5 million stars), USNO NOMAD (around 100 million stars), as well as Messier Images, Abell Planetary Nebulae, the Sharpless Catalog, and the Lynds Dark Nebula Catalog.

The application allows real-time sky observation or fast-forwarding and rewinding through time to track planetary alignments over years. Tools such as an observation planner, sky calendar, altitude-time plots, and the ability to print accurate star charts complete the feature set. Corrections for precession, nutation, and atmospheric refraction ensure high positional accuracy.

In addition, KStars includes the Ekos module, a comprehensive astrophotography suite. It enables control of telescopes, CCD/DSLR cameras, focusers, filters, and other equipment, while also automating focusing and guiding tasks and planning imaging sessions. For a hands-on introduction, see this experience report on Ekos.

Installation

KStars is not preinstalled on TUXEDO OS but can be installed via the Discover package manager as a native package or Flatpak. Alternatively, install it via the terminal:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install kstars

On a fresh TUXEDO OS installation, KStars triggers a download of around 158 MB across 68 new packages, occupying approximately 366 MB of disk space. Installing additional catalogs can require up to 1.5 GB, depending on the selected modules.

Getting started

On first launch, a setup wizard helps you configure basic settings such as your location. You can also choose from more than a dozen additional catalogs, which can be installed later as well. One minor drawback: the sizes of these catalogs are not displayed within KStars or on its website. A quick search such as kstars module name size reveals values ranging from about 35 MB to over 1.5 GB.

KStars is a powerful planetarium for amateur astronomers. Users with some astronomy background will quickly achieve impressive results, while newcomers may need a bit of time to explore the many menus and options to tailor the software to their needs.

TUXEDO OS Tips & Tricks: On Time? The Deutsche Bahn KDE Widget

Rising energy costs are currently encouraging many commuters to switch more frequently to public transport. If you regularly travel by train, a practical desktop widget can make everyday life noticeably easier. The Deutsche Bahn widget for KDE Plasma brings up-to-date connection data directly to your screen and saves you from relying on smartphone apps or websites.

The widget displays upcoming departures for a selected route, including possible delays, and is functionally similar to the well-known DB Navigator app. The data is sourced from the publicly available db-rest API, ensuring it reflects the latest information from Deutsche Bahn. This gives you an almost real-time overview of your journey without needing to open additional applications.

Live timetable information right on your desktop

Installation is straightforward via KDE’s integrated store. Simply switch your desktop into edit mode and open the widget management. Using the download function, you can find and install the Deutsche Bahn widget directly. Afterward, place it on any free area of your desktop using drag and drop.

After launching it for the first time, configure the widget via the settings menu and enter your preferred departure and destination stations. When typing station names, the widget may take a moment to load suggestions. Once autocomplete becomes available, you can conveniently select and save your stations.

Keep an eye on delays – without extra steps

After saving your connection, the widget automatically shows the next departures along with any delays. By default, the data refreshes every five minutes, ensuring you always stay up to date. If needed, you can adjust the update interval or manually trigger a refresh using the corresponding button.

In everyday situations, this direct integration proves especially useful, as it allows you to monitor your connections at a glance without actively checking for updates. This saves time and improves clarity, particularly if you commute regularly or need to react quickly to schedule changes.

Ubuntu Security Updates

The Ubuntu security updates listed here are generally incorporated directly into TUXEDO OS. Some updates are only available from Ubuntu for a fee and are therefore not made available to the community until a later date. Unfortunately, we have no control over this:

• USN-8165–1: Linux kernel (Azure FIPS) vulnerabilities: Several security issues were fixed in the Linux kernel.
  IDs: CVE-2025–21833, CVE-2025–40284, CVE-2025–40061 + 435 others.
  Affects: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.

• USN-8149–2: Linux kernel vulnerabilities: Several security issues were fixed in the Linux kernel.
  IDs: CVE-2026–23074, CVE-2026–23111, CVE-2026–23060.
  Affects: Ubuntu 25.10, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.

• USN-8157–1: Squid vulnerabilities: Several security issues were fixed in Squid.
  IDs: CVE-2026–32748, CVE-2026–33526, CVE-2026–33515.
  Affects: Ubuntu 25.10, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, Ubuntu 22.04 LTS.

• USN-8156–1: GDK-PixBuf vulnerability: GDK-PixBuf could be made to crash or run programs if it opened a specially crafted file.
  IDs: CVE-2026–5201.
  Affects: Ubuntu 25.10, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, Ubuntu 22.04 LTS.

• USN-8155–1: OpenSSL vulnerabilities: Several security issues were fixed in OpenSSL.
  IDs: CVE-2026–28388, CVE-2026–28390, CVE-2026–28387 + 4 others.
  Affects: Ubuntu 25.10, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, Ubuntu 22.04 LTS.

• USN-8154–1: Django vulnerabilities: Several security issues were fixed in Django.
  IDs: CVE-2026–33033, CVE-2026–4277, CVE-2026–3902 + 2 others.
  Affects: Ubuntu 25.10, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, Ubuntu 18.04 LTS.

• USN-8152–1: Linux kernel (OEM) vulnerabilities: Several security issues were fixed in the Linux kernel.
  IDs: CVE-2026–23404, CVE-2025–40264, CVE-2025–68281 + 183 others.
  Affects: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.

• USN-8148–4: Linux kernel (Real-time) vulnerabilities: Several security issues were fixed in the Linux kernel.
  IDs: CVE-2026–23060, CVE-2026–23074, CVE-2026–23111.
  Affects: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.

• USN-8151–1: lambdaisland/uri vulnerability: lambdaisland/uri could allow bypassing security checks or redirecting users.
  IDs: CVE-2023–28628.
  Affects: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, Ubuntu 22.04 LTS.

• USN-8148–3: Linux kernel (Real-time) vulnerabilities: Several security issues were fixed in the Linux kernel.
  IDs: CVE-2026–23111, CVE-2026–23074, CVE-2026–23060.
  Affects: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, Ubuntu 22.04 LTS.