Category Archives: Linux

Ardour 9.0 released

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The Ardour digital-audio-workstation (DAW)
project has announced the
release of version 9.0.

This is a major release for the project, seeing several substantive new features that users have asked for over a long period of time. Region FX, clip recording, a touch-sensitive GUI, pianoroll windows, clip editing and more, not to mention dozens of bug fixes, new MIDI binding maps, improved GUI performance on macOS (for most) …

We expect to get feedback on some of the major new features in this release, and plan to take that into account as we improve and refine them and the rest of Ardour going forward. We have no doubt that there will be both delight and disappointment with certain things – rather than assume that we don’t know what we’re doing, please leave us feedback on the forums so that Ardour gets better over time. Those of you new to our clip launching implementation might care to read up on the differences with Ableton Live.

In the coming weeks, we’ll begin to sketch out what we have planned next for Ardour, in addition to responding to the feedback we get on this 9.0 release.

[$] Kernel control-flow-integrity support comes to GCC

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Control-flow integrity (CFI) is a set of techniques that make it more difficult for
attackers to hijack indirect jumps to exploit a system. The Linux kernel has
supported forward-edge CFI (which protects indirect function calls)
since 2020, with the most recent implementation
of the feature introduced in 2022. That
version avoids the overhead introduced by the earlier approach by using a
compiler flag (-fsanitize=kcfi) that is present in Clang but not in
GCC. Now, Kees Cook has

a patch set adding that support to GCC that looks likely to land in GCC
17.

Linux from Scratch to drop System V versions

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The Linux From
Scratch (LFS) project provides step-by-step instructions on
building a customized Linux system entirely from source. Historically,
the project has provided separate System V and systemd editions,
which gave users a choice of init systems. Bruce Dubbs has announced
the project will no longer produce the System V version:

There are two reasons for this decision. The first reason is
workload. No one working on LFS is paid. We rely completely on
volunteers. In LFS there are 88 packages. In BLFS there are over
1000. The volume of changes from upstream is overwhelming the
editors. In this release cycle that started on the 1st of September
until now, there have been 70 commits to LFS and 1155 commits to BLFS
(and counting). When making package updates, many packages need to be
checked for both System V and systemd. When preparing for release, all
packages need to be checked for each init system.

The second reason for dropping System V is that packages like GNOME
and soon KDE’s Plasma are building in requirements that require
capabilities in systemd that are not in System V. This could
potentially be worked around with another init system like OpenRC, but
beyond the transition process it still does not address the ongoing
workload problem.

[…] As a personal note, I do not like this decision. To me LFS is
about learning how a system works. Understanding the boot process is a
big part of that. systemd is about 1678 “C” files plus many data
files. System V is “22” C files plus about 50 short bash scripts and
data files. Yes, systemd provides a lot of capabilities, but we will
be losing some things I consider important.

The next version, 13.0, is expected in March and will only focus on
systemd.

Pushing The Intel Panther Lake CPU Performance Further On Linux

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Earlier this week I published the first Linux benchmarks of Intel’s much anticipated Panther Lake with the Core Ultra X7 358H 16-core 18A processor. The Panther Lake SoC showed very nice generational gains especially with much better performance-per-Watt and the Intel Arc B390 graphics are also fascinatingly fast while continuing to be backed by open-source drivers. In today’s article are more Panther Lake Linux benchmarks on the CPU side in looking at the performance potential when pushing the Core Ultra X7 358H with a higher power budget.

“DHEI” Proposed For Linux To Help Cloud-Native Orchestrators & High Frequency Traders

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Sent out today as a request for comments is a new patch series for Dynamic Housekeeping and Enhanced Isolation (DHEI). DHEI aims to provide run-time adjustments to kernel behavior around CPU isolation for helping with latency-sensitive tasks. The expressed goal is for helping cloud-native orchestrators and high frequency trading platforms dynamically re-partition CPU resources without downtime…

Qualcomm QUPv3 Firmware Upstreamed For Snapdragon X1 Elite Linux Users

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One of the headaches right now when dealing with the Snapdragon X Elite on Linux is that for a majority of the devices you need to fetch firmware files from the Windows 11 on ARM partition as the necessary firmware bits for Linux use aren’t upstreamed to linux-firmware.git. That has gradually improved over time from the qcom-firmware-extract making the process easier to more firmware bits eventually being added to linux-firmware.git…

How to evaluate your use of classroom technology with the PICRAT framework

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There’s always something new to consider when teaching with technology. From the latest advancements in AI, to new software and hardware updates, it can be difficult to know which tools to use and how to incorporate it effectively into your lessons.

In today’s blog, we explore the PICRAT framework and how it can help you reflect on your use of technology in the classroom. 

We also share our new PICRAT Quick Read, which you can download for free to: 

  • Find practical tips on how to use the PICRAT model when planning your lessons
  • Read a summary of the research behind the framework

What is the PICRAT framework?

Technology is constantly changing, and educators must continually decide what tools to use in their practice. To help with this challenge, researchers started developing theoretical models that teachers (especially student teachers) could use to reflect on how they integrate technology in their classrooms.

You might already be familiar with frameworks like TPACK (Technology, Pedagogy, and Content Knowledge) and SAMR (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition). While these models are useful, the PICRAT framework was created to address gaps in these earlier models, offering a clearer, student-focused approach. Significantly, it encourages you to treat technology as a tool to support learning, rather than the goal itself.

It asks two simple questions: “How are students experiencing the technology?” and “How does this impact your practice?”. The answers to these questions form a matrix as pictured below. 

PIC (which runs along the y-axis) refers to the student’s relationship to the technology:

  • Passive – Students receive learning through technology
  • Interactive – Students interact with the content or other learning through technology 
  • Creative – Students construct knowledge using technology

RAT (which runs along the x-axis) refers to how the teacher uses the technology:

  • Replaces – Using technology but with an existing pedagogy
  • Amplifies – Using technology to improve pedagogy or outcomes
  • Transforms – Using technology to create new pedagogical practices

How can I apply the PICRAT model?

First choose the lesson you’re planning to deliver. Consider what activities you’ll be running and the technologies involved. You’ll then be able to plot where they sit on the matrix using the PICRAT acronym.

For example, if you are teaching a lesson on Python loops, you might initially plan for students to watch a pre-recorded coding tutorial on their laptops. In this scenario, the student experience is Passive (receiving info via tech), and the teacher’s use is Replacement because the video simply replaces a live lecture. To move up the matrix, you could instead have students use an online IDE to complete a “Parson’s Problem” puzzle where they rearrange blocks of code to fix a loop. This shifts the activity to Interactive and Amplification, as the digital tool provides immediate debugging feedback that a paper-based exercise could not.

Educator presenting in a classroom.

Next, think about how you might move your practice forwards. Although every position on the matrix has its own value, the framework is hierarchical. The overall goal is to try to move your practice towards the top right of the matrix to be Creative and Transformative.

To help you achieve this, take some time to reflect on your current lessons, activities, and the technologies you use. Ask yourself questions like:

  • What does the technology I’m using offer that could be used to amplify my practice?
    • What benefits would this have for students?
  • Does the technology present opportunities for students to interact with each other, not just the technology?
  • What other technological tools might support collaboration? 

Research highlights that technology is rarely used in ways that allow young people to be creative. By using the PICRAT matrix, teachers can identify missed opportunities and explore ways to transform their lessons, ensuring learners can be creative and thrive.

The benefits of the PICRAT model

Potential benefits for educators:

  • The framework encourages meaningful reflections, allowing teachers to easily evaluate how they’re using technology within their lessons
  • Reflections and the PICRAT matrix helps teachers to identify missed opportunities and gaps in their practice, ultimately leading to better student experiences
Photo of educators sharing ideas in a classroom.

You can use the PICRAT framework as part of your own reflections, or as part of a group activity. It’s a great way to spark discussion about technology integration with colleagues and improve best practices.

Want to find out more about the PICRAT framework?

If you’d like to learn more about the PICRAT model, you can download our Quick Read for free via our new Pedagogy Quick Reads page.

The post How to evaluate your use of classroom technology with the PICRAT framework appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.