GPL(GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE) FREEDOM 0:
The freedom to run the program as you wish, for any purpose.
FREEDOM 1:
The freedom to study how the program works, and change it so it does your computing as you wish.
FREEDOM 2:
The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help others.
FREEDOM 3:
The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others.

9to5Linux Weekly Roundup for September 20th, 2026, brings news about GNOME 51, Firefox 156, Thunderbird 156, Fedora 45 Beta, Calibre 9.15, MX Linux 25.3, PipeWire 1.6.9, Clonezilla Live 3.3.3-37, HPLIP 3.26.6, Ubuntu 26.10 Snapshot 4, VirtualBox 7.2.18, new Raspberry Pi OS release, DXVK 3.1.1, and more.

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Kairos is an immutable Linux meta-distribution providing atomic upgrades and lifecycle management for edge, cloud and bare-metal systems.

The post Kairos – immutable Linux meta-distribution for edge and cloud appeared first on LinuxLinks.

I have been (mostly) happily running Home Assistant in my homelab for a while now. There is a tiny issue, though. While my wife and I can manage most devices through the companion app, kids or guests cannot.

Reaching out for a phone is not always convenient, and of course, I cannot handover my phone to guests. Home Assistant's own Voice Preview device is not a capable device if you are not connected to the cloud.

So when I got my hands on the Elecrow CrowPanel Advanced 10.1", a big ESP32-P4 touchscreen, I got some ideas. I could configure this device to allow access to some connected devices and put it in a common area where anyone in the household could use it.

It's an ESP32 device, and I already tinkered a little with ESPHome on my ZimaBoard so it was kind of a natural fit.

Note that this is a developer board with a screen. It's not an out-of-the-box smart home panel you just take out of the box and mount on your wall. If you enjoy tinkering, building things, you will like the device. If you want something that just works, it's not for you.

Hardware specification

Here is a quick look at what this device is packing inside it:

It has interesting hardware, especially since it also offers a camera connector. My package came with a camera as well, not sure if it is included in all the boxes.

And then you also get the options to connect speakers on their own port. Which means that if you connect a LLM to your Home Assistant, and get a reply in audio format. There is a battery connector in case you want to use the device without direct power connection. The I2C, UART, and GPIO pins are accessible, too.

Setting up the display with Home Assistant

This is where I spent most of my time, and where you should set your expectations.

Out of the box the board runs Elecrow's demo firmware, which shows off the screen but does nothing useful really. But it is still good enough to test the touchscreen and its connectivity. You would at least know that the device is working.

To make it as control panel for the Home Assistant, I flashed it with my own firmware. I went the ESPHome route, since ESPHome talks to Home Assistant over its native API and does not need the Supervisor add-on setup, which matters because I run Home Assistant in a container on Zima OS.

I will be honest, the first flash was not smooth. Getting WiFi up on this board took real work, because the ESP32-P4 has no radio of its own and leans on the ESP32-C6 over an internal SDIO link. On my V1.1 unit, the data line order was reversed compared to the reference configs I was following. Until I sorted that out, the board just kept rebooting. But that's really my fault.

One thing worth mentioning is that the stock demo firmware did not remember my WiFi after a reboot. I had to enter the credentials again. Once I moved to my own ESPHome firmware, it remained connected after reboots. So, if you only ever run the demo, do not expect it to hold settings. Perhaps that's the intentional behavior?

My first test project was really simple. I coded a single button on the screen to work as a switch in Home Assistant for my geyser plug. Tapping it toggled the real device. Also, when I flipped the geyser from the Home Assistant app instead, the button on the screen updated to match. So, things worked as expected.

Elecrow recommends SquareLine Vision for building the UI visually, which should be easier (more intuitive) than coding in LVGL in Arduino IDE.

The display in everyday use

The screen itself is fine. It's not top-notch like an iPad. The best way I can describe it is that it feels like an entry-level tablet.

The 1024x600 IPS panel is bright enough and the viewing angles are okay, but it is not going to impress anyone who has looked at a modern premium phone recently. For a control panel stuck on a wall showing buttons, that is completely acceptable.

Touch response was good in my testing. Taps registered reliably and I did not have to poke twice.

Ports, audio, and the room to grow

The CrowPanel display is meant to be more than just a display.

The two small speakers, when paired with the onboard microphone, can work as a voice satellite for Home Assistant Assist. So you get both a screen and a voice endpoint in one device.

Of course, I am limiting it to Home Assistant but you can have more usage in godowns, factories, and even in homelab setups. Your imagination and creativity can be better than me.

Then there is the battery connector. A battery option gives it more flexibility and portability. It may be a good fit where you need the device to survive during a power cut. I did not test battery life as I did not have a spare battery to connect.

The exposed I2C, UART, and GPIO means you can plug in extra sensors, another microcontroller, or your own hardware off this board. For a DIY audience, that flexibility is worth more than a prettier screen.

The camera and the AI question

Elecrow also mentions "integrated AI vision capabilities" because it has the scope for an add-on camera. The 2 MP camera is optional but it came in the package. I plugged the camera in and it worked.

I have not properly tested the on-device AI feature. The ESP32-C6 is supposed to give edge AI capability to embedded devices. Now this could work with simpler cases like facial recognition for unlocking access, my thinking is that instead of running AI on the display board itself, use it as an interface and let a vision model run on a more capable device.

Is it worth getting?

This is a decent offering for DIY makers. From homelab to actual industry usage, this device has potential that can be utilized by your requirements and imagination.

If you already tinker with ESPHome or ESP32 projects and you want a large touchscreen to build a project, this board gives you a lot to work with.

Play with LVGL and you can configure the device as per your need. And you don't even need to know coding. LLMs these days can easily help you generate code you want for your project.

I am repeating myself. This is not a plug-and-play smart home panel. You have to build on it. I started with a working control panel, and I plan on expanding that dashboard well beyond one button.

But if you are not comfortable flashing firmware, writing/generating code, it's not for you.

pwd looks like one of the simplest Linux commands, but there are a few details worth knowing once symlinks and

The Fedora CoreOS and QA teams are gearing up for Fedora 45, and we need your help! We are organizing a Fedora CoreOS Test Week starting on September 21, 2026.

This event is a great opportunity for the community to test Fedora CoreOS (FCOS) based on Fedora 45 content before it officially reaches the testing and stable streams. By participating, you help us ensure a smooth and reliable experience for all users.

How does a Test Week work?

A Test Week is an event where anyone can help verify that the upcoming release works as expected. If you’ve been looking for a way to get started with Fedora contribution, this is the perfect entry point.

To participate, you simply need to:

• Download the Fedora CoreOS test images.
• Follow the step-by-step test cases provided.
• Report whether the tests passed or failed on your hardware or VM.

The Wiki Page is your primary source of information for this event. It contains information on what to download (and from where), what and how to test, who you can contact if necessary, and where to report any bugs you may find. Once you have completed your tests, please log your results there!

Your contribution, big or small, makes a huge difference. Let’s work together to make Fedora CoreOS 45 a great release. Happy testing!

Fedora 45 beta has been released with updated Gnome, KDE Plasma, and kernel.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Read the full article on GamingOnLinux.