A new essay contends that computational science and open source software are effectively the same activity, since scientific claims can only be tested and systematized if the underlying code is open, inspectable, and reproducible. The author argues that treating software as a mere afterthought to publishing papers undermines the scientific method itself, and calls for academia to prioritize open, reproducible code as core scientific output rather than a side task.
jepedersen.dk
· 2026-09-19
Switzerland's Federal Chancellery is spending 9 million Swiss francs to move 3,000 government workstations off Microsoft 365 tools like Outlook and Teams, adopting the open-source openDesk suite instead. The decision follows a successful pilot program called PoC BOSS, which tested the software with 172 federal employees who found it workable for standard office tasks, though large-scale video conferencing showed some limitations. The rollout is planned to be complete by the end of 2027, with potential to expand further across the federal workforce.
techspot.com
· 2026-09-09
California's Assembly passed Bill 1856, amending the Digital Age Assurance Act to exclude operating systems and software meant to be freely copied, redistributed or modified from mandatory age-verification requirements. This shields most Linux distributions, though derivative projects with proprietary layers like Valve's SteamOS may still need to comply. The bill also fixes the DAAA's overly broad definition of 'user' and restricts sharing of age data to law enforcement requests.
techspot.com
· 2026-09-01
The Debian Project has decided against banning AI-generated contributions to its Linux distribution, instead requiring that all submissions meet existing standards for quality, correctness, maintainability, and legal compliance regardless of the tools used. Contributors must review, test, and modify AI-assisted output before submission, though disclosing AI involvement remains optional rather than mandatory.
theverge.com
· 2026-08-31
The Debian Project has voted to allow developers to use generative AI tools when producing contributions to the project, provided the resulting work meets Debian's existing standards. The decision clarifies that contributors remain fully responsible for reviewing, testing, and validating any AI-assisted code or documentation before submission, regardless of the tools used to create it.
lwn.net
· 2026-08-29
The Australian Federal Police arrested two men, aged 21 and 23, from Western Australia over their alleged roles in TeamPCP, a group accused of running the longest-running spree of software supply chain attacks. TeamPCP is said to have poisoned hundreds of open-source packages using a self-propagating worm called Shai-Hulud, stealing developer credentials to spread malicious code further. KrebsOnSecurity reports it had identified the 21-year-old suspect months earlier and had been in contact with a person claiming to speak for the group.
krebsonsecurity.com
· 2026-08-27
The Australian Federal Police, working with the FBI and Western Australia Police, arrested and charged a 21-year-old and a 23-year-old accused of belonging to TeamPCP, a hacking collective blamed for injecting malicious code into widely used open-source packages. The group's tampered code allegedly reached over a thousand organizations, including GitHub, OpenAI, Mistral AI, SAP and the European Commission, leading to theft of roughly half a million credentials and exfiltration of at least 300GB of data.
bleepingcomputer.com
· 2026-08-27
GoKawiil