Linux & Open Source News France moves to open source, modular Linux handheld PC, big Linux gaming progress
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Jan 31, 2026 France plans to replace US platforms with sovereign open source alternatives. A modular clamshell Linux handheld smashes its crowdfunding goal. A new collective aims to coordinate Linux gaming efforts and tooling. Desktop projects push Wayland, Rust compositors, and X11 continuity. NVIDIA launches a native GeForce Now Linux client and mod/compat tools advance Windows game support.
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Linux Gaming Teams Unite For Shared Infrastructure
- Multiple Linux gaming projects formed the Open Gaming Collective to centralize kernel patches, drivers, and packaging.
- Nick explains this avoids duplicated work while letting distros keep unique user experiences.
Kernel Project Now Has A Succession Plan
- The Linux kernel now has a contingency plan if Linus Torvalds' git repo becomes inaccessible.
- The plan tasks the current organizer to convene maintainers and pick a new centralized repo or manager within two weeks.
XFCE Builds A Rust Wayland Compositor
- XFCE is developing a Rust-based Wayland compositor (XFWL4) using Smithay for protocol support.
- The goal is feature parity with XFCE on X11 and a future-proof native Wayland session.