August 11, 2026 tech news: ChatGPT Hits Linux; Linux Kills Off Old SGI Drivers; Linux Ends the Era of Forced Password Expiry.

ChatGPT Hits Linux

OpenAI has released a preview of the ChatGPT desktop app for Linux, filling a long-requested gap in its platform availability. The app brings ChatGPT, ChatGPT Work, and Codex to users of Ubuntu, Debian, and Fedora, following a similar move by Anthropic’s Claude.

• https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/11/openai-launches-chatgpt-desktop-app-for-linux/

Linux Kills Off Old SGI Drivers

The Linux 7.3 kernel is removing legacy Silicon Graphics (SGI) drivers, specifically the GRU and XP drivers, due to security concerns. These drivers supported hardware from as far back as 2012 (SGI UV2), and their removal streamlines the kernel and reduces the attack surface.

• https://www.phoronix.com/news/SGI-GRU-Being-Removed

Linux Ends the Era of Forced Password Expiry

Linux is moving away from forced periodic password changes, which are now considered a security risk rather than a benefit. The shadow-utils 4.20.0 release removes the ’expiry’ command and ignores minimum password age, as frequent rotations often lead users to create predictable, weak passwords.

• https://lwn.net/SubscriberLink/1086949/a91560b3e52f084a/