Today, we're excited to take you on another journey through the upcoming Iceland DLC for Euro Truck Simulator 2. This time, we're focusing on one of the country's fascinating pieces of infrastructure - its bridges.
Although Iceland is known for its dramatic volcanoes, glaciers, and waterfalls, every trucker's journey depends on something a little less obvious: the bridges that connect communities across the landscape. From narrow crossings over glacial rivers to long bridges spanning waterways, each one plays an important role in keeping the country's road network moving.
Our map team has carefully recreated a wide variety of bridges inspired by their real-world counterparts. Whether you're hauling cargo along the famous Ring Road or venturing onto more remote routes, you'll encounter structures that reflect Iceland's unique engineering and natural surroundings.
One of the defining characteristics of Icelandic bridges is their diversity. Modern concrete spans stand alongside older steel bridges that have served travellers for decades. In more remote areas, you'll also find plenty of single-lane bridges, where traffic from both directions must carefully share the crossing. These iconic structures have become a familiar sight for anyone who has explored Iceland by road, and we're happy to bring that authentic experience to the game.
Creating these locations required close attention to both realism and gameplay. Our teams worked to ensure that each bridge feels like a natural part of the surrounding landscape while remaining enjoyable to drive across. Terrain, road alignment, barriers, signage, and nearby landmarks all contribute to making every crossing a memorable part of your journey. Of course, bridges are much more than simple road crossings; they also offer some breathtaking views!
The DistroWatch news feed is brought to you by TUXEDO COMPUTERS. This week in DistroWatch Weekly:
Review: Artix 20260419
News: Google locks down Android, TUXEDO OS moves to Debian foundation, Mint updates Cinnamon on Wayland, Redox OS gets USB gamepad support, OpenMandriva recovers from repository deletion, OSNews author compares Windows and Linux
Questions and answers: Making migration to Linux easier
Released last....
On 12 July 2026, three years after the initial release, the regular
support for Debian 12, alias bookworm, has come to an end. The
Debian Long Term Support (LTS) Team
is taking over security support from the Security and Release Teams.
If you are upgrading from v0.16.x, replace the binary (or run docker pull). If you are upgrading from v0.15.x and below, please read the upgrading documentation for more information on how to upgrade from previous versions.
Added
FreeBSD support.
Changed
Fixed
OAuth resource indicators: Accept imap, smtp, pop3 and sieve as valid resource indicators for OAuth access tokens.
This version of Companion requires macOS 13.5 or later
Shell command execution and installing modules over the network from another machine are now disabled by default, and must be explicitly enabled. Installing modules from the store, or from the local machine, is unaffected. (#4252)
The dedicated Elgato plugin server has been removed (#4123)
The Debian project is pleased to announce the fifteenth and final update of its
oldstable distribution Debian 12 (codename bookworm).
This point release mainly adds corrections for security issues,
along with a few adjustments for serious problems. Security advisories
have already been published separately and are referenced where available.
The Debian project is pleased to announce the sixth update of its
stable distribution Debian 13 (codename trixie).
This point release mainly adds corrections for security issues,
along with a few adjustments for serious problems. Security advisories
have already been published separately and are referenced where available.
Today, we're taking you behind the scenes of the development of Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator to explore another important part of the process that helps shape your experience on the road. This time, we're shining a spotlight on UI/UX QA and its role in creating intuitive, enjoyable, and polished interfaces for our players.
To guide you through this fascinating area, we'd like to introduce Petr and Jan from our UI/UX QA team. They'll take you along for a day at work, explain what their role involves, and share how they help ensure every menu, button, and interaction feels just right before it reaches your screen.
Petr - Console & UI/UX QA Lead
"Hi! My name is Petr, and I work as the Console & UI/UX QA Lead. Together with my colleagues, I helped build two teams that now play a key role in ensuring our games both function well and deliver a great user experience.
We are responsible for both Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator across all platforms, including traditional PC, Steam Deck, VR, PlayStation, and Xbox Series X/S. In addition to the games themselves, we're also heavily involved in testing projects such as Driving Academy, Coaches, and Road Trip.
My work mainly revolves around coordination, planning, and analysing testing results. I collaborate closely with other teams to identify and resolve bugs or UX issues as early as possible. My goal is to organise our processes so that the entire team can work efficiently and stay focused without unnecessary pressure before every new patch or DLC release.
I also actively test everything my team works on. Not only do I genuinely enjoy testing, but I also see it as a major advantage. Being directly involved in the entire process allows me to better identify areas where we can continue improving and moving forward as a team.
I'm always there to support my team whenever they're unsure about something or need advice, and I make a conscious effort to maintain a positive, friendly atmosphere where everyone enjoys working together."
Jan - Senior UI/UX Tester
"Hi, I'm Jan, and I'm a Senior UI/UX Tester with a primary focus on playtesting. I'm 31 years old, and I've been at SCS Software for two years. I originally joined the company as a Junior Tester without a specific specialisation, but once I settled into the team and got to know our development process, I quickly discovered a passion for user experience.
With the support and guidance of Petr, who was already a senior at the time, I helped establish our playtesting process and have been refining it ever since."
What is UI/UX QA?
"Before a new feature gets added to our games, it has to go through a long journey. And the UI/UX (User Interface/User Experience) is there along the way. Whether it's a new feature or a redesign of an existing one, it all starts with analysis and dialogue between us (QA department) and the Game Design (GD) department. For redesigns, we need to start by assessing the current state, what works, and where changes are needed, and for new features and redesigns alike, we need to think about where we want to arrive. Answers to these questions will then inform all future decisions."
What does a typical UI/UX testing process look like, and how closely do you work with other teams?
"In general, we try to be involved in the process of a feature development as soon as possible and cooperate with the GD department as closely as we can, so we're also a part of the next stage of the feature's journey, where we provide feedback on the design. This means looking at the design document and trying to think ahead, so we ask questions like: "Is this going to be intuitive? Is it clear that this is a button? Aren't we forgetting anything? What about accessibility? Will the text be legible on a smaller screen?" and many more. After some back and forth with the GD department, we arrive at a design that can then be implemented by a programmer.
The first playable prototype is the point where we have to start sitting in two chairs at once. We still have to see the big picture - know the design, see how all the pieces fit, know why some decisions were made the way they were. But now, we can also see the game as a player seeing the feature for the first time. We have to become a player that is just starting out and has never played any other game before. A hardcore gamer who has played many games, but never a trucking simulator. Or a real-life trucker who plays our games on a handheld at their rest stops. Our games are played by a very wide audience, and the design has to work and be intuitive for all of them.
At this stage, we identify further issues, offer improvements, and look for possible solutions together with the GD team and programmers working on the feature. After we feel confident enough with the state we arrive at, it's time to validate in the next stage.
The next important part of the feature's journey is internal Playtesting. It's a great way of getting a fresh perspective from people from various parts of the company who haven't seen the design documents and ideally don't know anything about it. Before we start playtesting, we define the questions we want answers to: "Is this screen intuitive? Does it control all accessories well? Did the addition of X add any unnecessary friction?" Based on these questions, we prepare detailed scenarios for the respondents to go through, which will get them to engage with the (re)designed feature in ways that try to simulate a regular gameplay loop. We then invite the respondents to our Playtest Lab, where we guide them through the scenarios, observing their behaviour, reactions, taking down notes, and asking questions. We also utilise eye tracking, which gives us more insight about the players' focus, telling us which elements are observed first and which go by completely unnoticed.
After the playtest ends, respondents also fill out a questionnaire, which allows them to think about the feature some more, further comment on it, and possibly come up with ideas of their own.
All of this gives us a lot of data that needs to be processed. For this, we use practices from applied research, so we start with qualitative coding, followed by thematic analysis with frequency counting. In layman's terms, we go through all the raw statements and observed behaviours and assign them to various categories, along with how often they were mentioned/observed. This helps us to identify recurring patterns and assign them to broader themes/issues.
We then prepare a final Output, which summarises the respondents' behaviour, reactions, opinions, identifies underlying issues, and proposes possible solutions.
The next steps depend on the results of the playtest. If we identify some deep issues that require big changes in the design, we have to go back to the drawing board, repeating the previous points, leading to another playtest to confirm the issues have been satisfactorily addressed. A good recent example is the redesigned Skip Time / Rest feature, which also divided Fatigue into two separate mechanics (Fatigue and Mandatory Break). During playtesting, we found out that this new division and its representation were very confusing to players, and the feature had to be redesigned completely, to great success (at least we hope so).
If, on the other hand, we only identify surface-level issues that require some polish, the GD department tackles those, and we can move on to the final testing of the feature.
In the final testing, we mostly focus on FQA - the design is largely set, and we're now making sure it all works as intended. As soon as this is done, the feature can be merged into the main branch, where the Integration QA department takes over, making sure the feature itself survived the merge in its intended state and didn't break anything else along the way, but that's for another chapter."
What do you enjoy most about working on UI/UX?
Petr: "What do I enjoy the most? That's a tough question. In short, pretty much everything! Everyone on our team is passionate about games of all kinds and genres, so having the opportunity to contribute our own ideas and suggestions for Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator is incredibly rewarding.
At SCS, we often do things our own way, which makes the work especially enjoyable. At the same time, we always keep our players at the heart of every decision. When developing new gameplay features, it's easy for designers to unintentionally fall into "tunnel vision." Our job is to challenge that perspective and bring in a fresh set of eyes. We think about our experienced truckers, but we never forget players who are just starting out. Looking at the game's interface from many different perspectives is both a key part of our work and one of its most creative aspects.
We put our all into making our games as accessible as possible while ensuring they remain just as fun to play."
Jan: "I like how it combines technical and human aspects. User experience is mostly an interaction between a human and a machine, and you have to make them understand each other.
The first project I came up with and delivered was the Graphics Settings screenshot representation to make it easier for players to see the changes they're making when setting up the visuals of their game, and that's the perfect example of what I mean - I'm interested in how things work under the hood, but also how the player perceives and understands them."
What message would you like to share with our community, and how valuable is player feedback in helping improve the user experience?
"Player feedback is incredibly important to us and a constant source of inspiration. We're genuinely happy to see more and more initiatives being built around your feedback here at SCS. I want to assure you that we truly do read your comments, ideas, and suggestions carefully, not just our UI/UX team, but the entire studio.
It's clear how much all of you who engage with us care about our games, and we feel exactly the same way. We love Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator, and we want to keep making them better and better. We genuinely want to know what you enjoy, what you'd like to see added, and what you think could be improved. We've already received an incredible amount of feedback. I wish you could see the extensive documents where we carefully collect and organise all of your ideas and requests.
Unfortunately, we can't implement every suggestion. There can be many reasons that aren't immediately obvious, such as engine limitations, limited internal resources, technical constraints within our game systems, licensing agreements, and more. But please, keep talking to us! Your feedback never goes unnoticed. It's thanks to you that we're able to continue on this journey and keep making the experience even better together.
Thank you to everyone who's travelling this exciting road with us!"
This new alpha build has a quality of life improvement for the Move tools, support for CICP metadata, and good quality HDR->SDR tone mapping when opening HDR images with supported file types (including plugins).
Changed: The Move Selection and Move Selected Pixels tools will now behave more intuitively when using constrained resizing (when holding shift). The aspect ratio that was used for a constrained resize used to be “locked in” when the selection was first drawn. The aspect ratio is now picked up when you start a constrained resize, and remembered until a non-constrained resize is performed.
Added CICP metadata and color management support to the imaging framework
See the CicpColorSpace struct in the PaintDotNet.Imaging namespace.
It has a CanColorTransformFrom property, indicating that it can be used as the source color space for the IImagingFactory.CreateColorTransformedBitmap or IBitmapSource.CreateColorTransformer extension methods.
It also has a CanCreateColorContext property that indicates when it is possible to create an IColorContext directly (ICC profiles can’t be generated for all CICP combinations) with the IImagingFactory.CreateColorContext(CicpColorSpace) extension method.
These can then be used by a FileType to provide a compatible image (“document”). Paint.NET’s color management is based on ICC color profiles, and some CICP color spaces (those involving PQ or HLG) cannot be expressed as an ICC color profile. Those images can, however, be transformed to an ICC-compatible color space with the aforementioned extension methods.
Added HDR support to the new FileType plugin system
An image is tagged as HDR at load time via the IFileTypeDocument.Metadata.Hdr metadata section. Set IsHdrDocument to true, and optionally specify luminance data. The pixel format must be floating point (PixelFormats.Rgba64Half or PixelFormats.Rgba128Float), and the color context must be linearized.
Paint.NET does not yet support HDR editing, so it will convert the image to SDR with appropriate, high quality tone mapping.
Added CICP support for AVIF, JPEG XL, and PNG.
Added HDR tone mapping support for AVIF, HEIC, JPEG XL, JPEG XR, and PNG. If the image file being opened is HDR then it will be converted to SDR in an appropriate manner. Eventually Paint.NET will support HDR editing, this conversion process will go away, and the FileType plugins won’t even need to be updated.
Added Rgb64, Rgb64Half, and Rgb128Float pixel formats for the imaging framework.
Added a /disableCompositionSwapChain command-line parameter. This disables the use of Windows.UI.Composition, and should enable easier progress on the WINE effort.
Fixed: When right-clicking on an image tab at the top, and then clicking on Open Containing Folder, two Explorer windows were being opened.
This build is available via the built-in updater as long as you have opted-in to pre-release updates. From within Settings -> Updates, enable “Also check for pre-release (beta) versions of paint.net” and then click on the Check Now button. You can also use the links below to download an offline installer or portable ZIP.
You can also download the installer here (for any supported CPU and OS), which is also where you can find downloads for offline installers, portable ZIPs, and deployable MSIs.
Fixed extra padding on some UI elements on Windows in Beta 1-2 [Warchamp7]
Fixed NVIDIA Audio Effects not working in Beta 1-2 [pkviet]
Fixed issues with long item names in the Audio Mixer in Beta 1-2 [Warchamp7]
Removed redundant "Monitor Only" from the Advanced Audio Properties window [Warchamp7]
Mute and Monitor are handled independently in the new Audio Mixer
Removed Close button from What's New dialog [Warchamp7]
Removed margins from What's New dialog [Warchamp7]
Beta 2 Changes
Fixed a CI deployment issue. There are no application changes since Beta 1.
32.2 New Features
Replaced add source dropdown with new dialog [Warchamp7]
Improved FPS selector UX [jcm93]
Added missing file support for filters [exeldro]
Added ability for plugins to set custom icons for new source types [cg2121]
Included .webp files when adding a directory to Image Slide Show source [TarunCore]
Added copy paste functions to frontend API [exeldro]
Added filter to compose SDR into HDR [jpark37]
Added delete as a hotkey to delete sources on macOS [PatTheMav]
Added dynamic bitrate support to multitrack video [lexano-ivs]
32.2 Changes
Forced Intel-based installations to update to Apple Silicon version on macOS [PatTheMav]
This change means that OBS Studio versions built for Intel-based Macs but running on Apple Silicon Macs will automatically update to OBS Studio built for Apple Silicon Macs. If an installation was using third-party plugins, those plugins will no longer load until replaced with Apple Silicon versions.
Fixed audio mixer state getting out of sync when changing settings via websockets or plugins [Warchamp7]
Added theming for checked QToolButtons [glikely]
Improved OpenGL performance slightly on low-end machines [kkartaltepe]
Set minimum size for color source to 1 pixel [exeldro]
Added minimum width to spinboxes [Warchamp7]
Disallowed overwriting the crash handler [sebastian-s-beckmann]
Applied process mitigation policies for Windows [notr1ch]
Adjusted description of multitrack video [jhnbwrs]
Changed new capture devices to use fallback frame rate by default [PatTheMav]
Improved DLL loading behavior on Windows [notr1ch]
Limited multitrack video config to Custom service [PatTheMav]
32.2 Bug Fixes
Fixed OAuth and dock state save corruption [PatTheMav]
Fixed group bounds not resizing when removing items [howellrl]
Fixed canvas mixes not being restored after video reset [dsaedtler]
Fixed some erroneous crashes during shutdown [Warchamp7]
Fixed display capture sometimes capturing black after a duplicator failure [ThrowTop]
Fixed color of controls dock output buttons in System theme [shiina424]
Fixed virtual camera reset failures [stephematician]
Fixed potential crash when user discards changes in the settings window [suogesi]
Fixed incorrect return value in virtualcam filter [xtfo]
Fixed source toolbar buttons not working after dragging a source into a group [Warchamp7]
Fixed properties hint icon spacing [Warchamp7]
Fixed potential crash when a video device reconnects on macOS [jcm93]
Fixed an issue where PipeWire could fail on NVIDIA GPUs [hoshinolina]
In today's blog, we'd like to introduce you to some of the custom depots and industries you'll be able to visit in our upcoming South Dakota DLC for American Truck Simulator!
South Dakota's economy is built on a strong foundation of manufacturing, agriculture, and construction. While the state is well known for its farming and ranching, it is also home to a growing manufacturing sector that produces everything from trailers and heavy equipment to food products distributed across the country. As always, we've taken inspiration from these real-world industries to create authentic locations that bring the state's economy to life.
One of the new highlights you'll encounter are the trailer manufacturing plants located in Watertown and Mitchell. These large industrial facilities specialize in producing a variety of trailers, with completed units ready to be delivered to dealerships and customers across the map. You'll also be bringing in the materials and components needed to keep the production lines moving, making these factories a busy part of South Dakota's freight network.
If construction is more your style, you'll have the opportunity to deliver to new residential housing developments located in Watertown and Spearfish. These construction sites require regular deliveries of building materials, heavy machinery, and other essential cargo to support ongoing work.
The food industry also plays an important role in South Dakota's economy, and that's reflected in the new custom food factory you'll find in Sioux Falls. This modern production facility receives a wide variety of raw ingredients before processing and packaging food products that are then shipped to businesses across the country. Whether you're delivering supplies or hauling finished goods, there's always plenty of work to be done.
These new industries are just a small taste of what awaits you in the South Dakota DLC, and we can't wait for you to explore them for yourself. If you're looking forward to hauling cargo across the Mount Rushmore State, be sure to add the South Dakota DLC to your Steam wishlist!
Release Highlights: Although GeForce Game Ready Drivers and NVIDIA Studio Drivers can be installed on supported notebook GPUs, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) provides certified drivers for your specific notebook on their website. NVIDIA recommends that you check with your notebook OEM for recommended software updates for your notebook.
Game Ready for DOOM: The Dark Ages | Revelations This new Game Ready Driver provides the best gaming experience for the latest new games supporting DLSS and RTX technologies including DOOM: The Dark Ages | Revelations and Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced.
Fixed Gaming Bugs
N/A
Fixed General Bugs
Tencent Meeting: Flickering may be observed when Smooth Motion is enabled globally [6329207]
sandboxing can fail in too many creative ways (funky linux distros with funky filesystem layouts and policies) so autoconfiguring bwrap is not feasible
to enable it, set use-bwrap: y after adjusting th-bwrap to match your OS/env
see the default th-bwrap value in --help on your server for a best-effort guess
It's been a while since we last shared a story from our community, and today we're excited to bring you another one. This time, we follow Arda from Türkiye, a fan of Euro Truck Simulator 2, who turned his passion for virtual trucking into reality and has now earned his real truck driver's license!
What started as a love for life on the road in-game has grown into a real profession behind the wheel. Arda started playing Euro Truck Simulator 2 regularly in 2025, and the enjoyment he found in ETS2 inspired him to pursue truck driving in real life.
"ETS2 is extremely popular in Türkiye and has a very large and passionate community. I have always loved simulation games, so I bought the game immediately after discovering it. What I enjoyed most about ETS2 was its realism. The traffic rules, weather conditions, real truck brands, vehicles, countries, and maps all felt incredibly immersive. It genuinely felt like I was traveling across different countries. The truck sounds are very close to reality, and playing the game helps me relax and leave behind the stress of everyday life," says Arda.
When he started playing ETS2, he had no prior experience with driving trucks. At first, Arda played the single-player mode until he discovered Driving Academy and became hooked.
"I immediately thought that maybe this is what I've been looking for. It turned out to be exactly that. On that day, I decided to obtain a truck driver's license. I spent a lot of time practicing in Driving Academy. I challenged myself to complete the scenarios using only the first-person camera view. The final scenarios were extremely difficult. There were many nights when I stayed awake until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning trying to complete a single challenge. At one point, I thought I would never finish them, but after enough repetition and practice, I gradually improved. The final challenges were very difficult, but I was incredibly happy when I completed them all."
Arda realized how much he enjoyed being on the road and traveling toward a destination. The more time he spent playing the game, the more excited he became whenever he saw a real truck on the road. Before the end of the year, he signed up for a truck driving course and decided to pursue it seriously, and eventually succeeded as well.
"The experience I gained in ETS2, and especially in Driving Academy, helped me tremendously during my lessons. Reverse maneuvers, reversing with a trailer, and navigating tight or sharp turns felt much easier because I had already practiced them extensively in the game. I have been driving regular vehicles for many years, but maneuvering a trailer, especially in reverse, is completely different from driving a car. Without ETS2, I would have struggled much more," he told us.
We have also received stories over the years from other members of our community who had a similar story, and we are so proud that ETS2 contributed to Arda's career in real life.
"I told my instructors about the game and how much it had helped me
improve so quickly. When I noticed that I was progressing faster than
many other trainee drivers, I realized just how beneficial the game had
been for me. I saw that around 30–40% of candidates failed. I told many of them about ETS2 because it genuinely helped me. Reversing and parking a truck with a trailer is largely a matter of practice, and Driving Academy provides an excellent environment for that. After enough repetition, your brain becomes surprisingly comfortable performing similar maneuvers in real life."
It goes to show that Euro Truck Simulator 2 and the Driving Academy can help players to grasp the feeling of driving a truck and make it more comfortable when you sit in the real vehicle, as Arda elaborates on here:
"In the game, I often leaned my view out of the driver's side window while reversing into parking spaces. When I later tried similar maneuvers in real life, I was amazed by how natural they felt. Parking in an L-shape to the right (a 90-degree reverse parking maneuver) is difficult both in the game and in reality. However, through countless hours of practice in Driving Academy, I learned how to approach those situations calmly, how much steering input was appropriate, when a maneuver became risky, and how to reverse into areas with limited visibility. The experience felt remarkably close to real life. Without ETS2, I might not have passed the exam," Arda shared with us.
Even though he completed the truck driving license, there are still more things Arda needs to sort out before he can begin his real-life journey on the route.
"In Türkiye - and perhaps in other countries as well - obtaining a truck
driver's license is only the first step. To work professionally as a
truck driver, additional certificates,
transportation qualifications, and international freight transport
documents are required. I have already obtained all of them except one,
and I am currently waiting for the final certification process to be
completed. After that, I will officially be able
to work in freight transportation," he says.
At the end of the blog, Arda has a message to the #BestCommunityEver, which might even motivate some of you who have been thinking about taking up a career as a truck driver to make the next step!
"After experiencing real trucks firsthand, I realized how
comfortable they actually are. I wish I could drive a truck every day. The cabin is incredibly
comfortable, and the driving position provides a great sense of
confidence and safety. Being able to see the road from above other
vehicles is a unique and enjoyable feeling. The large windshield
offers a wonderful view of both the road and the scenery. Even in ETS2,
I would often stop to admire beautiful landscapes and lighting
conditions. Experiencing that feeling in real life, however, is
something truly special and difficult to put into words."
We would like to thank Arda for sharing this story with our community and us, and wish him safe travels in his future truck driving adventures!
Don't forget to follow us on our X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube, so you won't miss out on upcoming news! We'd also really appreciate it if you could sign up for our newsletter to stay informed, even when you're not able to check out the blog or our socials.
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