On the occasion of its tenth anniversary, IBM's developerWorks site for software developers and IT professionals has compiled a list of the top ten developments in the Linux world. The list leaves out several things that Linux enthusiasts might be inclined to include: no Debian, no KDE or GNOME, no Android, Moblin or other embedded system, no exciting advancements in the Linux kernel – IBM's perspective on Linux is a little different.
Several Linux distributors are releasing updated kernel packages to close security holes in the kernel. For instance, very large packets can reportedly be used to remotely provoke a flaw in the TCP/IPv4 stack's ip_defrag() (net/ipv4/ip_fragment.c) function. This can potentially cause null-pointer dereferencing and crash a system.
When your editor was in Tokyo recently, he had the privilege to talk with KaiGai Kohei at some length about the SE-PgSQL patch set. This work, developed by KaiGai for the last two years or so, integrates SELinux with the PostgreSQL database manager, enabling fine-grained control over access to data stored within a database. The SE-PgSQL patch has struggled to get into the PostgreSQL mainline; it is now preparing for what may well be its last push to be merged. Whether it's successful may, in the end, depend on whether it receives support from potential users.
Nearly three months after the release of Linux kernel 2.6.31, Linus Torvalds has now put the lid on Linux 2.6.32 development. Like its predecessors in the main development tree, the new version includes a plethora of new features. The close collaboration between AMD's graphics chip department and the open source community has borne further fruit, with Linux 2.6.32 now enabling 3D support and kernel-based mode setting (KMS) on the widely-used Radeon 2000, 3000 and 4000 series graphics cards.
Ubuntu Linux is one of the most popular Linux distros around and this week we're blessed with another release of it. The last version of Ubuntu I looked at for ExtremeTech was version 9.04 (Jaunty Jackelope). There have been some significant changes since that release in April, so read on to find out what they are and why you might want to consider upgrading to Ubuntu Linux 9.10.
There's some juicy stuff in this upgrade and here's some of what you'll find:
Whether you use a single desktop or manage a lab full of servers, with the various threats we all face from hackers these days you simply have to make sure you're running a secure ship.
Running Linux gives you some inherent protection from attack, but you still need to take adequate steps to thwart any attempts that people might make to compromise your system.
Here are 10 of the best courses of action that you can take.
Wine has advanced enough to make Linux not immune to Windows viruses. However, just like many Wine applications, it takes a bit of effort to get the program off the ground. Also, just like some Windows programs running via Wine, not all features may work — in this case, the crippling of the system, immunity to the task manager, identity theft, etc."
Web video site Hulu has released a Linux version of its Hulu Desktop. Hulu Desktop for Linux is optimized for Ubuntu 9.04 and Fedora 11, offers search and playback controls, and includes publisher tools for locating and integrating content, says Hulu.
After the release of Windows and Mac versions of Hulu Desktop earlier this year, Linux support was the number one requested feature, says the company. The desktop application provides a "lean-back viewing" interface to its Hulu.com online video service, which includes TV shows, movies, and a wide variety of video clips.
QUICK THINKING open sourcerers might have saved an Australian power supply system after its electrical grid control room network got infected with a virus.
A Windows virus hit the networks of Integral Energy and, according to a submission to Slashdot, the virus managed to spread to the operator display consoles in the control room.
With the first release candidate of Linux 2.6.32, last night, Linus Torvalds completed the main development phase of the next version of Linux on the main development branch. As the kernel hackers already integrate most of a new kernel version's major changes into the source code management system during this phase, called the merge window, 2.6.32-rc1 is already a good indicator of the most important new features due for release with Linux 2.6.32 in early December.
