Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Vector Linux

Vector Linux is a small, fast, Intel based Linux operating system for PC style computers. The creators of Vector Linux had a single credo: keep it simple, keep it small and let the end user decide what their operating system is going to be. What has evolved from this concept is perhaps the best little Linux operating system available anywhere. For the casual computer user you have a lightening fast desktop with graphical programs to handle your daily activities from web surfing, sending and receiving email, chatting on ICQ or IRC to running an ftp server. The power user will be pleased because all the tools are there to compile their own programs, use the system as a server or perhaps the gateway for their home or office computer network. Administrators will be equally as pleased because the small size and memory requirements of the operating system can be deployed on older machines maybe long forgotten.

Freescale intros 12 ColdFire MPUs for Linux

“The MCF5445x devices' high level of performance at less than 400mW is impressive makes them compelling solutions for power-sensitive applications that require flexible connectivity options.”

Freescale Semiconductor has introduced a ColdFire microprocessor family designed to enable low-power, high-performance embedded systems running the Linux OS.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Ubuntu 7.10 Alpha 5 Brings New Printing System and X GUI

The fifth element ... ahem... Alpha release of the upcoming Ubuntu 7.10 (codename Gutsy Gibbon) was released last night. Tribe 5 comes with HOT new features and improvements, like a graphical configuration tool for X, new printing system and some hot Ubuntu Firefox features: "The Ubuntu developers are hurrying to bring you the absolute latest and greatest software the Open Source Community has to offer. Gutsy Gibbon Tribe 5 is the fifth alpha release of Ubuntu 7.10, and this alpha release brings a host of excellent new features."

What's new in Ubuntu 7.10 Tribe 5?

GNOME 2.19.90
Graphical configuration tool for X that allows you to set up dual monitors, change the default resolution for all users or change your monitor's refresh rate without having to turn to the terminal

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New Features for Firefox

a). Apt-Enabled Plugin Finder Wizard

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b). Extension Manager integration

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New Printing System which creates a default virtual PDF printer. Also, gnome-cups-manager has been replaced with system-config-printer.

Improved Restricted Manager GUI

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What's new in Kubuntu 7.10 Tribe 5?

• KDM Artwork
• Strigi is now fully integrated into Kubuntu
• KDE Sudo (GUI for sudo)
• OpenSync in KDE PIM
• KDE PIM Enterprise Branch
• KioskTool
• Adept has new hot features
• KMail and GPG
• Virtual Keyboard

What's new in Xubuntu 7.10 Tribe 5?

• Improved printing system
• New Features for Firefox
• Artwork Updates
• The Desktop has been rearranged

openSUSE 10.3 Beta 2 Released

The openSUSE team is working hard on the new version of their free Linux operating system, scheduled for release somewhere in October, very close to the Ubuntu 7.10 release. They are proud to announce today the second beta version of openSUSE 10.3. This beta comes with the latest and greatest Linux kernel 2.6.22.3, GLibc 2.6.1 and an improved YaST infrastructure. Let's have a quick look at the changes compared to the first beta:

• Linux kernel 2.6.22.3
• glibc 2.6.1
• libzypp 3.18.2
• Amarok 1.4.7
• Banshee 0.13.1
• Compiz 0.5.4
• Qt 4.3.1
• Thunderbird 2.0.0.5
• Wine 0.9.43
• more documentation and applications on the one CD installation media
YaST infrastructure was improved to allow writing complete YaST modules
• Bootloader-related improvements: openSUSE 10.3 will use "chainloader" if it detects additional installations' bootloader code in other partitions, otherwise "configfile" sections will be used (see Call for Testing below!)
• improved package lists of 1-CD GNOME and KDE
• countless bug fixes in every component

As usual, the openSUSE team urges users to test this beta release and report back through the openSUSE's bugzilla. The areas that require attention are:

• HAL
- compare lshal output with lshal output from <= Beta1
- check if you get an info on the desktop when you insert a USB-disk/stick, DVD/CDs etc. and if the volumes get mounted correctly
- test if you are able to umount/eject the media from the desktop
- try to mount LUKS (encrypted filesystem) media
- check if suspend is working correctly (via KPowersave or g-p-m)
- test if you can change the brightness of your laptop panel on <= Beta1, are you able to do the same with the new HAL version?
• libzypp / Package Management / Update
- before you report a bug, make sure to check for duplicates
• perl-Bootloader/Yast-Bootloader
As we switched to using chainloader or configfile sections for other installations, instead of just using the default entry as image section, please check if all other installed operating systems are still bootable.

Linux Kernel 2.6.22.4 Released

The 2.6.22.4 version from the 2.6 stable Linux kernel branch was released last night and it fixes an important vulnerability that allowed an unprivileged local user to send arbitrary signals to a child process despite security restrictions:

"This fixes a vulnerability in the "parent process death signal" implementation discoverd by Wojciech Purczynski of COSEINC PTE Ltd. and iSEC Security Research.", stated Greg Kroah-Hartman.

In a sane environment, non-root users can't send signals to processes running with different UID, but this vulnerability found in the Linux kernel by Wojciech Purczynski, allowed any local user to bypass security restrictions and send arbitrary signals to any child process executed by the user

Changes from version 2.6.22.3 to 2.6.22.4:

• Reset current->pdeath_signal on SUID binary execution (CVE-2007-3848)

The 2.6.22 Linux kernel includes features and drivers such as:

• New Slab allocator: SLUB
• New Wireless stack
• New Firewire stack
• Signal/timer events notifications through file descriptors
• Blackfin architecture
• UBI
• Secure RxRPC sockets
• Process footprint measurement facility
• utimensat()

Graphic drivers:

• pm3fb: Preliminary 2.4 to 2.6 port
• New framebuffer driver (vt8623fb) for VIA VT8623
• Hecuba framebuffer driver
• arkfb: new framebuffer driver for ARK Logic cards
• atmel_lcdfb: AT91/AT32 LCD Controller framebuffer driver
• Add Sun XVR-500 framebuffer driver. (commit) and Sun XVR-2500 framebuffer driver

Network drivers:

• Mellanox ConnectX InfiniBand adapters driver
• Marvell Libertas 8388 802.11b/g USB driver
• zr364xx V4L2 driver for USB webcams based on the zr364xx chipsets

The Linux Kernel is the essential part of all Linux Distributions, responsible for resource allocation, low-level hardware interfaces, security, simple communications, and basic file system management.

Linux is a clone of the Unix operating system, initially written from scratch by Linus Torvalds, assisted by a loosely-knit team of hackers across the Net. It aims to achieve POSIX and Single UNIX Specification compliance.