You can now download the 2.6.0-test9 Linux Kernel from here, or any of the www.kernel.org mirrors here, no changelog is currently available.| Linux Kernel 2.6.0-test9 Now Available For Download Posted Friday, October 31, 2003 @ 10:53 AM by mayhem |
| You can now download the 2.6.0-test9 Linux Kernel from here, or any of the www.kernel.org mirrors here, no changelog is currently available. |
| FreeBSD 4.9 Released Posted Thursday, October 30, 2003 @ 1:07 PM by mayhem |
 Excellent! FreeBSD 4.9 has been released, and if it's anything like the RC series, this will be a release to remember. You can obtain it from the usual sources, or if you're feeling generous and supportive, you can buy the cd set. Support your local Daemon! The new release includes numerous security advisory fixes, kernel changes and support for the Physical Address Extensions (PAE) capability on Intel Pentium Pro and higher processors (see page(4)). This release also adds support for a few more hardware NIC cards, ipfw network protocol enhancements, userland changes, and more. Check FreeBSD 4.9 Release Notes for more information. (Source: Slashdot) |
| Vector Linux 4 Reviewed Posted Tuesday, October 28, 2003 @ 12:58 PM by mayhem |
 On October 7th, the developers at Vector Linux released the latest version of their lightweight Linux distro, version 4. Vector has always been built upon the Slackware Linux framework and this time around it is based on Slack 9.0. The interesting thing here is that there was quite a delay between releases from the Vector camp, so as they were readying version 4, Pat Volkerding was releasing version 9.1 of his Slackware distro. This past Friday, the first review of Vector Linux was released (Distrowatch.com posted a link to it today). It was a pretty good review for the most part, but the interesting thing about it was that they actually benchmarked it against Slackware 9.1 and posted the results. I'll spoil the ending right now and tell you that Vector Linux won, but you should check out the findings. There are some pretty interesting numbers obtained from the two distros. The reviewer has published three PDF documents detailing the results. Everything was tested from the kernel to filesystem performance. It is interesting to say the least. Even if you don't have to time to read the whole article (it's two pages long), do check out the benchmark results. (Source: Slashdot) |
| Linux Kernel 2.4.23-pre9 Now Available For Download Posted Monday, October 27, 2003 @ 11:17 PM by mayhem |
| You can now download the 2.4.23-pre9 Linux Kernel from here, or any of the www.kernel.org mirrors here, full changelog information is available here. |
| Linux Kernel 2.4.23-pre8 Now Available For Download Posted Friday, October 24, 2003 @ 10:18 AM by mayhem |
| You can now download the 2.4.23-pre8 Linux Kernel from here, or any of the www.kernel.org mirrors here, full changelog information is available here. |
| mod_security 1.7 released Posted Wednesday, October 22, 2003 @ 1:08 PM by mayhem |
 Mod_security 1.7 has been released and it is available for immediate download. Mod_security is an Intrusion Detection and Prevention module for the Apache Web server. It operates embedded into the web server, acting as a powerful umbrella, shielding applications from attacks. Changes in this version include: Output filtering has been added to Apache 2.x. The ability to filter cookies directly has been added. Apache can now pretend to be some other Web server through the SecServerSignature directive. Three new actions: "allow" to finish filter processing and let the request through, "chain" to chain several filter together (logical AND), and "skipnext" to skip over filters. A new anti-evasion technique to fight null-byte attacks. Finally, the module now runs on Netware.More information is available here. (Source: Linux.com) |
| Deficiencies in resolving dependencies limit Linux's appeal Posted Wednesday, October 22, 2003 @ 1:03 PM by mayhem |
| I've been spending a lot of time lately trying to get a fairly sophisticated software package installed. I'll fill you in on the specifics when I've succeeded (he said optimistically). My main stumbling block has been resolving package dependencies -- what you need to have installed already in order to get the application you want to install to work. Dependency handling is a huge stumbling block Linux has to overcome if it hopes to gain wide consumer acceptance. Full article and comments are available here. This is an issuse that I agree needs to be resolved in order for Linux to gain a wider acceptance. (Source: NewsForge) |
| Patching Paranoia - How Fast Do You Patch? Posted Wednesday, October 22, 2003 @ 12:56 PM by mayhem |
 I work for an IT group in the Boston area called Thrive Networks. After the most recent exploit was revealed, my company scrambled to get our client's servers patched within 48 hours. This is extremely difficult because no customer wants to be interrupted by a reboot during business hours. Our staff worked after hours to get this patch installed ASAP. How fast do you (or your IT group) install patches for major exploits like this? What do you consider to be an acceptable turn around time for a vulnerability patch that may not even have an exploit yet? After Blaster and Welchia we decided it's better to be safe than sorry, and our customers seem to agree. (Source: Slashdot) |
| Linux Kernel 2.6.0-test8 Now Available For Download Posted Tuesday, October 21, 2003 @ 11:56 AM by mayhem |
| You can now download the 2.6.0-test8 Linux Kernel from here, or any of the www.kernel.org mirrors here, no changelog is currently available. |
| FreeBSD 5.1-RELEASE Reviewed Posted Saturday, October 18, 2003 @ 9:07 AM by mayhem |
| Here's a full review of FreeBSD 5.1-RELEASE complete with screen shots, a short comparison with GNU/Linux, and some notes on migrating to FreeBSD from Windows and GNU/Linux. (Source: Slashdot) |
| Mac OS X Panther 10.3 Reviewed Posted Friday, October 17, 2003 @ 12:16 AM by mayhem |
 OSNews posted a (constructively) critical, but also favorable review of Mac OS X Panther 10.3. The article discusses the new features, what works great and what's still sour, and it also includes a plethora of screenshots. The review's conclusion suggests Panther is "...a worthy operating system, easy to use, easy to set up, easy to get pleased by it. It just works. (Source: Slashdot) |
| Roll Your Own Firewall with Netfilter Posted Wednesday, October 15, 2003 @ 2:18 PM by mayhem |
| Every self-respecting Linux guru should be familiar with firewalls and how to install and configure them. With this in mind, Linux gurus also should be curious about how firewalls function and how to build a firewall of his or her own. More information is available int he full article here. (Source: NewsForge) |
| 'The dark side' of GPL Posted Wednesday, October 15, 2003 @ 2:15 PM by mayhem |
| Some people do not seem to understand a thing of the GPL and what it stands for. Apparently, asking for compliance with the license is fine if it's done by companies like MS, suing others to get money, but not when the FSF does it, to get improvement of the product. Read the ramblings of an author who seems to say all licenses are equal, but some are more equal then others. Full article is available here. (Source: NewsForge) |
| Resizing and defragmenting Linux filesystems Posted Wednesday, October 15, 2003 @ 2:13 PM by mayhem |
| Last time we talked about a few ways to optimize Linux filesystems. Now we'll talk about resizing and defragmenting, two other filesystem operations. (Source: NewsForge) |
| Build a network router on Linux Posted Wednesday, October 15, 2003 @ 2:12 PM by mayhem |
| Zebra is open source TCP/IP routing software that is similar to Cisco's Internetworking Operating System (IOS). Flexible and powerful, it can handle routing protocols such as Routing Information Protocol (RIP), Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), and all of their various flavors. This article shows how our authors set up Zebra and used it to manage routes dynamically in conjunction with real Cisco hardware. (Source: NewsForge) |
| Mandrake Linux 9.2 Hits the Street Posted Wednesday, October 15, 2003 @ 2:10 PM by mayhem |
 Just announced at Mandrake's website, Mandrake 9.2 (FiveStar) has just been released. Mandrake Club members get full access to 9.2 ISOs (through BitTorrent), as well as... all 9.2 contributors and translators. But the best news, in addition to all (impressive) 9.2 features is that everybody can access the traditional binary & sources tree! Public release of Mandrake 9.2 ISOs will happen at the same time as Mandrake 9.2 Pack availability in retail. It makes sense. (Source: Slashdot) |
| Longhorn in 2006 Posted Tuesday, October 14, 2003 @ 12:54 PM by mayhem |
| Microsoft Watch reports that Microsoft officials are now aiming for a 2006 release date for Longhorn, the follow up to Windows XP. Microsoft has been hyping aspects of this OS to its partners since 2001. I'm beginning to wonder if the industry will be in a far different place than Microsoft envisions 3 years down the line. (Source: Slashdot) |
| Linux Kernel 2.4.23-pre7 Now Available For Download Posted Saturday, October 11, 2003 @ 3:57 PM by mayhem |
| You can now download the 2.4.23-pre7 Linux Kernel from here, or any of the www.kernel.org mirrors here, full changelog information is available here. |
| Computerworld Australia: Linux Supercomputer Does a Teraflop Posted Thursday, October 9, 2003 @ 3:12 PM by mayhem |
| A Sydney-based Linux cluster has cracked the teraflop barrier to become Australia's fastest supercomputer, its owners claim. "The Australian Centre for Advanced Computing and Communications' (ac3) 155-node Dell cluster can perform at 1.07 teraflops per second, or 1,095 gigaflops per second, according to the Linpack benchmark. A teraflop is one trillion calculations... Complete story is available here. (Source: Linux Today) |
| Linux Kernel 2.6.0-test7 Now Available For Download Posted Thursday, October 9, 2003 @ 3:05 PM by mayhem |
| Linux Creator Linus Torvalds released the 2.6.0-test7 Linux development kernel today and declared a "stability freeze". It has been made quite clear that from this point only "strictly necessary stuff" will be accepted, clearing the way for an official 2.6.0 release sooner than later... possibly at the end of this month. (Source: Slashdot) |
| HOWTO: One NIC NAT Posted Tuesday, October 7, 2003 @ 10:04 AM by mayhem |
| For years I had been content with a 28.8k dial-up connection from my home system to a modem on my computer at work--it was free. The cost of DSL in my area was a little too high for me until competition from the local cable provider brought it down to what I was willing to pay. DSL is great, and because I like to telecommute from home, the extra bandwidth really helps. Also, now that I'm connected full time, I can access my home computer from work as well. Getting DSL working on my Red Hat 8.0 system (rp-pppoe) was only a matter of a few simple clicks. Full article and script is available here. (Source: NewsForge) |
| Viruses and Market Dominance - Myth or Fact? Posted Tuesday, October 7, 2003 @ 9:57 AM by mayhem |
 An article at The Register, authored by Scott Granneman of SecurityFocus, examines the conventional wisdom that if Linux or Mac OS X were as popular as Windows, there would be just as many viruses written for those platforms. Mr. Granneman bluntly says this is wrong, then proceeds to detail the fundamental differences between those OS's and Windows which make Windows an easy and inviting target for virus-writers, as opposed to the Unix-based platforms. (Source: Slashdot) |
| Will Vanderpool Make Linux More Popular? Posted Tuesday, October 7, 2003 @ 9:56 AM by mayhem |
 New Scientist is reporting that Intel's forthcoming multi-core processor architecture, codenamed "Vanderpool", could undermine Microsoft's dominance by letting other operating systems run simultaneously more easily. From the article: 'The chip will allow future machines to run, say, Windows XP together with Linux or the Apple operating system as easily as today's Windows computers run Word and Internet Explorer simultaneously.' (Source: Slashdot) |
| Book Reviews: Managing Linux Systems With Webmin Posted Tuesday, October 7, 2003 @ 9:54 AM by mayhem |
| Webmin is a pretty neat tool for administering a server using a GUI, particularly remotely. Managing Linux Systems with Webmin, written by Webmin's author, Jamie Cameron, is an extensive look at using and extending it, a good guide not without flaws. More information is available here. (Source: Slashdot) |
| PPPoE Setup Information Posted Sunday, October 5, 2003 @ 11:29 PM by mayhem |
| Our latest article, called PPPoE Setup, has just been added to the site, you can find it here. The information is based on the Roaring Penguin PPPoE client and the provided information. Next up on the list is PPP dial-in server setup information, keep a look out for this very soon (hopefully). |
| NetBSD Packages Collection Freeze Posted Sunday, October 5, 2003 @ 1:23 PM by mayhem |
| Starting Monday, October 6th, 2003, the NetBSD Packages Collection will be frozen in order to stabilize pkgsrc on the various supported platforms. As Alistair Crooks explains in his message to the tech-pkg mailing list, this freeze is done so that the pkgsrc team can shake out bugs, fix broken packages and close pkgsrc related problem reports. If you want to help out, you can take a look at the PR database and submit patches. (Source: NewsForge) |
| Axentra Rumba Server - Home Do-It-All Box Posted Saturday, October 4, 2003 @ 9:09 PM by mayhem |
| OSNews has an exclusive article on a new Linux-based server appliance product -- the first in the family -- the Axentra Rumba Server. The product is to be launched soon, but details of it have being leaked out already: The device has a mini ITX mobo, VIA C3 800 MHz CPU, 256 MB RAM, 40 GB hdd, USB 1.1, 2 LAN ports and in 1 WAN port (extra Wi-Fi USB device required). The device is useful as an Internet Gateway (DNS, IP filtering, Port forwarding, NAT firewall), as a network service (web server, file server, WebDAV, IMAP/SMTP, Samba, Content/Spam Filtering, photo album). It has an embedded web server so you can administer it via your web browser. It is compatible with Linux, Macs and Windows. (Source: Slashdot) |
| Pictures in the Gallery Posted Saturday, October 4, 2003 @ 2:20 AM by mayhem |
| Most Open Source applications tend to be general utilities or business software. Gallery, however, represents a new breed of applications designed for end users. The project provides a Web-based photo gallery, complete with thumbnails, index pages, and simple navigation, all while making life simple for the administrator as well as the user. Its strong feature set earned Gallery the Product of the Month designation for October... Complete story is available here. (Source: NewsForge) |
| Replacing the Aging Init Procedure on Linux Posted Friday, October 3, 2003 @ 1:54 PM by mayhem |
| Seth Nickell (of Storage and Gnome HIG fame) has started a new project which aims to replace the aging Init system on Linux. OSNews has more details on the project, directly from Seth. The new Python-based approach will make booting faster and it will talk to the D-BUS daemon, freedesktop.org's leading project. And speaking of freedesktop.org, it is important to mention the release of HAL 0.1, an implementation of a hardware abstraction layer for KDE, XFce and Gnome, based on a proposal by freedesktop.org's founder Havoc Pennington and being implemented by David Zeuthen. It is innovative projects like Storage, SystemServices and HAL that can bring the kind of integration to the underlying system that current X11 desktop environments lack. (Source: Slashdot) |
| Linux Kernel 2.4.23-pre6 Now Available For Download Posted Thursday, October 2, 2003 @ 11:27 PM by mayhem |
| You can now download the 2.4.23-pre6 Linux Kernel from here, or any of the www.kernel.org mirrors here, full changelog information is available here. |
| AMD Dual-Core on a Single-Chip: ETA 2005 Posted Wednesday, October 1, 2003 @ 5:21 PM by mayhem |
 AMD's officials made it clear that the first dual-core AMD Opteron processors featuring AMD64 aka x86-64 technology would be manufactured using 90nm SOI technology going into mass production in the second half of next year. In late 2005 AMD plans to start transition to 65nm fabrication process, hence, the first dual-core chips by AMD will surely utilize mature 90nm design.Speaking at the Athlon 64 launch, AMD said its 64-bit architecture had been designed from the ground-up to support two cores on a single die. The chip's North Bridge components even today can support connections from two cores - dubbed 'CPU 0' and 'CPU 1' in AMD's documentation. More information can be found here. (Source: 2CPU) |