Gentoo Weekly Newsletter 27 September 2004

Posted by dave on Sep 27, 2004 3:38 AM EDT
Mailing list; By Ulrich Plate
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The first thing many visitors to the Gentoo website will notice when opening the Gentoo Handbook or any other piece of documentation these days is a little "Print" link sitting on the top of the right column: Bowing to long-standing popular requests, Xavier Neys implemented a simple way of viewing a printer-friendly version of Gentoo documentation.

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Gentoo Weekly Newsletter
http://www.gentoo.org/news/en/gwn/current.xml
This is the Gentoo Weekly Newsletter for the week of 27 September 2004.
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==============
1. Gentoo News
==============
  
Gentoo documentation revisited
------------------------------
  
The first thing many visitors to the Gentoo website will notice when 
opening the Gentoo Handbook[1] or any other piece of documentation these 
days is a little "Print" link sitting on the top of the right column: 
Bowing to long-standing popular requests, Xavier Neys[2] implemented a 
simple way of viewing a printer-friendly version of Gentoo documentation. 

1. http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/index.xml 2. [e-mail:neysx@gentoo.org] Other changes to the Handbook include info about Gentoo's SLOT handling for packages, an explanation of the reasons for package masking (and how to circumvent it, if need be) and a reinstatement of the manual GRUB installation guide requested by many users. Other documentation has been added last month, too: Dennis Niehüser[3] contributed a very nice document on power management[4] for laptops, with tips on setting up CPU frequency scaling, a walkthrough of display, disk, and battery power management features, and last but not least, a section on sleep states that answers questions many people are too polite to ask. For Gentoo users who want to set up their own Internet radio stations, Streaming Radio with SHOUTcast[5] is an excellent new guide by Chris White[6] that leads through each step of configuring the server and the network, together with loads of information on optimizing the service for different uses, get transcoding for locally stored MP3s to work and much more. Benny Chuang[7] has corrected the language directories for documentation to reflect variants of languages (e.g. Chinese, Portuguese), and Steven McCoy[8] has added a chapter on PAM authentication to the OpenAFS guide.

3. [e-mail:fragfred@gmx.net] 4. http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/power-management-guide.xml 5. http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/shoutcast-config.xml 6. [e-mail:cwhite@gentoo.org] 7. [e-mail:bennyc@gentoo.org] 8. [e-mail:fnjordy@gmail.com] The Gentoo Documentation Project has put up a roadmap document[9], featuring all items on the agenda that need immediate fixing. If you want to help, get involved by subscribing to the documentation project mailing list[10].

9. http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/gdp/roadmap.xml 10. http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/gdp/#doc_chap6 New GWN section: Gentoo in the press ------------------------------------ Starting this week, the GWN carries a new section referencing publications that have written about Gentoo. It is likely to have an irregular schedule, since we don't expect to find something to point you to each week, but will gladly accept any hints from our readers: If you happen to know of an article in a magazine, or even TV or radio coverage of Gentoo Linux, please tell us! The original language of the publication is unimportant. Just write a short description of the article's content and send it to [e-mail:gwn-feedback@gentoo.org], together with a link to the publisher's website, and possibly a scan of the article (if it isn't available online). Thanks a lot, and enjoy reading the first installment of Gentoo in the Press, just below our International News section. ================== 2. Gentoo security ================== Foomatic: Arbitrary command exec foomatic ----------------------------------------- The foomatic-rip filter in foomatic-filters contains a vulnerability which may allow arbitrary command execution on the print server. For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[11]

11. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200409-24.xml CUPS: Denial of service vulnerability ------------------------------------- A vulnerability in CUPS allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service when sending a carefully-crafted UDP packet to the IPP port. For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[12]

12. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200409-25.xml Mozilla, Firefox, Thunderbird, Epiphany vulnerability fixes ----------------------------------------------------------- New releases of Mozilla, Epiphany, Mozilla Thunderbird, and Mozilla Firefox fix several vulnerabilities, including the remote execution of arbitrary code. For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[13]

13. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200409-26.xml glFTPd: Local buffer overflow vulnerability ------------------------------------------- glFTPd is vulnerable to a local buffer overflow which may allow arbitrary code execution. For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[14]

14. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200409-27.xml GTK+ 2, gdk-pixbuf: multiple vulnerabilities -------------------------------------------- The GdkPixbuf library, which is also included in GTK+ 2, contains several vulnerabilities that could lead to a Denial of Service or the execution of arbitrary code. For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[15]

15. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200409-28.xml FreeRADIUS: Multiple Denial of Service vulnerabilities ------------------------------------------------------ Multiple Denial of Service vulnerabilities were found and fixed in FreeRADIUS. For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[16]

16. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200409-29.xml xine-lib: Multiple vulnerabilities ---------------------------------- xine-lib contains several vulnerabilities potentially allowing the execution of arbitrary code. For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[17]

17. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200409-30.xml jabberd 1.x: Denial of Service vulnerability -------------------------------------------- The jabberd server was found to be vulnerable to a remote Denial of Service attack. For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[18]

18. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200409-31.xml getmail: Filesystem overwrite vulnerability ------------------------------------------- getmail contains a vulnerability that could potentially allow any local user to create or overwrite files in any directory on the system. This flaw can be escalated further and possibly lead to a complete system compromise. For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[19]

19. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200409-32.xml Apache: Exposure of protected directories ----------------------------------------- A bug in the way Apache handles the Satisfy directive can lead to the exposure of protected directories to unauthorized users. For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[20]

20. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200409-33.xml ========================= 3. Heard in the community ========================= Web forums ---------- Portage 2.0.51_rc1 trials and tribulations The new Portage version is rippling the surface of more than one forum these days. Check for new features, bugs, and bugs that really are features at one of the threads below: * portage_2.0.51_rc1 and virtuals[21] * Portage 2.0.51 Question[22] * Neue Funktionen und Optionen in Portage 2.0.51[23](German) * Nuove funzioni e opzioni di Portage 2.0.51[24](Italian) 21. http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=227479 22. http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=224088 23. http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=224063 24. http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=228706

gentoo-dev ---------- Xorg takes the place of xfree as default for the x11 virtual * Xorg as Default X11 Virtual[25] 25. http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.devel/21460

Hardened toolchain reorganization Solar had previously announced that the hardened toolchain might be dropped, but reconsidered when many developers and users gave very positive feedback. As it stands now, the Gentoo Hardened subproject does not have the manpower to do everything at once, so every bit of support, especially with bug hunting and fixing is wanted. * Hardened Toolchain[26] 26. http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.devel/21440

Stack-smash protection by default? This long and controversial thread was started upon someone asking a rather innocent question: Shouldn't Gentoo offer stack-smash protection ("-fstack-protector" CFLAG) by default, since most vulnerabilities are still buffer overflows? Stack-smash protection can adversely affect performance, it offers protection against a class of exploits, enabling it may protect users, at little extra cost. * Stack Smash Protection[27] 27. http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.devel/21468

USE="acl" likely to be removed from profiles All profiles and stage2 / stage3 set USE="acl", but most users will not need it, and some complications may happen during install. Therefore this flag has been removed from the 2004.3 x86 profile; most likely the other profiles will do the same. * USE="acl" Dropped[28] 28. http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.devel/21398

Moving /usr/qt and /usr/kde for better FHS compliance? The FHS (File Hierarchy Standard) defines default locations for most files in a linux system. Is the Gentoo strategy of using /usr/qt/x.y and /usr/kde/x.y to allow different KDE and QT versions to coexist a violation of the FHS? * Qt/KDE and FHS[29] 29. http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.devel/21350

======================= 4. Gentoo International ======================= Italy: Impressions from Linux World Expò - The Gechi LWE movie The Gechi (Gentoo Channel Italia) activists have veni to the Linux World Expo (Milano edition), and have both vidi and vici... To provide a virtual experience of their introductory Gentoo presentation they've set up four movie versions of the speech given by Forum user .:deadhead:.[30]. Kindly refrain from clicking any of the links listed below if your bandwidth doesn't allow for large downloads, or you don't have 54 minutes to watch their endeavours:

30. http://forums.gentoo.org/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=36380 * Gechi Presentation at LWE Milano 2004 (different formats, 20 to 330 MB)[31] 31. http://www.freesmug.org/video/gechi

Germany: Gentoo PPC developer meeting update Both Belgians on the Gentoo PPC team, Pieter van den Abeele (pvdabeel) and Jochen Maes (SeJo), have announced their presence at the GentooPPC developer meeting[32] scheduled for Thursday this week, 30 September, bringing the number of participants to double digits (from almost as many different countries). You can still register for this event at Kransberg Castle (near Frankfurt am Main) with Ulrich Plate[33].

32. http://www.gentoo.org/news/en/gwn/20040920-newsletter.xml#doc_chap5 33. [e-mail:plate@gentoo.org] ====================== 5. Gentoo in the press ====================== Linux Gazette: September 2004 (issue no. 106) --------------------------------------------- Mike Orr (aka Sluggo) wrote an article about Installing Gentoo[34] - "still my favourite distro" - for this month's Linux Gazette. He describes the installation process of a desktop system on two different PCs, both dual-booting Windows, one Pentium III with 1 GHz and a brandnew 2.6 GHz Pentium4 with two monitors.

34. http://www.tldp.org/LDP/LGNET/106/orr.html Linux+ 02/2004 (September 2004) -------------------------------- This month the Polish magazine Linux+[35] (also distributed in German and Czech versions) comes bundled with two DVDs, one of which has Gentoo Linux 2004.1 for x86 (stages 1 and 3 included) on it, with an updated Portage and an extra-check of software dependencies. The printed edition includes an article describing the installation from DVD, the official handbook and additional installation guides can always be found at the Gentoo website[36].

35. http://www.lpmagazine.org 36. http://www.gentoo.org =========== 6. Bugzilla =========== Summary ------- * Statistics * Closed Bug Ranking * New Bug Rankings Statistics ---------- The Gentoo community uses Bugzilla (bugs.gentoo.org[37]) to record and track bugs, notifications, suggestions and other interactions with the development team. Between 19 September 2004 and 25 September 2004, activity on the site has resulted in:

37. http://bugs.gentoo.org * 680 new bugs during this period * 505 bugs closed or resolved during this period * 15 previously closed bugs were reopened this period Of the 7133 currently open bugs: 135 are labeled 'blocker', 220 are labeled 'critical', and 562 are labeled 'major'. Closed bug rankings ------------------- The developers and teams who have closed the most bugs during this period are: * Gentoo KDE team[38], with 31 closed bugs[39] * PPC Porters[40], with 25 closed bugs[41] * ppc64 architecture team[42], with 21 closed bugs[43] * Greg Kroah-Hartman[44], with 21 closed bugs[45] * Gentoo Games[46], with 18 closed bugs[47] * Gentoo Security[48], with 17 closed bugs[49] * Java team[50], with 17 closed bugs[51] * Perl Devs @ Gentoo[52], with 16 closed bugs[53] 38. [e-mail:kde@gentoo.org] 39. http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=RESOLVED&bug_status=CLOSED&ch field=bug_status&chfieldfrom=2004-09-19&chfieldto=2004-09-25&resolution=FIX ED&assigned_to=kde@gentoo.org 40. [e-mail:ppc@gentoo.org] 41. http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=RESOLVED&bug_status=CLOSED&ch field=bug_status&chfieldfrom=2004-09-19&chfieldto=2004-09-25&resolution=FIX ED&assigned_to=ppc@gentoo.org 42. [e-mail:ppc64@gentoo.org] 43. http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=RESOLVED&bug_status=CLOSED&ch field=bug_status&chfieldfrom=2004-09-19&chfieldto=2004-09-25&resolution=FIX ED&assigned_to=ppc64@gentoo.org 44. [e-mail:gregkh@gentoo.org] 45. http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=RESOLVED&bug_status=CLOSED&ch field=bug_status&chfieldfrom=2004-09-19&chfieldto=2004-09-25&resolution=FIX ED&assigned_to=gregkh@gentoo.org 46. [e-mail:games@gentoo.org] 47. http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=RESOLVED&bug_status=CLOSED&ch field=bug_status&chfieldfrom=2004-09-19&chfieldto=2004-09-25&resolution=FIX ED&assigned_to=games@gentoo.org 48. [e-mail:security@gentoo.org] 49. http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=RESOLVED&bug_status=CLOSED&ch field=bug_status&chfieldfrom=2004-09-19&chfieldto=2004-09-25&resolution=FIX ED&assigned_to=security@gentoo.org 50. [e-mail:java@gentoo.org] 51. http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=RESOLVED&bug_status=CLOSED&ch field=bug_status&chfieldfrom=2004-09-19&chfieldto=2004-09-25&resolution=FIX ED&assigned_to=java@gentoo.org 52. [e-mail:perl@gentoo.org] 53. http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=RESOLVED&bug_status=CLOSED&ch field=bug_status&chfieldfrom=2004-09-19&chfieldto=2004-09-25&resolution=FIX ED&assigned_to=perl@gentoo.org

New bug rankings ---------------- The developers and teams who have been assigned the most new bugs during this period are: * Mozilla Gentoo Team[54], with 19 new bugs[55] * Gentoo Linux Gnome Desktop Team[56], with 18 new bugs[57] * Gentoo X-windows packagers[58], with 16 new bugs[59] * Gentoo KDE team[60], with 14 new bugs[61] * AMD64 Porting Team[62], with 14 new bugs[63] * media-video herd[64], with 10 new bugs[65] * Gentoo's Team for Core System packages[66], with 10 new bugs[67] * PHP Bugs[68], with 7 new bugs[69] 54. [e-mail:mozilla@gentoo.org] 55. http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_s tatus=REOPENED&chfield=assigned_to&chfieldfrom=2004-09-19&chfieldto=2004-09 -25&assigned_to=mozilla@gentoo.org 56. [e-mail:gnome@gentoo.org] 57. http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_s tatus=REOPENED&chfield=assigned_to&chfieldfrom=2004-09-19&chfieldto=2004-09 -25&assigned_to=gnome@gentoo.org 58. [e-mail:x11@gentoo.org] 59. http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_s tatus=REOPENED&chfield=assigned_to&chfieldfrom=2004-09-19&chfieldto=2004-09 -25&assigned_to=x11@gentoo.org 60. [e-mail:kde@gentoo.org] 61. http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_s tatus=REOPENED&chfield=assigned_to&chfieldfrom=2004-09-19&chfieldto=2004-09 -25&assigned_to=kde@gentoo.org 62. [e-mail:amd64@gentoo.org] 63. http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_s tatus=REOPENED&chfield=assigned_to&chfieldfrom=2004-09-19&chfieldto=2004-09 -25&assigned_to=amd64@gentoo.org 64. [e-mail:media-video@gentoo.org] 65. http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_s tatus=REOPENED&chfield=assigned_to&chfieldfrom=2004-09-19&chfieldto=2004-09 -25&assigned_to=media-video@gentoo.org 66. [e-mail:base-system@gentoo.org] 67. http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_s tatus=REOPENED&chfield=assigned_to&chfieldfrom=2004-09-19&chfieldto=2004-09 -25&assigned_to=base-system@gentoo.org 68. [e-mail:php-bugs@gentoo.org] 69. http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_s tatus=REOPENED&chfield=assigned_to&chfieldfrom=2004-09-19&chfieldto=2004-09 -25&assigned_to=php-bugs@gentoo.org

================== 7. Tips and tricks ================== Roaming network profiles for laptops with Quickswitch ----------------------------------------------------- Every Laptop user knows what I am talking about by saying that switching network profiles is a real problem and hard to keep track of when doing it manually. This is where Quickswitch[70] comes in. Quickswitch is a utility that not only makes laptop users' everyday life easier by letting them create and use roaming network profiles, but it also has built-in support for multiple network cards, wireless LAN configurations, different kernel parameters, support for X configurations, Netscape preferences, Samba shares and so on and so forth.

70. http://muthanna.com/quickswitch Sounds good? Want to learn how to use it? Read on: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Code Listing 7.1: | |Installing | Quickswitch---------------------------------------------------------------- --------- |# emerge quickswitch | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now we need to tell quickswitch about all the network settings we want to be able to switch to. Quickswitch can be configured using it configuration file in /etc/quickswitch/switchto.conf. There is also a sample configuration in /etc/quickswitch/switchto.conf.sample. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Code Listing 7.2: | |Setting up the quickswitch configuration in | /etc/quickswitch/switchto.conf--------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- |# This is the default configuration: | |[config] | |device=eth0 | |# Path to save last known good configuration... | |servicefilename=/etc/quickswitch/switchto.last | | | |# This is our profile called "home": | |[home] | |description=home | |address=192.168.0.25 | |netmask=255.255.255.0 | |gateway=192.168.0.1 | |dns1=195.62.99.42 | |dns2=195.62.97.177 | | | |# This is our profile called "work": | |[work] | |description=work | |address=10.16.3.114 | |netmask=255.255.255.0 | |gateway=10.16.3.249 | |dns1=195.62.99.42 | | | | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- We are finished with the configuration now. Let's test if it works. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Code Listing 7.3: | |Using switchto to switch to another | profile-------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- |Switch to "work" profile: | |# switchto work | |Switch to "home" profile: | |# switchto home | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Use ifconfig and route to make sure that switchto correctly applied the settings the first time. Everythings ok? Well done! Quickswitch offers two more ways of how to switch your profile. * switcher is a simple curses based GUI to switch between your profiles. * TraySwitcher[70] is a more sophisticated Gnome tray applet. To learn how Quickswitch easily lets you create profiles that also switch Samba, X configurations and even more. Take a look at the well documented /etc/quickswitch/switchto.conf.sample sample configuration file and visit the Quickswitch project homepage[71].

71. http://quickswitch.sourceforge.net/ =========================== 8. Moves, adds, and changes =========================== Moves ----- The following developers recently left the Gentoo team: * None this week Adds ---- The following developers recently joined the Gentoo Linux team: * None this week Changes ------- The following developers recently changed roles within the Gentoo Linux project: * None this week ==================== 9. Contribute to GWN ==================== Interested in contributing to the Gentoo Weekly Newsletter? Send us an email[72].

72. [e-mail:gwn-feedback@gentoo.org] ================ 10. GWN feedback ================ Please send us your feedback[73] and help make the GWN better.

73. [e-mail:gwn-feedback@gentoo.org] ================================ 11. GWN subscription information ================================ To subscribe to the Gentoo Weekly Newsletter, send a blank email to [e-mail:gentoo-gwn-subscribe@gentoo.org]. To unsubscribe to the Gentoo Weekly Newsletter, send a blank email to [e-mail:gentoo-gwn-unsubscribe@gentoo.org] from the email address you are subscribed under. =================== 12. Other languages =================== The Gentoo Weekly Newsletter is also available in the following languages: * Danish[74] * Dutch[75] * English[76] * German[77] * French[78] * Japanese[79] * Italian[80] * Polish[81] * Portuguese (Brazil)[82] * Portuguese (Portugal)[83] * Russian[84] * Spanish[85] * Turkish[86] 74. http://www.gentoo.org/news/da/gwn/gwn.xml 75. http://www.gentoo.org/news/be/gwn/gwn.xml 76. http://www.gentoo.org/news/en/gwn/gwn.xml 77. http://www.gentoo.org/news/de/gwn/gwn.xml 78. http://www.gentoo.org/news/fr/gwn/gwn.xml 79. http://www.gentoo.org/news/ja/gwn/gwn.xml 80. http://www.gentoo.org/news/it/gwn/gwn.xml 81. http://www.gentoo.org/news/pl/gwn/gwn.xml 82. http://www.gentoo.org/news/br/gwn/gwn.xml 83. http://www.gentoo.org/news/pt/gwn/gwn.xml 84. http://www.gentoo.org/news/ru/gwn/gwn.xml 85. http://www.gentoo.org/news/es/gwn/gwn.xml 86. http://www.gentoo.org/news/tr/gwn/gwn.xml

Ulrich Plate - Editor Brian Downey - Author Christian Hartmann - Author Patrick Lauer - Author Emmet Wagle - Author

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