● 07.11.23

Gemini version available ♊︎

● Links 11/07/2023: Neil McGovern Problems Again

Posted in News Roundup at 3:54 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

GNU/Linux

Desktop/Laptop

• I’ve been espousing this hot take on Linux for a very long time. It seems, however, that the phrase “there’s no time like the present” is more apropos today than it has ever been.

• Threats to security and privacy seem to never abate. They are constant and they grow more widespread and effective with every passing attack. Bad actors are savvy and know the best ways to hit you. One of the reasons for this threat is because, most likely, you use Windows as your primary desktop and laptop operating system.

Audiocasts/Shows

• Can Ubuntu make a great immutable desktop? We’re trying the brand-new “Everything is a Snap” Ubuntu Core Desktop.

Kernel Space

• The fix for Intel hybrid CPU frequency scaling when disabling E-Cores has been implemented in the Linux kernel. This fix addresses an issue where the frequency scaling of hybrid CPUs was not functioning correctly when some of the E-Cores (Efficiency Cores) were disabled.

Applications

• Many desktop computers now have RGB lighting with a variety of options. How about instead of having a multitude of vendor-specific tools, you have a single one to tidy them up?

• Look no further because OpenRGB is here to address that problem. It is a cross-platform, open-source application that auto-detects and displays RGB-enabled devices, allowing you to control them from a centralized interface.

• The just-released OpenRGB 0.9 version brings some new exciting features, so let’s look at them.

• A subtitle is a text representation of the dialog, narration, music, or sound effects in a video file. Subtitles are available in multiple formats.

• Mangled subtitles can anger viewers. Fortunately, there is a good range of open source software that lets you make subtitles with Linux. These editors help you preview how the subtitles appear on the video, and listen to the dialog. Additionally, they offer the ability to make entering and editing text easy, with good control over text formatting and positioning.

• We make the following recommendations captured in a legendary LinuxLinks-style ratings chart. Only free and open source software is eligible for inclusion.

• A Server Dashboard is an open-source server control panel that helps users manage their websites and servers efficiently. It provides a user-friendly interface to monitor and control various aspects of the server and its associated services.

Instructionals/Technical

• In this tutorial, we will show you how to install GCC (GNU Compiler Collection) on Debian 12. GCC, an essential part of the GNU toolchain, offers numerous advantages for developers. It is a versatile compiler that supports multiple programming languages, including C, C++, and Fortran.

• There are situations where you want to map storage LUN (Logical Unit Number), Block Device, LVM (LV & VG names) and File System (FS) information for FS expansion [...]

• In this tutorial, we will show you how to install ReactJS on Debian 12. For those of you who didn’t know, In the world of modern web development, ReactJS has emerged as a powerful and popular JavaScript library.

• Here is an open question for Podman users: is there a (ideally simple) way to keep the user/group ID between the real system and the container?

• Let me be more verbose.

• In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Podman on Debian 12. For those of you who didn’t know, Podman is a container management tool that allows you to run, manage, and deploy containers effortlessly. Unlike Docker, Podman does not require a separate daemon, making it more lightweight and secure.

• In this tutorial, I’m going to show you my very first impressions of Raspberry PI Zero 2 W, the ultra-low-cost computer from Raspberry PI Foundation.

• Want to run different operating systems on top of your Arch Linux installation? You can always use VirtualBox or VMware to create a virtual machine, but KVM wins the game with its high performance and flexible set of features.

• Setting up a new virtual machine on Arch Linux using KVM and QEMU can seem daunting at first. But don’t fret, as it’s a breeze once you learn how to do it.

• Here’s everything you need to know about installing a KVM in Arch Linux and configuring your first virtual machine.

• Welcome, esteemed cyber warriors, to the highly anticipated seventh installment of our awe-inspiring “Unleashing Kali Linux” series, right here at Cyber Tsunami! Today, we embark on an exhilarating journey into the fascinating realm of Aircrack-ng, a powerful tool that will revolutionize your understanding of wireless network security. Prepare to immerse yourself in the capabilities of Aircrack-ng, unearth advanced techniques for network penetration testing, and fortify your defenses against the relentless onslaught of Wi-Fi vulnerabilities. But before we dive into this captivating exploration, we have an electrifying announcement to make regarding our next blog post. Brace yourselves for an insightful voyage into the captivating world of database security as we uncover the secrets of the renowned SQL injection tool, sqlmap. So, gather your courage, sharpen your wits, and let’s unlock the secrets of Aircrack-ng together!

• Know your network inside out by regularly checking for open ports with these Linux commands.

• If you’ve somehow forgotten your Ubuntu password, don’t worry, it’s easy to log back in to your system by resetting the password.

Games

• Between 2023-07-03 and 2023-07-09 there were 84 new games validated for the Steam Deck.

• The Bitsummit 2023 will open in a few days in Kyoto, the old capital of Japan.

• The new Steam Client update appears to fix the window flashing and focus-stealing issues that occurred when closing a Steam window for Intel/AMD users. This issue was the side-effect of a workaround for NVIDIA GPU users that prevented a crash. In this version, the workaround will only activate when an NVIDIA GPU is detected.

• Also for Linux users, the new Steam Client update adds a new “Enable context menu focus compatibility mode” setting under Settings > Interface to improve compatibility with certain window managers that send an unfocus event before every pointer, such as Openbox, preventing dropdown menus from being unclickable.

Desktop Environments/WMs

K Desktop Environment/KDE SC/Qt

• As per the prescribed instructions, I intend to incorporate a copy menu and a paste menu, specifically designed to handle the duplication and subsequent transfer of metadata. Additionally, I have dedicated considerable time in the past weeks to familiarize myself with the fundamental aspects of Digikam, enabling me to leverage its properties effectively. I am particularly interested in exploring possibilities for enhancing its functionality by incorporating new menu options.

• In the app section, it is imperative to integrate a ContextMenuHelper file section, which assumes the role of a centralized repository for housing all the properties pertaining to the app. These properties encompass a wide range of actions, including the addition of tags and the provision of comprehensive details regarding the tags. The primary objective of this section is to achieve the following:-

• Introduce a copy functionality that empowers users to replicate both the name and corresponding value of a tag, subsequently allowing them to paste the copied tag. It is important to note that this particular capability should be applicable to all file sections that are associated with the given tag.

• Effectuate the implementation of addActionNewTag file section, a function that follows a predefined pathway, outlining the essential steps required to accomplish the desired functionality. Instead of simply adding a new tag the path same use for the paste, this particular functionality is primarily focused on offering users the option to paste the previously copied tag. By copying the pertinent data and generating a paste option, the system stands poised for execution through the employment of a boolean function.

• Over the past weeks, I’ve focused on to bring RFC7953 support to kcalendarcore codebase. This would help bring availability feature to the kalendar app (along with other calendar clients that use KCalendarCore). The progress was slower than expected due to some rewrites after improving the class design.

• Here is the current class design:

• During the course of this week, significant progress has been made in completing the copy section pertaining to the labels section. The systematic approach I have undertaken involves a series of steps. Primarily, within the metadata section, one encounters multiple files, such as colorlabel, picklabel, and rating, all of which necessitate seamless integration with the Digikam application manager, the platform housing the image album.

• If you had been following my earlier blog posts, you would know that I rarely include any code in them. My focus has primarily been on explaining how things work rather than delving into the specifics of how I implemented them. But this time I will be taking a deeper dive into the code, so in case you want to skip code today, you better not start reading this.

Distributions and Operating Systems

New Releases

• In a move that puts further pressure on Microsoft’s Windows, Linux Lite has just launched the Release Candidate 1 (RC1) for its 6.6 version. The significant improvements and additions signal Linux Lite’s commitment to staying at the forefront of user-centric operating systems, making Windows seem more restrictive and less accommodating by comparison.

• The 6.6 version of Linux Lite doesn’t merely push boundaries; it obliterates them by incorporating thousands of new code lines that extend language support across its entire Menu and Sub-Menu system. From Afrikaans to Chinese, Hindi, and Dutch, Linux Lite now supports a total of 22 languages.

SUSE/OpenSUSE

• Shares of the enterprise software firm SUSE SA fell 12% today as it reported a wider after-tax loss for its fiscal second quarter. The Germany-based company reported a basic loss from continuing operations of 20 cents per share, similar to its loss in the same period one year earlier.

• With so much happening this year (did you see our NeuVector on AWS announcement?), I’ve been remiss in not giving a shout out to this year’s AWS Summits.

• At SUSE, we have always believed in the transformative power of open-source technology and its potential to redefine the world of enterprise software. As part of this journey, we have had the privilege of contributing significantly to the Ceph project, while also offering an enterprise storage solution based on it.

• The SUSE One Partner Program has evolved recently to provide a flexible and modern structure within specific Specializations. These specializations allow partners to focus on their business objectives. One specialization area of the program that has evolved significantly is the Solution partner.

• SUSE Graduate Program 2023 The local SUSE Team in South Africa are planning to run a unique graduate program for previously disadvantaged youths.

Debian Family

• n May 2023, the Fellowship bloggers examined the murky circumstances of Neil McGovern’s departure from his job at GNOME Foundation in 2022.

• Barely four weeks later and McGovern has been removed from his new job at Ruby Central.

• While GNOME is still looking for a replacement, the Ruby Central board has immediately appointed Adarsh Pandit.

• 7 June snapshot: Neil McGovern as Executive Director.

• 9 June snapshot: Neil McGovern removed, Adarsh Pandit is now Executive Director.

• Will Ruby Central publish a Statement on Neil McGovern in the style of Debian lynchings?

• Was the termination or expulsion of McGovern based on the evidence published by the Fellowship in May 2023?

• fabre.debian.net – an experiment service that tries to improve user experience with finding Debian related bugs was now upgraded to Debian 12 (bookworm)

• Not only migrating to Debian 12, but the backend E-mail subscription and importing bug report mechanism is also a bit modified.

Canonical/Ubuntu Family

• The decision follows news last week that Canonical has taken the LXD project in-house after years of it existing as a community endeavour under the Linux Containers (LXC) umbrella.

• Stéphane’s engineering expertise and enthusiasm for LXD (and containers in general) has arguably made them the “face” of LXD. In social media replies to their (somewhat unexpected) decision, many have commented on this and thanked them for their contributions and help over the years.

Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

Government/Security

• Security updates have been issued by Debian (firefox-esr, fusiondirectory, ocsinventory-server, php-cas, and thunderbird), Fedora (dav1d, perl-CPAN, and yt-dlp), Red Hat (python39:3.9 and python39-devel:3.9), Slackware (mozilla), SUSE (prometheus-ha_cluster_exporter and prometheus-sap_host_exporter), and Ubuntu (ghostscript, linux-azure, linux-intel-iotg, linux-intel-iotg-5.15, and ruby-doorkeeper).

• On July 5, while some folks were cleaning up from fireworks and barbecues, DataBreaches broke the news that HCA Healthcare data was up for sale on a deep web forum if the company didn’t meet some unspecified demands. Since that time, DataBreaches has remained in some contact with the seller, who has occasionally provided additional details (although not as many as this site would have liked). Of note, the seller informed DataBreaches that they were also the hacker, that this was a hack, not a leak, and that they had contacted HCA Healthcare on July 4 and given them until July 10 to respond to demands.

• HCA Healthcare did not reply to DataBreaches’ inquiries at the time, later telling a third party that the emails had been caught up in some DMARC-related filter.

• popular hacking forum. When DataBreaches contacted Razer on Saturday to find out if they were aware of the listing and had any comment, a spokesperson responded that they were aware of a potential breach and were investigating. The forum listing was picked up on Twitter on Sunday and from there, some Singapore news outlets have reported on the claims.

• Today, DataBreaches can provide some additional details about the incident after hearing from the hacker over the weekend.

Programming/Development

• Release 0.6.33 of the digest package arrived at CRAN today and has been uploaded to Debian already.

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