Gentoo Weekly Newsletter 10 January 2005
Ulrich Plate <[email protected]> Mon, 10 Jan 2005 01:51:46 +0100
| Newsgroups | gmane.linux.gentoo.weekly-news |
|---|---|
| Message-ID | <[email protected]> |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------= -- Gentoo Weekly Newsletter http://www.gentoo.org/news/en/gwn/current.xml This is the Gentoo Weekly Newsletter for the week of 10 January 2005. -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -- =20 =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D 1. Gentoo News =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =20 Discouraging Forum abuse: visual registration confirmation added ---------------------------------------------------------------- =20 In the last week of December 2004, an attacker had registered about 8,500= =20 user accounts from more than 160 hosts, in less than one hour. While the=20 Forum admins were working on a solution to block these registrations,=20 users started reporting the mass forum account registrations[1]. A few=20 hours later 15696 user accounts were deleted[2], taking along a number of= =20 inactive accounts from the past. 1. http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=3D271717 2. http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=3D271802 =20 To prevent these mass registration attempts from happening again, a visua= l=20 registration confirmation has now been added to the Forum user account=20 registration process. This function was originally implemented in the=20 phpBB[3] 2.2 development versions, with the changes being backported to=20 version 2.0.11 of phpBB. The same changes have now been applied to the=20 customized version of phpBB that is installed at forums.gentoo.org[4]. 3. http://www.phpbb.com 4. http://forums.gentoo.org =20 2.6.10 kernel marked stable --------------------------- =20 By the time you are reading this, the Linux 2.6.10 release of=20 gentoo-dev-sources will be marked stable, or in the final stages of being= =20 tested, on supported system architectures. Linux 2.6.10, released late on= =20 Christmas Eve, is proving to be the best kernel release in a long time,=20 fixing almost all of the issues we know about present in 2.6.9 and=20 earlier. Relatively few new issues have been reported, and the major ones= =20 have already been fixed. 2.6 users are recommended to upgrade as soon as=20 possible, as this release also fixes some recently discovered security=20 vulnerabilities. =20 =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D 2. Future zone =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =20 Project goals for 2005 ---------------------- =20 A meta-thread on the gentoo-dev mailing list keeps track of goals set=20 forth for some Gentoo projects. Here's an overview of items scheduled to=20 see the light of day shortly:=20 =20 Release engineering =20 =20 * Biannual release schedule: The first release (2005.0) will be in=20 January, and the second release (2005.1) will be in July/ August. Each=20 release will include install cds, stages, and GRP.=20 * LiveCDs: Plans are to replace the current universal LiveCD with a=20 Knoppix-like XLiveCD. Media will be renamed accordingly; the minimal=20 LiveCD will remain but will instead be called the minimal installCD.=20 * Gentoo Reference Platform (GRP): Working in a joint effort with the=20 installer project, Release Engineering is working on redefining the GRP.=20 The current plan, which is subject to change, will use functionality=20 similar to quickpkg by packaging the installed packages on the XLiveCD an= d=20 copying them to the target system.=20 =20 Kernel =20 * Migrate all existing ebuilds to kernel-2 and linux-* eclasses=20 * Push 2.6 for default where possible for headers and sources.=20 * Consolidate appropriate source packages, e.g. dev-sources ->=20 vanilla-sources=20 * Further improve our current eclass framework for additional kernels=20 (BSD, Darwin)=20 =20 Gentoo/BSD =20 * Have a stage or a set of stages that will be used to install=20 Gentoo/FBSD=20 * Have a working baselayout.=20 * Have an installation CD (a.t.m. FreeSBIE can be used)=20 * Have a fair amount of keyworded ebuilds=20 * Have some of our *BSD specific patches applied to portage=20 * Finish our profile, stabilize our set of tarballs=20 =20 =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D 3. Gentoo security =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =20 LinPopUp: Buffer overflow in message reply ------------------------------------------ =20 LinPopUp contains a buffer overflow potentially allowing execution of=20 arbitrary code.=20 =20 For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[5]=20 5. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200501-01.xml =20 a2ps: Multiple vulnerabilities ------------------------------ =20 The fixps and psmandup scripts in the a2ps package are vulnerable to=20 symlink attacks, potentially allowing a local user to overwrite arbitrary= =20 files. A vulnerability in a2ps filename handling could also result in=20 arbitrary command execution.=20 =20 For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[6]=20 6. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200501-02.xml =20 Mozilla, Firefox, Thunderbird: Various vulnerabilities ------------------------------------------------------ =20 Various vulnerabilities were found and fixed in Mozilla-based products,=20 ranging from a potential buffer overflow and temporary files disclosure t= o=20 anti-spoofing issues.=20 =20 For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[7]=20 7. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200501-03.xml =20 Shoutcast Server: Remote code execution --------------------------------------- =20 Shoutcast Server contains a possible buffer overflow that could lead to=20 the execution of arbitrary code.=20 =20 For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[8]=20 8. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200501-04.xml =20 mit-krb5: Heap overflow in libkadm5srv -------------------------------------- =20 The MIT Kerberos 5 administration library (libkadm5srv) contains a heap=20 overflow that could lead to execution of arbitrary code.=20 =20 For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[9]=20 9. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200501-05.xml =20 tiff: New overflows in image decoding ------------------------------------- =20 An integer overflow has been found in the TIFF library image decoding=20 routines and the tiffdump utility, potentially allowing arbitrary code=20 execution.=20 =20 For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[10]=20 10. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200501-06.xml =20 xine-lib: Multiple overflows ---------------------------- =20 xine-lib contains multiple overflows potentially allowing execution of=20 arbitrary code.=20 =20 For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[11]=20 11. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200501-07.xml =20 phpGroupWare: Various vulnerabilities ------------------------------------- =20 Multiple vulnerabilities have been discovered in phpGroupWare that could=20 lead to information disclosure or remote compromise.=20 =20 For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[12]=20 12. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200501-08.xml =20 xzgv: Multiple overflows ------------------------ =20 xzgv contains multiple overflows that may lead to the execution of=20 arbitrary code.=20 =20 For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[13]=20 13. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200501-09.xml =20 Vilistextum: Buffer overflow vulnerability ------------------------------------------ =20 Vilistextum is vulnerable to a buffer overflow that allows an attacker to= =20 execute arbitrary code through the use of a malicious webpage.=20 =20 For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[14]=20 14. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200501-10.xml =20 =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D 4. Heard in the community =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =20 Web forums ---------- =20 Disappearing X causing slight unrest =20 The decision by Gentoo developers to gently nudge people to use xorg-x11=20 isn't entirely new, but the deletion of XFree86 from Portage on 1 January= =20 seems to have come as a nasty surprise to some people. One thread out of = a=20 handful, to represent them all: =20 * I refuse to use xorg....it sucks! (nevermind....user error)[15]=20 15. http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=3D275489 =20 New global moderator Earthwings =20 Earthwings[16] has already served in the German subforum for several=20 months before being promoted to deal with the rest of the lot now: 16. http://forums.gentoo.org/profile.php?mode=3Dviewprofile&u=3D18420 =20 * [forums-announce] New global moderator[17]=20 17. http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=3D277091 =20 gentoo-user ----------- =20 Achieving Hardware Happiness? =20 Many laptop users experience the same conundrum: Having a mobile computer= =20 results in different configurations. Most of the time these are=20 network-related, for example the difference between a corporate LAN and a= =20 home network. But occasionally this includes hardware as well. Many=20 laptops have hardware docking stations with additional network cards,=20 video adapters, and even SCSI. This presents a unique issue to Linux user= s=20 since most of the time, the various settings are hard-edited into various= =20 files in /etc. Curious how to find your own way to portable paradise? Rea= d=20 on!=20 =20 * gentoo and "rc hell"?[18]=20 18. http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.user/113628 =20 Bash Arguments =20 What could be more Linux-y than a debate on the proper way to delete many= =20 files out of a directory? There's xargs, find, even... for loops? An=20 informative thread of opinionated answers is what we got this week!=20 =20 * Bash query? 'Argument list too long'[19]=20 19. http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.user/113591 =20 "Monitoring" CPU Usage =20 On a more humorous note, one list member posted a "helpful" link to a=20 newsforge article on a CPU monitoring package called "Hot Babe". We'll=20 provide GWN readers a link to the gentoo-user thread, and leave it at=20 that.=20 =20 * Hot Babe and Debian (GENTOO :-)[20]=20 20. http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.user/114094 =20 gentoo-dev ---------- =20 RFC: Advice on driving compile times down =20 Stuart Herbert[21] asks how to reduce compile times. Read the thread for=20 the different possibilities offered to Gentoo users.=20 21. [email protected] =20 * RFC: Advice on driving compile times down[22]=20 22. http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.devel/23833 =20 xfree gone =20 With this short notice Gentoo officially stopped supporting xfree. All=20 users are asked to migrate to xorg.=20 =20 * xfree gone[23]=20 23. http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.devel/23744 =20 2005.0 2.4 & 2.6 stages =20 John Davis[24] asks, on behalf of the Gentoo Releng subproject, which=20 kernel header and sources 2005.0 stages should be offered. He writes: "Ou= r=20 options for building include (a) only 2.6 stages, (b) only 2.4 stages, or= =20 (c) a combination of 2.4 and 2.6 stages." From rom a release point of vie= w=20 only one set would be preferred, but many users still depend on 2.4=20 kernels. This rather long thread explores the many small problems that ma= y=20 arise and shows how difficult it is to make all people equally happy :-)=20 24. [email protected] =20 * 2005.0 2.4 & 2.6 stages[25]=20 25. http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.devel/23718 =20 gentoo-server ------------- =20 =20 From a mailing list mostly frequented by people using Gentoo for=20 non-desktop purposes, [email protected], here's a noteworthy threa= d=20 that has spun from the original poster asking a simple question:=20 =20 * Who uses Gentoo in production?[26]=20 26. http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.server/1629 =20 =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D 5. Gentoo International =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =20 USA: Gentoo lectures at MIT, 10 and 24 January ---------------------------------------------- =20 Rajiv Manglani[27], Gentoo Linux Security Team member and PPC developer,=20 will give an introductory (10 January) and an advanced lecture (24=20 January) on Gentoo Linux at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,=20 MIT, in Cambridge, MA. Both lectures are sponsored by the MIT's Student=20 Information Processing Board (SIPB) and will be held tonight and Monday 2= 4=20 starting at 20:00, at Building 4[28] room 237 (today) and room 231 (24=20 January) respectively. The first lecture will focus on giving an overview= =20 and demonstrating a running Gentoo system, while the "Advanced Gentoo=20 Linux" presentation on 24 January will have more in-depth discussions of=20 Portage and ebuild script creation, system tools such as qpkg and etcat.=20 More details can be found in Rajiv's Independent Activities Period Gentoo= =20 lecture announcements[29]. Please make sure to RSVP to the Student=20 Information Board[30] if you plan on attending. 27. [email protected] 28. http://whereis.mit.edu/map-jpg?selection=3D4 29. http://stuff.mit.edu/iap/gentoo/ 30. [email protected] =20 Canada: Gentoo LTSP project at elementary school ------------------------------------------------ =20 The Prairie Linux User Group[31] (PLUG) is planning to deploy Gentoo Linu= x=20 at the Holy Cross Elementary School in Winnipeg. The project will use=20 reclaimed hardware previously running various shades of Windows that are=20 being replaced with Linux due to cost of licensing for upgrades, concerns= =20 about lax security, growing hardware requirements if Windows was chosen a= s=20 an upgrade path, and the current platform generally not meeting the=20 educational requirements at the school any longer. The setup includes an=20 implementation of the Linux Terminal Server Project[32] (LTSP) across=20 thirty workstations, with Gentoo Linux running openmosix for the terminal= =20 server system. On Thursday 20 January the PLUG will meet at the Universit= y=20 of Winnipeg[33] (starting at 19:00 in room 2M70) to get a few things=20 straightened out before performing their real world test at the school on= =20 Sunday, 23 January from 10:00. Thirty elementary students have been=20 invited to stress-test the system that they might get to keep if it works= =20 as advertized: "If the system is successfully able to meet the=20 requirements it would be permanently installed," says PLUG member Mike=20 Crawford[34], a Gentoo dev-perl developer-to-be and maintainer of one of=20 the official Gentoo file mirrors (gentoo.eliteitminds.com). More details=20 can be found at the PLUG meeting announcement[35].=20 31. http://plug.ca 32. http://www.ltsp.org/ 33. http://www.uwinnipeg.ca 34. [email protected] 35. http://plug.ca/article.php?story=3D20050107150627250 =20 =20 =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D 6. Gentoo in the press =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =20 Linux Journal (5 January 2005) ------------------------------ =20 Andrew Cowie with the Linux Journal published a rather flattery piece on=20 "Gentoo for all the unusual reasons,"[36] providing extensive coverage of= =20 Portage as a tool for professional use: "You might think of Gentoo as a=20 bleeding-edge distribution for development workstations, but the simple=20 packaging system can make it a good choice for any production system that= =20 needs to stay up to date," writes the author in his introduction, before=20 explaining in great detail the steps for installing and updating software= =20 in Gentoo, all nicely accompanied by screenshots. The thoroughly=20 researched article was among LJ's top reads and most commented-on article= s=20 last week - even without the GWN boosting its popularity yet again...=20 36. http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/7438 =20 =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D 7. Bugzilla =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =20 Summary ------- =20 * Statistics=20 * Closed bug ranking=20 * New bug rankings=20 =20 Statistics ---------- =20 The Gentoo community uses Bugzilla (bugs.gentoo.org[37]) to record and=20 track bugs, notifications, suggestions and other interactions with the=20 development team. Between 02 January 2005 and 09 January 2005, activity o= n=20 the site has resulted in:=20 37. http://bugs.gentoo.org =20 * 815 new bugs during this period=20 * 528 bugs closed or resolved during this period=20 * 23 previously closed bugs were reopened this period=20 =20 Of the 7862 currently open bugs: 117 are labeled 'blocker', 229 are=20 labeled 'critical', and 568 are labeled 'major'.=20 =20 Closed bug rankings ------------------- =20 The developers and teams who have closed the most bugs during this period= =20 are:=20 =20 * Gentoo's Team for Core System packages[38], with 32 closed bugs[39] =20 * Java team[40], with 26 closed bugs[41] =20 * AMD64 Porting Team[42], with 26 closed bugs[43] =20 * media-video herd[44], with 25 closed bugs[45] =20 * Gentoo Games[46], with 21 closed bugs[47] =20 * Gentoo X-windows packagers[48], with 15 closed bugs[49] =20 * Gentoo Security[50], with 15 closed bugs[51] =20 * Tim Yamin[52], with 13 closed bugs[53] =20 38. [email protected] 39.=20 http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DRESOLVED&bug_status=3DCLO= SED&chfield=3Dbug_status&chfieldfrom=3D2005-01-02&chfieldto=3D2005-01-09&= resolution=3DFIXED&[email protected] 40. [email protected] 41.=20 http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DRESOLVED&bug_status=3DCLO= SED&chfield=3Dbug_status&chfieldfrom=3D2005-01-02&chfieldto=3D2005-01-09&= resolution=3DFIXED&[email protected] 42. [email protected] 43.=20 http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DRESOLVED&bug_status=3DCLO= SED&chfield=3Dbug_status&chfieldfrom=3D2005-01-02&chfieldto=3D2005-01-09&= resolution=3DFIXED&[email protected] 44. [email protected] 45.=20 http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DRESOLVED&bug_status=3DCLO= SED&chfield=3Dbug_status&chfieldfrom=3D2005-01-02&chfieldto=3D2005-01-09&= resolution=3DFIXED&[email protected] 46. [email protected] 47.=20 http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DRESOLVED&bug_status=3DCLO= SED&chfield=3Dbug_status&chfieldfrom=3D2005-01-02&chfieldto=3D2005-01-09&= resolution=3DFIXED&[email protected] 48. [email protected] 49.=20 http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DRESOLVED&bug_status=3DCLO= SED&chfield=3Dbug_status&chfieldfrom=3D2005-01-02&chfieldto=3D2005-01-09&= resolution=3DFIXED&[email protected] 50. [email protected] 51.=20 http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DRESOLVED&bug_status=3DCLO= SED&chfield=3Dbug_status&chfieldfrom=3D2005-01-02&chfieldto=3D2005-01-09&= resolution=3DFIXED&[email protected] 52. [email protected] 53.=20 http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DRESOLVED&bug_status=3DCLO= SED&chfield=3Dbug_status&chfieldfrom=3D2005-01-02&chfieldto=3D2005-01-09&= resolution=3DFIXED&[email protected] =20 New bug rankings ---------------- =20 The developers and teams who have been assigned the most new bugs during=20 this period are:=20 =20 * Gentoo Sound Team[54], with 30 new bugs[55] =20 * AMD64 Porting Team[56], with 21 new bugs[57] =20 * media-video herd[58], with 20 new bugs[59] =20 * optical media herd[60], with 19 new bugs[61] =20 * Gentoo X-windows packagers[62], with 17 new bugs[63] =20 * Gentoo Linux Gnome Desktop Team[64], with 14 new bugs[65] =20 * Gentoo's Team for Core System packages[66], with 11 new bugs[67] =20 * Gentoo VMWare Bug Squashers[68], with 10 new bugs[69] =20 54. [email protected] 55.=20 http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DNEW&bug_status=3DASSIGNED= &bug_status=3DREOPENED&chfield=3Dassigned_to&chfieldfrom=3D2005-01-02&chf= ieldto=3D2005-01-09&[email protected] 56. [email protected] 57.=20 http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DNEW&bug_status=3DASSIGNED= &bug_status=3DREOPENED&chfield=3Dassigned_to&chfieldfrom=3D2005-01-02&chf= ieldto=3D2005-01-09&[email protected] 58. [email protected] 59.=20 http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DNEW&bug_status=3DASSIGNED= &bug_status=3DREOPENED&chfield=3Dassigned_to&chfieldfrom=3D2005-01-02&chf= ieldto=3D2005-01-09&[email protected] 60. [email protected] 61.=20 http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DNEW&bug_status=3DASSIGNED= &bug_status=3DREOPENED&chfield=3Dassigned_to&chfieldfrom=3D2005-01-02&chf= ieldto=3D2005-01-09&[email protected] 62. [email protected] 63.=20 http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DNEW&bug_status=3DASSIGNED= &bug_status=3DREOPENED&chfield=3Dassigned_to&chfieldfrom=3D2005-01-02&chf= ieldto=3D2005-01-09&[email protected] 64. [email protected] 65.=20 http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DNEW&bug_status=3DASSIGNED= &bug_status=3DREOPENED&chfield=3Dassigned_to&chfieldfrom=3D2005-01-02&chf= ieldto=3D2005-01-09&[email protected] 66. [email protected] 67.=20 http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DNEW&bug_status=3DASSIGNED= &bug_status=3DREOPENED&chfield=3Dassigned_to&chfieldfrom=3D2005-01-02&chf= ieldto=3D2005-01-09&[email protected] 68. [email protected] 69.=20 http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DNEW&bug_status=3DASSIGNED= &bug_status=3DREOPENED&chfield=3Dassigned_to&chfieldfrom=3D2005-01-02&chf= ieldto=3D2005-01-09&[email protected] =20 =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D 8. Moves, adds, and changes =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D =20 Moves ----- =20 The following developers recently left the Gentoo team: =20 * None this week=20 =20 Adds ---- =20 The following developers recently joined the Gentoo Linux team: =20 * Benedikt B=C3=B6hm (hollow) - Apache=20 * Saleem Abdulrasool (compnerd) - Java=20 =20 Changes ------- =20 The following developers recently changed roles within the Gentoo Linux=20 project: =20 * Lance Albertson (Ramereth) - New dev for netmon et al. (on top of his=20 regular assignment to the infrastructure team)=20 * Danny Van Dyk (Kugelfang) and Mike Doty (KingTaco) - AMD64 operational= =20 co-leads (taking over from Travis Tilley)=20 * Jeremy Huddleston (eradicator) - Recruiting co-lead=20 =20 =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D 9. Tips and tricks =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =20 Denu - a Portage-savvy menu generator for window managers --------------------------------------------------------- =20 Are you switching from Fluxbox to Gnome to KDE a lot? Would you like to=20 try out even more window managers, if it wasn't for the missing=20 application entries in the menus to hop along with you? This week's tip=20 brings a nifty solution in reach: Denu[70] is a brandnew tool to assist i= n=20 menu generation. It can generate similarly structured menus for various=20 window managers enabling easy transitions from one to another. Denu=20 synchronizes with an online database to allow program definitions to be=20 updated without a software update, and best of all: Portage itself=20 provides the installed program data! 70. http://denu.sourceforge.net =20 -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -- | Code Listing 9.1: = | |Emerge = | Denu---------------------------------------------------------------------= -- -- | = | |# cd $PORTDIR_OVERLAY/x11-misc/denu Create the appropriate overlay as = | necessary (Denu is not in Portage yet) |# wget http://dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/denu/denu-2.1.2-r1.ebuild = | |# emerge denu = | | = | -------------------------------------------------------------------------= -- =20 Before we go any further backup any menu configurations you don't want=20 overwritten. Now run denu as a normal user, Denu is not meant to be run a= s=20 root.=20 =20 Figure 9.1: Screenshot of menu creation with Denu http://www.gentoo.org/images/gwn/20050110_denu.jpg =20 The first step after installing Denu is to run Update (for program=20 definitions) and Sysupdate (for the current list of installed programs).=20 Neither of these are run at startup, so after installing a new program vi= a=20 Portage, Sysupdate will need execution again.=20 =20 To create a menu there are two approaches: hand pick entries from the=20 Installed Tree and add them, or you can hit Autofill, and Denu will=20 automatically generate a menu based on the information it has.=20 Reorganizing a newly created menu is as simple as drag and drop, menu=20 systems will respect the order of entries, except for Gnome and KDE who=20 sort things alphabetically. Click on generate and then one of the boxes=20 corresponding to your desired window manager or desktop environment. Some= =20 window managers like Fluxbox be able to use your menu immediately, others= =20 may need to be reconfigured or restarted.=20 =20 Denu is still under development, but author Shux[71] has scanned half of=20 the Portage tree for items that might be needed in a GUI menu already. Fo= r=20 the remaining half (or things that might need adding in the future) Denu=20 provides a tool to include other applications not in its database yet.=20 Adding programs and their categories, descriptions etc. is just as easy a= s=20 shifting them around. For questions and answers of all sorts check the=20 lively Denu 2.0 thread in the Forums[72].=20 71. [email protected] 72. http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=3D268988 =20 =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D 10. Contribute to GWN =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =20 Interested in contributing to the Gentoo Weekly Newsletter? Send us an=20 email[73]. 73. 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Other languages =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =20 The Gentoo Weekly Newsletter is also available in the following languages= : =20 * Danish[75]=20 * Dutch[76]=20 * English[77]=20 * German[78]=20 * French[79]=20 * Japanese[80]=20 * Italian[81]=20 * Polish[82]=20 * Portuguese (Brazil)[83]=20 * Portuguese (Portugal)[84]=20 * Russian[85]=20 * Spanish[86]=20 * Turkish[87]=20 75. http://www.gentoo.org/news/da/gwn/gwn.xml 76. http://www.gentoo.org/news/be/gwn/gwn.xml 77. http://www.gentoo.org/news/en/gwn/gwn.xml 78. http://www.gentoo.org/news/de/gwn/gwn.xml 79. http://www.gentoo.org/news/fr/gwn/gwn.xml 80. http://www.gentoo.org/news/ja/gwn/gwn.xml 81. http://www.gentoo.org/news/it/gwn/gwn.xml 82. http://www.gentoo.org/news/pl/gwn/gwn.xml 83. http://www.gentoo.org/news/br/gwn/gwn.xml 84. http://www.gentoo.org/news/pt/gwn/gwn.xml 85. http://www.gentoo.org/news/ru/gwn/gwn.xml 86. http://www.gentoo.org/news/es/gwn/gwn.xml 87. http://www.gentoo.org/news/tr/gwn/gwn.xml =20 Ulrich Plate <[email protected]> - Editor Brian Downey <[email protected]> - Author Daniel Drake <[email protected]> - Author Christian Hartmann <[email protected]> - Author Patrick Lauer <[email protected]> - Author -- [email protected] mailing list