Gentoo Weekly Newsletter 20 June 2005

Ulrich Plate <[email protected]> Mon, 20 Jun 2005 01:53:31 +0200
Newsgroups gmane.linux.gentoo.weekly-news
Message-ID <[email protected]>
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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 20 June 2005.
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1. Gentoo News
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 =20
Gentoo Foundation store opens
-----------------------------
 =20
Taking over from Daniel Robbins -- whose sole remaining activity at the=20
Gentoo project had been the Gentoo merchandising shop operations -- the=20
new Gentoo store under new management by the Gentoo Foundation is now up=20
and running. Set up at Cafepress, the store's catalog of 2005.1 CDs,=20
branded clothing and "schwag" including coffee mugs and other=20
merchandising items is now ready for online ordering, with prices in USD=20
and delivery worldwide. 5 USD of each item sold goes as a direct=20
contribution to the Gentoo project, to be made available to development b=
y=20
the Foundation. The store's address hasn't changed, it's at=20
http://store.gentoo.org[1].=20

 1. http://store.gentoo.org
   =20
Gentoo at the German LinuxTag 2005 in Karlsruhe
-----------------------------------------------
 =20
"Linux everywhere" is the motto of this year's LinuxTag, the largest=20
European Linux fair, which again takes place in Karlsruhe this week, 22 t=
o=20
25 June. "Gentoo on everything slightly faster than a washing machine"=20
could very well be the slogan of the Gentoo booth at the event.=20
Representing Gentoo Linux for the third year in a row, this year seesa=20
nice collection of Gentoo-supported platforms on display, including MIPS=20
machines (an SGI O2), a Sun Blade 100 (SPARC) and several PowerPC hosts=20
(two PegasosPPC ODWs and several iBook's), complemented by the usual=20
assorted x86 hardware.=20
=20
You will have plenty of opportunity to meet many of the German Gentoo=20
developers and discuss recent activites and upcoming changes with them. A=
=20
handful of developers from other countries also announced their=20
attendance, of which Robin H. Johnson[2] flying in from Canada will=20
undoubtedly be the one earning the most bonus-miles.=20

 2. [email protected]
=20
Gentoo booths organized by the German NFP "Friends of Gentoo e.V."[3]=20
traditionally include a remastered XLiveCD distributed under the nickname=
=20
"Fizzlewizzle". Thanks to Joseph Jezak's[4] brand-new version of=20
Xorgautoconfig[5] this event's Fizzlewizzle Edition is also available for=
=20
PowerPCs. The XLiveCD is fully localized into German, ships with the=20
current KDE release 3.4.1 and features top-notch translated installation=20
documents. Gentoo merchandise and lots of free give-a-ways are available=20
at the booth, too, and visitors can also become a member of "Friends of=20
Gentoo" (official German title of the NFP: F=C3=B6rderverein Gentoo e.V.)=
 on=20
the spot, for an annual membership fee of 20 EUR (10 for students).=20

 3. http://www.gentoo-ev.org
 4. [email protected]
 5. http://dev.gentoo.org/~josejx/Xorgautoconfig.html
   =20
Gentoo Forum admin and moderators to become official staff members
------------------------------------------------------------------
 =20
After years in the twilight zone, the Gentoo Forums are becoming an=20
official Gentoo project. Christian Hartmann[6] and Wernfried Haas[7]=20
submitted a GLEP[8] that has already been discussed with Gentoo's=20
developer relations department, as it directly impacts in their area, and=
=20
has now been taken to the [email protected] mailing list for open=20
discussion.=20

 6. [email protected]
 7. [email protected]
 8. http://download.iansview.com/gentoo/docs/glep-38/glep-0038.txt
=20
This means that all administrators and the so-called global moderators=20
will now be official Gentoo staff members. This will give the Forum team=20
better access to developers and resources helping them ensure the quality=
=20
of the award winning[9] Gentoo Forums.=20

 9. http://www.gentoo.org/news/en/gwn/20050314-newsletter.xml#doc_chap4
=20
In preparation for this change the Forum team has written a new=20
document[10] entitled "Gentoo Forums Moderator Policies and Guidelines".=20

 10. http://curtis119.no-ip.org/forum-guide.xml
   =20
Gentoo Forums receive hardware donation
---------------------------------------
 =20
Forum administrator Tom Knight's[11] employers, Dialogue=20
Communications[12], have generously donated two 160GB Maxtor DiamondMax=20
Plus 9 hard drives and an AMCC 3ware 9500S-4LP SATA RAID controller. This=
=20
hardware will mainly be used for development and testing of new forums=20
features, including the long awaited UTF8 conversion which needs lots of=20
I/O for testing. Thanks a lot!=20

 11. [email protected]
 12. http://www.dialogue.net
   =20
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2. Heard in the community
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 =20
Web forums
----------
 =20
64 vs 32 bit: is less really more?
=20
Triggered by Jem Matzan's article on Linux.com[13], this thread discusses=
=20
the virtues of going 64-bit instead of staying with a 32-bit-architecture=
.=20
As the article seems to find too little in terms of performance=20
enhancement by the move at this time, the Forum regulars are a little=20
disappointed about tomorrow's platform not being properly hailed as=20
today's alternative, as they think it should be.

 13. news/gwn/20050620-newsletter.xml#doc_chap4_sect4
=20
 * Article: 64-bit performance in Gentoo Linux[14]=20
 14. http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-349691.html

   =20
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3. Gentoo International
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 =20
UK: London Gentoo user and developer meeting
--------------------------------------------
 =20
Last Friday, a few Gentoo developers and users met up, albeit at very=20
short notice, for a few drinks in central London. Gentoo developers Danie=
l=20
Drake[15], Michal Januszewski[16] (visiting from Poland) and Benjamin=20
Smee[17] (strerror) got together with event organizer George Prowse[18]=20
(more widely known as cokehabit) and Gentoo users Andy and Edwin for the=20
afternoon. They are planning to organize a similar meeting later this=20
summer, and this time there'll be some advance notice, promised!=20

 15. [email protected]
 16. [email protected]
 17. [email protected]
 18. http://forums.gentoo.org/profile.php?mode=3Dviewprofile&u=3D53428
=20
Figure 3.1: Gentooists of London
http://www.gentoo.org/images/gwn/20050620_london.jpg
=20
Note: Left to right: Daniel Drake, Andy, George Prowse, Benjamin Smee,=20
Michal Januszewski
   =20
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4. Gentoo in the press
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 =20
Slashdot (14 June 2005)
-----------------------
 =20
A merry flamefest was kindled upon news that Gentoo founder Daniel Robbin=
s=20
had found employment with Microsoft. Among the readers commenting the=20
short article[19], Hans Reiser could be seen putting drobbins' credit car=
d=20
debt in perspective with his own financial distress stemming from a messy=
=20
divorce, other people volunteered to mount rescue missions, with about=20
half the comments venturing into various sinister sci-fi analogies from=20
Star Wars to Star Trek, apparently unable to decide whether it's been=20
Darth Gates or Gates of Borg who lured Gentoo's ex-chief-architect into=20
joining the forces of evil.=20

 19. http://linux.slashdot.org/linux/05/06/13/2137239.shtml
   =20
The Age, Sydney Morning Herald (14 June 2005)
---------------------------------------------
 =20
Australian broad-sheet daily newspaper The Age picked up the story of=20
Daniel Robbins' new employment at Microsoft[20] from the Gentoo website.=20
Author Sam Varghese puts the Gentoo founder next to Gnome's Nat Friedman=20
as "about the only other prominent open-source figure" who has ever worke=
d=20
for Microsoft, with Ximian founder Miguel de Icaza having been interviewe=
d=20
once, but turned down. The same article appeared in the Sydney Morning=20
Herald[21], a sister publication of The Age.

 20. http://theage.com.au/articles/2005/06/14/1118645786407.html
 21.=20
http://www.smh.com.au/news/Breaking/Gentoo-Linux-founder-joins-Microsoft/=
20
05/06/14/1118645786407.html
   =20
The Inquirer (14 June 2005)
---------------------------
 =20
A significantly more salacious way of wording the very same news item=20
could be found at the Inquirer[22], a rather eccentric UK online=20
publication who depicts Daniel Robbins turning into someone who "squeaks=20
wildly in the burrow of the Vole" where he's "joined the forces of=20
darkness" in order "to help Microsoft try to understand how Open Sauce=20
works, a fairly major task."=20

 22. http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=3D23923
   =20
Linux.com (15 June 2005)
------------------------
 =20
Yet another Gentoo-related article by Linux.com author Jem Matzen, this=20
time about "64-bit performance in Gentoo Linux"[23] -- or rather the lack=
=20
of any really outstanding performance measured in his benchmark tests. An=
=20
earlier test with FreeBSD in a 64-bit environment had already yielded=20
similar results: "64-bit does make a difference, but that performance=20
advantage may not be evident in all situations."=20

 23. http://enterprise.linux.com/enterprise/05/06/09/1413209.shtml?tid=3D=
121
   =20
ZDNet UK (16 June 2005)
-----------------------
 =20
Allowing for a few days of checking the background, ZDNet's Ingrid Marson=
=20
wrote a more complete assessment[24] of Daniel's new employment and the=20
alleged ripples in the project's surface, which as she finds weren't as=20
agitated as some expected.=20

 24. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/linuxunix/0,39020390,39203933,00.ht=
m
   =20
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=3D=3D
5. 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
=20
 * None this week=20
   =20
Adds
----
 =20
The following developers recently joined the Gentoo Linux team:=20
=20
 * Jean-Fran=C3=A7ois Brunette (formula7) - Security=20
 * Matthias Schwarzott (zzam) - Video Disc Recorder (VDR) ebuilds=20
 * Julien Allanos (dju`) - web apps=20
 * Paul Varner (FuzzyRay) - tools-portage=20
 * Senno During (st3vie) - Dutch GWN translation lead=20
 * Stefan Briesenick (sbriesen) - net-dialup
   =20
Changes
-------
 =20
The following developers recently changed roles within the Gentoo Linux=20
project:
=20
 * None this week=20
   =20
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
6. Gentoo security
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
 =20
MediaWiki: Cross-site scripting vulnerability
---------------------------------------------
 =20
MediaWiki is vulnerable to a cross-site scripting attack that could allow=
=20
arbitrary scripting code execution.=20
=20
For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[25]=20

 25. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200506-12.xml
   =20
webapp-config: Insecure temporary file handling
-----------------------------------------------
 =20
The webapp-config utility insecurely creates temporary files in a world=20
writable directory, potentially allowing the execution of arbitrary=20
commands.=20
=20
For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[26]=20

 26. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200506-13.xml
   =20
Sun and Blackdown Java: Applet privilege escalation
---------------------------------------------------
 =20
Sun's and Blackdown's JDK or JRE may allow untrusted applets to elevate=20
their privileges.=20
=20
For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[27]=20

 27. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200506-14.xml
   =20
PeerCast: Format string vulnerability
-------------------------------------
 =20
PeerCast suffers from a format string vulnerability that could allow=20
arbitrary code execution.=20
=20
For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[28]=20

 28. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200506-15.xml
   =20
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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[29]) to record and=20
track bugs, notifications, suggestions and other interactions with the=20
development team. Between 12 June 2005 and 19 June 2005, activity on the=20
site has resulted in:=20

 29. http://bugs.gentoo.org
=20
 * 664 new bugs during this period=20
 * 348 bugs closed or resolved during this period=20
 * 21 previously closed bugs were reopened this period=20
=20
Of the 8461 currently open bugs: 97 are labeled 'blocker', 214 are labele=
d=20
'critical', and 605 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
 * Jonathan Smith[30], with 40 closed bugs[31] =20
 * Gentoo's Team for Core System packages[32], with 21 closed bugs[33] =20
 * Gentoo Security[34], with 16 closed bugs[35] =20
 * Gentoo KDE team[36], with 13 closed bugs[37] =20
 * Net-Mail Packages[38], with 10 closed bugs[39] =20
 * Gentoo Games[40], with 10 closed bugs[41] =20
 * Netmon Herd[42], with 8 closed bugs[43] =20
 * Gentoo Linux Gnome Desktop Team[44], with 8 closed bugs[45] =20
 30. [email protected]
 31.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DRESOLVED&bug_status=3DCLO=
SED&chfield=3Dbug_status&chfieldfrom=3D2005-06-12&chfieldto=3D2005-06-19&=
resolution=3DFIXED&[email protected]
 32. [email protected]
 33.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DRESOLVED&bug_status=3DCLO=
SED&chfield=3Dbug_status&chfieldfrom=3D2005-06-12&chfieldto=3D2005-06-19&=
resolution=3DFIXED&[email protected]
 34. [email protected]
 35.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DRESOLVED&bug_status=3DCLO=
SED&chfield=3Dbug_status&chfieldfrom=3D2005-06-12&chfieldto=3D2005-06-19&=
resolution=3DFIXED&[email protected]
 36. [email protected]
 37.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DRESOLVED&bug_status=3DCLO=
SED&chfield=3Dbug_status&chfieldfrom=3D2005-06-12&chfieldto=3D2005-06-19&=
resolution=3DFIXED&[email protected]
 38. [email protected]
 39.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DRESOLVED&bug_status=3DCLO=
SED&chfield=3Dbug_status&chfieldfrom=3D2005-06-12&chfieldto=3D2005-06-19&=
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=3D2005-06-12&chfieldto=3D2005-06-19&=
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=3D2005-06-12&chfieldto=3D2005-06-19&=
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=3D2005-06-12&chfieldto=3D2005-06-19&=
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
 * Default Assignee for New Packages[46], with 218 new bugs[47] =20
 * Gentoo Sound Team[48], with 18 new bugs[49] =20
 * PHP Bugs[50], with 12 new bugs[51] =20
 * media-video herd[52], with 11 new bugs[53] =20
 * Python Gentoo Team[54], with 10 new bugs[55] =20
 * AMD64 Porting Team[56], with 8 new bugs[57] =20
 * Roy Marples[58], with 7 new bugs[59] =20
 * Mozilla Gentoo Team[60], with 7 new bugs[61] =20
 46. [email protected]
 47.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DNEW&bug_status=3DASSIGNED=
&bug_status=3DREOPENED&chfield=3Dassigned_to&chfieldfrom=3D2005-06-12&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-06-19&[email protected]
 48. [email protected]
 49.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DNEW&bug_status=3DASSIGNED=
&bug_status=3DREOPENED&chfield=3Dassigned_to&chfieldfrom=3D2005-06-12&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-06-19&[email protected]
 50. [email protected]
 51.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DNEW&bug_status=3DASSIGNED=
&bug_status=3DREOPENED&chfield=3Dassigned_to&chfieldfrom=3D2005-06-12&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-06-19&[email protected]
 52. [email protected]
 53.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DNEW&bug_status=3DASSIGNED=
&bug_status=3DREOPENED&chfield=3Dassigned_to&chfieldfrom=3D2005-06-12&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-06-19&[email protected]
 54. [email protected]
 55.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DNEW&bug_status=3DASSIGNED=
&bug_status=3DREOPENED&chfield=3Dassigned_to&chfieldfrom=3D2005-06-12&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-06-19&[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=3D2005-06-12&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-06-19&[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=3D2005-06-12&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-06-19&[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=3D2005-06-12&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-06-19&[email protected]

   =20
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8. GWN feedback
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
  =20
Please send us your feedback[62] and help make the GWN better.=20

 62. [email protected]
   =20
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=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
9. GWN subscription information
=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=3D=3D=3D=3D
  =20
To subscribe to the Gentoo Weekly Newsletter, send a blank email to=20
[email protected].=20
=20
To unsubscribe to the Gentoo Weekly Newsletter, send a blank email to=20
[email protected] from the email address you are=20
subscribed under.=20
   =20
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10. Other languages
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  =20
The Gentoo Weekly Newsletter is also available in the following languages=
:
=20
 * Danish[63] =20
 * Dutch[64] =20
 * English[65] =20
 * German[66] =20
 * French[67] =20
 * Japanese[68] =20
 * Italian[69] =20
 * Polish[70] =20
 * Portuguese (Brazil)[71] =20
 * Portuguese (Portugal)[72] =20
 * Russian[73] =20
 * Spanish[74] =20
 * Turkish[75] =20
 63. http://www.gentoo.org/news/da/gwn/gwn.xml
 64. http://www.gentoo.org/news/nl/gwn/gwn.xml
 65. http://www.gentoo.org/news/en/gwn/gwn.xml
 66. http://www.gentoo.org/news/de/gwn/gwn.xml
 67. http://www.gentoo.org/news/fr/gwn/gwn.xml
 68. http://www.gentoo.org/news/ja/gwn/gwn.xml
 69. http://www.gentoo.org/news/it/gwn/gwn.xml
 70. http://www.gentoo.org/news/pl/gwn/gwn.xml
 71. http://www.gentoo.org/news/pt_br/gwn/gwn.xml
 72. http://www.gentoo.org/news/pt/gwn/gwn.xml
 73. http://www.gentoo.org/news/ru/gwn/gwn.xml
 74. http://www.gentoo.org/news/es/gwn/gwn.xml
 75. http://www.gentoo.org/news/tr/gwn/gwn.xml

  =20
Ulrich Plate <[email protected]> - Editor
Daniel Drake <[email protected]> - Author
M Curtis Napier <[email protected]> - Author
Tobias Scherbaum <[email protected]> - Author

--=20
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