Gentoo Weekly Newsletter 3 October 2005

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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 3 October 2005.
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1. Gentoo news
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Python upgrade to 2.4=20
----------------------
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Python 2.4 will be stabled on x86 this coming Saturday, 8 October 2005.=20
Other archictectures will likely follow soon after. A page detailing all=20
the new features and changes in Python 2.4 is available at the Python=20
project website[1].=20
 1. http://www.python.org/doc/2.4/whatsnew/whatsnew24.html
  All Gentoo users updating to Python 2.4 need to run the python-updater.=
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Gentoo/ALT revisited
--------------------
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The alternate platform project[2] of Gentoo is making a fresh attempt to=20
emerge from obscurity, back into the limelight it attracted on occasion=20
because of the interesting diversity it represents. This week, a meeting=20
of the two main branches of development inside the Gentoo/ALT project=20
reshuffled positions and drew some fresh breath needed to speed up the=20
processes in both Gentoo/BSD, the well-advanced port of Gentoo to a=20
non-Linux kernel and non-GNU userland, and the MacOSX project that's been=
=20
riddled by inactivity, lack of testers and a low headcount of motivated=20
developers.=20
 2. http://gentoo-alt.gentoo.org
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Driving force behind the resurrection of the Gentoo/ALT project -- and=20
taking over the role as its new lead from Pieter van den Abeele[3] -- is=20
Diego Petten=C3=B2[4]. His personal background is Gentoo/BSD, but "altern=
ate=20
platforms" does of course include more than the BSDs proper, and the two=20
current subprojects are well aware of the fact that many of their=20
problems[5] are in fact shared between both platforms and operating=20
systems. Getting functions in Portage to be platform-independent is=20
essential for both BSD and Mac OS X, and there's even room for more=20
subprojects, as the Mac OS X team currently takes care of Darwin=20
activities, too, which will eventually have to be regrouped at some point=
,=20
and Gentoo on Opensolaris is another candidate for extension of the=20
project's scope.=20
 3. [email protected]
 4. [email protected]
 5. http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/gentoo-alt/maintnotes.xml
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Stephen Bennett[6] keeps his role as lead developer of the BSD subproject=
,=20
and Fabian Groffen[7] has agreed to a tentative leadership of the Mac OS =
X=20
development.=20
 6. [email protected]
 7. [email protected]
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Italian translators needed
--------------------------
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The documentation translation team is seeking additional help, mainly for=
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new guides, but also to update the existing ones. If you want to join the=
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team, contact Stefano Rossi[8] or Marco Mascherpa[9] as soon as possible.=
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 8. [email protected]
 9. [email protected]
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2. Gentoo international
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Japan: Kansai open-source conference
------------------------------------
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Osaka's Sansokan is the venue for this annual open-source festival in=20
Osaka[10], on 28 and 29 October 2005. Gentoo will be exhibiting on the=20
second day of the conference, in a booth organized by the Japanese Gentoo=
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community[11]. If you would like to help at the conference, please contac=
t=20
Takuto Matsuu[12] before Tuesday.=20
 10. http://k-of.jp/kof.html
 11. http://www.gentoo.gr.jp
 12. [email protected]
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Japan: PacSec/core05 conference
-------------------------------
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Gentoo's Andrea Barisani[13] will be one of the speakers at the third=20
annual PacSec[14] (as in: "Pacific Security") conference in Tokyo, 15 and=
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16 November 2005. Andrea's talk will be about "Building a modern LDAP=20
based security framework" and undoubtedly bear a few similarities with hi=
s=20
presentation at the Gentoo developer conference in San Francisco.=20
Registration[15] for this event at Aoyama Diamond Hall (on Omotesando in=20
Tokyo's Shibuya ward) is 90,000 JPY if you register before 15 October.=20
 13. [email protected]
 14. http://pacsec.jp
 15. http://pacsec.jp/regintro.html
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3. Gentoo in the press
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MacDevCenter (30 September 2005)
--------------------------------
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Writing about "Installing Fink on Mac OS X", MacDevCenter author Koen=20
Vervloesem fondly remembers the Metapkg initiative[16], a joint effort at=
=20
providing packages for compilation in Mac OS X. Between the Fink,=20
Opendarwin and Gentoo projects,he acknowledges that there isn't much in=20
terms of active development, but "this doesn't mean Metapkg is dead.=20
Developers of Gentoo, Fink, and DarwinPorts frequent each other's chat=20
rooms and are working together daily. The power of Metapkg really lies in=
=20
the charter the different partners signed." Although Gentoo for Mac OS X=20
has so far failed to develop a huge fan base, Vervloesem puts this down t=
o=20
the lack of testing of packages.=20
 16.=20
http://www.gentoo.org/news/en/gwn/20030623-newsletter.xml#doc_chap1_sect3
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Houston Chronicle, KLTV and others (28/29 September 2005)
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Hurricane Rita has completely failed to make an impression on the Gentoo=20
penguins of Moody Gardens, i.e. the Galveston zoo. The local press=20
delightedly report about a couple of the flightless Antarctic birds that=20
apparently managed to continue breeding amidst the flying debris, laying=20
the first Gentoo egg in Galveston captivity ever. While the Houston=20
Chronicle[17] celebrates this "triumph for zookeepers" and forecasts the=20
hatching schedule in proper biologist terminology, others find less=20
accurate, but inexplicably more enlightened words: "A fluffy chick is=20
expected" -- by local TV station KLTV[18], that is -- "to emerge on=20
Halloween." We do that a lot, really.=20
 17. http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/features/3375039
 18. http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3D3911919
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4.=20
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--
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Ever felt like trying out an experimental filesystem like Reiser 4, but=20
don't want to jeopardize your entire system? Then this thread in the=20
Gentoo forums[19] has a suggestion that just might do the trick: test it=20
on a separate partition for /usr/portage -- if anything goes wrong, all=20
you need to do is reformat /usr/portage and emerge --sync to get=20
everything back the way it was before.=20
 19. http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-385836.html
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5. Moves, adds, and changes
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Moves
-----
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The following developers recently left the Gentoo team:=20
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 * None this week=20
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Adds
----
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The following developers recently joined the Gentoo Linux team:=20
=20
 * None this week=20
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Changes
-------
 =20
The following developers recently changed roles within the Gentoo Linux=20
project:
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 * Diego Petten=C3=B2 (flameeyes) - new lead for Gentoo on alternate plat=
forms=20
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6. Gentoo Security
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Qt: Buffer overflow in the included zlib library
------------------------------------------------
 =20
Qt is vulnerable to a buffer overflow which could potentially lead to the=
=20
execution of arbitrary code.=20
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For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[20]=20
 20. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200509-18.xml
   =20
PHP: Vulnerabilities in included PCRE and XML-RPC libraries
-----------------------------------------------------------
 =20
PHP makes use of an affected PCRE library and ships with an affected=20
XML-RPC library and is therefore potentially vulnerable to remote=20
execution of arbitrary code.=20
=20
For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[21]=20
 21. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200509-19.xml
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AbiWord: RTF import stack-based buffer overflow
-----------------------------------------------
 =20
AbiWord is vulnerable to a stack-based buffer overflow during RTF import,=
=20
making it vulnerable to the execution of arbitrary code.=20
=20
For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[22]=20
 22. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200509-20.xml
   =20
Hylafax: Insecure temporary file creation in xferfaxstats script
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 =20
Hylafax is vulnerable to linking attacks, potentially allowing a local=20
user to overwrite arbitrary files.=20
=20
For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[23]=20
 23. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200509-21.xml
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7. Bugzilla
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 =20
Summary
-------
 =20
 * Statistics=20
 * Closed bug ranking=20
 * New bug rankings=20
   =20
Statistics
----------
 =20
The Gentoo community uses Bugzilla (bugs.gentoo.org[24]) to record and=20
track bugs, notifications, suggestions and other interactions with the=20
development team. Between 25 September 2005 and 02 October 2005, activity=
=20
on the site has resulted in:=20
 24. http://bugs.gentoo.org
=20
 * 702 new bugs during this period=20
 * 353 bugs closed or resolved during this period=20
 * 39 previously closed bugs were reopened this period=20
=20
Of the 8426 currently open bugs: 106 are labeled 'blocker', 188 are=20
labeled 'critical', and 556 are labeled 'major'.=20
   =20
Closed bug rankings
-------------------
 =20
The developers and teams who have closed the most bugs during this period=
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are:=20
=20
 * AMD64 Porting Team[25], with 24 closed bugs[26] =20
 * Gentoo Linux Gnome Desktop Team[27], with 16 closed bugs[28] =20
 * Python Gentoo Team[29], with 14 closed bugs[30] =20
 * Default Assignee for Orphaned Packages[31], with 13 closed bugs[32] =20
 * Gentoo KDE team[33], with 13 closed bugs[34] =20
 * Fabian Groffen[35], with 12 closed bugs[36] =20
 * Xavier Neys[37], with 11 closed bugs[38] =20
 * Mozilla Gentoo Team[39], with 11 closed bugs[40] =20
 25. [email protected]
 26.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DRESOLVED&bug_status=3DCLO=
SED&chfield=3Dbug_status&chfieldfrom=3D2005-09-25&chfieldto=3D2005-10-02&=
resolution=3DFIXED&[email protected]
 27. [email protected]
 28.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DRESOLVED&bug_status=3DCLO=
SED&chfield=3Dbug_status&chfieldfrom=3D2005-09-25&chfieldto=3D2005-10-02&=
resolution=3DFIXED&[email protected]
 29. [email protected]
 30.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DRESOLVED&bug_status=3DCLO=
SED&chfield=3Dbug_status&chfieldfrom=3D2005-09-25&chfieldto=3D2005-10-02&=
resolution=3DFIXED&[email protected]
 31. [email protected]
 32.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DRESOLVED&bug_status=3DCLO=
SED&chfield=3Dbug_status&chfieldfrom=3D2005-09-25&chfieldto=3D2005-10-02&=
resolution=3DFIXED&[email protected]
 33. [email protected]
 34.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DRESOLVED&bug_status=3DCLO=
SED&chfield=3Dbug_status&chfieldfrom=3D2005-09-25&chfieldto=3D2005-10-02&=
resolution=3DFIXED&[email protected]
 35. [email protected]
 36.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DRESOLVED&bug_status=3DCLO=
SED&chfield=3Dbug_status&chfieldfrom=3D2005-09-25&chfieldto=3D2005-10-02&=
resolution=3DFIXED&[email protected]
 37. [email protected]
 38.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DRESOLVED&bug_status=3DCLO=
SED&chfield=3Dbug_status&chfieldfrom=3D2005-09-25&chfieldto=3D2005-10-02&=
resolution=3DFIXED&[email protected]
 39. [email protected]
 40.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DRESOLVED&bug_status=3DCLO=
SED&chfield=3Dbug_status&chfieldfrom=3D2005-09-25&chfieldto=3D2005-10-02&=
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[41], with 36 new bugs[42] =20
 * Default Assignee for Orphaned Packages[43], with 13 new bugs[44] =20
 * Mozilla Gentoo Team[45], with 9 new bugs[46] =20
 * media-video herd[47], with 8 new bugs[48] =20
 * AMD64 Porting Team[49], with 8 new bugs[50] =20
 * Gentoo Web Application Packages Maintainers[51], with 7 new bugs[52] =20
 * Gentoo Sound Team[53], with 6 new bugs[54] =20
 * Net-Mail Packages[55], with 6 new bugs[56] =20
 41. [email protected]
 42.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DNEW&bug_status=3DASSIGNED=
&bug_status=3DREOPENED&chfield=3Dassigned_to&chfieldfrom=3D2005-09-25&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-10-02&[email protected]
 43. [email protected]
 44.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DNEW&bug_status=3DASSIGNED=
&bug_status=3DREOPENED&chfield=3Dassigned_to&chfieldfrom=3D2005-09-25&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-10-02&[email protected]
 45. [email protected]
 46.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DNEW&bug_status=3DASSIGNED=
&bug_status=3DREOPENED&chfield=3Dassigned_to&chfieldfrom=3D2005-09-25&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-10-02&[email protected]
 47. [email protected]
 48.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DNEW&bug_status=3DASSIGNED=
&bug_status=3DREOPENED&chfield=3Dassigned_to&chfieldfrom=3D2005-09-25&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-10-02&[email protected]
 49. [email protected]
 50.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DNEW&bug_status=3DASSIGNED=
&bug_status=3DREOPENED&chfield=3Dassigned_to&chfieldfrom=3D2005-09-25&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-10-02&[email protected]
 51. [email protected]
 52.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DNEW&bug_status=3DASSIGNED=
&bug_status=3DREOPENED&chfield=3Dassigned_to&chfieldfrom=3D2005-09-25&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-10-02&[email protected]
 53. [email protected]
 54.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DNEW&bug_status=3DASSIGNED=
&bug_status=3DREOPENED&chfield=3Dassigned_to&chfieldfrom=3D2005-09-25&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-10-02&[email protected]
 55. [email protected]
 56.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DNEW&bug_status=3DASSIGNED=
&bug_status=3DREOPENED&chfield=3Dassigned_to&chfieldfrom=3D2005-09-25&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-10-02&[email protected]
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8. GWN feedback
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Please send us your feedback[57] and help make the GWN better.=20
 57. [email protected]
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9. GWN subscription information
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To subscribe to the Gentoo Weekly Newsletter, send a blank email to=20
[email protected].=20
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To unsubscribe to the Gentoo Weekly Newsletter, send a blank email to=20
[email protected] from the email address you are=20
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10. Other languages
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The Gentoo Weekly Newsletter is also available in the following languages=
:
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 * Danish[58] =20
 * Dutch[59] =20
 * English[60] =20
 * German[61] =20
 * French[62] =20
 * Japanese[63] =20
 * Italian[64] =20
 * Polish[65] =20
 * Portuguese (Brazil)[66] =20
 * Portuguese (Portugal)[67] =20
 * Russian[68] =20
 * Spanish[69] =20
 * Turkish[70] =20
 58. http://www.gentoo.org/news/da/gwn/gwn.xml
 59. http://www.gentoo.org/news/nl/gwn/gwn.xml
 60. http://www.gentoo.org/news/en/gwn/gwn.xml
 61. http://www.gentoo.org/news/de/gwn/gwn.xml
 62. http://www.gentoo.org/news/fr/gwn/gwn.xml
 63. http://www.gentoo.org/news/ja/gwn/gwn.xml
 64. http://www.gentoo.org/news/it/gwn/gwn.xml
 65. http://www.gentoo.org/news/pl/gwn/gwn.xml
 66. http://www.gentoo.org/news/pt_br/gwn/gwn.xml
 67. http://www.gentoo.org/news/pt/gwn/gwn.xml
 68. http://www.gentoo.org/news/ru/gwn/gwn.xml
 69. http://www.gentoo.org/news/es/gwn/gwn.xml
 70. http://www.gentoo.org/news/tr/gwn/gwn.xml
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Ulrich Plate <[email protected]> - Editor
Bryan =C3=98stergaard <[email protected]> - Author
George Prowse <[email protected]> - Author

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