Gentoo Weekly Newsletter 17 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 17 October 2005.
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1. Gentoo news
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 =20
New USE flag editor released
----------------------------
 =20
Damien Krotkine[1] has added a new command line interface tool called=20
flagedit to his growing collection of configuration editors[2]. On top of=
=20
everything profuse does with its choice of three GUIs, the new flag edito=
r=20
also edits /etc/portage/package.keywords, thus offering a simple way to=20
add a platform not yet supported to a package you'd like to test:=20
 1. [email protected]
 2. http://www.damz.net/gentoo/
=20
+------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-+
| Code Listing 1.1:                                                      =
 |
| Adding package.keywords                                                =
 |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-+
|                                                                        =
 |
|# flagedit net-im/amsn -- +~ppc +~x86                                   =
 |
|                                                                        =
 |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-+
=20
Besides keywords, flagedit lets you edit the USE flags of /etc/make.conf,=
=20
as well as those in the /etc/portage/package.use file, either for a=20
particular ebuild, or for the whole system. And of course, a backup of=20
each modified file lets you roll back easily.=20
   =20
Subforums introduction at Gentoo Forums
---------------------------------------
 =20
Subforums are a feature that had been requested by users for quite a long=
=20
time. While the general policy on the Gentoo Forums was to use vanilla=20
phpBB[3], the administrators have recently adopted a more open attitude=20
towards patches and modifications. The most recent consequence is the=20
arrival of a subforums modification, mainly written by forums=20
administrator Tom Knight[4]. Before using it on the production system som=
e=20
testing was done on forum administrator Christian Hartmann's[5] test=20
server[6] which is usually not available to the general public. The test=20
server is still open and the forums team would greatly appreciate some=20
more feedback and testing before using the subforums on the main server.=20
Please see this thread[7] for more information.=20
 3. http://www.phpbb.com/
 4. [email protected]
 5. [email protected]
 6. http://fgo.iansview.com
 7. http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-391659.html
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2. Heard in the community
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 =20
Web forums
----------
 =20
MySQL 4.1 to be stabilized
=20
The forum admins predict some fallout from the MySQL version 4.1 that's=20
being moved up to the stable tree these days. As the upgrade has the=20
potential for being a bumpy one, a sticky thread in the Forums tries to=20
prevent users from falling prey to it:=20
=20
 * Stabilisation of dev-db/mysql-4.1.14[8] =20
 8. http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-392443.html
=20
OpenVPN and TAP
=20
OpenVPN[9], a VPN application that offers remote access, site-to-site=20
VPNs, WiFi security and other VPN accessories is made into a How-To for=20
those who wish to use TAP instead of TUN by user cchee[10]:=20
 9. http://openvpn.net
 10. http://forums.gentoo.org/profile.php?mode=3Dviewprofile&u=3D25884
=20
 * OpenVPN 2.0 TAP mini-HOWTO (linux 2 wifi-linux, wifi-xp)[11] =20
 11. http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-233080.html
   =20
gentoo-dev
----------
 =20
Handling multiple compatible tools
=20
Sometimes there's more than one tool to do the job. For example, bsdtar=20
and GNU tar are mostly compatible. Diego Petten=C3=B2[12] asks if there i=
s an=20
easy way for the user to select between such tools.=20
 12. [email protected]
=20
 * Handling multiple compatible tools [13]=20
 13. http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.devel/32099
=20
End of lifecycle for unmaintained packages
=20
The media-video ebuilds are getting cleaned up these days, and a few=20
unmaintained applications will most likely be removed soon: avifile, vcr,=
=20
zphoto, drip, divx4linux, and quicktime4linux=20
=20
 * last rites for a few apps [14]=20
 14. http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.devel/32112
=20
People needed for net-p2p
=20
Developer Marcin Kryczek[15] is on the lookout for new developers in the=20
net-p2p herd, especially those with Java experience.=20
 15. [email protected]
=20
 * net-p2p needs more developers[16] =20
 16. http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.devel/32036
=20
Portage: where forward?
=20
Developers Jason Stubbs[17] and Brian Harring[18] talk about where they=20
are up to with portage and what they feel the road ahead should be.=20
 17. [email protected]
 18. [email protected]
=20
 * The road ahead...[19] =20
 19. http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.portage.devel/1140
=20
Vim 6.4 beta tester wanted
=20
Ciaran McCreesh[20] is looking for people to test out the new=20
vim-6.4_beta:=20
 20. [email protected]
=20
 * vim-6.4_beta tester[21] =20
 21. http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.devel/32024
   =20
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3. Gentoo international
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 =20
USA: Professional support for Gentoo
------------------------------------
 =20
Los-Angeles-based GenUX[22] is in its final days of a trial offer for=20
professional services to Gentoo users. From today until the end of the=20
year, GenUX will be offering support incidents at 25 percent of their=20
original charge, and the second hour of desktop support free for anyone=20
who purchases professional services until the end of the year. CEO Joseph=
=20
Cohen also announced that GenUX will be donating a portion of the funds=20
collected from support to the Gentoo Foundation! The company already=20
sponsors the project and has Gentoo developers Deedra Waters[23], Jeremy=20
Huddleston[24] and Homer Parker[25] on their pay roll.=20
 22. http://www.gen-ux.com
 23. [email protected]
 24. [email protected]
 25. [email protected]
   =20
Switzerland: Installfest in Aargau featuring Gentoo
---------------------------------------------------
 =20
The LUG-AG[26] in Aargau is organizing an installation party for=20
interested users, this coming Friday, 21 October, at the premises of the=20
Aargauischer Computer Club Brugg[27]. The announcement[28] speaks of=20
Debian as the LUG-AG's usual Linux flavor of choice, but "if you want to=20
do something different like installing Gentoo or FreeBSD", they're=20
apparently friendly enough to allow for that, too. You may want to bring=20
your own installation media, just to be on the safe side...=20
 26. http://www.lug-ag.ch/
 27. http://www.accb-brugg.ch/
 28. http://www.symlink.ch/article.pl?sid=3D05/10/11/0755208
   =20
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4. Gentoo in the press
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 =20
Newsforge (14 October 2005)
---------------------------
 =20
An article in Newsforge[29] reports that a "New national center to assist=
=20
governments with open-source applications" has been created at GOSCON=20
2005[30] in Portland, Oregon, hosted by Gentoo-supporter OSL[31]. Like=20
other prospective partners in the new venture called "National Center for=
=20
Open Source Policy and Research" (NCOSPR[32]), OSL's associate director=20
Scott Kveton, too, is "not sure what they'll be doing" yet, but the same=20
people now actively supporting Gentoo inside the OSL will be able to make=
=20
the new center benefit from their experience with open-source development=
.=20
 29. http://trends.newsforge.com/trends/05/10/14/1446204.shtml?tid=3D138
 30. http://www.goscon.org/
 31. http://osuosl.org/
 32. http://www.ncospr.org/
   =20
Hardware Upgrade (14 October 2005, in Italian)
----------------------------------------------
 =20
"Build a home server with Gentoo[33]" is the title of a tutorial by Andre=
a=20
Raviola[34] published on an Italian website dedicated to hardware for=20
personal computing that's been around since 1997 already. The Gentoo=20
installation goes on "a bit of recovered material", i.e. recombined scrap=
s=20
that end up making a rock-solid server for all-purpose use at home.=20
 33. http://www.hwupgrade.it/articoli/software/1360/
 34. [email protected]
   =20
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5. Tips and tricks
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 =20
Tune your filesystem
--------------------
 =20
ext2/3 are the main filesystems for a large amount of users but what a lo=
t=20
of people don't know is that you can get almost Reiser4 speed out of it=20
without any of the instability they'd associated with Reiser4. One of the=
=20
great features of ext2/3 is the ability to tune it by adjusting various=20
parameters.=20
=20
Let's take some precautions, first of all by finding out if some of those=
=20
parameter are already enabled, by running=20
=20
+------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-+
| Code Listing 5.1:                                                      =
 |
| Check partition first                                                  =
 |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-+
|                                                                        =
 |
|# tune2fs -l /dev/hdXX                                                  =
 |
|                                                                        =
 |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-+
=20
(replacing XX with your drive and partition your ext2/3 filesystem reside=
s=20
in). If you don't see tune2fs in the list then we can enable it, and just=
=20
in case you do see 'dir_index' in 'Filesystem features' then you have=20
either enabled it already or it was automatically enabled for you.=20
=20
You are going to need a Gentoo LiveCD because changing perameters on=20
mounted filesystems can cause problems, so in the interest of safety we=20
are booting off the CD. At the start phase the Gentoo install system is=20
booted into what's called a "ramdisk" which is where the files needed are=
=20
put into RAM to be used. mke2fs, tune2fs and other parts of the e2fsprogs=
=20
package will be present at this stage.=20
=20
Now let's turn on the feature with=20
=20
+------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-+
| Code Listing 5.2:                                                      =
 |
| Tune the filesystem                                                    =
 |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-+
|                                                                        =
 |
|# tune2fs -O dir_index /dev/hdXX                                        =
 |
|                                                                        =
 |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-+
=20
Do a filesystem check with=20
=20
+------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-+
| Code Listing 5.3:                                                      =
 |
| Filesystem check                                                       =
 |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-+
|                                                                        =
 |
|# e2fsck -D /dev/hdXX                                                   =
 |
|                                                                        =
 |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-+
=20
Do that on any ext2 or ext3 partition and then reboot. You should notice=20
the difference straight away.=20
   =20
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6. Moves, adds, and changes
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 =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
 * None this week=20
   =20
Changes
-------
 =20
The following developers recently changed roles within the Gentoo Linux=20
project:
=20
 * None this week=20
   =20
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7. Gentoo Security
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
  =20
uw-imap: Remote buffer overflow
-------------------------------
 =20
uw-imap is vulnerable to remote overflow of a buffer in the IMAP server=20
leading to execution of arbitrary code.=20
=20
For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[35]=20
 35. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200510-10.xml
   =20
OpenSSL: SSL 2.0 protocol rollback
----------------------------------
 =20
When using a specific option, OpenSSL can be forced to fallback to the=20
less secure SSL 2.0 protocol.=20
=20
For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[36]=20
 36. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200510-11.xml
   =20
KOffice, KWord: RTF import buffer overflow
------------------------------------------
 =20
KOffice and KWord are vulnerable to a buffer overflow in the RTF importer=
,=20
potentially resulting in the execution of arbitrary code.=20
=20
For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[37]=20
 37. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200510-12.xml
   =20
SPE: Insecure file permissions
------------------------------
 =20
SPE files are installed with world-writeable permissions, potentially=20
leading to privilege escalation.=20
=20
For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[38]=20
 38. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200510-13.xml
    =20
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8. 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[39]) to record and=20
track bugs, notifications, suggestions and other interactions with the=20
development team. Between 09 October 2005 and 16 October 2005, activity o=
n=20
the site has resulted in:=20
 39. http://bugs.gentoo.org
=20
 * 849 new bugs during this period=20
 * 431 bugs closed or resolved during this period=20
 * 17 previously closed bugs were reopened this period=20
=20
Of the 8607 currently open bugs: 106 are labeled 'blocker', 183 are=20
labeled 'critical', and 545 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 Linux Gnome Desktop Team[40], with 26 closed bugs[41] =20
 * Stefano Rossi[42], with 20 closed bugs[43] =20
 * Roy Marples[44], with 19 closed bugs[45] =20
 * Lukasz Damentko[46], with 17 closed bugs[47] =20
 * AMD64 Testing Team[48], with 17 closed bugs[49] =20
 * PPC Porters[50], with 16 closed bugs[51] =20
 * Netmon Herd[52], with 15 closed bugs[53] =20
 * Gentoo Games[54], with 13 closed bugs[55] =20
 40. [email protected]
 41.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DRESOLVED&bug_status=3DCLO=
SED&chfield=3Dbug_status&chfieldfrom=3D2005-10-09&chfieldto=3D2005-10-16&=
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=3D2005-10-09&chfieldto=3D2005-10-16&=
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=3D2005-10-09&chfieldto=3D2005-10-16&=
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=3D2005-10-09&chfieldto=3D2005-10-16&=
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=3D2005-10-09&chfieldto=3D2005-10-16&=
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=3D2005-10-09&chfieldto=3D2005-10-16&=
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=3D2005-10-09&chfieldto=3D2005-10-16&=
resolution=3DFIXED&[email protected]
 54. [email protected]
 55.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DRESOLVED&bug_status=3DCLO=
SED&chfield=3Dbug_status&chfieldfrom=3D2005-10-09&chfieldto=3D2005-10-16&=
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[56], with 60 new bugs[57] =20
 * Default Assignee for Orphaned Packages[58], with 15 new bugs[59] =20
 * AMD64 Testing Team[60], with 12 new bugs[61] =20
 * Gentoo Linux Gnome Desktop Team[62], with 11 new bugs[63] =20
 * Project Gentopia[64], with 9 new bugs[65] =20
 * Portage Utilities Team[66], with 8 new bugs[67] =20
 * Gentoo Kernel Bug Wranglers and Kernel Maintainers[68], with 8 new=20
bugs[69] =20
 * Java team[70], with 8 new bugs[71] =20
 56. [email protected]
 57.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DNEW&bug_status=3DASSIGNED=
&bug_status=3DREOPENED&chfield=3Dassigned_to&chfieldfrom=3D2005-10-09&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-10-16&[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=3D2005-10-09&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-10-16&[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=3D2005-10-09&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-10-16&[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=3D2005-10-09&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-10-16&[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=3D2005-10-09&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-10-16&[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=3D2005-10-09&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-10-16&[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=3D2005-10-09&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-10-16&[email protected]
 70. [email protected]
 71.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DNEW&bug_status=3DASSIGNED=
&bug_status=3DREOPENED&chfield=3Dassigned_to&chfieldfrom=3D2005-10-09&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-10-16&[email protected]
   =20
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9. GWN feedback
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
  =20
Please send us your feedback[72] and help make the GWN better.=20
 72. [email protected]
   =20
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=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
10. 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=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
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11. Other languages
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  =20
The Gentoo Weekly Newsletter is also available in the following languages=
:
=20
 * Danish[73] =20
 * Dutch[74] =20
 * English[75] =20
 * German[76] =20
 * French[77] =20
 * Japanese[78] =20
 * Italian[79] =20
 * Polish[80] =20
 * Portuguese (Brazil)[81] =20
 * Portuguese (Portugal)[82] =20
 * Russian[83] =20
 * Spanish[84] =20
 * Turkish[85] =20
 73. http://www.gentoo.org/news/da/gwn/gwn.xml
 74. http://www.gentoo.org/news/nl/gwn/gwn.xml
 75. http://www.gentoo.org/news/en/gwn/gwn.xml
 76. http://www.gentoo.org/news/de/gwn/gwn.xml
 77. http://www.gentoo.org/news/fr/gwn/gwn.xml
 78. http://www.gentoo.org/news/ja/gwn/gwn.xml
 79. http://www.gentoo.org/news/it/gwn/gwn.xml
 80. http://www.gentoo.org/news/pl/gwn/gwn.xml
 81. http://www.gentoo.org/news/pt_br/gwn/gwn.xml
 82. http://www.gentoo.org/news/pt/gwn/gwn.xml
 83. http://www.gentoo.org/news/ru/gwn/gwn.xml
 84. http://www.gentoo.org/news/es/gwn/gwn.xml
 85. http://www.gentoo.org/news/tr/gwn/gwn.xml
  =20
Ulrich Plate <[email protected]> - Editor
Wernfried Haas <[email protected]> - Author
Patrick Lauer <[email protected]> - Author
David Nielsen <[email protected]> - Author
George Prowse <[email protected]> - Author

--=20
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