Gentoo Weekly Newsletter 31 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 31 October 2005.
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1. Gentoo news
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New Korean version for the Gentoo Weekly News
---------------------------------------------
 =20
Jin Kyu Park[1] is the initiator of a new project: adding a Korean versio=
n=20
to the list of translated GWNs. He's been silently chipping away at the=20
block of English GWNs for a few weeks already, and samples of his=20
translation work can be found at the freshly established overview page[2]=
.=20
He's now looking for fellow translators to help make the Korean GWN a=20
sustainable effort. If your Korean is up to the task, please contact him=20
directly.=20
 1. [email protected]
 2. http://www.gentoo.org/news/ko/gwn/gwn.xml
=20
Note: Most of the other languages, even the ones that have a regular=20
update schedule, are always looking for additional help, too. If you woul=
d=20
like to volunteer for any language, send a message to=20
[email protected], please.
   =20
Subforums introduced at Gentoo Forums
-------------------------------------
 =20
Starting this weekend, the introduction of subforums further improves the=
=20
usability of the evergrowing Gentoo Forums[3]. After sufficient testing o=
n=20
a test server (see our earlier report[4]), the German[5] and Italian[6]=20
forums are the first ones to benefit from this long requested feature.=20
Following the general forums structure, both now separate support request=
s=20
from discussion and chat.=20
 3. http://forums.gentoo.org
 4. http://www.gentoo.org/news/en/gwn/20051017-newsletter.xml#doc_chap1
 5. http://forums.gentoo.org/viewforum-f-28.html
 6. http://forums.gentoo.org/viewforum-f-41.html
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Besides the creation of more subforums, future plans include layout=20
polishing and an improved presentation of threads from several subforums.=
=20
The Forums team would like to thank everyone who participated in the=20
testing of subforums.=20
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2. Future zone
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Speeding up the cache - Portage on the move towards 3.0
-------------------------------------------------------
 =20
What is the cache, why do I need it, and what's this metadata transferrin=
g=20
thing?=20
=20
The cache is metadata saved from ebuilds; without the cache, access would=
=20
be about 400x slower for every ebuild lookup. The metadata transfer is as=
=20
it sounds; the system's local cache is updated with pregenerated cache=20
entries distributed via rsync, so that the user's machine doesn't have to=
=20
regenerate portions of the cache itself.=20
=20
Why is it slow?=20
=20
The way stable's cache subsystem scales isn't exactly efficient; ebuilds=20
using eclasses (which must be tracked) scales horribly, and rears its hea=
d=20
in particular during metadata transfers.=20
=20
What is being done to make it not suck?=20
=20
A cache rewrite, which is in use in the non-stable branches already, has=20
been backported to 2.0. Example statistics of the improvement are=20
available via a discussion thread[7]. Rough runtime reduction for a=20
Pentium at 233MHz is 35% normally, with reduction of worst case runtime b=
y=20
65%.=20
 7. http://article.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.portage.devel/1123
=20
Nifty. Downsides? =20
=20
Alternative cache backends need to be rewritten to work with the new=20
design. Tools that access the on disk cache directly (eix) will need to b=
e=20
updated. This is still being tested.=20
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When will it be available in portage?
=20
2.0.54 is targeted, if it's not clean enough, .55 - in other words, as=20
soon as we know it's bug free.=20
=20
Is a patch available now?=20
=20
Yes,=20
http://dev.gentoo.org/~ferringb/2.0/3.0-cache-backport-experimental-7.pat=
ch
[8] is the relevant patch.=20
 8.=20
http://dev.gentoo.org/~ferringb/2.0/3.0-cache-backport-experimental-7.pat=
ch
=20
As per the norm, it's not supported yet; bugs, feedback etc. is welcome,=20
but using it means you're taking the responsibility of patching your=20
package manager -- a critical piece of a gentoo system. If it breaks,=20
you're stuck cleaning up the pieces.=20
  Adding it into the Portage ebuild for local use requires more than just=
=20
a src_unpack addition -- src_install needs adjustment also.   =20
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3. Developer of the week
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 =20
Roger Miliker (roger55)
-----------------------
 =20
Figure 3.1: Roger Milliker aka roger55
http://www.gentoo.org/images/gwn/20051031_roger55.jpg
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Austrian Gentoo developer Roger Miliker, better known as roger55[9], is a=
=20
regular on the #gentoo IRC channel (and some others) on Freenode, helping=
=20
users wherever he can. He also does Release Engineering work -- "test=20
release material, CDs, stages, packages and check what updates in=20
documentation are necessary, find users who have trouble with certain=20
hardware and get them to try new LiveCDs", as he says.=20
 9. [email protected]
=20
In real life he's a student of medicine at the Graz Medical University,=20
and works as a bike courier (which is mostly a temporary job until he=20
finds something better).=20
=20
Between his girlfriend Manuela and his hobbies (biking and snowboarding)=20
it's quite amazing that he still finds so much time for Gentoo, but with =
a=20
Thinkpad 570 (pentium2) notebook, an AthlonXP 1800+ (Desktop), an Epia=20
M10000 (mythtv) and a cute Thinkpad 701cs (486DX/2) with the butterfly=20
slide-out keyboard it's hard not to tinker around. Roger's desktop of=20
choice is KDE with kmail started first thing in the morning, right after=20
the first espresso...=20
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4. Heard in the community
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 =20
gentoo-dev
----------
 =20
Handling dependencies
=20
D.M.D. Ljungmark[10] started a rather technical thread about dependencies=
.=20
"If your package, libFoo, installs .h files that directly require header=20
files from libBar, then you have a Runtime dependency on libBar, not only=
=20
a compile time dependency" is one point of view, "It's not true runtime=20
dependence because it's not required for programs to run, only to=20
compile." the other. While this doesn't affect most people it can lead to=
=20
ugly problems with binary packages and embedded systems where everything=20
not strictly necessary gets removed. The thread remained inconclusive to=20
what is the right solution to this problem.=20
 10. [email protected]
=20
 * Handling dependencies [11]=20
 11. http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.devel/32318
=20
modular X - 7.0 RC1
=20
In the spirit of "having a package before upstream releases it", Donnie=20
Berkholz[12] wrote: "The first release candidate was announced roughly 12=
=20
hours ago. And fitting the Gentoo you know as up to the minute, so far=20
beyond the bleeding edge that it's wearing a Band-Aid before it starts to=
=20
bleed, comes the complete package in Portage -- all 296 packages worth."=20
 12. [email protected]
=20
 * [13]=20
 13. http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.devel/
=20
Ebuilds for packages without homepage?
=20
Harald van Dijk[14] asks: "What's the right thing to do with an ebuild's=20
HOMEPAGE variable if there is not any homepage? Different packages have=20
different approaches for this; some don't have any HOMEPAGE line , some=20
set HOMEPAGE to the empty string, possibly with a comment following it,=20
and some set HOMEPAGE to some string that's obviously not a URL such as=20
"none" or "I HAVE NO HOME:(""=20
 14. [email protected]
=20
 * Ebuilds for packages without homepage? [15]=20
 15. http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.devel/32324
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5. Gentoo international
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 =20
Germany: European Gentoo developer conference line-up almost complete
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 =20
Little less than three weeks ahead of the European Gentoo developer=20
conference[16] at Kransberg castle on 18 November the line-up of speakers=
=20
is almost complete. Topics covered include strictly internal affairs such=
=20
as a projected infrastructure mirror in Europe, but also an overview of=20
activities on alternative architecture Gentoo flavors, a workshop on=20
wireless routers, presentations of individual projects and more. 20=20
participants have already confirmed their coming to date, slowly=20
approaching the maximum capacity of on-site accomodation. If you would=20
like to take part in this event, please register[17] as soon as possible.
 16. http://conference.gentoo-ev.org
 17. http://conference.gentoo-ev.org/cgi-bin/registration.pl
   =20
Belgium: Gentoo Belgium website goes bilingual
----------------------------------------------
 =20
The website of the Belgian Gentoo users[18] has seen some refurbishments=20
over the last few weeks, and most importantly, a French interface has bee=
n=20
added to tag along the Flemish version of the site.=20
 18. http://www.gentoo.be
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6. Moves, adds, and changes
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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
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  =20
Zope: File inclusion through RestructuredText
---------------------------------------------
 =20
Zope is vulnerable to a file inclusion vulnerability when exposing=20
RestructuredText functionalities to untrusted users.=20
=20
For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[19]=20
 19. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200510-20.xml
   =20
phpMyAdmin: Local file inclusion and XSS vulnerabilities
--------------------------------------------------------
 =20
phpMyAdmin contains a local file inclusion vulnerability that may lead to=
=20
the execution of arbitrary code, along with several cross-site scripting=20
issues.=20
=20
For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[20]=20
 20. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200510-21.xml
   =20
SELinux PAM: Local password guessing attack
-------------------------------------------
 =20
A vulnerability in the SELinux version of PAM allows a local attacker to=20
brute-force system passwords.=20
=20
For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[21]=20
 21. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200510-22.xml
   =20
TikiWiki: XSS vulnerability
---------------------------
 =20
TikiWiki is vulnerable to cross-site scripting attacks.=20
=20
For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[22]=20
 22. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200510-23.xml
   =20
Mantis: Multiple vulnerabilities
--------------------------------
 =20
Mantis is affected by multiple vulnerabilities ranging from information=20
disclosure to arbitrary script execution.=20
=20
For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[23]=20
 23. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200510-24.xml
   =20
Ethereal: Multiple vulnerabilities in protocol dissectors
---------------------------------------------------------
 =20
Ethereal is vulnerable to numerous vulnerabilities, potentially resulting=
=20
in the execution of arbitrary code or abnormal termination.=20
=20
For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[24]=20
 24. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200510-25.xml
    =20
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8. 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[25]) to record and=20
track bugs, notifications, suggestions and other interactions with the=20
development team. Between 23 October 2005 and 30 October 2005, activity o=
n=20
the site has resulted in:=20
 25. http://bugs.gentoo.org
=20
 * 665 new bugs during this period=20
 * 383 bugs closed or resolved during this period=20
 * 28 previously closed bugs were reopened this period=20
=20
Of the 8750 currently open bugs: 107 are labeled 'blocker', 183 are=20
labeled 'critical', and 555 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 for Mac OS X[26], with 28 closed bugs[27] =20
 * Gentoo Games[28], with 20 closed bugs[29] =20
 * Gentoo Linux Gnome Desktop Team[30], with 18 closed bugs[31] =20
 * Mobile Herd[32], with 13 closed bugs[33] =20
 * Gentoo Web Application Packages Maintainers[34], with 12 closed=20
bugs[35] =20
 * Gentoo Security[36], with 12 closed bugs[37] =20
 * Gentoo's Team for Core System packages[38], with 12 closed bugs[39] =20
 * OpenOffice Team[40], with 11 closed bugs[41] =20
 26. [email protected]
 27.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DRESOLVED&bug_status=3DCLO=
SED&chfield=3Dbug_status&chfieldfrom=3D2005-10-23&chfieldto=3D2005-10-30&=
resolution=3DFIXED&[email protected]
 28. [email protected]
 29.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DRESOLVED&bug_status=3DCLO=
SED&chfield=3Dbug_status&chfieldfrom=3D2005-10-23&chfieldto=3D2005-10-30&=
resolution=3DFIXED&[email protected]
 30. [email protected]
 31.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DRESOLVED&bug_status=3DCLO=
SED&chfield=3Dbug_status&chfieldfrom=3D2005-10-23&chfieldto=3D2005-10-30&=
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=3D2005-10-23&chfieldto=3D2005-10-30&=
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=3D2005-10-23&chfieldto=3D2005-10-30&=
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=3D2005-10-23&chfieldto=3D2005-10-30&=
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=3D2005-10-23&chfieldto=3D2005-10-30&=
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=3D2005-10-23&chfieldto=3D2005-10-30&=
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[42], with 42 new bugs[43] =20
 * Default Assignee for Orphaned Packages[44], with 15 new bugs[45] =20
 * Mozilla Gentoo Team[46], with 9 new bugs[47] =20
 * Java team[48], with 9 new bugs[49] =20
 * Gentoo Games[50], with 8 new bugs[51] =20
 * Mobile Herd[52], with 7 new bugs[53] =20
 * media-video herd[54], with 7 new bugs[55] =20
 * Gentoo X-windows packagers[56], with 6 new bugs[57] =20
 42. [email protected]
 43.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DNEW&bug_status=3DASSIGNED=
&bug_status=3DREOPENED&chfield=3Dassigned_to&chfieldfrom=3D2005-10-23&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-10-30&[email protected]
 44. [email protected]
 45.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DNEW&bug_status=3DASSIGNED=
&bug_status=3DREOPENED&chfield=3Dassigned_to&chfieldfrom=3D2005-10-23&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-10-30&[email protected]
 46. [email protected]
 47.=20
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=3DNEW&bug_status=3DASSIGNED=
&bug_status=3DREOPENED&chfield=3Dassigned_to&chfieldfrom=3D2005-10-23&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-10-30&[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=3D2005-10-23&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-10-30&[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=3D2005-10-23&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-10-30&[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=3D2005-10-23&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-10-30&[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=3D2005-10-23&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-10-30&[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=3D2005-10-23&chf=
ieldto=3D2005-10-30&[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[58] and help make the GWN better.=20
 58. [email protected]
   =20
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=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
10. GWN subscription information
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=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[59] =20
 * Dutch[60] =20
 * English[61] =20
 * German[62] =20
 * French[63] =20
 * Japanese[64] =20
 * Italian[65] =20
 * Polish[66] =20
 * Portuguese (Brazil)[67] =20
 * Portuguese (Portugal)[68] =20
 * Russian[69] =20
 * Spanish[70] =20
 * Turkish[71] =20
 59. http://www.gentoo.org/news/da/gwn/gwn.xml
 60. http://www.gentoo.org/news/nl/gwn/gwn.xml
 61. http://www.gentoo.org/news/en/gwn/gwn.xml
 62. http://www.gentoo.org/news/de/gwn/gwn.xml
 63. http://www.gentoo.org/news/fr/gwn/gwn.xml
 64. http://www.gentoo.org/news/ja/gwn/gwn.xml
 65. http://www.gentoo.org/news/it/gwn/gwn.xml
 66. http://www.gentoo.org/news/pl/gwn/gwn.xml
 67. http://www.gentoo.org/news/pt_br/gwn/gwn.xml
 68. http://www.gentoo.org/news/pt/gwn/gwn.xml
 69. http://www.gentoo.org/news/ru/gwn/gwn.xml
 70. http://www.gentoo.org/news/es/gwn/gwn.xml
 71. http://www.gentoo.org/news/tr/gwn/gwn.xml
  =20
Ulrich Plate <[email protected]> - Editor
Brian Harring <[email protected]> - Author
Patrick Lauer <[email protected]> - Author
Dennis Nienh=C3=BCser <[email protected]> - Author

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