Gentoo Weekly Newsletter - Volume 3, Issue 12

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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 March 22nd, 2004.
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==============
1. Gentoo News
==============
  
Security-only updates and stackable profiles
--------------------------------------------
  
This week, two features on the 2004.1 Feature Request List[1] were added 
to Gentoo. 

 1. 
http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/releng/release/2004.1/releng/feature-request.
xml
 
The first, a feature often requested by users, is security-only updates. 
Until now, emerge -u world was the only choice for users who wanted to 
update their system in one fell swoop. While useful to many users, others 
didn't want to keep up with all of Gentoo's high-pace release cycles, and 
only wanted to install security-related updates, having to scan the 
security updates every now and then to do so. Now glsa-check, part of the 
gentoolkit automates this process. Users can now use this command to 
automatically update the system with security-related updates only. Please 
note, however, that this tool is completely new and meant to test the 
functionality before it is propagated into Portage itself. For more 
information, read the Portage GLSA Integration Document[2]. 

 2. http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/portage/glsa-integration.xml
 
The other improvement was made under the hood, and won't change Gentoo's 
functionality or the way most users interact with the system, but succeed 
in decreasing the distribution's bloat. This new feature is the addition 
of stackable profiles. Historically, Gentoo has used profiles, residing in 
/usr/portage/profiles to describe the system; the most commonly used have 
been default-x86-1.4 and default-x86-2004.0. Profiles contain a set of 
packages that every Gentoo system using the profile in question should 
have installed, a set of mappings from virtual packages to their default 
packages, and a mapping of packages that provide various USE flags once 
installed. However, it was noticed that these profiles had significant 
overlap between them, so cascading (or stackable) profiles were 
implemented. For more information, read the Gentoo Cascading/Stackable 
Profiles Document[3]. 

 3. http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/releng/docs/cascading-profiles.xml
    
==================
2. Gentoo Security
==================
  
Multiple OpenSSL Vulnerabilities
--------------------------------
  
Three vulnerabilities have been found in OpenSSL via a commercial test 
suite for the TLS protocol developed by Codenomicon Ltd. 
 
For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[4] 

 4. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200403-03.xml
    
=========================
3. Heard in the Community
=========================
  
gentoo-user
-----------
  
Cloning Linux Machines
 
Have a need to create many identical Linux machines? One poster on the 
gentoo-user list did.Read here[5] for some usefuladvice on doing a mass 
Linux rollout.

 5. http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.user/71626
    
gentoo-dev
----------
  
Compiling java programs.
 
As java should (theoretically at least) create identical binaries on the 
same desktops, why are we distributing them as source as opposed to 
binaries? Well this was the question asked here[6] this week. Cruise on 
over for a couple of reasons why and why not. 

 6. http://article.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.devel/16735/
    
===========
4. Bugzilla
===========
  
Summary
-------
  
 * Statistics 
 * Closed Bug Ranking 
 * New Bug Rankings 
    
Statistics
----------
  
The Gentoo community uses Bugzilla (bugs.gentoo.org[7]) to record and 
track bugs, notifications, suggestions and other interactions with the 
development team. Between 12 March 2004 and 18 March 2004, activity on the 
site has resulted in: 

 7. http://bugs.gentoo.org
 
 * 577 new bugs during this period 
 * 333 bugs closed or resolved during this period 
 * 13 previously closed bugs were reopened this period 
 
Of the 5337 currently open bugs: 126 are labeled 'blocker', 207 are 
labeled 'critical', and 435 are labeled 'major'. 
    
Closed Bug Rankings
-------------------
  
The developers and teams who have closed the most bugs during this period 
are: 
 
 * Jeremy Huddleston[8], with 26 closed bugs[9]  
 * Java Team[10], with 25 closed bugs[11]  
 * Gentoo KDE team[12], with 19 closed bugs[13]  
 * Gentoo X-windows Packagers[14], with 18 closed bugs[15]  
 * AMD64 Porting Team[16], with 18 closed bugs[17]  
 8. [email protected]
 9. 
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=RESOLVED&bug_status=CLOSED&ch
field=bug_status&chfieldfrom=2004-03-12&chfieldto=2004-03-18&resolution=FIX
ED&[email protected]
 10. [email protected]
 11. 
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=RESOLVED&bug_status=CLOSED&ch
field=bug_status&chfieldfrom=2004-03-12&chfieldto=2004-03-18&resolution=FIX
ED&[email protected]
 12. [email protected]
 13. 
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=RESOLVED&bug_status=CLOSED&ch
field=bug_status&chfieldfrom=2004-03-12&chfieldto=2004-03-18&resolution=FIX
ED&[email protected]
 14. [email protected]
 15. 
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=RESOLVED&bug_status=CLOSED&ch
field=bug_status&chfieldfrom=2004-03-12&chfieldto=2004-03-18&resolution=FIX
ED&[email protected]
 16. [email protected]
 17. 
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=RESOLVED&bug_status=CLOSED&ch
field=bug_status&chfieldfrom=2004-03-12&chfieldto=2004-03-18&resolution=FIX
ED&[email protected]

New Bug Rankings
----------------
  
The developers and teams who have been assigned the most new bugs during 
this period are: 
 
 * AMD64 Porting Team[18], with 29 new bugs[19]  
 * Core System Packages Team[20], with 19 new bugs[21]  
 * Gentoo X-windows Packagers[22], with 14 new bugs[23]  
 * Gentoo Linux Gnome Desktop Team[24], with 12 new bugs[25]  
 * Benjamin Coles[26], with 11 new bugs[27]  
 18. [email protected]
 19. 
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_s
tatus=REOPENED&chfield=assigned_to&chfieldfrom=2004-03-12&chfieldto=2004-03
-18&[email protected]
 20. [email protected]
 21. 
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_s
tatus=REOPENED&chfield=assigned_to&chfieldfrom=2004-03-12&chfieldto=2004-03
-18&[email protected]
 22. [email protected]
 23. 
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_s
tatus=REOPENED&chfield=assigned_to&chfieldfrom=2004-03-12&chfieldto=2004-03
-18&[email protected]
 24. [email protected]
 25. 
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_s
tatus=REOPENED&chfield=assigned_to&chfieldfrom=2004-03-12&chfieldto=2004-03
-18&[email protected]
 26. [email protected]
 27. 
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_s
tatus=REOPENED&chfield=assigned_to&chfieldfrom=2004-03-12&chfieldto=2004-03
-18&[email protected]

    
==================
5. Tips and Tricks
==================
  
Using ulimit
------------
  
This week's tip introduces ulimit -- a command to define system resource 
limits. As a user, you can create self-imposed limits to prevent processes 
from taking up too much CPU time or memory.
 
To view all available resource limits, type ulimit -a. This command shows 
the limits the system administrator has imposed on your account. You can 
lower these limits, but you can't increase them. Many accounts will have 
'unlimited' listed. If so, here are some useful things you can do with 
ulimit:
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Code Listing 5.1:                                                       |
| Preventing core files                                                   |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|                                                                         |
|% ulimit -c 0                                                            |
|                                                                         |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Code Listing 5.2:                                                       |
| Preventing Files larger than 25 MB                                      |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|                                                                         |
|% ulimit -f 25600                                                        |
|                                                                         |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Since ulimit is a builtin shell command, see your shell manual page for 
more information (e.g. man bash, man zsh, etc.).
 
Note:  System administrators can impose system-wide limits using 
/etc/limits. See man limits for more information. 
    
===========================
6. Moves, Adds, and Changes
===========================
  
Moves
-----
  
The following developers recently left the Gentoo team: 
 * none this week 
 
Adds
----
  
The following developers recently joined the Gentoo Linux team:
 
 * Camille Huot (cam) - French documentation 
    
Changes
-------
  
The following developers recently changed roles within the Gentoo Linux 
project:
 
 * none this week 
    
====================
7. Contribute to GWN
====================
   
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email[28].

 28. [email protected]
    
===============
8. GWN Feedback
===============
   
Please send us your feedback[29] and help make the GWN better.

 29. [email protected]
    
===============================
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===============================
   
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===================
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===================
   
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 30. http://www.gentoo.org/news/be/gwn/gwn.xml
 31. http://www.gentoo.org/news/en/gwn/gwn.xml
 32. http://www.gentoo.org/news/de/gwn/gwn.xml
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Yuji Carlos Kosugi <[email protected]> - Editor
AJ Armstrong <[email protected]> - Contributor
John Davis <[email protected]> - Contributor
Brian Downey <[email protected]> - Contributor
Luke Giuliani <[email protected]> - Contributor
Kurt Lieber <[email protected]> - Contributor
Rafael Cordones Marcos <[email protected]> - Contributor
David Narayan <[email protected]> - Contributor
David Nielsen <[email protected]> - Contributor
Ulrich Plate <[email protected]> - Contributor
Sven Vermeulen <[email protected]> - Contributor
Hendrik Eeckhaut <[email protected]> - Dutch Translation
Jorn Eilander <[email protected]> - Dutch Translation
Bernard Kerckenaere <[email protected]> - Dutch Translation
Peter ter Borg <[email protected]> - Dutch Translation
Jochen Maes <[email protected]> - Dutch Translation
Roderick Goessen <[email protected]> - Dutch Translation
Gerard van den Berg <[email protected]> - Dutch Translation
Matthieu Montaudouin <[email protected]> - French Translation
Xavier Neys <[email protected]> - French Translation
Martin Prieto <[email protected]> - French Translation
Antoine Raillon <[email protected]> - French Translation
Sebastien Cevey <[email protected]> - French Translation
Jean-Christophe Choisy <[email protected]> - French Translation
Thomas Raschbacher <[email protected]> - German Translation
Steffen Lassahn <[email protected]> - German Translation
Matthias F. Brandstetter <[email protected]> - German Translation
Lukas Domagala <[email protected]> - German Translation
Tobias Scherbaum <[email protected]> - German Translation
Daniel Gerholdt <[email protected]> - German Translation
Marc Herren <[email protected]> - German Translation
Tobias Matzat <[email protected]> - German Translation
Marco Mascherpa <[email protected]> - Italian Translation
Claudio Merloni <[email protected]> - Italian Translation
Christian Apolloni <[email protected]> - Italian Translation
Stefano Lucidi <[email protected]> - Italian Translation
Katuyuki Konno <[email protected]> - Japanese Translation
Hiroyuki Takeda <[email protected]> - Japanese Translation
Masato Hatakeyama <[email protected]> - Japanese Translation
Masayoshi Nakamura <[email protected]> - Japanese Translation
Yasunori Fukudome <[email protected]> - Japanese Translation
Tomoyuki Sakurai <[email protected]> - Japanese Translation
Radoslaw Janeczko <[email protected]> - Polish Translation
Lukasz Strzygowski <[email protected]> - Polish Translation
Michal Drobek <[email protected]> - Polish Translation
Adam Lyjak <[email protected]> - Polish Translation
Krzysztof Klimonda <[email protected]> - Polish Translation
Atila "Jedi" Bohlke Vasconcelos <[email protected]> - Portuguese 
(Brazil) Translation
Eduardo Belloti <[email protected]> - Portuguese (Brazil) Translation
João Rafael Moraes Nicola <[email protected]> - Portuguese (Brazil) 
Translation
Marcelo Gonçalves de Azambuja <[email protected]> - Portuguese 
(Brazil) Translation
Otavio Rodolfo Piske <[email protected]> - Portuguese (Brazil) 
Translation
Pablo N. Hess -- NatuNobilis <[email protected]> - Portuguese 
(Brazil) Translation
Pedro de Medeiros <[email protected]> - Portuguese (Brazil) Translation
Ventura Barbeiro <[email protected]> - Portuguese (Brazil) 
Translation
Bruno Ferreira <[email protected]> - Portuguese (Portugal) 
Translation
Gustavo Felisberto <[email protected]> - Portuguese (Portugal) 
Translation
José Costa <[email protected]> - Portuguese (Portugal) Translation
Luis Medina <[email protected]> - Portuguese (Portugal) Translation
Ricardo Loureiro <[email protected]> - Portuguese (Portugal) Translation
Aleksandr Martyncev <[email protected]> - Russian Translator
Sergey Galkin <[email protected]> - Russian Translator
Sergey Kuleshov <[email protected]> - Russian Translator
Alex Spirin <[email protected]> - Russian Translator
Denis Zaletov <[email protected]> - Russian Translator
Lanark <[email protected]> - Spanish Translation
Fernando J. Pereda <[email protected]> - Spanish Translation
Lluis Peinado Cifuentes <[email protected]> - Spanish Translation
Zephryn Xirdal T <[email protected]> - Spanish Translation
Guillermo Juarez <[email protected]> - Spanish Translation
Jesús García Crespo <[email protected]> - Spanish Translation
Carlos Castillo <[email protected]> - Spanish Translation
Julio Castillo <[email protected]> - Spanish Translation
Sergio Gómez <[email protected]> - Spanish Translation
Aycan Irican <[email protected]> - Turkish Translation
Bugra Cakir <[email protected]> - Turkish Translation
Cagil Seker <[email protected]> - Turkish Translation
Emre Kazdagli <[email protected]> - Turkish Translation
Evrim Ulu <[email protected]> - Turkish Translation
Gursel Kaynak <[email protected]> - Turkish Translation

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