Gentoo Weekly Newsletter - Volume 3, Issue 29

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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 July 19th, 2004.
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==============
1. Gentoo News
==============
  
Gentoo News
-----------
  
"Apple, we have a problem" - Gentoo MacOS X Released 
 
Figure 1.1: Derived from Apple's 'Redmond, we have a problem' campaign: 
The Gentoo MacOS announcement
http://www.gentoo.org/images/gwn/20040719_macos_problem.png
 
Almost exactly one year after the idea of porting Portage to MacOS X came 
up - and the joint Metapkg initiative[1] between Fink, Darwinports and 
Gentoo took off - a 20-head-strong developer team around Pieter van den 
Abeele[2] (strategic lead) and Daniel Ostrow[3] (operational) is now ready 
to release an extraordinary beast into the wild: Gentoo MacOS. They 
deliver on a promise no other Linux distribution has been daring enough to 
make yet: Portage on MacOS is now fully operational, seamlessly integrated 
as a package manager in a non-Linux operating system. It initially serves 
the main purpose of an SDK for inclusion of new packages, testing and 
patching. Granted, KDE isn't ported yet, but make no mistake: Gentoo MacOS 
is ready for consumption by Macintosh users who want, say, scientific DTP 
via TeX, something they will now be able to simply emerge in OS X just 
like they'd do in Gentoo Linux."Right now it's a tool to install lots of 
commonly requested applications on OS X", explains Pieter van den Abeele. 
"But in a few months, we'll have a port system that builds Darwin from 
scratch, provides a standardised lookup and installation routine for 
Dashboard widgets[4], enhancements and tools like the Desktop Manager[5] 
and many, many more popular OS X applications." Downloading the Gentoo 
MacOS Installer provides users with a patched portage, its tree, and the 
Python modules. It sets environment variables and demands a bootstrapping 
shell script to be run before the first emerge that detects the operating 
system (Panther or Tiger), chooses the relevant profiles and injects every 
application it finds already installed in MacOS X.

 1. http://www.metapkg.org
 2. [email protected]
 3. [email protected]
 4. http://www.apple.com/macosx/tiger/dashboard.html
 5. http://wsmanager.sourceforge.net/
 
Figure 1.2: Taming the Tiger with a double-click: The Gentoo MacOS 
Installer
http://www.gentoo.org/images/gwn/20040719_macos_installer.png
 
Since Gentoo's own GCC ebuild for MacOS X isn't ready yet, compiling is 
currently done using the Xcode development tools[6] which include GCC 3.3 
provided by Apple. "People already on Tiger can experiment with GCC 3.5", 
adds Pieter. Tiger, the new release of MacOS X, is due in 2005 with its 
brandnew database filesystem Spotlight[7], modernised video services and 
many other features. The Gentoo MacOS developers are busy polishing the 
knobs (a Cocoa user interface is part of the plan), getting iSync[8] 
integration to work (emerge an application on one machine, automatically 
replicate onto all other Macs in a LAN), right down to making Catalyst 
produce Darwin LiveCDs... "But first the cool stuff, then Darwin", 
chuckles strategic lead Pieter. Even though his team is already larger 
than the entire Gentoo Linux PPC developer group, they still train new 
devs almost daily, and whoever wants to help with the project is very 
welcome to get in touch. The public Wiki[9] holds installation 
instructions and serves as a reporting tool for packages outside of 
Portage that already compile without bombing out. The Gentoo MacOS 
Installer can be downloaded from here[10]. 

 6. http://www.apple.com/macosx/tiger/xcode.html
 7. http://www.apple.com/macosx/tiger/spotlighttech.html
 8. http://www.apple.com/isync/
 9. http://gentoo-wiki.com/Gentoo_MacOS
 10. http://www.metadistribution.org/macos/
 Full size (1024x768) screenshots of the Gentoo MacOS installation 
procedure: 
 * Installer starts[11] 
 * Detection of OS version and installed software[12] 
 * Still busy injecting detected applications, 'emerge info'[13] 
 * First 'emerge --pretend --verbose system' on MacOS X 10.4 (Tiger)[14] 
 * Pulling in and unpacking sources...[15] 
 * Configuring...[16] 
 * Compiling...[17] 
 * Merged![18] 
 * Modified make.conf to accomodate the alien kernel and userland 
environment[19] 
 11. http://www.metadistribution.org/macos/1.png
 12. http://www.metadistribution.org/macos/2.png
 13. http://www.metadistribution.org/macos/3.png
 14. http://www.metadistribution.org/macos/4.png
 15. http://www.metadistribution.org/macos/5.png
 16. http://www.metadistribution.org/macos/6.png
 17. http://www.metadistribution.org/macos/7.png
 18. http://www.metadistribution.org/macos/8.png
 19. http://www.metadistribution.org/macos/9.png

==================
2. Gentoo Security
==================
  
rsync: Directory traversal in rsync daemon
------------------------------------------
  
Under specific conditions, the rsync daemon is vulnerable to a directory 
traversal allowing to write files outside a sync module. 
 
For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[20] 

 20. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200407-10.xml
    
wv: Buffer overflow vulnerability
---------------------------------
  
A buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the wv library that can allow an 
attacker to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running 
the vulnerable application. 
 
For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[21] 

 21. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200407-11.xml
    
Linux Kernel: Remote DoS vulnerability with IPTables TCP Handling
-----------------------------------------------------------------
  
A flaw has been discovered in 2.6 series Linux kernels that allows an 
attacker to send a malformed TCP packet, causing the affected kernel to 
possibly enter an infinite loop and hang the vulnerable machine. 
 
For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[22] 

 22. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200407-12.xml
    
PHP: Multiple security vulnerabilities
--------------------------------------
  
Multiple security vulnerabilities, potentially allowing remote code 
execution, were found and fixed in PHP. 
 
For more information, please see the GLSA Announcement[23] 

 23. http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200407-13.xml
    
==================
3. Projects Update
==================
   
Portage
 
The portage team is currently working on readying portage-2.0.51 for 
public testing and stable releases in the near future. The features of 
2.0.51 are mostly internal, but there will be some obvious changes related 
to FHS compliance and better handling of virtual and 'any of these' 
dependencies. There will be some changes in the caches as the migration to 
2.0.51 starts, but as long as users are currently on at least 
portage-2.0.50-r7, they won't notice. 
 
Devrel
 
The recruiters team have suspended plans to implement a formal copyright 
assignment process, pending legal counsel and some issues with wording, 
the status of developers younger than the age of majority, and the legal 
status of non-U.S. development. For now, ebuilds are specifically assigned 
copyright to the Gentoo Foundation, but there is no formal contract. There 
is also now a Developer Away[24] page which will document developers who 
are away or out-of-contact for a variety of reasons. 

 24. http://dev.gentoo.org/devaway/
 
Gentoo-Alt
 
Pieter van den Abeele[25] (strategic lead) and Daniel Ostrow[26] 
(operational) will be heading up the new MacOS[27] project to support the 
implementation of portage on Macintosh computers. See the News section for 
details on this initiative. 

 25. [email protected]
 26. [email protected]
 27. http://gentoo-wiki.com/Gentoo_MacOS
 
Hardened
 
The Hardened Gentoo team is currently getting ready for a parallel release 
with the 2004.2 Live CD. 
 
Infrastructure
 
The infrastructure team are currently testing eGroupWare[28]'s suitability 
for use by Gentoo developers for communication and project management. 

 28. http://www.egroupware.org/
 
Releng
 
The Release Engineering team are hard at work gearing up for the release 
of the 2004.2[29] Live CD,currently scheduled for the 26th of this month. 

 29. http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/releng/release/2004.2/2004.2.xml
    
=================================
4. Featured Developer of the Week
=================================
   
Featured Developer is on hiatus this week. 
    
=========================
5. Heard in the Community
=========================
  
Web Forums
----------
  
Portage, not Portage 
 
First anniversary of one of the most popular threads in the forums: Gentoo 
developer Pythonhead started a list of portage utilities that aren't in 
Portage exactly a year ago that's been spoon-fed with suggestions by many 
users since then. The list is constantly updated and has grown to 
currently 37 tools, including esoteric shell script like license2kill 
(gets rid of every package not covered by an 
Open-Source-Initiative-approved license) and hands-on helpers like 
Pythonhead's own "bumper" (bumps ebuilds when a new source version is 
available for download and doesn't require a totally modified ebuild) and 
a handful of replacements or modifications of standard portage features 
like updating config files, downloading and emerging things. Some of the 
tools have actually made it into Portage already, some will never stand a 
chance of inclusion in the tree. Take your pick: 
 
 * Portage utilities not in portage[30] 
 30. http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=67849

    
gentoo-user
-----------
  
Using ~x86 All the Time?
 
Should you use the ~x86 flag for everything on your system? Some claim it 
is too unstable, and others claim that it is more stable than not setting 
any keywords. Check out the interesting arguments both ways in this[31] 
thread. 

 31. http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.user/89149
 
Gentoo-Sources
 
What is your opinion on using gentoo-sources for the kernel? A few people 
believe that there are too many patches applied in the gentoo-kernel, but 
there are also good arguments for them as well. The thread is here[32]. 

 32. http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.user/89620
 
Send-only Mail Server
 
Have the need to allow a server to send mail, but not receive it? This 
thread[33] opened up discussion on such a topic using Postfix. 

 33. http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.gentoo.user/89735
    
=======================
6. Gentoo International
=======================
  
UK: Gentoo Meet-Up Looking for Organizing Committee 
 
Gentoo developer Stuart Herbert[34] is seeking volunteers who would be 
willing to organize a meeting for UK-based Gentoo developers and users in 
September or early October 2004. The initial venue is to be Manchester, 
conveniently placed at the geographic center of England, Wales and 
Scotland. Help is now needed to organize a venue, internet access, 
accomodation and the conference programme, along with publicity around the 
event. If you're interested in participating, post your availability to 
this thread[35] on the Forums. 

 34. [email protected]
 35. http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=197906
   
===========
7. Bugzilla
===========
  
Summary
-------
  
 * Statistics 
 * Closed Bug Ranking 
 * New Bug Rankings 
    
Statistics
----------
  
The Gentoo community uses Bugzilla (bugs.gentoo.org[36]) to record and 
track bugs, notifications, suggestions and other interactions with the 
development team. Between 10 July 2004 and 16 July 2004, activity on the 
site has resulted in: 

 36. http://bugs.gentoo.org
 
 * 665 new bugs during this period 
 * 397 bugs closed or resolved during this period 
 * 19 previously closed bugs were reopened this period 
 
Of the 6802 currently open bugs: 138 are labeled 'blocker', 177 are 
labeled 'critical', and 530 are labeled 'major'. 
    
Closed Bug Rankings
-------------------
  
The developers and teams who have closed the most bugs during this period 
are: 
 
 * PPC64 Architecture Team[37], with 51 closed bugs[38]  
 * AMD64 Porting Team[39], with 29 closed bugs[40]  
 * Gentoo Linux Gnome Desktop Team[41], with 18 closed bugs[42]  
 * Mike Frysinger[43], with 17 closed bugs[44]  
 * Java Team[45], with 15 closed bugs[46]  
 37. [email protected]
 38. 
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=RESOLVED&bug_status=CLOSED&ch
field=bug_status&chfieldfrom=2004-07-10&chfieldto=2004-07-16&resolution=FIX
ED&[email protected]
 39. [email protected]
 40. 
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=RESOLVED&bug_status=CLOSED&ch
field=bug_status&chfieldfrom=2004-07-10&chfieldto=2004-07-16&resolution=FIX
ED&[email protected]
 41. [email protected]
 42. 
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=RESOLVED&bug_status=CLOSED&ch
field=bug_status&chfieldfrom=2004-07-10&chfieldto=2004-07-16&resolution=FIX
ED&[email protected]
 43. [email protected]
 44. 
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=RESOLVED&bug_status=CLOSED&ch
field=bug_status&chfieldfrom=2004-07-10&chfieldto=2004-07-16&resolution=FIX
ED&[email protected]
 45. [email protected]
 46. 
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=RESOLVED&bug_status=CLOSED&ch
field=bug_status&chfieldfrom=2004-07-10&chfieldto=2004-07-16&resolution=FIX
ED&[email protected]

    
New Bug Rankings
----------------
  
The developers and teams who have been assigned the most new bugs during 
this period are: 
 
 * Gentoo Linux Gnome Desktop Team[47], with 17 new bugs[48]  
 * media-video Herd[49], with 11 new bugs[50]  
 * Gentoo Science Related Packages[51], with 10 new bugs[52]  
 * Mozilla Gentoo Team[53], with 10 new bugs[54]  
 * Gentoo Games[55], with 10 new bugs[56]  
 47. [email protected]
 48. 
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_s
tatus=REOPENED&chfield=assigned_to&chfieldfrom=2004-07-10&chfieldto=2004-07
-16&[email protected]
 49. [email protected]
 50. 
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_s
tatus=REOPENED&chfield=assigned_to&chfieldfrom=2004-07-10&chfieldto=2004-07
-16&[email protected]
 51. [email protected]
 52. 
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_s
tatus=REOPENED&chfield=assigned_to&chfieldfrom=2004-07-10&chfieldto=2004-07
-16&[email protected]
 53. [email protected]
 54. 
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_s
tatus=REOPENED&chfield=assigned_to&chfieldfrom=2004-07-10&chfieldto=2004-07
-16&[email protected]
 55. [email protected]
 56. 
http://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_s
tatus=REOPENED&chfield=assigned_to&chfieldfrom=2004-07-10&chfieldto=2004-07
-16&[email protected]
    
==================
8. Tips and Tricks
==================
  
Using bash history
 
If you have ever typed a long command and needed to repeat it, or you need 
to repeat a series of commands, try using history instead of re-typing. 
The history command allows you see (and execute) previous commands. Type 
history to see the last few commands you've entered. It will show you the 
command and a number. To execute the command use history !number where 
number is the number of the command listed. (e.g. history !234).
   
===========================
9. 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:
 
 * Thomas Matthijs (axxo) - java 
 * Bernie Lees (twk-b) - ppc 
 * Rob Holland (tigger) - sparc, wasabi 
 * Tom Knight (tomk) - net-mail 
 * Chris White - sound, video, security 
    
Changes
-------
  
The following developers recently changed roles within the Gentoo Linux 
project:
 
 * None this week 
    
=====================
10. Contribute to GWN
=====================
   
Interested in contributing to the Gentoo Weekly Newsletter? Send us an 
email[57].

 57. [email protected]
    
================
11. GWN Feedback
================
   
Please send us your feedback[58] and help make the GWN better.

 58. [email protected]
    
================================
12. GWN Subscription Information
================================
   
To subscribe to the Gentoo Weekly Newsletter, send a blank email to 
[email protected].
 
To unsubscribe to the Gentoo Weekly Newsletter, send a blank email to 
[email protected] from the email address you are 
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===================
13. Other Languages
===================
   
The Gentoo Weekly Newsletter is also available in the following languages:
 
 * Danish[59] 
 * Dutch[60] 
 * English[61] 
 * German[62] 
 * French[63] 
 * Japanese[64] 
 * Italian[65] 
 * Polish[66] 
 * Portuguese (Brazil)[67] 
 * Portuguese (Portugal)[68] 
 * Russian[69] 
 * Spanish[70] 
 * Turkish[71] 
 59. http://www.gentoo.org/news/da/gwn/gwn.xml
 60. http://www.gentoo.org/news/be/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/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

Yuji Carlos Kosugi <[email protected]> - Editor
AJ Armstrong <[email protected]> - Contributor
Brian Downey <[email protected]> - Contributor
Kurt Lieber <[email protected]> - Contributor
David Narayan <[email protected]> - Contributor
Ulrich Plate <[email protected]> - Contributor
Sven Vermeulen <[email protected]> - Contributor
Simon Holm Thagersen <[email protected]> - Danish Translation
Jesper Brodersen <[email protected]> - Danish Translation
Arne Mejlholm <[email protected]> - Danish Translation
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
Stefano Lucidi <[email protected]> - Italian Translation
Katuyuki Konno <[email protected]> - Japanese Translation
Hiroyuki Takeda <[email protected]> - Japanese Translation
Masato Hatakeyama <[email protected]> - Japanese Translation
Shigehiro Idani <[email protected]> - Japanese Translation
Masayoshi Nakamura <[email protected]> - Japanese Translation
Tomoyuki Sakurai <[email protected]> - Japanese Translation
Lukasz Strzygowski <[email protected]> - Polish Translation
Karol Goralski <[email protected]> - Polish Translation
Atila "Jedi" Bohlke Vasconcelos <[email protected]> - Portuguese 
(Brazil) Translation
Eduardo Belloti <[email protected]> - Portuguese (Brazil) Translation
Jo??o Rafael Moraes Nicola <[email protected]> - Portuguese (Brazil) 
Translation
Marcelo Gon??alves 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
Jos?? 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
Guillermo Juarez <[email protected]> - Spanish Translation
Fernando J. Pereda <[email protected]> - Spanish Translation
Juan Diego Guti??rrez Gallardo <[email protected]> - Spanish Translation
Nicolas Silva <[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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