Linux News for Jun 26, 2001

• ZDNet: A very apt app (Jun 26, 2001, 21:21)
  "The availability of apt-get doesn't eliminate all RPM-related problems (most notably Red Hat's tendency to make gratuitous and backward-incompatible changes in the RPM format, often timed to coincide with Red Hat's own Linux releases). But it provides some badly needed extra flexibility to non-Debian users' abilities to manage their own systems."


• Progeny Security Advisory: Potential security problem with exim (Jun 26, 2001, 21:14)
  People running Progeny systems may be vulnerable to unauthorized local access if the following two criteria are met: 1.)The server is running exim. 2.) The headers_check_syntax option is enabled. By default, Progeny systems use the Postfix mail server and the Progeny exim package ships with the headers_check_syntax option disabled, so customers running a default Progeny installation are not vulnerable to this issue.


• Red Hat Security Advisory: New Samba packages available for RH 5.2, 6.2, 7 and 7.1 (Jun 26, 2001, 21:00)
  "The Samba configuration used in Red Hat Linux logs operations into [remotenetbiosname].log. By sending an invalid netbiosname, Samba could be fooled to write its log in unintended and inappropriate locations. This can be especially dangerous if combined with a symlink created by a local user."


• Python-URL! - weekly Python news and links (Jun 26) (Jun 26, 2001, 20:30)
  All that's new in the Python world.


• GNOME Summary for June 17 - June 23, 2001 (Jun 26, 2001, 20:00)
  This week: Ximian Setup Tools 0.6 released, Galeon reviewed, GStreamer ported to GObject, Procman released, Glade2 development underway, Eskil back on gnome-pilot, more.


• AllLinuxDevices: New Internet Computer Company and Sun Match Cobalt Qube with NIC Appliances (Jun 26, 2001, 19:32)
  "Sun Microsystems, Inc., Sun Cobalt Qube Server Appliances and NIC Combine to Create an "Unbeatable Combination" of Price and Functionality."


• Datamation: Who's Afraid of Linux? (Part 2) (Jun 26, 2001, 18:00)
  Datamation concludes its look at ERP and Linux with an examination of Oracle's ambivalence toward Linux. While the company aggressively supports Oracle databases running on Linux, there's very little support for its ERP suite running on Linux -- to the point where Larry Ellison is advising customers not to run Oracle 11i on Linux.


• Mandrakesoft going public? (Jun 26, 2001, 17:34)
  According to this unconfirmed item from a French Linux site, Mandrakesoft is planning on offering shares on the 'Marché Libre' of EuroNext, a European exchange, before the end of July. Most of the shares will be offered to large institutional investors, with a small share offered to European Linux "contributors"; because of European regulations, U.S. Linux contributors won't be offered any shares.


• Tonight Live: The TV Linux Alliance >> Beginning of a new era? (Jun 26, 2001, 17:30)
  Kevin, Jeff, PJ, Doc and Arne discuss the latest from the world of Linux.


• IBM releases new Linux-based eServers (Jun 26, 2001, 17:00)
  "IBM today announced two new eServer systems that offer small and medium-sized businesses access to mainframe and self-healing technologies. The new IBM eServer xSeries 232 and 342 include intelligent management features that support IBM's Project eLiza initiative, a multi-billion dollar program aimed at creating a world of self-managing servers requiring little or no human interaction with the goal of making computing networks as easy to manage as today's kitchen appliances."


• KOffice 1.1 Beta 3 released (Jun 26, 2001, 16:14)
  "Though this release is a beta, it constitutes the most stable and feature-complete release of KOffice to date. The KOffice team encourages all users of earlier KOffice releases to upgrade to KOffice 1.1beta3. In particular, this release is substantially more stable and feature-complete than KOffice 1.0, which was released together with KDE 2.0 in October 2000."


• Enterprise Linux Today: Red Hat Launches Open Source Consulting Practice (Jun 26, 2001, 15:56)
  "The new open source consulting services target areas where open source technologies can greatly improve the strategic use of IT infrastructure through more effective delivery of business requirements."


• The Register: Open Source Terror Stalks Microsoft Lawyers (Jun 26, 2001, 14:43)
  Starting off from last week's news that Microsoft's EULA for at least some of its SDK's forbids use of "potentially viral" software in conjunction with development under them, this article says Microsoft might be trying to hide something about the power it confers its developers, including an unlikely "WinXP forced open" scenario. Didja know the GPL was designed to "eat your business?"


• LinuxProgramming: Trolltech makes Qt/Windows available under new non-commercial license (Jun 26, 2001, 13:26)
  Trolltech has created a brand-new noncommercial license that will allow Windows developers to use Qt, the cross-platform C++ GUI application development framework, at no charge.


• Linux Programming: Tcl-URL! - weekly Tcl news and links (Jun 26) (Jun 26, 2001, 13:20)
  All the latest news from the Tcl world.


• eWeek: Department of Defense adopts StarOffice (Jun 26, 2001, 12:00)
  It looks as if StarOffice will be the software of choice for up to 25,000 US Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) desktops, nudging Applix off a collection of Unix machines. The article draws several connections to Linux and open source software uptake in governments around the world.


• LinuxPlanet: The StartX Files: A Little Housekeeping (Jun 26, 2001, 05:34)
  In this week's StartX files, Brian Proffitt takes a quick look at SuSE 7.2 and asks whether this latest version, arriving so soon after 7.1, is a necessary purchase for SuSE veterans. Also in this week's column: Brian will be revisiting last year's "Word to the Wise" series with an update on word processors for Linux. The list he'll be covering is in this week's column, so make sure to check it out for your favorite.


• BSD Today: FreeBSD's Jordan Hubbard to work for Apple (Jun 26, 2001, 05:16)
  "Jordan Hubbard, the FreeBSD release engineer and FreeBSD Core team member, announced today that he will now be working at Apple. For the past seven years, he has worked as a FreeBSD CD's product manager and FreeBSD evangelist for Walnut Creek CDROM, BSDi and WindRiver Systems."


• LinuxProgramming: Release candidate Komodo 1.1 for Linux now available (Jun 26, 2001, 02:45)
  New in this release: PHP editing and debugging, XSLT editing and debugging, Tcl support, and performance enhancements.


• AsiaBizTech: Linux in Possible Crisis; IBM, NEC, Two Others to Form Promotion Group (Jun 26, 2001, 00:10)
  Behind the provocative headline, there are some rather thought-provoking quotes from Japanese business executives who say that IBM is trying to hijaak Linux for its own ends, and in the process take control of Linux from the core Linux developers and the greater Linux community. The article also blames the "casual" attitude of Linus Torvalds as one reason why investors and corporate customers are losing interest in Linux.