Cliff’s List Filter – May 12 – 18

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Author: Ian Palmer

Tune in again, for another helping of filtered news from the Linux, GNOME, KDE and Mozilla circles. More tips and patches than news this week, but that didn’t stop Mozilla from getting out its second release candidate for the big 1.7, GNOME from releasing version 2.6.1 of its desktop suite, nor many eyes from discovering a security violation in KDE’s URI processing.

Linux Kernel

  • x86_64 users who are trying to compile NTFS with write support into Linux 2.6.6 are experiencing compiler errors due to a bug in the x86_64 code. There is a
    non-optimized solution that can be applied, however.

  • While we’re on the topic of x86_64, if you are using that platform with Linux 2.4.27, you might want to consider applying another correction which fixes problems with the /proc filesystem that may cause errors with software installers.
  • Guillaume Thouvenin announces the latest patchset for the Enhanced Linux System Accounting project on May 12.
  • There is a patch out for Reiserfs users that can prevents troubles in systems that are almost out of memory. These fixes come in flavors for both Linux 2.4 and Linux 2.6
  • VMware users who have been having trouble compiling it using the latest Linux kernels, should be sure to make sure they have downloaded the latest patches which should allow build process to complete, cleanly.
  • Cryptographic experts and enthusiasts may appreciate new AES i586 enhancements from Fruhwirth Clemens, and if you are benchmark oriented, try taking a gander at these numbers or this anecdotal testimony. Be aware that these enhancements may not sit well with the CONFIG_REGPARM kernel option activated, so turn it off, or try this “quick hack”.
  • perfctr v2.7.2, a kernel driver that implements performance monitoring counters, is released on May 14. This release is for Linux 2.6.6 only.
  • Admins who are export ext3 partitions over NFS should be aware that there is a bug in the NFS code that will choke on symlinks with long names. Some minor code corrections from Trond Myklebust should fix the problem.

    • If you are running Linux 2.6.6 and are experiencing a jumpy mouse pointer, while using their laptop trackpads, try booting with the acpi=off kernel parameter and see if that improves the responsiveness.

  • Experiencing strange lockups or other problems while burning CDs on your IDE CD burners? Try loading the ide-scsi module and using the SCSI CD target, rather than ide-cd, as users have been reporting problems.
  • Tim Bird announces the release of the CE Linux Forum – Specification. It’s a version 1 draft, but it might give you some insight into how Linux can fit into the emerging consumer electronics market. While the language of the document may seem like it is making demands it has no authority to make, it does give some insight into what CE companies are looking for in a CE platform.
  • Novice and Expert kernel hackers might be interested in the newest BitKeeper release. Version 3.2.0 was released on May 18. BitKeeper is a configuration management system that is now used to maintain the Linux kernel.

GNOME

  • GNOME v2.6.1 is released on May 14, with some bugfixes, and a bit more polish than it’s 2.6.0 sibling. If GNOME is too filling for you, try the the latest GARNOME, which is a “someone toned down” version of GNOME for those who would like a taste of v2.6.1 now, rather than waiting for their distributions to catch up.
  • Gnome-Nettool users who are in an experimental mood might want to try Carlos Campos’ latest enhancements and see if it improves things for them, or at the very least fixes a few bugs.
  • Looking for a printed version for the Sawfish window manager? Try following these instructions to
    get your manual into everyone’s favorite dead-tree format.

  • If you’d like to use the mouse-wheel to switch between virtual desktops, then Casey Crabb has the patch for you.

    KDE

    • A URI
      handler vulnerability       was announced on May 17, for all versions of KDE up to v3.2.2. Patches have been released to solve that problem. Remember to upgrade your machines!

    • Budding polyglots may know about KDE’s KVerbos, which is a Spanish learning tool. However, were you aware
      of the other language tools that are available in KDE? KWordQuiz, for example, supports several vocabularies.

    Mozilla

    • System administrators looking to replace Outlook in the Enterprise might want to read this thread, and in particular, this message. If Thunderbird is good enough for a 50k seat install at a Fortune 100 company, maybe it might also work well in your organization? For more discussion on Mozilla’s email features versus outlook, there was another discussion on that very topic.
    • Mozilla 1.7 RC2 is released on May 17.

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