Articles about Open Source

Since the Log4Shell attack targeting a log4j vulnerability was first uncovered towards the end of last year it's posed a threat to web servers worldwide.

It's a tricky problem to address because doing so means updating software dependencies. Meanwhile attackers are seeking to inject text into log messages or log message parameters, then into server logs which can then load code from a remote server for malicious use, using obfuscation techniques to hide from security software.

Continue reading →

Well, folks, we finally made it; the weekend is officially here! Hopefully you have some exciting activities planned. Maybe you are going to a party or taking someone out for a romantic dinner date. Or maybe, just maybe, you have absolutely nothing planned. You know what? That's OK. A lot of people are lonely and/or have no prospects. And for them, Linux exists.

Thankfully, Linux Mint 20.3 (code-named "Una") has finally exited beta, giving countless computer nerds around the world something to do this weekend. And yes, this includes me -- I had nothing planned other than a trip to Costco on Saturday and watching my New York Jets lose on Sunday. But now I will be installing the stable version of Linux Mint 20.3 "Una" as well. Huzzah!

Continue reading →

Will Linux Mint 20.3 make 2022 the fabled "Year of Linux on the Desktop?" Absolutely not. However, that won't stop some fans of the Ubuntu-based operating system from making that prediction. While it won't dethrone Windows anytime soon, the release of a stable Linux Mint 20.3 is imminent.

You see, today, the Linux Mint developers share that version 20.3 of the operating system will be released this week! Sadly, the devs missed the Christmas 2021 deadline they previously shared -- a major disappointment. Oh well, users simply had more time to play with the Beta release. At least the wait for Linux Mint 20.3 -- code-named "Una" -- will be over soon.

Continue reading →

At the end of November a vulnerability targeting Minecraft servers was uncovered. If you don't play Minecraft you probably didn't pay it much attention.

Since then, however, 'Log4Shell' has surged across the web sending tremors through the security community and prompting the US government to describe it as a 'severe risk'. So, what's going on and is it time to panic?

Continue reading →

Like System76's Pop!_OS, Linux Mint is an operating system based on Ubuntu. The distribution comes with some interesting tweaks that many users appreciate, making it a popular choice in the Linux community for both beginners and experts alike. It is stable, easy to use, and has a well-designed Update Manager that puts many other distros to shame. Linux Mint is an absolute joy to use.

Back in October, we told you that Linux Mint 20.3 would be named "Una." Even further back, towards the end of July, we shared the Beta of the operating system would be released around Christmas. Well, folks, we are less than two weeks away from that holiday and guess what? You can download Linux Mint 20.3 Beta immediately!

Continue reading →

Ubuntu Linux 21.10 was released back in October, and since then, fans of the Pop!_OS operating system have been wondering when System76 would update to the new Ubuntu base. Well, folks, today is finally the day. Pop!_OS 21.10 is now available to download for your PC hardware. In a surprise move, the company also releases a preview of the OS for the ARM-based Raspberry Pi!

The most notable change in Pop!_OS 21.10 is the inclusion of a new Applications Library, as System76 tries to further distance itself from the vanilla GNOME desktop environment. The refreshed library displays windowed rather than full screen. It even has improved multi-monitor support, displaying the app library on whichever screen has the mouse cursor when summoned. You can see a video of it in action further down the page.

Continue reading →

Microsoft has released a new collection of open-source tools for analyzing system performance. Building on the tools that the company has already produced for Windows, Microsoft-Performance-Tools for Linux-Android is a set of trace processing tooling that makes it possible to closely monitor app and operating system code.

Microsoft-Performance-Tools for Linux-Android is built on .NET Core as well as the new microsoft-performance-toolkit-sdk, and it can be used across multiple platforms. It also integrates with Windows Performance Analyzer for easy GUI-based trace analysis.

Continue reading →

The Linux Foundation has announced that it will host the Cloud Hypervisor project, aiming to deliver a Virtual Machine Monitor for modern cloud workloads.

Written in Rust, the project has a strong focus on security, features include CPU, memory and device hot plugging; support for running Windows and Linux guests; device offload with vhost-user; and a minimal and compact footprint.

Continue reading →

Guess what, folks? Freespire 8.0 is available to download immediately. This version of the Ubuntu-based operating system utilizes Linux kernel 5.4.0-91 LTS while using Xfce 4.16 as its desktop environment. This no-nonsense distribution is fairly lightweight and easy to use, making it a good choice for Linux newbies; particularly with aging (not obsolete) hardware.

Surprisingly, the developers have decided to focus heavily on Google with this release. This includes the search giant's services (Translate, News, etc.) and the Chrome browser. Apparently, this new focus is a result of reading user feedback. While this may scare some privacy-zealots away, it should make the operating system more appealing to the average home computer user. Let's be honest, shall we? Google services are rather essential for many people.

Continue reading →

Technical architecture designs are among the most critical decisions an organization can make, particularly for any that build industry-leading software or face a digital transformation. Poor tech stack choices result in an accumulation of technical debt and switching costs that continue to get worse long after the decisions have been made. The tools your organization selects must be embraced by teams across your entire software development lifecycle to reduce friction, drive efficiencies, and support complex workflows.

The ideal tech stack is interoperable, automated, and flexible enough to limit adverse effects on productivity and profitability. That’s a lot for engineering leaders to keep in mind, especially in today’s environments where the ultimate goal is to enable developers and other technical teams to operate with the right level of agility while keeping pace with rapid change.

Continue reading →

The launch of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 9 Beta today marks a bit of a change from previous releases. While it has many improvements and enhancements that customers have asked for, there are fewer changes that require admins and IT Ops to learn new ways of doing things.

This means anyone already familiar with RHEL 8 should feel at home. Among new features are enhanced web console performance metrics, kernel live patching via the web console, and streamlined image building.

Continue reading →

Project OpenBytes, announced today by The Linux Foundation, is dedicated to making open data more available and accessible through the creation of new standards and formats.

It will enable a community of developers and data scientists, led by Graviti, to create data standards and formats that enable contributions by anyone.

Continue reading →

Today is the day many of us have been waiting for -- Fedora 35 is officially here! Yes, folks, you can download the operating system immediately. For many Linux users, Fedora is considered the best distribution based on the open source kernel. Why? Because Fedora focuses on truly free and open source software -- a pure Linux experience. It is also fairly bleeding edge, while at the same time, remaining stable enough for daily use.

What makes Fedora 35 exciting? This version operating system uses the brand-new GNOME 41 as its default desktop environment. GNOME 41 is notable for having significant performance improvements when using Wayland. Speaking of Wayland, Fedora 35 Beta will run faster when using it with an NVIDIA GPU. Plus, version 35 Beta gets NVIDIA with XWayland, for an improved experience when using apps that aren't designed for Wayland.

Continue reading →

When Microsoft announced plans to remove Hot Reload from the upcoming release of .NET 6 there was outcry. Developers have been able to use to feature to edit he source code of a running app, seeing immediate effects and saving huge amounts of time.

After being battered with complaints, particularly from the open-source community, Microsoft has reversed its decision and the functionality will be re-enabled ahead of general availability of .NET 6.

Continue reading →

Ubuntu 22.04 won't be released in stable form until 2022. To be more precise, it will be officially available in April of that year. After all, that is what the 22.04 indicates -- a two digit year followed by a two digit month.

Of course, before the official release, there will be a Beta and other pre-release versions. If you like living on the edge, however, you can actually download and install Ubuntu Linux 22.04 immediately. Yes, folks, daily builds (very early versions) of the upcoming operating system are available starting today.

Continue reading →