Episode 083 – Where’s Mat?
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Total Running Time: 1:09:06
Un-edited Live session – http://youtu.be/wCX4xN7w0Og
Contact Us:
show (at) smlr.us or the Contact us page
Summary
Kernel News: Mat
Time: 6:20
Distro Talk: Tony
Time: 8:05
Mary Distro Review
Time: 15:30
Tech News:
Time: 24:55
Toolbox
Time: 47:20
Listener Feedback
Time: 56:50
Outtro Music
Time: 1:03:20
Intro:
Tony Bemus, Mat Enders, and Mary Tomich
Sound bites by Mike Tanner
Kernel News: Mat
Time: 6:20
Release Candidate:
None
Mainline:
3.9
Stable Updates:
On Tue, 7 May 2013 21:08:34 PDT
Greg Kroah-Hartman released kernel 3.0.77
With 50 files changed, 242 lines inserted, and 109 lines deleted
On Tue, 7 May 2013 21:09:08 PDT
Greg Kroah-Hartman released kernel 3.4.44
With 73 files changed, 347 lines inserted, and 170 lines deleted
On Tue, 7 May 2013 21:09:38 PDT
Greg Kroah-Hartman released kernel 3.8.12
With 129 files changed, 641 lines inserted, and 320 lines deleted
On Tue, 7 May 2013 21:10:10 PDT
Greg Kroah-Hartman released kernel 3.9.1
With 139 files changed, 690 lines inserted, and 341 lines deleted
Kernel Developer Quote:
None
Distro Talk: Tony
Time: 8:05
- 5-5 – aptosid 2013-01 – modern desktop Linux distribution with a choice of KDE or Xfce desktops and the latest Linux kernel, based on Debian’s “unstable” branch
- 5-6 – Kwort Linux 4 -a lightweight CRUX-based distribution (now for 64-bit systems only) with Openbox and a custom package manager called kpkg
- 5-6 – OS4 13.4 “KDE” – desktop Linux distribution with KDE 4.10.2, based on Ubuntu’s latest long-term support release (version 12.04)
- 5-7 – CrunchBang Linux 11 –
- 5-7 – openSUSE 12.3 “Edu Li-f-e”– specialist openSUSE variant designed for deployment in educational institutions
- 5-27 –
- 5-27 –
Distro of the Week: Tony
- openSUSE –
- Mageia –
- Ubuntu –
- Mint –
- Debian –
Mary Distro Review
Time: 15:30
OpenSuSE Edu LiFE
Some of the programs include:
Brain Workshop is a free open-source version of the dual n-back brain training exercise. Website: What if a simple mental exercise could improve your memory and intelligence?
jMemorize (jMemorize) – A general purpose flash card program Java-Application from 6 years
iGNUit (ignuit) – A general purpose flash card program Gnome-Application from 6 years
——————-
Chemtool (chemtool) – A program for Drawing 2D Organic Molecules Gnome-Application from 12 years
gElemental (gelemental) – A periodic Table Viewer Gnome-Application from 12 years
XDrawChem (xdrawchem) – A 2D molecule drawing program KDE-Application from 12 years
———————————-
Euler (euler) – An interactive mathematical programming environment Gnome-Application from 12 years
Little Wizard (littlewizard) – Development Environment for Children based on Pascal Gnome-Application from 6 years
—————————————————
GCompris (gcompris) – An educational software suite for young children Gnome-Application from 6 years
Childsplay (childsplay) – An educational software suite for young children from 0 years
————————————————————
iTalc (italc) – A powerful software for Linux-networks and for teachers using the computer as didactical tool in their lessons Gnome-Application
———————————————–
TuxType (tuxtype) – An educational typing tutor for children from 6 years
Klavaro (klavaro) – Typing tutor for young children Gnome-Application from 6 years
————————————————-
K3DSurf (k3dsurf) – A program to visualize and manipulate multidimensional surfaces
KSEG (kseg) – A Simulator of Euclidean Geometry KDE-Application from 12 years
Multiplication Puzzle (gmult) – A math game to solve a multiplication problem
Multiplication Station (MultiplicationStation) – Add, subtract and multiply exercises from 6 years
Plutimikation (plutimikation) – A math learning game for children KDE-Application from 6 years
TuxMath (tuxmath) – An educational math tutor game from 6 years
TuxMathScrabble (TuxMathScrabble) – Add, subtract and multiply in a scrabble like game years
wxMaxima (wxMaxima) – A cross platform GUI for the computer algebra system maxima
YACAS (yacas) – A computer algebra system and programming language from 12 years
Dr. Geo (drgeo) – An interactive geometry software program Gnome-Application from 12 years
——————————————-
KLogic (klogic) – A digital circuit simulation KDE-Application from 12 years
KSimus (ksimus) – A Simulation, Automation, and Visualization of Electrical Circuits
KTechlab (ktechlab) – A development and simulation environment for microcontrollers
QCAD (qcad) – An Open-source 2D CAD System KDE-Application from 16 years
Score Reading Trainer – A program to improve your musical score reading skills
Stellarium (stellarium) – An astronomical Sky Simulator from 12 years
TkGate (tkgate) – An Event driven digital circuit simulator with a tcl/tk interface from 12 years
————————————————–
XaoS (xaos) – A powerful fractal generator from 12 years
XLogo (xlogo) – A Logo interpreter Java-Application from 6 years
TuxPaint (tuxpaint) – A Drawing Program for Young Children from 0 years
Educational Server
Moodle – Moodle is a course management system (CMS)
ATutor – ATutor is an Open Source Web-based Learning Content Management System (LCMS/LMS) designed with accessibility and adaptability in mind
FreeSMS – Web application for managing an educational facility
Graphics and Publishing
Inkscape – Vector Graphics program to replace CorelDraw
Blender – 3D Animation and modeling software
XaraLX – Vector Graphics program to replace CorelDraw
Scribus – Desktop Publisher
GIMP – Image manipulation program
Tech News:
Time: 24:55
cgroups Why They Are Important
Red Hat is a huge proponent of systemd and plans to release the next RHEL, RHEL 7 with systemd. Almost all of the development on systemd is done by one man Lennart Poettering, he is a Red Hat employee. He is a long time Linux hacker making many some very complex projects like PulseAudio. Red Hat has bee doing an excellent jod documenting cgroups this:
https://access.redhat.com/site/documentation/en-US/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux/6/pdf/Resource_Management_Guide/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux-6-Resource_Management_Guide-en-US.pdf
Here is an explanation of the difference between the init system and systemd:
The problem for more than 30 years, yes more than 30 years because traditional Unix also uses init style start up scripts. Ubuntu’s upstart system is similar to the old init style so the will not see this benefit.
1) init starts a process
2) The subsequent process starts a child process
3) For some reason the parent process is restarted
4) The child process however stays running
5) The restart of the parent process fails
6) It will continue to fail until either the child process is tracked down manually or the system is rebooted
Here is systemd with cgrups:
1) init starts a process wrapped in a cgroup
2) The subsequent process starts a child process
3) For some reason the parent process is restarted
4) The child process however stays running
5) The init process checks to see if there are any processes that are a member of that cgroup that are running that should have been terminated, then terminates them
6) The original parent process restarts cleanly
And that is why systemd and cgroups are so important.
From the “We-never-saw-this-coming” department:
Exploit for new IE8 0-day vulnerability in the wild
Shockingly, another browser vulnerability was discovered in IE 8. The intuitively titled “Vulnerability in Internet Explorer Could Allow Remote Code Execution security advisory (2847140) was published by Microsoft on May 3.
Microsoft suggests that users of IE8 deploy EMET, the Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit! They helpfully gives instructions how to configure it to add its protective layer to IE8. Upgrading to IE9 is also an option for Windows Vista and later, and upgrading to IE10 is an option for users of Windows 7 or later. It made me think of another EMET–my name for it–Enhanced Migration Experience Toolkit, consisting of links to Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Midori, Ice Weasel, etc.
Google’s cloud dumps custom Linux, switches to Debian
Up until recently, Google used a custom version of Linux to integrate with Google Compute Engine. What distro was Google Compute Engine Linux (GCEL) based on?
GCEL is a Linux distribution using Debian packages found in typical minimal Ubuntu distributions. It is designed to integrate with Google Compute Engine. GCEL is not maintained by nor endorsed by Canonical Ltd. Ubuntu is a registered trademark of Canonical Ltd. Debian is a registered trademark of Software in the Public Interest, Inc. Google’s cloud also supports CentOS 6.2.
Per a Google spokesperson:
We feel that customers will get a great experience having a Linux distribution that is maintained by the Debian community. Debian and derivatives thereof (such as Mint and Ubuntu) are among the most popular on the Internet, and Google itself is a heavy contributor to the Debian code base. We will also continue to offer CentOS, and are actively exploring other operating system options based on feedback from our customers.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/09/google_taps_debian_for_cloud/
Ubuntu To Get Its Own Package Format, App Installer
The proposed features of this new package installer/format would be no dependencies between applications (packages would only depend upon the base system and ship everything they need bundled within the package), each package would install to its own directory, the entire package format would be purely declarative, and the package format/building seems like it will revolve largely around Python and JSON.
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTM2Nzg
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel/2013-May/037074.html
“Honeywords” plan to snare password thieves
http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/Honeywords-plan-to-snare-password-thieves-1858488.html
International Space Station switches from Windows to Linux, for improved reliability
Which Linux distribution would you save?
http://www.everydaylinuxuser.com/2013/05/which-linux-distribution-would-you-save.html
KDE Korner
KDE Ships May Updates to Plasma Workspaces, Applications, and Development Platform
http://www.kde.org/announcements/announce-4.10.3.php
Calligra 2.7 Beta Released
The final release of 2.7 is planned in approximately a month from now..
News in This Release
Words, the word processing application, has a new look for the toolbox. In the same toolbox there are also new controls to manipulate shapes with much enhanced usability.
Author, the writer’s application, has new support for EPUB3:
There is a new export filter for common text and enhancements to the docx import filter, which can now support predefined table styles.
Sheets, the spreadsheet application, has new support for pivot tables.
Plan, the project management application, has improvement in the scheduling of tasks and new export filters to OpenDocument Spreadsheet (ODS) and CSV.
In Kexi, the visual database creator, there is a new feature to import CSV data into an existing table.
There are some improvements in the general shapes available from most Calligra applications: The formula shape now has new ways to enter formula: a matlab/octave mode and a LaTEX mode. The tool for the text shape is improved to better handle text styles.
Another change common to Words, Author and Stage is that the visual style editor got improvements.
http://www.calligra.org/news/calligra-2-7-beta-released/
The Breakouts: UEFI
Jonathan Rindell: I installed kubuntu 13.04 on a computer with UEFI and it didn’t set up Grub right so nothing would boot then I installed ubuntu unity 13.04 and it also installed fine then I installed Kubuntu again and it consistently failed to install with an error
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+bug/1178294
http://blogs.kde.org/2013/05/09/breakouts-uefi
The Toolbox
Time: 47:20
Agedu – http://www.ubuntugeek.com/agedu-a-unix-utility-for-tracking-down-wasted-disk-space.html
cool browser trick that turns your html5-compliant browser into a text editor.
If you paste the ‘code’ below into the address box of your browser and hit enter, the page will refresh to a blank page, allowing you to type in it.
You can bookmark the blank page for future access. Notes can be saved as a web page and reopened and further edited.
Listener Feedback:
show (at) smlr.us or 313-626-9140
Time: 56:5
Outtro Music
Time: 1:03L20
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