- wlug - list.wlug.org.nz

Linux/Moose Worm Targets Routers, Modems, and Embedded Systems
by Peter Reutemann 27 May '15

27 May '15

'Security firm ESET has published a report on new malware that targets Linux-based communication devices (modems, routers, and other internet-connected systems) to create a giant proxy network for manipulating social media. It's also capable of hijacking DNS settings. The people controlling the system use it for selling "follows," "likes," and so forth on social media sites like Twitter, Instagram, Vine, Facebook, and Google+. Affected router manufacturers include: Actiontec, Hik Vision, Netgear, Synology, TP-Link, ZyXEL, and Zhone. The researchers found that even some medical devices were vulnerable to the worm, though it wasn't designed specifically to work with them.' -- source: http://linux.slashdot.org/story/15/05/26/1854207 Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174 http://www.data-mining.co.nz/

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Mandriva Goes Out of Business
by Peter Reutemann 27 May '15

27 May '15

"After struggling for the past several years, Mandriva has finally gone out of business, and is in the process of being liquidated. The company was responsible for Mandriva Linux, itself a combination of Mandrake Linux and Conectiva Linux. When Mandriva fell upon hard times, many of the distro's developers migrated to Mageia Linux, which is still going strong and just putting the final touches on its next major version (5).' -- source: http://linux.slashdot.org/story/15/05/26/2157243 Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174 http://www.data-mining.co.nz/

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How to Develop Own Custom Linux Distribution From Scratch
by Peter Reutemann 26 May '15

26 May '15

"Have you ever thought of making your own Linux Distribution? Every Linux user in their journey to Linux thought of making their own Linux distribution, at-least once. Even I was not an exception as a newbie to Linux land and have given my considerable time developing my own Linux Distribution. Developing a Linux Distribution from scratch is called Linux From Scratch (LFS)." -- source: http://www.linuxtoday.com/developer/how-to-develop-own-custom-linux-distrib… Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174 http://www.data-mining.co.nz/

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How to Install Zimbra 8.6 on Ubuntu 14.04 Server
by Peter Reutemann 26 May '15

26 May '15

"The Zimbra Collaboration Server is a mail server, collaborative web application and a web based mail server admin console in a single application. It provides LDAP, antivirus, antispam, collaboration features and a ajax webmail client. Zimbra is easy to use for administrators as well as end users due to its fast Ajax based web interface." -- source: https://www.howtoforge.com/tutorial/ubuntu-14-04-zimbra-server/ Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174 http://www.data-mining.co.nz/

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Debian8 Gnome3 desktop - Debian Installer problem
by Ian Stewart 26 May '15

26 May '15

Hi, At last nights wlug meeting I did a show and tell of my recent adventures with downloading and installing Debian 8 Live + non-free. I had encountered a problem with the Gnome3 desktop in that the Debian Installer application, which displays itself in full-screen mode, was not positioned correctly. As a result the Debian Installer applications "continue" and "go back" buttons are off the bottom of the display. Today I bumped into Ian Young, who provided a solution to this Gnome3 / Debian Installer problem. The workaround is to type Alt+Spacebar to open up a menu. Then select "Move to Workspace Down". The debian installer is placed into the second display workspace and in full-screen mode it is now positioned correctly so all pushbuttons may be accessed. I've tested out the Debian8 Installer on the KDE, xfce, LXDE, and Mate desktop environments and they position the Debian Installer window correctly. Also at last nights meeting I suggested the following command to copy the .iso file to a USB stick as device sdc... $ sudo dd if="debian-live-8.0.0-amd64-gnome-desktop nonfree.iso" of=/dev/sdc bs=4M; sync An alternative to this, which I tested out OK today is... $ sudo cp "debian-live-8.0.0-amd64-gnome-desktop nonfree.iso" /dev/sdc ...wishing you all the best with Debian8. cheers, Ian.

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“*ERROR* pipe is still busy with an old pageflip”
by Lawrence D'Oliveiro 24 May '15

24 May '15

I’ve been hitting an occasional display freeze that matches this description <http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-p-7675146.html>. Looks like a known problem with the 3.16 kernel. I thought things had got better with a system update I did 11 days ago, but this afternoon the freeze recurred. Unlike the previous times, killing all my user processes succeeded in unfreezing the display, so I was able to log in again without rebooting.

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WLUG meeting tomorrow
by Peter Reutemann 24 May '15

24 May '15

Hi everyone We have a meeting tomorrow: "git - from novice to master. Lawrence D'Oliveiro will introduce you to the distributed revision control system git, demonstrating the basic commands and also more advanced actions." http://www.meetup.com/WaikatoLinuxUsersGroup/events/222463816 Unfortunately, due to work commitments, I won't be able to make it. Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174 http://www.data-mining.co.nz/

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Glitch Art
by Lawrence D'Oliveiro 22 May '15

22 May '15

(From the Cairo mailing list.) A version of GIMP that produces glitch art (entertaining display bugs): <https://www.flickr.com/photos/hellocatfood/17336134091> How to build glitch-GIMP: <http://www.hellocatfood.com/glitch-gimp/>.

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Meeting next Monday
by Peter Reutemann 22 May '15

22 May '15

Hi everyone We have a meeting coming up next Monday: "git - from novice to master. Lawrence D'Oliveiro will introduce you to the distributed revision control system git, demonstrating the basic commands and also more advanced actions." http://www.meetup.com/WaikatoLinuxUsersGroup/events/222463816 Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph.+64 (7) 858-5174 http://www.data-mining.co.nz

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'Logjam' Vulnerability Threatens Encrypted Connections
by Peter Reutemann 22 May '15

22 May '15

'A team of security researchers has revealed a new encryption vulnerability called 'Logjam,' which is the result of a flaw in the TLS protocol used to create encrypted connections. It affects servers supporting the Diffie-Hellman key exchange, and it's caused by export restrictions mandated by the U.S. government during the Clinton administration. "Attackers with the ability to monitor the connection between an end user and a Diffie-Hellman-enabled server that supports the export cipher can inject a special payload into the traffic that downgrades encrypted connections to use extremely weak 512-bit key material. Using precomputed data prepared ahead of time, the attackers can then deduce the encryption key negotiated between the two parties." Internet Explorer is the only browser yet updated to block such an attack — patches for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari are expected soon. The researchers add, "Breaking the single, most common 1024-bit prime used by web servers would allow passive eavesdropping on connections to 18% of the Top 1 Million HTTPS domains. A second prime would allow passive decryption of connections to 66% of VPN servers and 26% of SSH servers. A close reading of published NSA leaks shows that the agency's attacks on VPNs are consistent with having achieved such a break." Here is their full technical report (PDF).' -- source: http://it.slashdot.org/story/15/05/20/1258251 Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174 http://www.data-mining.co.nz/

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Linux 4.0 Has a File-System Corruption Problem, RAID Users Warned
by Peter Reutemann 21 May '15

21 May '15

'For the past few days kernel developers and Linux users have been investigating an EXT4 file-system corruption issue affecting the latest stable kernel series (Linux 4.0) and the current development code (Linux 4.1). It turns out that Linux users running the EXT4 file-system on a RAID0 configuration can easily destroy their file-system with this newest "stable" kernel. The cause and fix have materialized but it hasn't yet worked its way out into the mainline kernel, thus users should be warned before quickly upgrading to the new kernel on systems with EXT4 and RAID0.' -- source: http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/15/05/21/1324229 Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174 http://www.data-mining.co.nz/

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theregister.co.uk - Inkscape 0.91 review
by William Mckee 21 May '15

21 May '15

A very positive review of Inkscape 0.91 release. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/05/19/inkscape_review/?page=1 Most notable they talk about the speed and performance in the new release. I'm a heavy GIMP user but have been using Inkscape recently for website logos. Like the reviewer - I have been impressed with the improvements. Cheers, William.

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FirefoxOS TV sets
by Ian Young 20 May '15

20 May '15

Currently available at retail outlets in Hamilton starting at $700 or so. Panasonic brand.

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First Smart TVs Powered By Firefox OS On Sale In Europe, Worldwide Soon
by Peter Reutemann 18 May '15

18 May '15

'The first smart TVs powered by Firefox OS have gone on sale in Europe. Panasonic's line of Viera smart TVs includes six that are powered by Firefox OS — CR850, CR730, CX800, CX750, CX700 and CX680 — including their first curved LED LCD TV. The full global launch of the TVs is expected “in the coming months.” From the Mozilla blog: "We’re happy to partner with Panasonic to bring the first Smart TVs powered by Firefox OS to the world,” said Andreas Gal, Mozilla CTO. “With Firefox and Firefox OS powered devices, users can enjoy a custom and connected Web experience and take their favorite content (apps, videos, photos, websites) across devices without being locked into one proprietary ecosystem or brand.”' -- source: http://news.slashdot.org/story/15/05/18/0213238 Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174 http://www.data-mining.co.nz/

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Venom VM bug called “perfect” for NSA, or for stealing bitcoins and passwords
by Peter Reutemann 13 May '15

13 May '15

"The just-patched critical vulnerability in widely used virtualization software is an ideal exploitation target for state-sponsored spies and criminals alike fishing for passwords, cryptography keys, or bitcoins, a researcher who has dissected one of the fixes said. The bug, which is known to affect the Xen, KVM, and native QEMU virtual machine platforms and appliances, makes it possible for attackers to break out of protected guest environments and take full control of the operating system hosting them, security researchers warned Wednesday. In the hours following Wednesday morning's disclosure of the vulnerability, many security professionals have publicly said its severity is being exaggerated. The critics have rightly pointed out that it can't be remotely exploited and can't be exploited on large numbers of machines in a single stroke, as is the case with most serious security bugs." -- source: http://arstechnica.com/security/2015/05/venom-vm-bug-called-perfect-for-nsa… Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174 http://www.data-mining.co.nz/

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Tails 1.4 released
by Peter Reutemann 13 May '15

13 May '15

'Tails, The Amnesic Incognito Live System, version 1.4, has been released. The new version of the Debian-based live disc offers users a number of new features, including an updated copy of the Tor Browser and the Tor anonymity software has been upgraded to version 0.2.6.7. Tails 1.4 also ships with Paperkey, a program which allows users to print physical copies of their security keys. "Tor Browser 4.5 now has a security slider that you can use to disable browser features, such as JavaScript, as a trade-off between security and usability. The security slider is set to low by default to provide the same level of security as previous versions and the most usable experience. We disabled in Tails the new circuit view of Tor Browser 4.5 for security reasons. You can still use the network map of Vidalia to inspect your circuits. Tails OpenPGP Applet now has a shortcut to the gedit text editor, thanks to Ivan Bliminse. Paperkey lets you print a backup of your OpenPGP secret keys on paper."' -- source: http://distrowatch.com/?newsid=08941 Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174 http://www.data-mining.co.nz/

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Ubuntu Core Drone Is the First Drone That Has Apps
by Peter Reutemann 11 May '15

11 May '15

"The Erle-Copter was presented a couple of weeks ago, but now its makers have returned with more details about this amazing piece of technology. This is not the average drone you can get at your mall and that can do basically three things, fly, crash into walls, and break. It's what you might call a smart drone, and it's powered by Ubuntu core." -- source: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Ubuntu-Core-Drone-Is-the-First-Drone-That-Ha… Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174 http://www.data-mining.co.nz/

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Meet Lakka, a Linux OS that Turns any PC Into a Retro Game Console
by Peter Reutemann 11 May '15

11 May '15

"Lakka is a lightweight distribution of GNU/Linux that has been designed to transform any computer into a full-blown retro game console. It is derived from the well-known OpenELEC project and built on top of the well-known RetroArch retro game emulator tool. The Lakka Linux distribution is capable of emulating a wide variety of hardware. Additionally, it includes attractive features like video streaming, joypad hotplug, and Braid-like rewinding." -- source: http://www.linuxtoday.com/infrastructure/meet-lakka-a-linux-os-that-turns-a… Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174 http://www.data-mining.co.nz/

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Ubuntu jumps into Internet of Things with Acer, GE, and Microsoft
by Peter Reutemann 11 May '15

11 May '15

"Old enemies are becoming new allies as technology shifts from the PC/desktop model to first mobile computing and now the Internet of Things (IoT). Canonical, Ubuntu Linux's parent company, is partnering with Acer, DataArt, and Microsoft." -- source: http://www.zdnet.com/article/ubuntu-jumps-into-internet-of-things-with-acer… Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174 http://www.data-mining.co.nz/

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The $9 Computer
by Lawrence D'Oliveiro 10 May '15

10 May '15

1GHz ARM processor, half-gig RAM, 4-gig flash, full-sized USB port and composite video out, for $9. Meet the CHIP, from Next Thing Co, intended as the core for a range of sub-$99 products. <http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/05/move-over-raspberry-p…>

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Ubuntu 15.04 review: Beauty or “boring” is in the eye of the beholder
by Peter Reutemann 06 May '15

06 May '15

'Snow melts and trees blossom, but nothing really says spring around the Ars Orbital HQ like the arrival of a new version of Ubuntu Linux. Right on schedule, Canonical has recently released Ubuntu 15.04, also known as Vivid Vervet. Ubuntu 15.04 arrived in late April and has, judging by other reviews, largely underwhelmed. According to the popular storyline, there's not much new in 15.04. Of course, a slew of changes and unforeseen features in 15.04 could have just as easily earned a negative reaction, probably from the same people calling the actual release boring. The top of the Linux mountain is a lonely, criticism-strewn place. The truth is, this line of thought is partially correct. There isn't much new in 15.04, at least not in terms of visible changes to the Unity desktop. But for most users this is a good thing—change doesn't mean better. Frankly, Ubuntu 15.04's Unity desktop is mature, stable, and not really in need of many improvements. There are still some design inconsistencies (mostly GTK3 issues) and small problems here and there, but for the most part 15.04 delivers a great desktop experience. Those clamoring for big changes will have to wait. But more than likely, when those seismic shifts coming in Unity 8 arrive around this time next year, these same people will be reminiscing fondly about 15.04. Everyone will forget they once found this release "boring."' -- source: http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/05/05/ubuntu-15-04-revie… Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174 http://www.data-mining.co.nz/

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Google’s Dart language on Android aims for Java-free, 120 FPS apps
by Peter Reutemann 03 May '15

03 May '15

"Non-game Android apps are normally written in Java, but a group inside Google is experimenting with a whole new way of writing Android apps using Dart, Google's in-house Web development language. It's Android apps with no Java, a focus on speed, and deep integration with the Web." -- source: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/05/01/googles-dart-language-on-android-… Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174 http://www.data-mining.co.nz/

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New Multi-Core Raspberry Pi 2 Launches
by Peter Reutemann 01 May '15

01 May '15

'Coming in at the same $35 price-point that has come to be expected from the Raspberry Pi, it looks like the new Model 2 will be packing a quad-core ARM processor with a GB of RAM. From the article: "The Raspberry Pi Foundation is likely to provoke a global geekgasm today with the surprise release of the Raspberry Pi 2 Model B: a turbocharged version of the B+ boasting a new Broadcom BCM2836 900MHz quad-core system-on-chip with 1GB of RAM – all of which will drive performance "at least 6x" that of the B+."' -- source: http://build.slashdot.org/story/15/02/02/0134211 And also in the news: "Microsoft Announces Windows For Raspberry Pi 2 Microsoft is expanding their Windows Developer Program for Internet of Things by delivering a version of Windows 10 that runs on the Raspberry Pi 2. This release of Windows 10 will be free for the maker community through the Windows Developer Program for IoT. With an official partnership with the Raspberry Pi Foundation, Microsoft is bringing development tools, services and ecosystem to the Raspberry Pi community. More details will be shared in the coming months. You can already join the program and be amongst the first to receive product information and beta software releases." -- source: http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/15/02/02/1326225 Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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Spam-blasting malware infects thousands of Linux and FreeBSD servers
by Peter Reutemann 30 Apr '15

30 Apr '15

"Several thousand computers running the Linux and FreeBSD operating systems have been infected over the past seven months with sophisticated malware that surreptitiously makes them part of a renegade network blasting the Internet with spam, researchers said Wednesday. The malware likely infected many more machines during the five years it's known to have existed." -- source: http://arstechnica.com/security/2015/04/30/spam-blasting-malware-infects-th… Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174 http://www.data-mining.co.nz/

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The Top 11 Best Linux Distros for 2015
by Peter Reutemann 30 Apr '15

30 Apr '15

"Linux is omnipresent, even if you don't realize it. I have been using Linux as my only OS since 2005 and with every passing year I come to realize that it has much more to offer than I initially, back in 2005, understood. There is something for everyone. In this article, I have picked some of the best Linux distros to help you get the job done." -- source: http://www.linux.com/news/software/applications/810295 Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174 http://www.data-mining.co.nz/

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