Added by Paul Cutler, last edited by Paul Cutler on May 08, 2008  (view change)

Labels:

Enter labels to add to this page:
Wait Image 
Looking for a label? Just start typing.

This is a planning page - to be published at the end of July in the newsletter space on the wiki 

Foresight Linux Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 5 (July 2007)

Welcome to the fifth issue of the Foresight Linux Newsletter.  This month's Newsletter features an in-depth look at the upcoming Foresight Linux 2.0 release schedule, as well as Foresight Linux in the news, recent bug fixes, tips and tricks, as well as a look at Avant Window Navigator, this month's package of the month, and more.

In this issue:

marketing:Foresight Linux News

  • Foresight Linux 1.3.2 released
  • Linux World Expo
  • Foresight Linux logo

marketing:Security Updates

  • Recent packages updated to fix security flaws

marketing:Bug Fixes

  • July was triage month 

marketing:Development News

  • Foresight Linux 2.0 development calendar

marketing:Tips & Tricks

  •  Installing packages outside of Foresight using Conary

Foresight Community Updates

  • Join the Foresight Community via social networking 

marketing:Package of the month

  • Avant-Window-Navigator

marketing:Contributing to Foresight Linux

  • Web Design Foresight Linux 2.0

marketing:Downloading and Getting Help using Foresight Linux

marketing:Foresight Linux Information

Foresight Linux News

Foresight Linux 1.3.2 Released July 21st

July saw a minor release of Foresight Linux, 1.3.2, which was built to create CDs for the upcoming conferences, including OSCON and Linux Wolrd Expo.

Foresight Linux 1.3.2 includes the latest GNOME, GNOME 2.18.3.

Foresight Linux 1.3 is available for download on 1 DVD, 2 CDs, or through a number of different virtualization images.  Visit the download pagefor more information.

GNOME 2.18.3 Live Media

Foresight Linux is proud to be the distribution offering the latest version of GNOME via a number of different choices of Live Media.  Making it simple for users who want to test the latest GNOME release, four images are available for testing GNOME without having to install it directly on your hard drive.  These images include a LiveCD, VMWare image, and a Parallels / QEMU image.  GNOME Live Media is available for download at http://torrent.gnome.org.

Linux World Expo

Ken VanDine, founder and lead developer of Foresight Linux, will be manning the GNOME booth at Linux World Expo, August 6th through the 9th.  If you're in San Francisco, stop by and say hello to Ken, and check out the latest GNOME LiveCD, based on Foresight Linux.

Foresight Linux's new logo

Foresight Linux has a new logo!  Thanks to Allison, the Foresight Linux logo features a stylistic eye.  Look for the new logo to slowly replace the exisiting logo which has served us well.


 

Security Updates

Security updates are published on the Foresight Security mailing list. This month's security updates include:

FLEA-2007-0031-1 xfs
2007-07-12 Previous versions of the xfs package was vulnerable to a temporary-file creation race condition which a local user could exploit to gain elevated permissions.
FLEA-2007-0032-1 flashplayer
2007-07-20 Previous versions of the flashplayer package are vulnerable to a buffer overflow attack caused by an input validation error. An attacker may use malformed or malicious SWF or FLV files to execute arbitrary code as the user of the flashplayer application. Because most flash content is provided by web-pages, this is effectively a remote vulnerability, but can be mitigated if the user disables flash in the browser..
FLEA-2007-0033-1 firefox thunderbird 2007-07-24 Previous versions of the firefox and thunderbird packages are vulnerable to several types of attacks, some of which are understood to allow compromised or malicious sites to run arbitrary code or commands as the user running the vulnerable application.
FLEA-2007-0034-1 dist 2007-07-26 Previous versions of the lighttpd package are vulnerable to multiple attacks, among which remote attackers may circumvent access-control settings or crash the server by issuing various malformed or malicious requests. It has not been determined that these vulnerabilities can be exploited to execute malicious code. lighttpd is configured to be the default web server for the Foresight System Manager. If a malicious user were to cause a Denial of Service via the above attack vectors, the system would no longer be configurable or updateable via the System Manager.
FLEA-2007-0035-1 libvorbis 2007-07-27 Previous versions of the libvorbis package contain multiple vulnerabilities, including a heap overwrite, read violations, and a function pointer overwrite. An attacker may exploit these vulnerabilities to cause a denial of service and, possibly, to execute arbitrary code.

Bug Fixes

Over 10% of all open bugs were closed in the July thanks to a strong triage effort by the team.  Look for a Bug Triaging how-to soon on the wiki and in the newsletter next month! 

Major bug fixes fixed in July include:

FL-423 Epiphany
Updating Adblock filters crashes Epiphany.  (Applied patch from upstream)
FL-237 Conary
Updating Foresight takes a long time.  (Latest version of Conary speeds updating)
FL-412 Monodevelop
Monodevelop crashes when saving a GTK# patch.   (Added libgdi to dependencies to fix)

Development News

As mentioned in the last few Newsletters. work on the upcoming Foresight Linux 2.0 is happening in earnest.  The Foresight Linux 2.0 release will be released with similar milestones to GNOME 2.20:

  • August 15th:  Beta 1 Release
  • August 29th: Beta 2 Release
  • September 5th: Release Candidate 1 Release
  • September 19th: Foresight Linux 2.0 Release

You can also view the Foresight Linux release calendarusing Google Calendar. 

We are looking for help with testing Foresight Linux, including feedback and reporting bugs on installing and installing Foresight Linux 2.0.  Look for more information to come soon.

Tips and Tricks

Installing packages from rBuilder

Even with Foresight's large repository of software, it is possible that you may be looking to install a package not found in Foresight, but has been packaged with Conary and available in a different repository available on rBuilder Online.

First, it's always best to double check that the package isn't available in Foresight.  You can check one of two ways.  From the command line:

conary rq packagename

This will search the Foresight repository, but you will need to know the exact name of the package.  If you're not sure of the exact name, you can check online at Foresight's project page on rBuilder, and on the left hand menu click "Browse Repository" and choose the letter of the alphabet to browse packages alphabetically.

If the package is not found in the Foresight repository, in the upper right hand corner of the page, type in the name of the package in the search field next to where it says "I'm looking for a..." and click the radio button for "Package" and click the blue "Search" button.  For example, type in "realplayer".

rBuilder will display Real Player search results, and it is available in the Zaphod Additional Functionality Repository.

To install Real Player from the Zaphod repository, type:

sudo conary update RealPlayer=zaphod.rpath.org@zap:1

The sudo conary update is the command to install.  RealPlayer is the trove to be installed (or package in this case), zaphod.rpath.org is the install label path, and zap:1 is the repository from which the package is to be installed.

You can install many different packages from rBuilder using this methodology, and Conary is powerful and smart enough to inform you of any dependencies that it will need to install in addition to the package, or dependencies that can't be met and won't let you install the package. 

For more information on Conary terminology or using Conary, visit the rPath Conary wiki. 

Join the Foresight Community

Foresight users and developers are active on a number of different social networking sites.

Share your musical tastes and favorite artists with other Foresight users in the Foresight groupon Last.fm.  Banshee, Foresight's default music manager, has built in support for Last.fm.

Follow a few Foresight developers every waking moment via Twitter.

Share pictures of your Foresight Linux desktop at the Foresight Linux Flickr group.

Join the Foresight group on Mugshot.  Mugshot is a social networking application available as a web service and desktop service that aggregates a number of different social networks, such as Facebook, Digg, Youtube, Flickr, Reddit and many others.  Need an invitation to Mugshot?  Email pcutler@foresightlinux.org for an invitation.  To install Mugshot on your Foresight Linux desktop, from a terminal type:

sudo conary update mugshot

 

Last, but not least, add http://www.foresightlinux.org/planet to your bookmarks or favorite feed reader, such as Liferea, to read blog updates from Foresight Developers.  Are you a Foresight contributor or developer, and would like your blog syndicated?  Email feedback@foresightlinux.org with your blog's feed and a brief note about your blog.

Package of the month: Avant Window Navigator

Avant Window Navigatoris a panel replacement for GNOME and requires users to run Compiz (or Beryl).  Avant Window Navigator, or AWN for short, tracks open windows and can also act as a launcher for programs directly from the dock.  AWN uses compositing for visual effects, including transparency.  AWN is a fun little application that adds eye candy to your desktop.

From AWN's home page, an example of Avant Window Navigator:
 
To start using Avant Window Navigator:

Step 1:  Remove your current bottom panel

Right click on the bottom panel and click "Delete this panel" 

Step 2: Install AWN. 

From a command line, type:

sudo conary update avant-window-navigator

This will install AWN and any required dependencies.

Step 3: Run Avant-window-navigator

(Remember, you must be running Compiz or Beryl)

Hit ALT-F2 and type avant-window-navigator

Avant Window Navigator will start, and a dock will appear at the bottom of your screen with icons showing any open windows.

Step 4: Run AWN automatically upon logging in to Foresight and GNOME

Click the System menu from your top panel, Preferences and then Sessions.

Click the New button on the right hand side

In the "Name" field type AWN

In the "Command" field type avant-window-navigator and click OK 

Step 5: Add your favorite programs to the dock to launch them

From the Applications menu, drag and drop your favorite applications to the far left hand side of the AWN dock.  This will add the program's icon to the dock.  Clicking on the icon will then start that particular program.

To use Avant Window Navigator, clicking on an icon will automatically switch to that program, just like a normal window list on the GNOME panel.  Clicking an icon of a program you have added to AWN, if not running, will start that program.

Additionally, here are some optional tweaks to Avant Window Navigator

Add arrows to active programs:

To add a small arrow under the icon on the panel (example below), left click on the AWN dock.  Click the "Task Appearance" tab, and check the box for "Tasks have arrows".

By adding a small arrow, this will help you differentiate in the dock which programs are currently active and running.

Add an applet to Avant Window Navigator

To add an applet, such as the Trash applet or workspace switcher, right lick on the AWN dock and click "Configure applets" .  Choose the applet you would like to add by clicking on it, and click "Add".  This will add the applet to the far right side of the dock.

Add Reflection and 3D effect

To add the following visual effect, which includes the icons in 3D reflecting on the dock:

  • Open Gconf (Applicatons > System Tools > Configuration Editor)
  • Click on Apps > Avant-Window-Navigator > Bar
  • Change the Bar_angle value to 45
  • Change the Icon_offset value to 18
  • Close Gconf
  • Restart Avant-Window-Navigator (Right click on it (not on an icon!) and click Close. Hit ALT-F2 to run it, and type avant-window-naviagor to start it.

For more customization options or information on Avant Window Navigator, visit AWN's home page.

Contributing to Foresight Linux

Contribute to Foresight Linux

Foresight Linux Website 

With the upcoming launch of Foresight Linux 2.0, the Foresight Linux team is looking to develop a new website as well.  We are looking for volunteers to help with both web design and web development.  If interested, please stop by #foresight on Freenode or IRC or email feedback@foresightlinux.org.

Foresight Linux 2.0 Testing

As mentioned above in the Development section, we are looking for users to help test the upcoming Foresight Linux 2.0 beta releases.  From testing to bug reporting, all help and feedback is welcome. 

For other oportunities to contribute to Foresight Linux, visit the Getting Involved pageon the Getting Started with Foresight Linux user guide. 

Contribute to the Foresight Linux Newsletter

Have a package or piece of software you want to share in the monthly newsletter?   Send it in!  We are always looking for more writers or contributors, and building the newsletter is a collaborative process using the Foresight Linux Newsletter wiki.  We are also looking for volunteers to interview people in the Foresight and GNOME communities, links to news articles on the web or in print regarding Foresight Linux, and all the other content that makes up the newsletter.

Have thoughts or comments on the newsletter?  Email feedback@foresightlinux.org and your letter may be published in the next issue! 

Contributors to Issue #3:  Paul Cutler (editor), Kevin Harriss, Ken VanDine

Portuguese translation by Vladimir Melo 

Downloading and Getting Help with Foresight Linux

Download and install Foresight Linux:

Live Media, including Live CD, VMWare image, and QEMU and Parallels images

Help is available in many forms, and you can choose what you're most comfortable with.

  • IRC:  Visit the Foresight IRC channel, #foresight on Freenode, and ask questions.  We have one of the most friendly IRC channels you'll come across with everyone from users to developers reaching out to help answer questions.
  • Forums: Our forums continue to grow, and are a good source of information to check if a specific problem or question has come up before.
  • Wiki: Documentation on the wiki is growing on a daily basis, with updates often to the Frequently Asked Questions and other how-to's to get you going with Foresight Linux.
  • Mailing Lists: 
    • General List: General discussion around Foresight Linux
    • Commits list:(high traffic): All package commits are emailed to this list
    • Packagers List: Discuss packaging applications for Foresight using Conary and rBuilder
    • Developers List: Discuss topics related to Foresight development projects
    • Translation List: Help translate Foresight Linux into many different languages

Foresight Linux Information

Learn more about Foresight Linux at Foresight's homepage, http://www.foresightlinux.org.

Read what the developers are working on via their blogs, aggregated at Planet Foresight, http://www.foresightlinux.org/planet/ or subscribe via RSS at http://web.foresightlinux.org/planet/feed/rss/.

Subscribe to the newsletter via RSS: http://feeds.feedburner.com/foresightnewsletter.

Have feedback on Foresight Linux or the newsletter?  Email feedback@foresightlinux.org and share your thoughts, we'd love to hear from you! 

0 Comments | Add Comment