Best Software Ever isn't systemd
Today in the Linuxsphere the systemd controversy doesn't seem to be subsiding as the main reason for it is no more. Jim Zemlin blogged about The Linux Foundation's efforts to save small but key projects from starving to death as well as contributing to the security process. Speaking of security, a new trojan has been identified that can open backdoors on Linux servers that can, among other things, participate in DDoS attacks. Matt Hartley shares his list of the best software ever for Linux and Leif Lodahl declares LibreOffice better than the competitors.
In today's Distrowatch Weekly Ladislav Bodnar noted that one of the upcoming changes in systemd's future is the dropping of read ahead, the very thing that was used as the selling point of systemd - namely faster boots due to its ability to read ahead and start other services. Developers say SSD is in wide-enough use that start-up times aren't a concern anymore. This sparked a bit of discussion in the comments and perhaps the funniest one read, "Future versions of systemd will also include a spellchecker, a streaming audio server and a first-person shooter." Others were appalled at Poettering's assertion that SSDs are all that matters, again drawing criticism for thinking elitist and trying to dictate the hardware we use. In defense of the decision, discussions before the move found read ahead wasn't working very well at all anyway even on spinning drives.
Robert Pogson is inconsolable linking to a FreeBSDer who said, "It's about absorbing everything it possibly can and turning itself into a monolithic userspace kernel (MUK? Pokemon anyone?) which controls everything on the system. The goal is clear, the systemd developers want it to be the gatekeeper of userspace." In fact, Sam Varghese suggested today that fed-up Linux users should try PC-BSD, a system once referred to as the "Ubuntu of free BSDs."
Matt Hartley today shared his list of (and reasons for) his favorite Linux applications. He said some folks are still claiming that Linux doesn't have decent software and he intends to correct the record. LibreOffice made the cut for favorte office suite and GIMP is is favorite image manipulator. VLC is best for multi-media enjoyment, according to Hartley, while Audacity handles his sound needs and Kdenlive takes care of the video. Leif Lodahl apparently agrees with the LibreOffice part.
Another Linux security bug has been identified with origins in China according to Russian anti-virus company Doctor Web. If an intruder can make a SSL connection and deliver their payload, he can then use Linux.BackDoor.Xnote.1 to participate in DDoS attacks. Those, as you know, are commonly used as a cover for breaking into more sensitive areas or taking over email operations. The trojan can also "run a shell with the specified environment variables and grant the C&C server access to the shell."
In other news:
* Plasma 5.2 review – Fire all weapons!
* Answering the Call for Werner Koch’s Everywhere
* Korora 21 (Darla) - Now Available