Slackware Blog

Several updates were included in the -current tree recently, one notable change is a security fix to x11. This bug (which consists of a single missing bracket) would allow users to execute arbitrary code as root. It is suggested you upgrade your system, which can be done easily through swaret(my personal preference) or slapt-get.

Wed May 3 21:48:26 CDT 2006xap/mozilla-firefox-1.5.0.3-i686-1.tgz: Upgraded to firefox-1.5.0.3.
This upgrade fixes a crash bug that could possibly be used to
execute code as the Firefox user.
For more information, see:
http://www.mozilla.org/projects/security/known-vulnerabilities.html#firefox
(* Security fix *)
+————————–+
Wed May 3 00:01:38 CDT 2006
a/smartmontools-5.36-i486-1.tgz: Upgraded to smartmontools-5.36.
Thanks to Jonathan Woithe for letting me know that newer 2.6.x kernels
need this version to properly support SMART with SATA drives.
l/libpng-1.2.10-i486-1.tgz: Upgraded to libpng-1.2.10.
n/rsync-2.6.8-i486-1.tgz: Upgraded to rsync-2.6.8.
tcl/tcl-8.4.13-i486-1.tgz: Upgraded to tcl-8.4.13.
tcl/tk-8.4.13-i486-1.tgz: Upgraded to tk-8.4.13.
x/x11-6.9.0-i486-4.tgz: Patched with x11r6.9.0-mitri.diff and recompiled.
A typo in the X render extension allows an X client to crash the server
and possibly to execute arbitrary code as the X server user (typically
this is "root".)
The CVE entry for this issue may be found here:
http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2006-1526
The advisory from X.Org may be found here:
http://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/xorg/2006-May/015136.html
(* Security fix *)
x/x11-devel-6.9.0-i486-4.tgz: Patched and recompiled libXrender.
(* Security fix *)

First off, I'd like to thank Tyler for allowing me to help out with this blog.

I've been using Slackware since 1995-96, around 3.0. A Windows user only for years before that, and an avid computer enthusiast, I did much research at the time to find that Slackware was what I needed not only to learn Linux, but to make it work for me. I've tried many other distributions over the years, but keep coming back to Slackware. I suppose the biggest drawing factor is the fact that if something goes wrong, I did something wrong. And the BSD-style init.

I've been windows-free at home for over a year now, and the hardest part is trying to convey my point of view to others. Other Linux users understand what it means to talk computers to Windows users. It's a hard thing to explain, but I tend to liken it to an intervention to help a family member kick drugs. You know they're hurting themselves, you know how much better off without it they'd be, but they are too used to and dependent on it to do anything about it. They'll claim that it's not causing problems, and they need it. And to top the analogy off, there's some very rich dealers in the state of Washington who don't care who they're hurting.

I'll keep trying to save these people, because I care about their well-being, but mostly because I care about the well-being of FOSS, GNU, FSF, and other acronyms that make life worth living.