Tech News Digest - 2025-03-17
Dallas SpohnFederal law prohibits closing this window!
Kernel prepatch 6.14-rc7
Category: Linux
Tags: General
Published: Sun, 16 Mar 2025 23:19:55 +0000
TL;DR: Linus Torvalds has released the seventh and likely final prepatch for the Linux kernel's 6.14 release, indicating that things are looking calm and he expects to finalize the release next weekend. He stated that nothing unexpected would need to happen between now and then to prevent the final release from going out.
Linus has released the seventh (and probably last) prepatch for the 6.14 release. "Things continue to look quite calm, and I expect to release the final 6.14 next weekend unless something very surprising happens".
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Git 2.49.0 released
Category: Linux
Tags: General
Published: Fri, 14 Mar 2025 18:27:43 +0000
TL;DR: Here is a 2-sentence summary:
Git version 2.49.0 has been released, featuring 460 non-merge commits and contributions from 89 people, including 24 new contributors. The release includes numerous improvements and bug fixes, with more details available in the highlights blog on GitHub.
Version 2.49.0 of the Git source-code management system has been released. This release comprises 460 non-merge commits since 2.48.0, with contributions from 89 people, including 24 new contributors. There is a long list of improvements and bug fixes; see the highlights blog from GitHub's Taylor Blau for some of the more interesting features.
[Read more](https://lwn.net/Articles/1014226/)
[$] The burden of knowledge: dealing with open-source risks
Category: Linux
Tags: General
Published: Fri, 14 Mar 2025 13:54:04 +0000
TL;DR: Here is a 2-sentence summary:
Max Mehl argued that relying solely on objective information and data to assess risks in an open-source supply chain is insufficient, as it doesn't provide options for improvement and encourages a passive mindset. Instead, he advocated for using qualitative data and direct participation in the open-source community to better understand and address risks.
Organizations relying on open-source software have a wide range of tools, scorecards, and methodologies to try to assess security, legal, and other risks inherent in their so-called supply chain. However, Max Mehl argued recently in a short talk at FOSS Backstage in Berlin (and online) that all of this objective information and data is insufficient to truly understand and address risk. Worse, this information doesn't provide options to improve the situation and encourages a passive mindset. Mehl, who works as part of the CTO group at DB Systel, encouraged better risk assessment using qualitative data and direct participation in open source.
[Read more](https://lwn.net/Articles/1013614/)
Security updates for Friday
Category: Linux
Tags: Linux
Published: Fri, 14 Mar 2025 12:56:10 +0000
TL;DR: Here is a 2-sentence summary:
Multiple Linux distributions have issued security updates to address various vulnerabilities, including Fedora, Mageia, Oracle, Red Hat, Slackware, SUSE, and Ubuntu. The updates affect a range of packages, including web browsers, libraries, and kernel components, in order to improve system security and protect against potential threats.
Security updates have been issued by Fedora (iniparser, thunderbird, trafficserver, and xorg-x11-server), Mageia (opensc), Oracle (.NET 8.0, .NET 9.0, gcc, kernel, and libxml2), Red Hat (firefox, grub2, and krb5), Slackware (libxslt), SUSE (amazon-ssm-agent, bsdtar, build, ffmpeg-4, forgejo-runner, kernel, python, python3, python313, rubygem-rack-1_6, and tailscale), and Ubuntu (linux-azure, linux-azure-5.15, linux-azure-fde, linux-azure-fde-5.15).
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Choi: announcing Casual Make
Category: Linux
Tags: General
Published: Thu, 13 Mar 2025 18:10:59 +0000
TL;DR: Here is a summary of the text in 2 sentences:
Charles Choi has announced the release of Casual Make, a menu-driven interface for Makefile Mode in GNU Emacs that provides a more user-friendly way to edit and understand makefiles. The release is part of Casual 2.4.0, which also includes documentation in Info format, and is available from MELPA.
Charles Choi has announced the release of the Casual Make: a menu-driven interface, implemented as part of the Casual suite of tools, for Makefile Mode in GNU Emacs.
Emacs supports makefile editing with make-mode which has a mix of useful and half-baked (though thankfully obsoleted in 30.1) commands. It is from this substrate that I'm happy to announce the next Casual user interface: Casual Make.
Of particular note to Casual Make is its attention to authoring and identifying automatic variables whose arcane syntax is un-memorizable. Want to know what $> means? Just select it in the makefile and use the . binding in the Casual Make menu to identify what it does in the mini-buffer.
Casual Make is part of Casual 2.4.0, released on March 12 and is available from MELPA. The 2.4.0 update to Casual also includes documentation in the Info format for the first time.
[Read more](https://lwn.net/Articles/1014065/)
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Written by
Dallas Spohn
Dallas Spohn
Dallas, a seasoned professional with a diverse background, transitions seamlessly between roles as a systems admin turned developer, technical writer, and curriculum developer at Red Hat. With a knack for unraveling complex concepts, he crafts engaging materials primarily in DocBook, guiding enthusiasts through the intricacies of Red Hat's certification courses. In his earlier days, Dallas's passion for Anime led him to contribute to Anime News Network, channeling his creativity and expertise into captivating content. His contributions extended beyond writing as he interviewed prominent figures in the Anime industry, offering insights into their creative processes and visions. Beyond his professional pursuits, he's a devoted husband and father, cherishing moments with his loved ones. Dallas's journey in the tech industry spans various roles, from a security developer at NTT Security to an operations architect overseeing Linux servers for commercial transcoding. His tenure at esteemed institutions like Goldman Sachs and Lockheed Martin has honed his skills as a systems engineer, instilling in him a deep-rooted understanding of complex systems. An avid FPV pilot, Dallas finds exhilaration in soaring through the skies with his drones, often contemplating the lessons learned from his aerial adventures. His diverse experiences, including serving as a naval submariner aboard the USS Alexandria and pursuing higher education in England, enrich his perspective and fuel his thirst for knowledge.