Tech News Digest – May 02, 2025
Dallas Spohn📢 Not The page With The Dead Dog
A pile of stable kernel updates
Category: Linux
Tags: Linux
Published: Fri, 02 May 2025 06:50:20 +0000
TL;DR: Here is a summary of the text in 2 sentences:
The Linux kernel has released several stable updates, including versions 6.14.5, 6.12.26, 6.6.89, 6.1.136, 5.15.181, 5.10.237, and 5.4.293. Each update contains additional important fixes.
The 6.14.5, 6.12.26, 6.6.89, 6.1.136, 5.15.181, 5.10.237, and 5.4.293 stable kernel updates have all been released; each contains another set of important fixes.
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Redis is now available under the AGPLv3 open source license (Redis blog)
Category: Linux
Tags: General
Published: Thu, 01 May 2025 17:47:25 +0000
TL;DR: Here is a summary of the text in 2 sentences:
Redis has reverted back to an open-source license, specifically the Affero General Public License version 3 (AGPLv3), starting with Redis 8, after initially switching to the Server Side Public License (SSPL) in March 2024. The change was led by Redis creator Salvatore "antirez" Sanfillipo, who contributed a new Vector Sets feature and had previously written code under an open-source license due to his roots as an open-source developer.
After a somewhat tumultuous switch to the Server Side Public License (SSPL) in March 2024, Redis has backtracked and is now offering Redis under the Affero GPLv3 (AGPLv3) starting with Redis 8, CEO Rowan Trollope announced. The change back to an open-source license was led by Redis creator Salvatore "antirez" Sanfillipo, who also contributed the new Vector Sets feature for the release. He said:
I'll be honest: I truly wanted the code I wrote for the new Vector Sets data type to be released under an open source license. Writing open source software is too rooted in me: I rarely wrote anything else in my career. I'm too old to start now. This may be childish, but I wrote Vector Sets with a huge amount of enthusiasm exactly because I knew Redis (and my new work) was going to be open source again.
I understand that the core of our work is to improve Redis, to continue building a good system, useful, simple, able to change with the requirements of the software stack. Yet, returning back to an open source license is the basis for such efforts to be coherent with the Redis project, to be accepted by the user base, and to contribute to a human collective effort that is larger than any single company. So, honestly, while I can't take credit for the license switch, I hope I contributed a little bit to it, because today I'm happy. I'm happy that Redis is open source software again, under the terms of the AGPLv3 license.
Since last year's license switch, though, the Valkey project has sprung up as a fork under the original 3-clause BSD license. [Read more](https://lwn.net/Articles/1019686/)
Celebrating 20 Years of the OASIS Open Document Format
Category: Linux
Tags: General
Published: Thu, 01 May 2025 16:05:22 +0000
TL;DR: Here is a summary of the text in 2 sentences:
The Document Foundation is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Open Document Format (ODF) being approved as an OASIS standard, recognizing its significance in promoting digital independence and interoperability. To mark this milestone, The Document Foundation will be publishing a series of presentations and documents on its blog tracing the history of ODF from its development to its standardization process.
The Document Foundation is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the ratification of the Open Document Format (ODF) as an OASIS standard.
Two decades after its approval in 2005, ODF is the only open standard for office documents, promoting digital independence, interoperability and content transparency worldwide. [...]
To celebrate this milestone, from today The Document Foundation will be publishing a series of presentations and documents on its blog that illustrate the unique features of ODF, tracing its history from the development and standardisation process through the activities of the Technical Committee for the submission of version 1.3 to ISO and the standardisation of version 1.4.
[Read more](https://lwn.net/Articles/1019672/)
[$] Custom out-of-memory killers in BPF
Category: Linux
Tags: Linux
Published: Thu, 01 May 2025 13:51:46 +0000
TL;DR: Here is a summary of the text in 2 sentences:
The Out-of-Memory (OOM) killer is a mechanism in the Linux kernel that kills processes to free up memory when the system runs out of space. Recently, Roman Gushchin has found a way to make the OOM killer even more powerful by allowing custom OOM killers to be loaded using BPF (Berkeley Packet Filter).
The out-of-memory (OOM) killer has long been a scary and controversial part of the Linux kernel. It is summoned from some dark place when the system as a whole (or, more recently, any given control group) is running so low on memory that further allocations are not possible; its job is to kill off processes until a sufficient amount of memory has been freed. Roman Gushchin has found a way to make the OOM killer even scarier: adding the ability to load custom OOM killers in BPF.
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Security updates for Thursday
Category: Linux
Tags: General
Published: Thu, 01 May 2025 13:37:57 +0000
TL;DR: Here is a summary of the text in 2 sentences:
Multiple Linux distributions have issued security updates to fix vulnerabilities, including Debian, Fedora, Mageia, Red Hat, SUSE, and Ubuntu. The affected packages include various software such as Firefox, Imagemagick, Thunderbird, and others, which have been updated to address known security issues.
Security updates have been issued by Debian (expat, fig2dev, firefox-esr, golang-github-gorilla-csrf, jinja2, libxml2, nagvis, qemu, request-tracker4, request-tracker5, u-boot, and vips), Fedora (firefox, giflib, and thunderbird), Mageia (imagemagick), Red Hat (thunderbird), SUSE (amber-cli, libjxl, and redis), and Ubuntu (h2o, poppler, and postgresql-10).
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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.