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News in General

LPI to launch new LPIC-1 and LPIC-2 certification programs

The Linux Professional Institute (LPI) has completed an update of the exam objectives for its popular LPIC-1 and LPIC-2 certification programs. New versions of these exams will be published and available on April 1, 2009. Exams taken before that date will continue to be based on the older, current objectives and materials.

"This update of our LPIC-1 and LPIC-2 certification program is a significant milestone in LPI's history and exemplifies our extensive, ongoing and transparent communications with industry leaders and the Open Source community on what are the necessary skill sets for a Linux professional," said Jim Lacey, President and CEO of the Linux Professional Institute. Mr. Lacey noted many of the changes to the exams are the result of extended consultations with partner organizations in the field and others that support LPI's certification program: "As an example, we have broadened the scope of the LPIC-1 exams to appeal to a wider range of Linux professionals while focusing in-depth system administration and networking skills in the LPIC-2 certification."

Mr. Lacey also indicated that the increasing global relevance of the LPIC program has made it necessary that these new exams are much more sensitive to non-English exam candidates and include a greater number of questions around localization, internationalization, and accessibility issues.

Revised exam objectives for LPIC-1 and LPIC-2 are available on LPI's public wiki: https://group.lpi.org/publicwiki/bin/view/Examdev/WebHome.

The Linux Professional Institute also announced in December improvements to its growing training partner program. LPI has more than 220 approved training partners in 35 countries around the globe. In the last six months alone, LPI has added training partners in Belgium, Canada, Hong Kong, Italy, Korea, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, and the United Kingdom.

New Fedora 10 Adds Security and Virtualization

The Fedora Project, a community-supported open source collaboration project, announced the availability of Fedora 10 in late November.

Fedora 10 is the tenth community release in five years. It features substantial virtualization improvements for remote installation and management of storage provisioning. These features will make system administration of virtual machine hosts and guests easier and more capable of automation, especially as they are integrated into Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Additionally, Fedora 10 includes NetworkManager connection sharing, allowing laptop users with an Ethernet or mobile broadband connection to provide Internet routing to others through the laptop wireless interface, for instant collaboration anywhere, anytime.

This release includes the premiere of a new graphical boot system called Plymouth, designed to speed up the boot process by taking advantage of a new kernel mode setting feature.

Fedora 10 also features a new security auditing and detection toolkit called SecTool, and a brand-new set of Python bindings that allow programmers to use the FIPS-140 validated NSS library for rapid development of secure applications. The distribution also extends the Live USB persistence feature that was pioneered in Fedora 9, adding support for a separate user data area with optional encryption for the ultimate experience in secure, portable computing.

Among its new features, Fedora 10 includes the new OpenOffice.org 3.0 and GNOME 2.24.1; a rewritten audio system for faster response and lower power usage; a full set of appliance building tools; and support for more PC hardware.

For more information on Fedora 10, to download the distribution or to join this community effort, please visit https://fedoraproject.org/.

SUSE Linux Real Time Sets Performance Record

In independent tests performed by the Securities Technology Analysis Center (STAC), SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time delivered the lowest mean and maximum latencies ever recorded with the Reuters Market Data System (RMDS), as well as the highest RMDS throughput for a two-socket server. These impressive results for Novell were significantly better than similar benchmark tests performed by STAC on other Linux and UNIX operating systems.

In its newly-released report, STAC measured the performance of a market data stack based on the Reuters Market Data System when running on SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time and compared it to the same stack using a general purpose operating system and gigabit Ethernet technologies.

According to the independent tests performed by STAC, SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time delivered 10.1 million updates per second, the highest throughput ever recorded on their standard benchmark test for a two-socket Linux or UNIX system configuration - more than 670 percent higher than an alternative solution using a general purpose operating system and gigabit Ethernet technologies. In the same tests, SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time achieved the lowest mean RMDS latencies recorded to date by STAC on Linux or UNIX systems at nearly all throughput rates. SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time was able to maintain under 0.67 milliseconds of mean latency at rates of up to 750,000 updates per second and maximum latencies never exceeded 3.01 milliseconds.

The tests were conducted using the latest HP blade servers and Intel Quad-Core Xeon processors, along with Voltaire InfiniBand hardware and Voltaire Messaging Accelerator (VMA) software. The specific solution independently tested by STAC is available for customers to purchase and implement today and is fully supported by Novell and its partners.

Flash Security Patch

Adobe has issued critical security patches for the Linux version of its Flash player. Older versions have a vulnerability can be exploited through a specially crafted SWF file. The vulnerability affects Adobe Flash Player versions 10.0.12.36 and earlier and 9.0.151.0 and earlier.

Linux users are urged to update the Flash Player on their systems to version 10.0.15.3.

More information about this update can be found on https://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb08-24.html

Oracle Contributes Data Integrity Code to Linux Community

To advance Linux use in enterprise, Oracle contributed block I/O data integrity infrastructure code to the 2.6.27 Linux kernel in December. This open source code, in part developed with Emulex, exposes key data protection information to the Linux kernel. This can enable subsystems for the first time to utilize crucial data integrity features - and now extend protection from applications to storage to Linux operating system - for comprehensive data integrity capabilities across the entire software stack. This can reduce system downtime and provides cost savings to end users while meeting more stringent government regulations.

Oracle and Emulex are also working together to conduct an early adopter program where a select group of customers can test the end-to-end data integrity features in real world environments.

Additional Details:
* This code contribution includes generic support for data integrity at the block and file system layers, as well as support for the T10 Protection Information Model (formerly known as DIF) and the Data Integrity Extensions.
* The Data Integrity Extensions, developed in collaboration with Emulex, augment the T10 standard by allowing protection information to be transferred to and from host memory, enabling end-to-end data integrity protection.
* The Oracle-developed code is the first implementation of the T10 Protection Information Model standard for an operating system.

The INCITS/T10 "Protection Information Model" will help provide end-to-end data protection for block devices. Read more at Oracle's page: https://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/press/017754_EN .

MySQL 5.1 GA Boosts Large-Scale Database Applications

In December, Sun Microsystems announced general availability of MySQL 5.1, a major new release of the popular open source database. Designed to improve performance and simplify management of large-scale database applications, the production-ready MySQL 5.1 software is available for download now at https://dev.mysql.com/downloads.

MySQL 5.1 was downloaded more than 250,000 times in first the ten days it was available.

The MySQL 5.1 release is available via three models to serve different users:
- MySQL Community Server - An open source version of Sun's MySQL database. Licensed under the GPL, this full-function software is targeted to a technical user who does not require commercial support.
- MySQL Enterprise Server - Available as part of a MySQL Enterprise subscription, this is the secure and up-to-date version of the MySQL database, targeted to corporate IT users. Subscribers receive monthly rapid software updates and quarterly service packs along with access to proactive monitoring tools and 24x7 production technical support.
- MySQL Embedded Server - This commercially-licensed version of the MySQL software allows ISVs and OEMs to embed or bundle a high-speed, small-footprint database with their own products, without the free-distribution requirements of the GPL license.

For downloads and more information on MySQL 5.1, go to https://www.mysql.com/51.

Toshiba, IBM, and AMD Develop World's Smallest SRAM Cell

Toshiba Corporation , IBM, and AMD have together developed a Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) cell that has an area of only 0.128 square micrometers (µm²), the world's smallest functional SRAM cell that makes use of fin-shaped Field Effect Transistors (FinFETs). This cuts the size of SRAM cells by more than 50% while improving memory stability. The technology positions FinFETs as an attractive structure for SRAMs in the 22nm node and beyond.

SRAM cells are circuit components in most systems-level, large-scale integrated circuits such as microprocessors, and smaller SRAM cells can support smaller, faster processors that consume less power. The technology was announced on December 16 in a technical paper presented at the 2008 International Electron Devices Meeting (https://www.his.com/~iedm/general/) in San Francisco, California.

Researchers from the three companies fabricated a highly scaled FinFET SRAM cell using HKMG (the high-k dielectric and metal gates process). It is the smallest nonplanar-FET SRAM cell yet achieved: at 0.128µm², the integrated cell is more than 50 percent smaller than the 0.274µm² nonplanar-FET cell previously reported. To achieve this goal, the team optimized the processes, especially for depositing and removing materials, including HKMG from vertical surfaces of the non-planar FinFET structure.

The researchers also investigated the stochastic variation of FinFET properties within the highly scaled SRAM cells and simulated SRAM cell variations at an even smaller cell size. They verified that FinFETs without channel doping improved transistor characteristic variability by more than 28 percent. In simulations of SRAM cells of 0.063µm² area, equivalent to or beyond the cell scaling for the 22nm node, the results confirmed that the FinFET SRAM cell is expected to offer a significant advantage in stable operation compared to a planar-FET SRAM cell at this generation.

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Conferences and Events

FudCon Boston 2009

January 9 - 11, MIT, Boston, MA
https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/FUDCon/FUDConF11

SharePoint Technology Conference

January 27 - 29, Airport Hyatt, Burlingame, CA
https://sptechcon.com/register.html

Sun xVM Virtualization Roadshow

January 27 - February 25, various US cities
https://www.xvmgetmoving.com/register.php

2009 SCADA and Process Control Summit

February 2 - 3, Disney Dolphin, Lake Buena Vista, FL
https://www.sans.org/scada09_summit

Black Hat DC 2009

February 16 - 19, Hyatt, Arlington, VA
https://blackhat.com/html/bh-dc-09/bh-dc-09-main.html

Gartner Mobile & Wireless Summit 2009

February 23 - 25, Chicago, IL
https://gartner.com/us/wireless

Next-Gen Broadband Strategies

February 24, Cable Center, Denver, CO
https://www.lightreading.com/live/event_information.asp?event_id=29032

7th USENIX Conference on File and Storage Technologies (FAST '09)

February 24-27, San Francisco, CA

Learn from Leaders in the Storage Industry at the 7th USENIX Conference on File and Storage Technologies (FAST '09)

Join us in San Francisco, CA, February 24-27, 2009, for the 7th USENIX Conference on File and Storage Technologies. On Tuesday, February 24, FAST '09 offers ground-breaking file and storage tutorials by industry leaders such as Brent Welch, Marc Unangst, Simson Garfinkel, and more. This year's innovative 3-day technical program includes 23 technical papers, as well as a Keynote Address, Work-in-Progress Reports (WiPs), and a Poster Session. Don't miss out on opportunities for peer interaction on the topics that mean the most to you.

Register by February 9 and save up to $200!

https://www.usenix.org/fast09/lg

DrupalCons 2009

March 4 - 7, Washington, DC
https://dc2009.drupalcon.org/

Unconference for technical product managers

March 14, Yahoo!, Sunnyvale, CA
Register here

Orlando Scrum Gathering 2009

March 16 - 18, Gaylord Palms, Orlando, FL
https://www.scrumgathering.org

Forrester's IT Infrastructure & Operations Forum

March 18 - 19, San Diego, CA
https://www.forrester.com/events/eventdetail?eventID=2372

EclipseCon 2009

March 23 - 26, Santa Clara, CA
https://www.eclipsecon.org/2009/home

ApacheCon Europe 2009

March 23 - 27, Amsterdam, Nederlands
https://eu.apachecon.com/c/aceu2009

Web 2.0 Expo San Francisco

March 31 - April 3, San Francisco, CA
https://www.web2expo.com/

SCALE Returns to LAX, Expands Tracks

SCALE 7x, the premier Open Source Community conference in the southwestern United States, will be February 20th - 22nd, 2009. It will also return to the Westin LAX Hotel, site of last year's 6th Expo.

For 2009, the main weekend conference has been expanded: in addition to the three main tracks, a Beginner's track and a Developer's track have been added. SCALE will also reprise the Women In Open Source ("WIOS"), and Open Source Software In Education ("OSSIE") specialty tracks on the Friday prior to SCALE.

DOHCS, the Demonstrating Open Source Health Care Solutions conference, has spun off on its own but will be co-located with SCALE on the Friday prior to SCALE. See their Web site at https://www.dohcs.org for info and to register.

A Full Access conference pass (Friday - Sunday) cost only $60. Register for SCALE 7x at https://www.socallinuxexpo.org.

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Distro News

Jaunty Jackalope Alpha 2 released

Jaunty Jackalope Alpha 2 is ready for testing; this release will in time become the Ubuntu 9.04 release.

Alpha 2 is the second in a series of milestone CD images that will be released throughout the Jaunty development cycle. The Alpha images are thought to be free of show-stopping build or install bugs. The current snapshots can download it here:
https://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/jaunty/alpha-2/ (Ubuntu)
https://cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/releases/jaunty/alpha-2/ (Kubuntu)
https://cdimage.ubuntu.com/xubuntu/releases/jaunty/alpha-2/ (Xubuntu)

Please refer to https://www.ubuntu.com/testing/jaunty/alpha2 for information on changes in Ubuntu. Ubuntu 9.04 Alpha 3 is planned for mid-January 2009.

Good OS Announces gOS Cloud Operating System

In November, Good OS, most known for its gOS Linux that debuted in Wal-Mart computers, announced "Cloud," a new operating system that boots into a browser with Google and Yahoo! in seconds and optionally boots into Windows.

Good OS previewed Cloud on a GIGABYTE Touch-Screen Netbook at the Netbook World Summit in Paris and online at https://www.thinkgos.com. GIGABYTE Touch-Screen Netbooks will be preloaded with Cloud and Windows XP together early in 2009.

Cloud integrates a Web browser with a compressed Linux operating system kernel for immediate access to Internet, integration of browser and rich client applications, and full control of the computer from inside the browser, and features an attractive icon dock for shortcuts to favorite apps and tabs for multi-tasking between Web and rich client apps.

"Cloud is my favorite gOS product yet," said David Liu, Founder and CEO of Good OS. "Just seconds after I power on, I'm Googling, Yahooing, and truly Living. I am very excited about the upcoming GIGABYTE Touch-Screen Netbooks with Cloud and Windows. I think the GIGABYTE Touch-Screen Netbook's forward thinking hardware and software will make it the best Netbook to hit the market!"

More details about Cloud and GIGABYTE Touch-Screen Netbooks will be released on January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

openSUSE 11.1 Improves User Experience

The openSUSE Project, a Novell-sponsored and community-supported open source project, announced the release of openSUSE 11.1 in mid-December. The new release delivers a richer user experience with enhancements to desktop productivity, entertainment applications, and software and system management.

openSUSE 11.1 was entirely developed using the recently released openSUSE Build Service 1.0, a new collaboration system that enables contributors to work closely together on Linux packages or solution stacks. This allows quicker developer contributions to the openSUSE project.

Updates to openSUSE 11.1 include:
- The new 2.6.27.7 Linux kernel which also adds support for a number of new devices and improved video camera support;
- An improved remote desktop experience with Nomad;
- A simpler license that eliminates the EULA and removes software which previously made it difficult to redistribute openSUSE;
- Improvements to YaST, openSUSE's system administration and installation suite, including an improved partitioner, new printer module, and a new module to check system security;
- Latest versions of major applications including Firefox 3.0.4, OpenOffice.org 3.0, GNOME 2.24.1, KDE 4.1.3 + KDE 3.5.10 and Mono 2.0.1;
- Most recent versions of GNOME and KDE.

openSUSE 11.1 can be freely downloaded now at https://www.opensuse.org. A retail box version is also available for $60 at https://shop.novell.com and includes 90 days of installation support, commercial applications not on the main DVD, and the popular "Getting Started Guide," a printed manual for new Linux users.

Mandriva presents new Mandriva Flash 2009

Mandriva announced Mandriva Flash 2009, the new product in the popular Mandriva Flash family. It enables mobility of an entire desktop and can be run from any PC in just a few clicks. It is a fully operational system requiring no installation and which fits into any pocket.

Mandriva Flash is a complete work station with the following software for Linux:
- Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird;
- Ezboot, to boot into Mandriva Flash from Windows;
- KDE 4, the advanced, attractive and efficient Linux desktop;
- Java and Flash help in Web content;
- Skype for phone calls over the Internet;
- Google Toolbar to make searching easier;
- OpenOffice.org - compatible with most widely used office suites.

This new version comes with a migration tool enabling you to import Windows settings and documents.

Mandriva Flash 2009 is available in several languages. The new 8 GB model is available now for $55 US and can be found on https://store.mandriva.com/.

Slackware 12.2 now out

Slackware 12.2 was released in December with many improvements over Slackware 12.1. Among the many program updates and distribution enhancements are two desktop environments: Xfce 4.4.3 and KDE 3.5.10.

Slackware uses the 2.6.27.7 kernel with support for X DRI (the Direct Rendering Interface) which brings high-speed hardware accelerated 3D graphics to Linux.

Here are some of the advanced features of Slackware 12.2:
- The 2.6.27.7 version of the Linux kernel;
- System binaries are linked with the GNU C Library, version 2.7;
- Installs gcc-4.2.4 as the default C, C++, Objective-C, Fortran-77/95, and Ada 95 compiler;
- Apache (httpd) 2.2.10 Web server and PHP 5.2.8;
- PCMCIA, CardBus, USB, IEE1394 (FireWire) and ACPI support;
- New development tools, including Perl 5.10.0, Python 2.5.2, and much more
- Package tracking to help upgrade from Slackware 12.1 to Slackware 12.2. The slackpkg tool can also help update from an older version of Slackware to a newer one
- Includes KDE's Konqueror 3.5.10, SeaMonkey 1.1.13 (this is the replacement for the Mozilla Suite), and Firefox 3.0.4, as well as the Thunderbird 2.0.0.18 email and news client with advanced junk mail filtering.

Get Slackware 12.2 here: ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-12.2/

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Software and Product News

Adobe AIR 1.5 Now Available for Linux

In December, Adobe Systems announced availability of Adobe AIR 1.5 software for Linux operating systems. Adobe AIR 1.5, a key component of the Adobe Flash Platform, enables Web developers to use HTML, JavaScript, ActionScript and the free, open source Flex framework to deliver Web applications outside the browser.

"The release of Adobe AIR 1.5 for Linux builds on our ongoing commitment to the Linux community and our legacy of creating technologies that work consistently across operating systems," said David Wadhwani, general manager and vice president of the Platform Business Unit at Adobe. "Using Adobe AIR, millions of Web developers can now be Linux developers, and with little effort and no additional costs, companies can now target emerging markets and a broad set of new devices where Linux is growing in popularity." The graphical capabilities of Adobe AIR, along with its access to operating system functionality, give AIR applications the capacity to provide unprecedented user experiences and brand differentiation for the developers and companies creating them.

AIR 1.5 includes functionality introduced in Adobe Flash Player 10, such as support for custom filters and effects, native 3D transformation and animation, and extensible rich text layout. Offering new features and performance improvements to create more expressive AIR applications, Adobe AIR 1.5 incorporates the open source WebKit HTML engine and now accelerates application performance with "SquirrelFish," the new WebKit JavaScript interpreter. Adobe AIR 1.5 also includes an encrypted database for enterprise security compliance requirements.

Adobe AIR 1.5 for Linux is available as a free download at https://get.adobe.com/air/.

Ubuntu on Amazon EC2 Beta Released

The Ubuntu team is now offering a beta release of Ubuntu 8.10 Server Edition on Amazon's EC2 cloud computing service. This is the first beta release of an Ubuntu Server Edition image optimised for EC2's cloud computing environment.

This service allows users to create a fully running instance of Ubuntu Server on EC2 in just a few clicks. All the applications, such as a Web server, E-mail server and common development frameworks, are available. There's no charge for using Ubuntu on Amazon EC2, it's provided without charge complete with maintenance updates. However, Amazon will charge EC2 users for their usage of the service.

Canonical has fully tested the images of Ubuntu Server Edition on Amazon's EC2 service but they want wider testing from the community and also want to learn how user interact with EC2 so they can make improvements.

Apply for access to the EC2 beta program here: https://www.ubuntu.com/ec2.

New VirtualBox 2.1 Improves Virtualization Performance

Sun Microsystems released a new version of Sun xVM VirtualBox, its free and open source desktop virtualization software in December. This new version offers improved support for VMware's virtual machine disk format (VMDK) and Microsoft's virtual hard disk (VHD) file format, allowing the transfer of critical business information. To download the freely distributed xVM VirtualBox software, visit: https://www.sun.com/software/products/virtualbox/get.jsp.

Users of xVM VirtualBox 2.1 software will benefit from significant improvements in graphics and network performance, easier configuration, hardware platform support for the latest processors and additional interoperability. The update allows users to run a 64-bit guest OS on 32-bit host platforms without the need to upgrade the host OS. VirtualBox now offers improved performance on the new Intel Core microarchitecture in the Core i7 processor family (codenamed Nehalem).

VirtualBox 2.1 features a number of new enhancements, including:
- New Accelerated 3D Graphics: Uses the industry standard application programming interface (API) for high-performance graphics, Open Graphics Library (OpenGL), allowing users to run applications like Google Earth and CAM-based software used by industrial designers, architects, etc.
- Improved Network Performance: Makes network intensive applications like video faster. Bridged networking configurations on Windows and Linux platforms makes it easier to deploy server applications in virtual machines using Web stacks like LAMP or SAMP.
- Better Storage Support: Comes with built-in iSCSI support to connect to storage systems and enables easier management and sharing of virtual disk images.

xVM VirtualBox software has been growing in popularity, surpassing 8 million downloads worldwide since October 2007.

JBoss Application Server gets Java EE 5 Compatibility

After launching its JBoss Application Server 5.0 release from the JBoss.org Community in November, the JBoss team has officially confirmed that the JBoss Application Server is Java EE 5 Certified.

Read about the Java EE certification here: https://java.sun.com/javaee/overview/compatibility.jsp

Enterprise support for JBoss Application Server 5 will be included in JBoss Enterprise Application Platform v5, the enterprise release expected early in 2009.

HP expands Linux offerings for business and education

To provide customers with more cost-effective and secure computing options, HP has introduced a new desktop offering with SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop from Novell on the HP Compaq dc5850. This joint solution delivers a tightly integrated suite of essential applications, including OpenOffice.org, Web browser, multimedia tools, and email with collaboration and instant messaging software to drive productivity for business customers.

For education customers, HP is working with Novell to develop and maintain a repository of more than 40 applications, including math, art and word games, to improve student learning. In addition, applications for school administration and instruction will be available for teachers and administrators.

The HP Compaq dc5850 with SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop available Dec. 15 in North America at a U.S. street price of about $500.

Zmanda Launches Advanced Backup Based on OpenSolaris ZFS

Zmanda released both Amanda Enterprise and Zmanda Recovery Manager (ZRM) for MySQL for the OpenSolaris 2008.11 platform, which was announced by Sun Microsystems in December, and will be available in OpenSolaris repositories.

The combination of Zmanda's backup solutions with Sun's ZFS file system, creates an advanced backup-to-disk offering. Specifically, the snapshot capability of ZFS enables fast and scalable backups of demanding workloads.

ZRM for MySQL is a mission-critical backup and recovery solution designed specifically for MySQL databases. ZRM includes unique, enterprise-grade features such as MySQL storage engine and snapshot intelligence, replication support, and integration of backup operations with MySQL binary logs. ZRM comes with the Zmanda Management Console - a powerful Web-based graphical user interface that lets DBAs control backup and recovery across all MySQL servers from any browser enabled device.

For more information about Zmanda, visit https://www.zmanda.com.

Copyright © 2009, Deividson Luiz Okopnik and Howard Dyckoff. Released under the Open Publication License unless otherwise noted in the body of the article. Linux Gazette is not produced, sponsored, or endorsed by its prior host, SSC, Inc.

Published in Issue 158 of Linux Gazette, January 2009

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