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The community collected suitable boards, tools and documentation for embedded Linux projects.
Read the full postBlog 2006
16 posts
Projects, Linux, networks, systems, finds and internet standards from 2006.
A removable wall hides desk cables
Barbex builds a free-standing Z-shaped panel from veneered chipboard that protects cables and remains removable without modifying the desk. The build took about five minutes. Veneered chipboard cut to size was used.
Read the full postA root server installation from the technician’s point of view
Using console output, Manuel Schmitt shows how a technician follows the installation of a root server directly. The article shows the installation output as an embedded image. The output shown was copied via SSH and not photographed.
Read the full postRunning secondary name servers across organisations
Manuel Schmitt describes a mutual secondary DNS arrangement between manitu and the Max Planck Institute in Saarbrücken. The Max Planck Institute already provided additional name servers for manitu.de and manitu.net. In return, manitu took over secondary DNS for some reverse zones.
Read the full postUpdating a DNS blacklist within seconds
Manuel Schmitt describes the beta test of a live-fed DNS version of the NixSpam blacklist that makes detected spam sources available within seconds. The existing list was available at ix.dnsbl.manitu.net. The test service used ix-new.dnsbl.manitu.net.
Read the full postNew Linux kernels close security holes
In August 2006 new Linux kernels of the 2.4.33, 2.6.16 and 2.6.17 series appeared that closed security holes. A bug in the SCTP function sctp_make_abort_user allowed logged-in attackers to execute code with higher privileges. A UDF bug crashed the system and had not yet been fixed in 2.4.33.
Read the full postIBM closes security holes in Informix database
In August 2006 IBM published updates for several holes in Informix Dynamic Server that NGSSoftware had already reported in January 2005. Functions such as LOTOFILE and SET DEBUG FILE could be used to write arbitrary files, and there were also numerous buffer overflows in SQL functions and at protocol level. One cause of the protocol bugs was the C function getname(), which copies strings unchecked like strcpy().
Read the full postEconomical Linux server with 16 MIPS64 processor cores
In 2006 Movidis presented the Revolution x16 server with a Cavium Octeon processor, whose 16 MIPS64 cores were to draw less than 30 watts together. The platform offered eight gigabit ports, up to 8 GByte of RAM, a SAS/SATA host adapter and Linux with kernel 2.6.13.5 in NAND flash. The cores only had integer units, but in return accelerators for crypto, compression and TCP.
Read the full postUnix systems on Dell servers in a practical benchmark
Several Unix systems were installed on identical Dell server hardware and compared in practice.
Read the full postAppArmor and SELinux compared
Ralf Spenneberg compares AppArmor and SELinux as mandatory access control systems and shows differences in model, configuration and administration. A less powerful model can be more secure in practice if operators actually maintain it. Additional control only helps if policies match the real behaviour of applications.
Read the full postOpenWrt on SOHO routers
OpenWrt turns simple SOHO routers into openly configurable Linux network devices.
Read the full postA Linux cluster made of MSN TV boxes
Hackaday describes an extremely cheap cluster made of discarded MSN TV devices with a Celeron, Ethernet, CompactFlash and serial console. Each node had a 733 megahertz Celeron. The devices contained 128 megabytes of RAM.
Read the full postRFC 4291: IPv6 addressing architecture
RFC 4291 organises IPv6 unicast, anycast and multicast addresses as well as prefix notation. Address types map communication scope directly into the architecture. A large address space still requires disciplined planning.
Read the full postOpenVZ to be brought into the Linux kernel
According to CNet, in 2006 SWsoft wanted to bring its free virtualisation technology OpenVZ into the official Linux kernel, with support from Red Hat. OpenVZ sets up virtual private servers that share one kernel and are therefore very efficient. At the same time Red Hat was pushing the competing technology Xen and announced Xen virtualisation for the next RHEL.
Read the full postLinux also vulnerable to the WMF security hole through Wine
In January 2006 the WMF hole, through which manipulated image files executed code under Windows, also affected Wine, Cedega and CrossOver Office. According to HD Moore, author of the proof of concept, the complete metafile API had been recreated in Wine, including the bug. Not only Windows code but also native shellcode could be executed, and Marcus Meissner of SUSE supplied a patch.
Read the full postLinux kernel 2.6.15 with improved NTFS support
In January 2006, after seven release candidates, Linus Torvalds released kernel 2.6.15. It brought changes to software RAID, an NTFS driver with limited write support and initial support for the Linksys NSLU2 NAS. The function vm_insert_page() was controversial, as Torvalds also made it available to Nvidia’s proprietary drivers.
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