Author: root

Arriving earlier this month was a Dell PowerEdge R7425 server at Phoronix that was equipped with two AMD EPYC 7601 processors, 512GB of RAM, and 20 Samsung 860 EVO SSDs to make for a very interesting test platform and our first that is based on a dual EPYC design with our many other EPYC Linux benchmarks to date being 1P. Here is a look at the full performance capabilities of this 64-core / 128-thread server compared to a variety of other AMD EPYC and Intel Xeon processors while also doubling as an initial look at the performance of these server CPUs on Ubuntu 18.10.

This Dell PowerEdge R7425 server with the two EPYC 7601 processors has been absolutely dominating the benchmarks since its arrival. Last week was an initial look at the performance capabilities when checking out the Linux application scaling up to 128 threads while in this article are a lot more benchmarks compared to the other current server CPUs I had available for benchmarking. This benchmark comparison with Ubuntu 18.10 consisted of:

– EPYC 7251

– EPYC 7351P

– EPYC 7401P

– EPYC 7551

– EPYC 7601

– 2 x EPYC 7601

– Xeon E5-2687W v3

– Xeon Silver 4108

– 2 x Xeon Gold 6138

This was based upon the processors/hardware I had available. While Ubuntu 18.10 is not a long-term support (LTS) release like Ubuntu 18.04, it makes for an interesting test target due to its newer software components: namely the Linux 4.18 kernel and GCC 8.2 compiler… This should be akin to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.0 / CentOS 8 and other upcoming Linux distribution releases. This up-to-date stable Linux kernel also provides all of the latest Spectre / Meltdown / Foreshadow protection and the systems had their up-to-date BIOS/firmware releases.

While the number of current-generation Xeon systems I have is limited, thanks to the open-source Phoronix Test Suite it’s very easy to compare any of your own Linux systems/servers to the benchmarks found in this article while doing so in a fully-automated and side-by-side manner. Simply install the Phoronix Test Suite and run phoronix-test-suite benchmark 1810150-SK-AMDEPYC1243 to kick off your own standardized benchmark comparison.

Let’s have a look at how this dual EPYC Dell PowerEdge server performs against the assortment of other Intel/AMD processors on Ubuntu 18.10.

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Oct 16, 2018 — by Eric Brown

— 98 views

The Automotive Grade Linux project has released Unified Code Base 6.0 in-vehicle infotainment stack with new software profiles for telematics and instrument cluster.

The Linux Foundation’s Automotive Grade Linux project version 6.0 (“Funky Flounder”) of its Unified Code Base 6.0 distribution is now available for download. The new release for the first time expands the open source in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) stack to support telematics hooks and instrument cluster displays.

“The addition of the telematics and instrument cluster profiles opens up new deployment possibilities for AGL,” stated Dan Cauchy, Executive Director of Automotive Grade Linux at the Linux Foundation. “Motorcycles, fleet services, rental car tracking, basic economy cars with good old-fashioned radios, essentially any vehicle without a head unit or infotainment display can now leverage the AGL Unified Code Base as a starting point for their products.”

Key features for UCB 6.0 include:

• Device profiles for telematics and instrument cluster
• Core AGL Service layer can be built stand-alone
• Reference applications including media player, tuner, navigation, web browser, Bluetooth, WiFi, HVAC control, audio mixer and vehicle controls
• Integration with simultaneous display on IVI system and instrument cluster
• Multiple display capability including rear seat entertainment
• Wide range of hardware board support including Renesas, Qualcomm Technologies, Intel, Texas Instrument, NXP and Raspberry Pi
• Software Development Kit (SDK) with application templates
• SmartDeviceLink ready for easy integration and access to smartphone applications
• Application Services APIs for navigation, voice recognition, Bluetooth, audio, tuner and CAN signaling
• Near Field Communication (NFC) and identity management capabilities including multilingual support
• Over-The-Air (OTA) upgrade capabilities
• Security frameworks with role-based-access control

Mercedes-Benz Vans Sprinter

In June, AGL announced that Mercedes-Benz Vans was using UCB for upcoming vans equipped with next generation connectivity and robotics technology. The announcement followed Toyota’s larger commitment to AGL for its 2018 Toyota Camry cars, as well as some Prius models.

UCB 6.0 does not include the virtualization framework for UCB, which was announced in July. Destined for a future UCB release, the virtualization technology includes a novel bus architecture that can encompass both critical and non-critical systems and support a variety of open source and proprietary virtualization solutions running simultaneously.

In other recent automotive technology news, last month the Wall Street Journal reported that a fully featured version of Google’s Android Auto technology will be used for IVI systems built into Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance cars starting in 2021. The carmaker collective is the world’s largest, with 10.6 million vehicles sold in 2017. Earlier this year, Google and Volvo demonstrated a 2020 XC40 model that runs Android Auto together with Volvo’s Sensus skin.

Further information

AGL’s Unified Code Base 6.0 is available now for download. More information may be found on this UCB 6.0 release notes page.

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By Jack M. Germain

Oct 10, 2018 5:00 AM PT

Manjaro Linux offers the best of two worlds. It puts a user-friendly face on an Arch-based distro, and it gives you a choice of sensible and productive desktop interfaces.

The Manjaro Linux team released its latest updates running the KDE, Xfce and GNOME desktops, Manjaro Linux 18.0 Beta 7, late last month. All three are solid performers and seem to be ready for final release. A key benefit of Manjaro Linux is the rolling release method to push new versions to users without requiring full reinstallation, as is the case with most other Linux distributions.

Manjaro Linux is a fast, traditional desktop-oriented operating system based on Arch Linux. Arch itself is renowned for being an exceptionally fast, powerful and lightweight distribution that provides access to the very latest cutting-edge — and bleeding-edge — software. Manjaro exceeds that reputation and delivers more benefits.

Using an Arch-based distro such as Manjaro is not the same thing as using a pure Arch Linux descendant, however. Arch is geared toward more experienced or technically minded users.

Arch-based distros generally are beyond the reach of those who lack the technical expertise (or persistence) required to use it. If for no other reason, Arch Linux derivatives are monsters to install and configure. Those processes require more than a passing knowledge with the command line interface. Manjaro Linux is different.

Developed in Austria, France and Germany, Manjaro provides all the benefits of the Arch operating system with a focus on user-friendliness and accessibility. The prime directive for all things Arch is simplicity, modernity and pragmatism.

Manjaro Linux’s in-house system tools, easy installation application and better range of software packages make it a better Arch-based distro than Arch Linux itself. Manjaro offers much more.

Arch-Based or Real Arch?

Manjaro Linux is not Arch Linux — but yes, it is based on Arch underpinnings and Arch principles. That is a good thing.

Nor is using Manjaro Linux the same as using pure Arch or more direct derivatives, such as Antergos Linux, which I recently
reviewed. Even if Arch is outside your comfort zone, though, you will be rewarded with a satisfying computing experience with Manjaro Linux.

I have not seriously looked at Manjaro Linux in several years. I had a take-it-or-leave-it reaction to the much earlier version I checked out back then. However, Manjaro has come a long way. The developers’ goal to be an independent Arch branch is the key to the distro’s success.

Manjaro is independent of Arch and has its own development team. Manjaro’s user base targets newcomers, not the more technically inclined, experienced Linux user.

Manjaro breaks away from the pure Arch mold to make a better Arch-based platform. It is easier to use. A few more distinct differences separate Manjaro and Arch.

A Better Way

Manjaro’s independence is one of its key distinguishing traits. That is clearly evident in its software packages. Manjaro has its own repositories that are not affiliated with Arch Linux. The benefit is that fewer things break, because the Manjaro team takes more time to make sure its software packages are compatible. In addition, the repositories contain software packages the Arch community does not provide.

Manjaro also includes its own distribution-specific tools, such as the Manjaro Hardware Detection utility and the Manjaro Settings Manager. Also, Manjaro has its own way of doing system functions, compared to Arch.

Manjaro’s developers built this Arch Linux derivative around a series of system apps that make using it much easier. For example, Arch distros usually require familiarity with terminal windows to carry out package installations and removals. Manjaro’s front-end assistance and improved system tools give less-experienced users considerable handholding.

One software feature Manjaro closely shares with Arch Linux is compatibility with the AUR, or Arch Users Repository. This added access expands your free software stores within the Arch community. It has more of the latest software additions that are not yet vetted for the official Arch repository. This is a community-driven repository for Arch Linux users.

An added benefit of using the AUR is a simplified package installation process in Manjaro. Community members port applications to the AUR and provide scripts to install applications not packaged for Arch or Manjaro.

Another invaluable tool is the console-based net-installer Manjaro-Architect. You can install any of Manjaro’s official or community-maintained editions, or you can configure your own custom-built Manjaro system.

If you have several desktop or laptop computers and want to create identical systems, this is the way to get that job done efficiently and painlessly. Manjaro-Architect downloads all packages in their latest versions during installation. Manjaro-Architect supports systemd, disk encryption, and a variety of file systems, including LVM and btrfs. You can view a tutorial for using the architect tool on the Manjaro forum.

Manjaro Kudos

I was particularly impressed with Manjaro’s hardware support, especially for Broadcom wireless cards. Several of my laptops are plagued with problems related to these quirky wireless devices. More times than not, they fail to be detected when I test a Linux distro. Manjaro eliminates that issue.

I like not having to configure PPAs (Personal Package Archives) in a package manager when I install less standard software packages in other distros. The large software repository Manjaro provides plus the Arch User Repository make PPAs unnecessary.

This year I’ve noticed increasing delays with other Linux distros in booting into the desktop screen. Some of these delays are caused by patches needed to work around vulnerability issues with Intel and AMD processor chips. That is less of a problem with Manjaro Linux. It has a fast bootup sequence.

Extra Editions

I downloaded the latest official Manjaro ISOs for the KDE, Xfce and GNOME desktop editions for testing. I was pleased to see that the only real difference among them was the look and feel of the desktop environments. The specialized in-house system apps and Manjaro-specific software provided a unified computing platform across all three desktop editions.

Numerous community-maintained editions provide some newer and experimental alternative desktop editions. These community releases still carry the release label of 17.1.12, indicating last year’s base releases. According to a note on the website, these community desktop alternatives are updated with the latest software, however.

The Manjaro-GNOME desktop includes the latest refinements that make GNOME easy to use.

These alternative desktop environments range from a few better-known choices to a couple of very obscure desktop projects: Awesome, Bspwm, Budgie, Cinnamon, Deepin, i3, LXDE/LXQT, Mate and Openbox.

The community editions might be more suitable for less-experienced Linux users. The only drawback is a delay in updating the current versions.

Tough Choices

Picking a preferred desktop from the three primary candidates — KDE, Xfce and GNOME — is largely a matter of personal choice. All three desktop environments worked as expected.

Some Linux distros use in-house modifications to the desktop to tweak performance or better align the desktop environment with the distro’s philosophy and design styles. All three releases appeared to be fairly standard versions.

The Xfce desktop is a lightweight environment that is fast and uses fewer system resources. It is visually appealing with little to no eye candy or animations. Despite its so-called lightweight structure, Xfce is a fully functional desktop with modern features and a fair amount of configurability.

The Manjaro-Xfce edition sports the welcome screen common to all Manjaro editions. The standard Xfce user interface offers a modern integration of classic Linux bottom panel and simplified main menu.

The GNOME Desktop Environment uses the Wayland display server by default. It has a simplified appearance with a less impressive feature set. Most of its customization potential is done via extensions.

The KDE desktop is the most feature-rich and versatile desktop environment of the three. It provides several different menu styles to access applications. Its built-in interface provides easy access for installing new themes.

The Manjaro-KDE edition has an attractive collection of background images, along with a multipurpose main menu panel, plus lots of eye candy displays that make the user interface fun and productive.

One of the pluses in running the KDE edition is the desktop customization. You have access to a collection of snappy widgets you can add to your desktop. The result is a much more configurable resource-heavy desktop.

Bottom Line

Regardless of which desktop you select, the welcome screen introduces Manjaro tools and get-acquainted details such as documentation, support tips, and links to the project site.

You can get a full experience in using the live session ISOs without making any changes to the computer’s hard drive. That is another advantage to running Manjaro Linux over a true Arch distro. Arch distros usually do not provide live session environments. Most that do lack any automatic installation launcher from within the live session.

Caution: When you attempt to run the boot menu from the Manjaro DVD, pay attention to the startup menu. It is a bit confusing. To start the live session, go halfway down the list of loading choices to select the Boot Manjaro option. The other menu options let you configure non-default choices for keyboard, language, etc.

After the live medium loads the Manjaro live session, browse the categories in the welcome window. You can click the Launch Installer button in the welcome window or launch it after experiencing the live session by clicking on the desktop install icon or running the installation program from the main menu.

Installation is a simple and straightforward process. The Calamares installer allows newcomers to easily set up the distro. It gives advanced users lots of customization options.

Want to Suggest a Review?

Is there a Linux software application or distro you’d like to suggest for review? Something you love or would like to get to know?

Please
email your ideas to me, and I’ll consider them for a future Linux Picks and Pans column.

And use the Reader Comments feature below to provide your input!

Jack M. Germain has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2003. His main areas of focus are enterprise IT, Linux and open source technologies. He has written numerous reviews of Linux distros and other open source software.
Email Jack.

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Linux powers many of the IoT devices on which we’ve come to rely — something that enterprises must address.

When Linus Torvalds developed a free operating system back in 1991 in his spare time, nobody could have guessed where it would lead.

Linux is not only the backbone of the Internet and the Android operating system, it’s also in domestic appliances, motor vehicles, and pretty much anything else that requires a minimal operating system to run dedicated software. The Internet of Things (IoT) is very much powered by Linux.

But when Chrysler announced a recall of 1.4 million vehicles back in 2015 after a pair of hackers demonstrated a remote hijack of a Jeep’s digital systems, the risks involved with hacking IoT devices were dramatically illustrated.

So, what does the rise of Linux and IoT mean for cybersecurity in the enterprise? Let’s take a look.

Our Networks Have Changed
Today’s defense solutions and products mostly address Windows-based attacks. It’s the most prevalent operating system in the enterprise, and the majority of system administrators are tasked with solving the security problems it brings.

Over time, however, the popularity of Windows in enterprise IT has weakened. A growing number of DevOps and advanced users are choosing Linux for their workstations. In parallel, the internal and external services a typical enterprise offering has moved away from Windows-based devices to Linux: Ubuntu, SUSE, and Red Hat. Linux containers have broad appeal for enterprises because they make it easier to ensure consistency across environments and multiple deployment targets such as physical servers, virtual machines, and private or public clouds. However, many Linux container deployments are focused on performance, which often comes at the expense of security.

Beyond that, every device used in the network is now connected to the same networks where all the most valuable assets reside. What used to be a simple fax machine has now become a server. Our switches and routers are moving into the backbone of our most secure networks, bringing along the potential for cyber breaches as they do so.

Malware Authors’ Heaven
Let’s shift our attention from the defender to the attackers, whose strategy often is to use minimal effort for maximum impact. In many cases, keeping things simple proves to be enough.

If you look at your network from the attacker’s perspective, there are enough open doors to penetrate without the hassle of crossing the security mechanisms of the most common operating system. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can relax the effort to secure your Windows devices; there are still some severe weaknesses (social engineering anyone?).

Here are a few notable breaches involving IoT or, by extension, Linux-controlled devices:

1. Compromising a Network by Sending a Fax
Check Point researchers have revealed details of two critical remote code execution (RCE) vulnerabilities they discovered in the communication protocols used in tens of millions of fax machines globally. (A patch is available on HP’s support page.)

2. The Mirai Botnet
In October 2016, the largest distributed denial-of-service attack ever was launched on service provider Dyn using an IoT botnet, which led to huge portions of the Internet going down. The Mirai botnet caused infected computers to continually search the Internet for vulnerable IoT devices such as digital cameras and DVRs, and then used known default usernames and passwords to log in and infect them with malware.

3. 465,000 Abbott Pacemakers Vulnerable to Hacking
In the summer of 2016, the FDA and Homeland Security issued alerts about vulnerabilities in Abbott pacemakers that required a firmware update to close security holes. The unpatched firmware made it possible for an attacker to drain the pacemaker battery or exfiltrate user medical data. (The firmware was updated a year later.)

Regaining Control
As there are many different IoT devices and inherent vulnerabilities, patching can be overwhelming. That said, you can’t protect what you can’t see, so start with the basics: map out what you have and gain visibility into traffic, including the growing blind spot of encrypted traffic. This will allow you to introduce IoT security into your already existing security program.

The next step is to ensure no default authentication is set for any of your devices and to start patching. Patching can’t fix everything, but it can discourage any attackers probing your network.

On the Linux side, there are enterprise-grade solutions available, some of which are more intrusive than others: they’ll cover your assets at the cost of kernel intrusion. Other Linux-based solutions focus on visibility and monitoring “userland” behavior and processes. This allows you to keep more control, but also can result in easier bypasses for malware.

Conclusion
Although preparation is the key to addressing IoT and Linux cyberattacks, there is still much else that can be done. On the IoT side, device manufacturers need to develop a common set of security mechanisms and standards. Until that time, the best approach is to reduce the attack surface to a bare minimum: retire old devices, patch all devices that are a must, and use vendors that invest in security and enforce authentication wherever possible. On the Linux side, the situation is somewhat better, as software solutions and the main vendors continue to invest in securing the operating systems. However, there’s no doubt that malware authors will persist in exploring and exploiting weaknesses in the OS and software whenever and wherever they find them.

While defenders need to seal every gap and plug every hole, an attacker just needs one way in. In some cases, that could come from your Linux and IoT. An IoT revolution is occurring, and the speed of change is bringing with it multiple security implications, some of which may be as yet unknown. The enterprise needs to be ready, and it needs to be vigilant.

Related Content:

• 7 Serious IoT Vulnerabilities
• How to Keep Up Security in a Bug-Infested World
• Owning Security in the Industrial Internet of Things
• 4 Trends Giving CISOs Sleepless Nights

Black Hat Europe returns to London Dec. 3-6, 2018, with hands-on technical Trainings, cutting-edge Briefings, Arsenal open-source tool demonstrations, top-tier security solutions, and service providers in the Business Hall. Click for information on the conference and to register.

Migo Kedem is the Senior Director of Products and Marketing at SentinelOne. Before joining SentinelOne, Mr. Kedem spent a decade in building cybersecurity products for Palo Alto Networks and Checkpoint. View Full Bio

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Last updated October 14, 2018 By Avimanyu Bandyopadhyay 4 Comments

Wishing A Very Happy Birthday to KDE!

Let us Celebrate this moment by looking back into its Glorious history with some Inspiring Facts on this legendary and much-loved Desktop Environment!

22 years ago, Matthias Ettrich (now a Computer Scientist and Software Engineer at Here), then a Computer Science student at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, was not quite happy as a Common Desktop Environment (CDE) user.

He wanted an interface that was more comfortable, simpler and easy to use, with a better look and feel. Thus, the Kool Desktop Environment (KDE) project was born!

Note that KDE is clearly some pun intended to CDE!

Trivia: The official mascot of KDE is Konqi who has a girlfriend named Katie. Previously there used to be a wizard named Kandalf but was later replaced by Konqi because many people loved and preferred the mascot to be this charming and friendly dragon!

Konqi from the early days who replaced Kandalf (right)

Some Interesting and Inspiring Facts on KDE

We’ve looked back into some Interesting yet Inspiring events that took place over the last 22 years of the KDE project:

Development

15 developers met in Arnsberg, Germany, in 1997, to work on the KDE project and discuss its future. This event came to be known as KDE One followed by KDE Two and KDE Three and so on in the later years. They even had one for a beta version.

The KDE Free Qt Foundation Agreement

The foundation agreement for the KDE Free Qt Foundation was signed by KDE e.V. and Trolltech, then owner of the Qt Foundation who ensured the permanent availability of Qt as Free Software.

First Stable Version

The first stable version of KDE was released in 1998, in addition to highlighting an application development framework, the KOM/OpenParts, and an office suite preview. KDE 1.x Screenshots are available here.

The KDE Women Initiative

The community women’s group, KDE Women, was created and announced in March 2001 with the primary goal to increase the number of women in free software communities, particularly in KDE.

1 Million Commits

The community reached 1 million commits within a span of only 19 months, from 500,000 in January 2006 and 750,000 in December 2007, with the launch of KDE 4 at the same time.

Release Candidate of Development Platform Announced

A release candidate of KDE’s development platform consisting of basic libraries and tools to develop KDE applications was announced on October 2007.

First KDE & Qt event in India

The first conference of the KDE and Qt community in India happened in Bengaluru in March 2011 that became an annual event henceforth.

GCompris and KDE

In December 2014, the educational software suite GCompris joined the project incubator of KDE community (We have previously discussed GCompris, which is bundled with Escuelas Linux, a comprehensive educational distro for teachers and students).

KDE Slimbooks

In 2016, the KDE community partnered with a Spanish laptop retailer and announced the launch of the KDE Slimbook, an ultrabook with KDE Plasma and KDE Applications pre-installed. Slimbook offers a pre-installed version of KDE Neon and can be purchased from their website.

Check out the entire timeline in detail here for a more comprehensive outline or you can take a look at this 19-year span coverage:

Today, KDE is
powered by three great projects:

KDE Plasma

Previously called Plasma Workspaces, KDE Plasma facilitates a unified workspace environment for running and managing applications on various devices like desktops, netbooks, tablets or even smartphones.

Currently, KDE Plasma 5.14 is the most recent version and was released some days ago. The KDE Plasma 5 project is the fifth generation of the desktop environment and is the successor to KDE Plasma 4.

KDE Applications

KDE Applications are a bundled set of applications and libraries designed by the KDE community. Most of these applications are cross-platform, though primarily made for Linux.

A very recent project in this category is a music player called Elisa focused on an optimised integration with Plasma.

KDE Development Platform

The KDE Development Platform is what significantly empowers the above two initiatives, and is a collection of libraries and software frameworks released by KDE to promote better collaboration among the community to develop KDE software.

A Personal Note

It was an honour covering this article on KDE’s Birthday and I would like to take this opportunity to brief some of my personal favourite KDE based apps and distros that I have extensively used in the past and continue to:

Favorite KDE Apps

Amarok

The best feature I
like about this legendary music player is how it compiles your music
collection and retrieves lyrics from an online database!

KolourPaint

There are so many ways in which this beautiful program is a lot better than MS Paint!

Kaffeine

A KDE based
multimedia player with simple and easy to use features with support
for digital TV.

Favorite KDE-based Distros

Kubuntu

Many of you might be already aware of it. Instead of GNOME, this Ubuntu-based distro uses KDE as its default desktop environment.

SimplyMepis

SimplyMepis is a Debian based Linux that was started by Warren Woodford in 2003. SimplyMepis 11 uses Plasma 4 as its default desktop environment.

Some more lesser known but great apps are enlisted here. Many of these apps made to our list of best applications for Ubuntu.

Hope you liked our favourite moments in KDE history on their 22nd Anniversary! Please do write about any thoughts you might have about any of your memorable experiences with KDE in the comments below.

About Avimanyu Bandyopadhyay

Avimanyu is a Doctoral Researcher on GPU-based Bioinformatics and a big-time Linux fan. He strongly believes in the significance of Linux and FOSS in Scientific Research. Deep Learning with GPUs is his new excitement! He is a very passionate video gamer (his other side) and loves playing games on Linux, Windows and PS4 while wishing that all Windows/Xbox One/PS4 exclusive games get support on Linux some day! Both his research and PC gaming are powered by his own home-built computer. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player (2016) and mostly goes by the tag “avimanyu786” on web indexes.

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VyOS is a freely distributed and open source Linux-based operating system that uses the latest upstream Vyatta release to provide system administrators with a network OS that includes only open source software for transforming any computer into a viable and reliable network router or firewall.

Distributed as 32-bit and 64-bit installable only CDs

While the distribution is available for download as installable only CD ISO image or approximately 200MB in size each, designed to run on physical 32-bit and 64-bit platforms, it is distributed as virtual ISO images that run on virtual platforms.

Text-mode boot loader with useful information

The CD ISO images can be burned onto blank CD discs or written on USB flash drives of at least 512MB capacity in order to boot them from the BIOS of the PC. From the boot prompt, press the F1 key to get more information about the available boot options or boot the operating system, login with the “vyos” username and password combination and start the text-mode installation.

Text-mode installation for experienced users

As expected, the entire installation process is interactive and text based, requiring the user to partition the disk drive, copy the configuration files from the bootable medium to the local drive, setup users and passwords and install the bootloader.

After a reboot, the machine will boot directly into the newly installed VyOS operating system. You can log in using the “vyos” username (without quotes) and the password set during the installation process.

Bottom line

If you’ve always wanted to install the Vyatta operating system on your computer, but did not have to money to buy a fully supported edition, do not hesitate to grab the VyOS Linux distribution from Softpedia, as it is completely free and open source, and supports paravirtual drivers and runs perfectly on virtual platforms.

Vyatta fork Network firewall Network router Vyatta Firewall Router VPN

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Intro

If you’ve been following security news, you’d know that Mac OS High Sierra has a security bug. Most of the articles have done a fine job explaining all the fluff, so I’ll get straight to the point.

If you have no password for the root account (as is the case for most users, since they haven’t explicitly set up a root account and password on their system), then Mac will accept a blank password for logging into root.

A demo is better than a 1000 words, and I’ll show you one real quick-

Demo

Step 1 : Go to a place requiring admin privilege authentication. For example, Users and Groups in System Preferences.

Step 2 : Click on the lock, and you’d be prompted to login.

Step 3 : Change username to root, leave the password field blank (After changing username to root, press tab to move to the password field, then tab again to go back to username field, and then click unlock, otherwise this won’t work).

That’s it. You can get creative regarding what all you can accomplish with this. I haven’t tried it, but I’ve heard that this attack (bug :p) works remotely!

Fix

Seeing as how this bug puts your system at risk, I’m sure you are curious as to how to fix it. One way is to give your root account a password.

However, on 29th Nov apple released a security update for this bug. We’ll simply use that. Here’s the update –

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208315

(the section below uses info from the linked page)

Let’s first check if the update is installed.

For that, type this on your terminal and hit enter-

what /usr/libexec/opendirectoryd

If your output is something like this, then you have an old version of the update installed-

If it’s one of these two, or a more recent version (higher numbers), then you’re good

opendirectoryd-483.1.5 on macOS High Sierra 10.13opendirectoryd-483.20.7 on macOS High Sierra 10.13.1
So, if you have and old version like me, let’s head to the app store and install the update.

Sure enough, here’s the update we need. It’ll take a bit to get installed.

Once that’s done, let’s just run the same command again and verify that the version number increased to our liking. Now we’re all good.

Verify-

Bug seems fixed. That’s it for the post.

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If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.

Henry David Thoreau

When I think about IT or Digital Transformation, I often think of this quote. To survive, your business must meet the needs of the digital economy; that is, it must keep up with the pace of the smartphone-toting, social-media posting empowered customer. And, your job is to provide the foundation for this. So let’s talk a little about what you need to do to start this transformation.

What is Transforming?

Before we can talk about starting to transform, we have to start with what you are transforming. IT transformation is the process of aligning IT services and business applications so they are in lock-step with the new normal of customer expectations – providing business intelligence, business agility, and the promise of customer-centricity. In many cases, this means more than just a technology shift; it means you also need to review your processes, application architectures, and even organization model – not only your platforms, to align them with the new normal of your business. From process to information to platform, transformation only works if it happens across all dimensions of your enterprise.

Transformational IT: The New Normal

In most businesses, IT is typically heavy on the technical side of the business, while LOB end-users are often the nontechnical experts of the business. However, in the businesses that are embracing transformational IT, the lines between the technical and nontechnical sides of the business become blurred. IT metrics become less focused on response time and problem resolution but more on customer success and revenue growth. This is the new normal — the role of IT shifting so it becomes the technology advisor for the entire organization, providing the tools and solutions required to meet the needs of the digital economy.

Where are the Skills?

Because digital businesses are customer focused, IT departments must provide the tools for responsive and agile behavior. These solutions must be open, providing the ability to engage with a broad ecosystem of partners, suppliers and customers. Additionally IT must also be able to take advantage of technologies such as AI, IoT and blockchain. They must provide new platforms that support delivery of modern, cloud native applications that can evolve rapidly to meet ever-changing demands, and at the same time, they must maintain their core legacy systems.

451 Research Group indicates that “cloud platforms and information security emerged as top areas of IT expertise gaps in 2017.” Couple that with “acute skills shortages in cloud native environments for container and microservices technologies” and it quickly becomes apparent that there is a lack of skills to make the transformation your business desperately needs you to make.

SUSE – Your Complete Solution for IT Transformation

So where do you start? Start with SUSE.

SUSE’s software-defined infrastructure and application delivery roadmap provides all the right solutions to help assist in your transformation – from SUSE OpenStack Cloud to SUSE Enterprise Storage and SUSE Cloud Application Platform to SUSE CaaS Platform.

SUSE Global Services provides flexible consulting delivery solutions and premium support services options to maximize your value from your SUSE solution investments. From SUSE Start consulting engagements to Premium Support Services options, our team has the technical expertise to assist in transforming and supporting your infrastructure. We will help your organization plan and implement your new solutions, facilitating all aspects of your IT transformation.

Our services offerings provide direct access to technical and product experts with whom you can build a trusted relationship. As trusted advisors, our services team helps your organization plan and implement new solutions, facilitating all aspects of your IT transformation.

With SUSE as your trusted partner, you not only get the right software for your transformation, you have access to the right people to get you to your end game. Make SUSE Global Services a part of your total solution. After all, your business has built “castles in the air,” it’s your job to put foundations under them.

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