The H Roundup - Adobe's Linux holes, oVirt 3.1 and BackTrack Linux

Welcome to The H Roundup, your rapid review of the week with the most read news on The H, the security alerts and open source releases, and the essential feature articles – all in one quick-to-scan news item.

Top News

Google security researchers warned users to be wary of Adobe Reader on Linux because of numerous critical vulnerabilities, a new version of the BackTrack Linux security distribution added several new tools for tiny hardware-based exploits, and the Arch Linux developers discussed switching the default boot process to systemd.

• Google warns of using Adobe Reader - particularly on Linux
• BackTrack 5 R3 adds tools for Arduino and Teensy attacks
• Arch Linux proposes switch to systemd

Virtualisation platform oVirt got new snapshot capture and cloning capabilities, and a new release of VirtualBox is due soon if the release candidate for version 4.2 is any guide. Meanwhile, a new algorithm for tracking the origin of attacks on the internet has been developed and researchers tried to figure out the significance of a font that travels with the Gauss malware.

• oVirt 3.1 "narrows gap" with proprietary virtualisation
• VirtualBox 4.2 nears with release candidate
• New algorithm tracks down the origins of internet attacks
• Font installed with Gauss trojan raises questions

Java apps can run on the GPU too thanks to the open source Rootbeer GPU compiler and the GNU Compiler Collection completed a switch to C++ as its implementation language. And finally, the Enki code editor made its public debut ... as a finished product.

• Java for graphics cards
• GCC shifts internal focus to C++
• Enki: a new editor for programmers with a plug-in interface

Featured Articles

This week, Richard Hillesley took a look at GNOME's history and recent, widely criticised developments, and asked if it can ever become the de facto favourite Linux desktop again.

• GNOME – from abyss to common ground

Open Source Releases

• First release candidate for Slackware 14
• Prototype JavaScript framework 1.7.1 arrives after 18 months
• Ubuntu Tweak 0.7.3 also tweaks Linux Mint
• Calligra 2.5 released
• New version of data-visualising D3 JavaScript library
• Red Hat releases preview of its OpenStack distribution
• TizMee brings Tizen apps to MeeGo
• Amarok 2.6 overhauls support for iOS devices
• SpringSource Tool Suite 3.0.0 released
• Mono integrates Entity Framework
• Git integration for Microsoft's Team Foundation Server
• Zenoss Core 4 switches to AMQP-based new event system
• LibreOffice 3.5.6 released
• Lucene and Solr 4.0 go beta
• Rackspace launches OpenStack-based private cloud distribution
• Dojo 1.8's highlight – updated documentation
• Consistent browser rendering with Normalize.css
• The beginning of the end for AV Linux
  

Security Alerts

• Oracle releases unscheduled fix for critical vulnerability
• Magento shops attacked through Zend vulnerability
• Microsoft closes 26 holes for August Patchday
• Adobe closes numerous critical holes in Reader and Acrobat
• PostgreSQL patches XML flaws
  

For everything The H has published in the last week, check out the last seven days of news. To keep up with The H, subscribe to the RSS feed, or follow honlinenews on Twitter. You can follow The H's own tweeting on Twitter as honline.

(crve)