Practical Technology

for practical people.

January 24, 2022
by sjvn01
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Linux Foundation launches Open Source Software Development, Linux, and Git certification

Want a good-paying programming job? By ZipRecruiter‘s count, the average annual pay for an open-source developer in the United States is $123,411. That’s not bad.

There’s also a lot of demand for Linux and open-source pros. The Linux Foundation and edX, the leading massive open online course (MOOC) provider, reported in their 2021 Open Source Jobs Report that the pair found more demand for top open-source workers than ever.

That’s why the Linux Foundation has released three new training courses on the edX platform: Open Source Software Development: Linux for Developers (LFD107x), Linux Tools for Software Development (LFD108x), and Git for Distributed Software Development (LFD109x). The three courses can be taken individually or combined to earn a Professional Certificate in Open Source Software Development, Linux, and Git.

Linux Foundation launches Open Source Software Development, Linux, and Git certification. More>

January 21, 2022
by sjvn01
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Nasty Linux kernel bug found and fixed

Most reported Linux “security” bugs actually aren’t Linux bugs. For example, security vendor CrowdStrike‘s report on the biggest Linux-based malware families was really about system administration security blunders with telnet, SSH, and Docker, not Linux at all. But, that doesn’t mean Linux doesn’t have security holes.  For example, a new nasty Linux kernel problem has just popped up.

In this one, there’s a heap overflow bug in the legacy_parse_param in the Linux kernel’s fs/fs_context.c program. This parameter is used in Linux filesystems during superblock creation for mount and superblock reconfiguration for a remount. The superblock records all of a filesystem’s characteristics such as file size, block size, empty and filled storage blocks. So, yeah, it’s important.

Nasty Linux kernel bug found and fixed. More>

January 20, 2022
by sjvn01
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FAQ: What’s happening with 5G and airport safety?

Even if you’re not a frequent flyer, you’ve probably heard that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and numerous airlines are claiming that AT&T and Verizon Wireless’s recently approved C-Band 5G will dangerously interfere with airplanes take offs and landings.

Will this new 5G be dangerous? Can a 5G call knock a plane out of the sky? Here’s what we know:

FAQ: What’s happening with 5G and airport safety? More>

January 18, 2022
by sjvn01
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Mirantis brings secure registries to Kubernetes distros

Thanks to Solarwinds and Log4j, we know it’s all too easy to have our systems busted thanks to software supply chain problems. To help us with this, Mirantis, the cloud and container company, has released Mirantis Secure Registry (MSR) 3.0, which can be used to build and deploy secure registries across any Kubernetes distribution.

Mirantis Secure Registry, formerly Docker Trusted Registry, provides an enterprise-grade container registry solution. You can use this as a foundation to build a secure software supply chain. It does this by providing you with access to a container image registry that has enhanced levels of security beyond that of public registries. This, in turn, gives you more control over this critical part of their software supply chain.

Mirantis brings secure registries to Kubernetes distros. More>

January 18, 2022
by sjvn01
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Get ready for the ‘Great Shutdown’

This fall, even as the Omicron variant gained steam, we largely pretended it wasn’t that bad. We were wrong.

But that’s not what I’m here to talk about. I want to focus on what you’re going to do when you literally can’t keep your doors open because all your employees are home sick. (It’s already happening.)

In my hometown of Asheville, N.C., schools have closed because the latest spike left the city schools system without enough staff to “maintain facilities operations or hold classes.” Restaurants, already hard hit by the Great Resignation, are also shutting their doors. Retail stores, concert venues, and theaters are following suit, as they can’t keep enough staffers on the floor to take care of customers.

It’s not just where I live. It’s happening everywhere, though perhaps not all at once. In many ways, what we’re seeing are rolling shutdowns. Airlines that can’t get enough pilots or ground crowds. Retail shops with salespeople out. You get the idea.

Get ready for the ‘Great Shutdown’ More>

January 18, 2022
by sjvn01
0 comments

Open Source Security at the White House

There’s no question that open source security and supply chain security has become top of mind issues in the aftermath of the Apache Log4j security problem quartet and the SolarWinds security fiasco. But so important that the White House would call a meeting with open source foundations and company officials? Yes, it’s that important.

The meeting was led by White House cybersecurity leader Anne Neuberger. Executives and officials from organizations like the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) and the Linux Foundation and executives from Apple, Amazon, Google, IBM, Microsoft, and Oracle. Government agencies such as the Department of Defense and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) were also represented.

Open Source Security at the White House. More>