By Huy Tran on February 23, 2010
Log4Tailer 2.0 http://code.google.com/p/log4tailer/ has just been released. It has been a month of some thought and testing the feasability of including tailing over SSH, and this release provides just that. It will open the door for a range of more features to control remote logs scattered across a network from a single terminal, instead of having multiple terminals or windows opened. As always, the project provides a nice pdf UserGuide explaining the ssh tailing capabilities of log4tailer.
Posted in Linux, Open Source | Tagged log4tailer, network, ssh, tailing, terminal
By Huy Tran on January 11, 2010
The great Ubuntu Karmik is just around the corner. If you happen to use Eclipse from the official eclipse webpage and you see that some eclipse buttons do not work, then apply the following hack. Make yourself a one line script to execute eclipse like follows:
#!/bin/bash
export GDK_NATIVE_WINDOWS=1
./eclipse
and it will work again. For tptp (the profiling tools for eclipse) you’ll need libstdc++5 package from debian.
Posted in Linux, Open Source, Ubuntu | Tagged debian, java, Linux, programming, Ubuntu
By Huy Tran on November 3, 2009
Q. How do I install and start telnet service / server under Ubuntu Linux?
A. Telnet is an insecure service. It is recommended that you use ssh service. However sometime telnet server or service is needed. Here are instructions to enable telnet:
Install telnetd server
$ sudo apt-get install telnetd
Restart inetd service:
$ sudo /etc/init.d/openbsd-inetd restart
You should now be able to telnet to the server from Windows or Linux desktop system to Ubentu Linux telnet server. Type the following command to connect to Telnet server:
$ telnet ubentu-linux-server-ip
$ telnet 192.168.1.200
$ telnet ubentu.mydomain.com
Posted in Linux, Ubuntu | Tagged service, telnet, Ubuntu
By Huy Tran on August 23, 2009
Here’s another deep chink in the armor of the braindead zealots who claim Linux is inherently more secure than Windows. Julien Tinnes and Tavis Ormandy have found what could be the widest ranging vulnerability yet discovered in the Linux kernel.
Affected versions include all Linux 2.4 and2.6 versions since May 2001. This spans 2.4.4 up to and including 2.4.37.4 in the 2.4 kernel and every iteration of 2.6 from 2.6.0 up to and including 2.6.30.4.
What is this vulnerability all about? Functions in certain kernel routines are left uninitialized, so pointers aren’t validated before dereferencing. This allows local execution of code (sample POC available in both articles linked above) which compromises the machine. Compromise? Yes, pwnt.
These are known affected modules according to Redhat’s bugzilla:
ipx.ko
irda.ko
x25.ko
ax25.ko
bluetooth.ko
sctp.ko
pppoe.ko
pppox.ko
appletalk.ko
That thread offers mitigation possibilities (and some commenters — see #32 and #48 — explain why those steps won’t work). According to post #27 in that thread, the exploit is already being used (as of about a week ago as I write this) to attack machines: “They entered the system through a web application exploit and then used the exploit to gain a root shell.”
This gets to the bigger problems of security. If you think of Linux as only the kernel or even the kernel plus the utilities that make it a functioning operating system, you’re seeing only one layer of vulnerability. Add another layer of complexity with various software and you’re adding more complexity and, accordingly exponentially more layers of vulnerability. If someone can get in through one door, he can often find “keys” to open other doors. That in a nutshell is what happens in cases like #27 in the Redhat bugzilla thread.
Fedora, Debian, and Ubuntu have reportedly already patched for this kernel issue.
Posted in Linux, Open Source, Security | Tagged debain, fedora, kernel, Linux, redhat, security hole, Ubuntu
By Huy Tran on April 23, 2009
Ubuntu is a community developed, linux-based operating system that is perfect for laptops, desktops and servers. It contains all the applications you need – a web browser, presentation, document and spreadsheet software, instant messaging and much more. Ubuntu is free software. Whether you use it at home, at school or at work Ubuntu contains all the applications you’ll ever need, from word processing and email applications, to web server software and programming tools.
Ubuntu is and always will be free of charge. You do not pay any licensing fees. You can download, use and share Ubuntu with your friends, family, school or business for absolutely nothing. We issue a new desktop and server release every six months. That means you’ll always have the the latest and greatest applications that the open source world has to offer. Everything you need on one CD, which provides a complete working environment. Additional software is available online.
Ubuntu comes with full commercial support from Canonical and hundreds of companies around the world. Ubuntu includes the very best translations and accessibility infrastructure that the free software community has to offer. Ubuntu CDs contain only free software applications; we encourage you to use free and open source software, improve it and pass it on.
With Ubuntu Desktop Edition you can surf the web, read email, create documents and spreadsheets, edit images and much more. Ubuntu has a fast and easy graphical installer right on the Desktop CD. On a typical computer the installation should take you less than 25 minutes. The graphical installer enables you to get up and running quickly and easily. On the desktop you have a full set of productivity, internet, drawing and graphics applications, and games.
The Server Edition – built on the solid foundation of Debian which is known for its robust server installations — has a strong heritage for reliable performance and predictable evolution. As your business grows, so does your network. More applications need to be deployed and more servers are required. Ubuntu Server Edition offers support for several common configurations, and simplifies common Linux server deployment processes. It provides a well-integrated platform enabling you to quickly and easily deploy a new server with any of the standard internet services: mail, web, DNS, file serving or database management. A key lesson from its Debian heritage is that of security by default. The Ubuntu Server has no open ports after the installation and contains only the essential software needed to build a secure server.
Link : Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) Final
Posted in Linux, Open Source, Ubuntu | Tagged Jaunty Jackalope, Linux, Ubuntu