Kernel Space: Linux and Systemd

• Linus Torvalds tells kernel devs to fix their regressive fixing

  Linus Torvalds has given the Linux kernel development community a bit of a touch-up, after finding some contributions to Linux 4.18 complicated the kernel development process. In his post announcing release candidate 2 of Linux kernel 4.18, Torvalds mentioned “some noticeable filesystem updates, particularly to cifs.” “I'm going to point those out, because some of them probably shouldn't have been in rc2. They were ‘fixes’ not in the ‘regressions’ sense, but in the ‘missing features’ sense.”

• Why data centers need log management tools

  Even though systemd is a common logging method, rsyslog offers more features. One main capability is being able to write log messages to a specific database. You can also configure rsyslog logs on one main server for centralized access.

• Systemd v239 released

  Systemd v239 has been released with a long list of changes; click below for the full set. "A new system.conf setting NoNewPrivileges= is now available which may be used to turn off acquisition of new privileges system-wide (i.e. set Linux' PR_SET_NO_NEW_PRIVS for PID 1 itself, and thus also for all its children). Note that turning this option on means setuid binaries and file system capabilities lose their special powers. While turning on this option is a big step towards a more secure system, doing so is likely to break numerous pre-existing UNIX tools, in particular su and sudo."

Canonical/Ubuntu Watching You

• Two-thirds of Ubuntu users are happy to give up data on their PC

  As announced back at the start of the year, Canonical made the decision that Ubuntu would collect data on its user base – and now the initial results of those statistics have been published by the firm, including the headline fact that 67% of users were happy to provide details of their PC (and other bits and pieces). So, this scheme that has been unfavorably compared to Microsoft’s collection of telemetry data in Windows 10, which has long been a point of controversy. However, it appears that the majority of folks are happy to give up their data to the company providing their Linux distribution, and don’t seem perturbed by this prospect.

• Ubuntu reports 67% of users opt in to on-by-default PC specs slurp [Ed: 33% of Ubuntu users say to Canonical "don't spy on me" and Canonical then counts them, which means that Canonical collects data on them, too]

  However just 33 per cent of the undisclosed number of users Canonical’s analysed didn’t opt in to the slurpage. Which is where things get a little bit weird, because Canonical’s post reports an “Opt In rate”. Yet the data slurpage is selected by default: there’s an active opt out but a passive opt in.

• The Average Ubuntu Install Takes 18 Minutes (And Other Stats)

  Did you know that the average Ubuntu install takes just 18 minutes? That’s one of several nuggets of information Canonical has collected (and now revealed) thanks to the new “Ubuntu Report” tool included in Ubuntu 18.04 LTS. This tool, when given permission to, collects non-identifiable system data about new Ubuntu installs and upgrades and ferries it back to Canonical for analysis.

Linux Foundation's TODO and New Chinese Ties

• The Linux Foundation and TODO Group Release Chinese Versions of Open Source Guides for the Enterprise

  -The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through open source, has released Chinese translations of 10 Open Source Guides for the Enterprise, created to help executives, open source program managers, developers, attorneys and decision makers learn how to best leverage open source.

• Tencent joins the Linux Foundation as a platinum member

  Chinese tech giant Tencent has announced it’s joined the Linux Foundation as a platinum member. Tencent is one of a few companies to offer the highest level of support to the Linux Foundation. Other tech companies in this stable include IBM, Microsoft, and Intel, as well as fellow Chinese titan Huawei. As part of the deal, Tencent will take a chair on the Foundation’s board of directors. It has also promised to offer “further support and resources” to the Foundation’s efforts. So far, this has taken the form of Tencent donating several pieces of its software.

• Tencent becomes a Linux Foundation platinum member to increase its focus on open source

  Tencent, the $500-billion Chinese internet giant, is increasing its focus on open source after it became a platinum member of the Linux Foundation. The company has long been associated with the foundation and Linux generally, it is a founding member of the Linux Foundation’s deep learning program that launched earlier this year, and now as a platinum member (the highest tier) it will take a board of directors seat and work more closely with the organization. That works two ways, with Tencent pledging to offer “further support and resources” to foundation projects and communities, while the Chinese firm itself will also tap into the foundation’s expertise and experience.

• Tencent Supports Open Source Community With Linux Foundation Platinum Membership

  LinuxCon China -- The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through open source, announces Tencent has become the latest Platinum member of the foundation. Tencent is a leading provider of Internet value added services in China, offering some of China's most popular websites, apps and services including QQ, Qzone, Tencent Cloud and Weixin/WeChat.

• TARS and TSeer Form Open Source Project Communities Under The Linux Foundation to Expand Adoption and Pace of Development

  The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through open source, today announced at LinuxCon + ContainerCon + CloudOpen China in Beijing that TARS, a remote procedure call (RPC) framework, and TSeer, a high availability service discovery, registration and fault tolerance framework, have become Linux Foundation projects. Both projects were initially developed by leading Chinese technology company, Tencent, which open sourced the projects last year. This follows the announcement of Tencent becoming a Platinum member of The Linux Foundation, and reflects the foundation’s growing collaboration with the Chinese open source community.

• Tencent Becomes Latest Platinum Member of Linux Foundation

  Chinese behemoth looking to cultivate open source ties The Linux Foundation has announced that Tencent has become the latest member to obtain platinum membership. The non-profit American tech company, which is funded by membership payments, uses the funding for sustainable open source projects. Within the foundation, there are three membership tiers, starting from silver to gold, all the way up to platinum where members have to pay $500,000 a year (approx. £377,643) for that category.

• Tencent Joins The Linux Foundation, Open-Sources Projects

  China's Tencent holding conglomerate that backs a variety of Internet services/products is the latest platinum member of the Linux Foundation.

Tux Machines is proud to be hosted by