Orange Pi 3 SBC Now Available, New Malware Targeting Linux Servers to Mine Cryptocurrency, Chrome OS 73 for the Dev Channel Released, Inkscape Nearing Version 1.0 Milestone and Linux 5.0-rc3 Is Out
News briefs for January 21, 2019.
Orange Pi 3 SBC is now available. Linux Gizmos reports that the open-source hardware platform, Allwinner H6-based Orange Pi 3 SBC is now available for $30, or for $40 with 2GB of RAM and 8GB eMMC. Also, other highlights include "GbE, HDMI 2.0, 4x USB 3.0, WiFi-ac, and mini-PCIe." For more info, visit the Orange Pi 3 AliExpress page.
Security researchers at Palo Alto Networks' Unit 42 have discovered malware that targets Linux servers to mine cryptocurrency. According to the Softpedia News post, this malware was launched by a group named "Rocke" to "infiltrate into Linux systems and look for five different cloud security products that could block further malicious activities on the compromised hosts". The article mentions that "Flaws in Apache Struts 2, Oracle WebLogic, and Adobe ColdFusion are being used."
Google recently released Chrome OS 73 for the Dev Channel, and the new version has "quite a few new items related to Project Crostini, for Linux app support", according to the About Chromebooks post. One new feature is the "choice of running Linux apps in either high or low density", and another is "a new flag that will enable backups of your Crostini container data files". And, you now can "share Android's Google Play Files, My Files and even Google Drive with Linux in the native Chrome OS Files app." See also the changelog for more details.
Inkscape is finally reaching the 1.0 milestone after 15 years of development. Softpedia News reports that Inkscape 1.0 will feature "an updated user interface that offers better support for 4K/HiDPI screens and theming support, the ability to rotate and mirror canvases, new options for exporting to the PNG image format, variable fonts (requires pango 1.41.1 or higher), as well as much faster path operations and deselection of a large amounts of paths." You can download the pre-release alpha as an Appimage from here and see the release notes here.
Linux 5.0-rc3 was released yesterday. Linus writes that "This rc is a bit bigger than usual. Partly because I missed a networking pull request for rc2, and as a result rc3 now contains _two_ networking pull updates. But part of it may also just be that it took a while for people to find and then fix bugs after the holiday season." He concludes his release message with "Nothing particularly odd strikes me."
Jill Franklin is an editorial professional with more than 17 years experience in technical and scientific publishing, both print and digital. As Executive Editor of Linux Journal, she wrangles writers, develops content, manages projects, meets deadlines and makes sentences sparkle. She also was Managing Editor for TUX and Embedded Linux Journal, and the book Linux in the Workplace. Before entering the Linux and open-source realm, she was Managing Editor of several scientific and scholarly journals, including Veterinary Pathology, The Journal of Mammalogy, Toxicologic Pathology and The Journal of Scientific Exploration. In a previous life, she taught English literature and composition, managed a bookstore and tended bar. When she’s not bugging writers about deadlines or editing copy, she throws pots, gardens and reads.
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