Improvements to the free graphics program Gimp include a refreshed look, color management and enhanced selection tools.

It was good news across the board for ATI graphics card owners with AMD deciding to go for a free driver and immediately delivering the goods. Now the proprietary Linux driver, Fglrx 8.42.3, has been released, and it promises various improvements.

Lucasfilm Limited, famous for its movie projects such as Star Wars and Indiana Jones, will be using Qt as the user interface for the development of digital entertainment software in future.

The Seamstress image manipulation library promises smaller images without compromising detail. Version 1.0.0 of the software, which was released recently, uses an "energy function" to analyze various areas of the image before compressing and does not change eye-catching areas.

Two protocol handlers give attackers the ability to inject malicious code into X Font Server (XFS). Linux systems are only vulnerable to local attacks. The X Font Server is not accessible over networks by default.

The new 0.6.0 version of the compositing window manager Compiz now supports multiple x-screens and has new plug-ins.

Four bugs have been discovered in the free Image Magick image manipulation Software and classified as highly critical by several security research services. A new version closes the security holes.

AMD has put its money where its mouth is, and published the first free Linux drivers for its ATI R500 and R600 graphics cards in collaboration with Novell. After a lengthy break, Nvidia has also released a new version of its proprietary graphics driver.