Issue #255 / Feb 2022

Highlights:

Fuzz Testing: Ever wonder how attackers discover those "carefully crafted input strings" that crash programs and surrender control? Welcome to the world of fuzz testing. We introduce you to the art of fuzzing and explore some leading fuzz testing techniques.

SERVICE: Welcome

What About the Cats?

The sorry state of discourse on the Internet has many causes, and the experts have offered many solutions for the mess. One of the biggest problems is the way that social media platforms reward engagement.

SERVICE: This Month's DVD

Parrot OS 4.11 and Fedora Workstation 35

NEWS: News

In the news: EndeavorOS 21.4 Has Arrived; NixOS 21.11 Now Available for Download; KDE Plasma Developers Introduce a Gnome-Like Overview; Rocky Linux 8.5 Now Available with Secure Boot Support; CronRAT Malware Targets Linux Servers; AlmaLinux OS 8.5 Now Available

NEWS: Kernel News

Chronicler Zack Brown reports on the latest news, views, dilemmas, and developments within the Linux kernel community.

: Fuzz Testing

Fuzzing and the quest for safer software

Fuzzing is an important method for finding bugs and security vulnerabilities in software. Read on to find out what fuzzing is and which methods are commonly used today.

: Distro Walk – Parrot OS

A security-conscious OS

Parrot OS offers a more secure desktop with practical tools for both newbies and veteran users that encourage better security habits.

IN-DEPTH: Peace of Mind

Modern PDF security

PDFs, the preferred format for file sharing, only offer primitive privacy and security measures. With these command-line tools, you can help your PDFs meet modern security requirements.

IN-DEPTH: News Ticker

The sys admin's daily grind: getnews.tech

Instead of websites or newsfeeds, Charly prefers to use getnews.tech at the command line to keep up to date with what's happening around the world quickly and in a targeted way.

IN-DEPTH: Chip Shot

Game development with Go and the Fyne framework

We all know that the Fyne framework for Go can be used to create GUIs for the desktop, but you can also write games with it. Mike Schilli takes on a classic from the soccer field.

IN-DEPTH: Machine Learning

Indoor navigation with machine learning

We explore some machine learning techniques with a simple missing person app.

IN-DEPTH: Skydive

Visualize your network with Skydive

If you don't speak fluent Ethernet, it sometimes helps to get a graphical view of what your network is doing. Skydive offers visual insights that could reveal complex error patterns.

IN-DEPTH: Pacstall

Pacstall brings the freedom of the AUR to Ubuntu

Many users wish Ubuntu had a free and easily accessible user-driven package repository like Arch's AUR. Pacstall steps into the gap.

: Elixer

Distributed programming made easy with Elixir

The Elixir programming language on a Raspberry Pi lets you create distributed projects in just a few lines of code.

: PiMiga 1.5

An Amiga emulator for the Raspberry Pi 400

Convert a Raspberry Pi 400 into a retro computer that behaves like the popular Amiga 500.

LINUX VOICE: Introduction

This month in Linux Voice.

LINUX VOICE: maddog's Doghouse

Reviving old computers

Computer architectures from the 1960s and 1970s are given new life via modern kits.

LINUX VOICE: Slideshows with Kdenlive

Create impressive presentations with Kdenlive

Kdenlive plays to its strengths when editing larger video projects and also helps users create appealing slideshows with impressive effects.

LINUX VOICE: Filesharing to go

Comparing tools for an easy data exchange

If you want to exchange files over the local network, you do not necessarily have to set up a file server such as Samba. A number of handy tools let you drag and drop to send files.

LINUX VOICE: FOSSPicks

Sparkling gems and new releases from the world of Free and Open Source Software

This month Graham looks at Plasma System Monitor, projectM audio visualizer, yt-dlg downloader GUI, and more.

LINUX VOICE: Tutorial – Prettymaps

Creating your own custom maps

Prettymaps combines multiple Python libraries to make it easy to draw maps straight from the OpenStreetMap database.