Ubuntu 21.10 Released and Finally Includes Gnome 40

Gnome 40 has been out for some time. For those that have experienced it, you know the new horizontal workflow is a game changer. With a much-improved ability to interact with and manage workspaces, the open source desktop makes daily usage considerably easier and more efficient.

Finally, this new workflow arrives in Ubuntu with the 21.10 iteration.

If you've already been working with Gnome 40 on a different distribution, this news is old. But for those who prefer to stick with Canonical's version of Linux, this upgrade is big. Along with the new horizontal workflow, you'll also see a new Yaru Light theme, which is now the default. The new theme has light gray header bars to better align with how developers wanted their apps to look all along.

Another interesting and important feature is that Firefox is now installed as a Snap package. This means users should receive updates faster than with previous iterations because Mozilla will now have more control over how quickly the updates can be pushed out.

You'll also find Linux kernel 5.13, which adds more security (such as the addition of the runtime memory error detector KFENCE), and even more device support.

And, finally, the NVidia closed source driver supports Wayland. This is a big to-do for anyone who uses NVidia GPUs and wants to experience the dramatically improved performance Wayland brings compared to the traditional X server.

Download your copy of Ubuntu 21.10 (https://ubuntu.com/download/desktop/thank-you?version=21.10&architecture=amd64) and experience what's new. And for more information on Impish Indri, check out the official release notes (https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/impish-indri-release-notes/21951).

Hive Ransomware Hitting Linux and FreeBSD Systems

Slovak security firm, ESET, has discovered versions of the Hive ransomware for both Linux and FreeBSD systems. However, the encryptors that have been developed for these systems are still in development and are quite buggy. In fact, according to ESET researchers, both encryptors completely fail when the malware payload is executed with an explicit path. And in comparison to the Windows version of Hive, the Linux/FreeBSD iteration only includes one command-line parameter (-no-wipe). When executed without root permission, the Linux variation of Hive fails to trigger the encryption because it isn't capable of injecting the ransom note into the device's root file system.

Hive is a ransomware group that has already affected more than 30 organizations but only counts as their victims those who have refused to pay the ransom to get their data back. According to Fabian Wosar, "The reason why most ransomware groups implemented a Linux-based version of their ransomware is to target ESXi specifically." ESXi is VMware's bare-metal hypervisor.

Because of the continued rise in targeting Linux systems with ransomware, it has become even more important that admins keep their systems up to date and make use of tools such as Rootkit Hunter.

Read the original Twitter thread from ESET research on the issue at https://twitter.com/ESETresearch/status/1454100591261667329.

SUSE Reaches Beyond the Edge with SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.1

SUSE has offered a lightweight version of SUSE Linux Enterprise (SLE) for some time now. This version of their enterprise OS is purpose-built for containerization and virtualization. But as of version 5.1, it adds a third use case: edge.

Three of the exciting new edge-centric features are secure device onboarding, live patching, and the ability to enable the modernizing of workloads with support for IBM Z and LinuxOne.

SLE Micro is built to scale, which means enterprise users can incorporate the platform into their digital transformation, even when deployed on the edge. These deployments can help with the migration from monoliths to micro-services at any pace.

Of this new release, Thomas Di Giacomo, SUSE chief technology and product officer, says, "SLE Micro is rapidly becoming a critical foundation of customers' digital transformation, as evidenced by a large U.S.-based systems integrator choosing SLE Micro to modernize their embedded systems with a seven-figure investment." Giacomo adds, "They want to support container workloads on an immutable infrastructure that is easy to maintain and update, enabling them to reduce maintenance costs and modernize their systems infrastructure. This win, within six months of SLE Micro's introduction, underscores the enterprise readiness of SLE Micro, which is the result of leveraging decades of enterprise-hardened technology components of the SUSE Linux Enterprise family."

The benefits of SLE Micro include:

• Decreased deployment time and fewer manual processes with improved onboarding security through secure device onboarding of appliances and devices.
• Reduced costly downtime per device with live patching of the kernel.
• Capability for the gradual modernization of applications toward a microservice-based architecture.

Find out more about SUSE Micro at http://www.suse.com/products/micro.