A null-pointer dereference in the Linux kernel allows local users to assume root privileges. Brad Spengler, who claims first discovery, announced that he will present a corresponding exploit during the course of the day.

The current discussion in the Ubuntu forums is about a possible security hole in GNOME, specifically about GNOME registered users having their passwords appear as cleartext on the keyring. Not a bug, say its defenders, but the security concept behind the GNOME keyring.

Today Linux distributor Canonical announced the official release of Ubuntu 9.10, code-named Karmic Koala.

OpenThinClient, a Linux-based thinclient solution is available in version 0.4.5. The numerous enhancements to the open source suite include support for touchscreens.

The first and last release candidate for Ubuntu 9.10 is now available for download.

Future development of the netbook distro Eeebuntu will be based on Debian Unstable instead of the Ubuntu core that has been used until now.

The Ubuntu community has a lot to celebrate this month: on October 16, 2004 the German ubuntuusers.de went online for the first time and October 20 of the same year saw the release of Ubuntu 4.10, alias Warty Warthog.

Even though Ubuntu 9.10 is officially completed, developers managed to slip in the new beta version of Apache CouchDB that stores addresses, notes and bookmarks.

End of September was a meeting of open source experts in Portland, Oregon and Linux Pro Magazine was there with its video camera. Linus Torvalds and developer colleagues at the kernel roundtable, the hotly debated keynote by Mark Shuttleworth and all other presentations are available in our video archives.