TechSource: Why Open Source Software is More Secure than Proprietary Software

---

Why Open Source Software is More Secure than Proprietary Software Posted: 29 Nov 2012 02:05 PM PST If you see the immense success that Linux, Firefox, Android and other software have achieved over the years, it's all thanks to the power of open source. What makes open-source software so great is that it is a result of selfless work of thousands of developers from around the world, who, in their free time, volunteer to create or help build their favorite applications. Open-source software gives developers and users alike the ability to browse, modify, and redistribute the source code thus leading to more transparency. So, if a person X creates a particular software and he or she couldn't manage to fix a bug, then someone from halfway round the world might spot that bug and help this developer. This is why a lot of people think that going the open-source way makes the software more reliable and secure. Here are some of the main reasons why we think open source software is better than proprietary ones in terms of security: 1. A vulnerability is a vulnerability, even if the source is closed Suppose a company have a closed-source application and one of the developers spot vulnerability in it. Now, depending on the severity of the problem, the developer may or may not decide to fix it. The company that owns the software might even overlook that bug in favor of pushing a new feature out giving the excuse that the bug doesn't affect a majority of people. In open-source on the other hand, the bug will be reported in public, everyone involved with the project will be able to see it, and there will be more than a dozen people from around the world who've faced the same error. Turns out, there will also be a few developers seeing that problem who are willing to fix that issue thus making the project much better by being more stable.     2. Open-source means transparency  While we all know that in open-source anyone from around the world can browse the source code. However, one may ask the question, how does that ensure security? Well, the answer is simple: transparency. In open-source, we can rest assured that the software we are using is free from any tracking software or malware that is often included in many closed-source software. For example, in a proprietary software, the developer may add a tracking option allowing him or her to gather data about users so as to make the product better. This, on the other hand, can rarely happen in the world of open-source. And, even if it does, someone or the other will spot it soon enough, and will notify the users about it. Also, if we come to trust, Ken Thomson made a brilliant statement about this topic. In his Reflections on Trusting Trust speech, he said that trust is relative. Also, you cannot trust code that you didn't totally create yourself and that no amount of source-level verification or scrutiny will protect you from using untrusted code. So, what this means is that even though both open-source and closed-source aren't supposed to be trusted 100%, you can, however rest assured that the software you're using is relatively more secure than a closed-source one. 3. Closed-source software is more prone to attacks than open-source software How many open-source projects have you seen getting hacked? Think like a hacker for a moment, what would be more fun to hack? Something that is closed or something that is accessible to everyone? If you see most of the attacks that have happened, they have been against closed-source software. Cracks are released, vulnerabilities are found, making things harder for the developers. Plus, there is a general consensus that many of these hackers have a pro-open source mentality. They are always out there challenging the establishment, trying to overthrow the big brother and what not. They are always on the lookout for some cause to rebel against, and closed-source software is a great playing area for them. Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

You are subscribed to email updates from TechSource To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

[HowtoForge] Newsletter 11/29/2012

HowtoForge Newsletter 11/29/2012
================================

*** Version 1.3 of the ISPConfig 3 Manual ***
=============================================

The next update of the ISPConfig 3 Manual is available in PDF format (version 1.3 for ISPConfig >= 3.0.4; Date: 10/25/2011).

Version 1.3 for ISPConfig >= 3.0.4 (Date: 10/25/2011)
Author: Falko Timme
333 pages

The manual can be downloaded from these two links:

http://www.ispconfig.org/ispconfig-3/ispconfig-3-manual/
http://www.howtoforge.com/download-the-ispconfig-3-manual


*********************************************
*********************************************


ISPConfig Monitor App for Android Phones
========================================

With the ISPConfig Monitor App, you can check your server status and find out if all services are running as expected. You can check TCP and UDP ports and ping your servers. In addition to that you can use this app to request details from servers that have ISPConfig installed; these details include everything you know from the Monitor module in the ISPConfig Control Panel (e.g. services, mail and system logs, mail queue, CPU and memory info, disk usage, quota, OS details, RKHunter log, etc.).

Download/Usage
==============

For download and usage instructions, please visit http://www.ispconfig.org/ispconfig-3/ispconfig-monitor-app-for-android/ .


*********************************************
********************************************


*** HowtoForge Now Has Its own Facebook Page ***
================================================

We at HowtoForge are proud to announce that our new Facebook page is now available under http://www.facebook.com/howtoforge. As most of you probably have a Facebook account, we want to use this additional channel to post updates and get feedback from you. Therefore we would like you to "Like" our page, share it with your friends, post comments, etc.

http://www.facebook.com/howtoforge
********************************************************************


New HOWTOs:
===========

* A Beginner's Guide To btrfs
* Rollback To A Working State With btrfs + apt-btrfs-snapshot On Ubuntu 12.10
* How To Convert An ext3/ext4 Root File System To btrfs On Ubuntu 12.10
* How To Upgrade From Linux Mint 13 (Maya) To 14 (Nadia) With apt
* Creating Simple Virtual Hosts With mod_mysql_vhost On Lighttpd (Ubuntu 12.10)
* Virtual Hosting With vsftpd And MySQL On Ubuntu 12.10

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A Beginner's Guide To btrfs
===========================

This guide shows how to work with the btrfs file system on Linux. It covers creating and mounting btrfs file systems, resizing btrfs file systems online, adding and removing devices, changing RAID levels, creating subvolumes and snapshots, using compression and other things. btrfs is still marked as experimental, but all those features make it a very interesting and flexible file system that should be taken into consideration when you look for the right file system.

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/a-beginners-guide-to-btrfs




Rollback To A Working State With btrfs + apt-btrfs-snapshot On Ubuntu 12.10
===========================================================================

This tutorial explains how you can revert failed apt operations (like apt-get upgrade) and roll back to the previous system state with apt-btrfs-snapshot on an Ubuntu 12.10 system that uses the btrfs file system. apt-btrfs-snapshot creates a snapshot of the system before the apt operation. Being able to easily restore the previous system state after a failed apt operation takes away much of the pain system administrators have to deal with normally and is one of the greatest features of the btrfs file system.

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/rollback-to-a-working-state-with-btrfs-plus-apt-btrfs-snapshot-on-ubuntu-12.10




How To Convert An ext3/ext4 Root File System To btrfs On Ubuntu 12.10
=====================================================================

ext3 and ext4 file systems can be converted to btrfs. For non-root file systems, this can be done online (i.e., without reboot), while for root file systems we need to boot into some kind of rescue system or Live CD. This guide explains how to convert an ext3 or ext4 root file system into btrfs on Ubuntu 12.10 and how to roll back to ext3/ext4 again if desired.

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/how-to-convert-an-ext3-ext4-root-file-system-to-btrfs-on-ubuntu-12.10




How To Upgrade From Linux Mint 13 (Maya) To 14 (Nadia) With apt
===============================================================

This tutorial shows how you can upgrade from Linux Mint 13 (Maya) to Linux Mint 14 (Nadia) with apt. Please note that this is not the recommended way, and it might break your system, however, for me it worked fine.

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/how-to-upgrade-from-linux-mint-13-maya-to14--nadia-with-apt




Creating Simple Virtual Hosts With mod_mysql_vhost On Lighttpd (Ubuntu 12.10)
=============================================================================

This guide explains how you can use mod_mysql_vhost to create simple virtual hosts on a lighttpd web server on Ubuntu 12.10. With mod_mysql_vhost, lighttpd can read the vhost configuration from a MySQL database. Currently, you can store the domain and the document root in the MySQL database which results in very simple virtual hosts. If you need more directives for your vhosts, you'd have to configure them in the global section of lighttpd.conf, which means they'd be valid for all vhosts. Therefore, mod_mysql_vhost is ideal if your vhosts differ only in the domain and document root.

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/creating-simple-virtual-hosts-with-mod_mysql_vhost-on-lighttpd-ubuntu-12.10




Virtual Hosting With vsftpd And MySQL On Ubuntu 12.10
=====================================================

Vsftpd is one of the most secure and fastest FTP servers for Linux. Usually vsftpd is configured to work with system users. This document describes how to install a vsftpd server that uses virtual users from a MySQL database instead of real system users. This is much more performant and allows to have thousands of ftp users on a single machine.

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/virtual-hosting-with-vsftpd-and-mysql-on-ubuntu-12.10


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

You can now support HowtoForge by becoming a subscriber:

HowtoForge Subscription
=======================

*** New! We now accept RBS WorldPay payments in addition to PayPal. ***

For a monthly fee of 5 EUR or 25 EUR for half a year, you can become a HowtoForge supporter and help us cover our costs (servers, bandwidth, etc.) and support ISPConfig development. In return, you receive the following benefits:

1. Download the ISPConfig 3 Manual (from http://www.howtoforge.com/download-the-ispconfig-3-manual).
2. Access the whole HowtoForge web site without any ads.
3. Download the results of our tutorials as VMware images (where available) (a list of downloadable VMware images is available here: http://www.howtoforge.com/list-of-downloadable-vmware-images).
4. Download our tutorials as PDF files.
5. View our tutorials as printer-friendly pages.
6. You will be marked as a "HowtoForge Supporter" in your forum posts.
7. Plus, you support the ISPConfig development.

If you have the free VMware Server or Player installed, you can import our VMware images and start playing around with the results of our tutorials immediately. It's a great way to track down problems with your own setup or simply to save time. ;-)

More details can be found on http://www.howtoforge.com/subscription.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Best Regards,

Your HowtoForge Team
Email: info@howtoforge.com
URL: http://www.howtoforge.com

To unsubscribe or update your records, click here: http://newsletter.howtoforge.com/howtoforge/user/update.php?email=matrixunix.ubuntu@blogger.com&code=d8531959c7da2982ec3a7f8f82a13961

TechSource: Top 5 Android Smartphones of 2012

---

Top 5 Android Smartphones of 2012 Posted: 27 Nov 2012 11:26 PM PST Everyone's thirsty about it. Every techie consumer wants a good list. But where can they really find a good holiday list of the best geeky smartphones for this year? As far as I am concerned, I really wonder until now what is the exact counterpart of smartphones as being the most sought-after for this year. Never mind about its counterpart, but I'd love to show you a short list of my top-rated Android smartphones of 2012, handpicked for your convenience. 5. Motorola Droid Razr Maxx HD Next to Motorola's slightly junior twin, the Droid Razr HD, the Maxx HD is packed with great specs, good build quality, clear display, and especially, a rock-climbing battery that promises 13 hours of media playback. Priced too low at $179 nowadays, the Maxx HD of Motorola promises better data features with Verizon's 4G LTE. While being exclusive for the data contract, some features and details are worth enumerating. Included in the list is the Super AMOLED display at 720p, an 8MP camera, a dual-core processor (some models offered with a quad-core one), 1GB of RAM, 26GB usable storage (expandable), and an Ice Cream Sandwich of Android that is promised of an upgrade to Jelly Bean. The 3300mAh battery is embedded, though I think no one would ask for a removable one. Oh, I must have forgotten, but the Kevlar-reinforced fiber back cover in this device is something worth the note. Aside from being exclusive, the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx HD falls short also with style and comfort when piled with other smartphones, and the camera does not dance well under tricky light. Thanks to its price, users will still love to put this on the holiday list. 4. HTC Droid DNA I placed this nice-looking phone on the fourth rank because of only one thing: it is so exclusive. But to introduce, this new HTC Droid DNA (or to be termed as HTC Deluxe in other parts of the world), which was released on the third week of November, is to be sold at a very cheap price at Verizon for only $199. A strong competitor to the Samsung Galaxy S3, the Droid DNA of HTC is packed with a 5-inch full HD 1080p display, and so far, the biggest ppi (pixel per inch) I've ever seen at 441. Aside from sharing Verizon's 4G LTE network, the Droid DNA is promised to be equipped with the latest technology like a quad-core processor at 1.5GHz, 2GB of RAM, Adreno 320 for the GPU, and Android's new Jelly Bean 4.1 aside from the 2MP front-facing camera and 8MP rear camera with flash. Inside we have 16GB of storage, but unluckily, we only have this memory to cling on since there's no expandable card slot. Moreover, HTC fell short with the device's battery because it has only a non-removable one locked at 2020mAh. This means users will have to charge the device over and over again like at least once a day to continue enjoying such pulpy juice from the smartphone. While the Droid DNA is posted already on global markets, non-Verizon users will only enjoy HSDPA+ connectivity, if not 3G, for the data. Lastly, to make the users truly happy, the Beats audio enhancement technology should give them a smiling face while listening to music. 3. Samsung Galaxy S3 Almost the same as the Galaxy Note 2, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is but a 4-incher smartphone that does not incorporate note-taking features with a stylus, but is packed with a 16-million Super AMOLED touch display at 720p and is capable of broadcasting itself via LTE connectivity. Adding to these, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is not short with top specs modern smartphones should gear, making this somewhat a 'role model' for other OEMs to base their products on if they really want to join the competition. The S3 is powered with an upgradeable OS from its standard Ice Cream Sandwich up to Jelly Bean, has an Exynos processor at four cores, has 1GB of RAM, and sports a relatively uncommon Cortex-A9 graphics unit. All these up and running, watching HD movies is at par without compromise to people's excitement of playing games. Lastly, the Samsung Galaxy S3 comes with an enhanced AI (artificial intelligence) feature set to facilitate the way of life of almost every individual on the planet. Included in the list are: Smart Stay (device stays awake if it detects you), S-Voice (interactive voice command-response system), and the S-Beam (users share files wirelessly with each other, as long as both phones are compatible). For some recorded downs in this phone, the S3 still has to improve its TouchWiz software, and its price is something I'd love to call 'super premium' even if it comes in a two-year contract basis on almost all major cellular networks. 2. Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Looks more like a phablet at hand, the Galaxy Note 2 is but one of Samsung's best products this year. Aside from the same brilliant body shared with its kin, the S3, the Note 2 has its proprietary pen known as the 'S-Pen.' This said, this smartphone still works as a small tablet especially for taking down notes even without the cellular function. The Note 2's size at 5.95x3.17x0.37 inches is not something you'd love to carry with one hand, and unluckily, if you have a small face, you don't want this raised parallel to your face when making a call. Nevertheless, empowering the Note 2's unique form factor is its Super AMOLED display at 16-million colors. Surprisingly, for a display size at 5.5", I find Samsung quite disappointing because this Note 2 falls shorter on pixel density a 267ppi when compared to that of the said kin. Anyhow, the 720p display still is something worth bringing along. Aside from having LTE connectivity feature and Jelly Bean as the platform, the Note 2 still receives applause with its Exynos quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM. Moreover, this new phablet features extended creation skills set with its S-Pen. Taking advantage of this hardware addition, the Note 2 has some features like the Popup Note, Easy Clip feature, Idea Sketch, and other additions to some apps like making handwritten notes to calendars and even to the back surface of the images. The stylus may not be perfectly responsive at this time, but its price at $250-$300 is good enough for all-day usage with its 3100mAh battery. 1. Google LG Nexus 4 Within the same Nexus series comes handier devices of different sizes, one of which is the 4-incher smartphone. The Nexus 4 is in some ways one of the perfections Google has for itself for this decade, and is remarkably something one would love because it has no strings for any contracts, and is sold for a very low price of just about $300. Not really a fashionable item, the Nexus 4 however is never short of the best specs available. Aside from the 4.7-inch 1280x768p display with Gorilla Glass 2 and IPS technology, the Nexus 4 is also packed with the very new Jelly Bean as its base platform, has 2GB of RAM, has a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 CPU at four cores, but a storage of just up to 16GB. Being low on storage, the Nexus 4 rather focuses on being on the cloud with the latest Google apps and technologies. Lastly, the Nexus 4 has a gorgeous 8MP camera that takes advantage of Jelly Bean's Photo Sphere, a feature where users can capture a full 360-degree view of an area. Inside the Nexus 4 there's not really much special feature, but the simplicity says it all. We'd hope, however, for a better battery life (only 2100mAh) and the integration of 4G LTE to truly make this smartphone stand out. But to pack things up, the Nexus 4 has but all the modern technologies one Android smartphone should have and cater, and has all the basic features one would need nowadays while users enjoy the freedom of this low-priced unlocked phone. Written by: Wilson Sy, TechSource's certified gadgets correspondent.

You are subscribed to email updates from TechSource To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

TechSource: How To Use Ubuntu 12.10's New Features To Ramp Up Your Productivity

---

How To Use Ubuntu 12.10's New Features To Ramp Up Your Productivity Posted: 25 Nov 2012 10:58 PM PST Ubuntu 12.10 heralds a mature, stable desktop that is ready for all sorts of users. A far cry from the early, clumsy days of the much-criticized Unity, Ubuntu has proved to be one of the best alternatives to the controversial Windows 8. Quantal Quetzal is a release that comes with massive improvements to stability, performance, and usability. Though there aren't any major changes nor are there any big eye-catching features to boast of, it does, however, manage to please the Ubuntu fanbase by coming up with useful improvements that further strengthen the open-source desktop's place in the market. Apart from a brand new Linux kernel and new versions of your favorite applications, you'll find some interesting features and UI tweaks that should make things a lot easier. Desktop users who spend most of their time on the web will find the Web Apps feature very useful. An upgraded Unity is another thing that you would love to try out. In all, this release pleases Ubuntu fanboys, and also makes Ubuntu strong enough to be considered as a solid competitor to Windows and Mac. If you've just upgraded to Ubuntu 12.10, there are a few tips and tricks that you can use to ramp up your productivity. Taking advantage of the brand new features like Dash previews, you can save your precious time. So, without much ado, here are some tips and tricks that will help you use Ubuntu 12.10's new features to your advantage: Use Dash previews to peek at files The Dash can be quite useful for previewing documents like PDFs. By right-clicking a file that shows up in the Dash, you can take a quick peek at its cover so that you won't have to open it. Now that you've glanced at it, you can click the e-mail button on the Dash to quickly mail it to someone without even opening it. Similarly, you can browse photos and other files without even opening them. This makes it easier for you to view them in Cover Flow-style manner. Though it doesn't work for videos yet, you can preview entire music albums from the Dash itself. Use Previews to quickly uninstall apps In the Applications lens, as you browse your favorite apps, you can simply right-click the one you want to remove and then click on uninstall. This will prompt for your password then proceed with uninstalling the application. This is especially useful for those times when you come across an app that you don't like and want to uninstall it without touching the command line or opening the Ubuntu Software Center.  Save time by browsing files by their date, last modified time, and more using the Dash itself The Dash includes filters that let you browse files according to the date and time they were modified, their size, and their type. This helps you focus on the files you are looking for. Once you narrow down to the bunch of files you want, you can browse them Cover Flow-style by right clicking on any one of them. Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

You are subscribed to email updates from TechSource To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

TechSource: Top Alternative Facebook Apps For Android

---

Top Alternative Facebook Apps For Android Posted: 23 Nov 2012 06:19 PM PST If you are a Facebook user, you know how bad the default Facebook app is. It's as if you're using the site in a browser. Facebook, of course, is not something a lot of people can do away with. Some of us need Facebook everyday, whether it is to stay in touch with our buddies or reconnect with someone in high school. Facebook has become an indispensable part of our lives. That said, Android users often lament about the poor design of the official Facebook app. It works perfectly fine, but it does leave a lot to be desired. Thankfully, though, some developers have come up with alternative apps for using the social media site with a prettier interface. Here are some of the best alternative Facebook apps for Android: Seesmic Seesmic is one of the best apps for managing your social networks. With support for Facebook and Twitter, the free app lets you update all your networks at once. The app comes with full Facebook integration, including support for managing Pages. While posting you can automatically shorten URLs, add shortcuts to home screen, and more. Overall, Seesmic is a great app for social media junkies and people who use Twitter and FB together.  DOWNLOAD HERE Tweetdeck Tweetdeck though a Twitter app, also comes with support for Facebook. You can view, update, and manage your Timeline and then sync with your Tweetdeck account. Though not that popular for Facebook, it does serve as a great all-in-one tool if you're a social media junkie.  DOWNLOAD HERE Friendcaster Friendcaster is one of the best third-party Facebook apps for Android. With a neatly designed interface, the freemium app allows you to post status updates, photos, events, messages and more right from your smartphone. You get the whole FB news feed right on your phone packed in a smooth, clutter-free interface. You can comment on a friend's status update, like a post, or write out an update of your own. For those looking for eye-candy, there are 5 pretty themes to choose from. What's more, the app's design is inspired by Ice Cream Sandwich's HOLO themes. DOWNLOAD HERE Fast for Facebook If you're tired with the sluggishness of all the Facebook apps out there, Fast is a great choice for you. The free app lets you comment, share, and like your friends' statuses without any major lags or delays. The interface is beautifully designed and works like a charm even on slower devices and older operating systems (pre-ICS).  Definitely worth a try if you have a slow phone or even a slow network. Rated 3.9 out of 5 stars, Fast is freely available for download from the Google Play Store. DOWNLOAD HERE Flipster Flipster is a great new third-party app for Facebook. With 12 elegantly designed themes that are reminiscent of ICS's design, Flipster supports swipe-based touch navigation for moving between your timelines. You can post status updates, check out friends' galleries, get private messages, RSVP to events and almost all the things you'd do using the web version of the service. Though new and not that stable, Flipster is a great alternative to the not so pretty looking official Facebook app. This app is worth a try if you're not a fan of the original app.  DOWNLOAD HERE  Facedroid Facedroid is a Facebook app specially designed for tablets. Once installed, you can view your FB stream, share your photos and status updates, like other people's statuses and pretty much everything you can do on the web version of the site. The app features real time chat that allows you to connect to your FB friends instantly. Also, you can access and administer your Facebook pages with ease. Again, like the aforementioned Friendcaster app, this one too is inspired by Ice Cream Sandwich's user interface. Though the app is not free, it does serve as a great third-party FB app for tablet users.  DOWNLOAD HERE

You are subscribed to email updates from TechSource To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610