support services, today announced its Binary Update service for NetBSD.
This subscription-based service provides ready-to-use
software updates for critical security issues.
The NetBSD Project usually offers timely security fixes available via
their CVS source repository. (In the past, they also provided source
patches via FTP.) The suggested and standard method of fixing security
problems is to install the complete source code, retrieve the updated
code via CVS, build the related code, and then install the updated
binaries.
In some situations, when a fast system already has the source code and
CVS setup, the build-from-source security update may only take minutes.
But when starting from scratch (no source code), on slow systems, if a
patch isn’t available from NetBSD’s CVS, if the fix involves numerous
files or libraries, or when updating multiple computers, this process
may take several hours or days and a lot of knowledge.
(In addition, NetBSD provides maintenance releases which have the
integrated security fixes and other various improvements and new
hardware support. Puget Sound Technology’s Binary Update service is
useful for between official NetBSD releases.)
With Puget Sound Technology’s low-cost service, the users can retrieve
vulnerability lists and receive Binary Update announcements, and
registered users can retrieve new security updates.
The Binary Update software backs up current files (so changes can be
reverted) and extracts the new files. Depending on the download time
and size of a Binary Update, this process may take less than one minute.
Currently, this service is only for the i386 port of the NetBSD 1.5.2 and
1.5.3 releases. The Binary Update service for NetBSD/i386 1.6 will be
available as applicable. The Binary Updates are for the base system,
not the third-party packages. Example updates include: lpd buffer
overflow, gzip buffer overrun, off-by-one error in OpenSSH,
libc DNS resolver, and OpenSSL buffer overruns.
For more information about and to order Puget Sound Technology’s Binary
Update service for NetBSD, visit
http://www.pugetsoundtechnology.com/services/netb
About Puget Sound Technology
Puget Sound Technology is a provider of open source solutions.
The Pacific Northwest company provides customized and classroom
training, maintenance and technical support services for
BSD, Linux and open source software. Puget Sound Technology’s
packaged service for NetBSD, including a 100-page “Getting Started
Guide” and an installation and rescue CD with graphical installer,
will be available starting mid-September.
More information about the company is available at
http://www.pugetsoundtechnology.com/.
