From LWN.net: “zen-parse has discovered a flaw in the temporary file handling
cabilities of some teTeX filters used automatically as print filters
when printing .dvi files using ‘lpr’. This can lead to an elevation
of privileges to lp:lp.”

Kelly McNeill writes, “Microsoft executives have been vilifying the GNU Public License for some time. Craig Mundie has described it as a ‘virus’ and a ‘cancer,’ and recently Bill Gates told reporters that it was ‘PacMan-like.’ Apparently Mr. Gates was implying that the GPL gobbles up source code. Penguinistas view that as a Good Thing. Microsoft executives would not be getting so hot under the collar unless Linux was putting a big dent in the company’s overall sales. I read recently about a businessman who was complaining about having to pay the ‘Microsoft tax’ when he bought a new computer. However, as soon as he got the computer to his place of business, he wiped out Windows and installed Linux.” Check out the column at osOpinion.

At LWN.net: “A new release of the Nautilus graphical shell and file manager is
available. There have been many improvements since Nautilus 1.0.3 was
released, mostly speedups and bug fixes.”

ZDNet has a brief about the SuSE firewall on a CD product, offered for $649.

Posted at LWN.net: “The XFree86 technical conference is happening this November alongside ALS
and we’re looking for submissions from all areas of X development. While
it’s not in Atlanta this year, ALS should still be a great opportunity for
fun an learning.

We’ve received several Gtk/Gnome related submissions but none from the KDE
community. If you’re working on cool stuff anywhere in KDE, please
consider submitting a talk proposal.”

Slashdot has Merkel’s answers to reader questions about the Free Software financial program.

Kelly McNeill writes, “In the past, Apple Computer evangelists have touted the company’s signature Macintosh operating system (OS) for, among other things, its relative invulnerability to hackers and cyber-terrorists. Unlike users of Microsoft’s ubiquitous Windows or even open-source Linux, Macintosh users have been spared the Melissa or I Love You viruses as well as denial-of-service (DoS) attacks and Web page defacements. But the newest Apple operating system release has Mac users on the lookout for the same types of threats. A review of defacement archive Web site alldas.de reveals that Web site attacks are almost exclusively launched at computers using Windows or UNIX.” More at osOpinion.

From EETimes.com: “A modestly performing 32-bit RISC processor with a
pedigree dating back to the early 1990s is quietly gaining momentum in the
marketplace, having hitched its star to the Linux platform.

Axis Communications AB (Lund, Sweden) has used its Etrax architecture
internally since 1993 as an engine for its own range of network-attached
servers, cameras, printers and storage devices.”

A press released posted at Illwinter.com: Illwinter Game Design today announced the release of
DOMINIONS – Priests, Prophets & Pretenders. Dominions is a fantasy
strategy game, that lets players create their own gods and wage war against
the other players. The game is available on Windows, Linux and Solaris now.

An article at Advogato explains Ximian’s not-yet-released Mono project. “The goal of the Mono project, briefly, is to create an independent, free software implementation of the various
languages, protocols, and interfaces making up the .NET platform. Much to Microsoft’s credit, they seem to be
taking the open standards process quite seriously.”