FreeBSD - Fundraising for FreeBSD Foundation

This will be the last post from me of this year and i think i owe my favorite OS too much and hopefully this will slightly, tiny, little, bitty post make my conscience feels better.

Please donate to FreeBSD Foundation.

About the FreeBSD Foundation

What is the FreeBSD Foundation?

The FreeBSD Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the FreeBSD Project. The Foundation gratefully accepts donations from individuals and businesses, using them to fund projects which further the development of the FreeBSD operating system. In addition, the Foundation can represent the FreeBSD Project in executing contracts, license agreements, and other legal arrangements which require a recognized legal entity. The FreeBSD Foundation is entirely supported by donations.

What can I expect from the FreeBSD Foundation?

The FreeBSD Foundation will support both the development and the popularization of FreeBSD, the world's best open source operating system. Here are some of the projects that the Foundation can and will support in the future:

• Development of software for FreeBSD to benefit the user and developer community, including contract development of critical system infrastructure, porting of closed source applications such as Java(TM).
• Obtaining computers and other equipment for developers to use toward improving FreeBSD, such as the network performance cluster, FreeBSD.org cluster, and personal development systems for developers.
• Providing additional Internet infrastructure to aid in the development and distribution of FreeBSD.
• Support developer communication and coordination, including financial support for developer summits and developer travel.
• Encouraging the formation of FreeBSD user groups.
• Cultivating press coverage and advertising the utility and availability of FreeBSD.

As you read, FreeBSD Foundation helps the FreeBSD community and that means it helps make FreeBSD a better OS. Unlike other OS that have funds to create hypes and noise, FreeBSD has always been "quiet and working" OS.

Major servers runs on FreeBSD. Major hardware runs on FreeBSD. FreeBSD deserve a better support in terms of funding.

In this seasons of giving, give some to FreeBSD. Donate to FreeBSD Foundation.

Peace.

FreeBSD - Known Vulnerabilities audit check on FreeBSD Ports

The FreeBSD Ports repository have a rich base of software. As of today, it has 21000 ++ ports. As we all know, all software have bugs. Some bugs leads to vulnerabilities. Vulnerabilities opens door to unwanted access, at least not to those have ill intentions.

Every now and then, FreeBSD sysadm tends to install or upgrade new ports. As such, we should be more aware of what bugs or vulnerabilities that comes with it. Even we may not be able to fix it, but at least we should be aware of it so that we can find alternatives to secure it.

For ports, there is a utility to check on what vulnerabilities have been reported on it. Here is how to install and update it frequently :

OpenID - How to find out OpenID URL

Any of us easily owned a dozen accounts on different services on the internet. Be it Google, Yahoo, WordPress.com and others, these are just a few well known service providers. How about others? e.g. Slashdot (http://slashdot.org/), Stack Overflow(http://stackoverflow.com/), Server Fault(http://serverfault.com/) and the list goes on.

Luckily these sites are equip with OpenID. OpenID make our life easy by having 1 single sign on account (registered with the service providers) authenticate against multiple web sites.

e.g. an account with Google (or gmail) can be sign on into Slashdot, Stack Overflow, Server Fault and others.

Often, these website equip with OpenID sign on service have this "OpenID URL", but how do we get this "OpenID URL"? Or, what is this "OpenID URL"?

Here it is, the "OpenID URL" :