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Posts published by “FOSS Force”

Top Websites Hit With Malware Ads

By FOSS Force on March 16, 2016 |

Internet, News and Security

Top Websites Hit With Malware AdsCyber Security

Some of the biggest online advertising networks this weekend served malware laden ads to some of the Internet’s highest trafficked websites.

Some of the most visited sites on the Internet began delivering malware laden ads this weekend. The sites affected included The New York Times, the BBC, MSN, and AOL. Those who visited a site delivering the ads are not at risk unless they clicked on an infected ad. After clicking, users are taken to another website which attempts to infect them with either Cryptowall ransomware or a trojan that gives the attackers control of the infected computer. The good news for FOSS Force readers is that the malware seems to only work against Windows, so GNU/Linux users are considered safe.

Cyber Security Malware

Continue readingTop Websites Hit With Malware Ads
FSF Gives Nod to ThinkPenguin VPS RouterFSF Respects Your Freedom Mark

FSF Gives Nod to ThinkPenguin VPS Router

By FOSS Force on March 11, 2016 |

Hardware, Internet, News and Security

A router designed to ease the use of multiple devices through a virtual private network is the latest hardware project to receive FSF’s official blessing.

The people at the Free Software Foundation aren’t only working to keep software free and accessible, they’re also concerned with hardware freedom as well. We mention this because the FSF announced on Thursday that it’s awarded the Respects Your Freedom certification to ThinkPenguin’s Free Software Wireless-N Mini Router (TPE-R1100). On a post on the FSF website, Joshua Gay, the foundation’s licensing and compliance manager, wrote that the certification has been given to three other ThinkPenguin products, including another router. The certification signifies that the product meets FSF’s standards concerning “users’ freedom, control over the product, and privacy.”

Continue readingFSF Gives Nod to ThinkPenguin VPS Router
LibreOffice 5.1.1 Released With New Features AddedLibreOffice Writer 5.1.1

LibreOffice 5.1.1 Released With New Features Added

By FOSS Force on March 10, 2016 |

News and Software

Version 5.1.1 of LibreOffice includes numerous bug fixes and adds many new features.

The Document Foundation today announced the release of LibreOffice 5.1.1, the first minor release of the LibreOffice 5.1 family, with a number of mostly bug fixes over the last major release, version 5.1.0 which was released on February 10. According to a press release from The Document Foundation, today’s release includes a long anticipated feature in Writer, the office suite’s word processor, that has been requested since 2002. The feature allows users to hide white spaces between pages to provide a continuous flow of text — considered useful for laptop users.

LibreOffice Writer 5.1.1
A screenshot of Writer in LibreOffice 5.1.1 which was released today.
Continue readingLibreOffice 5.1.1 Released With New Features Added

Poll: You Vote to Outlaw Tracking by Advertisers

By FOSS Force on February 25, 2016 |

Business, Media and Polls

The FOSS Force Poll

Our latest poll indicates that our reader’s would support legislation that would prohibit tracking by advertisers.

Back on February 15 when we ran an article calling for a ban on advertisers’ practice of tracking users who just happen to drive by an ad, much less click on it, we ran a poll to find out what you think. Actually, we were pretty sure we already knew what you thought. You tell us everyday, either in the comments section to our articles or by blocking ads here on FOSS Force. The poll was mainly to put some numbers to what we already knew.

The poll was pretty straight forward. “Should advertisers and ad agencies be forbidden to track users as they surf the web?” we asked. There were three answers offered, “Yes,” “No” and “With exceptions.”

As far as FOSS Force polls go, the numbers were pretty low on this one. In all, 143 of you took the poll, a minuscule sampling by any measure, but with conclusive results: You’re completely against having your journeys through cyberspace tracked.

Continue readingPoll: You Vote to Outlaw Tracking by Advertisers
Linux Mint Hacked: ISO for 17.3 Cinnamon Edition ModifiedLinux Mint Logo

Linux Mint Hacked: ISO for 17.3 Cinnamon Edition Modified

By FOSS Force on February 21, 2016 |

Distros, News and Security

An intrusion of the Linux Mint server on Saturday makes downloads performed on Saturday of version 17.3 Cinnamon potentially vulnerable.

Linux Mint project leader Clem Lefebvre revealed in a blog post today that the popular Linux distribution’s servers were hacked on Saturday. During the “brief” intrusion, the hackers modified the ISO of the Cinnamon edition of Linux Mint 17.3 (Rosa) and also gained access to the distro’s forum database. Only this particular ISO is affected; other editions or releases are considered safe. Only ISO’s downloaded Saturday are potentially vulnerable.

Continue readingLinux Mint Hacked: ISO for 17.3 Cinnamon Edition Modified
LXer Suffering From Scattered OutagesLXer temporary landing page

LXer Suffering From Scattered Outages

By FOSS Force on February 15, 2016 |

Community, Internet, Media and News

Breaking News

Last updated Tuesday, February 16 at 12:15 a.m.

If you’ve been trying to get on LXer and having no luck, it’s not just you. Today the site is unreachable for at least much of the U.S.

The popular Linux and FOSS website LXer seems to be unreachable in many parts of the U.S. today. In the areas affected, users trying to reach the site are taken to a Network Solutions holding page instead.

We first became aware of the problem at about 7 a.m. EST when an attempt to access the site took us to a Network Solutions landing page. We had visited the site several times in the previous hour without difficulty. At about 8 a.m., access to the site returned briefly, but by 9 a.m. the site was again unreachable. We haven’t been able to access the site since.

LXer temporary landing page
Many of those attempting to visit the popular Linux and FOSS site “LXer” today are seeing this page instead.
Continue readingLXer Suffering From Scattered Outages
Poll: You Say, ‘Ship Ubuntu Tablets by the Boatload’Ubuntu tablet

Poll: You Say, ‘Ship Ubuntu Tablets by the Boatload’

By FOSS Force on February 12, 2016 |

Distros, Hardware, Mobile and Polls

The FOSS Force Poll

Our latest poll indicates that many FOSS advocates will end up purchasing a Ubuntu tablet when they become available in March.

Granted, you’re a special audience with a special interest. For the most part you use Linux, and not because you’re a mooch and it doesn’t cost you anything, but because you recognize it as the best that’s available. Certainly it doesn’t hurt that it’s free and open source software. Indeed, you probably think that’s what makes it best, as you most likely see FOSS as the best software development model.

You use GNU/Linux on your desktops and laptops, and most likely use Android on your mobile devices, mostly because it uses the Linux kernel and at least claims to be open source. But you know the difference between OSS and FOSS and would like nothing better than to be able to run GNU/Linux, real honest-to-goodness FOSS, on your phone or tablet — especially now that Firefox OS has been removed from the shelf.

That’s what we figured going in with our latest poll. It was an educated guess, for sure, but it turned out to be correct.

Continue readingPoll: You Say, ‘Ship Ubuntu Tablets by the Boatload’