Software updates and TUF
TUF Love
Downloaded software can be compromised in several ways. You need a software update system that handles various attacks and provides end-to-end signing of the data. TUF can help.
Software in the modern world is connected, usually to the Internet, which means it is exposed to all kinds of attacks. The upside of connectivity is that people can use their phones to check email, websites, and the weather, as well as get driving directions with traffic data in real time. The downside is that users have never been more exposed to attack, and that exposure will only increase.
As problems in software are identified, the software is updated, and these updates are made available to customers who then deploy them (I hope). A typical Linux vendor fixes more than a thousand security issues a year, and other large vendors aren't far behind. They also ship updates to fix non-security related bugs, add new capabilities, and generally make better products.
Modern Building Blocks
Like interconnected systems, the value of software increases as it becomes more interconnected. Rather than reinvent the wheel and write your own HTTP(S) client, you simply call the best one offered by whatever language you're using. Developers have been doing this for decades through shared libraries, and it has become easier as vendors have added package management and as software languages have added repositories.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Gnome Developers Consider Dropping RPM Support
In a move that might shock a lot of users, the Gnome development team has proposed the idea of going straight up Flatpak.
-
openSUSE Tumbleweed Ditches AppArmor for SELinux
If you're an openSUSE Tumbleweed user, you can expect a major change to the distribution.
-
Plasma 6.3 Now Available
Plasma desktop v6.3 has a couple of pretty nifty tricks up its sleeve.
-
LibreOffice 25.2 Has Arrived
If you've been hoping for a release that offers more UI customizations, you're in for a treat.
-
TuxCare Has a Big AlmaLinux 9 Announcement in Store
TuxCare announced it has successfully completed a Security Technical Implementation Guide for AlmaLinux OS 9.
-
First Release Candidate for Linux Kernel 6.14 Now Available
Linus Torvalds has officially released the first release candidate for kernel 6.14 and it includes over 500,000 lines of modified code, making for a small release.
-
System76 Refreshes Meerkat Mini PC
If you're looking for a small form factor PC powered by Linux, System76 has exactly what you need in the Meerkat mini PC.
-
Gnome 48 Alpha Ready for Testing
The latest Gnome desktop alpha is now available with plenty of new features and improvements.
-
Wine 10 Includes Plenty to Excite Users
With its latest release, Wine has the usual crop of bug fixes and improvements, along with some exciting new features.
-
Linux Kernel 6.13 Offers Improvements for AMD/Apple Users
The latest Linux kernel is now available, and it includes plenty of improvements, especially for those who use AMD or Apple-based systems.