GnuTLS Removes Questionable Extension
Version 2.0.2 of the GnuTLS security library does without the TLS authorization extension due to threats of patent claims.
The project took this step because the extension is not critical, but it cannot be ruled out that the extension might be patented. The project prefers to avoid any danger ensuing from a lack of clarity concerning patent claims. At the same time, this step will prevent the technology becoming more widespread. The TLS authorization extension was only added to the library in the version released early in September.
At the last minute a company claimed to have applied for a patent on TLS authorization which had been submitted to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) as a draft standard, says the Free Software Foundation. The IETF had immediately rejected the draft after receiving the notice.
GnuTLS implements the RFC 2246 (Transport Layer Security) TLS standard which is used by many applications for certificate-based encryption. GnuTLS which is released under the LGPLv2 is an alternative to OpenSSL, which is released under the Apache License.
Issue 201/2017
Buy this issue as a PDF
News
-
GitHub Announces Open Source Friday Program
They encourage people to take time out and work on open source projects on Friday.
-
System76 Announces Their Own Distro, Pop!_OS
Pop!_OS is based on Ubuntu and uses the Gnome stack.
-
Linus Torvalds Talks About His Motivation
He never tires of working on the Linux kernel.
-
Debian 9 Stretches Its Wings
The new release of Debian has a very strong focus on security.
-
Trojan Turns Raspberry Pi into a Cryptocurrency Mining Device
Two trojans in the wild are targeting Linux machines.
-
Fedora 26 Beta Comes with New Features
The workstation comes with the latest Gnome desktop environment and support for many application build systems.
-
Raspberry Pi Foundation Merges with CoderDojo Foundation
The two foundations join forces to expand their efforts to reach young people.
-
Samba Security Hole Patched but Risk is Bigger
Millions of devices that use Samba Server are vulnerable to attacks.
-
Red Hat Announces OpenShift.io
Red Hat takes its IDE online.
-
Microsoft Bakes Linux into Windows Server
Microsoft is slowly becoming a Linux vendor.