Since I had to compile my multilib version of glibc still, I decided to wait a bit with releasing them, and that allowed me to find and apply the patch reported in the above thread that seems to solve the issues. The patch comes from Linux From Scratch and appears to be upstream fixes that are going to be in the next release of glibc. I upgraded my laptop with this new multilib glibc package, and can confirm that applications like firefox, libreoffice, calibre, mplayer run without any issues here.

I know that several people have mentioned this patch to Pat Volkerding already, and if the patch gets applied to Slackware’s glibc package I will simply rename my own multilib versions from “1alien” to “2alien” in order to stay in sync with the versioning of the originals.

Along with the updated mulitilib glibc packages, I also uploaded a new version of the “compat32-tools” package to the “current” section, containing a bug-fixed convertpkg-compat32 script. I also refreshed the “slackware64-compat32” subdirectory which contains the packages converted by the “massconvert32.sh” script.

Eric

Just kidding of course. From today’s ChangeLog.txt for Slackware “current“:

Sun Mar 27 08:28:47 UTC 2011
There have been quite a few changes so we will have one more release
candidate:  Slackware 13.37 RC 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716.
Very close now!  But we'll likely hold out for 2.6.37.6.

Well there you have it. The answer you all have been looking for, all that time!

The list of changes is again pretty long. It shows that “declaring a Release Candidate” has a good reason. People ask from time to time, why these release candidates? Thy are nothing similar to what the bigger distros use in their progression towards a stable release. Things like “feature freeze” and “show stopper bugs” are used in Slackware development too, but you won’t see those mentioned in the ChangeLog. They are not relating one-to-one to any of the Release Candidates. Instead, the first call of a Slackware Release Candidate causes many people to try and install Slackware-current for the first time in a development cycle. Not many people are anxious to use a development release, especially since all of us keep repeating “when you are running -current, we expect that you know what you are doing, and that you are able to fix a suddenly broken system by yourself (with the help of the community)“. The Release Candidates are a sign of stability for those people. And we need all of you to help with the final stage of development! All these new people testing the pre-release result in many bugs found and forgotten features requested, and this causes a surge in the stabilization process which makes Slackware the rock solid distro we all know.

Multilib fans (slackware64), pay attention!

A new kernel again (2.6.37.5) and as the ChangeLog.txt says, there will likely be one more before the final release of Slackware 13.37. This means, you get a recompiled multilib version of glibc from me – and there will be another recompile if we see yet another kernel update.

Grab the updated multilib glibc packages from the usual locations:

• http://slackware.com/~alien/multilib/current/ (primary site)
• http://taper.alienbase.nl/mirrors/people/alien/multilib/current/ (fast mirror)

Enjoy! Eric

We have progressed to the second release candidate for the upcoming release of Slackware stable (version 13.37 no less). There is probably not going to be a lot of other updates before final release; the TODO list should be quite short now. The only one to know for sure is Pat Volkerding… I am only speculating of course.

Noticable is that the Slackware -current’s kernel has again been updated – this time to 2.6.37.4. And again, as part of a Slackware kernel update, the glibc packages were rebuilt against the new kernel’s header files.

If you have enhanced your 64bit Slackware-current with multilib capabilities, you can upgrade to the new multilib glibc packages that I compiled for you.

Get the glibc packages for your multilib Slackware64-current at http://slackware.com/~alien/multilib/current/ as usual (or visit my mirror at http://taper.alienbase.nl/mirrors/people/alien/multilib/current/).

I also updated the content of the slackware64-compat32 directory. In there you will find a copy of all the packages which are created by running the massconvert32.sh script. Install these packages on top of your multilib Slackware64-current in order to make your computer fully support 32bit applications (or use “upgradepkg –install-new” if you already installed a previous set of these packages).

No idea what I have been talking about?

If you want to know about 64bit Slackware Linux (which is a pure 64bit OS) and how to “upgrade” to a multilib system (supporting 32bit as well as 64bit applications), you should definitelty read http://alien.slackbook.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=slackware:multilib …

Eric

Hi folks!

Slackware -current’s kernel has been updated to 2.6.37.3 (something many of you probably did not expect) as part of the large update leading to the first release candidate for Slackware 13.37.

This newer kernel seems to work better on all the developers’ computers especially for X sessions.Also speakup (a kernel driver for speech synthesizers) is now part of the kernel since 2.6.37, which means that a separate kernel containing a speakup patch could be dropped from the installer.

Anyway, as part of the kernel update, Pat Volkerding rebuilt the glibc packages against the new kernel headers.

Those of you who run a multilib-enhanced version of Slackware64 know what that means… I have updated my own multilib repository with rebuilt glibc-2.13 packages. This is not an urgent or mandatory upgrade for you, as the previous version of the multilib glibc packages will probably work fine. But for compiling new software that wants to use the kernel api you’d want to go with the rebuilt versions.

Get the new glibc packages at http://slackware.com/~alien/multilib/current/ as usual.

As a bonus, I have also updated my massconvert32.sh script which is part of the compat32-tools package in the same directory. Several packages have been added for the benefit of compiling and running wine. Please tell me if more packages have to be added to that script!

I also updated the content of the slackware64-compat32 directory which holds a copy of all the packages which are created by running the massconvert32.sh script (to make it easier for you if you have your doubts about how to use that script).

Eric

a/glibc-solibs-2.12.1-x86_64-3.txz: Rebuilt.
Patched “The GNU C library dynamic linker will dlopen arbitrary DSOs
during setuid loads.” This security issue allows a local attacker to
gain root by specifying an unsafe DSO in the library search path to be
used with a setuid binary in LD_AUDIT mode.
Bug found by Tavis Ormandy (with thanks to Ben Hawkes and Julien Tinnes).
For more information, see:

http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2010-3856

http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2010/Oct/344

(* Security fix *)

Of course, I was out of town for a few days when this happened, so it took a little longer to build updated multilib versions for glibc.

But… they are available now for your 64-bit Slackware 13.0, 13.1 and -current. Grab them here: http://slackware.com/~alien/multilib/. If you need guidance, read the README or better even, check out the Wiki page on Slackware multilib.

I hope this is the last hole for a while, it sucks having to rebuild all of this.

Mirrors: http://taper.alienbase.nl/mirrors/people/alien/multilib/ and http://slackware.org.uk/people/alien/multilib/.

Eric

Patched “dynamic linker expands $ORIGIN in setuid library search path”.
This security issue allows a local attacker to gain root if they can create
a hard link to a setuid root binary.  Thanks to Tavis Ormandy.
For more information, see:

http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2010-3847

http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2010/Oct/257

(* Security fix *)

I have already created new multilib versions of the updated glibc packages for Slackware64-current, get them here: http://slackware.com/~alien/multilib/current/ or mirrored here: http://taper.alienbase.nl/mirrors/people/alien/multilib/current/ and here: http://slackware.org.uk/people/alien/multilib/current/.

When I return from work, I will also create I have also created updates to my multilib glibc packages for Slackware64 13.0 and 13.1. Stay posted, I will write a note in the comments section of this article.

Eric

As you may have noticed already, there are interesting updates in the Slackware ChangeLog.txt !

A new kernel, and new glibc plus gcc packages means there has to be an updated set of multilib packages too or else you bunch of hybrid lovers would be left out in the cold.

Well actually there is an update to my multilib packages too! . The http://slackware.com/~alien/multilib/current/ is a new directory with goodies for your consumption.

For installation/upgrade instructions see the multilib README or even better, read my Wiki article at http://alien.slackbook.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=slackware:multilib (which has not yet been updated with package versions for slackware64-current, but that will change soon).

In the slackware64-compat32 subdirectory I added the set of packages which have been generated by the massconvert32.sh script, i.e. that directory contains all the support libraries you need (along with my gcc/glibc and compat32-tools packages) to turn your Slackware64-current into a multilib system.

Good luck! Eric

PS:

Fast mirror at http://taper.alienbase.nl/mirrors/people/alien/multilib/current/

Rsync access offered through rsync://taper.alienbase.nl/mirrors/people/alien/multilib/current/

As the Slackware ChangeLog states:

Fri May 14 19:37:13 UTC 2010
Good hello! We will call this update Slackware 13.1 RC1. With this, the
kernel, compiler, and glibc versions are “golden”, and everything is
pretty much ready to release. Last call for bug reports…

I’m in the process of building the multilib versions of the new gcc and the recompiled glibc packages which entered Slackware-current today. Pat Volkerding caught me with this update while I was on holiday, so I did not have the time to prepare packages before.

In the meantime, if you are running Slackware64-current and using my multilib gcc/glibc , then you can just update to the latest -current excluding Slackware’s non-multilib gcc and glibc. My updated packages will be available tomorrow.

Cheers, Eric

EDIT 15-may-2010:

I have uploaded the multilib versions of glibc and gcc for Slackware 13.1 here: http://slackware.com/~alien/multilib/13.1/. A detailed multilib setup HOWTO for Slackware is here: http://alien.slackbook.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=slackware:multilib

Slackware Linux development made a big leap today, when Pat Volkerding updated the distro’s “vital organs” of kernel, glibc and gcc. The “dull” phase of the slackware-current development cycle is over hopefully, and it’s back to the bleeding edge.

To be fair, gcc 4.4.2 has been sitting in “testing” area for quite a while now, and we think it is time to promote it into the core. With glibc 2.11.1 we are pushing it, as this is the most recent stable release, and the 2.6.32.2 kernel was much-anticipated by those who run -current on their computers.

Note that the new kernel has full support for EFI (the Extensible Firmware Interface which is going to be the replacement for the ageing BIOS on modern computers). This means that there is also support for GPT partitions. GUID Partition Table is a standard for the layout of the partition table on a physical hard disk (part of the EFI specification and meant to overcome the 2 TB size limitation of MBR partitions). We still have to look into updating the Slackware installer for automatic GPT partition recognition, but you will be able to use GPT partitions if you do some footwork yourself before running “setup”.

With this update to Slackware’s vitals, the stage is set for further tweaks of the core, but I think that for now, you will have plenty to play with.

And as promised to those running the 64-bit version of Slackware-current, I have made available multilib versions of the new gcc and glibc packages! Thanks to Pat Volkerding who allowed me sufficient time to build and rebuild these packages on my old computer until they were just perfect (I hope) and could be released along with the Slackware originals.

You can get them here: http://slackware.com/~alien/multilib/13.1/ (I took the liberty of assuming that 13.1 will be the version of the next Slackware release, mainly because I needed to give that directory a name).

For detailed instructions about what multilib means to the 64-bit Slackware and how you can add it, read this wiki article: http://alien.slackbook.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=slackware:multilib

Have fun! Eric

This also marks the birth of the first stable official release of 64bit Slackware, aka Slackware for the x86_64 architecture, aka Slackware64.  This is a pure-64bit Slackware in the sense that it is unable to compile or run 32bit binaries out of the box. But we took great care to make Slackware64 ready for multilib.  A multilib Linux system has full support for compiling and running both 64bit and 32bit binaries. Pat Volkerding made a decision not to add full multilib capability to Slackware64 initially. Perhaps that will change in future releases.

In the meantime, it is really not hard to add a full multilib layer to Slackware64. The first step would be to build/install multilib versions of gcc and glibc. Then, you have to add 32bit versions of the supporting libraries that your 32bit software will need to run (think of qt, gtk, cups, …. you name it).

Perhaps the mention of “build/install multilib” scared you off?  To make it easy for you, I published a set of pre-built packages that you can install using “upgradepkg –install-new” (gcc and glibc need to be upgraded, the remainder are new packages). You can find those packages at http://www.slackware.com/~alien/multilib/ .

To accompany these packages I wrote an article for my Wiki explaining the steps you need to go through.  If you care to give me feedback on my multilib solution, you can do so on the article’s discussion area: http://alien.slackbook.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=wiki:talk:slackware:multilib .

After completing the intructions, you will have a Slackware system that is capable of building and/or running (among others) Wine, Skype, Citrix client. And many more of course!

Note: if you use slackpkg or another semi-automated package manager, you will have to add the gcc and glibc packages to the update blacklist. If you fail to do so, your package manager will automatically “upgrade” the new multilib gcc and glibc packages to their original pure64 Slackware versions…

Enjoy!

Cheers, Eric