Alien Pastures

My thoughts on Slackware, life and everything

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Java updates for 2024Q2

May 13, 2024 / / 7 Comments

Three weeks ago, the quarterly (security and stability) updates to various Java source code repositories were released. This means, new packages for OpenJDK versions 8, 11 and 17 are now in my Slackware repository. It took a while but hey, here they are.
For OpenJDK 8 I still use icedtea to compile the Java sources because it is convenient. The more modern versions like 11 and 17 are easier to compile (plus, icedtea does not support them).

All of these Java packages are nowadays targeting Slackware 15.0 and newer. So, get one of these if you have a need for it (and do not install more than one of them):

  • OpenJDK 8u412_b08 comes as an openjdk package.
  • OpenJDK 11.0.23_9 (aka the 11.0.23 General Availability release) comes as an openjdk11 package.
  • OpenJDK 17.0.11_9 (aka the 17.0.11 General Availability release) comes as an openjdk17 package.

Have fun!

Eric

Chromium update fixes 5th zero-day exploit for 2024

May 11, 2024 / / 19 Comments

In Google’s release notes for the latest Chromium 124.0.6367.201 source code it is  mentioned that this release fixes a zero-day vulnerability. Beware: this is already the 5th zero-day which was reported and fixed in Chromium in 2024.

This vulnerability is already actively exploited in the wild, and is labeled CVE-2024-4671, so please upgrade your chromium and also ungoogled-chromium packages as soon as you can.

You can fetch my Slackware 15.0 and -current packages both for chromium and chromium-ungoogled . You can also visit mirror servers (like my own US server and in a short while, the UK mirror) in case my own server is not responding or too slow.

Note that I still do not provide 32bit package updates for Chromium and Chromium-ungoogled. It is a lot of work to find out how to compile rust and llvm on 32bit Slackware ‘the Google way’ and so far the solution has eluded me.
I need these custom rust and clang compilers to compile Chromium sources on 32bit.
And please don’t tell me ‘to look at how Debian does it’ – it does not help.

Cheers, Eric

In the works: LibreOffice 24.2.0 for Slackware 15.0

February 20, 2024 / / 21 Comments

Apart from post-COVID syndrome there were some other setbacks lately, but those were mostly software-centered. Like the fact that I can not build a 32bit Chromium package for instance.
But also the realization that the latest LibreOffice 24.2.0 can no longer be compiled on Slackware 15.0 – its gcc 11.2.0 compiler is considered “too old”.
With the help and insight of Pat Volkerding I was able to compile LibreOffice on Slackware 15.0 anyhow:

I need to test the resulting binaries, and I still need to see whether I can repeat this on 32bit Slackware of course… but it looks promising.
More to follow.

Update 2024-Feb-21:

+--------------------------+
Wed Feb 21 12:41:50 UTC 2024
libreoffice: updated to 24.2.0 for Slackware 15.0 and -current.
Depends on openjdk17.
openjdk17: added v17.0.10_7 for Slackware 15.0 and newer.
Only install one version of Java!

Cheers, Eric

Down with COVID

February 2, 2024 / / 61 Comments

I somehow avoided getting infected with COVID for all these past four years, but this week unexpectedly it hit me after all – and that while being inoculated multiple times. Oh well, they say that the inoculations keep the more severe symptoms at bay.
Still, this feels like a very bad flu, I have been in bed for two days, feeling delirious in the beginning but just nauseous and dizzy now, accompanied by the father of all headaches.
I have no energy left in me,  meaning package updates may be delayed. Pay supplied me with the sources for the to-be updated glibc package in Slackware, so that the computer can do all the compiling when I return to bed. That will be about all.

Stay healthy! Eric

Chromium 121 for Slackware… don’t hold your breath

January 24, 2024 / / 30 Comments

Chromium 121 sources were released yesterday, and as much as I would like to tell you that the Slackware packages are ready, in fact it appears that you will have to wait for them for an unspecified amount of time.

I found out that the build of Chromium now needs Google’s custom version of the Rust compiler, next to Google’s custom version of the Clang compiler. Those Rust and Clang versions are intertwined and Google advises packagers to simply use their own pre-compiled binaries which they provide for download.

You guessed… those binaries are not available for a 32bit OS. Nothing new, and it is for that exact reason that as part of compiling Chromium for Slackware, the complete LLVM toolchain is built from Google’s sources first. For every package I release. Tweaking the LLVM/Clang compilation so that they work for 32bit Slackware took a lot of time – after all, no one at Google tests their sources for 32bit build compatibility. So I patch here and there and every time feel lucky that it still works.

Until today, when I ran into the new Rust requirement. And after the umptiest iteration of a Chromium package build using a variety of changing options, I still fail to even start compiling a Rust binary.

I am taking a break from this to consider my options. My aim is to keep supporting the 32bit Slackware package. I just need to figure out how Google messed this up again and find a way around it. In the meantime, don’t hold your breath – I only have a few hours each evening to do the troubleshooting. A new package will appear when it’s ready.

All the best, Eric

Update 2024-jan-29: I have buillt 64bit packages for Chromium (also -ungoogled) version 121.0.6167.85 and uploaded them to my repository.
Note that I can not currently compile their 32bit versions because until now I have not been successful in building Google’s custom llvm and rust from source. I had to revert to downloading and using Google’s pre-compiled binaries which they only supply for 64bit systems.

I am still determined to find a way to compile these llvm and rust compilers from Google’s own sources. But I have no ETA on that unfortunately.

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